Forecasts that NATO expansion would heighten friction with Russia are coming true. Moscow has affirmed plans to sell S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to the Greek Cypriots, which could reignite the long Greek-Turkish dispute over the partitioned island and upset NATO's southern flank. The risk of another Balkans war looms in the Serbian province of Kosovo, which also could draw in Greece and Turkey. Russia can thwart NATO in that arena because Moscow is in the six-nation Contact Group of the U.S. and European powers trying to curb Kosovo's growing Serbian-Albanian strife.
About 15 airlines have purchased 350 shipsets of FANS-1 upgrades for their Boeing 747-400s. The Seattle-based manufacturer expects similar FAA certification for its 757, 767 and MD-90s soon, with certification of MD-11 and updated MD-10 freighters planned. FANS (Future Air Navigation System) relies on space-based navigation and communications for air traffic control in remote regions.
Leonard Simkovitz has become vice president-marketing for International Air Leases Inc., Hialeah, Fla. He was director of aircraft programs. Simkovitz succeeds Boyd Mesecher, who has retired.
Japan is instituting computer-aided air traffic ``flow control'' procedures similar to those used in the U.S. and Europe to accommodate increased traffic and maximize ATC efficiency. The capability also would allow Japan to be an early participant in emerging satellite-based air traffic management systems, sometimes known as free flight.
Richard Thompson (see photo) has been appointed Toulouse, France-based commercial director of the Future Large Aircraft for British Aerospace Airbus. He was marketing director of Westinghouse Signals Ltd., Chippenham, England. Thompson succeeds Andy Lewis, who is now director of sales support for the Eurofighter consortium, based at BAe Military Aircraft, Wharton, England.
The U.S. Energy Dept.'s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., has developed an autonomous radionuclide detector that can provide irrefutable physical evidence of nuclear test ban violations. The system, to be deployed in a network of about 80 stations worldwide, consists of highly sensitive, furnace-sized Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler/Analyzers. Each RASA pushes large volumes of air through six rolls of filter paper strips which, after a decay period, are mechanically passed by a gamma ray detector.
Colin Smith has become vice president-international for Trans World Airlines in London. He was managing director of the aviation practice of Beddows and Co. Joseph Alexander has been appointed director of the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council in Washington. He was deputy assistant administrator for science in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development.
On a related front, the U.K.'s General Electric Co. PLC is going all-out to capture whatever defense electronics businesses Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman may have to auction off to get the merger approved. The company has made a formal bid to purchase up to $4 billion worth of Northrop Grumman assets, according to industry officials in Washington. Lockheed Martin only wants to divest a fraction of that amount to make the merger possible.
A plume from a pulse detonation rocket engine combustor developed by Adroit Systems Inc. is shown firing into a safety chamber. The test apparatus had a 1-in.-dia. internal flow and a length of 36. in. The tests demonstrated combustor operation at high frequency (100 Hz.) using gaseous hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. Run durations of 30 sec. were achieved at essentially atmospheric conditions, according to ASI officials.
THE U.S.-CANADA ``OPEN SKIES'' aviation bilateral has been good for Canadian airline workers. Air Canada just announced plans to hire 2,000 workers through the end of the year, mostly for cross-border service. Since the 1995 agreement, Air Canada has expanded to more than 40 transborder routes from just a few previously. As many as five additional routes are planned this year. Of the new hires, 400 will be full-time flight attendants, with another 550 seasonal jobs. The remaining new positions will be in reservations, frequent-flier and other services.
Prospects have improved for major U.S./Russian nuclear arms reductions now that the latest leadership crisis in Moscow has abated, high-ranking Russian officials and U.S. nuclear experts say. With a new Russian prime minister in place, the second American/Russian Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 2) is more likely to be taken up by Russia's parliament, the State Duma, Russian officials predict.
Key rocket engine tests just getting underway will accelerate the development of three revolutionary propulsion systems for the NASA X-33 and X-34 winged booster testbeds and the Boeing Delta 4 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. The low-cost engines for these vehicles are the first large new rocket propulsion developments conducted in the U.S. in more than 20 years. The last major U.S. rocket engine program was the space shuttle main engine (SSME) development of the late 1970s.
