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+++ A380 powered GP7200 completes first flight ++ RQ-4B Global Hawk rolls-out +++ Boeing C-17 line may end in 2009 +++ Word´s largest autoclave completed +++ News in brief +++
A380 powered GP7200 completes first flight
Erstflug mit Engine-Alliance-Triebwerk
The first A380 Airbus aircraft powered by Engine Alliance engines successfully completed its maiden flight on Friday August 25th, 2006, touching down at Blagnac International Airport in Toulouse, France at 14:10 (12:10 pm GMT) after a flight lasting 4 hours and 10 minutes. The flight took off from Blagnac at 10:00 am (08:00 am GMT). The A380 MSN9 with registration number F-WWEA, is powered by four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines which have the capability of delivering a thrust up to 81,500 pounds (37 tonnes) each. The aircraft is equipped with heavy flight test instrumentation and ballast to produce a take off weight of 430 tonnes. The flight was captained by Guy Magrin, Experimental Test Pilot, who flew with Franck Chapman, Experimental Test Pilot. The other crew members were Test Flight Engineer, Bruno Bigand and Flight Test Engineers, Patrick du Che and Jean-Philippe Cottet.
At a post flight media briefing Claude Lelaie Senior Vice President and Head of Airbus' Flight Division, confirmed the new aircraft handled as anticipated. "The aircraft once again handled as expected and the GP7200 engines performed very well. There's still many tests and optimisation ahead, but I expect the new Engine Alliance engines to be a success", Claude Lelaie said. During the flight around South West France, the aircraft's flight envelope, cruise speed and handling were tested. MSN9 becomes the fifth and last developmental aircraft to join the fleet of A380 test aircraft. So far, with the other four test aircraft, which are powered by Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, over 1,800 flying hours have been accumulated in over 575 flights. Six A380 customers have selected the Engine Alliance GP7200 engine for a total of 82 firm aircraft orders. These include, in alphabetical order: Air France, Emirates Airlines, FedEx, ILFC and Korean Air and UPS.
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RQ-4B Global Hawk rolls-out
Neue Version des Höhenaufklärers vorgestellt
Northrop Grumman Corporation rolled out the first production version of the new RQ-4 Block 20 Global Hawk unmanned aerial reconnaissance system in a ceremony at the company's Antelope Valley Manufacturing Center in Palmdale. Company and U.S. Air Force officials introduced the advanced capability Block 20 air vehicle to an audience of senior government and military representatives, community and civic leaders, industry teammates and employees. "The Global Hawk is a tremendous asset in the war on terror, equipping American military commanders with virtually real time surveillance that helps bring concealed terrorist plots and enemy positions to light," said U.S. Rep. Wally Herger of California's 2nd congressional district. "The men and women of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, located in the Northern California district I represent, are operating Global Hawk in combat today in ways never imagined. The new Block 20 Global Hawk will strengthen their ability to quickly and accurately find and destroy terrorist targets wherever they may be."
The Block 20 Global Hawk represents a significant increase in capability over the Block 10 configuration. The larger Block 20 aircraft will carry up to 3,000 pounds of internal payload and will operate with two-and-a-half times the power of its predecessor. Its open system architecture, a so-called "plug-and-play" environment, will accommodate new sensors and communication systems as they are developed to help military customers quickly evaluate and adopt new technologies. Following a final series of systems tests and a flight test program at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the new Block 20 air vehicle will be delivered to the Air Force's 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento, Calif. Although Global Hawk is still in concurrent engineering and manufacturing development and low-rate initial production, the system has been deployed to the operational theater three times since 2001 and has logged more than 6,500 flight hours during combat missions. Two production Block 10 aircraft are operated by the Air Force in theater today.
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Boeing C-17 line may end in 2009
Transporterproduktion läuft aus
Due to the lack of U.S. government orders for the C-17 military cargo aircraft, Boeing is directing program suppliers to stop work on uncommitted airplanes. This move will be the first step in an orderly shut down of the production supply chain should no further orders be received from the U.S. government. For over a year, Boeing spent its own money protecting the C-17 supplier base. This investment was intended to keep the production line viable while the U.S. Government and Boeing pursued international orders, and to allow time for the U.S. Government to update its post-9/11 mobility requirements, if they chose to do so. During that time Boeing received international orders and commitments for more than a dozen of the advanced air lifters. Congress has added funding for up to three more as part of its recent 2007 budget deliberations. However, when the orders are totaled, there are not enough to sustain continued production beyond mid-2009. Since late 2005, Boeing has stressed the need for a commitment from the U.S. Government for continued C-17 procurement or the company would be forced to make the difficult decision to begin winding down the production line.
