The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Pentagon faces critical gaps in its acquisition workforce, potentially affecting its national security mission. GAO assessed the department’s ability to determine if it has enough acquisition workers, as well as best practices and initiatives to improve workforce oversight. In its analysis of data from 66 major weapon systems program offices and interviews with officials from four program offices, GAO discovered the department does not track information on contractor personnel. The Defense Dept.
The computer system in use since 1984 for checking in and boarding passengers at world airports has mutated into a complicated mess. In a rare collaboration, airlines, airports and system providers have come together to replace it.
Qantas Airways is planning to cut 90 management positions—over and above the 1,500 job reductions announced last year. Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the changes will reduce overhead as well as “the number of layers between those leading the business and those working with our customers, our aircraft and business partners.” Qantas has put a freeze on salaries and is reassigning job roles for the remaining managers. The Australian carrier is one of the increasingly rare airlines that are still profitable.
The Swiss government has postponed until next year a decision on its future fighter procurement, particularly to replace F-5s. The government is conducting a broad-based strategic review, which is not expected to go before parliament until December. Only afterward will a decision be made on the fighter procurement, if the F-5 replacement is validated by the review.
Siegfried Janson, senior scientist at The Aerospace Corp., holds the AeroCube-3 flight qualification unit. The picosatellite will be launched as a secondary payload on the TacSat-3 launch, along with two other “1U-size” cubesats (see p. 44). The third-generation AeroCube-3 is significantly more complex than its predecessors and will demonstrate a two-axis Sun sensor and an Earth sensor. A 2-ft.-dia. semi-spherical balloon will serve as a de-orbit device as well as a tracking aid. Photo by Eric Hamburg/The Aerospace Corp.
As the U.S. shifts its missile defense strategy from guarding against ballistic missiles to preparing for unforeseen threats, the Pentagon is challenging industry to be more creative and develop technologies that can link existing systems through an adaptable command-and-control network. Industry, meanwhile, says it already has missile defense systems, some nearly a decade old, that can fulfill the new mission—with a little more time and money.
An Italian court last week meted out prison sentences for seven employees of Tuninter, a subsidiary of Tunisair, in connection with the August 2005 crash of an ATR 72 off Sicily, in which 16 of 39 people on board died. The aircraft was en route from Bari, Italy, to Djerba, Tunisia, when fuel starvation led the crew to ditch the aircraft into the sea. The technical investigation determined that maintenance personnel had replaced fuel gauges and indicators on the ATR 72 accident aircraft with those from an ATR 42.
The NTSB, devoid of flight recorder data or survivor accounts, faces challenges in determining the probable cause of the Mar. 22 crash of a Pilatus PC-12/45 into a cemetery at Butte, Mont., that killed all 14 people on board. While it would be rare for the NTSB not to determine the probable cause of an accident, “nothing is leading us to specific working theories,” acting Chairman Mark Rosenker said last week at an accident briefing.
Amy Butler (Washington), Graham Warwick (Washington)
Innovative national security applications for small satellites will likely grow from small technology companies, rather than from the traditional manufacturers of military space systems—Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
Michael A. Taverna (Paris), Douglas Barrie (London)
A proactive approach to technology development, combined with restrictive U.S. technology export and data-sharing policies, is giving European contractors a big edge in the international imaging satellite business. Since Alenia (now Thales Alenia Space) was awarded a contract for the bus and radar antenna structure on Radarsat-2 at the beginning of the decade, European manufacturers have dominated international remote-sensing satellite sales, winning key awards in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Algeria and Nigeria.
In April, Wyoming-based Regional Jet Express plans to launch intra-Caribbean operations with 32-seat Fairchild Dornier 328JETS powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306B turbofan engines. Daily services, with fares ranging from $100-700, are to include flights to Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and St. Croix and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Jonathan Penn’s letter (AW&ST Mar. 2, p. 8) is dangerously inaccurate. In regard to the F-22’s loss-exchange ratio of 30:1, it is apparent that he makes no distinction between statistical and real-world combat. In the former, the U.S. Air Force picks a third-world air force, chooses the time and place of combat, and the pilots go home for missile replenishment after shooting up their adversary.
