Riding the tide of popular support for the war on terrorism, President Bush's nearly $400-billion national security budget for next year is likely to sail through Congress unscathed. There will be, of course, the usual side skirmishes over the costs of missile defense, the best mix of fighter and bomber aircraft purchases and the right pace of military ``transformation.''
The U.S. Air Force has given the green light to upgrade the bulk of its F-15C fleet with a new radar and is beginning to explore whether it should do the same with its F-15E strike fighters. Following an extensive test program, Air Force officials have deemed the Raytheon-developed APG-63(V)1 production-ready and have started full-rate production and fielding of the radar, says Col. Anthony Zompetti, development system manager for the F-15.
French defense and industry officials remain confident that a $200-million contract to modernize navigation systems on Turkish F-16s is not dead, despite Turkish press reports saying it had been canceled. The contract was suspended last year following a French parliament declaration recognizing Turkey's role in the Armenian genocide. But after a recent visit to Ankara by French Defense Minister Alain Richard and Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, ``the period of cold relations is over,'' a defense spokesman said.
The aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturing sector's investment in information technology (IT) bucked the flat-growth trend of other complex manufacturing industries in 2001, according to a recently released report by Michael J. Burkett of AMR Research. Still, hard times prompted the industry to slightly underspend what it committed to IT in 2000.
AgustaWestland has received major new military helicopter orders from Italy in a move that will further consolidate the new company's position as an industry giant but could aggravate an already pronounced imbalance between its Italian and British units. AgustaWestland is appearing at the Helicopter Assn. International convention for the first time as a joint company. It became operational on Feb. 12, 2001, just after the last meeting.
In the wake of Sept. 11, the Bush Administration and Congress reevaluated airport security. They moved to replace low-paid and poorly trained X-ray screeners with federalized ``security agents,'' reduce or eliminate curb-side check-in, increase random identification and weapon checks, and add air marshals and bomb-sniffing dogs.
The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is undertaking a quick, 90-day assessment to explore what options may exist to replace the AC-130 gunships with more capable systems. The performance of AC-130 gunships in Afghanistan has already wowed senior Pentagon officials enough to provide additional money to the Special Operations Command to convert four C-130Hs into AC-130Us. Now, the service is interested in improvements in a variety of areas, ranging from lethality, survivability and connectivity between aircraft.
Eurocontrol is using Sita to provide a high-speed Internet protocol for access to its CFMU, the central flow management unit that processes data on air traffic demand and capacity throughout the organization's 30 member nations. . . . Korean Air has selected Sabre Aircrews software to manage its crew scheduling, rostering and Internet access needs. . . . Aircraft Technical Publishers has signed a licensing agreement with MD Helicopters Inc. to distribute CD-ROMs for the MD900, 369E/FF/H, 500N and 600N model helicopters. . . .
THE DANGER OF STRIKING ELECTRICAL WIRES OR CABLES is a constant threat to both civilian and military helicopter pilots. Safe Flight Instrument Corp. has developed a detection system that produces an aural alert and triggers a red warning light on the instrument panel when an electromagnetic field is sensed. The alarm increases in intensity as the aircraft approaches the powerline from any direction. The company has tested the system on a Eurocopter SA341G Gazelle, and recently received FAA approval for the installation.
China's cabinet has given formal approval to the sweeping consolidation plans of the Civil Aviation Administration of China that will make China Southern Airlines of Guangzhou, Air China of Beijing and China Eastern of Shanghai the three giant carriers of the country. The plan has been controversial for two reasons: doubts that it will be successful and resistance by six regional carriers to being pulled under the wing of the Big Three. The plan means the three groups will control about 80% of China's domestic traffic.
Japan's National Space Development Agency has received a second endorsement of its plans to join commercial space-faring nations by successfully launching its redesigned H-IIA medium-weight launch vehicle on Feb. 4 from NASDA's Tanegashima Launch Center about 620 mi. south of here.
Michael Piscatella has become group president for Aerostructures and Aviation Technical Services of the Goodrich Corp., Charlotte, N.C. He succeeds Graydon (Bud) Wetzler, who has retired. Piscatella has been group president for Electronic Systems. He will be succeeded by Jack Carmola, who also will remain group president for Engine and Safety Systems.
Despite a moderate demand for twin turboprops and a low production rate, Avions de Transport Regional has attained long-overdue profitability, according to company executives. ``After cutting overall costs by as much as 20%, we had our best results and foresee achieving significant profits in 2002,'' ATR Chief Executive Jean-Michel Leonard said. He added that the company's financial break-even point could be lowered to 18 aircraft per year. EADS and Finmeccanica/ Alenia Aeronautica each own 50% of the Toulouse-based Franco-Italian joint venture.