This action will ultimately affect the 5,500 Boeing jobs in California, Missouri, Georgia, and Arizona, directly tied to the C-17, and the program's nationwide supplier workforce that totals more than 25,000 people. Nearly 700 companies in 42 states provide parts and services that go into each C-17. "The C-17 is one of the Defense Department's most successful acquisition programs ever," said Ron Marcotte, vice president and general manager of Boeing Global Mobility Systems. "No one questions its operational value. But we can't continue carrying the program without additional orders from the U.S. Government." The stop-work orders affect long-lead items from suppliers that, in many cases, are built 34 months before a C-17 is delivered. Boeing is re-evaluating the financial impact should the U.S. government not order additional C-17s, and may incur costs aside from any recovered from the U.S. government.
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Word´s largest autoclave completed
Größter Autoklav für 787-Produktion
ASC Process Systems has announced the completion of the world's largest autoclave. The giant autoclave will cure composite fuselage sections of the revolutionary Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft. This record setting project took over 1 1/2 years to complete, and is scheduled to begin production of Boeing 787 components in the coming months. The autoclave will process components to a maximum pressure of 150 psig (10.2 Bar) at a maximum temperature of 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). The working area of 30' X 75', and volume over 82,000 cubic feet, makes this the largest autoclave in the world. Fully-loaded, it weighs in at over 500 tons and was fabricated on-site at the new Vought Aircraft facility in Charleston, SC. "The crew from ASC Process Systems has been onsite here in South Carolina making a Vought dream come true," said Mark Dickey, Vought's Charleston General Manager. "Their crew's responsiveness has been fantastic as they continue to train Vought personnel and aid us through total qualification of the autoclave." "This has been a monumental project. ASC is very proud to be an integral part in the advancement of aviation material development with Vought Aircraft and all of the parties involved," says Dave Mason, President, ASC Process Systems. "This first step of composite fuselage production represents a great leap in the use of composites for aero structure and jetliner efficiency."
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
AAI Corporation, the defense subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation, has been selected to develop an advanced airframe for the Future Combat System (FCS) Class I unmanned aircraft system, a lightweight, backpackable, vertical take-off and landing unmanned aircraft system.
In addition to designing the airframe for Honeywell, AAI will also participate in development of a new common fuel propulsion system for the vehicle.“Using experience gained from the DARPA Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) program to further advance small ducted-fan technology, this exciting technology will deliver a capable aircraft that's going to serve warfighters for years to come,” said Steve Reid, AAI's vice president of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. “MAV has, to date, accomplished more than 400 successful flights, testament to the next-generation system design that the MAV team has been perfecting for more than four years,” Reid added. The Class I small, ducted-fan vehicle will be an autonomous aircraft with helicopter-like “hover and stare” capabilities that can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. It is ruggedly built, but is so small and lightweight that it can be carried by an infantryman in a backpack. Fully fueled, the aircraft is projected to weigh only 14 pounds. AAI has been a teammate with prime contractor Honeywell in development of earlier MAV design innovations as part of the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, along with its research partner BAE Systems, today announced that it has successfully completed a demonstration of the Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in a reconnaissance pod flown on a U.S. Air Force F-16 at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida. “We are excited about the teamwork displayed by BAE Systems and GA-ASI in developing and demonstrating a highly effective ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] capability for the U.S. Air Force,” said Linden P. Blue, president, Reconnaissance Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. “A total of 74 images were collected and processed by the team, including a mix of high-resolution spot images, as well as wide field-of-view images at various resolutions.” The flight demonstration is a critical milestone in a two-year cooperative research effort between GA-ASI's Reconnaissance Systems Group and BAE Systems. The ultimate goal of the research is to provide the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air National Guard with the capability to “fuse” the products of two high-resolution sensors integrated into a single reconnaissance pod. The fused product is designed to provide the Warfighter with target detection and geo-location benefits that exceed the capability of each sensor used singly.
