Airbus would face a “very serious decision” and possibly “months in delays” in the A350 program, if the manufacturer were forced to replace the aircraft's lithium-ion batteries, Executive Vice President for Programs Tom Williams tells Aviation Week.
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) may have picked up Democratic supporters in his quest to be confirmed as the next defense secretary, but he has lost a leading Republican.
The U.S. Navy needs to reinvigorate testing plans at its Wallops Island, Va., site for its proposed radar system for the new CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, according to the latest annual report from the Pentagon's director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E). The Navy has proposed a dual-band radar that replaces five legacy radars used on current carriers. Last year, DOT&E cited concerns about the Navy's plans to curtail testing at Wallops for a similar radar system then proposed for the DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer.
Ask a top U.S. aerospace and defense (A&D) contractor how it plans to offset potentially deep cuts in Pentagon budgets and you will hear a common refrain: exports. Lockheed Martin is aiming to raise non-U.S. sales to 20% of its total, up from 17% today. “International” sales already account for a quarter of Raytheon's business, and the company intends to drive that even higher. “We see a lot of growth in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific,” says Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin's new CEO.
Joan Pompa has been named interior refurbishment sales manager for West Star Aviation's Grand Junction, Colo., facility. Pompa has a 13-year career in interior, paint, design and other maintenance operations. Honors And Elections
AgustaWestland has secured its first export order for the AW159 Wildcat with a sale of eight to South Korea. The deal, which also includes a support and training package, is worth $560 million. AgustaWestland's share is worth $360 million. The Wildcat was selected over the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, which had beaten the Wildcat to a nine-aircraft order in Denmark in November. The Wildcats will be used for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, maritime security, and search and rescue.
When the president begins his second term, he will be dealing with a new Congress. In the last Congress, Republicans on the armed services committees provided a nearly united front against sequestration, but that opposition to across-the-board reductions to defense could be wavering.
The Swedish government has given the country's armed forces the go-ahead to procure the next-generation version of the Gripen fighter aircraft. Defense minister Karin Enstrom said on Jan. 17 that the armed forces would buy 60 Saab JAS-39E Gripens for an as-yet undisclosed price. The first aircraft would be delivered in 2018 with the full complement by 2027.
LOT Polish Airlines has been in crisis mode for years. But the situation is becoming more precarious and the carrier may soon look much different—if it manages to survive.
John Turner (see photo) has been appointed director of engineering at Denton, Texas-based Odyssey Aerospace Components. He has worked for NASA, American Airlines, Associated Air Center and Weber Aircraft.
This year could see substantial changes to the roster of North American airlines, from the potential merger of US Airways and American Airlines to significant industry expansion that is expected to unfold north of the border. Two prominent Canadian carriers seem unafraid of risk in 2013 as they plan to launch ventures that could have far-reaching impacts on fares, routes and ultimately competition. Rival carriers Air Canada and WestJet are set to create new airlines, each staking a claim over a different corner of the marketplace.
USAF Maj. Gen. (ret.) John Speigel has been elected chairman of the Maxwell AFB, Ala.-based Civil Air Patrol's board of governors, succeeding Brig. Gen. Richard Anderson, whose term ends in February. CAP Lt. Col. Ned Lee was elected vice chairman.
“Funding uncertainty” tops the list of concerns raised by the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) in its 2012 report to NASA, and so far the panel's experts do not see the agency doing much about it. “As budgets are reduced and funding uncertainty increases, it is essential that NASA increase its awareness of possible safety implications and address those immediately,” states the report, released Jan. 9, in a reference to the continuing shortfall in funding for NASA's commercial crew program.
Berlin should have opened its new international airport two years ago. But not only has the launch now been delayed a fourth time, the airport operator has conceded for the first time that it has no idea when the facility will be ready.
Sharon Weinberger's “Mining The Gap” (AW&ST Dec. 24, 2012, p. 36) was very informative as to how data extracted from social media and other databases can be intelligently manipulated and “real” threat data extracted. However, using Benghazi as an example illustrates how often we rely on computer algorithms while ignoring common sense. The overthrow of the Libyan government resulted in a country with a very weak regime not fully in control of a large portion of their territory and opposed by a number of armed factions equally hostile to Western governments.
The gridlock and political temper tantrums of the U.S. Congress as 2012 drew to a close threatened to derail America's fragile economic recovery. Now, the specter of weeks of debate on the government's debt ceiling and deep, automatic spending cuts known as “sequestration” promises more chaos.