John McNamee, who has been project manager of the Mars Surveyor mission at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., also will be project manager for the Outer Planets/Solar Probe.
Hughes Global Services (HGS) is gradually moving a previously-stranded commercial communications satellite into position near the Moon so that lunar gravity can be used to sling the spacecraft back to Earth and into at least a partially usable orbit. The novel and fast-paced salvage effort involves the former AsiaSat-3 spacecraft, which was placed in the wrong orbit four months ago as the result of the failure of a Proton booster launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Joseph Cirincione has been named senior associate for nonproliferation for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. He was senior associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, also in Washington.
President Clinton and the National Security Council are taking belated action to harmonize the scores of federal agencies responsible for combating the terrorist use of biological, chemical or nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Under an imminent presidential directive, the National Security Council (NSC) would take over as top coordinator of federal anti-WMD efforts and develop a national strategy to guide them.
At a critical International Space Station meeting in Moscow, Russian managers raised to their U.S. counterparts the possibility of delaying launch of the Russian FGB spacecraft--the first station element--until October or November. If adopted, this option would delay the launch of the first space shuttle assembly mission to November or December. The delay was floated by the Russians at the ISS General Designer's meeting, which was held to assess ISS delays and options for deorbiting the Mir space station by late 1999.
OFFICIALS OF LEARJET INC. plan to begin initial deliveries of the new Learjet 45 this week, after waiting to obtain final FAA certification for the business jet to fly in known icing conditions. An official said three airplanes are scheduled for immediate delivery, and plans call for delivering subsequent airplanes at the rate of up to five per month. Learjet has more than 155 orders for the nine-seat aircraft.
Ken Edoff has been named vice president-sales for the Americas for the SanDisk Corp., Sunnyvale, Calif. He was senior vice president-worldwide sales for the Cyrix Corp.
GUILFORD TRANSPORTATION Industries has offered to pay $23.5 million for the remaining assets of Pan American World Airways and to satisfy outstanding bankruptcy claims. The company, which operates a New England regional rail system, also agreed to provide Pan Am with another $5 million in working capital to fund a reorganization plan, which will be submitted to the court by May 20. Under the transaction, Guilford will acquire two Boeing 727s, one 737, spare parts and route authorities and intellectual property associated with the Pan Am name.
Sabena's Swissair-inspired revamping and ambitious strategic plan are clearing the way for a long-awaited return to profitability, according to company officials. The Belgian carrier expects to make ``significant profits'' in 1998 after posting $218-million losses in 1996 and $70 million in 1997, Chief Executive Officer Paul Reutlinger said last week. He is a former Swissair executive who, in the last two years, played a critical role in reshuffling Sabena's management, slashing direct operating costs.
Japan's Ministry of Transport has opened--with the agreement of residents--10 additional slots at Tokyo's international gateway, Narita Airport, bringing the facility's daily flight count to 370. Five of the new slots go to charter operators and five to business jets. Residents have blocked attempts to raise traffic levels at Narita for years, but operation of Stage 3 and 3-plus aircraft helped the ministry wear down their opposition.
The first of two Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye carrier-based early warning aircraft for the French navy is rolled out at company facilities in St. Augustine, Fla. The two aircraft eventually will be based on the French carrier Charles de Gaulle when the new ship becomes operational in 1999. The Group 2 E-2C for France is the same version produced for the U.S. Navy.
THE GENERAL AVIATION Manufacturers Assn. reported record first-quarter billings of $1.14 billion on deliveries of 456 aircraft, compared with billings of $886 million and shipments of 237 aircraft during the same period in 1997. Manufacturers delivered 82 business jets, 47 turboprops and 327 piston-powered aircraft during the quarter. Export billings of $427 million were recorded on deliveries of 149 aircraft.
BOEING LAST WEEK WON the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization's competition to become the Lead System Integrator for the National Missile Defense program. Boeing defeated the United Missile Defense Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and TRW, based on its superior technical proposal, significantly lower cost and better management rating, BMDO director U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Lester Lyles said.
