I was pleased by the VXX decision and upset by two letters in response (AW&ST Feb. 21, p. 6). Ron Kollmansberger doesn't think it is a good idea to have the President fly on critical components built abroad, while Michael L. Ivins guesses about what could happen if a foreign government gets into disagreements with the U.S. and stops shipment of critical components and so halts the VXX fleet.
First flight has been completed for the Saab JAS 39 Gripen's reconnaissance pod. The SaabTech-developed device uses the Recon Optical CA270 medium-altitude electro-optical/infrared camera and an L-3 Communications digital memory unit. Fielding of the system will allow the Swedish air force to replace its JA 37 Viggen reconnaissance fighters.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. (ret.) Patrick Hughes has been appointed vice president-homeland security and Greg Henson vice president-homeland security operations for New York-based L-3 Communications. Hughes was assistant secretary for information analysis in the U.S. Homeland Security Dept. Henson was vice president-business development for the Harris Corp.
Following a year-end rush of new inflight entertainment system business, Thales is bullish about prospects for the IFE market, which had been in the doldrums since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The company--an IFE leader, along with Matsushita and Rockwell Collins--received more than 100 million euros ($130 million) in IFE orders last year, most of it in the last quarter, and expects to exceed 300 million euros this year.
David Sprechman, president/CEO of GlobeCast America, has been named Teleport Executive of the Year by the Washington-based World Teleport Assn. The award honors industry leadership in the development or operation of satellite communications services. Sprechman was cited for having restructured operations and diversified his company's portfolio beyond traditional teleport uplink services to include content management and applications for DTH, cable and broadband IPTV, enterprise media, retail and digital cinema, sports and news, and government communications.
Bell-Boeing won a series of Navy contracts to provide $44.9 million, $37.4 million, $33.6 million, $8.7 million and $9.8 million in various types of spares for MV-22 and CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
NASA has pushed the envelope way on out there--literally--with its first two Centennial Challenges prizes for new space technology. By offering a total of $400,000 in prize money for four competitions, the agency hopes to spur development of advanced materials for tethers strong enough to support a space elevator, and for remote power transmission techniques to drive elevator cars all the way to orbit.
The Pentagon has approved low-rate initial production for up to 40 Sikorsky UH-60M helicopters for the Army. The Army expects to purchase more than 1,200 of the Black Hawk helicopters to handle a variety of missions. Citing only a 13% cost difference between the new purchases and upgrading old helicopters, the Pentagon decided to abandon plans to refurbish the existing fleet.
The Bush administration has embarked on a series of technology investments designed to greatly enhance the warfighting capabilities of U.S. military forces. At the heart of its strategy is a belief that if U.S. forces have better capacity to access, share and interpret vital information in a timely fashion, that will translate into big gains in military effectiveness.
PanAmSat Corp. has given Space Systems/Loral a contract to build Galaxy 18 for delivery in 2007. SS/L is now building Galaxy 16 for delivery next year. A hybrid, Galaxy 18 will carry 24 C-band and 24 K u-band transponders and is to have 10 kw. of power over a 15-year lifetime. It will operate from 123 deg. W. Long. to serve the contiguous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
The common view of the Middle East may be one of unending conflict, but Dubai-based Emirates Airline is expanding so rapidly that it's pressing Boeing to make larger airplanes. The carrier took delivery of two 777-300ERs last week and will acquire 30 by late 2007, including 26 on lease. Ten are to be delivered this year--four under a lease from International Lease Finance Corp. and six from General Electric Commercial Aviation Service. Emirates already flies a mix of 21 777-200/-200ER/-300s--making it one of Boeing's largest 777 operators.
Britain's National Air Traffic Services will close the West Drayton air traffic control center, near London, in October 2007, as part of its consolidation process. Operations staffers will be moved to the Swanwick center.
French research minister Francois d'Aubert says his country plans to boost space spending at a slightly higher rate during the second half of the decade, to 1.5% from 1% per annum, to reinforce an upward trend that began last year following an agency overhaul. The national program budget line was 676 million euros in 2004. European Space Agency contributions are to remain stable at 685 million euros a year under the spending plan that is to be finalized this month.
Cessna Aircraft Co. plans to begin systems and taxi tests of the prototype Citation Mustang business jet next month in preparation for first flight this summer, followed by certification and deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Heidi Shyu, who is vice president/technical director at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif., has been appointed chair of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, effective Oct. 1. She has been vice chair of the board, which reviews, evaluates and advises senior Air Force leadership on matters of science and technology.
Low-fare carrier AirAsia has boosted its order of A320s by 20 aircraft, bringing the total purchase order that was originally signed in December to 60 aircraft. The airline holds an option for another 40 A320s. The deal makes AirAsia the largest customer for the Airbus type in the Asia-Pacific region, the aircraft maker says. The A320s replace older Boeing 737-300s, flown by AirAsia in Malaysia, Thai AirAsia, and Awair in Indonesia. The aircraft will be powered by CFM56-7B turbofans.
Sagem and French defense research agency Onera have agreed to jointly fund an airborne platform to test new-generation electronic systems for unmanned aerial vehicles. The platform, dubbed the Busard (Harrier), will consist of a Stemme S10-VT powered glider equipped with two pods for test payloads. Under a five-year agreement, Onera will operate the system, which could be made available to third-party users.
Ava C. Sumpter-Shubat, a Dassault Falcon 50EX pilot, has been elected president of Southaven, Miss.-based Women in Corporate Aviation. Other elected officers are: vice president, Karin Proctor, a Bombardier Challenger captain; treasurer, Gay Williams, a Gulfstream G-IV and G-V captain; and secretary, Carol Foy, a contract BE20 copilot.
World News Roundup 18 Shuttle orbiter Discovery ready for external tank and boosters 19 Taiwan developing an air-launched powered standoff weapon 19 JPL plans to make up for poor Deep Impact focus 20 Bombardier posts modest revenue increase for past year World News & Analysis 24 Basics of stealth being reexamined in advance of major overhaul 26 Propulsion systems quickly becoming a key to next stealth platforms
At a macro level, "military space" as a distinct community is becoming an endangered species as "space" becomes more and more integrated with other Defense Dept. mission areas. How that will ultimately affect the evolving national security space community, its ambitious acquisition programs and tighter Pentagon budgets is difficult to predict (see p. 51).
Joseph Dodd has been appointed vice president-business development for the Northrop Grumman Corp. Information Technology Sector's TASC unit, McLean, Va. He was vice president-federal alliances for Space Imaging.
Aircraft engine and airborne systems maker Snecma plans to take full control of SMA, a small French company that specializes in building diesel engines for light aircraft. Demand for SMA products is strong, but certification has been hampered by the slow pace of regulatory change. Industry sources suggest consolidated ownership might enable greater resources to be brought to bear in dealing with this problem.
Breaches in transport safety, marked by violations by Japan Airlines, has prompted Japan's transport ministry to conduct safety checks on the country's 22 airlines, 203 railway companies and all of its civil and military air traffic control centers.
Scott R. Winter and Stefanie Gates have been named to receive the 2005 Dr. Harold S. Wood Award for Excellence from the Washington-based General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. The annual award, in honor of Wood, who was founder/past executive director of the National Intercollegiate Flying Assn., "recognizes top students enrolled in NIFA member schools who demonstrate academic excellence while promoting aviation on campus as well as in their community." Winter is a senior majoring in aviation with a minor in aviation weather at the University of Minnesota.
