Boeing Co. yesterday began structural assembly of its X-32 Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator, starting assembly of the forward fuselage to be delivered to Palmdale, Calif., next April. Start of assembly began about a month ahead of schedule and less than nine months after the beginning of design work, Lynne Crisafi, director of manufacturing for Boeing Phantom Works, said in a telephone interview from St. Louis.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense plans to lease or buy four C-17 airlifters from the U.S. to meet new short-term air mobility requirements, according to the government's Strategic Defense Review, unveiled in Parliament yesterday by Defense Secretary George Robertson. The review, "Modern Forces for the Modern World," combines measures for improved combat efficiency with relatively modest economies in annual military budgets over the next few years.
TRANSTECHNOLOGY CORP., Liberty Corner, N.J., completed the acquisition of Aerospace Rivet Manufacturers Corp. (ARM), a privately held company, for $27 million in cash plus other considerations. ARM, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., makes speciality rivets and externally threaded fasteners for aerospace markets. The company reported sales of $15 million in 1997.
Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee cautioned CIA Inspector General nominee L. Britt Snider yesterday to avoid becoming too much of a policy adviser to the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) questioned Snider's prepared remarks that the CIA IG "ought to be someone the DCI can turn to as an objective source of information and analysis." Shelby stressed it is not the committee's intent for the CIA IG to be a policy adviser to the DCI.
Russia became the first nation to place a satellite in orbit from a submerged submarine with the launch Tuesday of a small German research satellite from a Delta IV submarine beneath the Barents Sea. A three-stage Shtil-1 rocket launched the 10-kilogram environmental research satellite "Tubsat-N," built by the Berlin Technical University, at 7:15 a.m. Moscow time (12:15 a.m. EDT). The satellite later reached orbit.
The U.S. Air Force is looking to meet a large portion of its small space launch vehicle requirement by buying new rockets instead of continuing to use Orbital Science Corp.'s Pegasus and Taurus launchers. "Our goal is to achieve small lift for research and development satellites at the lowest cost possible," Maj. Steve Buckley, chief of the Air Force's Small Lift Vehicle division, said in a telephone interview.
General Electric Co. and Harris Corp. have formed a company to provide information systems and services to airlines to monitor and analyze data. The company - GE Harris Aviation Information Solutions LLC - will be located in Melbourne, Fla., and will produce and market information network products and decision support services that allow airlines to transmit and receive information, including aircraft and engine data, cockpit data and cabin services.
Russia's next and possibly final Mir crew will leave for the 12-year- old orbital station 10 days later than planned because preparations for the Soyuz launch at Baikonur Cosmodrome have been delayed by unpaid water and electricity bills, according to the head of RSC Energia.
FIRST JOINT STANDOFF WEAPON built in the formal production program was delivered to the U.S. Navy yesterday, JSOW prime contractor Raytheon Systems Co. said yesterday. The AGM-154A had its inaugural deployment several months ago aboard the USS Nimitz, but that involved missiles left over from the test program.
ROLLS-ROYCE CANADA, Quebec, established a partnership with Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Co. (GAMCO) to open a regional service center in Abu Dhabi for the repair and heavy maintenance of Rolls-Royce large industrial gas generators. The partnership covers the joint management of the service center within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and Middle East in general.
The BR715 engine for the Boeing 717-200 twinjet completed its full engine fan-blade-off test, according to BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH. It said this was the last major test in preparation for international engine certification schedule for September. During the test, a single fan blade was released by an explosive device at its root at maximum fan rotational speed. The blade was held by the containment system while the engine performed a controlled rundown with no loss of structural integrity, the company said.
Officials of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, FAA and Coast Guard decided in a meeting last week not to kill the Loran-C program as scheduled in 2000, but instead to upgrade Loran facilities during the transition to satellite-based aircraft navigation.
The Senate on Tuesday rejected 66-33 an amendment offered by Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.) to terminate the International Space Station. Bumpers, in a floor speech, said this attempt marks the eighth year he has tried to kill the program. He retires from the Senate at the end of this session. The Senate voted on the amendment during consideration of the fiscal year 1999 VA, HUD and Independent Agencies bill. The Senate did not finish work on the bill.
More than a year after winning a $1.12 billion support contract from the U.S. Special Operations Command, Raytheon System Co. won it again, this time after a protest by the losing competitor. Boeing and Sikorsky, which teamed for the large scale helicopter support program, protested the Defense Dept.'s decision to award the contract to Raytheon, prompting negotiations to be reopened in December. Raytheon said this week it has again been awarded the $1.12 billion logistics support contract.
CHILEAN AIR FORCE took delivery of its first S-70A Black Hawk helicopter yesterday at Sikorsky Aircraft's facility in Stratford, Conn., the company said. it said the helicopter was placed under contract April 27 as part of an aircraft replacement program for the Chilean Air Force.
The U.S. Air Force will spend the next couple of days assessing the areas in which unmanned aerial vehicles can improve force protection procedures. The AF's UAV and Force Protection Battlelabs are cooperating on a two-
Honeywell Inc. said it has acquired Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG's Airport Systems, an international supplier of airport lighting products and systems, airport information management systems and project services. The deal, whose price was not announced, follows the March 10 acquisition of Hughey&Phillips, which specializes in airfield and obstruction lighting.
Jean-Luc Lechantre has been appointed manager of the training center at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France. Al Ramsey has been appointed manager of the Houston Learning Center at Hobby Airport in Houston, Tex.
