Northrop Grumman Corp. Aerospace Systems employees Al Nikolaus, MQ-8B Fire Scout deputy program manager, and Mike Roberts, the program’s chief engineer, have received the U.S. Army ’s Star Award for contributions to the former Future Combat Systems program. The award honors individuals who fulfill numerous criteria that illustrate how their accomplishments exceed their regular work assignments or job expectations.
I could not agree more with Jerry W. Cox’s philosophy in his Viewpoint “Tanker Contract: Follow the Law” (AW&ST Jan. 11, p. 58). But I want it to apply to everyone, not just Boeing.
Based on one of Pierre Sparaco’s recent “European Perspective ” columns, “Disappointing Tankers” (AW&ST Jan. 4, p. 51), it is clear the selection controversy for a new U.S. Air Force tanker is far from over.
An aging Eutelsat telecom satellite, W2, has suffered an anomaly, forcing the Paris-based satcom operator to switch customers to other spacecraft. Eutelsat is launching an investigation, in cooperation with prime contractor Thales Alenia Space to determine the cause of the incident, which occurred on the night of Jan. 27. Nevertheless, the impact is expected to be minor because W2, located at 16 deg. E. Long., was launched in 1998 and is nearing the end of its design life.
Larry Dodgen (see photo) has been named corporate lead executive for Northrop Grumman Corp. business in Huntsville, Ala. He was a vice president within the company’s Information Systems Sector and executive lead for the Missile Defense Integration Group.
The U.S. will provide 12 RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aircraft to Pakistan to aid the country’s fight against the Taliban and other insurgents. The U.S. also will provide training and other support to assist Pakistan in operating the new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tool. Counterinsurgency funding provided by Congress is expected to pay for the transaction.
Airbus has conducted cold-soak trials of the A330-200F in Iqaluit, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, The aircraft was exposed to temperatures down to -30C and the cabin interior soaked to –27C. The freighter arrived in Canada on Jan. 23 and departed two days later. During its stay, the aircraft went through two overnight cold soaks to ensure systems would start up again after a period in extremely low temperatures. Operation of the main-deck cargo door was also checked.
Jetstar Airways signed a $2-billion services agreement with International Aero Engines to accompany a separate $1.5-billion contract for IAE V2500 SelectOne engines that will power 50 Airbus A320 aircraft. The engine purchase agreement also includes options for up to 40 more aircraft. The IAE services agreement covers the new engines and those installed on 40 IAE -powered aircraft that Jetstar already operates.
Foreign Military Sales are becoming a hot new “adjacency” for U.S. military contractors as they look for new sources of growth to offset constrained Pentagon spending. In their quarterly earnings calls last week, defense CEOs were full of enthusiasm about the potential of overseas sales to pump up flattening revenues and declining profit margins. Military consultant James McAleese says the largest U.S. defense contractors are now aiming to generate 25-35% of their sales from foreign customers, up from 10-15% in the days of rapidly rising Pentagon spending.
High airline user rates at Germany’s big Frankfurt airport have sent Air India scrambling for a less expensive European and North American hub, but airport and airline executives warn the long-term costs of any such move are likely to outweigh any short-term benefits, especially after it joins the Star Alliance airline network.
The European Aviation Safety Agency has approved several upgrades to Diamond Airborne Sensing’s DA42 surveillance platform, including a nose pod that will permit the use of higher-weight cameras. The new nose pod allows operators to use the Microsoft UltraCamX large-format aerial camera that weighs 188 lb., Diamond says, whereas before users were limited to a 144-lb. camera in the nose and a 177-lb. camera in the belly pod. The company also is working on fitting a laser scanner into the nose pod, the Riegl LMS Q-680 along with the medium-format IGI H/39 camera.
