In a bid to preserve its flight and development test range capability in the face of tight budgets and other stresses, South African officials are mulling whether to consolidate their two primary flight test facilities. Collocated here are the Test Flight and Development Center (TFDC) run by the South African Air Force (SAAF) and the Overberg Test Range under management by OTB, a subsidiary of government-owned Denel. There's a growing sense that the country can no longer afford the financial commitment to keep both facilities viable.
Thomas A. Szlosek has become vice president/corporate controller of Honeywell, Morris Township, N.J. He succeeds John Tus, who has been named vice president/treasurer. Szlosek was chief financial officer for General Electric's European Consumer Finance Group.
AVIDYNE HAS SELECTED XM WX SATELLITE WEATHER to provide broadcast data link weather for the company's FlightMax EX500 displays and FlightMax Entegra integrated avionic system. The new service will allow pilots to access continuous, detailed weather information in the cockpit.
Thales Optronic Systems has lashed out against "vested interests repeatedly attempting to damage its reputation as an established supplier." This response is toward press reports in India accusing the government of violating procurement procedures to accommodate the French company on a competition to provide electronic signals jammers for the army's line-of-control in the Jammu and Kashmir region. India's ECIL and Israel's Elta and Tadiran are the other contenders.
European Space Agency engineers say the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding Radar (Marsis) on the agency's Mars Express orbiter is now unlikely to be started up before the end of the summer. Following a late-June meeting with Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists, program leaders decided to run additional tests and analysis to determine whether the 40-meter (130-ft.) radar-antenna boom will deploy correctly. According to a U.S.
Michael A. Taverna (Paris), Douglas Barrie (London)
Germany may bolster a European shift toward service provision of military satellite communications--rather than outright procurement--with a pending decision for its own milsatcom needs. The German government will likely make a decision during the third quarter choosing a preferred bidder for the 935-million-euro ($1.1-billion) SatcomBw Stage 2 program. This is intended to ensure basic and secure communications services, in particular for out-of-area forces, for the next decade.
A U.S. Army RQ-5 Hunter unmanned aerial reconnaissance system logged an operational milestone last month, reaching 30,000 total flight hours at the end of a recon mission in Iraq. The Hunter fleet has flown more than one-third of its total hours--nearly 11,500--in combat missions in the Balkans and Iraq.
Stuart Grief has been appointed vice president-strategy and business development for Textron Inc., Providence, R.I. He was a vice president/director of the Boston Consulting Group.
The influx of modern aircraft into the South African Air Force's inventory is likely to continue past this decade, but a new list of modernization needs is emerging. South Africa's massive arms package of fighters, trainers, and helicopters is going a long way toward replacing the air force's aging equipment, but a lengthy modernization pause preceded by an international arms embargo means a lot of old equipment remains.
Optical Metrology Ltd., manufacturer of 3D, non-contact measurement systems, has revamped its web site to provide more information and greater detail about Optimet than was previously available, according to the company. Potential clients can study the company's conoscopic holography technology--a use of a particular type of polarized light interference process based on crystal optics. The web site has been enhanced for more intuitive navigation to lead to a selection of products with information on uses for conoscopic holography: www.optimet.com.
Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan's minister of science and technology, says it's time to re-evaluate the country's 35-year-old determination that it will engage only in "peaceful" space activities. Stricter than comparable U.N. standards, the policy Japan set up when it organized its own space agency bans any military activities in space. The stricture fell by the wayside last year with launch of the first two of four Japanese military reconnaissance satellites aimed to keep an eye on North Korea, but the principle is commonly accepted among voters.
Boeing will boost the operating efficiency of the longer-range 777-300ER by about 2.25% late next year, increasing its maximum range by 175 naut. mi. to 7,880 and adding a nominal 5,000 lb. to its payload capacity.
