U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Harold D. Starling, 2nd, has been nominated for promotion to vice admiral and assignment as commander of the Naval Network Warfare Command, Norfolk, Va. He has been commander of the Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, also in Norfolk.
Finmeccanica intends to raise €1 billion, a 10% increase over its current capital base, to clear the way for expansion of the business, including mergers and acquisitions. Shareholders are expected to back the board's plan when they meet late next month. The board will be able to raise the money--whether through a new share issue or bonds--and determine how the cash will be used. They expect it to be spent by June 2009.
Former Australian astronaut Paul Scully-Power has been named chairman of San Francisco-based SensorConnect Inc. He also is chairman of Prime Solutions Pacific and was chief technology officer of the Tenix Group of Australia.
David A. Fulghum (Washington, Tokyo and Honolulu), Douglas Barrie (London)
China will increasingly develop soft- and hard-kill capabilities for space and cyberspace to offset the weaknesses of its military forces, say U.S. planners. Military space is of growing importance to China as it deploys its own satellite navigation system and develops guided weapons capable of using this system. Beijing is also looking at the ability to deny potential opponents assured access to their space systems in a conflict.
Lockheed Martin will get another $385 million from its development contract for NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), reflecting a two-year delay in the company's original targeted delivery date for the vehicle to synchronize it with its Ares I launcher and other Constellation program hardware. The modification brings the value of the development portion of the contract to $4.3 billion from $3.9 billion, and extends it through 2013.
The International Air Transport Assn., in an effort to improve on the safest aviation year on record, is seeking a 25% reduction in the world accident rate in 2008. IATA's 2006 Safety Report deemed last year the safest ever for global aviation--one accident per 1.5 million flights of Western-built jet aircraft, or a hull loss rate of 0.65 per 1 million departures. The new goal: to drive it down to 0.49 per 1 million departures.
Launch customer Lion Air of Indonesia is set to take delivery this month of the first Boeing 737-900ER following the aircraft's completion of FAA type certification.
The U.S. Army is expecting to again slip its announcement of a winning contractor for the Joint Cargo Aircraft program. The service previously said it would name a winner in May, though an announcement is now set for June; the announcement date has slipped repeatedly since last year. Industry officials suggest it is likely due to ongoing discussions between the Army and Air Force regarding roles and missions for operating the small supply transport.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Arianespace have agreed to jointly market launch services in a bid to bring more launcher capacity to bear in a tight commercial market.
Airbus expects to have further boosted aircraft production rates by year-end and could be ready to adjust both near-term and longer-range A380 plans as it gains experience building the aircraft under renewed processes.
Stanley R. Zax has been appointed to the board of directors of the New York-based Sequa Corp. He is chairman/president/CEO of the Zenith National Insurance Corp.
The private equity bid for Qantas Airways looks increasingly unlikely to succeed, with acceptances of the offer actually falling as some institutional shareholders choose to hang on to their stock. Since the bidders, including Texas Pacific, are no longer demanding 100% acceptance, many investors seem to want to remain shareholders to enjoy high private-equity profits without having to pay the usual management fees. The offer closes May 4.
Japan Airlines will boost service frequencies to China beginning in late May. Services between Tokyo Narita and Beijing will rise to 19 from 14 a week, with extra flights scheduled between Narita and Guangzhou and Nagoya and Tianjin.
FlightSafety International and Cessna Aircraft Co. have teamed to develop and implement a Mustang training program based on a pilot's proficiency level. Insurance companies have been "very receptive and supportive" of the 10-day program, says Mike Dudek, director of training at FlightSafety International's customer training facility in Wichita, Kan. FSI is Cessna's official training institution for the Mustang.
Harry L. Gregory has become director of the Aerospace/Defense Clearinghouse and a lecturer at the Universitry of Tennessee in Knoxville. He was senior vice president/general manager of aftermarket services for Rockwell Collins.
The British Defense Ministry is to retire its last Jaguar aircraft squadron almost six months earlier than previously planned. The type will be withdrawn from service Apr. 30, rather than in October.
The U.S. Navy's P-3s are set to receive a new round of equipment upgrades, but much of the operational focus remains on the crews serving as a vital airborne node and supporting troops on the ground with communications and long-range sensors. The P-3s have become a crucial element in the network for ground forces. When they first took on the role, crews were learning on the fly. Now equipment and procedures have greatly improved, according to P-3 crewmembers.
Jeff Butler has become staff vice president-station operations and Wendy Jones managing director of internal audit for Alaska Airlines. Butler was managing director of inflight operations, while Jones was internal audit manager.
An impending funding decision will underpin fundamental choices the U.K. government faces on its future space role, as it mulls partnering options, and amid calls that it replace a key agency. The government is struggling with the timetable for its comprehensive spending review, and elements of the package have now been delayed until toward year-end. Top-level figures for science funding are still expected around mid-year.
USMC Maj. Gen. George J. Trautman, 3rd, has been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and deputy commandant for aviation. He has been commanding general of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan.
Night Vision Systems has been awarded a $139.3-million, fixed-price, five-year contract to build night-vision equipment for the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. Vision System International took a $6.6-million add-on contract to provide Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems for USAF F-15s and F-16s and Navy F/A-18s.
Singapore has ordered four Gulfstream 550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) aircraft to replace its four Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes. The first is due to arrive next year and the others by 2010. Israel has also ordered Gulfstream CAEWs.
Honeywell's Chairman and CEO David M. Cote was pleased enough with the financial results for first-quarter 2007 that he told analysts on Apr. 20, "We blew the doors off this quarter." Total sales were up 11% over a year earlier, earnings were up 27% and free cash flow soared to $458 million from just $117 million a year ago. In the aerospace sector, profits increased by 14% as business aviation sales showed the biggest gains over a year ago at 12% for new aircraft and 11% in the aftermarket, compared to 8% and 9%, respectively, for air transport.
