The long-running subsidy dispute between Boeing and Airbus and the latest U.S. attempt to bring its export-promoting tax policies in line with World Trade Organization (WTO) restrictions are entering a critical period this month, with uncertain prospects.
Australia intends to introduce a long-range precision strike cruise missile into its inventory between 2007-09 with selection from the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, SLAM-ER, and KEPD-350. The weapon will be deployed on the F/A-18 and P-3C.
With adjustments to its original concept and an assist by events, Iridium has rebounded from bankruptcy and is now experiencing double-digit growth. Launched in November 1998 as the industry's first global satellite system for mobile phones, the original Iridium LLC business plan envisioned 5 million subscribers and $600 million in annual revenues. It would provide communications to anyone anywhere--in the desert, in the mid-ocean, in the polar regions.
Boeing is about midway through an initial flight program for the Australian Boeing 737-based Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. Flight tests began in May and are scheduled to be completed by December. The trials include simulated air-to-air refueling with a KC-10 (photo) and a KC-135 tanker. The airplane, with its large top-hat radar, was judged to be stable behind the tankers, Boeing says.
Orbital Sciences has completed the second test flight of its GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea-skimming target. Test objectives include booster and ramjet ignition, transition from booster to ramjet power, and verification of the laser altimeter.
Cape Canaveral and NASA Kennedy Space Center were bracing late last week for a potential direct hit by Hurricane Frances that could seriously damage the U.S. space launch infrastructure. Sustained winds of 140 mph. with gusts to 170 mph. were possible, but most older Cape facilities were designed to sustain winds of 115-124 mph. Of particular concern were the massive KSC Vehicle Assembly Building and the Orbiter Processing Facilities that house the orbiters Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour.
In its "combat debut," a team of an AH-64D Longbow Apache and five Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft has shown itself to be more lethal and survivable than a similar group consisting exclusively of manned attack helicopters.
USAF Gen. Gregory S. Martin has been appointed commander of the United States Pacific Command, Hawaii. He has been commander of Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Kathryn Budde-Jones (see photo) has been named coordinator of group sales and promotions for Fantasy of Flight, Polk City, Fla. She held a similar post at the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum, Kissimmee, Fla.
The Saab Sharc unmanned aerial vehicle was used last week to conduct its first fully autonomous flight, including takeoff and landing. The test flight was carried out at the Swedish Defense Ministry's Vidsel range.
Regarding options for servicing the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), NASA seems to be focused on robotic servicing, which is indicative of the agency's mindset of trying to achieve a quantum leap in technology in a high-value mission. There may be a more practical solution: service the HST at the International Space Station (ISS).
An Alitalia team led by Chairman Gianfranco Cimoli late last week was pursuing negotiations with union leaders in an attempt to cut 5,000 jobs to help the ailing carrier survive.
Townsend has been succeeded at NASA Goddard by Christopher Scolese, who was deputy director-technical. Scolese, in turn, has been succeeded by Dorothy Perkins. Krista Paquin has been appointed associate director and Arthur (Rick) Obenschain director of flight programs and projects. Obsenschain succeeds Perkins. He was director and Paquin deputy director of the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate. Paquin succeeds Alison McNally, who is now deputy associate NASA administrator for management.
The third flight test of India's Agni-II intermediate-range ballistic missile was made from a rail-mobile launcher on Aug. 29 from an integrated test range in the Bay of Bengal. The two-stage missile has a range of 2,000 km. (1,242 mi.), weighs 16 tons and is powered by solid propellants. Telemetry and tracking stations validated the flight sequence as the missile was guided to its target 1,200 km. away.
In an effort to cut costs and avoid further employee wage concessions, Continental Airlines will eliminate about 425 administrative jobs through staff reductions, attrition and termination of unfilled positions.
The count of planets around other suns continues to grow rapidly, as astronomers refine their techniques and instruments in their search for a second Earth. So far, that remains an elusive goal, but some of the new planets discovered recently are much smaller than the gas giants typically discovered by measuring the wobble in distant stars. Known as the radial velocity measurement, the technique has been refined to the extent that two new planets found with it have been designated members of an entirely new class of extrasolar planets.
Travis L. Tanner has become president/chief operating officer for the Americas for Irving, Tex.-based Sky Chefs. He was CEO of chief executive officer of Project Roam. As COO, Tanner will succeed Ulrich Broescher, who plans to retire.
The U.S. Navy for the first time has deployed the Raytheon Advanced Tactical FLIR targeting pod with F/A-18Cs. The Navy has cruised with Atflir before, but only on F/A-18E/Fs.
You will probably receive many bitter letters about your article on the Washington Air Defense Indentification Zone (ADIZ).Your article was pretty accurate, but let's add perspective (AW&ST Aug. 23/30, p. 60). *The much-touted Black Hawk and Citation are virtually useless to stop an aircraft intent on attacking Washington. What is a 5.56mm M-16 really going to do if fired from an aircraft? It is going to take Hollywood to actually do anything with a police officer shooting an M-16 from a helo.
Rod Eddington will spend the next few days determining whether he has been pushing the airline to become too lean, following a shambolic end to the U.K. holiday period.
Beth Taylor has been appointed vice president/corporate controller for Republic Airways Holdings Inc. of Indianapolis. She has been controller of subsidiary Chautauqua Airlines.
John Uczekaj has been named chief operating officer for the Nordam Group, Tulsa, Okla. He was executive vice president/general manager of Honeywell Aerospace Electronics Systems in Phoenix.
Two innovative high-performance helicopter concepts are competing in the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft project, even though managers have long insisted "this is not an air vehicle program."
The U.S should know by early 2006 whether a military laser countermeasure can protect passenger jets from missiles after two contractors complete flight tests with systems modified for civil use.
