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UPDATE
Week ending June 1, 2003
+++ ESA ministers provide funds +++ A400M contract signed +++ Galileo GPS gets go-ahead +++ 767 Tanker lease comes closer +++ Lufthansa first to sign for Connexion fleet +++ 1000th Rolls-Royce BR700 engine completed +++ Air France: Last Concorde service +++ News in brief +++
ESA ministers provide funds
Europäische Raumfahrt erhält Unterstützung
Ministers in charge of space affairs in Europe, meeting in Paris on May 27, agreed on steps to put Ariane 5 back on track and set up development of future launchers within a reorganised launcher sector, free funds for the International Space Station and strengthen relations between ESA and the European Union, while Galileo has become a reality for Europe. The decisions taken are critical to safeguarding Europe's guaranteed access to space. The Ministers have helped ESA restore the competitiveness of Europe's launcher system, restructure its launcher sector and prepare the future generation of launchers. In addition, they decided to unblock funds for exploitation of the International Space Station and reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation with the European Union.
In particular, the Ministers decided to support Europe's commercial launch operator, Arianespace, in the resumption of production of the “generic” version of Ariane 5 in order to guarantee continuity in launcher operations. At the same time they decided to support the qualification of the new and more powerful version (ECA, for a 10t lift-off capacity) by means of two flights in 2004 and to reduce production costs further. In order to sustain Europe's guaranteed access to space, the Ministers also agreed on a specific programme over the period 2005-2009 aimed at intensifying the institutional use of Ariane 5. In addition to this first set of measures to overcome present difficulties in the launcher sector, which is undergoing a severe worldwide crisis, structural measures have been taken to secure the robustness of the overall European launcher sector, demonstrating political will to strengthen the sector. First, the Ministers supported the need to reorganise the launcher sector so as to establish a strong link between production and development. They also decided to prepare for development of the next generation of launchers, thereby improving Europe's competitiveness in the field, and to build up international cooperation. This cooperation, initially with Russia, includes operation of the Russian Soyuz launcher by Arianespace from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, as from 2006.
Another subject dealt with by the Ministers was Europe's exploitation of the International Space Station. At the previous Ministerial meeting, in Edinburgh, part of the funds necessary for European exploitation of the Space Station had been blocked pending confirmation that the American partner would honour commitments it had given previously, showing that Europe was indeed willing to cooperate, but not at any price. The Ministers now agreed to unblock a first part of the ISS Exploitation Programme funds, to cover time-critical activities mainly related to the availability of ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and to the European ISS ground segment. Timely availability of the ATV will help to make up for a reduced Shuttle fleet after the Columbia accident.
The Ministers also addressed the relationship between ESA and the European Union, which has become a regular feature of the meetings at ministerial level. The first Resolution adopted at the Edinburgh meeting in November 2001 had reflected a very positive outcome with respect to this relationship, calling in particular for a framework agreement to formalise cooperation between the two organisations. Since then, this subject has received attention at the highest political level, as seen in the cooperation between the European Commission and ESA on drafting the Green Paper on European Space Policy and also in the possible inclusion of space matters in the revised mandate of the European Union, currently under consideration by the European Convention. New steps have therefore been taken towards a closer relationship between ESA and the Union. The Ministers expressed their wish to see it deepened and developed further, and urged the Agency to complete, before the end of 2003, the framework agreement to form the basis on which ESA and the EU will work together permanently.
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A400M contract signed
Vertrag für neuen Transporter unterschrieben
The Development and Production Contract of the multilateral programme for the European transport aircraft A400M was signed on 27 May. The programme is shared by Belgium (also acting for Luxembourg), France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, and United Kingdom. The programme, which represents one of the biggest European defense co-operations, will be managed by OCCAR on behalf and in the name of the participants. The contract was signed today by Dr Klaus von Sperber, Director of OCCAR EA (OCCAR - Executive Administration), and by Francisco Fernandez Sainz, CEO of Airbus Military Sociedad Limitada, whose shareholders are AIRBUS S.A.S, EADS CASA, FLABEL Corporation N.V.S.A. and TUSAS Aerospace Industries Incorporated. Coming into effect starting from 31 May 2003, the contract foresees the delivery of 60 aircrafts to Germany, 50 to France, 27 to Spain, 25 to UK, 10 to Turkey, 7 to Belgium and 1 to Luxembourg. The total commitment of the Participants to the programme is about 20 billion euros. The In Service Date for the British aircraft is expected to be 2011, one year later than previously planned. The A400M's first flight will take place in 2008 from the final assembly facility to be established in Seville.
