A RAYTHEON SYSTEMS CO. UPGRADE to modems for Milstar extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite terminals will increase their performance from a low data rate of 2.4 kbps. to a medium data rate of 2.048 mbps., according to the company. The upgrade will also let U.S. Air Force satcom terminals operate with the Navy's Ultra High Frequency Follow-On satellite. The three U.S. services will benefit from the $11.3-million contract from the Air Force Electronic Systems Center. The modems will be flown on USAF's E-3 AWACS, E-4 NEACAP and E-8 Joint-STARS aircraft.
Northrop Grumman-Canada plans to market the PassPro passenger/baggage identification system developed by Laser Data Command Inc. of Minneapolis under an agreement between the two companies. Northrop Grumman plans to integrate PassPro with its NIA Self-Service Kiosk, which is used for electronic ticketing, and its BRS2 Baggage Reconciliation System. PassPro stores a passenger's image in a two-dimensional barcode that can be printed on an identification card, luggage tags and boarding passes (AW&ST Aug. 18, 1997, p. 75).
Lockheed Martin Missiles&Space (LMMS) says it expects to cut 2,000-2,500 positions--up to 26% of its workforce--in the coming year because of continued industry consolidation and lost contracts. Nearly all of the cuts will be from its Sunnyvale, Calif., facility, which employs 9,500. LMMS President Mike Henshaw cited unspecified delays in ``major program orders.'' The unit maintains a healthy backlog of 73 spacecraft, including 35 military orders, 25 commercial and 13 civil. The problem is a lack of major new orders.
Greece is being kept on the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Assn.'s watch list following an evaluation of air traffic services and control systems in that country. IFALPA declined to give Greece, which has been criticized by many air crews, a ``black star,'' or critically deficient, rating. IFALPA said the Hellenic CAA has made tremendous advances in improving air traffic services. But it said continued modernization of air traffic control systems and an increase in ATC staffing levels by the Greek government were still ``urgently needed.''
IBM Canada is distributing 50 of its new ThinkPad 600 series notebook computers to business class passengers for use on selected Air Canada flights through Sept. 15. They will come preloaded with a variety of software, including Microsoft and Sierra games.
Debonair Airways plans to begin talks with Boeing for the possible acquisition of 10 717s. The carrier is also negotiating with several parties to acquire additional British Aerospace 146-200s to increase frequencies to several destinations, including Rome. The airline, based at London Luton airport, has entered into a code-sharing agreement with another independent U.K. carrier--AB Airlines.
THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION Committee on June 25 called for the National Academy of Sciences' Transportation Research Board to study airline competition for six months before committee members will consider a Transportation Dept. program aimed at enhancing competition. The department drafted guidelines, proposed in April, in response to complaints from consumers in smaller cities and their representatives in Congress, who claim a lack of competition locally forces them to pay high airfares.
SINCGARS FREQUENCY-AGILE MILITARY RADIOS will continue to dominate the world tactical communication market into the next decade, according to Teal Group analysts. Despite proposals for new digital radios, the market for Sincgars radios will top 300,000, valued at $2.5 billion, during 1998-2007, they said. Further evolution is expected through continued development of the U.K.'s Bowman radio program, valued at about $3.3 billion, by the ITT (U.K.) Archer team, which includes Siemens, Plessey and Racal.
The Lyulka-Saturn Engine Design Bureau has developed an improved version of its thrust vectoring AL-31 engine for the Indian air force. The powerplant, which incorporates swiveling nozzles capable of vectoring thrust in both pitch and yaw, will power 40 Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole fighters now on order for the Indian air force. The engine with its new nozzle has been designated the AL-31FP. It is a derivative of the pitch-vectoring AL-31F, which powered an experimental Su-37 (No. 711), Anatoly Andreyev said. He is the engine's chief designer.
Stephen E. Schlachter has been named director of advertising and promotions of Trans World Airlines. He was vice president-market development of Vanguard Airlines.
