Paul Ross (see photo) has been appointed vice president/general manager of space/strategic propulsion at the Bacchus Works of Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Magna, Utah. He was vice president-operations at the Rocketdyne Div. of Rockwell International Corp. Ross succeeds Ron Peterson, who has resigned.
The aerospace/defense sector of Britain's industry remains a key force for the economy and for our exports. Of the $7 billion a year that Britain is winning in defense exports, some $5-6 billion is attributable to aerospace. Britain intends to remain at the forefront of defense aerospace technology, given the importance of this sector to the economy and technology base. But we must look for new ways to sustain defense aerospace--new industrial structures, new methods of cooperation.
HOUSE LAWMAKERS HAVE RECOMMENDED a $50-million cut in the Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) demonstrator program for Fiscal 1996. ``I don't see that as a good development,'' Kaminski, a self-avowed JAST supporter, said. ``The [Defense] Dept. will be moving vigorously to defend this program.'' He wants to see JAST designs available for international users, primarily as a replacement for the F-16. ``We started to receive a lot of [foreign] interest of late in the [JAST] program from . . . the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands,'' he said.
AIRWAYS CORP. OF NEW ZEALAND, LTD., will use two satellite-based means to track and communicate with aircraft in New Zealand's ocean control system. CAE Electronics delivered the two interim air traffic control systems to the Auckland center to provide for controller-pilot data link communication and Automatic Dependent Surveillance. The system was tested using CAE's Future Air Navigation System (FANS-1) test bench in Montreal, which uses a CAE-built 747-400 full-flight simulator software suite interfaced with the current FANS-1 avionics.
A write-down of half its investment in USAir and losses at its two continental European subsidiaries dimmed British Airways' otherwise sparkling performance last year.
WESTINGHOUSE IS DEVELOPING an ultra-small atomic clock for use in USAF missile and aircraft guidance systems. As envisioned, the 25-cu.-cm. clock will weigh a fraction of an ounce and require less than 0.33 watt to operate. The clock uses a novel cesium cell less than 0.1 cu. cm. in size for timekeeping, according to Westinghouse's Science&Technology Center, Pittsburgh. It probably will be the first of a family of miniature atomic clocks with applications from precision guidance of artillery shells to location of battlefield personnel with an accuracy of 1.0 cm.
Financially, 1994 was marked by widely contrasting performances in the aerospace/defense and air transport industries. U.S. contractors posted another strong year, as did many U.K. concerns.Most major French and German companies started off 1995 mired in red ink, only part of which was currency-related. As for airlines, the majors improved considerably but it was the regionals that were the standouts. What the managers of all of these enterprises share is the need to adapt to meet the challenges that lie ahead amid an increasingly cost-competitive business climate.
A team headed by Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical has won the competition for the Pentagon's Tier 2+ unmanned aerial vehicle, an aircraft specially designed for high-altitude, long-endurance spy flights. But a congressional move to add $60 million to the program above President Bill Clinton's proposed Fiscal 1996 Defense budget, if approved, could open the door for a second, fall-back design, according to a senior defense official. The additional contract would be awarded to one of the four losing teams--Raytheon, Loral, Northrop Grumman or Orbital Sciences.
THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS Air Force signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the U.S. to buy 30 AH-64D Apache helicopters. The Dutch Parliament approved the selection of the Apache earlier this month, following a lengthy air force evaluation that also involved the Agusta A-129, Bell AH-1W Cobra and Eurocopter Tiger (AW&ST Apr. 17, p. 22). The Apache selected by the Dutch is similar to the aircraft being offered in the U.K. attack helicopter competition
Boeing Sikorsky and the U.S. Army will follow an incremental approach in verifying the flight controls, reconnaissance and armed recon/attack mission equipment of the RAH-66 Comanche. Flight tests at Sikorsky's West Palm Beach, Fla., facility will be conducted in several phases--as specified in last December's program redirection. Two prototypes and initially four contractor pilots--two each from Boeing and Sikorsky--will take part.
FAA Administrator David R. Hinson told a congressional subcommittee last week that use of unapproved aircraft parts ``is not a real problem,'' despite statements to the contrary by the Transportation Dept., Inspector General's Office and the FBI.