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Raytheon has successfully demonstrated the improved navigation accuracy capability of a new variant of HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile). Called "HDAM" for HARM destruction of enemy air defense attack module, the new variant adds INS/GPS (inertial navigation system/global positioning system) capability to the battle-proven HARM, greatly improving its effectiveness while significantly reducing collateral damage and the threat to friendly troops. The test flight took place at the China Lake Test Range, Calif. The missile, launched from an F-16, faced two radar sources and had to select the correct one. The test demonstrated that the added INS/GPS capability ensures that the intended target is attacked instead of other radar sources. After launch, the first target radar, located outside the HDAM's programmed missile impact zone (MIZ), was turned on first, and the missile rejected this target as being outside the area where attacks were allowed. The HDAM continued searching and locked onto the second radar located in the MIZ as soon as it was turned on. After determining the new source was within the MIZ, the HDAM engaged the correct target.
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NASA announced Tuesday that its new crew exploration vehicle will be named Orion. Orion is the vehicle NASA's Constellation Program is developing to carry a new generation of explorers back to the moon and later to Mars. Orion will succeed the space shuttle as NASA's primary vehicle for human space exploration. Orion's first flight with astronauts onboard is planned for no later than 2014 to the International Space Station. Its first flight to the moon is planned for no later than 2020. Orion is named for one of the brightest, most familiar and easily identifiable constellations. "Many of its stars have been used for navigation and guided explorers to new worlds for centuries," said Orion Project Manager Skip Hatfield. "Our team, and all of NASA - and, I believe, our country - grows more excited with every step forward this program takes. The future for space exploration is coming quickly." In June, NASA announced the launch vehicles under development by the Constellation Program have been named Ares, a synonym for Mars. The booster that will launch Orion will be called Ares I, and a larger heavy-lift launch vehicle will be known as Ares V. Orion will be capable of transporting cargo and up to six crew members to and from the International Space Station. It can carry four crewmembers for lunar missions. Later, it can support crew transfers for Mars missions.
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Boeing and Korean Air announced completion and certification of Korean Air's 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter. For this modification, Boeing managed every aspect of the conversion process from contract signing, design and production through redelivery. Boeing contracted with Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. (TAECO) in Xiamen, China, for the hands-on modification work. This is the fourth 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter that has been redelivered through Boeing to cargo operators.
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During a presentation at the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense Gripen International has submitted a comprehensive answer to a formal Request for Information regarding the new generation Gripen multi-role fighter. The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has been presented a complete and extensive package including 16 new generation Gripen C/D aircraft (12 single and 4 two-seater) with full support and training provided in cooperation with the Swedish Armed Forces. The flexible package outlines several options regarding financial solutions. The first aircraft could be delivered already two years after a contract has been signed. The aircraft proposed are fully NATO compatible Gripen C/D multi role fighters prepared to carry an extensive range of armaments from Europe, the US or other countries. Equipped with an in flight refueling system, a fully autonomous Tactical Information Data Link System (TIDLS) and a NATO standard Link 16 the Gripen C/D is well suited for meeting all national defence requirements as well as being able to participate in NATO operations. Gripen International has in this presentation fully committed to deliver 100 % offset, backed by its parent company Saab AB and a wide range of other multinational companies. This industrial cooperation with the Bulgarian Government and with Bulgarian companies will in the case of a Gripen procurement generate new business and employment in the defense as well as in other business sectors in Bulgaria. The industrial cooperation together with a range of optional flexible financing solutions which are fully supported by the Swedish Government are tailored to make a minimal impact on the Bulgarian national budget
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In July 2006 the DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht e.V./German Air Rescue) flew more than 2,822 missions – more than ever before in a single month since the organisation began work in 1973. WIth the cue word “Summer”, most people think of vacation, leisure time and relaxing . This is not so at the DRF. The summer months are the organisation's busiest with long working hours between 7:00 am and sunset being one reason. Manifold recreational activities offered by the warm days lead to intense activity for the rescuers as well. Falls when mountain-biking, inline-skating or motorcycling, serious accidents after the usage of spirit for barbecues and drowning accidents, especially of small children, often necessitate DRF helicopter missions. Many people suffer from the heat which causes some, in particular the elderly, problems with the cardiovascular system. Frequently in summer persons who have developed an allergic shock after insect bites need quick medical assistance, too. During the last month the DRF's 20 helicopters based all over Germany were needed more often than ever before in a single month.
