NEW DELHI — India plans to launch dedicated communication satellites for the Navy and Air Force between 2012 and 2014, Defense Minister A.K. Antony says. The naval satellite is planned to be launched in 2012-13, while the air force communication satellite is planned to be launched in 2013-14, Antony said in a written reply to a question in parliament on April 30.He also says that the tri-services defense communication network (DCN) is progressing as per India’s defense procurement procedures.
LONDON — Despite growing indications that the U.K. will reverse its decision to retire the Sentinel R1 ground-surveillance aircraft in 2015, the government says it will take its time in determining whether to retain the capability.
CAE is preparing to fly a prototype miniaturized magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) in an Aeronautics Dominator XP unmanned aircraft, anticipating use of autonomous platforms for anti-surface warfare (ASW). The Canadian company also sees potential civil uses of the sensor, which detects minute variations in the Earth’s magnetic field, for unmanned power- and pipeline-monitoring and mining-survey services.
PARIS — French aerospace engine supplier Safran has finalized the merger of two subsidiaries, energy materials specialist SME and solid-propulsion-motor manufacturer Snecma Propulsion Solid (SPS), Paris-based Safran announced April 30.
SAN FRANCISCO — Far-infrared astronomy is not done from ground observatories and has only been possible from a few orbiting telescopes, so the addition of the High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera (HAWC) to NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia) will allow astronomers to fill a void. On April 19, NASA said it had selected two additional instruments to expand HAWC’s research range.
MBDA is upgrading its Viper Strike munition as a result of operational lessons learned during last year’s NATO-led air war in Libya. The enhancement allows the munition to more effectively engage fast-moving ground targets through updates to the guidance and control software, enabling the weapon to fly a different attack profile, says Jerry Agee, head of MBDA’s U.S. operations. The capability was demonstrated during a series of test shots at the Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake, Calif.
Rockwell Collins is expanding its unmanned-aircraft flight-control technology to provide an optionally piloted capability for manned platforms. Applications include the U.S. Air Force’s Blue Devil 2 airship and AgustaWestland’s SW-4 unmanned helicopter. The company is a leading supplier of integrated navigation and flight-control systems for unmanned aircraft; its Athena systems fly on the U.S. Army’s AAI RQ-7B Shadow and the Navy’s Boeing Insitu RQ-21A small tactical unmanned aircraft systems.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) is continuing her search for ways to get back the second Virginia submarine buy in 2014 delayed in the U.S. Navy’s 2013 budget request. At an April 26 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committe’s (SASC) seapower subcommittee, Ayotte asked Navy Assistant Secretary Sean Stackley about a funding possibility he’d described in testimony to SASC the previous week that could restore the delayed buy without much additional cost.
NEW DELHI — The Indian defense ministry (MOD) has ordered an investigation into Italian news reports that illegal commissions may have been paid to swing a $700 million deal signed two years ago for 12 VVIP helicopters. Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony made the announcement shortly after reports in the Italian press pointed to allegations of €51 million ($67.4 million) that were paid by AgustaWestland to a Switzerland-based agent to push through the Indian deal.
F-22 COSTS: Concerned about mounting modernization costs for the F-22A, and noting that they far outstripped similar expenses for F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s, Senate appropriators sought an explanation from the Government Accountability Office. GAO’s answer: The F-22A began in 1991 as a single-step program, not expecting significant future modernization. The other programs started with the expectation of incremental upgrades over time.
NEW DELHI — India’s Tata Motors has signed a cooperation agreement with a Malaysian company to develop, promote and market its military trucks for the Malaysian armed forces. “Tata Motors and DRB-Hicom Defense Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech), a wholly owned subsidiary of DRB-Hicom Berhad, Malaysia, have signed a cooperation agreement to enable both Deftech and Tata Motors to develop, promote and market Tata’s high-mobility 4x4 trucks with payloads ranging from 2.5-5 metric tons for the armed forces of Malaysia,” Tata says.
October 9, 2012 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Repair in New Generation Aircraft: Challenges and OpportunitiesLightweight composites will soon rival metals as the primary material for airframes. Are you prepared? This event will highlight the latest developments, challenges and best practices in aircraft composite repair and maintenance technology. It will allow all of the key industry players to discuss best practices and share experiences. Register now! www.aviationweek.com/events/composites
An April 25 story incorrectly reported the funding status of FAA test sites for incorporating unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace. The Defense Authorization Act and FAA reauthorization mandated, but did not fund, establishing the test sites.
HOUSTON — A three-man, U.S. and Russian crew departed the International Space Station (ISS) early April 27, descending to Earth aboard their 28 Soyuz spacecraft for a safe ending to a 165-day mission that was marked by major hard- and software upgrades to the orbiting laboratory’s command and control functions as well as a rigorous research agenda.
Northrop Grumman is getting Bell Helicopter under contract to provide a modified commercial Model 407 as the first step after receiving a $262 million U.S. Navy award for development and initial production of the improved MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned aircraft.
After receiving assurances from the White House that it is continuing to work on a “near-term course of action” regarding the imbalance in fighter jets between Taiwan and China, the Senate formally approved the nomination of the assistant secretary of defense for Asia-Pacific affairs.
The 20-min. naval prototype (NP-1) test sortie took place over Bengaluru and was flown by Air Commodore T.A. Maolankar and co-pilot Wing Commander Maltesh Prabhu.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) may 1 - 3 — American Helicopter Society's 68th Annual Forum and Technology Display, "Steering Vertical Flight Technology in New Directions," Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas. For more information go to www.vtol.org