First revenues are expected to be generated as soon as this year and to ramp up very quickly, with a total amount of about EUR 2 billion already generated between 2003 and 2005. This will contribute to the EADS overall target to grow defence revenues from EUR 6 billion in 2002 to nearly EUR 10 billion by 2005. With the A400M, the company's defence order book will double to around EUR 40 billion, placing EADS among the top three defence companies in the world. In addition to this initial domestic order, EADS is convinced that the A400M has an outstanding export potential of more than 200 aircraft in the next two decades. “The A400M is well positioned to replace a major part of the current world-wide fleet of tactical transport aircraft.”, Camus and Hertrich said. “There is simply no other new generation aircraft with 21st century technologies on the market.” The CEOs stressed that the A400M programme will create and secure a total of 40,000 jobs at manufacturers and their suppliers over a period of 20 years. “The financial strength of EADS and our experience in the management of large-scale, multi-national projects have been important prerequisites for the decision in favour of the A400M,” Camus and Hertrich said.
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Galileo GPS gets go-ahead
Grünes Licht für Galileo
Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system can go ahead. The European Space Agency (ESA) and the EU have approved the joint project and released the necessary funds. By the end of March, following lengthy negotiations, Germany and Italy had reached agreement on the division of the tasks comprising the program. Germany has been assigned the headquarters of Galileo Industrie and the system leadership for the space segment, which is the satellite platform. The President of the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI), Rainer Hertrich, thanked the German government for its "clear success and dedicated conduct of negotiations" over the past few months. "We have just received the go-ahead for one of our continent's most ambitious joint technology projects, and Germany is to assume the industrial leadership. If Europe, and Germany in particular, want to maintain their positions in the world in the long term, we will have to invest in future projects of this kind. Europe's Galileo not only establishes a link to the American GPS system but also offers a considerably higher quality of service. It secures our economic and technological core competencies on the one hand and the political sovereignty of Europe on the other," Hertrich said.
Galileo also offers the optimum infrastructure for the mobility of the future: It will enable forwarding agents to plan their logistics on a cross-border basis. Shipping companies will be able to trace the routes followed by their ships and containers all over the world. It will be easier to control traffic flows on our congested highways in peak periods. Galileo will also enable us to increase our air transport capacity. In addition, Galileo will not only provide control in the air. Our airports will also be able to make more efficient use of their capacity on the ground - on the taxiways, on the approach roads, and in the terminals.
A total of 20,000 workers will be required to produce the space-based and ground infrastructure, and a further 2,000 to operate the completed system. By moving into the field of terminal equipment and services Europe is penetrating a market that has so far been dominated by the U.S. By 2015 this market could generate about 100,000 new, innovative and future. The Galileo system will be built around 30 satellites (27 operational and 3 reserve craft) occupying three circular earth orbits, inclined at 56 deg to the Equator, at an altitude of 23 616 km. This configuration will provide excellent coverage of the planet. Two Galileo control centres will be established in Europe to control satellite operations and manage the navigation system.
