Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced a series of tightened security measures at airports following a Sept. 9 car bombing at Australia's embassy in Jakarta, which killed 10 and injured 180. The measures include tighter parking restrictions near airports and an intensified alert status of the Australian Federal Police.
Two new Chinese space radiation research spacecraft are undergoing checkout in orbit, following launch Sept. 9 from the Taiyuan space center on a Long March 4B rocket. The spacecraft, designated SJ-6A and SJ-6B, were built by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology and the Dongfanghong Satellite Co. under the oversight of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. They are being controlled from China's unmanned satellite control center in Xian and are to return scientific information for two years.
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries has been "warned" by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport about submitting false engine test run data. This stems from a January 1996 test of an International Aero Engines V-2500-D5 overhauled at IHI's Mizuho plant in Tokyo. IAE lead partner Pratt & Whitney assembled the engine. The IHI tests showed a higher thrust rating than the criterion figure set by Pratt. As a result, IHI altered their data to conform to the Pratt standard. When it submitted the false test figure, Pratt approved the test.
Christopher Bates (see photo) has been named general manager for Southeast Asia and Kevin Ptasienski principal heater engineer for the Watlow Electric Manufacturing Co. of St. Louis. Bates was managing director for Asia-Pacific operations for Thermodyne Industries and had been a managing director at Hubron Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd.
Space Imaging says it will sell its Federal Civil/Commercial Solutions business to Denver-based Geo360 Corp. The unit provides mapping and value-added services to governments. The company wants to concentrate on selling commercial satellite imagery.
The Pentagon has been forced to delay until at least late November the first planned integrated flight test of the U.S. ballistic missile defense system that would use the real interceptor, not a surrogate. The test was previously delayed because of a problem with a computer board, but the root cause analysis hasn't been completed. Moreover, the interceptor underwent modifications at the test site that had not been approved. The test, IFT-13C, is not being billed as an intercept.
USN Rear Adm. Robert T. Conway has become commander of Task Force Warrior, Norfolk, Va. He was commander of Expeditionary Strike Group One in San Diego. Rear Adm. William V. Alford, Jr., has been appointed chief of staff of the United States Pacific Command, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He has been battle staff director of the United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. And, Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark T. Emerson has been named commander of Carrier Group One, North Island, Calif. He has been assistant deputy Marine Corps commandant for aviation.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. has dismissed a complaint by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) against Northwest Airlines that alleged the carrier violated its own privacy policy by sending millions of passenger data records to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab for an aviation security study. The lab thought its software expertise would allow it to develop algorithms that could spot terrorist suspects by sorting through passenger name record data. The effort has been terminated and passenger records were returned to the airline.
U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Walter B. Massenburg, who is commanding officer of the Naval Air Systems Command, has received the International Society of Logistics' Founders' Medal. He was cited for "identification of industry best practices and efforts and to implement them across the Navy's logistics chain to further outline improvements and efficiencies that will have lasting effects to improve readiness, reduce costs and the logistics footprint of naval forces."
By Stephen Flynn HarperCollins 234 pp., Hardcover ($25.95) Despite all of the U.S. government's pronouncements about boosting security measures, Stephen Flynn writes that the nation is no better prepared for an attack now than it was on Sept. 11, 2001--except for civil aviation. This is the disturbing conclusion of his new book, and he is in a position to know.
The article "NASA Team Brings Synthetic Vision to Maturity" captured an impressive effort to bring several technologies together (AW&ST Aug. 9, p. 48). The safety technologies demonstrated in Reno will save lives. One unanswered question is: "What is the minimum operational visibility with this kind of system?"
Scientists are increasingly optimistic about what they may get out of the wreckage of the Genesis solar-wind spacecraft. To the surprise of many, two of four target segments for oxygen isotopes in the solar-wind concentrator appeared to be intact after the Genesis return capsule slammed into the Utah desert at nearly 200 mph. That gives the science team great hope for accomplishing the $246-million mission's top objective--measuring the oxygen isotopes to determine which of several competing theories about oxygen's role in the formation of the Solar System is correct.
A Thales-Smiths team was picked to supply the flight management system for the A400M--the fourth award Thales has received for the European airlifter. Thales Chairman/CEO Denis Ranque said this may encourage the team to seek certification as the second-source FMS supplier on the Airbus 380. Honeywell is the primary supplier.
USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) Richard E. (Tex) Brown has been named group senior vice president-Air Force programs for the Anteon International Corp., Fairfax, Va. He was acting assistant Air Force vice chief of staff.
I must take issue with your editorial response to Capt. Thomas P. Heidenberger's letter in which you say: ". . . a layered approach to countering the hijacking of a passenger jet has made this type of incident much less likely to occur or succeed on a U.S. aircraft . . . ." (AW&ST Sept. 6, p. 6).
Independence Air took delivery of its first 132-passenger, single-class Airbus A319, due to enter service in November. That's when the low-fare carrier stretches from high-frequency, short-haul services with its all-regional jet fleet to longer-haul service. On Nov. 3, Independence will offer three-times daily nonstop service to Orlando and Tampa from its Washington Dulles International hub for $64 one way. The airline, which formerly operated as regional carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines, on June 16 began operations as a low-fare carrier.
Capt. John Broadbent (US Airways, Grasonville, Md.)
I've been a subscriber for decades and thought your magazine to be dry and devoid of humor until I read the Viewpoint "How To Avoid Airline Pension Meltdowns" (AW&ST Sept. 6, p. 66). What a hoot! Writers Christopher Mackin and Richard May must do a little stand-up comedy on the weekends. When they suggested I put my US Airways stock into a 401k to save my pension, what a knee-slapper! I'm framing this one.
With India moving from its socialist mindset, even traditional defense production companies such as state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. are opening up. HAL says it wants to partner with private concerns seeking large outsourcing orders.
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The Pentagon should make air-moving target-indication part of its Space-Based Radar (SBR) program, according to an assessment by the Defense Science Board (DSB). The system is designed to track ground targets, provide radar images and deliver digital terrain elevation data. But the DSB, asked to look at SBR in a missile defense role, notes that air target tracking mode could be used to cue interceptors as enemy ballistic missiles are launched, before they break cloud cover. Moreover, the feature should come at low cost and schedule impact, the expert panel argues.
Upgrading of the GPS constellation is set to start in March 2005 with the launch of the first IIR-M model satellite, and officials are planning an increased launch rate for swift deployment in the face of expected failures of aging satellites.
