Where the Joint Strike Fighter is headed remains to be seen. This Lockheed Martin photo of BF-1, a test aircraft for the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant, was taken while the aircraft was in conventional flight—without the Stovl lift system engaged. Whether the massive fighter program achieves true Stovl capability will become clearer in coming months, as will many other issues in the complicated JSF world (coverage begins on p. 42).
Canada’s Field Aviation has received a follow-on contract from the Japan Coast Guard for three more Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 maritime surveillance aircraft, taking the total to eight, to be delivered by January 2011. Toronto-based Field modifies the Q300 with search radar, electro-optical sensor, mission avionics, observation windows and air-operable rear cargo door and fuselage drop hatch.
The U.S. Army plans a quick demonstration of multiple small munitions on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed scout helicopter, with flight tests planned by September. The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate plans discussions with Alliant Techsystems for GATR, BAE Systems for APKWS and Lockheed Martin for DAGR—all laser-guided 2.75-in. rockets—as well as Raytheon for the Griffin mini-missile and Textron for Sharp Shooter.
The future of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter hinges on decisions to be made in the course of the next several months. Debates are raging over budget, purchasing, capability and technology. Some nations are looking to become new customers while a few existing partners are reconsidering their approach. Testing progresses, although significant milestones have yet to be achieved, while the impact of leadership changes in Washington is too new to be fully understood.
The long debate about whether non-U.S. users can modify or replace the classified software that runs the electronic warfare (EW) detection, identification, self-defense and attack systems of the F-35 is over. The answer is “no,” says U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Davis, program executive officer for the Joint Strike Fighter.
The U.S. Air Force estimates an unidentified foreign government has “stolen” 10-20 terabytes of information from unclassified military networks, says Linda Mills, president of Northrop Grumman’s information systems sector. Speaking last month at the 2009 Armed Forces Communications and Electronics West Conference, Mills called for increased government spending and attention for what she termed “cyberintelligence.” In particular, she suggests more development of so-called cyber ranges for testing.
The British government needs to consider whether it could face having to walk away from the Airbus Military A400M airlifter, while one of the project’s export customers also is voicing concern over mounting program delays.
Australia shows no sign of relaxing its specification for Boeing 737 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. “We have made no concessions to Boeing,” says project manager Air Vice Marshall Chris Deeble. “Neither have they sought any concessions to a reduction in the performance.” Boeing says testing in April and May will reveal whether the aircraft meets the contract. The program is running more than three years late.
The British Defense Ministry last week published its Defense Technology Plan (DTP) for the first time, intended to provide industry with a guide to where the ministry plans to focus its future R&T spending. The publicly available—and therefore unclassified—version of the plan includes top level R&D objectives for air platforms and weapons systems, including development of manned and unmanned systems. It also identifies broad interest in research into high-endurance long-range UAVs, and strike UAV concepts.
French accident investigation agency BEA is calling for European aviation safety officials to tighten rules on nonrevenue flights of commercial airliners based on its findings related to a crash off the coast of southern France late last year.
Lockheed Martin has received $797 million for an additional 30 F-16 Block 50+ fighters for Turkey, a follow-on to the $187 million awarded in July 2007 when the foreign military sales contract was signed. The 14 single-seat F-16Cs and 16 two-seat F-16Ds will be assembled by Turkish Aerospace Industries for delivery in 2011-12 to bridge the gap until Turkey’s planned 100 F-35s begin arriving around 2015.
The first major military aircraft project of the Internet-era, the Joint Strike Fighter, faces a new opposition: a global, networked movement comprising independent and think-tank analysts, retired air force leaders and industry professionals and politicians concerned with the JSF’s financial and operational risks. All of them have immediate access to worldwide news, official reports and program briefings to an extent that was inconceivable when the F-22 was at the same stage of development a decade ago.
Recapitalization of Thai Airways International looks assured following the government’s endorsement of a restructuring plan that it demanded as a condition for further financial support. The airline, often criticized for chronic overstaffing, is suggesting how it could improve its operating performance—for example, by cutting costs—in anticipation of replenishing its capital.
Australia is investing an initial $35 million to make half of the 24 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets it seeks into electronic-attack Growler versions. “Wiring 12 of the Super Hornets as Growlers will give us the opportunity to provide taxpayers with better value for money,” explains Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon. “If finally pursued, the relatively small investment will significantly enhance the Super Hornet’s capability, by giving electronic attack capacity and therefore the ability to nullify the systems of opposing aircraft.
President Barack Obama, who once called for putting human space exploration on hold for five years to free funds for public education, will front-load his first NASA budget request with some $900 million more than the agency expects to get this fiscal year to make up for a funding squeeze during the Bush years.
BAA will select a bid for London Gatwick Airport in the coming few weeks from among three or possibly four groups. Now that 3i Group has withdrawn its bid, former supporting banks are searching for a partner to lead a fourth group of investors. The price is expected to be a combination of Gatwick’s government-set base value of £1.683 billion ($2.4 billion) and an unknown premium.
There’s irony in the proposed Senate legislation to cut Pentagon acquisition costs, says a long-time military acquisition official. While emphasizing systems engineering and developmental planning is a good idea, he notes the Senate appropriators killed that same Pentagon capability about 10 years ago. The current plan is being pushed by the chairman and senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Sens. Carl Levin (Mich.) and John McCain (Ariz.) (see p. 24).
NASA is scrambling to decide what to do next after a launch failure robbed scientists of their best instrument for tracking a buildup of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas most commonly associated with global warming.
Three men who flew to Washington and one who took the train may have changed the face of business aviation. Together, they have fueled a negative public perception of business jets at a time when the industry faces its deepest recession.
Sikorsky Aircraft is creating a business unit called Sikorsky Global Helicopters to include the S-76, S-92 and H-92 products as well as the S-300c, S-300CBi, S-333 and S-434, which from now on will lose the Schweizer name. However, all non-rotor-wing products and service units, including the test site in Elmira, N.Y., will retain the Schweizer title. The rebranding comes as Sikorsky prepares for a tough business environment through 2009 following a very successful 2008 that saw commercial sales of around $1 billion.
The Obama administration plays up transparency and accountability in its Fiscal 2010 budget proposal. But when it comes to intelligence budgeting, the new White House is keeping the top-line figure black—saying that part of the budget is classified.” The Office of Management and Budget says the intel request will include “substantial” funding for cybersecurity efforts, increasing intelligence collection capabilities and improving intelligence analysis.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently hit its lowest level since Oct. 28, 1997, wiping out nearly a dozen years of gains in a period that included the dot-com bubble, 9-11 terrorist attacks, war in Iraq and the global economic meltdown. The Dow’s dismal performance made us curious about how aerospace stocks have fared over that long-term period. As expected, it’s a mixed bag.
GE Aviation has won a $16-million development contract from the U.S. Navy for AV-8B Harrier II aircraft radar display computers. The GE computer processes all crew station control and display functions in the multimission, short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing tactical strike aircraft. The system will also facilitate upgrades to address future U.S. Marine Corps needs, says Stuart Mullan, president of GE Aviation’s military business unit. The systems will be designed, manufactured and tested at GE facilities in Michigan and Florida.
As a pilot looking at Airbus’s New Aircraft Concepts Research (Nacre) design operationally, where does the ice go from the unducted fan: into the other engines and all over the tail?