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767 Tanker lease comes closer
Boeing hofft auf Tanker-Leasing durch USAF
The approval of the Air Force KC-767 tanker lease initiative was announced May 23 by Edward C. "Pete" Aldridge, under secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The agreement provides for leasing 100 KC-767 aircraft from the Boeing Co. for six years starting in 2006, at a cost of $138 million per aircraft. The initiative also includes a provision to purchase the aircraft for about $4 billion at the end of the lease in 2017. All things considered, Aldridge said, the Air Force's initiative seemed like the best deal for America. “We all recognized that one day we were going to have to recapitalize the tanker fleet,” he said. “We cannot continue to fly KC-135s forever, and the longer you wait to recapitalize, the more you run the risk of a fleet of those aircraft being grounded for some reason. So we have to get started, and here is an opportunity to start with a minimal amount of up-front Department of Defense dollars, and we can get our aircraft delivered much faster.” In the next step, the secretary of the Air Force will now forward a report to Congressional oversight committees detailing the terms and conditions for review and approval. The strategy allows the Air Force to begin replacing the KC-135E tanker fleet three years earlier than planned. With an average age of over 43 years, E-model KC-135s make up the oldest weapons system in the Air Force inventory.
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Lufthansa first to sign for Connexion fleet
Internet kommt Flottenweit bei Lufthansa
On May 27, Lufthansa and Boeing announced the signing of a definitive service agreement that solidifies the European air carrier's position as the launch customer for the Connexion by Boeing mobile information service and a leader in bringing broadband connectivity to passengers in flight. The agreement calls for the Connexion by Boeing service to be installed on Lufthansa's fleet of approximately 80 long-haul aircraft, including Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, beginning in early 2004. While financial terms of the service agreement were not disclosed, executives from both companies believe the advent of high-speed connectivity will be a significant benefit for airline passengers and for airline operators worldwide.
“Through this agreement, Lufthansa has clearly taken a position of leadership within the aviation industry in recognizing the added value that broadband connectivity can bring to its passengers and to its airline operations,” said Connexion by Boeing President Scott Carson. “We salute them for their pioneering spirit and the vision we share for enhancing the travel experience for their passengers and for creating new value opportunities for their airline operations.” In addition to the agreement with Lufhansa, Connexion by Boeing also signed an agreement with Lufthansa Technik AG to support the installation of the mobile information service on the Lufthansa fleet. Based on the terms of the agreement, Lufthansa Technik will support Connexion by Boeing in the design, planning and installation of the service and also produce a corresponding installation kit and supporting service bulletins that will be provided to the Boeing team.
Connexion by Boeing is a mobile information services provider that brings the fastest available high-speed Internet, data and entertainment connectivity to mobile travelers. The service is currently available to the executive services market in the U.S., including operators of private and government aircraft. In addition to service demonstrations with Lufthansa and British Airways, both Japan Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) have announced th
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1000th Rolls-Royce BR700 engine completed
BR700-Fertigung in Dahlewitz erreicht 1000 Einheiten
Rolls-Royce Deutschland handed over the 1000th engine in the BR700 series to a customer. A representative of Boeing joined Rolls-Royce staff at Dahlewitz, the development and production location of the company, in celebrating the occasion of the delivery of a BR715 turbofan for the Boeing 717-200. Timothy E. Hoeksema, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Midwest Airlines said: "Midwest Airlines congratulates the employees of Rolls-Royce who worked on the outstanding BR715 engine. This partnership has allowed us to launch our new fleet program with the Boeing 717-200, the most economical and fuel-efficient twinjet on the market today."
With a departure reliability of 99.96 percent, the BR715 engines have set new standards in regional air transport. I am pleased that our high-technology “Made in Germany” is actively contributing towards Midwest Airlines' competitive strength.” The Boeing 717 fleet that is in service with Midwest is powered by two BR715 turbofans and is the quietest aircraft of its class. The airliner's noise deflection is significantly below both present and planned official limits.
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Air France: Last Concorde service
Concorde bei Air France außer Dienst gestellt
On 30 May, the last Air France Concorde to go on a commercial flight from Paris to New York landed at Kennedy airport, an emotional end to a pioneering chapter in aviation. The supersonic airliner took off from Charles de Gaulle airport at 10:38 a.m. It landed in New York 8:10 a.m. The flight back from New York to Paris was on Saturday.
