Aviation Week & Space Technology

In brief: The cascading effects of Putin’s annexation of Crimea in the airline, aerospace and defense sectors.

India is seeking to build its military export trade, and its effort have caught the attention of China, its rival in such endeavors.

It looks as if the F-35 could meet its key performance parameter requirements, but that is a narrow definition of success.

The plan to terminate the U-2 is reversed, reopening a debate at the Pentagon about high-altitude reconnaissance platforms.

Jan. 27-29—Microelectronics Reliability and Qualification Working Meeting. The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, California. See www.cvent.com/d/9rqnfl Feb. 1-3—Routes Americas. Denver. See www.routesonline.com/events/172/Feb. 1-3 Feb. 3-6—National Business Aviation Association Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference. San Jose, California. See www.nbaa.org/events/sdc/2015/

Feb. 2-3—MRO Middle East, Dubai. March 5—Laureate Awards, Washington. April 14-16—MRO Americas, Miami.

While recent airline crashes in Asia are creating pressure for improved tracking of flights, other initiatives to prevent crashes are arguably more important.

Landing people on Mars is a goal on which there is widespread consensus.

One approach to long-range ‘replacements’ for the venerable 757 is clearly defined with Airbus’s launch of its A321LR model.

In the wake of recent accidents, ICAO will draft new performance-based tracking and distress alerting standards for all airliners beyond 2020.

The fluctuating price of oil affects every A&D sector to varying degrees, some much more than others.

Scaled Composites’ Speaks I would like to take exception to the unsupported assertion by Graham Warwick in “Designer Aircraft” (AW&ST Dec. 15/22, 2014, p. 16) that since Scaled Composites was acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2007, “its priorities have shifted.”

Navy tweaks littoral combat ship, NASA environmental missions may face more scrutiny, media experiments with UAVs and Ashton Carter returns to the Pentagon.

Green Rotorcraft program is testing fuel-saving diesel-cycle engine, advanced blades and electric tailrotor.

*EADS was renamed Airbus Group in January 2014 Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Can NASA avoid the mistakes of the past or will it finally avoid funding costly diversions to human space exploration?

ULA expects its first—and possibly only—Orbital Sciences Cygnus capsule to arrive in Florida late this summer for a launch targeted for the last quarter of the year. Orbital Sciences has an option for a second flight in 2016.

The three-year, $916 million SMAP mission will give weather forecasters in agricultural regions an early warning signal for drought and allow better near-term flood warnings.

Senior Avionics & Safety Editor John Croft looks at the airliner flight deck of the future, which might feature one seat in the cockpit for a captain and one on the ground, occupied by a “super dispatcher” or first officer.

Senior Avionics & Safety Editor John Croft looks at the airliner flight deck of the future, which might feature one seat in the cockpit for a captain and one on the ground, occupied by a “super dispatcher” or first officer.

Diverse customs and regulatory procedures, small fleet sizes create challenges for Latin American MRO providers, despite steady growth of local carriers.

Transaero Airlines faces an uphill battle to survive as it grapples with myriad problems that encompass everything from political unrest, plunging oil prices and management missteps.

Finally back on strong financial footing, Air Canada plans to spend the next several years regaining the international share it lost in the past decade as it battled key labor unions, dealt with high airport costs and weathered delivery delays for important new aircraft.

Without integrity—people making and keeping promises—any initiative is bound to fail.

Reduced uncertainty about weight keeps long-span, low-drag wing in the running for fuel-saving airliner designs.