Now that the U.S. military is spending more on spare parts to repair worn weapons--and less on big new weapon systems--BAE Systems is launching a strategic initiative to change with the times. "I call it a special mission to power our way into being a successful 'readiness and sustainment' company," says Jeffrey A. Cook, vice president in charge of the new initiative for the Electronics & Integrated Solutions (E&IS) segment at BAE Systems.
London Luton Airport, Luton LU2 9LS, UK Code: U2 Employees: 3,875 www.easyjet.com Tel. (44-158) 270-0000 Fax (44-158) 244-3355 Ownership: 100% private Executive Management Chairman Sir Colin Chandler Chief Executive Andrew Harrison CFO Jeff Carr
As they continue to navigate through a prolonged weak market, commercial communications satellite operators and the manufacturers of their spacecraft are eagerly awaiting the return of a balance between geostationary telecommunications capacity and demand. Expected late in this decade, a rebound cannot come fast enough for manufacturers.
Here is my spin on your list of six issues that demand action in 2007 (AW&ST Jan. 1, p. 66): *The broken U.S. military. The U.S. military is broken because we are doing too much for too many countries and people all over the world. The U.S. has 4.5% of the world's population, yet our military spends more than half of the world's military dollars. That ratio is way out of balance. It is time to bring our military-industrial complex back down to Earth and encourage or force our friends and allies to pick up their pro-rata share of defense costs.
USN Rear Adm. (lower half) (selectee) Kathleen M. Dussault has been appointed deputy assistant Navy secretary for acquisition management. She has been chief of the acquisition division of the Defense Logistics Agency, Ft. Belvoir, Va.
Air strikes in southern Somalia, at least one acknowledged by the U.S., are targeting principal Al Qaeda leaders in the region and troops that fled from the north when Ethiopian forces moved into the war-ravaged country to save the U.N.-backed transitional government.
Airbus has named Didier Evrard as head of the A350 program. Evrard previously worked at missile maker MBDA, where he led stand-off weapons programs when the organization was run by current Airbus COO Fabrice Bregier.