For Air France, which will be ceasing commercial Concorde operations on 31 May 2003, this supersonic aircraft belongs to the world's aviation heritage and must therefore be seen – and admired – after its last passenger flight. This will be the case for Air France's entire Concorde fleet, as all the aircraft will be put on public display. Air France has therefore decided to donate four Concordes to the following major aviation institutions: Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Le Bourget, France, Technik Museum Speyer, Sinsheim, Germany, Airbus, Toulouse, France, where it will be displayed at the future air museum, currently under construction. National Air and Space Museum, Washington (Smithsonian Institution), with which discussions are taking place to implement the transfer agreement signed in 1989. In doing this, Air France wishes to allow as many people as possible to see this legendary aircraft, which has made its mark not just on Air France, but on aviation history. Air France is therefore paying homage to Concorde, which, displayed on these sites, will live on forever. The four Concordes will be ferried to their destinations in June. The fifth Air France Concorde, which has just been overhauled, is scheduled to go on display at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
In a „significant“ test on Thursday, foam shot at a fiberglass mock-up of a space shuttle wing knocked loose a seal — the same type of piece that investigators believe was damaged during liftoff of Shuttle Columbia in January. "We're not drawing any conclusions," said Air Force Lt. Col. Woody Woodyard, a spokesman for the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. "We've got to analyze the data and evaluate all the data before we can draw any conclusions." The Columbia Accident Investigation Board suspects a seal along the leading edge of Columbia's left wing was damaged when struck by a chunk of foam insulation that broke off the fuel tank during launch. In the first and only shot at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, a 1.67-pound piece of real space shuttle foam was fired at the fiberglass leading edge at 533 mph. The foam blasted through the 33-foot barrel of a nitrogen-pressurized gun toward pretend panel No. 6 on the leading edge, tilted at a 20-degree angle. Upon impact, the adjacent seal lifted and pulled toward panel No. 7, leaving an opening about 22 inches long, Woodyard said. The width of the gap ranged from the thickness of a dime to more than a quarter-inch. All the parts in the abbreviated leading edge were fiberglass and came from the never-launched shuttle prototype Enterprise, which is housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, Woodyard said. In highly anticipated testing in June, researchers plan to shoot foam at real carbon-composite wing pieces that actually flew in space. Fiberglass is about 2 1/2 times more resilient than the carbon composite material that makes up real wing panels and seals, Woodyard said. That would suggest that a real panel or seal would have been even more damaged by a foam strike. Thursday's result was within impact predictions, Woodyard said. Earlier this month, researchers in San Antonio fired foam at the silica-glass thermal tiles that cover much of the space shuttles, but little if any damage resulted — also no surprise.
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The European Commission has authorized the acquisition by European aerospace and defense company EADS of BAE Systems's shareholding in Astrium, a European supplier of space systems created in 2000. The modification from joint to sole control will not significantly alter the current competitive structure in the market. This transaction is a modification of a similar deal that was notified to the Commission and cleared in December 2002, but not implemented by the parties. EADS is a jointly-held company which combines former activities of Aerospatiale Matra of France, DaimlerChrystler Aerospace (DASA) of Germany and Construcciones Aeronauticas of Spain. EADS is active in commercial aircraft, civil and military helicopters, space vehicles and orbital infrastructures, guided weapons, military aircraft and defense electronics and systems. The present operation is essentially the same as the one cleared by the Commission last year (see IP/02/1958, of 23 December 2002). The modification relates to a specific business unit within Astrium that initially was intended to remain under the joint control of EADS and BAE Systems, but over which EADS now acquires sole control. This business unit is responsible for the bidding in a tender procedure organized by the UK government for a military satellite communication system.