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Adam Aircraft, a designer and manufacturer of advanced carbon composite aircraft for the twin piston and very light jet (VLJ) markets, announced it has completed a $93 million Series F funding round led by new investor DCM, a top-performing venture capital firm. Other new investors included Mesirow Financial, W Capital Partners, D.E.Shaw Laminar Portfolios, LLC (a member of the D.E.Shaw group of companies) and Acadia Woods Partners, which joined previous investors Goldman Sachs and Hunt Growth Capital in the round. A sizable portion of the new round was also received from various new European investors. The company plans to use its new capital to accelerate the certification of its A700 AdamJet and the production ramp-up of the FAA-certified A500 piston twin, recently featured in the "Miami Vice" motion picture with its signature twin boom, centerline design.
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Raytheon has made early delivery of a radar Mission Systems Integration Laboratory (MSIL) to Boeing for the Navy's P-8A MMA (Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft) program. The MSIL represents key hardware for the integration of Raytheon's APY-10 radar on the P-8A aircraft. This is the second successful program delivery achieved this year by the Raytheon P-8A radar team, which shipped the APY-10 software design lab (radar) protocol emulator to Boeing in February. The first production radar is expected to be delivered in 2008. "To Raytheon, early is on time. The MSIL was actually contracted to be delivered this month, but we shipped it early to Boeing on July 21," remarked Rick Kraft, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) director of maritime surveillance radars. "The P-8A radar team has walked the talk, and they continue to make strides in meeting our commitment to the P-8A Boeing and Navy customers for this important program."
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Boeing recently received its first production Remote Aerial Refueling Operator (RARO) II station for the KC-767 Tanker from DRS Laurel Technologies of Johnstown, Pa., a unit of DRS Technologies. RARO II is a mission management and planning console positioned behind the KC-767 cockpit, where aircrews can control boom and drogue aerial-refueling operations through a remote-vision system. Using a series of cameras flush-mounted on the aircraft's fuselage, the boom operator will have controls and displays for the operation of the boom, wing pods, hose drum unit and exterior aerial refueling lighting. "The RARO II remote-vision system will increase tanker aircrew mission capability and safety," said Mark McGraw, Boeing vice president for Tanker Programs. "RARO II also improves communication between the aircrew and uses advanced video digital processing to provide superior definition during night and adverse weather conditions."
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At the end of a two-day conference held in Kuala Lumpur August 15-16, 2006 a two-year “Bridging Aviation Project” to the EUAsia Civil Aviation Co-operation Project has been launched. The EU-Asia Civil Aviation Co-operation Project, a four-year project co-financed by the European Commission, will end shortly. During the four years the project has been running, project partners have trained more than 5,000 civil aviation experts in aviation safety, security and management. A key project outcome has been the commitment of Asian authorities and EU industry to further support regional harmonisation in the civil aviation sector through the setup of a South Asia and South East Asia Regional Initiative Forum. This will serve as a dialogue platform to enable both industry and the regulatory authorities to discuss regulatory matters on a regional level.
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Boeing has received a U.S. Air Force contract to begin modifying the C-130 Aircrew Training System as part of the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP). The undefinitized contract, with a value not to exceed $56.3 million, includes the modification of the first simulator and other training devices in preparation for the delivery of C-130 AMP aircraft. A team consisting of Boeing, CAE and Lockheed Martin will design, develop, install and test the training system modification. The Air Force plans to field the first C-130 AMP aircraft in 2009.
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SpaceDev, Inc. has been authorized by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to proceed with Phase III of its Distributed Sensing Experiment program. This MDA award is the continuation of a five-year, four-phase, $43-million contract to design and develop affordable high-performance networked microsatellites to support national missile defense. The third phase is valued at approximately $29 million, of which SpaceDev is now being funded for $6.5 million, with additional funding expected in GFY 2007. The objectives of Phase III are to assemble, integrate and test three advanced, networked microsatellites in preparation for launch. The phase is expected to be completed within the next three years. "SpaceDev successfully passed a Critical Design Review with the MDA prior to the award of Phase III, and this review was the last milestone on the path to building the system," said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev Chief Executive Officer. "Our customer gave us the green light to proceed with manufacturing, integrating and testing after thoroughly reviewing our designs, technical approach, schedule and hardware demonstration. SpaceDev's flat-sat test unit has progressed rapidly, successfully demonstrating key hardware and software functionality, and enabling us to achieve this significant milestone in the production of microsatellites for the MDA."
