The real solution to the A400M is to replace it with the C-17. The A400M is openly a European industry program at the same time as its maker EADS expects open access to the U.S. market for its tanker and other products. Even the A400M’s delay, which is due to the selection of its engine, is due to national interests having overruled use of the favored Pratt & Whitney powerplant. Moreover, A400M customers want the C-17, having ordered some, despite roadblocks.
The German military is striving to balance operational, maintenance and export pressures across its fleet—including the Tornado and Typhoon fighters and the Orion maritime patrol aircraft. The air force is now considering whether to rescind a decision to withdraw one of its two Tornado reconnaissance squadrons from service. This conundrum stems from Berlin’s ongoing commitment to support operations in Afghanistan, including the provision of Tornado recce aircraft.
Ralph Crosby’s quiet but persistent efforts to put EADS North America in the same league as its U.S.-based rival, Boeing, came to fruition in 2008. The understated and focused chief executive officer was the architect behind the plan, once considered laughable by some in Congress and a long shot at best, to sell a European design to the U.S. Air Force for one of its largest contracts in recent history: A replacement for its aging KC-135 aerial refuelers.
Facing a deepening crisis, India’s carriers are taking advantage of drastically lower aviation fuel prices by cutting fares as the peak tourist season continues through March. Domestic air traffic hit a record low in November, dropping 21% from the previous year. The fare reduction is aimed at getting India’s middle class of about 300 million people traveling again. Air India slashed fares by up to 82%. Jet Airways and subsidiary JetLite reduced basic fares by up to 40%. Kingfisher Airlines has said it will cut fares, too, but not by how much.
An innovative air traffic management concept that mixes a human factors approach and automation technologies should help Europe handle the big upturn in traffic expected over the next decade.
USN Rear Adm. John W. Goodwin has been named assistant chief of naval operations for the Next-Generation Enterprise Network System Program in Washington. He has been commander of the Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Va. Goodwin will be succeeded by Rear Adm. Richard O’Hanlon, who has been deputy chief of staff for operational readiness and training, U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk. Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark I. Fox has been selected for promotion to rear admiral and assignment as commander of the Naval Strike and Warfare Center, NAS Fallon, Nev.
Patrick M. Dewar has become vice president-corporate international business development of the Lockheed Martin Corp. , Bethesda, Md. He was vice president-business development for Electronic Systems Business.
A Proton M launcher has lofted into orbit a new batch of Glonass navigation satellites. The launch, on Dec. 25, was the eighth successful mission for the year for Proton M and the sixth in a row since the vehicle returned to flight in August following a March launch mishap. It was also the second Glonass mission in the last four months, a key milestone in Russia’s quest to have a full orbital constellation in working order by the end of this year.
Israel tested its newest GPS-guided weapon, the 250-lb. Boeing Small-Diameter Bomb, as it pounded Hamas targets in Gaza late last month. The GBU-39 employs GPS guidance and is designed for precision strikes with little collateral damage. The weapon has been integrated onto the F-15, and the U.S. Air Force first used it in late 2006 for targets in Iraq.
The second Sukhoi Superjet 100 flew Dec. 24 for 2.5 hr. from the Sukhoi facility in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where final assembly of the regional jet takes place. The aircraft reached an altitude of close to 20,000 ft., the manufacturer says. Two more prototypes are set to join the flight test program this year Industry officials acknowledge the schedule is challenging, particularly given past program delays. Initial high angle-of-attack flights have been logged with the first prototype.
L-3 Communications’ Link Simulation & Training division has won the competition to provide new simulator centers for U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot training, defeating incumbent service providers Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Link has been awarded a $68.2-million contract that includes options to buy up to 20 mission training centers (MTC) for Block 40/50 F-16s. Each MTC will house networked simulators allowing multi-ship training.
Oil prices have tumbled, and the economy has elbowed the environment from the headlines, but aviation’s drive toward alternative fuels shows no sign of slowing down.