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SWISS generated revenues of CHF 1,044 million during the first three months of the 2003 financial year and has reported losses of CHF 200 million for the period under review. The results reflect the extremely difficult economic environment currently affecting all airlines, a situation which has been exacerbated by the war in Iraq and the SARS virus. The cost-cutting measures that have already been implemented are now beginning to take effect. Liquidity stood at CHF 913 million at the end of March. Revenues from scheduled flights total CHF 880 million. 2.7 million passengers travelled on our scheduled flights during the first quarter, and the seat load factor was 67.9%. The gross average yield per revenue seat-kilometre remained under pressure at 14.0 Swiss cents. As in recent months, the reasons for this trend are to be found in the very difficult operating climate impacting on the entire air travel industry, which is negatively affected by low demand, substantial over-capacity and fierce pricing competition amongst national airlines. The industry faces a further challenge from the growing number of low-cost carriers. The cargo business reported sales of CHF 130 million, a satisfactory result roughly on a par with the results achieved in recent quarters. Year-on-year, the charter business performed slightly better, generating sales of CHF 22 million. Further earnings of CHF 12 million also accrued from e.g. aircraft maintenance work carried out for other airlines. Total turnover in the first quarter amounted to CHF 1,044 million. Additional operating revenues amounting to CHF 22 million were collected from leasing operations concerning aircraft, flight simulators and office space, and from commissions on ticket sales for other airlines. After the first three months of the current financial year, results from operating activities showed a loss of CHF 199 million. The financial results were balanced: financial expenses of CHF 12 million were offset by financial income of an equivalent amount (deriving from interest payments on cash and cash equivalents, and foreign exchange earnings). Taxes – owed because of profitable subsidiaries – amounted to CHF 1 million. First-quarter losses therefore total CHF 200 million. The number of full-time posts at SWISS, including its subsidiaries, totalled 10,521 on 31 March, i.e. 85 posts fewer than the 10,606 at the end of 2002. Natural fluctuation and redundancies have reduced this total by a further 680 jobs since early April, so that the total head count will continue to fall over the year as announced.
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Swiss International Air Lines cannot accept the compromise solution proposed by the court of arbitration. SWISS must retain maximum flexibility to be able to respond to swiftly changing market conditions. The entire air transport industry is currently in the midst of the most severe crisis it has ever faced. If SWISS is unable to determine the size and composition of its aircraft fleet like every other airline, i.e. in accordance with strictly business-based criteria, its very existence is endangered. Proposals whereby long-haul pilots would be dismissed before regional pilots (or vice versa) for seniority reasons are not feasible, either for operating reasons or financial considerations. SWISS has two separate pilot corps which operate in two different markets with their own distinct conditions. As a general rule, the pilots of smaller aircraft have smaller salaries than the pilots of larger aircraft. All the pilot employment markets in the airline sector operate in accordance with this basic business principle. If, in the event of a downsizing of the workforce, personnel policy considerations resulted in the dismissal of pilots from the other corps than the one in which such reductions were actually required for economic reasons, these actions would entail massive costs for the company and sizeable problems in operational terms. In the current circumstances – the most severe crisis the air transport sector has ever experienced – these actions would pose a direct threat to SWISS's very existence. At the same time, however, SWISS is keen to ensure that the pilots of its smaller aircraft should enjoy terms and conditions of employment at SWISS Express which are fair in relation to those at other regional airlines, and to offer these pilots an attractive career model. In view of these considerations, SWISS cannot accept the compromise solution proposed by the court of arbitration. This proposal envisages, in the event of a downsizing of the workforce, that pilots from both corps should be dismissed in equal numbers – regardless of actual operational requirements. Whilst the SWISS PILOTS' Association has voted in favour of the compromise solution proposed by the court of arbitration, it has associated acceptance with conditions which are unacceptable to SWISS, and which go far beyond the proposal put forward by the court of arbitration.
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San Diego, California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., the leading manufacturer of remotely piloted aircraft surveillance systems, announced today that it has received a contract from the U.S. Army valued at $7.99 million. The contract calls for the delivery of three IGNAT aircraft plus a modular ground control station, portable ground data terminals and associated spare equipment. Delivery of the first aircraft to the US Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama is scheduled for May 2004. This procurement will enhance the Army's capability to accelerate the development of its UAV Concept of Operations in the transformation of its Objective Force Unit of Employment/Unit of Action force structure. As the predecessor of the U.S. Air Force and Navy Predator aircraft, the GNAT series have been operational for over ten years providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information to the U.S. and two foreign customers. The Improved GNAT (IGNAT) has also been on numerous combat area deployments operating from military and civilian airports on five separate continents. Sharing common avionics and mechanical systems with its sister aircraft, the IGNAT can carry over 200 lbs of payload and remain airborne for 50 hours. Coupled with its ability to fly up to an altitude of 25,000 ft, this system provides the U.S. Army with an unmanned aircraft system which provides the commander with state-of-the-art electro-optical/infrared capabilities.
