Cascading, nationwide power outages. Communications in shambles. Breakdowns in the supply of water, food, medications and gas. Military operations crimped by failures in civilian infrastructure. Weapons blunted by tailored countermeasures. The most recent alarm about the worst-case scenarios of cyberwar was sounded by U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in October. Addressing business leaders in New York, Panetta invoked both Pearl Harbor and 9/11 in talking about “a destructive cyber-terrorist attack [that] could virtually paralyze the nation.”
With eight launches on its manifest next year, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is looking forward to a busy 2013. In addition to a joint investigation with NASA into the cause of a Falcon 9 engine failure on the rocket's first cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) last month, SpaceX is gearing up for a second cargo resupply mission to the ISS on March 1, getting ready to debut a more powerful Falcon 9 in the first half of next year. Despite the Oct.
Nov. 28-29—American Astronautical Association's National Conference. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. See www.astronautical.org Dec. 3-5—Worldwide Business Research's Defense Logistics. Marriott Crystal Gateway, Arlington, Va. See www.wbresearch.com/defenselogisticsusa Dec. 3-5—University of Westminster Aviation Seminar. “Air Transport Business and Management.” London. Call +44 (203) 506-6559 or see www.westminster.ac.uk/airtransportshort
Lockheed Martin is to upgrade the avionics in U.S. Navy C-130Ts in the first application of an open-systems architecture developed by government and industry to cut the time and cost required to field new capabilities. The $30 million cockpit upgrade is the first acquisition to require compatibility with the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE), a set of standards designed to ensure software is portable and reusable. The contract for nine C-130T cockpit upgrades will be watched closely, as all U.S.
David Davenport has been promoted to senior VP of sales, marketing and teammate resources from VP at New York LaGuardia Airport-based FlightSafety International.
Even a careful observer could be forgiven for losing count of China's general aviation aircraft projects. Maybe Avic itself has lost count. So here are the latest. Cessna, already negotiating to assemble one or two business jet types at Chengdu, has concluded an almost definitive agreement to assemble the Citation XLS+ jointly with Avic's general-aviation subsidiary, Caiga.
The U.S. and other nations studying changes in the Arctic should investigate using UAVs and other unmanned systems to gather data on nearly inaccessible areas of the region, says a recent report from the National Research Council of the National Academies. The report also highlights the need for more data on the region and a more coordinated international and technological effort to gather information about climatic changes.
Amy Butler's “Countering the Raid” (AW&ST Nov. 5, p. 37) is a fine description of what may be a minor triumph of integrated air and missile defense. As a non-aerospace professional, may I suggest that the scenario used to test the defense is also completely unrealistic.
Charles Booker, captain and safety program manager for The Coca-Cola Co., and Elizabeth Clark, executive director of Women in Corporate Aviation International, have been elected to the Orlando-based National Business Aviation Association's Certified Aviation Manager Governing Board. Also appointed were MaryJo Smith, assistant professor of aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Blair Robson, manager of aviation maintenance for ExxonMobil.
Two Boeing 787-8 deliveries last week marked the composite jet's entry into the Middle East and Europe and raised Boeing's total for the year to 32. Qatar Airways took the first of 30 787s it has on order, and LOT Polish Airlines received the first of eight. Meanwhile, Boeing has added six 787 orders, all unidentified, to bring total 787 orders to 843.
Jan. 22-23—MRO Middle East. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. March 5-6—Defense Technology Requirements. Arlington, Va. March 7—Aviation Week's Laureate Awards. Washington. April 16-18—MRO Americas/MRO Military. Atlanta. May 7-8—Civil Aviation Manufacturing. Charlotte, N.C. May 14-15—MRO Eastern Europe. Vilnius, Lithuania. Sept. 25-27—MRO Europe. London. You can now register ONLINEfor Aviation Week Events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/events or call +1 (212) 904-4682.
Jennifer Hardcastle has been appointed sales manager and air medical specialist at Seattle-based American Eurocopter. She was VP of business development for Health Services Integration.
Parker Aerospace and GE Aviation have formed a joint venture, Advanced Atomization Technologies of Clyde, N.Y., to make nozzles for GE and CFM engines. Parker is a long-time nozzle supplier for GE engines.
Indonesia's defense minister is adamant that the country will be getting anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. Purnomo Yusgiantoro says the country's defense budget, passed by parliament, includes money allocated for the purchase of the helicopters, which are to be stationed on the navy's Sigma-class corvettes.
An effort to shield the nation's computer networks and critical infrastructure may be tipping too far into trade protectionism, experts say. In trying to balance the need to protect sensitive computer networks with the cost of verifying the safety of the components that find their way into the supply chain, a House Intelligence Committee report recently recommended that the U.S. government and businesses steer clear of two Chinese telecommunications companies.
I am a long-time subscriber who appreciates Aviation Week & Space Technology's sometimes exclusive insights on aviation technology. However, I wish the articles under the Middle East Conflict banner in the Oct. 22 issue were available to a wider audience than your usual purview.
Research into alternative jet fuels grabs the headlines. Delta Air Lines, justifiably, is drawing a lot of attention for its decision to acquire an oil refinery to alleviate the rising cost of jet fuel (AW&ST May 7, p. 24).
Once spy agencies drove development of advanced investigative cybertechnology, but now banks, credit card companies, PayPal, Google and Yahoo are driving development. The change is benefiting intelligence, military and law enforcement agencies because this new generation of investigative platforms is designed to deal with massive amounts of data. Elbit's Intelligence and Cyber Solutions unit is aiming its Wise Intelligence Technology (WIT) data manipulation platform at the growing dual-use market that this trend has created.
The House has approved a bill to extend for two years an indemnification program allowing the government to share the cost with industry of injuries or property damage suffered by the public in a commercial space launch. Industry had sought a longer extension, but just ensuring the program remains alive is also critical, says Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), who leads the Science, Space and Technology Committee's space subcommittee.
USAF Gen. (ret.) Carrol “Howie” Chandler (see photo) has become VP of business development and aftermarket services for East Hartford, Conn.-based Pratt & Whitney's Military Engine business. He was Air Force vice chief of staff and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy Advisory Group.
Joe Allman has been promoted to VP-financial planning and analysis and treasurer at Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings. He will be succeeded as VP and corporate controller by Ryan Willman, who held the same title at BrightPoint Americas.
