Aviation Week & Space Technology

Australia and Singapore have agreed to place sky marshals on board Qantas and Singapore Airlines flights operating the heavily traveled air route between the two countries. The agreement in principle is Australia's first security pact with a foreign government involving international flights, according to Australian Justice Minister Chris Ellison, who was attending an anti-terrorism conference at Bali Island, Indonesia, scene of a recent bombing. Australia has placed sky marshals on domestic flights following Sept.11.

The Australian government will establish a special forces command on an equal footing with its air, land and maritime commands to expand its counter-terrorism capability. It will also organize an additional commando company and support team as part of the new command along with existing units and the Special Air Service regiment. An Australian special forces group has just returned from four months duty in Afghanistan and Prime Minister John Howard said the military is on standby in case they are needed in a contingency as the U.S. edges closer to war with Iraq.

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Unable to convince the U.S. Navy it should move the RQ-8A Firescout from development to production, Northrop Grumman is trying a new strategy: offer a more capable version of the helicopter UAV. The new system, the MQ-8B SeaScout, would feature a four-blade rotor instead of the three-blade design on Firescout. The change should boost endurance and payload capacity. Company officials are hoping the Navy will buy at least two of the systems--each including several UAVs--in the 2004 timeframe, although so far no official action has occurred.

Northrop Grumman has unveiled a major new Cyber Warfare Integration Network (CWIN) as part of an aggressive initiative to develop better network-centric warfare procedures and software for critical systems such as Global Hawk, Joint-STARS and the B-2, as well as future assets like UCAV and the Multisensor Command and Control Aircraft. We want to "refine the vision for dynamic network-centric battle operations in the 21st century," said Dale Burton, Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems' vice president for engineering, logistics and technology.

The race between Boeing and Airbus to clinch a deal with state-run Indian Airlines and Air-India for 60 aircraft remains heated as the Cabinet considers the matter.

Deutsche Telekom, which owns a 10.8% stake in Eutelsat, agreed to sell about 75% of its shares in the European telecommunications satellite operator to De Agostini, an Italian publishing group. PanAmSat and Intelsat are submitting rival bids to acquire a controlling majority in Eutelsat (AW&ST Dec. 16, p. 19).

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NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) are scheduled to arrive at Cape Canaveral in January for final test, assembly and checkout in preparation for the first rover's launch about May 30. Both will fly on Boeing Delta IIs, with the second MER set for launch June 24. The rovers have been completing mobility tests at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (MER-2 is shown), and MER-2 is in the midst of its critical "surface thermal vacuum test" where rover systems are powered up in Martian temperature and pressure conditions.

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Two launches scheduled last week at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., were postponed into January. NASA's ICESat and CHIPSat were atop a Delta II launcher, but a second-stage ordnance box showed it was not correctly signaling payload fairing separation. The box will be replaced, pushing the launch date to Jan. 8. The Air Force's Coriolis satellite using a Titan II launcher was first scrubbed due to winds and clouds, but the satellite later was found to have a sign error in its magnetic torquer attitude control system. Coriolis will launch no sooner than Jan. 7.

EADS Tests & Services will supply two Atec Series 6 automated test systems to Delta Air Lines' Atlanta maintenance center for testing the avionics suites of Boeing 737, 757 and 767 twinjets.

Peggie Giles has been promoted to director of U.S. fixed base operation sales of Jet Aviation from manager of customer service at the Bedford, Mass., facility.

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Raytheon Co. is in the process of arranging to sell Stinger low-altitude surface-to-air missiles to Lithuania. The purchase agreement includes vehicle-mounted launch platforms, two Thales/Raytheon TPQ-64 Sentinel portable search-and-target acquisition radars, and associated training and support equipment. The weapon systems will be mounted on Humvees. The U.S. Army Short-Range Air Defense project office will be responsible for overall integration, including mounting the launch platforms onto the Humvees.

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The history of exploration is filled with stories of incredible discovery and triumph followed by abandonment and loss. Textbooks are replete with the chronicles of nations rich in culture and pioneering spirit that quit exploring and lost their roles as global leaders. In the 15th and 16th centuries, China, Portugal and Spain competed to explore the New World, but then their leaders decided to stop. The result was an end to their reign as technological and cultural innovators.

Nothing about China and Taiwan's interaction is uncomplicated--especially where aviation services are concerned.

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The Pentagon's revised missile defense strategy not only accelerates fielding of several systems, but also raises the prominence of the sea-based component over the land-based elements that have dominated planning in recent years.

Erin Pettigrew, (212) 904-6425; Fax (212) 904-3334

After repeated denials, Thailand's government has acknowledged that Bangkok's new airport--recently named Suvarnabhumi International Airport--will not open as scheduled in February 2004. That might seem obvious since only 24% of construction has been finished and Project Site Director Sriwiroj Chantawong said recently there are still design problems to be worked out. He declined to name them, but indicated a third-quarter 2005 opening was realistic. However, other officials have made that date somewhat elastic.

Yul Kwon has been named an associate at the Washington law firm of Harris Wiltshire & Grannis. He was a legislative fellow and adviser on science and technology issues on the staff of U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.).

FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL HAS RECEIVED approval from the European Joint Aviation Authorities for executive jet maintenance technician training programs at eight learning centers, including four in the U.S. The decision by DGAC, the French national aviation agency acting on behalf of the JAA, is the first approval for such training at U.S. facilities, a FlightSafety official said. The authorization covers 61 aircraft models.

Nice Cote d'Azur, France's second busiest airport, expects to attract more airlines as additional nonstop routes are being inaugurated in an increasingly fragmented market. Despite the tight space and environmental constraints resulting from its unusual location, a narrow strip of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the city's center, the two-runway airport is still investing heavily to create growth facilities.