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Sea Launch successfully delivered the Koreasat 5 communications satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Early data indicate the spacecraft is accurately positioned and in excellent condition. A Zenit-3SL vehicle lifted off at 8:27 pm PDT (03:27 GMT, Aug. 22) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude in the equatorial Pacific. All systems performed nominally throughout flight. The Block DM upper stage inserted the 4,448 kg (9,806 lb) Spacebus 4000 C1 platform to GTO, on its way to a final orbital position of 113 degrees East Longitude. A ground station at Fucino, Italy, acquired the first signal from the satellite shortly after spacecraft separation. Built by Alcatel Alenia Space for the KT Corporation and Korea's Agency for Defense Development, the hybrid multi-band satellite will be part of South Korea's new high-capacity Spacecom System over the Asia-Pacific. This is Sea Launch's fourth successful mission of 2006 -- two additional missions are planned for this year. Following the completion of the Koreasat 5 mission, Rob Peckham, president and general manager of Sea Launch, congratulated the Agency for Defense Development, KT Corporation and Alcatel Alenia Space. "We take great pride in successfully delivering South Korea's first dual-use spacecraft," he said. "At Sea Launch, we strive to exceed our customers' expectations and build collaborative relationships built on honesty and trust.
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Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (ST Aerospace), the aerospace arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering), today announced that at the opening ceremony of Howard International Airport, it has signed a lease agreement with Agencia del Área Económica Especial Panamá-Pacífico (AAEEPP) for its facility to be opened in Panama. At the same time, it has won a maintenance service agreement from Panama's national carrier, Copa Airlines, for its current fleet of 22 B737 aircraft. This contract is not expected to have any material impact on the consolidated net tangible assets per share and earnings per share of ST Engineering for the current financial year.
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Raytheon has been awarded a U.S. Army contract to provide the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps with an immediate forward deployed tactical air traffic control capability that will allow for faster deployment to any location at any time. The contract has a potential value of $200 million with all options exercised for the AN/TPN-31 Air Traffic Navigation, Integration and Coordination System (ATNAVICS) and the AN/FPN-67 Fixed-Base Precision Approach Radar (FBPAR). The Army has exercised the first production option for $36 million which includes the manufacture, test and delivery of four ATNAVICS and technology refresh of key system components. "ATNAVICS and FBPAR systems are deployed in operations worldwide, including the support of our Coalition Forces in Iraq," said Army Lt. Col. Christian Rush, program manager for U.S. Army Air Traffic Control. "We are excited that these new technology systems are providing our warfighters with significantly improved performance and reliability."
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The U.S. Government's Joint Strike Fighter Program Office has cleared Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine program to begin installed ground engine runs and taxi testing for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II. The notification clears the way for the engine to run while installed in the F-35 aircraft. Installed engine runs are expected to begin this month with taxi tests beginning in September. "This clearance represents a vote of confidence in the F135 propulsion system as we all work together to get this aircraft up and flying," said Bill Gostic, vice president, F135 engine programs for Pratt & Whitney. "Pratt & Whitney remains on track to support the F-35's first flights beginning later this year."
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SUN-AIR of Scandinavia, the Billund, Denmark-based British Airways franchise carrier, is to purchase three Dornier 328 Jets. The agreement was ratified, in close co-operation with 328 Support Services GmbH management, coinciding with the recent Farnborough International Air Show. Two years ago the airline's CEO Niels Sundberg signed for his first Dornier 328 Turboprop.
SUN-AIR is acquiring Dornier 328 Serial Nos 3190¸ 3191 and 3192, all low-time 6,000-hour aircraft which previously saw service with Delta Connection of the USA. The first two aircraft will receive maintenance work at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. First delivery is planned for October this year, with the next two readied for service entry in December and January 2007, respectively.
