Aermacchi is developing the M-346 with unique design and performance qualities to meet the demands for an advanced trainer for use in new pilot education initiatives and to replace aging aircraft in the world inventory. The Italian company is betting its subsonic, Honeywell-powered trainer will be a candidate to replace earlier Aermacchi aircraft such as the MB-339 series, Northrop Grumman T-38 and earlier British Aerospace Hawks over the next 20 years.
SES Global President and CEO Romain Bausch says he is negotiating a package insurance deal for six Americom satellites that would provide a financial reward in the event all the spacecraft are brought into service. The so-called insurance ``six-pack'' is part of a growing effort by operators and manufacturers to weigh their successes in launches and operations against high prevailing premiums.
Speaking of cargo worldwide, the International Air Transport Assn. (IATA) sees reason for optimism in its July freight figures: They were up 10.5% over the same period in 2001. International air cargo shipments are usually a barometer of general economic trends, so the increase is welcome. IATA data show cargo up 1.1% for the first seven months this year. In contrast, passenger traffic was down 7.5%. The Asia-Pacific region has led the improvement, moving 23.7% more freight in July than a year ago.
Frank E. Kirkbride has become assistant director of aviation at Mineta San Jose (Calif.) International Airport. He succeeds Bill Potter, who has retired. Kirkbride was vice president-planning, design and construction for the Metropolitan Nashville (Tenn.) Airport Authority.
Cessna Aircraft Co. delivered the 200th Citation CJ2 business jet on Sept. 9, to a U.S.-based operator. More than 90 CJ2s are in service, and the fleet has accumulated more than 20,000 flight hr. since the first aircraft was delivered in November 2000. Another of Cessna's new business jets, the Citation Sovereign, has logged 116 flights and about 215 hr. in the air since its first flight this past February. Plans call for FAA certification late in 2003, followed by initial customer deliveries in 2004. Last week, at the National Business Aviation Assn.
The EA-6B may be heading toward replacement by new electronic warfare systems, but that isn't stopping military planners from exploring ways to further upgrade the support jammer and maintain a small number of aircraft for another decade. The Marine Corps, for its part, is mapping a strategy on how to keep at least 20 operational EA-6Bs in service through 2015, although many of the details remain to be worked out.
The Pentagon has helped pay for testing and development of a British-designed ``high-power RF'' directed-energy weapon that is closer to operational use than either the microwave or laser technologies being developed by the U.S., say officials who have seen it demonstrated. The short-range device, developed by BAE Systems, produces a broadband pulse of radio frequency (RF) energy that can disable computers, radar, radios and other electronics within a radius of at least 50 ft., much like a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon.
Congressional staff doesn't get it when it comes to the Air Force's new intelligence aircraft, the multi-sensor command and control platform (MC2A). For starters, the staffers think the $500-million price tag on the Boeing 767 testbed aircraft is too high and that it was calculated based on insufficient analysis. Then there is the problem of obligating enough money in a single year for the aircraft.
In a surprise move, the U.S. Navy awarded only Boeing and Lockheed Martin contracts to work on the P-3C/EP-3E replacement--the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA)--dropping BAE Systems and its Nimrod from the competition that wasn't expected to be narrowed to two this soon. BAE Systems late last week was still exploring opportunities to stay in the program. One option is to become a major subcontractor to Boeing or Lockheed Martin. None of the parties involved would say why BAE Systems lost, except to note the Navy had enough money to fund three competitors.
Interest among senior U.S. Air Force officials in fielding an unmanned bomber is being greeted by some industry representatives as a welcome new aircraft development opportunity, but other industry advocates of the X-45 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) and FB-22 view the activity as a threat. Consideration of a bomber effort is only one of several thrusts taking place at the Pentagon that could shake up existing unmanned aircraft plans. Another notion that could alter the current landscape is a proposal to combine Air Force and Navy UCAV efforts.
