A team led by San Antonio-based M7 Aerospace has been selected by the U.S. Army to support the Army National Guard's fleet of C-23 Sherpa transports for up to 10 years. M7 Aerospace will provide overall program management and L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss., will be responsible for logistics support.
An article on BAE Systems' proposed acquisition of United Defense (AW&ST Mar. 14, p. 67) misstated the purchase price. The correct price is $4.2 billion.
Boeing issued 9,300 layoff notices to hourly and salaried workers at its facilities in Wichita, Kan., and Tulsa and McAlester, Okla. The 60-day notifications are part of the separation and re-employment process for workers as Boeing sells the facilities to Onex Corp. (AW&ST Feb. 28, p. 34). As of late last week, engineers had not yet received notices. Onex has temporarily named the operating company Midwestern Aircraft Systems.
The formula calls for highly skilled pilots, support officers and maintenance troops, each bringing an exemplary record that reflects integrity, leadership and character. At the door, each checks his or her ego, exchanging it for a soul-deep commitment to "The Team."
Program leaders are rolling out plans for marketing Germany's TerraSAR-X commercial remote-sensing satellite. But the scheduled date for deploying its high-resolution companion piece, the SARLupe military reconnaissance spacecraft, is shifting to the right.
World News Roundup 18 France, Russia ink space launcher, exploration accord 18 Determination underway on whether Discovery can be readied this week 19 Base and personnel reductions loom for the RAF 20 Airbus ordering visual inspection of A310, A300-600 rudders 20 London takes first steps in setting up UCAV procurement strategy World News & Analysis 22 Another SBIRS High overrun causes embarrassment for USAF
Sri Lankan Airlines will start daily service from Colombo to New York JFK International Airport on Mar. 27 as it continues to expand flights into the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe. The Asian offerings include increased frequencies to Singapore and Malaysia. Additional flights will be offered to London, Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Paris and Zurich. In an effort to convert Sri Lanka into a South Asian hub, CEO Peter Hill says the carrier expects to add 15 weekly flights to India, for a total of 92.
In an attempt to build a "performance culture" and stay on the cutting edge, numerous aerospace companies have tried to foster and institutionalize within their ranks such competencies as personal accountability and a commitment to be the best in everything they do. Many have established so-called centers of excellence and embarked on continuous improvement programs--all aimed at locking in competitive advantages and satisfying their customers.
In his letter "Restore Hubble Funding" (AW&ST Mar. 7, p. 6), William Mellberg urges restoration of the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and points out that HST has been an incredible scientific and public success. However, his comment that the decision has been made to abandon Hubble "on the altar of budget cuts" is a common but incorrect one.
Reprimands by the Japanese transport ministry have accelerated changes in the top management at Japan Airlines. Isao Kaneko--who oversaw the integration of JAL and Japan Air Systems that made JAL into Asia's biggest airline--has resigned as JAL Group chairman and CEO effective Apr. 1. He assumes the more ceremonial post of chairman of the executive committee. Toshiyuki Shinmachi, currently president of the JAL Group holding company Japan Airlines Corp., becomes the CEO. Those changes were planned, but not until after shareholders voted on them in June.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wouldn't be pinned down on whether the U.S. will approve the sale of F-16s to India during an interview in New Delhi last week as she headed for Pakistan, where the U.S. is also reportedly ready to sell F-16s. But two things are in evidence: India's long-time weapons supplier, Russia, no longer commands the attention it once did since the Indians are looking for best quality. And issues of dual-use technology are slowly being ironed out.
Swire Pacific, majority owner of Hong Kong's flagship Cathay Pacific Airways, has ruled out relinquishing control of the airline after a report in the South China Morning Post quoted an unidentified Cathay executive as saying "a deal is very close to being completed." The proposed deal involved Swire giving up control of Cathay in exchange for a greater stake in Beijing-based Air China and Hong Kong-based Dragonair. It already holds minority positions in both of those carriers.
James Robinson, director of the infrared research and development laboratory at the DRS Infrared Technologies in Dallas, has received the 2005 Levinstein Award to recognize management excellence in infrared device technology. Robinson was recognized for contributions "to the development of both cooled and uncooled focal plane array technology for many years." These and other infrared technologies are considered key to providing strategic responsive- ness, forward engagement and force projection capabilities of the military.
