I applaud the apt call by USAF Gen. (ret.) Charles F. Wald, expressed in a recent Viewpoint, to “regard the [fiscal] crisis as an opportunity . . . to reform our defense establishment” (AW&ST Feb. 4, p. 59).
Roy Foreman (see photos), electrical engineering manager in Falls Church, Va.-based Northrop Grumman's Information Systems sector, has received the company's Industry Professional Achievement award for development of key programs supporting U.S. Defense Department customers. Omar Thompson, a senior reliability engineer in the company's Electronic Systems sector, has received a Special Recognition for his work on NASA's space shuttle program.
Often faulted for failing to meet science project cost and schedule targets, NASA seems to be following an effective strategy with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Project, or Maven. The $453 million mission, scheduled for launch Nov. 18, is expected to study climate-influencing changes in the Martian upper atmosphere. If the mission is successful, Maven's development could become a case study for other science mission projects, according to NASA's inspector general (IG).
Bombardier expects to build 20-30 CSeries aircraft in the program's first year of production and gradually increase this rate over 3.5 years to 120. The manufacturer's chief executive, Pierre Beaudoin, cautioned during the company's 2012 earnings conference call that the rates “were not at an exact point” but that his guidance indicates the production rates are envisioned when both the baseline CS100 and stretched CS300 are in service. Beaudoin said he is “very confident” that the CS100's first flight will still occur in late June.
The unique design of Piaggio Aero's P.180 Avanti business turboprop has always turned heads. With its unusual blend of three-surface configuration and pusher propellers, the aircraft is well-known for its performance and Italian flair. But the type has never sold as well as competitors such as Beechcraft's King Air. So now Piaggio is exploring new markets for the Avanti, hoping that its latest development can secure a niche that has until now been dominated by products from Israel and the U.S.
Eurocopter has been building a relationship in Mexico for 30 years. So in 2010, when the government here asked for an offset agreement as a condition for selling 15 EC725 long-range tactical transports to the Mexican air force and navy, the company readily agreed. “At Eurocopter, proximity [to our markets] is a key word, part of our DNA,” President/CEO Lutz Bertling said at the opening of a $100 million factory here last month that is the offset payoff for that contract.
A year ago or so ago I wrote to Aviation Week voicing my discomfort with most major airlines opting to depend on Chinese companies for scheduled routine aircraft maintenance and modifications. Bill Sweetman's Commander's Intent “Learning Chinese” (AW&ST Feb. 11, p. 14) underscores my original concerns.
Jeffrey S. Tenen has become a partner in the aviation practice of Miami-based Hughes Hubbard, and Israel I. Sanchez joined the group as counsel. Both lawyers were shareholders at Greenberg Traurig.
W ith deep, indiscriminate cuts to U.S. government spending on defense, space and civil aviation looming, a sensible observer might expect lawmakers in Washington to be pulling all-nighters to find a way to stanch the flow of red ink in federal budgets in a manner less damaging to the nation's security and economic vitality. But as the clock ticked down toward the March 1 deadline when the meat ax of “sequestration” is to fall, Congress adjourned for a week and President Barack Obama jetted off to Florida to play golf with Tiger Woods.
A disadvantage of trying to develop and field new technology rapidly to meet urgent operational requirements in wartime is that there is not much leeway when things do not go as planned. Now the U.S. Army has canceled Northrop Grumman's Long-Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), because technical and performance problems and budget constraints meant the 300-ft. surveillance airship could no longer provide an operational capability in Afghanistan in the timeframe required.
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Dave Pflieger has become president of and CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Silver Airways, succeeding Darrell Richardson, who has retired. Pflieger will remain CEO and managing director of Air Pacific until May 1.
The merger of AMR Corp.'s American Airlines with US Airways is poised to create the world's largest airline. On the domestic front, however, the pairing of two of the remaining four legacy carriers marks something else: the continued consolidation of the U.S. airline industry. With just Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and a new American Airlines left—should the latest legacy merger receive regulatory approval—consolidation could be nearing the end of its 35-year run since deregulation in 1978.
Michael Hardesty has become corporate VP, controller and chief accounting officer in Falls Church, Va., for the Northrop Grumman Corp., succeeding Kenneth L. Bedingfield, who has been appointed VP-business management and CFO for the company's Aerospace Systems sector.
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has collected its first sample from the interior of a rock on the red planet, marking a major milestone for the Mars Science Laboratory project and the achievement of what the agency says is a historic moment for robotic space exploration. The tablespoon-sized sample is already causing excitement among scientists because it is of a different gray color than the usual rust-tinted terrain seen up until now. The drill sample was taken from a spot in the bedrock which appears to be “fine-grained rocks like a siltstone or mudstone.
Pat Pearse (see photo) has been named managing director of Dallas-based BBA Aviation Flight Support. He has held executive positions with British Airways, British Airways Regional Cargo and MK Airlines. Honors And Elections
The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces is set to become the first operator of the new unarmed General Atomics Predator XP UAS. The $196 million deal was announced at the IDEX defense show in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 18. An unspecifed number of aircraft will be purchased through the International Golden Group, a UAE-based defense equipment holding company which has close connections to the armed forces. First deliveries are expected in 2014.
Pentagon investments in UAVs have been on the rise, ranking 46th among all non-construction-related U.S. Defense Department expenses in 2011—the first time in recent years such expenses have cracked the top 50, according to an Aviation Week Intelligence Network analysis. The Pentagon cost category “drones” reached $1.5 billion in contracts and contract modifications, according to an analysis of contracting data aggregated by the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting.
Anu Chekuri, an engineer with Aerospace Technologies Group, has been appointed company-designated engineering representative for flammability by the FAA.
After months and months, the military-industrial complex is finally getting some company in fighting nearly $1 trillion in across-the-board budget cuts set to begin March 1 and last for a decade. That includes air travel, an impact that could hit home for lawmakers who routinely shuttle from Washington back to their home districts. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano lays it out plainly for the Senate Appropriations Committee: “At the major international airports, average wait-times to clear customs will increase by 50%.” Wait times at the busiest U.S.
When we need brake pads or a fuel pump for our automobile, we assume the garage will have one in stock or know where to get it. But at the dawn of the automobile age, when this Daimler car was new, it wasn't that simple. Every automobile was essentially a one-off, custom-built as a worldwide cadre of tinkerers and engineers struggled to invent an industry. A few years later, the same held true as the aviation industry was born.
Steve Hogan (see photos) has been named sector VP and general manager for Herndon, Va.-based Northrop Grumman's Integrated Logistics and Modernization division within the Technical Services sector. He was VP and integrated product team leader for the F/A-18 and information operations and electronic attack program. Mary Petryszyn has become VP-international in the Aerospace Systems sector. She was director of engineering at Raytheon Co. Strategic Systems.
India is developing the sixth in its series of Agni ballistic missiles, this time with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) capability.