HiEnergy Technologies Inc. of Irvine, Calif., believes it has developed the first stoichiometric explosive detection technology that can remotely determine the chemical formula of concealed substances, including explosives, biological weapons and illegal drugs. The technology has been used to chemically fingerprint an Anthrax stimulant, according to the company. The systems have potential for several markets, including airport security screening, bio-weapons detection, and land mine and contraband detection.
Congress has created a problem for Paul Revere advocates by contending that the advanced command and control demonstrator aircraft, housed in a geriatric Boeing 707, can be substituted for the purchase and development of the first of four modern 767s. The 767s will start taking over the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role from older aircraft such as the E-8 Joint-STARS and RC-135 Rivet Joint. To clarify the difference between the two, Paul Revere is the multisensor command and control demonstrator aircraft referred to as MC2A-X.
David P. Thompson has been appointed senior vice president-Southern U.S. transportation manager and Michael J. McElvaney manager of business development for the Aviation Div. of Michael Baker Jr., Inc. of Pittsburgh. Thompson was senior vice president/operations manager for Virginia operations for HDR Inc. McElvaney was director of operations and maintenance/security coordinator at Birmingham (Ala.) Airport.
Cessna Aircraft Co. has selected the Goodrich LandMark Terrain Awareness and Warning System as a special equipment request option on board the CJ1 and CJ2 business jets.
The British Defense Ministry is working on revamping key areas of its procurement structure, in part to better expedite the acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned combat air vehicles. The move may also be driven by the need to reduce interservice friction over the operational ownership of such systems. Senior defense officials want to reshuffle elements of the ministry's equipment capability organization, which is broken into management areas, to better reflect emerging requirement and technology trends.
Gene Bloch has been named vice president-sales and marketing for JDA Aviation Technology Solutions of Washington. He was vice president-program management for Advanced Switching Communications, Vienna, Va.
Canada's Heroux-Devtek Inc. has been selected by GE Aircraft Engines to manufacture components for the J85, GE90 and F414 powerplants. The contract is valued at up to $30.7 million and based on deliveries that will take place through 2007.
NASA recently selected FlexJet, Bombardier Aerospace Co.'s fractional ownership program, to provide a two-year test of fractional business jet services. This marks the first time that the U.S. government has utilized a fractional aircraft ownership program. The program provides NASA with a 12 share of a Bombardier Learjet 31A and a 1/16 share of a Learjet 60.
Victor L. Richey, Jr., who has been president/chief operating officer of ESCO Technologies Inc. of St. Louis, will be CEO, effective Oct. 1. Dennis J. Moore, who has been CEO, will continue as chairman until April 2003, when he is scheduled to retire. Richey will be succeeded by Charles J. Kretschmer, who has been vice president/chief financial officer. Kretschmer, in turn, will be succeeded by Gary Muenster, who has been promoted from vice president/controller.
Corporate America has become hawkish in the way it rents, buys and flies business aircraft, a development that has spawned competition between providers and continues to father innovative ``hybrids'' designed to bridge the gap between chartering and ownership. The good news for providers is that demand remains strong despite a 5% drop in business aviation overall this year compared with last. The downside is that savvy consumers are learning to shop around for the best deal, a movement that should increase competition and force providers to standardize charges.
U.S. government spending on commercial satellite imagery is about to jump by ``an order of magnitude'' as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) begins using commercial satellites as its main source of mapping data, a shift the industry expects will be worth several hundred million dollars over the next five years. The expected increase reflects a directive by Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet that classified reconnaissance satellites be used only in ``exceptional circumstances'' for mapping (AW&ST July 1, p. 25).
Australia has established two counter-terrorist units designed to respond to weapons of mass destruction and other incidents both at home and abroad. The Incident Response Regiment is designed to deal with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive incidents, while the Tactical Assault Group is aimed at handling hostage-takings.
Ruag Aerospace will produce the Airbus A380 mega-transport's outer trailing edge under an agreement with Airbus' British arm to become a risk-sharing partner in the European program. In addition, Ruag is scheduled to produce wing leading-edge components. The Swiss company is manufacturing subassemblies for all Airbus commercial transports as well as the Boeing 717.