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Boeing Air Traffic Management announced that it has signed a contract with the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) to develop models to support the economic evaluation of air traffic management investments. Air Traffic Management, with help from decision consultants from Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) and the Boeing Research & Technology Center (BRTC) in Madrid, will work with Eurocontrol to meet the following objectives: to develop concrete methods and support tools for the economic evaluation of all lifecycle phases of the air traffic system improvements described in the Eurocontrol ATM 2000+ strategy, and to develop a collaborative process for economic evaluations that ensures stakeholder ownership of the results. The models will be built using Decision Advisor, a decision-analysis software package from SmartOrg, which is designed to determine where and how best to invest resources in a project. Boeing has used Decision Advisor since the early 1990s for a variety of projects, including a CNS/ATM Airline Focused Team (C/AFT) evaluation of Datalink for Eurocontrol in 1998. Eurocontrol purchased the software last year. The current plan is to develop and test models for five stakeholder segments: service providers, airlines, airports, and military and general aviation. The schedule for the European Model for ATM Strategic Investment Analysis (EMOSIA) project runs from June through December 2003, with an option for additional developments in 2004.
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The Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range), the newest in the 777 family, recently set a maximum-takeoff weight record of 774,600 pounds (351,300 kilograms) - the heaviest takeoff ever for a twin-engine airplane. That takeoff occurred May 20 during U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification testing at Edwards Air Force Base. Boeing 777 Chief Test Pilot Frank Santoni and FAA Certification Pilot Eugene Arnold were at the controls. Because the airplane's takeoff weight exceeded the planned 759,600-pound certification weight, restrictions were applied to the airplane's center of gravity locations. Ground and air maneuvers were monitored during takeoff, flight and landing to ensure airplane structural loads were not excessive.
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Enstrom Helicopter Corporation President Peter Parsinen has appointed several key positions to continue to guide Enstrom during a period of growth and improvement. Tracy Biegler has been appointed sales and proposal director. Biegler came from Boeing Commercial Airplanes Flight Test department in Seattle. There he managed several engineering groups that supported all test programs involving Boeing's commercial aircraft. He was also responsible for flight test activities for development programs of the Boeing 747. Biegler's new responsibilities will include proposal creation, presentation and program management. Biegler's 14 years at Boeing provides Enstrom a wealth of knowledge and advances its goal to improve products and processes. The creation of this position accelerates Enstrom's entry into worldwide government markets.
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As a prime-contractor of the Criminal Investigation Department of the German Federal State Northrhine-Westphalia (LKA NRW), ESG is in charge of the modification of two BK117 B-2 police helicopters as night vision compatible alarm helicopters. The first upgraded helicopter was delivered today in Düsseldorf. The second is to be delivered at the end of July 2003. The police helicopters will have one of the most advanced and most integrated law enforcement mission equipment world-wide. It comprises a mission tactical operator console with a direction finder and a downlink transmitter as well as an imaging system with an externally mounted FLIR/TV camera and a high performance searchlight. This week the first modified helicopter received the U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority airworthiness approval note. The German airworthiness certificate is expected mid 2003. In this programme it is ESG's responsibility to manage the modification programme and to guide and to support participating sub-contractors and equipment providers. ESG also established the redundant system concept and specified the systems and its interfaces including the man-machine-interface. In addition ESG wrote the operations handbook and the maintenance handbook supplement and supported the certification process. Beyond that ESG is responsible for the details of the wiring logic, for the procurement of the required equipment and for planning and conducting the overall system tests.