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At a ceremony held in Istanbul, Boeing and THY Airlines celebrated the delivery of THY's 100th airplane, a Boeing Next-Generation 737-800. Boeing delivered the airplane to THY on Aug. 17 in Seattle. By bringing its fleet to 100 airplanes, THY is continuing its steady growth and expansion program. This latest 737-800 marks THY's 40th 737-800 and its 58th 737, with more deliveries planned in the future.
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Lockheed Martin has completed flight demonstrations of a new system that will enable U.S. Army command and control helicopters to form and manage teams of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned strike aircraft. Called the Mobile Commander's Associate (MCA), the system integrates key functionality required for manned / unmanned teaming: connectivity to multiple digital radio links to provide simultaneous command and control of UAVs and communicate with ground and manned aerial forces; decision-aiding technology to monitor the UAV team's flight activity with minimal human input; and fusion of ground and airborne sensor data so as to build a situational picture of the evolving battlefield.
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"Air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and airlines are partners in the business of air transport. Together we must pursue an agenda for industry change," said Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Addressing a regional air navigation services conference hosted by Airservices Australia, Bisignani said that "Our common agenda rests on three pillars: cost efficiency, environmental responsibility and liberalisation. We appreciate the leadership of Airservices Australia in gathering Asia-Pacific providers together to work towards regional solutions that are harmonised with the industry's global agenda. It is great to see that the cooperative relationship we have with the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) is now translating into regional action and implementation." Cost Efficiency: Airlines achieved amazing results in the last four years. Non-fuel unit costs decreased by 13%. Labour unit costs decreased by 33% and distribution costs were slashed by 10%. Airlines will absorb US$21 billion in additional fuel costs without an erosion of profitability," said Bisignani. Bisignani commended ANSPs for starting to effectively benchmark productivity and efficiency, but noted that much work needs to be done to improve cost efficiency. Environment: "Efficiency is directly linked to environmental performance. Inefficient air traffic management results in 12% of unneeded CO2 emissions. At current fuel prices that 12% inefficiency is a US$13.56 billion cost. More direct routings, improved terminal operations and efficient fuel management are all part of a solution. IATA achieved some impressive results last year—saving over 12 million tonnes of CO2 with a bottom line impact of savings totalling US$2.4 billion. Good, but it is still not enough," said Bisignani. Liberalisation: "Air transport was the first industry to operate globally, but we are among the last to benefit from globalisation. Airlines are battling for commercial freedoms not provided for by the 60 year-old bilateral system. We need the freedom to serve markets where they exist and to merge or consolidate when it makes business sense," said Bisignani. "ANSPs must also share a vision for the consolidation of airspace. There are too many service providers and national politics and pride play too big a role.
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Boeing announced that it will compete aggressively for the continuation of significant U.S. Air Force support programs in Texas when it submits proposals for maintenance, repair, overhaul and logistics program contracts for KC-135 and KC-10 aircraft later this year. The work, currently performed by Boeing in San Antonio, would continue under the KC-135 Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) and the KC-10 Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) contracts that are both being re-competed this year. Although Boeing is the incumbent and performing very well on both programs, the company is taking nothing for granted.
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Ball Aerospace & Technologies announced the successful delivery of the NextSat Commodities Spacecraft (NextSat/CSC) to The Boeing Company's Orbital Express (OE) program for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Scheduled to launch late this year, OE is designed to demonstrate technological readiness of autonomous satellite servicing. "On-schedule delivery of the next-generation OE spacecraft furthers the development of robotic refueling, configuration and repair of spacecraft on orbit," said David L. Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Ball Aerospace. "Ball Aerospace is proud to contribute to innovative technologies and program performance that advance new missions and new capabilities for our nation's defense."
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The UK Government will subscribe a further EUR 31 million to the European Space Agency's development of the Galileo programme, Europe's future civil satellite navigation system, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alistair Darling confirmed today. Mr Darling said: "This investment is good news for British jobs, British technology and science. The Galileo project has real potential to develop groundbreaking technology leading to more accurate in-car navigation and new systems for the emergency services to locate missing or injured people. "Already many British companies are leading its development. We want our businesses to continue to lead when it is up and running - with new opportunities opening for our transport and communications industries. "British expertise is helping to build it, we want British companies and jobs to benefit from it. That is why we are backing it." A Public Private Partnership (PPP), currently under negotiation, will take over responsibility for building and operating the Galileo system.
