Despite increasing concern about the global proliferation of ballistic missiles, Gen. John Jumper, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, says there aren't enough potentially hostile missiles to disable USAFE flight operations. He says ports and airfields can be targeted, but too many missiles are needed to completely shut down operations indefinitely. Even toxins probably wouldn't halt things, although they might slow them down. Jumper notes that personnel are constantly training in protective suits to fly and re-arm fighters.
John Damoulakis has been been named director of programs for space within the Microwave, Space and Mission Electronics business unit of Sanders. He succeeds Frank Mauro who has accepted a position at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, Calif. Marilyn A. Hewson has been named vice president, internal audit. She succeeds Anne Woodyard who will become vice president, corporate payroll systems development. James H. O'Brien has been appointed vice president, environmental, satety,&health. He succeeds William R. Sorenson, who retired.
John R. (Jack) Wormington, former senior executive at Hughes Space&Communications Company, will become senior vice president of engineering, technology and operations.
The appointment of Yevgeny Primakov as Russia's new prime minister may give a boost to Russian ratification of START 2, says Robert Bell, the White House's special assistant to the president on national security. Primakov is not only a START 2 supporter, but may have more influence over the Duma than some others, according to Bell. The U.S. could save $1 billion a year if START 2 is ratified and strategic arms are reduced.
Lori Garver has been named acting associate administrator for policy and plans. Edward Heffernan has been named associate administrator for legislative affairs. Alan Ladwig has been named senior advisor to the NASA administrator. Wallace C. Sawyer has been named deputy director of the Langley Research Center.
Paul H. Edwards has been named vice president of strategic development for the company's aerospace group. Peter Woolfrey has been appointed vice president, civil business development.
Jon L. Beatty has been named vice president, marketing and programs of the Chandler Evans Control Systems Division of Coltec Industries. He succeeds Paul T. Glover, who has retired.
Dow-United Technologies Composite Products said it is developing a new composite material for use in about half the components of General Electric jet engines. The carbon-based material, being developed under a contract from GE, offers a 28% increase in structural performance over existing materials, according to Lawrence Varholak, VP-technology of Dow-UT, Wallingford, Conn.
Ake Svensson has been appointed manager of business unit future products and technology. He succeeds Dan Jangblad, who has been appointed president of the Swedish Space Corporation.
Robert L. Calder has been appointed president, Worldwide Vehicle Sealing business unit. D. Michael Steuert, who was interim president, will resume full time his role as chief financial officer.
Bandwidth limitation has been a major concern as U.S. armed forces try to introduce more and more information technology, but this may not be the case for much longer. "We're approaching the point where bandwidth will not be the primary limitation," Jumper says. The Air Force's EFX '98 experiment is bandwidth limited, but Jumper believes military planners will next have to focus on how to tie information technologies together.
The U.S. and Russia next month plan to work out the details of the agreement between Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin to share early warning data on worldwide missile launches, Bell says. Yeltsin has proposed a jointly manned center in Russia, as well as national centers. Ground-based radar and satellite data would be shared. Bell says the U.S. may have a more difficult time implementing the accord than Russia because while American tactical and strategic launch centers are separate, they are co-located in Russia.
Boeing Co. has decided to buy some of the critical long-lead items for its F-15E production line in anticipation of foreign military sales that would keep the line open beyond the currently projected shut-down in early 2000. Boeing is building F-15Es for the U.S. Air Force, Israel and Saudi Arabia. But the last jet would be delivered in the first quarter of 2001, Michael D. Marks, vice president and general manager for Boeing's Air Force fighter and bomber programs, said in an interview in Washington.
Milton E. Cooper, president, Federal Sector, Computer Sciences Corporation, has been named chairman of the board. He succeeds Ralph W. Shrader, president, Worldwide Technology Business for BoozAllen&Hamilton, Inc.
The congressional defense authorization conferees completed work on their fiscal year 1999 defense bill, providing $270.5 billion in defense spending and an additional $1.9 billion in emergency funding for operations in Bosnia. The conferees fully funded, and in some cases increased, Pentagon requests for major aircraft programs and a number of missile development efforts.
NASA officials have developed a plan to spend nearly $1.2 billion to help Russia cover its problems on the International Space Station. McGraw-Hill's Aviation Week&Space Technology magazine reports in the Sept. 21 issue that the plan, which still must be approved by the White House and Congress, calls for: -- $660 million to be spent over the next four years to help the Russian Space Agency complete crucial hardware for the Station.
The initial read-out from a USAFE-chartered study of F-15E engine problems shows no changes are required. "There is nothing that tells us they should be pulled," Jumper says. However, he still wants to know what it costs to operate the engines. He says unanticipated engine removals have declined, but now the question is whether that trendline will remain flat.
Russia and the U.S. tested ICBMs on Sept. 16 and 18, respectively. Russia test fired an SS-25 Topol from Plesetsk to Kamchatka in the 58th successful launch of the type. The U.S. tested a Minuteman III in a launch from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., that evaluated a guidance control system and flight computer built by Boeing and Honeywell.
Russia's economic crisis could threaten its ability to comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention, and thus to demilitarize its chemical weapons arsenal, Bell says. The U.S. has had to budget $12 billion for the effort, but Russia so far has set aside no funds. It's unclear where the money will come from unless the country's economic situation improves.