Work on the international space station is gathering steam under its new management structure, according to program managers at prime contractor Boeing and its major subcontractors, who say morale and enthusiasm among the 4,200 contractor personnel on the project grows with each additional pound of metal bent. By the end of the summer, Boeing alone will have built almost 41,000 lb. of station hardware, both pressurized aluminum modules where the crew will work and the payload racks that will house station systems and experiments.
Former astronaut Richard Covey, deputy program director for spaceflight simulation and training at Unisys Space Systems in Houston, has been elected president of the Assn. of Space Explorers-USA.
Contractors faced with shrinking backlogs may be able to dramatically slow or even reverse the decline by revamping how they pursue new work. The key to unlocking this potential is through business processes that are more focused and better organized, according to the aerospace/defense practice of Price Waterhouse.
Wing-to-fuselage mating was completed and the prototype Embraer EMB-145 50-passenger regional jet was rolled out of a hangar at Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, earlier this month. EMB-145 s/n #001 is shown in the hangar behind it. Embraer has launch customers in Europe and Australia with 13 firm orders and eight options for the $13.5-million transport. A U.S. launch customer will be announced in early June. Embraer also has received letters of intent for an additional 127 aircraft. Two Allison AE3007 turbofans will power the jet.
A group of Russian businessmen are seeking U.S. or European helicopter companies to form a joint venture charter service designed to fly business travelers point-to-point within the city of Moscow.
Peace Shield makes extensive use of commercial-off-the-shelf computers and displays. USAF officials said this provides better reliability, lower-cost operations and maintenance, and less expensive training. Scenarios are built into the Peace Shield software so training can take place at the same command centers where actual operations are conducted. Computer/display equipment in Peace Shield operations centers include:
NATO AIRCRAFT struck a Bosnian Serb ammunition depot 9 mi. southeast of Sarajevo on May 25 with 11 laser-guided bombs after Serb forces failed to meet a deadline to return heavy weapons they had taken from U.N. storage sites. The target was in Pale, near the headquarters of Serb forces who have stepped up attacks on Sarajevo. U.S. aircraft in the strike were two F/A-18Ds, four F-16s, two EF-111s and two MH-53 search and rescue helicopters. Also involved were two Spanish F/A-18s, a Dutch F-16 and a French Mirage.
With USAir Group, Inc., nearing its goal of obtaining the equivalent of $500 million a year in wage concessions and productivity improvements from its four unions, the carrier's long-term survival seems assured. Now the $64 question is whether the airline can leverage these hard-fought gains so it can flourish. Wall Street has its doubts, and chances are considerable uncertainty will dog USAir until the carrier demonstrates it can rise to the challenge.
THE U.S. ARMY Missile Command has awarded a contract with a potential value of $140 million to Raytheon for the Enhanced Fiber Optic Guided Missile (EFOG-M) demonstration program. The Army selected Raytheon in October, but Westinghouse, Hughes and Boeing protested. Earlier this month the General Accounting Office denied all three protests, freeing the Army to award the contract. EFOG-M is part of the Pentagon's Rapid Force Projection Initiative Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration.
THE U.S. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY is working with the FAA to assist Indonesia with plans to modernize its air transport infrastructure. The TDA completed a master plan for the Indonesian integrated air system in 1994 and is providing a $500,000 grant to FAA to train Indonesian air traffic controllers at the FAA Training Academy in Oklahoma. Under a $836,000 TDA grant, Indonesia is studying the feasibility of four potential new airports. Market opportunities for the archipelago-nation is estimated at $11 billion over the next decade.
Following are excerpts from an address on space insurance at the recent Generali Space Conference in Venice, Italy, by Simon D. Clapham, managing director of Marham Consortium Management, Ltd., of London.
Stuart Moore has formed an office of the president at Hughes Training, Inc., Arlington, Tex., with himself as president, George Houser executive vice president and Richard Baldridge senior vice president/chief financial officer. Houser was president of CAE-Link. Baldridge was Hughes Training vice president-administration and finance.