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For the first time, the German Air Force has at its disposal a Deployable Control & Reporting Centre (DCRC) for the military surveillance of airspace and for the tactical command and control of air force units. The high-performance, largely autonomous system was officially commissioned on Saturday by the Federal Minister of Defence, Dr. Franz Josef Jung, and the Chief of Staff, Air Force, Lieutenant General Klaus-Peter Stieglitz, as part of the celebrations held at the Rostock-Laage air base to mark “50 years of the Luftwaffe.” The DCRC was developed jointly by EADS and Frequentis GmbH, Vienna, on behalf of the Federal Office for Information Management and Information Technology (IT-AmtBw). “This system offers an enormous increase in capability for the air forces – both for international operations and network enhanced capabilities. We are proud that we can use the DCRC to efficiently support the German Air Force in its transformation process," said Stefan Zoller, the EADS Executive Committee member responsible for the company's defence and security business. Thanks to the DCRC, a deployable combat operations centre will be added to the four stationary Control & Reporting Centres (CRCs) already in service in Germany. The system represents the integration of the technology for operational command and control, communication, data acquisition and distribution into the current thirteen air-conditioned containers. Three of these containers hold the computer technology plus the radio transmission and reception equipment, while the rest are workstation containers. The combat operations centre can be used either in its entirety or in modules tailored to a given mission. Because it can be carried on various means of transport, it fully meets the current requirements for mobility of military systems.
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Gulfstream Aerospace announced today that a Gulfstream GV has been selected by the STG-MELE team as the test bed for the new Integrated C4ISR Operational Networks (ICON) program. The ICON program is a United States Air Force program managed by Air Combat Command C4ISR. STG-MELE is the prime contractor selected by the U.S. government. MELE Associates Inc. of Rockville , Md. and subcontractor Magnus Aviation will provide all required staff services, equipment and material necessary to integrate payloads into host platforms; test and evaluate integrated payloads on host systems; and provide, operate and maintain suitable host platforms. “We are delighted that one of our aircraft has been selected for this important U.S. Air Force special missions role,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. “The proven performance and reliability of our aircraft, combined with our worldwide product support network, means that military operators can dispatch commercially off-the-shelf business jets with the same confidence as their civilian counterparts.”
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Ryanair, the UK's largest passenger airline repeated its call for the UK Government to adopt the same defiant response it took after the 7/7 London Underground attack, by not giving in to terrorism, and restore UK airport security to the same IATA norms that are followed at every other European international airport, and on every inbound flight to the UK. Ryanair reconfirmed that the “additional” security measures introduced by the DfT are ineffective and are - according to the BAA - “unsustainable”. These measures achieve nothing other than give rise to large queues, frequent delays and will result in further flight cancellations over the coming busy August Bank Holiday weekend. Ryanair highlighted that these “additional” security measures are nonsensical and ineffective.
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With the countdown clock ticking toward the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-115 mission, the International Space Station crew continues to prepare for visitors. Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer, NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany are ready for Atlantis to deliver a new section of the station's girder-like truss. Atlantis is set for launch on Sunday, which would result in docking with the station on Tuesday. During Atlantis' mission, astronauts will attach the new P3/P4 truss, a segment that includes a huge new set of solar arrays and a giant rotary joint to allow them to track the sun. To prepare for Atlantis' visit, the station crew members packed items that will be returned to Earth on the shuttle. They also reviewed spacewalk plans, talked with the shuttle crew in a long-distance conference and trained to photograph the shuttle's heat shield as Atlantis does a backflip while approaching the station. Flight controllers tested the operation of a U.S. air scrubbing system in advance. The Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly, or CDRA, was turned on for an extended period to test its capability to remove carbon dioxide from the air. The CDRA augments the Russian air scrubber, Vozdukh, which was turned off during the test. Engineers are continuing to evaluate data from the CDRA operations.
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26 March 2006
19 March 2006
12 March 2006
5 March 2006
26 February 2006
19 February 2006
12 February 2006
5 February 2006
29 January 2006
22 January 2006
15 January 2006
8 January 2006
January - December 2005
January - December 2004
January - December 2003
January - December 2002
January - December 2001
January to December 2000
January to December 1999
January to December 1998
January to December 1997
September to December 1996
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