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On May 29, Northrop Grumman Corporation announced today that the nation's newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), has successfully completed acceptance sea trials. The Reagan is the ninth Nimitz-class carrier built by Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector. A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://media.primezone.com/noc/ The acceptance trials are conducted with representatives of the U.S. Navy Board of Inspection and Survey for testing and evaluation of the ship's systems and performance. Upon completion of sea trials, Reagan returned to Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Va., where it will be commissioned July 12, 2003. "This is a proud moment for us," said Bob Gunter, Northrop Grumman Newport News senior vice president, Aircraft Carrier Program. "It's the culmination of years of hard work by thousands of shipbuilders. Soon we'll be delivering the most technologically advanced ship in the world to the Navy. And once she becomes part of our nation's defense, we'll follow her progress with great interest and take pride in her contributions to America." Named after America's 40th president, Reagan is ninth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and the first carrier named for a living president.
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Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected to be the industry partner for the Eclipse mission by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Dr. John Trauger, the Eclipse Principal Investigator. Eclipse is a proposed mission to perform the first sensitive imaging of nearby planetary systems using a high-contrast optical telescope and coronagraphic camera. This three-year mission, proposed by Trauger, is intended to provide fundamental information on planetary systems around the Sun's nearest neighbors. Eclipse will be proposed as a mission for NASA's series of Discovery missions, lower-cost, highly focused planetary science investigations designed to enhance our understanding of the solar system. The technology and science derived from Eclipse could pave the way for NASA's future space science missions, such as Terrestrial Planet Finder.
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On May 14, 2003, at Pleso Airbase near Zagreb, took place the handover from the Croatian Ministry of Defence to the Croatian Air Force of the first two MiG-21UM overhauled and upgraded by Aerostar S.A. At the hand-over ceremony participated officials of the Croatian Army and Government, and the representatives of Aerostar. On this occasion, as a sign of trust on the aircraft which were handed over to the the Air Force, the Croatian Minister of Defence, Mrs. Antunovic flew for around 25 minutes with one of the two-seaters.
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Comet-chasing mission Rosetta will now set its sights on Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. During its meeting on 13-14th May 2003, ESA's Science Programme Committee decided Rosetta's new mission baseline. The spacecraft will be launched in February 2004 from Kourou, French Guiana, using an Ariane-5 G+ launcher. The rendezvous with the new target comet is expected in November 2014. The choice of a new comet has required intensive efforts, including observations by telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the ESO Very Large Telescope to ensure we know as much as we can about the new target. The cost of the Rosetta launch delay is estimated at round 70 million Euros. The ESA Ministerial Council has resolved the financial issue by approving financial flexibility at Agency level.
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L-3 Communications announced that its Link Simulation and Training division has been awarded a $22.07 million delivery order to develop concurrency upgrades on aircrew and maintenance training systems for the U.S. Air Force's B-2A Spirit training program. Upgrades to the B-2A training system, which will be performed by Link's Binghamton, NY and Arlington, TX operations, will focus on concurrency modifications to the training system and a computer upgrade for the aircrew trainers. A primary modification Link will make to the trainers -- which includes three weapon system trainers, one mission trainer, a suite of maintenance trainers and a weapons load trainer -- will focus on simulating the aircraft's new LINK-16 Center Instrument Display/In-flight Replanning system. The LINK-16 Center Instrument Display/In-flight Replanning system provides technical and operational improvements to the B-2A's tactical data link capabilities.
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Italian defense officials accepted the first of 34 modified and refurbished F-16 Fighting Falcon A and B models from experts at Hill AFB May 16. Maj. Gen. Tommaso Ferro, air defense and defense cooperation attaché for the Italian air force, lead a delegation of military and diplomatic dignitaries in accepting aircraft purchased under the Defense Department's foreign military sales program. Ogden's Air Logistics Center provides total support for America's F-16 fleet by modifying and upgrading existing models, creating better fighters than originally imagined by engineers, said Maj. Gen. Scott Bergren, Ogden ALC commander.
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