President George W. Bush's defense program, which only two months ago was widely expected to be a scaled-down version of Ronald Reagan's 1980s buildup, is coming to look like a shake-up instead.
The Predator unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, already an operational standout in three conflicts, may be the victim of internecine conflict within the U.S. Air Force that could slow its development as a weapon carrier and as a testbed for future unmanned air combat vehicle designs.
Rolls-Royce Engine Services-Indianapolis has given Epicor Software Corp. a boost by ordering its Impresa software to manage its military and civil turbine engine maintenance and overhaul operations . . . Simulyze Inc. has developed Flight Control as an add-on module to Analytical Graphics' Satellite Tool Kit (STK) to create a 3D virtual battlespace environment. Flight Control is a commercial off-the-shelf tool that allows users to integrate diverse planning data and near-real-time operational and intelligence data with the STK's analysis and visualization capabilities.
Boeing has decided to boost the aerodynamic efficiency of the wing on the planned 747X by reshaping the full span in order to apply 777-and-beyond supercritical airfoil technology. The company had intended to significantly modify the 747 wing for the 747X model with features such as a 105-in. wing root insert and new wingtip design, but recently decided to recontour the entire airfoil to meet program requirements for aerodynamic efficiency.
U.S. and International Space Station managers are initiating a fast-paced effort to define ISS modifications that would regain capability lost by the planned cancellation of the U.S. Crew Rescue Vehicle (CRV) and habitation module under Bush Administration budget cuts. The station modification effort is on a faster track than reformation of the reusable launch vehicle technology program. The accelerated pace is needed because the station changes:
INTERSTATE ELECTRONICS CORP., a subsidiary of L-3 Communications, is working to combine micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology with a GPS receiver to create an integrated GPS/inertial measurement unit (IMU) for smart munitions. Current designs use a serial bus as the interface between GPS and a third party's IMUs. But the company envisions the next stage as a tightly coupled, highly integrated GPS/IMU architecture that would be combined in a single package.
Air Force fears that the F-22 program would be hung up in the change of administrations have come true. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tells Congress he won't make a production decision on the stealth fighter anytime soon. However, with program funds about to run out at the end of the year, he has asked Congress to free up $674.5 million of production funds to keep the program going and prevent ``serious erosion of the F-22 supplier base.'' A production decision is still expected this fiscal year, but won't be made until the Pentagon has completed its strategic review.
Ferocious competition in Australia's domestic airline industry, pitting two established carriers against a pair of scrappy entrants, is expected to take a heavy toll on all players.
Reports that the Chinese defense budget is going up perhaps 20% to $17.7 billion in 2001 brings groans from Asian-defense specialists. First, they say, the real budget could be up to three times larger than acknowledged. Even so, they note, the official budget is only about 5% of U.S. defense spending. The more interesting questions involve where the money is going and why Beijing is touting increases, says Kurt Campbell of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Russian space telecom operator RSCC has chosen Alenia Spazio to provide payloads for three Express AM satellites. Eutelsat will lease 12 of the 16 Ku-based transponders on the first spacecraft, set for launch late in 2002 or early 2003 (AW&ST Nov. 6, 2000, p. 34). The Ku-/C-/L-band payloads were to have to been supplied by NEC, which is trying to penetrate the ranks of major international satcom vendors. NEC, however, will supply low-noise amplifiers for three Inmarsat 4 satellites being built by Astrium, according to Japanese news reports.
The Russian defense industry is developing limited combat aircraft upgrades to compensate for the lack of money for more ambitious modernization efforts or new aircraft purchases. The upgrades include the Sukhoi Su-27UBM, a modernized twin-seat fighter/trainer with an air-to-surface guided weapon strike capability, and Mil Mi-8MTKO and Mi-24VK helicopters equipped with night vision IR systems. The upgrades were presented to Anatoly Kvashnin, head of the General Staff, and Anatoly Kornukov, air force commander-in-chief, on Mar. 6.
THE QUALITY OF IMAGES IN FLIGHT SIMULATORS at Luke AFB, Ariz., is expected to become noticeably better with the addition of upgraded processors. Under an Air Force contract, Lockheed Martin selected Silicon Graphics (SGI) Onyx2 visualization system with InfiniteReality3 graphics to upgrade the simulators. The modification will allow a dramatic increase in the air-to-air and air-to-ground mission training that can be achieved, according to USAF's head of F-16 training.
German competition authorities have blocked Lufthansa's acquisition of up to 49% of regional carrier Eurowings, saying Lufthansa's dominant position in its domestic market would be further enhanced by the move.
THE U.K.'S NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES and Nav Canada have implemented the North Atlantic Centralized Automatic Dependent Surveillance (CADS) service. FANS 1/A-equipped aircraft on North Atlantic routes can use data link to report waypoint positions and weather information, via Inmarsat satellites. ARINC in Annapolis, Md., then translates the information and sends it to the area control center or meteorological authority via the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network.
Vistagy Inc., has introduced a tool that allows engineers to integrate non-geometric design data into Catia, Pro-Engineer or Unigraphics computer-aided design (CAD) software. Called EnCapta, the software builds on the company's FiberSim design integration products that are used at Sikorsky, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Bombardier, among others.
Rolls-Royce expects a lull in profit growth this year to be temporary as it prepares for strong growth in aero and industrial/marine engines and after-sales and financial services.
China's Shandong Airlines Rainbow Jet Co. will purchase four Challenger 604 wide-body business jets from Bombardier Aerospace in an agreement valued at $100 million.
The civilian head of NATO is confident the alliance is already past the worst in its intramural spat over a U.S. strategic missile defense and a European rapid reaction force. Washington is far from convinced. Making the diplomatic rounds here last week, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson sought to calm American nerves, insisting that the Bush Administration's decision to drop the ``N'' from national missile defense (NMD) had assuaged Europe's fears it would be cut loose from the U.S. strategic umbrella.
A Florida Army National Guard C-23 Sherp broke up while flying in heavy rain and crashed in a field about 10 mi. from Unadilla, Ga., on Mar. 3, killing all 21 Army and Air Force guardsmen on board. According to visitors to the crash site, the aircraft had been flying northeast, but the wing and tail fell northeast of the main wreckage while the nose of the crashed aircraft was pointing southwest. It may be Georgia's deadliest military air accident. The flight data recorders have been recovered from the aircraft, which belonged to the 171st Aviation unit.
Cathay Pacific Airways reported record profits of $642 million for 2000, more than double those in 1999. The impressive performance was attributed to cost-cutting and strengthening Asian economies.
Russian controllers trying to calculate drag effects on the Mir orbital station as it plows deeper into the upper atmosphere were still working their numbers for setting a controlled splashdown in the South Pacific, targeting a date roughly one week before the station would reenter on its own but later than originally planned.
Lyndon J. Smith (see photo) has become vice president/general manager of Loctite Aerospace, Bay Point, Calif. He held the same positions at Dexter Aerospace Coatings.
Ian Lewin (see photo), president of Lighting Sciences Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., has received the 2001 Individual Achievement Award of the Aerospace Lighting Institute. He was recognized for his work with the space shuttle, International Space Station and U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft programs. His achievements have included design of the pilot's and copilot's overhead floodlights and optical lensing for fluorescent systems inside the shuttle and development of exterior lighting for the ISS.
