The Brazilian affiliate of SES Global has established a partnership with a consortium from five other South American nations that will permit the deployment of a vast satellite communications system stretching from Patagonia to Florida. Rio de Janeiro-based Star One agreed on May 14 to jointly build and operate the network through a joint venture, Bolivarsat, headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela.
A collaborative weather research effort will attempt to leverage the rapid scanning capabilities of the SPY-1 phased array radar technology from the Navy's Aegis-class cruisers. The goal is to substantially increase the warning time for hazardous weather. Participating in the National Weather Radar Testbed program are the Office of Naval Research, National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Weather Service, University of Oklahoma and the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center.
BAE Systems Avionics has partnered with AgustaWestland Helicopters, FHL and the British Ministry of Defense to develop a digital flight control computer as part of the helicopter electric actuation technology program.
Dnata, subsidiary of Emirates Airlines, is said to have signed a ground-handling contract in partnership with Iranian company Safeeran for Tehran's Mehrabad Airport starting in July. A deal has also been approved for ground handling at Khartoum Airport in Sudan. According to local press reports, Dnata airport services director Ismail Al Banna said the company is expected to enter an agreement for ground handling at Tripoli Airport in Libya. Dnata also recently won the airport ground-handling contract for India's airports.
Loral Space & Communications and Hisdesat joint venture XTAR has finalized an agreement to lease X-band capacity on its XTAR-EUR satellite to the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Beginning with the XTAR-EUR satellite's entry into service in late 2003, the ministry will use 244 MHz. of X-band capacity until Hisdesat's SpainSat satellite enters service in 2004.
With a decision to open an Airbus engineering center in Moscow, EADS has kicked off an ambitious effort to establish cooperative ties with the Russian aerospace and defense industry. The plan, proposed under a framework agreement with Russian aerospace agency Rosaviakosmos last year, seeks to boost EADS' presence in the CIS and to prevent U.S. rivals like Boeing from cornering the Russian market for aerospace products (AW&ST July 9, 2001, p. 26).
The Chilean air force has selected ITT Systems' electronic self-protection suite for the country's F-16 Block 50 aircraft. ITT will provide an internal, fully integrated radar warning and radio frequency countermeasures capability.
Leaders of some of the world's largest airlines are posting caution flags--even though economic news is improving--because there is a sea change evident in the industry's revenues. Many think carriers will be forced to slash costs by restructuring or face bankruptcy, although few think the hub-and-spoke system is a thing of the past. That passengers are unwilling to pay the high fares of the late 1990s is a given.
Kaiser Electronics will supply cockpit displays for Boeing F-15K aircraft under a $34-million order. The cockpit display suite will include three 5-in. flat panel color displays, four 6-in. multi-purpose displays and a wide-view field head-up display.
United Bizjets Holdings is suing Gulfstream Aerospace to retrieve $50 million in deposits it paid for business jets. The lawsuit alleges that Gulfstream refuses to refund the money, which was paid for options on jets that were to be used in United's Avolar fractional jet operation, which has been terminated. United Bizjets is seeking $11.4 million with interest for Gulfstream's failure to return the deposits and another $39.5 million for breach of contract. As of late last week Gulfstream declined to comment on the lawsuit.
To understand what differentiates an outstanding aerospace/defense contractor from its competitors, examine how each approaches the job of managing programs. Chances are you'll find that those who win a high percentage of award fees by completing projects on time and on budget take a much more comprehensive business perspective of program management. That's according to the results of a recent industry survey conducted for Aviation Week & Space Technology by Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath (PRTM), a Boston-based management-consulting firm.
Carnegie Mellon University has formed a Sustainable Computing Consortium (SCC) aimed at improving software dependability, quality and security. One estimate is that software defects cost $175 billion annually across the globe, and an InformationWeek survey of IT professionals showed 62% said the software industry was doing an unsatisfactory job of ensuring that commercial software is bug-free. Members are drawn from industry and government, including the NASA Ames Research Center and Microsoft.
Airshow Inc. plans to complete testing of its new multiregion satellite TV reception system for aircraft in July, and expects to begin deliveries later this year. The company's Tailwind 550 system, service providers and licensing are being arranged for private business jet aircraft, but not commercial transports, owing to broadcast licensing constraints. The installation consists of four major line-replacable units and can provide up to eight viewing options. The company is connected with major content providers in the U.S.