USAF Maj. Gens. Christopher D. Miller has been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general with assignment as deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs at USAF Headquarters at the Pentagon. He has been director of plans, policy and strategy for North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. Maj. Gen. William J. Rew has been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general with assignment as vice commander of Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
Amid a deteriorating relationship between Ankara and Jerusalem, the long-delayed sale of Israeli Heron unmanned air vehicles to Turkey is finally getting underway. The Heron acquisition saga illustrates better than many other projects how the once-important strategic relationship between the two states has unraveled. Program execution problems have merely compounded tensions.
The air transport industry faces a difficult few months as it tries to develop a compromise on carbon dioxide emissions that could be put forward at the September meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization, after last month’s Copenhagen global climate conference failed to resolve the issue.
The U.S. Air Force is beginning to reclaim government management over upkeep of its large fighter, transport and, eventually, unmanned aircraft fleets, a move that could stunt efforts from companies looking to reap high profits from the maintenance business.
Tim Ulles (see photo) has become general manager of Chromalloy ’s Newnan, Ga., gas turbine engine repair and maintenance operation. He was manager of the Windsor (Conn.) OEM Div. of Barnes Aerospace. Ulles succeeds John Riggs, who has transferred to the corporate technology group.
Kurt Armbruster (see photo) has become vice president-Sensing and Utility Systems for Crane Aerospace & Electronics , Lynnwood, Wash. He was chief operating officer of Greenpoint Technologies.
A new space-based observatory could help NASA almost meet a congressional deadline for locating and cataloging most near-Earth objects (NEOs) down to 140 meters (460 ft.) across, according to a committee of the National Academies of Science. To meet the 2020 goal for tracking objects that would have extremely severe consequences for human civilization if they strike Earth, the panel says that a combination of space- and ground-based observation is “the best approach,” and could complete the survey as early as 2022 if funds are appropriated quickly.
After a year of global recession, and with its premier airplane development programs in intensive care, Boeing is acknowledging that it is time to address another thorny issue—strategic planning for two programs that set delivery records last year, the 737 and 777. Signaling the company’s highest priority, CEO James McNerney says “some pretty detailed thinking” is underway on production alternatives for the 737, which accounts for about 70% of Boeing’s orders.
U.S. Army officials say nine firings of the Hellfire II from the MQ-1C Extended-Range/Multi-Purpose (EM/MP) Warrior unmanned aerial system were “perfect or near-perfect.” The trials included firings at various altitudes against moving and stationary targets. Operators also experimented with various auto-track modes and fired the missile at different offset angles. The Army expects to receive approval in Fiscal 2010 to initiate low-rate initial production of the aircraft, which is made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.
The European Space Agency has awarded the first three contracts for the full operating capability (FOC) phase of the Galileo satellite navigation system. OHB will build the first batch of FOC satellites along with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. under a €566-million ($798-million) contract. Arianespace will launch the first 10 on a Soyuz booster from the new Soyuz pad in Kourou, French Guiana, under a €397-million deal; the next four could be orbited on the Soyuz or the Ariane 5G heavy-lift launcher.
China’s CDB Leasing has set aside major financing for delivery of Airbus aircraft, and is considering purchasing aircraft not yet assigned to customers. The memorandum of understanding signed last week calls for CDB to provide up to $4 billion over five years to assist airlines with fielding Airbus aircraft, using sale and leaseback agreements.
It’s hard to believe the French Civil Aviation Authority accident investigation department is rejecting the idea of streaming flight data recorder information via satellites to ground terminals as an alternative to flight data recording (AW&ST Jan. 4, p. 28).
Feb. 9—National Society of Black Engineers’ Aerospace Systems Conference: “Honoring the Best and Brightest in Aerospace.” Los Angeles Sheraton Gateway. See www.nsbe-asc.org/ Feb. 8-11—Fatigue Concepts Course: “Fatigue, Fracture Mechanics and Damage Tolerance of Modern and Aging Aircraft Structures.” Warner Robins Training Building, Robins AFB, Ga. Call +1 (916) 933-5000, fax +1 (916) 933-5222 or see www.fatcon.com