Eyeing emerging requirements for high-speed missiles, Alliant Techsystems (ATK) is pushing to flight-test its new ramjet engine in a derivative of the U.S. Air Force’s Boeing X-51A hypersonic demonstrator.
The lack of hard information about the Pentagon’s Fiscal 2010 budget is causing all sorts of anxiety—and confusion. Tom Laux, deputy assistant Navy secretary for air programs, provided an update on major Navy/Marine Corps aviation programs at Aviation Week’s recent Defense Technology and Requirements conference. Despite much speculation among the many senior industry and military officials in attendance, Laux refrained from commenting on how Defense Dept.
The Iraqi air force will buy 24 Eurocopter EC635s under an agreement signed during a visit by Iraqi officials to Paris Mar. 23. Additionally, the Iraqi military is assessing how to provide maritime surveillance and maritime helicopter lift support. One option would have the air force take on the roles and act in support of the navy. Meanwhile, the air force by year-end should receive the first of 22 Mi-17 helicopters being bought through U.S. foreign military sales channels to augment Mi-17s purchased previously.
Indonesia has declined a Qatari offer of 10 secondhand Dassault Mirage 2000s because it could not afford to maintain the fighters. Qatar has offered its Mirage 2000s to India.
As a shareholder in a number of Fortune 500 companies I know that if they post $1 billion in revenue, then hire a management team that doubles that figure without losing profit margin, that means my income from those shares increases. I don’t have a problem with those CEOs making $10 million a year—they’ve earned it through their ability to expand business and profits.
Since it was created by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, Africa Command has been met with suspicion in Africa and concern in Washington, where lawmakers have questioned the need for, and role of, the Defense Dept.’s newest regional command. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, since it couldn’t find a welcoming government in Africa, Africom has been working overtime to win the hearts and minds of skeptics. But congressional auditors say more needs to be done.
Upgrades to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II are being considered to improve the fighter’s ability to absorb heat from its powerful electronics and systems.
In January 2007, China destroyed an aging satellite with a direct-ascent kinetic vehicle. Two years after the Chinese event, two large communications satellites collided, creating massive debris clouds that will threaten our space assets for years to come. America stood by, helpless to prevent these incidents or the resulting loss of capability.
Industry sources confirm that Dassault Aviation is at odds with Rolls-Royce’s development plan for the RB.282 engine earmarked to power Dassault’s future Super Mid-Size (SMS) business jet. Dassault said recently that SMS performance does not meet requirements and that technical decisions are being reviewed, including the RB.282—the only supply item selected to date. However, sources say the dispute also involves the design timetable.
Workplace desires of Generation Y (those born in 1978-95) are often cited as frivolous, consisting of such perquisites as free lattes. Less promoted is the strong interest GenYs display in giving back to society. Boeing executives gained a clearer idea of this when they noticed an uptick in matching grants in 2008 for Engineers Without Borders. Founded with 18 members eight years ago, the organization comprises U.S.
Boeing will complete assembly of the first X-51A WaveRider static test vehicle over the next two weeks, paving the way for hypersonic flight tests designed to show that the supersonic combustion ramjet is ready for practical application in missiles and space launch vehicles.
Bombardier has made some design updates to its CSeries narrow-body airliner, including adding 2 in. to its length (to 114 ft. 6 in. for the CS100 and 124 ft. 12 in. for the CS300), increasing payload by 1,000 lb. and opting for an automatic over-wing exit door. Empty weight for the aircraft will grow 500 lb. As part of its design tweaks, including to high-lift devices on the wing, takeoff field length has been reduced 200 ft. Meanwhile, Bombardier has added subcontractors to the program.
Apr. 6-8—Seventh Annual Air Cargo, Express & Freighter Aircraft Workshop. Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seattle. Call +1 (206) 587-6537 or see www.cargofacts.com/workshop Apr. 7-9—Aerial Refueling Systems Advisory Group International Annual Conference and Defense Dept. Joint Standardization Board for Aerial Refueling Systems Meeting. Bally’s Las Vegas. Call +1 (937) 431-8106, fax +1 (937) 431-8103 or see www.arsaginc.com