An MH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter operated by the Oregon Air National Guard crashed May 30 attempting to rescue climbers trapped in a crevasse on Mount Hood. The aircraft, with a crew of four on board, had been hovering but began a series of pitch oscillations before entering rearward flight and descending. The nose of the aircraft struck the mountainside, and the helicopter rolled over as it slid down a steep slope. All of the crewmembers were injured, one critically, and a television crew nearby taped the accident.
Advances in systems that can monitor the health of aircraft and their engines in flight could soon allow failures to be predicted with enough warning to replace incipient problems during routine maintenance. The step from merely monitoring the performance of components to accurately foreseeing their demise is a big one, but motivations are strong. Prospective rewards in maintenance savings and aircraft safety are so substantial that a number of organizations are searching for solutions.
As part of its fleet modernization plan, Middle East Airlines has signed an agreement with International Aero Engines for V2500s for six A321 twinjets. The aircraft and engines will be purchased by the Lebanese carrier for delivery between the end of 2002 and 2004. ``Operating V2500-powered aircraft since 1997, MEA and IAE's customer support team have established a strong partnership, ensuring the highest levels of operational availability for MEA's leased A320 and A321 fleet,'' said Jack Phillips, senior vice president for customer business at IAE.
John R. Parsons, senior vice president of the Space Systems Group of The Aerospace Corp., has been elected vice chairman for Southern California of the board of directors of the California Space Authority. Alexander C. Liang, general manager of the Vehicle Systems Div. of The Aerospace Corp., has been reappointed as an industry representative on the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee of the U.S. Transportation Dept.
Transportation Security Administration Director John Magaw's recent declaration that there will be no pistol-packing for pilots was likely anchored on input from his federal air marshal program chief, Tom Quinn. Quinn sees mostly problems with allowing guns in the cockpit, a proposition being pushed in competing bills in the House and Senate. Beyond the issues of training and retraining pilots, Quinn says if guns were stored in lockboxes in the cabin, maintenance crews would have access and pilots wouldn't be sure about the condition of the weapon.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is traveling the subcontinent this week, dispatched there by President Bush to try to defuse the latest round of brinkmanship that has India and Pakistan at daggers drawn. The nuclear rivals are on a war footing again over Kashmir, trading lethal artillery fire across the region's Line of Control and insisting they are not afraid of war if it comes to that. Alarmed that a major subcontinent conflict would undercut the war on terrorism in Afghanistan, and threaten U.S. military forces and civilian personnel in the region, Rumsfeld et al.
Raymond Larkin has become director of sales and marketing for the Ottawa-based Satcom Aeronautical Group of EMS Technologies. He was director of marketing at Teledyne Controls in Los Angeles.
Raytheon Aircraft Co. (RAC) has begun flight tests of a T-6A Texan II trainer fitted with an assortment of simulated conventional weapons. Live fire and drop testing is underway at Eglin AFB, Fla., according to RAC officials. David Riemer, vice president of government business, said international customers are ``looking for a trainer that will take them past primary flight training and into weapons training.'' Reconfiguring the T-6A to carry ordnance is projected to increase international interest in the Texan II, he said.
Pascale Sourisse has been appointed president of Eurospace, the European space industries association. She is chairwoman/CEO of France-based Alcatel Space.
Brazil plans to ask the World Trade Organization for permission to impose up to $3.36 billion in trade sanctions against Canada to offset loan subsidies made by Canada to help sell Bombardier regional jets. Brazil, home to Bombardier's arch rival Embraer, alleges that Canada continued to offer the subsidies despite a WTO ruling to halt the practice.
The Eclipse 500 entry-level jet has received a jolt in the arm with a 112-aircraft order from a Swiss operator. The secured $94-million deal, revealed during the European Business Aviation Assn. Convention and Exhibit here last week, was the second blockbuster buy for the Eclipse 500, after an order from Nimbus for up to 1,000 aircraft last year (AW&ST Sept. 24, 2001, p. 17). Eclipse Aviation officials declined to release specific information on orders, but said the first three years of production are sold out.
