Jan. 24-25—SMI Conferences' Joint Forces Simulation & Training. Grange City Hotel, London. Call +44 (207) 827-6000, fax +44 (207) 827 6001 or see www.jointforcestraining.com Jan. 28—American Heroes Air Show. Lee County Sports Complex, Fort Myers, Fla. See www.heroes-airshow.com/fortmyers/ Jan. 31-Feb. 2—Aerial Refueling Systems Advisory Group's Winter Planning Meeting. Hilton Palacio del Rio, San Antonio. Call +1 (937) 431-8106 or see www.arsaginc.com
Throughout the year, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports on developments across the aerospace and defense industry—the setbacks as well as the successes—using the editorial page to put issues into their larger contexts. We always try to call them as we see them, going so far as to bite the hand that feeds us when we think such commentary is deserved. We believe our readers expect nothing less. And so, to the winners and sinners of 2011, we offer cheers and jeers for the considerable achievements and for the significant embarrassments of the last 12 months.
The multinational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program achieved a major milestone with the successful testing of two F-35Bs for the first time onboard a U.S. Marine Corps amphibious ship, 10 years to the month after Lockheed Martin won the development program, now estimated to be worth more than $50 billion. Despite the fact that the two aircraft exceeded expectations on the ship, much technical work remains; flight testing is only 18% complete. And, as the U.S.
Singapore Bureau Chief Leithen Francis interviews Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the LIMA Airshow in Langkawi, Malaysia, last week. Ahmad discussed what the government is expecting from foreign defense companies in terms of offsets in return for Malaysia buying new fighters, airborne early warning aircraft and antisubmarine-warfare helicopters (see p. 23). That Malaysia is embarking on major defense procurements attracted more exhibitors than the previous show.
Marion C. Blakey, President/CEO (Arlington, Va. ), Aerospace Industries Association (Arlington, Va. )
Your editorial “Debate Defense Spending Honestly” (AW&ST Nov. 14, p. 66) makes some critical points—defense spending is not unaffordable or high by historical standards, and those who call for more cuts must explain which missions and capabilities should be sacrificed on the budget altar.
“Electronic Attack” (AW&ST Nov. 21, p. 29) discusses the use of high-power microwaves to disable the enemy. I must remind you that directed-energy weapons are not a new concept. Though disputed by some historians, many agree that the concept was used in combat as far back as 212 B.C., when a Greek general, Hippocrates, used mirrors to intensify and direct the Sun's rays, as proposed by Archimedes. During the siege of Syracuse, the general ordered that the rays be focused on the sails of the Roman fleet, which resulted in a conflagration.
In regard to “Workforce Woes” (AW&ST Nov. 14, p. 51), why is it necessary to boost the number of females in A&D? Of course, anyone interested in a specific career must have as equal an opportunity as his/her contemporaries. But, if it is true that females have a stronger nurturing quality than men, it explains why teaching and medical fields attract a high number of females.
There appears to be a discrepancy between a recent cover and its caption (AW&ST Nov. 28, p. 4). The aircraft identifications are inverted. The T-38 is on top; the RAF Hawk Mk 128 below. Hilton Head, S.C. The reader is correct—Ed.
Christoph Meyerrose will become the new managing director of Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services at Schoenefeld Airport in Berlin. He succeeds Andreas Kaden, who will head Lufthansa Technical Training in Hamburg, where Meyerrose had been managing director.
Bernard (Barry) McCullough has been appointed VP-business strategy for Washington-based Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems & Sensors. He joins the company after a 36-year career in the U.S. Navy, from which he retired as a vice admiral.
Shri P.V. Deshmukh has become officiating chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Bangalore, India, in addition to his current post of managing director of its MiG complex.
John Farenish has joined Washington law firm Venable's government contracts practice. He was general counsel of the U.S. Defense Department's Defense Contract Audit Agency.
Rick Saggar (see photo) has been appointed country manager for the U.K. and Ireland at Gulf Air. He was director of the airline business group at Hahn Air.
Nick Godwin has been named managing director of London-based Commsoft. He was business development director and will retain that post's responsibilities. Commsoft founding co-director Gary Pollack will become chairman. Director James Stock will be technical director and director David Puse project director for the Oases product. Julian Beames will become business operations manager. He was a regional manager.
Chris Murvine (see photo) has joined Phoenix Heliparts, Mesa, Ariz., as lead inspector and director of training. He was senior maintenance instructor for MD Helicopters.
Andrew Gale has been named CEO and Dennis Nolan CFO at Numet Machining Techniques, Old Greenwich, Conn. Gale was CEO of Veridiam and Nolan senior VP and general manager of U.S. operations for Rockwood Services Corp.
Steven Schell has joined Houston-based Landmark Aviation as general manager of its Norfolk (Va.) International Airport location. He was general manager for Atlantic Aviation's Burbank, Calif., facility, and also held roles at Raytheon Aircraft Services, United Beechcraft and Hangar One.
Douglas Kennett has been selected to receive the 2011 Lauren D. Lyman Award for achievement in aerospace communications, given by the Aerospace Industries Association, Arlington, Va. He was a USAF public affairs officer for nearly 30 years and was spokesman for U.S. forces in the U.K., director of media relations for the U.S Air Force and director of Defense Information at the Pentagon.
Raymond J. Juzaitis (see photo) has been appointed president of the board of managers of the Las Vegas-based National Security Technologies, succeeding Stephen M. Younger, who retires in January. Juzaitis heads the department of nuclear engineering at Texas A&M University.
Tay Tiang Guan, deputy director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, has been elected to a three-year term on the board of governors of the Flight Safety Foundation.
With a few weeks to go, Airbus has formally topped its revised order intake target for 2011, with 1,521 booked in the first 11 months. But the aircraft maker also—again— added to its cancellation total for the year, with Kingfisher's dropping of two A340-500 orders bringing the total to 143 units. Airbus parent EADS had put the gross-order target at 1,500, although Airbus COO for customers, John Leahy, says the full year total could be 1,650-1,700. Airbus has already announced commitments to reach that level, although those contracts remain to be finalized.
Boeing and the leadership of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) are counting the 74% approval of a four-year contract by machinists in voting on Dec. 7 as a victory. The vote gives Boeing labor peace with its most militant union until September 2016. It assures machinists of jobs in Renton, Wash., building the 737 MAX.
