Lockheed Aeronautics Co. will deliver more than 300 F-16 modification kits to upgrade the aircraft used by the air forces of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. The kits will improve communications, displays and allow use of new "smart weapons," including the Joint Direct Attack Munition.
Newly elected Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) expects to find out as early as the week of Jan. 28 whether he will get a seat on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), according to a spokesman for the congressman. Wilson has been "vigorously lobbying" to become a member of the HASC, his top choice for committee assignments, the spokesman said late Jan. 22. Wilson is also seeking to join the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The head of the Defense Department's foreign military sales agency presented the official U.S. proposal to meet Austria's requirement for new fighters Jan. 22, telling Austrian officials that Lockheed Martin's F-16 will meet Austria's requirements until the company's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is completed.
Tom Risley has been appointed president and chief executive officer and will be elected a director of the corporation. Gordon Williams will be elected chairman of the company. He succeeds Allan Holt, who will remain a director of the company.
Japan's Self-Defense Agency has selected NEC Corp. to be the prime contractor for a program to develop a new version of the Base Air Defense Ground Equipment (BADGE), an air defense warning and control system. The agency's schedule calls for developing the system within six years and starting its operation by fiscal 2008. The development cost is estimated at about $530 million.
Linda Leukhardt has been appointed sector vice president of business management and chief financial officer of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News sector.
Driven by strong sales from its Combat Systems group, which builds tanks and armored personnel carriers, General Dynamics Corp. posted an 11 percent increase in fourth quarter 2001 earnings over those for fiscal 2000. Senior management reported fourth quarter fiscal 2001 net earnings of $246 million, or $1.21 per share, as compared with $219 million, or $1.09 per share, recorded for the same period last year. "This was another year of strong, steady performance," company Chairman and CEO Nicholas Chabraja said in a statement.
Charges that the Boeing Co. took during the fourth quarter of FY 2001 to deal with the slowdown in commercial air traffic after Sept. 11 caused the company's net earnings to plunge 79 percent, senior officials said Jan. 23. In a conference call with industry analysts and investors, Boeing Chairman and CEO Phil Condit said charges totaling nearly $622 million, or 78 cents per share, lowered the company's net earnings to 12 cents per share for the fourth quarter.
Charges that the Boeing Co. took during the fourth quarter of FY 2001 to deal with the slowdown in commercial air traffic after Sept. 11 caused the company's net earnings to plunge 79 percent, senior officials said Jan. 23. In a conference call with industry analysts and investors, Boeing Chairman and CEO Phil Condit said charges totaling nearly $622 million, or 78 cents per share, lowered the company's net earnings to 12 cents per share for the fourth quarter.
When NASA's Space Technology 5 (ST-5) mission demonstrates satellite formation flight techniques 2004, it will open the door for numerous ambitious science missions, according to Russell Carpenter, lead navigation and flight dynamics engineer for formation flight at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
The military services and the FAA often take different approaches to aviation safety issues, even if the aircraft concerned are similar or use common parts and materials, the General Accounting Office says in a new report. The Jan. 22 report, "Aviation Safety: FAA and DOD Response to Similar Safety Concerns" (GAO-02-77), cites an example involving technologies to avoid collision with terrain. Here, the report says, the military has lagged about 20 years behind the FAA in requiring the installation of such technologies aboard passenger aircraft.
TOKYO - Japan's Self-Defense Agency has selected NEC Corp. to be the prime contractor for a program to develop a new version of the Base Air Defense Ground Equipment (BADGE), an air defense warning and control system. The agency's schedule calls for developing the system within six years and starting its operation by fiscal 2008. The development cost is estimated at about $530 million.
Michael Piscatella has been appointed group president, Aerostructures and Aviation Technical Services. He succeeds Graydon (Bud) Wetzler, who has retired. Jack Carmola, group president, Engine and Safety Systems, will assume additional responsibility for the Electronic Systems Group, formerly held by Piscatella.
The military services and the FAA often take different approaches to aviation safety issues, even if the aircraft concerned are similar or use common parts and materials, the General Accounting Office says in a new report. The Jan. 22 report, "Aviation Safety: FAA and DOD Response to Similar Safety Concerns" (GAO-02-77), cites an example involving technologies to avoid collision with terrain. Here, the report says, the military has lagged about 20 years behind the FAA in requiring the installation of such technologies aboard passenger aircraft.
As more measures are taken to tighten physical security in domestic airports, U.S. airlines remain highly vulnerable to cyberattack, according to Internet security analysts. Airlines make particularly attractive targets for cybercriminals - whose crimes can run the gamut from simple vandalism to identity theft and financial espionage - since so much of their business has migrated online, according to Izhar Bar-Gad, chief technology officer at Sanctum, Inc.
LONDON - Eight Royal Air Force tanker/transports will be fitted with new Rockwell Collins URC-138(V), or Link 16, secure tactical datalink communications systems under a $10 million Ministry of Defence contract. The work will be done on five BAE Systems VC10s and three Lockheed Martin TriStar aircraft. United Kingdom Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Willy Bach said the new systems offer an improved battlespace picture, helping cut down on the risk of friendly fire. Bigger than a shoebox
General Dynamics Corp. has formed a company to focus on winning the Lead Systems Integrator contract for the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, the company announced Jan. 21. Eagle Enterprise Inc. will be headquartered in Falls Church, Va., General Dynamics' home base, and will be led by Michael Bolon, former vice president of engineering design and development for the company's Land Systems group.
Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., are preparing to take the next step toward satellite formation flight with the upcoming Space Technology 5 (ST-5) mission, scheduled for launch in 2004. Dubbed the "Nanosat Constellation Trailblazer," the mission will consist of three small satellites flying in formation in a highly elliptical earth orbit.
FLIGHT RECORD: A NASA scientific balloon flying near the edge of space set a new flight record of almost 32 days, NASA said Jan. 22. The balloon carried an experiment to search for the origin of cosmic rays, atomic particles that travel through the galaxy at near-light speed. The balloon was launched Dec. 20 and landed Jan. 21.
The Republican-led House Science Committee announced Jan. 22 it has appointed William B. Adkins to be the majority staff director of its space and aeronautics subcommittee. Adkins, who will oversee a staff of about five people, replaces Eric Sterner, who left in October 2001 to become special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for international security policy. Sterner had been staff director since April 2000.
Japan's National Space Development Agency has postponed the launch of the second H-IIA launch vehicle to Feb. 3 at the earliest. The H-IIA, which is intended to compete in the world launch market, was scheduled to launch Jan. 31 but the agency decided to replace a pressure regulating valve in the booster's liquid oxygen tank. The first H-IIA launched last summer (DAILY, Aug. 30, 2001).