Experts summoned by the House Science Committee warn that NASA's proposed Fiscal 2006 aeronautics budget would stymie future research efforts in the field and handicap future U.S. entries in the worldwide aviation market. "There is . . . a general concern that the focus on technology demonstrations comes at the expense of more fundamental research and core technology development in vehicle systems, and that the national competitiveness in aircraft technologies may atrophy as a result," says R. John Hansman, Jr., a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT.
Debate is brewing on the direction of the Pentagon's most ambitious new satellite communications project as Congress combs the massive Fiscal 2006 military budget request. The Air Force-led Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office has embarked upon what some industry officials characterize as an unrealistic plan to develop the Transformational Communications System, which is expected to incorporate new high-speed laser links and Internet protocols for data transfer.
The U.S. Army Aviation Command will buy three more Army Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer-Aviation Reconfigurable Manned Simulator suites from L-3 Communications and is in discussion with other service branches about additional uses.
Since their first demonstration in 1946, the Navy's Blue Angels have never canceled a show for maintenance reasons. Extending that impressive record indefinitely is a goal shared by every Navy and Marine Corps maintenance troop on the team. The Blues' cadre of mechanics, technicians, crew chiefs, inspectors, subsystem specialists and supervisors comprises the best of the Navy's and Marine Corps' best. Everybody is a volunteer, and each survived a rigorous selection process.
UNITED STATES Editor-In-Chief: Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. [email protected] Managing Editor: James R. Asker [email protected] Assistant Managing Editors: Stanley W. Kandebo--Technology [email protected] Michael Stearns--Production [email protected] Senior Editors: Craig Covault [email protected], David Hughes [email protected] NEW YORK 2 Penn Plaza, Fifth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10121 Phone: +1 (212) 904-2000, Fax: +1 (212) 904-6068
Boeing and Singapore Aerospace Manufacturing (SAM), which designs and manufactures niche aerospace products such as actuators, valves, and flight and engine controls, have started a joint training program for Vietnamese engineers. The initiative will include an 18-month course at SAM's headquarters in Singapore and a one-month, "hands-on" session at a Boeing facility. Speaking in Hanoi on Mar.
Picture this: World War II has ended, the jet age is still in its infancy, and U.S. military aviation is maturing rapidly. To showcase their rapidly evolving aircraft fleets, the Air Force and Navy activate official aerial demonstration teams, the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. Today both groups are into their second 50 years and continue to serve as "flying ambassadors" around the world. In the following stories, Editor-in-Chief Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. and Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief William B.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Mar. 29-30--43rd Goddard Memorial Symposium: "Earth and Space Science: Exploring the Possibilities." Greenbelt (Md.) Marriott. Call +1 (703) 866-0020 or see www.astronautical.org Mar. 29-30--Global Aviation RFID Forum. Hyatt Regency, Orlando (Fla.) International Airport. Call +1 (800) 560-1980 or see www.GlobalAviationRFIDforum.com
Northwest Airlines has dropped plans to increase domestic capacity in 2005. Citing high fuel costs, overcapacity and "fare restructuring initiatives by competitors"--notably Delta Air Lines' SimpliFares, which are expected to reduce revenue industry-wide--Northwest said it intends to fly the same capacity within the U.S. this year as it offered in 2004. As recently as mid-January the carrier was projecting a 2-3% increase. Northwest still foresees double-digit growth in international capacity and 32-34% more available seat miles in its Airlink regional service.
Space scientists from 22 countries are working on possible areas of cooperation and collaboration with NASA on President Bush's long-term exploration program, following a 21/2-day "International Workshop on Exploration Science" sponsored by the U.S. agency. With their space agencies already conducting or planning robotic lunar exploration (AW&ST Oct. 11, 2004, p. 38), scientists from Europe, Japan, India and China agreed to work with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team in the months ahead on ways to coordinate the efforts.
Frank Morring, Jr. (Washington), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
Demand for new geostationary commercial communications satellites remains flat, even as new services like high-definition television and satellite delivery of local broadcasts force operators to upgrade their in-orbit fleets. With orders running at 15 or 16 spacecraft a year, overcapacity continues to plague satellite manufacturing worldwide.
