Russian President Vladimir Putin's move to annex the Crimean Peninsula is a “wake-up call,” says NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who urged Europe to increase defense spending—particularly in the missile defense, cyber and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance arenas. “Developments in Ukraine are a stark reminder that security in Europe cannot be taken for granted,” he said last week. Russia's actions must have consequences, he warned.

The U.S. Navy/Northrop Grumman X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) team broke a barrier in 2013, proving that a stealthy, unmanned aircraft can operate on and around the aircraft carrier deck and clinching the Laureate for Aeronautics and Propulsion.

Italy's long-struggling aerospace and defense giant, Finmeccanica, is changing shape as it works to overcome debt and the effects of reduced government spending.

There is good news and bad news for the airline industry in Indonesia. On the upside, the country is experiencing an unprecedented growth of passengers, airlines and aircraft orders. But its civil aviation regulators are concerned that there will not be enough skilled personnel to handle the increase. Herry Bakti, head of the country's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DJPU), says: “There are too many aircraft coming in [to Indonesia]. It is easy to buy aircraft—but our job is to consider who will run and operate them.”

One sentence probably best sums up what makes Willie Walsh tick: “I guess the difference between me and many other airline CEOs is that I have the determination to tackle these issues and some others don't,” he told Aviation Week last year. When others pull back to avoid conflicts, he chooses to aggressively fight for what he believes is crucial. His remarkable success record bears out this particular style of corporate leadership.

Preliminary airline accident statistics from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for 2013 are cause for optimism, as accident numbers and fatalities declined and the air transport industry is addressing key trouble areas with a host of safety initiatives.

The date of the departure of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur was incorrectly stated in the March 17 edition (page 38). The aircraft veered from course and disappeared from most tracking screens on March 8.

The RTCA Special Committee 213 (SC 213), winner of Aviation Week's 2014 Avionics and Systems Laureate, is not so much a committee as it is a “Skunk Works” composed of the makers, users and regulators of advanced vision systems worldwide.