A recent flight demonstration over Southern California validated the concept of using high-altitude aircraft as cellular telephone relay nodes. Consequently, airborne networks offer a relatively low-cost alternative to satellite constellations or hundreds of ground-based towers for wireless communications, particularly in developing nations.
A new version of the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile, the Dhanush, is to enter launch trials in December, according to the Indian Defense Ministry. The missile, with a range of about 220 mi., was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) under its Integrated Guided Missile Development Program to upgrade versions already designed for the Indian army and air force.
BOEING IS STUDYING WHETHER it would be possible to use space shuttle parts to build a substitute power module for the International Space Station that could substitute for Russia's delayed service module. NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin told the House Science Committee the module could be assembled from production hardware for the shuttle's Orbital Maneuvering System and thrust vector control systems. But he cautioned that the idea is in very preliminary stages.
Ken Appleby has been appointed director of sales and marketing for North America for Muirhead Vactric, part of the U.K.-based Silvermines Aerospace Div. He will be based at the Pickering Controls subsidiary on Long Island, N.Y.
Pratt&Whitney is testing engines for conventional takeoff and landing aircraft vying for the Joint Strike Fighter program. The JSF119-614 (bottom photo) for the Boeing X-32 began tests June 21 at Pratt's West Palm Beach, Fla., facility, while JSF119-611 (top) for the Lockheed Martin X-35 began its tests there on June 11.
THE HGS-1 COMMUNICATIONS satellite that Hughes Space and Communications has flown twice around the Moon has been placed in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific Ocean (AW&ST May 25, p. 27). The lunar flybys were undertaken to move the satellite into a usable orbit after a launch failure late last year. Hughes said the satellite will drift a few degrees north and south of the equator daily.
Walter A. Zarris has become vice president/general manager of integrated operations and Robert P. Emge vice president of CTS Reeves Frequency Products, Elkhart, Ind.
Hunting Plc. is concentrating on its defense and oil activities now that it has sold off Hunting Cargo Airlines, which has been bought by Companie Belge and Safair for $14.7 million. U.K.-based Hunting is negotiating with several other parties to sell the airline's fleet of five Lockheed Electra transports. Hunting will be restructured to integrate its two remaining aviation businesses--Technical Support and Contract Services--into Hunting Defence.
Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, commuter Horizon Airlines, have created a task force to study technologies that would streamline passenger flow through the terminal while increasing airline productivity. As envisioned, a microchip embedded on a frequent passenger's mileage club card could trigger sensors in the terminal or as far away as the parking garage, automatically notifying the airline the passenger is in the vicinity and holding his or her seat.
Contractor plans for unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) won't be handed over to Pentagon officials for another four or five months, but Air Force officials already have some expectations. Primary weapons under consideration are small smart bombs, small deep-penetrating bombs and Locass guided antiarmor submunitions. Laser, high-power microwave and non-lethal weapons may come later, ``but they're not technologies that are maturing very rapidly,'' a senior official said.
Fire on board a U.S. Air Force F-15E based at Lakenheath, England, prompted a day-long stand-down last week of the two F-15E squadrons assigned there. According to Air Force officials, two F-15E squadrons, the 492nd and 494th, stood down from operations most of June 22-23 while unspecified inspections of their aircraft were made.
Air Canada is scheduled to add another layer of commuter service to its route network in September under a recently signed agreement with Voyageur Airways Ltd. The charter operator is to acquire and operate a fleet of about 10 Beech 1900D transports under Air Canada colors and using Air Canada tickets. The 19-seat Beech 1900Ds will provide off-peak service on existing Air Canada commuter routes as well as open local and northern U.S. markets considered too small to be economical for Air Canada's 50-seat de Havilland Dash 8 regional transports.
El Al Israel Airlines needs to make its legendary security less invasive by relying increasingly on technology like the InVision Technologies CTX 5000 explosives detectors it uses at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, El Al President Joel Feldschuh said recently. Worldwide, there were just a handful of skyjackings last year, he pointed out. And passengers on the sixth freedom flights that El Al is counting on for growth will be less tolerant of burdensome security checks than passengers flying to and from Israel, he said.
