Senior Russian air force officials say the service now has a conventionally armed long-range cruise missile, according to Russian press reports. The weapons are most likely a small number of Kh-555 cruise missiles with the nuclear payloads replaced.
The special treatment of premier airline passengers, in terms of security, privacy and amenities, is spreading. The Japan Airlines Group plans three luxury lounges at Tokyo Haneda Airport Terminal One for the exclusive use by JAL's Diamond cardholders and members of the airline's Global Club. Each lounge will have its own security gate access. The lounges are set to open in May 2005 as part of a renewal and expansion of facilities. Eight more security gates are being added, bringing the total to 30 at Haneda. On Dec.
NASA may try to demonstrate a space-rated nuclear reactor on the Earth's Moon first, instead of on a mission to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. Administrator Sean O'Keefe tells the NASA Advisory Council it remains an open question how the Project Prometheus space nuclear power initiative will demonstrate its hardware. "Where you go and exactly how you accomplish that task first is of no moment," he says.
While India wants to purchase the PAC-3 Patriot, which can defend against ballistic missiles, the U.S. is said to be offering older and less capable Patriot systems. External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh told the Indian Parliament that the U.S., by supplying arms to Pakistan at a time when India-Pakistan talks are at a sensitive stage, "would have a negative impact."
The Intelsat Americas IA 7 spacecraft is being returned to partial service after earlier being given up as a loss following a serious electrical problem Nov. 28 in geosynchronous orbit (AW&ST Dec. 6, p. 21). An Intelsat ground control team, aided by teams at Space Systems/Loral, builder of the satellite, and original owner Loral Skynet, managed to restore the spacecraft's electrical and transponder systems to partial operation within a few days of the malfunction.
Researchers at Pratt & Whitney are redefining stealth and endurance for a new family of engines being designed to keep unmanned aircraft aloft and undetected for long periods over key targets deep in enemy territory. Ready to begin a fast-paced, two-year development program is an F100 derivative with a unique, snake-like exhaust system that is to sustain higher engine temperatures, limit the infrared signature and block radar reflections.
American Airlines will add two nonstop flights between Chicago and Dublin and Boston-Shannon, beginning next May. Plans call for operating the service daily during the summer season and five days a week during the remainder of the year. According to Tourism Ireland, nearly 1 million people from the U.S. visited Ireland in 2004 and that number is forecast to grow by nearly 8% next year. In related news, United Airlines Flight 869 was scheduled to depart San Francisco for Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam last week, with 347 passengers booked.
Finnair plans to further expand its Asian network, taking advantage of the geographic location of its Helsinki hub and the growing demand on these routes.
Ross Reynolds has become head of the Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Marietta, Ga.-based Air Mobility business. He has been vice president for C-130J programs.
MBDA finally appears set to gain full access to the German market by absorbing EADS missile unit LFK, in principle, by year-end. Industry sources say a deal for purchase of an 82% share in LFK from EADS--itself one of three MBDA shareholders, alongside BAE Systems and Finmeccanica--has been struck and is expected to be announced this month. Neither MBDA nor LFK shareholders would confirm this, but MBDA CEO Marwan Lahoud acknowledged agreement was "very, very close."
A new breed of aircraft engine being designed by Pratt & Whitney won't be just a device for propulsion. It's being built to produce internally, without exterior add-ons, the energy needed to run a new generation of power-hungry weapons and sensors.
Larry M. Wise has been appointed president of Integrated System Solutions for the Technology Solutions Sector of BAE Systems North America, Rockville, Md. He was vice president/general manager of BAE Systems Integrated Electronic Solutions. Wise has been succeeded by Richard D. Anderson, who was vice president of the Weapons Systems Div.
General Electric Co.'s GenX engine passed a critical first test of a new configuration--a composite fan case and composite blades--that promises significant weight reduction. In a blade-out rig test at full speed, the composite fan case contained the released blade and maintained its structural integrity, says Tom Brisken, GenX program general manager. The carbon fiber and epoxy resin composite materials in the fan case are expected to reduce the weight of a single engine by 350 lb. An 800-lb.
Vietnam Airlines will acquire an additional 10 Airbus A321s, bringing total orders for the carrier to 15. The airline ordered five of the single-aisle jets in October 2002. Deliveries began in July of this year, and the new aircraft will be delivered in the spring of 2008.
Lockheed Martin has snagged a $15.6-million contract to integrate the Armed Helicopter mission kits on the U.S. Navy's MH-60S. The two-year effort is to span preliminary design review through completion of operational testing. The kit includes sensors, avionics, weapons, integrated self-defense and survivability modes. The initial operational capability is set for September 2006. The MH-60S is to replace Ch-46s and HH-60Hs.
Lockheed Martin has named its F/A-22 program general manager and executive vice president, Ralph Heath, to become president of the corporation's Aeronautics Co. Heath will succeed Dain M. Hancock, who plans to retire in January. Larry Lawson, the F/A-22 deputy, will succeed Heath.
Donald Rumsfeld, staying on as Defense secretary, says he has some unfinished business. "Great bureaucracies don't spin on a dime," he declares, and an about-face is what he has in mind. Among his priorities are a National Security Personnel System to relieve demands on the Guard and Reserve; reductions and shifts in U.S. forces stationed overseas that aren't in combat operations; and new strategies and tactics for unconventional conflicts such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq. Another goal is establishing "true jointness" among the services.
An upcoming NASA selection between very different robotic spacecraft for a $700-million mission scheduled to fly by 2010 is emblematic of the strains that are likely to beset the U.S. agency--and its international partners--for years to come as they struggle to map the new pay-as-you-go U.S. exploration program.
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BAE Systems intends to reduce its stake in Saab as the two companies revise their relationship over the Gripen fighter aircraft. Saab is to take sole responsibility for new export campaigns for the Gripen.
NASA's "Deep Impact" mission will not only give scientists a glimpse into the core of a comet, but should also provide clues about conditions that existed when the Solar System was formed.
If collaboration between U.S. and European aerospace/defense companies on military programs is going to advance much further, industry--with the support of governments on both sides of the Atlantic--will have to be a lot more creative in how it approaches the business and political issues that continue to frustrate international teaming and cooperation on a grander scale.
The first of France's next-generation Helios 2A reconnaissance satellites is set to be launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 18. Although Defense Ministry officials acknowledge the date could still slip, the French are anxious to bring the new capability into operation at a time when only one first-generation spacecraft, Helios 1A, is still in service. The high priority placed on the launch recently caused the reflight of the Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift launch vehicle, which had slipped from its November launch date, to be bumped to early next year.
Northrop Grumman and United Defense have teamed for the U.S. Army's mobile tactical high-energy laser project, intended as a vehicle-mounted air defense system. Northrop Grumman will lead the laser activity, with United Defense focused on integrating the weapon on its hybrid-electric combat vehicle that will transport the system. The Army wants the laser to shoot down myriad threats, from missiles to mortars.
Italy's Avio is tentatively scheduling an initial public offering for 2006. However, the propulsion group will be required to restore profitability first. The U.S. Carlyle Group, which owns a 70% controlling stake in Avio, indicated earlier that it would remain the Turin-based company's leading shareholder for only three years. Avio Chief Executive Officer Saverio Strati says that an IPO is the most likely scenario for the share restructuring. Finmeccanica, which owns the remaining 30% of Avio, will review its involvement.
