Carmen Valentino has been named vice president-production operations for Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems-Tactical Systems, Eagan, Minn. He was deputy for production and life cycle programs/director of production programs for the sector's Surface Systems, Moorestown, N.J.
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L-3 Communications, one of the aerospace industry's leading merchant suppliers, is poised to accelerate its already rapid growth. Since its creation in 1996, the company has completed about 40 acquisitions, mostly small niche players who probably couldn't have survived as stand-alone businesses. But under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Frank Lanza, this pattern could change at almost any time.
The International Air Transport Assn. went on the offensive here last week in an effort to convince passengers to put aside their fear of SARS and begin flying again. The trade group is concerned that the virus will depress passenger counts for another six months.
Jim Brown has become director of corporate and marketing communications for Kinetics Inc., Lake Mary, Fla. Brown has been a consultant to Kinetics and was director of corporate communications for AirTran Airways.
It's great that the Bell Boeing V-22 and Bell/Agusta BA609 tiltrotors will be nearing service soon; the pity is that it's taken 40-plus years to capitalize on the XV-15 and other tiltrotor/tiltwing technologies.
Nils van den Beemt has been appointed director of program enginering and management services, John Markey director of information management, David Barstow director of system engineering and Robert Miller director of aviation analysis and modeling, all for CSSI Inc. of Washington.
Donald J. Carty resigned as chairman/CEO of AMR Corp. Apr. 24 as his successors vowed to repair damaged relations with angry unions and keep the company from filing for bankruptcy protection.
Kazuo Tsukuda, who has been managing director, is to become president of Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in June. He will succeed Takasi Nishioka, who will become chairman, an honorary post.
European airline officials are attempting to allay potential passengers' fears about the danger of air travel in the light of the recent emergence of the SARS. The World Health Organization's (WHO) aggressive research is expected to help restore confidence. WHO's Geneva-based experts and laboratories located in a dozen countries recently confirmed the SARS virus as a member of the coronavirus family. This critical discovery should lead to diagnostic procedures soon and, at the very least, curtailment.
Lynn F.H. Cline has been appointed deputy associate NASA administrator for the Office of Space Flight. She was deputy assistant administrator for external relations.
A large Russian military geosynchronous orbit spacecraft, Cosmos 2397, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Apr. 23 on board a Proton heavy booster. Most Russian military geosynchronous orbit spacecraft have a communications mission, but the Russians have also been working on a new geosynchronous missile-warning satellite. A second Proton, sponsored by International Launch Services, is scheduled to launch the AMC-9 commercial satcom early this week.
For the second time in a month, fear of SARS has upset airline operations. In both incidents, California health officials determined that SARS was not involved in the situations. Northwest Airlines Flight 360, with 171 passengers on board, was forced to return to the gate on Apr. 24 at San Francisco International Airport when a passenger was believed to have SARS symptoms. According to Northwest, the aircraft was detained for 2 hr. until health officials ruled out SARS. The passenger was cleared to fly, although he was not on Flight 360 that departed at 2:20 p.m.
Two U.S. Air Force 3D Flying Training Squadron T-6As fly near the squadron's home at Moody AFB in Valdosta, Ga. The training squadron has been graduating U.S. Air Force and Navy primary students for a little more than a year (see p. 46). The 3D FTS has been named the top operational squadron in the Air Education & Training Command. The Raytheon Aircraft T-6As are replacing USAF Cessna T-37s and USN Beech T34Cs. Photo by Greg L. Davis.
Larry N. Chapman has become president/chief operating officer of DirecTV Latin America, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was corporate senior vice president of the parent Hughes Electronics Corp.
INFO MERGE With its focus fixed on the defense information technology sector--one of the fastest growing segments of the defense budget, Anteon is a making a play for Virginia-based Information Spectrum Inc. (ISI) for $90.7 million in cash. If regulators approve the acquisition, as expected, it will be the company's first since its initial public offering early last year. The transaction is expected to close next month. Privately-held ISI's core business include credential card technologies, military logistics and training systems.
SQUEEZE THE BAG Invading forces in Iraq gave short shrift to the hunt for weapons of mass destruction (WMD), former chief U.N. nuclear weapons inspector David Kay avers. "Clearly, Centcom didn't give this the attention it deserved." Coalition forces were intent on moving fast and defeating a force that might use chemical weapons against its forces, Kay acknowledges. And he believes the coalition was "resource-starved," particularly regarding in-theater airlift such as helicopters that could have ferried search teams around the country.
POLICY WONKING The Columbia accident has put a hold on White House efforts to coordinate a new presidential policy on space transportation, but other policy reviews are in the works. In the planning stages are reviews of "space control" policy, including intelligence and Global Positioning System issues, and an overarching National Space Policy review. A fourth policy review covering remote sensing is all but complete at the staff level and awaits only West Wing action before it is released, White House officials say.
Hong Kong's largest carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, has been granted flight rights to Asia's largest and fastest growing market, China, but the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) makes it unlikely that the carrier will exercise those rights soon.
Edward A. Bogucz has been named to the board of directors of Herley Industries Inc., Lancaster, Pa. He is dean of engineering and computer science at Syracuse (N.Y.) University.
WRIGHT BROS. GET OWN ATC To support the increase in general aviation air traffic expected in the Kitty Hawk, N.C., area in conjunction with the centennial celebration of the Wright brothers' first flight, the FAA has installed a temporary air traffic tower. It uses Lockheed Martin's common automated radar terminal system (ARTS) automation system, which was developed for small towers, based on the Common ARTS. The tower control facility at Manteo, N.C., is slated to be operational on May 1.
Michael J. Richter has been appointed a managing director of Quarterdeck Investment Partners of Los Angeles. He was a managing director/head of CIBC World Markets' San Francisco office and head of CIBC's Defense Investment Banking Group.
RISK MANAGEMENT Insurers may activate a salvage clause in the policy for Europe's Artemis technology satellite that could lead to return of some of the 80 million euros in damages the European Space Agency received for loss of the spacecraft when it was placed in a flawed orbit by an Ariane 5 last July. The discussions underscore underwriters' growing reluctance to pay damages for total loss--typically construed as 75-80% of performance today, up from 50% a few years ago--when significant utilization can be recovered.
