As China starts to put together a modern, integrated air force, which could reach 1,000 fighters by 2020, it is developing the components of a future force of stealthier combat aircraft, new bombers and unmanned, hypersonic and possibly space-based combat platforms. These could emerge as soon as the early 2020s.
I was relieved to see the Chinese cyberthreat finally receiving the serious analysis it deserves in “Budget Cyber Threat” (AW&ST Feb. 6, p. 30), until I read the penultimate paragraph. Someone actually thinks UAVs are the future? Consider the following: Chinese hacking deeply penetrated major defense corporations and the Pentagon. The rogue drone that headed toward Washington exhibited a classic capture/flight pattern to analyze efforts to regain control and release without traceback. And the X-47B is being tested over Chesapeake Bay!
Like heavyweight boxers preparing for the propulsion fight of the century, the two mid-thrust challengers—CFM International and Pratt & Whitney—are squaring off with new sets of critical hardware tests for their competing designs.
Boeing is advancing its 777 and 787 programs by shuffling duties for two veterans at its Everett, Wash., widebody jet factory. Vice President Larry Loftis has become general manager of the Boeing 787, where the emphasis is on production increases and the introduction of the airplane's long-range 787-9 variant into final assembly. He previously headed Boeing 777 production, which already is at the build rate Boeing wants the 787 to attain.
The European Commission has given the green light for France and Italy to financially support the Eurocopter X-4 and AgustaWestland AW169 development programs. EU anti-trust authorities determined there was no risk to competition from the move. France sought EU approval for a €143 million ($189 million) loan. Eurocopter needs to repay the loan once its reaches a sales target for X-4s and then pay royalties for additional sales. The loan mechanism mirrors those Airbus partner countries have provided to the large aircraft maker and which the U.S.
Keith Buckley, president and CEO of ASC Signal Corp., has been appointed chairman of the New York-based Society of Satellite Professionals, succeeding Clayton Mowry, president of Arianespace. Michael Aloisi, VP-technology, satellite and affiliate services for Viacom, is the new president.
The U.S. Air Force has funded flight tests of upgraded Rolls-Royce T56 engines on a Lockheed Martin C-130H. They are aimed at increasing reliability and service life as well as cutting fuel consumption by around 8%. The T56-15 Series 3.5 “enhancement” kit is expected to undergo tests at Edwards AFB, Calif., around mid-year and is expected to help USAF meet its target of reducing aviation fuel usage by 10% by 2015.
April 2-3—Engine MRO Forum. Dallas. April 3-5—MRO Americas 2012. Dallas. April 4-5—MRO Military Conference & Exhibition. Dallas. April 23-25—NextGen Ahead: Air Transportation Modernization. Washington. May 8-9—Civil Aviation Manufacturing. Charlotte, N.C. May 23-24—MRO Regional: Eastern Europe, Baltics and Russia. Vilnius, Lithuania. Sept. 19-21—MRO IT Conference & Showcase. Miami. Oct. 9-11—MRO Europe. Amsterdam. Nov. 6-7—A&D Programs. Phoenix.
Boeing's Wideband Global Satcom began merely as a gapfiller project to provide communications for the U.S. military, but 11 years later the WGS satellites have become the backbone for shuttling the Pentagon's wideband data. And at a time when the Pentagon is planning to cut $487 billion over 10 years, WGS is being hailed as an example of an efficient satellite procurement.
James Melville has joined SenarioTek, Santa Rosa, Calif., as U.S. sales manager. He was national account manager for SymTx/AAI for Lockheed Martin and Northeast U.S. sales manager.
Two statements on the Feedback page (AW&ST Feb. 13, p. 10) reflect a surprising lack of understanding of U.S. national institutions and the laws of economics. Reader James Campbell would want “Brazil's economy” to pay part of the price of the Super Tucanos destined for the Afghan air force, because Brazil's economy “is doing well.” The purchase of the aircraft is a straightforward commercial transaction. If you want something, you pay for it. If you can't afford it, don't buy it. Just who in the Brazilian economy should contribute anyway?
When an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER completed a Los Angeles-Auckland flight in December, it was the first time an airline operated under 240-min. extended operations (ETOPS). But the new 240-min. limit is no longer the edge of the envelope—330 min. is now poised to become the new ETOPS gold standard—ever since last November when Boeing received type design authority from the FAA to offer a 330-min. ETOPS “option” on the General Electric GE90-powered 777 family.
USAF Brig. Gen. (ret.) Harold B. Adams and James L. Armitage have been named senior fellows of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Arlington, Va. Adams was VP-engineering and operations at GTE Spacenet, and Armitage was VP and sector chief technology officer for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems.
An agreement to cooperate on energy conservation and emissions technology research deepens Boeing's ties with China's commercial aviation establishment.
Sabena Technics' maintenance facility in Bordeaux, France, is performing heavy check and repair work on two Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330s. Several aircraft in the Libyan operator's fleet suffered damage during recent conflicts. Philippe Rochet, Sabena Technics' executive vice president of airframe services, says the MRO sent a maintenance task force of 10 engineers to Libya to prepare the aircraft for ferry flights to Bordeaux.
The space agency challenges the logic of asking experts for their honest opinions, reminding scientists on the NASA Advisory Council that they are “temporary” government employees when in formal session, and as such required to support—at least in theory—the Fiscal 2013 NASA budget proposed by President Barack Obama. The budget would gut the joint Mars exploration program with the European Space Agency. NASA science chief John Grunsfeld is not keen on having his independent advisory body turn into a lynch mob.
Like miners hitting a rich vein, Boeing struck gold when it began delivering Boeing 777s almost 17 years ago. Now, with advanced 777X derivatives under study for service entry around 2019, the manufacturer is looking to protect the family for the rest of the decade with a set of interim upgrades.
The FAA has granted 330-min. extended-range, twin-engine operations (ETOPS) approval for the Boeing 787's upgraded General Electric GEnx-1B Performance Improvement Program (PIP) engine (see related story, p. 52). Confirmation, which follows last year's 330-min. ETOPS clearance of the baseline GEnx-1B last year, comes as Boeing completes certification flight-testing of the GE-powered 787. The FAA is expected to confirm certification of the aircraft by the end of March.
Lisa Donnan has been appointed VP and customer executive for strategic capabilities and technology at TASC, Chantilly, Va. She is an advisory board member of the Volgenau School of Engineering at George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
ViaSat-1 undergoes preparations for an October 2011 launch atop an ILS-Proton rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Built by Space Systems/Loral, the all-Ka-band ViaSat-1 is the highest-capacity satellite in the world. It delivers 140 Gbps of bandwidth, providing 100 times the throughput of conventional Ku-band spacecraft and more capacity than all current North American satellites combined.
