The videotaped catastrophic failure of two air tankers last summer dramatically highlighted an industry long in need of reform. The U.S. Forest Service's resultant permanent grounding of all C-130A and PB4Y air tankers was long overdue.
Four Marines were killed when the two AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters they were flying crashed near Zapata, Tex., on Jan. 22. The aircraft were conducting nighttime reconnaissance in support of antidrug activities by the U.S. Border Patrol. The accident is under investigation.
The Defense Dept. is laying the groundwork for net-centric communications by expanding the capacity of the information backbone that all of the joint warfighters and services rely on for data exchanges.
Boeing's Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power unit has been selected to provide the liquid propulsion system for the Lockheed Martin pad abort demonstration for the NASA Orbital Space Plane program.
US Airways is making its second attempt in five years to serve Asia, this time through its code-share with United Airlines. Requesting Transportation Dept. authority for U.S.-Japan and U.S.-Hong Kong operations, US Airways says it wants to sell tickets initially on United flights between Tokyo Narita and Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, New York-JFK and Honolulu; between Osaka and San Francisco; and between Hong Kong and Chicago and San Francisco.
The British government received a stark warning late last week over the future fate of its aerospace sector, were it--and its industry--not to adequately respond to the challenges now faced both in the commercial and defense market arenas. The interim report of the Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team--set up at the behest of the Trade and Industry Dept.--examines the long-term welfare of the sector over a 20-year period--and spells out in bleak terms the consequences of not adapting to the changing environment. Entitled "A Vision for the Future of U.K.
Newly proposed FAA regulations would mandate transport aircraft transponder changes arising from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but compliance wouldn't be required for more than two years.
The MathWorks has improved its mechanical simulation software, SimMechanics, to make it operate with real-time hardware-in-the-loop systems, which can give earlier evaluation and development of controllers and mechanical designs. The new version 2.0 can connect with the company's Real-Time Workshop to convert the SimMechanics block diagrams that represent the model into C code, which allows it to be run in the broader real-time test scenario. SimMechanics 2.0 also includes new models of mechanical devices and improved animation.
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Robert Wall (Washington)
The flow of exotic, advanced technologies out of U.S. workshops continues to ramp up in anticipation of conflict with Iraq. Planners also are taking steps to ensure that critical information gathered by satellites and other intelligence assets is fed immediately to tactical commanders, rather than risk having it missed by national intelligence agencies.
The U.S. military is relying heavily on commercial-off-the-shelf computer technology for the building blocks needed to realize the promise of net-centric warfare. One thing that aerospace/defense contractors and computer company military specialists say will be vital in net-centric warfare is mobile wireless communications for the relay of voice, video and, in particular, data. The increased operations tempo means U.S. forces will be moving rapidly while needing to stay linked to information networks.
Raytheon Co.'s Northeast Software Engineering Center attained a Level 5 software development rating, as defined by the Software Engineering Institute's (SEI) Capability Maturity Model. Raytheon learned lessons that have enabled it to offer new software with life-cycle costs that are 30% less than previously available, Network Centric Systems Vice President and General Manager Jim Carter said.
Feyzan Dalay (see photo) has become vice president-strategic/financial planning and development for Derco Aerospace Inc. of Milwaukee, a subsidiary of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. She headed the transition team that integrated Derco into Sikorsky's Worldwide Customer Service segment.
Inside North America, call Edith Roman Associates, Inc. at: (800) 223-2194; Fax (845) 620-9035. Outside North America call The Prospect Shop at: 020 8481 8730; Fax: 020 8783 1940
Pratt & Whitney has selected Ducommun AeroStructures under a $900,000 contract to develop the aft augmentor duct for the F135 propulsion engine for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. The contract could lead to $200 million in U.S. and international sales.
After decades of raids on joint programs for funds, thereby dooming them, the Joint Staff is trying to ensure such projects--particularly those involving network-centric C4ISR--are protected and adequately funded, says Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "The glue that allows us to fight well is command and control, communications and ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance].
US Airways reluctantly moved toward terminating the pilots' pension plan and renegotiating a replacement as the U.S. Bankruptcy Court authorized the carrier to seek creditor approval of its Chapter 11 reorganization.
Russian Satellite Communications Co. has selected Alcatel Space to provide payloads for two additional satellites. The C/Ku/L-band payloads, for RSCC's Express AM2/3 spacecraft, were initially supposed to be supplied by NEC, then Alenia Spazio. Alcatel had previously been selected to supply five RSCC satellites.
Moog Inc. has received a $12.8-million work order from BAE Systems Controls for flight control actuation systems on India's Light Combat Aircraft. First delivery is scheduled for 2004. Also, Tinker AFB, Okla., has awarded Moog Inc. two five-year contracts worth a total of $14.9 million, to perform repairs, overhauls and upgrades for the leading edge flap power drive units on F-16s.
Phillip Boughton has it wrong. Pilots and flight attendants are not the problem. The problem is the economy and large taxes on airlines by the U.S. government.The network carriers' profits were huge due to demand by business and leisure travelers before the rapid change of the economy.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will standardize on EDS' Unigraphics NX and I-deas computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering analysis software. . . . On the prowl to improve its ability to nab "integrated battlespace" and "network-centric" contracts, Boeing has a definitive agreement to buy Conquest Inc., a D.C.-centric company specializing in systems engineering, software technology and enterprise architecture for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance community.
USMC Brig. Gen. (ret.) Ralph E. (Chip) Parker has become executive vice president of CSI Aviation Services Inc., Albuquerque, N.M. He was commanding general of Marine Corps Bases Hawaii.
