LIMITED FUNDS WILL DELAY USAF Wright Laboratory's plans to initiate development in Fiscal 1997 of an airborne system to detect and counter antiaircraft weapons that use optical or infrared sensors to track their targets. The program, called Day/Night Tracking Threat Countermeasures, is a high-priority objective for Air Force Special Operations Command. Several years ago, under the Wright Laboratory program called Coronet Prince, Westinghouse successfully demonstrated an airborne laser system that could detect and counter visible-spectrum trackers.
A NOVEL LIGHTWEIGHT FIBER-OPTIC SYSTEM to be flight tested on a USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft will transmit threat-radar signals received by wingtip antennas via a modulated laser beam to a central receiver-processor. The received signal is transmitted in analog format by means of a small, lightweight modulator that replaces bulky down-conversion avionics and coaxial cable. The system was developed by Tracor's AEL subsidiary.
The ``smart'' towed decoy, which Sanders is developing for the F/A-18E/F as part of the Navy's Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) system, is now expected to find use on USAF's B-1B, and possibly other aircraft, including the F-15E, U-2 and F-22.
Aerospatiale is set to combine its Space&Defense and Missile divisions during the next few weeks to create a more streamlined industrial structure. The French company's initiative is designed to produce a more efficient organization based on multiple technology and manufacturing links among a wide range of military and civil programs, such as space boosters, ballistic and tactical missiles, and spacecraft. The resulting business center is expected to have combined annual sales estimated at $2.55 billion and about 9,000 employees.
NASA chief Daniel S. Goldin is turning up the pressure on Russia to fulfill its commitments to the international space station program as the important Service Module falls perilously behind schedule (AW&ST Sept. 23, p. 23). ``We have had some very, very vigorous discussions with the Russians,'' Goldin said last week. He is worried that the Russians might miss their November target for structural assembly of the service module. The U.S. could build its own service module if necessary.
Strikestar 2025--a multi-role unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for strike, reconnaissance and electronic warfare--will be a critical need for the Air Force in the next few decades, according to a report just released by the Air University.
GTE Airfone has cut in-flight telephone rates for short calls until the end of the year. Calls of 1 and 2 min. now cost $5/min., with the regular $15 flat rate applying to calls of 3 min. and over.
Alexis C. Livanos (see photo) has been named executive vice president-operations of Space Systems/Loral, Palo Alto, Calif. He was deputy general manager of TRW Electronics Systems and Technology.
THE U.S. AIR MOBILITY COMMAND reportedly has equipped 29 of its C-130s that operate into Bosnia with radar warning receivers, to alert flight crews to possible radar-guided missile attack, as well outfitting them to carry an ALQ-131 jamming pod.
Tim Morris (see photos) has been named vice president-power systems and James F. Peterson vice president-customer service of Sundstrand Aerospace, Rockford, Ill. Morris was project manager for auxiliary power product development, while Peterson was director of customer support operations. Peterson succeeds Ken Krohn, who has retired.
The Apollo SL60 is an integrated 10-w communications transceiver and TSO C129-compliant GPS navigator. The slimline unit can automatically select and switch comm frequencies using information from the navigation data base. The SL60 has a 1.3 in. X 6.25 in. form and features a sunlight-readable LED. Other slimline products, which require no external cooling source, comprise the SL40 comm transceiver and SL50 GPS navigator. The transceiver features automatic standby frequency monitoring and direct access to National Weather Service information.
The new Pan American World Airways took to the air at 8:30 a.m. (EDT) Sept. 26 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The inaugural flight of the new company, flying with the famous name, arrived on time at 10:50 a.m. at Miami International Airport. Passengers filled the 24-seat first-class cabin, and 93 other passengers rode in the 230-seat coach section of the Airbus Industrie A300-B4.
A significant new trend toward using towed decoys to protect aircraft from radar-guided missiles and progress in developing steerable beams to protect against infrared-guided missiles are highlighted in this report on electronic warfare. It was prepared by Contributing Avionics Editor Philip J. Klass, assisted by Senior Avionics Editor Bruce D. Nordwall, Senior Military Editor David A. Fulghum, Northwest U.S. Bureau Chief Paul Proctor, European Editor Pierre Sparaco and London Bureau Chief John D. Morrocco.
Certification flights for a new, ultra-high-performance version of the Eurocopter AS-350 helicopter are scheduled to begin in less than a year. The new helicopter is expected to find a ready market as a replacement for the old-technology AS-315 Lama, especially in ``hot and high'' markets, according to the manufacturer. As envisioned, the AS-350B3 will use a more powerful 850-shp. Turbomeca Arriel 2 turboshaft engine, an uprated main transmission, and the twin-engined AS-355's tail rotor.
R. Gale Schluter has been named vice president-operations/general manager and Bruce E. Melnick vice president-Kennedy Space Center operations of McDonnell Douglas Space and Defense Systems. Schluter was vice president/general manager of space transportation, and succeeds Bill Olson, who is retiring. Melnick was a former astronaut and vice president/director of shuttle engineering for Lockheed Martin Space Operations. He succeeds George Faenza, who has retired.
Previously unknown or ignored factors which can determine jammer effectiveness have been revealed by recent tests in combination with the use of computer modeling and simulation. This has prompted the U.S. Air Force to focus on using more ``robust'' electronic countermeasures (ECM) techniques, such as towed decoys, and expanded use of modeling and simulation (M&S), according to Marion L. Williams, technical director for the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) here.
With the last U.S. Air Force EF-111 aircraft scheduled for phase-out in mid-1998, the U.S. Navy is scrambling to upgrade the EA-6B fleet to meet current and future jamming needs for both services.
Operations in Bosnia have prompted French defense electronics companies to develop new infrared and ultraviolet warning systems, intended to fill priority requirements for enhanced aircraft protection against hostile missiles. For example, the Detecteur de Depart de Missile (DDM), an infrared (IR) missile launch warning device giving precise missile data immediately after launch, is now being installed on the French air force's Mirage 2000D fighters.
BMW ROLLS-ROYCE IS TAPPING COMPUTERVISION CORP. to join it in a $2.8-million partnership to develop electronic product definition (EPD) technology. BMW Rolls-Royce previously used the Bedford, Mass.-based company's CADD5 computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing, Concurrent Assembly Mock-Up and Optegra data management systems to develop and produce its BR700 family of turbofan engines. In addition to delivering BR710s to Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
This fiber-optic light provides a well-defined beam that can be aimed and dimmed by an aircraft passenger. The light also is less intrusive for neighboring passengers than traditional incandescent lights and isolates the heat source from the passenger. The light source is mounted under or within the framework of a seat. Single-seat light sources typically require 13 w and use a quartz-halogen lamp to send light into the highly flexible fiber-optic cable. A typical 10-mm.-dia. cable encases a 6-mm.-dia. fiber bundle.
Key decisions on exporting advanced U.S. military aviation products, including high-performance fighters to South America and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles to Thailand, will be made soon after the elections in November, says Thomas E. McNamara, the assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs. Look for a relaxation of the policy on sales of modern fighters to South America by year's end. An F-16 purchase by Venezuela was recently approved.
Ramesh Punwani has become vice president-finance/chief financial officer of Tower Air. He was senior vice president/ CFO of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield. Punwani succeeds Josefina Essex, who has resigned.
