USN Adm. Mark E. Ferguson, 3rd, has been named commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Europe/commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa/commander, Allied Joint Forces Command, Naples, Italy. He has been vice chief of naval operations at the Pentagon. Vice Adm. Michelle J. Howard has been nominated for promotion to admiral and to succeed Ferguson. She has been deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy at the Pentagon. Honors And Elections
Boeing says a simple wiring change will solve a persistent issue that operators of its 737 next-generation models have been experiencing with pitot probes—the external sensors that provide crucial airspeed readings to pilots and onboard systems.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are unloading the “Orb-1” Cygnus resupply capsule following its Jan. 12 rendezvous and berthing. Launched on an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Va., on Jan. 9. The resupply craft is the first in an eight-flight, $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services deal with NASA. The unpiloted commercial freighter carries 2,780 lb. of day-to-day provisions, science and experiment hardware, computer equipment and spacewalk tools.
The In Orbit column of Jan. 13 (p. 16) incorrectly described the service module for the first flight test of NASA's Orion multipurpose crew vehicle as “European-built.” It will be manufactured by Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin.
Rebecca R. Rhoads (see photo) has been appointed president of the Raytheon Co.'s Global Business Services. She will remain the Waltham, Mass.-based company's chief information officer.
Gene Milchak has been appointed to head strategic planning for Qwaltec Inc., Tempe, Ariz. He was vice president of Satellite Ground Systems and Operations for General Dynamics C4 Systems.
Arjan Meijer has been appointed managing director of KLM UK Engineering Ltd. He was vice president-technical services and fleet development for KLM Cityhopper.
The history of space exploration generally has been a march toward greater ambition, risk, complexity and cost. The first launch vehicles were guided missiles carrying the simplest of satellites, and the objective—orbit—was simple and straightforward. Earlier this month, circumstance presented a unique opportunity to observe how the international space-exploration endeavor has evolved over more than 50 years.
Bill Sweetman's “Right the First Time” (AW&ST Dec. 23, 2013, p. 14) on what is needed for an effective Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike system and how the U.S. Marine Corps' close air support (CAS) mission could more logically be addressed by a mix of F-35Bs and A-10s was, as usual, well thought out and on target (as well as being witty). Bravo to him and to Aviation Week for airing this viewpoint. I hope the decision makers are reading him as well.
Robert J. Perna (see photo) has been appointed senior vice president/general counsel/secretary of Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He will succeed Gary Chadick, who has resigned. Perna has been vice president/general counsel/secretary of AM Castle & Co. Jeff Standerski has been named senior vice president of the Information Management Services segment. He was vice president/general manager of its Business and Regional Systems and held the same positions in the Air Transport Systems unit.
As South Korea strives to build an industry that can independently make complete aircraft, it is achieving the most progress in helicopters. And it is the South Korean army, not the air force, that is offering the most support.
Daniel Setz has become senior vice president-cargo operations at Zurich-based Swissport. He was country managing director/senior vice president for Brazil for the Panalpina Group.
An unprecedented competition announced by the Indian government to energize local private industry in aerospace manufacturing stands on a razor's edge, with the country's defense ministry contemplating opening participation to India's monopolistic state-owned defense companies as well.
Jim Coon (see photo) has been named senior vice president-government affairs and advocacy for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Frederick, Md. He was executive vice president of the National Air Transportation Association and has been staff director for the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and majority staff director for the House aviation subcommittee.
Bill Swanson (left), Raytheon's CEO and chairman, is scheduled to hand over the chief executive's office to current Chief Operating Officer Tom Kennedy on March 31. Swanson will remain chairman at least while the Waltham, Mass.-based defense prime contractor transitions to Kennedy's leadership.
In a recent Up Front column (AW&ST Dec. 30, 2013/Jan. 6, 2014, p. 15) Richard Aboulafia, by using the examples of the production lines for the F-15, F-16 and F-18, presents a superficially compelling argument for the preservation of national defense assets. But he neglects to mention that the original variants of all these aircraft first flew in the early 1970s. Preserving these production lines is the technological equivalent of preserving battleship-building shipyards after the end of World War II.
If Embraer really wants to outsell the C-130 Hercules with its new KC-390 cargo aircraft, as discussed in “Cargo Shift” (AW&ST Dec. 30, 2013/Jan. 6, 2014, p. 62), it should have chosen two of the turboprop engines that power Airbus's new A400M instead of opting for turbofans. Those turboprops with their inherent 30% better fuel efficiency would have more than enough thrust with 11,000 shp each, and supply more than double the power of any other Western turboprop.
The fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations bill considered last week in Congress seeks to provide the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with $1.89 billion for continued development of satellite systems, $207 million more than in the last fiscal year.
It has 1.25 million men and women and double-digit increases in its budget. But for officers, does the People's Liberation Army have good military leaders or good networkers?
Feb. 4-6—MRO Middle East. Dubai. Feb. 10—Air Transport World's 40th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards. Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel. March 4-5—Defense Technology and Affordability Requirements Conference. Washington. March 6—Aviation Week's Laureate Awards. Washington. April 8-10—MRO Americas. Phoenix. Oct. 7—MRO Europe. Madrid. You can now register ONLINEfor Aviation Week Events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/events or call +1 (212) 904-4682.