USMC Gen. (ret.) Joseph Paul Hoar, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command, has been appointed to the board of directors of Millennium Jet Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.
Boeing is examining ways to conduct flying testbed experiments that will closely mimic the buried engine installation called for by the company's Sonic Cruiser design. Discussions with engine-maker Pratt&Whitney are exploring whether the proper test data could be gathered by flying the test apparatus on the wing of a carrier, such as a 747, or in a fuselage-mounted configuration at the rear of the testbed. Officials say a decision is still months away.
Italy's civil aviation authority is investigating whether Panaviation, a Rome-based aviation broker, recently sold unapproved Airbus A300B spare parts to U.S. distributors. An FAA Suspected Unapproved Parts warning covers components coming from six disassembled aircraft previously operated by Alitalia. If the suspected parts can be traced and properly documented, the precautionary alert will be lifted. But the multinational effort has shown that tracking down bogus parts is a top-priority mission.
Patrick Cipriani has become chairman of the Paris-based Sofreavia Group. He succeeds Nicolas Durieux, who has retired. Cipriani was managing director. Mike Humphreys has been appointed acting CEO of London Stansted Airport-based FLS Aerospace. He succeeds Stephen Henderson, who has resigned but who will remain on the board of directors. Humphreys has been group vice president-strategic planning.
AgustaWestland completed its first year of operation by delivering 112 helicopters, of which 55 were accepted by the military and 57 by commercial operators. The company is owned equally by Italy's Finmeccanica and GKN in the U.K. For the first time as a new enterprise, AgustaWestland is exhibiting a number of helicopters at this week's Heli-Expo in Orlando, Fla. These include an A109 Power in a new VIP configuration and an A119 Koala fitted for utility missions. The company will be a coexhibitor with partner Bell Helicopter Textron at the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co.
Poland's fighter acquisition odyssey shows little sign of coming to an end: the latest twist in the saga, its move to cut an initial purchase of 16 secondhand aircraft from any deal. It is also looking to increase the number of, now all new, aircraft to be purchased to 48 from 44. The competition is fast becoming a test of stamina for those European and U.S. manufacturers contesting the requirement.
The signing last week of a tripartite shareholder agreement by Siemens Project Ventures GmbH. of Germany, Unique Airport of Switzerland and Larsen&Toubro of Mumbai has set the stage for a long-awaited new airport for Bangalore. The partners will hold a 74% stake in the $230-million Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli, located about 19 mi. from India's Silicon Valley region. The remaining 26% of the shares will be split evenly between a development arm of the Karnataka state government and Airports Authority of India.
Antonio Rodota, director general of the European space agency, has received the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, in recognition of his advocacy of transatlantic cooperation with the U.S. space agency. He was cited for ``assuming a major leadership role in the development and operation of the International Space Station,'' furthering ``international civil space activities through support of the broad panoply of European Space Agency programs'' and producing ``ESA contributions to the advancement of knowledge in space and Earth sciences.''
Top level Russian and Indian officials met in New Delhi, Feb. 6-8, to discuss a swath of defense aerospace collaborative programs, potentially including Indian involvement in a Russian fifth-generation fighter effort. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov led the high-level delegation. Also on India's shopping list is the Admiral Gorshkov, to be modified as a conventional aircaft carrier, the associated MiG-29K carrier-borne variant of the Fulcrum, as well as the Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber, and a long-range surface-to-air missile system.
Nothing crystallized more the plight of the traditional flag carrier and the seeming, inexorable rise of the low-cost startup airlines than the startling contrast between British Airways and Ryanair's third-quarter results. BA, battered by the effects of Sept. 11 and the drop-off in traffic volume, on Feb. 4 posted a pretax loss of 160 million pounds ($228.8 million) for the third quarter ending Dec. 31, 2001. For the same period budget-carrier Ryanair, on Feb. 5, reported profits up by 35% to 28.8 million euros ($25.3 million).
Air Canada posted a net loss of US$783 million, or $6.53 a share, for 2001, compared with a net loss of US$51.3 million, or 43 cents a share, in the prior year. On an operating basis, the loss amounted to $731 million, versus operating income of US$52 million in 2000. The net loss in the fourth quarter, ended Dec. 31, was US$238 million, or $3.16 a share.
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has received applications from 10 new carriers seeking takeoff and landing slots at Tokyo's Narita airport, including four from China and two from Taiwan. All of the applications are expected to be approved. The allocations have been made possible by the planned opening of a second runway on Apr. 18 at Narita, Japan's most important international gateway.