The South African government is undertaking a wide-ranging overhaul of its national security priorities. The movement has sparked new thinking within the larger defense establishment. The first report, on July 5, focused on the strategic direction the military--particularly the air force--is taking. This report spotlights how the new national security objectives are affecting modernization decisions and industry. Regional instability and environmental disasters are driving military forces in Africa to consider acquiring strategic airlift assets.
Recent flight tests cleared USAF/ Boeing C-17s to airdrop paratroopers at a higher maximum gross weight--an increase of 15,000 lb. A "critical combat mission need" for support of special operations prompted the C-17 Test Team at Edwards AFB, Calif., to develop and fly the quick-response test program in a few months. The now-approved higher gross weight enables air refueling farther from an intended drop zone, "allowing the C-17 and its paratroopers to reach nearly 200 mi. deeper into hostile territory," said Maj. Monty Greer, 412th Test Wing C-17 Test Team director.
THE GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSN. (GAMA) is urging the European Union to create a unified safety oversight and regulatory system for general aviation aircraft registered in Europe.
Europe is poised to begin taking delivery of aircrew training systems for the Tiger combat helicopter--its first large-scale common defense training program--and is set to issue a similar joint training award for the NH-90 frigate/transport helicopter.
South Korea's air force has begun high angle-of-attack flight tests of the Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin T-50 jet trainer (right in photo) at Sachon AB, to verify predicted AOA stall and departure limits, the aircraft's departure charateristics and the effectiveness of its digital flight control system (DFCS) in preventing stalls and recovering from them. Initial tests will use basic air-to-air loadings and include planned departures from controlled flights.
Wallace N. Kelly has been named chairman, Michael D. Stern co-president/CEO and Edward A. Stern co-president/chief financial officer, all of the Kreisler Manufacturing Corp., Elmwood Park, N.J. Kelly was executive vice president/chief operations officer, Michael D. Stern vice president-operations and Edward A. Stern vice president-administration. All three succeed the late Edward L. Stern.
Robert F. Brammer (see photos) has been appointed vice president/chief technology officer and L. William Varner vice president-intelligence operations for the TASC unit, both in the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Information Technology Sector, Herndon, Va. Brammer was director of technology at the TASC unit, while Varner was vice president/director of the unit's Science and Technology Div.
Robert Arendal has been named head of sales and marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Aerospace Composite Structures, Albuquerque, N.M. Ting Ho will hold the same position in Asia, while James R. Larsen and Arthur F. McMahon will split the responsibilities for North America. Arendal was deputy CEO of Cargolux Airlines, while Ho was chief economist for worldwide operations for FedEx.
Why does it take $10 million for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the U.S. Army to come up with technology (Smart Material Actuated Rotor Technology) that sounds identical to that used by Kaman for years (AW&ST May 24, p. 13)?
At the very moment when America was at its most isolated, the U.K. stood firmly by its side. Although Tony Blair received 17 standing ovations from Congress when he came to Capitol Hill, his very support for the U.S. position on Iraq led to an assault by the U.K. and electorate. For standing "shoulder-to-shoulder" with the U.S., Britain's prime minister paid a high price indeed.
Aermacchi has flown its M-346 next-generation advanced jet trainer for the first time. The maiden flight, which took place on July 15, had been scheduled for November 2003, to meet the U.K. advanced trainer requirement (AW&ST June 16, 2003, p. 135). However, officials said this "aggressive schedule" was rolled back once the Hawk was selected for this award, to allow for additional preparation.
You can now register ONLINE for Aviation Week Events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or call Ryan Leeds at +1 (212) 904-3892/+1 (800) 240-7645 (U.S. and Canada Only) Sept. 14-16--MRO Europe. Bella Center, Copenhagen. Oct. 12-14--MRO/Asia. Shanghai Convention Center. Nov. 16-17--A&D Programs. Biltmore Hotel, Phoenix. PARTNERSHIPS Oct. 12-14--Shephard Heli-Asia 2004, Bangkok. Oct. 20--Shephard ARA 2004, Bangkok Nov. 1-7--Air Show China, Zhuhai. www.airshow.com.cn