Singaporean budget airline Tiger Airways has given up on plans to set up a South Korean affiliate, blaming the weak world economy and “regulatory uncertainty” in the country. A strong nationalist impulse to exclude foreigners in most Asian countries is an obstacle for the region’s budget airlines as they seek to build up their networks.
Emirates aims to continue its rapid expansion, in spite of the global economic downturn, taking advantage of its new terminal facilities at Dubai’s international airport.
David Melcher has been appointed president of ITT Defense Electronics & Services , White Plains, N.Y. He was head of strategy, business development and international sales. Melcher succeeds Hank Driesse, who was acting president. Gretchen McClain has become president of ITT Fluid and Motion Control. She was president of ITT Fluid Technology.
Engineers from Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. will push a composite liquid oxygen tank, originally built as a ground-test article for NASA’s X-34 testbed, to levels above 5,000 microstrain following a test series to that level last month. The 54-in.-dia. LOX tank had been pushed through 68 cryo cycles and 290 pressure cycles at 2,700 microstrain before the tests at Kennedy Space Center at 5,000 microstrain.
A technology hailed as revolutionizing air combat is being applied to improve the safety of helicopters flying at low level in low visibility. Designed to prevent accidents, the infrared sensor system is being expanded to detect hostile fire.
The Netherlands is following Norway in recommending procurement of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and both defense ministries rank the aircraft’s mission capabilities higher and costs lower than competing multirole fighters. “The F-35 best meets the requirements drawn up by the Netherlands for the successor to the F-16,” says the Dutch defense ministry, citing the JSF’s better operational availability, mission capability, lower price and anticipated lifecycle costs.
Airbus on Dec. 30 delivered another A380 to Emirates, making it the 12th A380 to reach customers in 2008. In May, Airbus had to revise its A380 delivery forecast for 2008 to 12 from 13 because of continued production woes. As part of the May revision, Airbus also reduced its 2009 A380 delivery projection to 21 units from 26. But company officials have indicated a few of those aircraft could slip into 2010.
The air force has successfully completed state acceptance trials of the Mil Mi-28N Havoc attack helicopter, as well as the Ansat-U light training rotorcraft. The milestones open the door to serial production of both helo types. Combined production should reach around 100 units, including two M1-28N squadrons of 18 rotorcraft each that are due to be acquired between 2009-11.
Global financial crisis or no global financial crisis, airlines in Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region continue to invest heavily in inflight entertainment equipment for both long- and short-haul flights and no-frills routes as well.
Boeing is continuing development for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missile shield. The $397.9-million contract from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency continues development of the system—which includes interceptors made by Orbital Sciences Corp. and placed at Ft. Greely, Alaska, Vandenberg AFB, Calif., and, eventually, Poland—for six months until a larger “core completion” contract can be drawn up by the agency.
JAL Group has applied to Japan’s transport ministry raise interline fees by iup to 13% on travel from Japan to the Americas and Hawaii, 10% on flights to South Korea and India, and 7% to other parts of Asia. The revision would take effect Apr. 1.
Brad Tilden has been named president of Alaska Airlines . He was chief financial officer/executive vice president-finance and planning of the Alaska Air Group. He will be succeeded by Glenn Johnson, who was the airline’s executive vice president-customer service, airports, and maintenance and engineering. Ben Minicucci has become the airline’s chief operating officer/executive vice president-operations. He was vice president-Seattle operations. Andrew Harrison has been appointed group vice president-planning and revenue management. He was managing director of planning.
Jan. 12-20—State University of New York at Binghamton Continuing Education Short Course: “Flight and Ground Vehicle Simulation Update.” See www.wtsn.binghamton.edu/coned/FS09main.htm Jan. 14-15—Performance Institute’s 2009 Aerospace Workforce Summit. Performance Institute Conference Center, Arlington, Va. Call +1 (703) 894-0481, fax +1 (703) 894-0482 or see www.performanceweb.org/Aerospace
