FLUG REVUE update: Week ending January 25, 2004

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UPDATE
Week ending 25 January 2004

+++ Mars Express sees water +++ Eurocopter pleased with 2003 +++ UK defence programmes unsatisfactory +++ Hubble to get no further service +++ US and Europe negotiate on Galileo +++ News in brief +++

Mars Express sees water
Sensationelle Aufnahmen von Mars Express

Mars Express, ESA's first mission to Mars, will reach its final orbit on 28 January. It has already been producing stunning results since its first instrument was switched on, on 5 January. The significance of the first data was emphasised by the scientists at a European press conference at ESA's Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany.
One of the main targets of the Mars Express mission is to discover the presence of water in one of its chemical states. Through the initial mapping of the south polar cap on 18 January, OMEGA, the combined camera and infrared spectrometer, has already revealed the presence of water ice and carbon dioxide ice. This information was confirmed by the PFS, a new high-resolution spectrometer of unprecedented accuracy. The first PFS data also show that the carbon oxide distribution is different in the northern and southern hemispheres of Mars. The MaRS instrument, a sophisticated radio transmitter and receiver, emitted a first signal successfully on 21 January that was received on Earth through a 70-metre antenna in Australia after it was reflected and scattered from the surface of Mars. This new measurement technique allows the detection of the chemical composition of the Mars atmosphere, ionosphere and surface.
ESA also presented astonishing pictures produced with the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) . They represent the outcome of 1.87 million km2 of Martian surface coverage, and about 100 gigabytes of processed data. This camera was also able to make the longest swath (up to 4000 km) and largest area in combination with high resolution ever taken in the exploration of the Solar System. This made it possible to create an impressive picture 24 metres long by 1.3 metre high, which was carried through the conference room at the end of the press event by a group of 10-year-old children. Mrs Edelgard Bulmahn, German Minister for Research and Education, who is also chair of the ESA Council at ministerial level, said at the press conference: “Europe can be proud of this mission: Mars Express is an enormous success for the European space programme.”
The first spectacular stereoscopic colour picture was taken on 14 January 2004 by ESA's Mars Express satellite from 275 km above the surface of Mars by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). This image is available on the ESA portal at: http://mars.esa.int.

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Eurocopter pleased with 2003
Zufriedenstellende Bilanz für Eurocopter

In 2003, Eurocopter reinforced its leading position and achieved an increase in turnover, with a 45% share of the world market including 53% for the civil and parapublic sector. With 293 new helicopters ordered, the Eurocopter group once again took the position as world leader with 45% of the market in terms of the number of new civil and military helicopters, i.e. 25% in value. The orders were for: 38 EC 120 Colibri, 81 single-engine Ecureuil/Fennec, 27 EC 130 B4, 17 twin-engine Ecureuil/Fennec, 55 EC 135/EC 635, 6 BK 117, 4 EC 145, 27 Dauphin/Panther, 10 EC 155, 8 Super Puma/Cougar and 20 NH 90. The total orders, which included both new and 49 second-hand helicopters, customer services, Research and Development and other activities totaled 2.57 billion Euros and were divided equally between the civil and military sectors. The main military contracts signed in 2003 were: 20 NH 90 and 14 options, 2 Super Puma AS 332 C1 and 6 Dauphin AS 365 N3 (Greece), 2 Panther and 8 options (Mexico), 6 EC 635 and 7 options (Jordan).
In 2003, Eurocopter's consolidated sales totaled 2.61 billion Euros, a 4% increase compared to 2002. This figure mainly comprises customer services, Research and Development activities and the supply of 297 helicopters. 51% of sales came from the civil and parapublic sector and 49% from the military sector. The export share accounted for 57%. Excluding non-accessible contracts, Eurocopter maintains its position as world leader in terms of market share for both quantity (45%) and value (25%).
A slight drop in civil and parapublic contracts, particularly in the first half of the year due to the war in Iraq and the economic climate. With 53% of the market share by value, Eurocopter once again confirms its position as the No. 1 world leader and is still considerably ahead of Bell. Excellent penetration of the USA with a 48% share of the civil market. Strong recovery in the second half-year suggesting a good 2004.
A slight drop in volume in world military contracts with 220 new helicopters ordered in 2003 compared to approximately 300 in 2002, mainly in the “tactical transport” and “attack” sectors accounting for approximately 60% of the total military volume. Continuation of the major US programs and modernization of existing helicopters reduce the market share accessible to Eurocopter.

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UK defence programmes unsatisfactory
Kostensteigerungen bei Rüstungsprogrammen

Sir John Bourn, head of the UK National Audit Office, reporting on the top 20 defence equipment projects in demonstration and manufacture, said that difficulties on four projects predating the introduction of Smart Acquisition had been the primary cause of large cost and time variations in the year ended 31 March 2003. Smart Acquisition projects had performed better in the last year than those predating its introduction, but the challenge remained for the MoD to improve performance in the longer term. The MoD recognised this and was pursuing improvements.
Key findings in the Report are: The project population now includes 13 projects which have been approved since Smart Acquisition was introduced in 1998 with the objective of enabling the Department to buy military equipment "cheaper, faster, and better". It also includes seven older projects which were approved earlier: the MOD expects to meet 99 per cent of the military customer's requirements; costs have increased in-year by £3.1 billion and are now 6.1 per cent over their approved costs; projects will take longer than originally forecast to come into service. There has been an in-year slippage of 144 months, an average in-year slippage of nine months per project; most of the in-year cost variation and time slippage relates to four older projects – Astute, Advanced Air-Launched Anti-Armour Weapon, Nimrod and Typhoon. They account for £2.7 billion (87%) of the in-year cost increase and 113 months (79%) of the in-year slippage.

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Hubble to get no further service
Keine Wartung für das Weltraumteleskop

NASA has announced that it will no longer launch servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope, instead allowing its systems to slowly degrade and, ultimately, fail. Contrary to a number of reports, the move is not related to US President George Bush's new space strategy, outlined on 14 January. Rather, the decision was taken in light of recommendations following the investigation into the Colombia space shuttle disaster in February 2003. The investigation concluded that all future manned shuttle missions must allow for inspection and, if necessary, repair of the craft following launch. In the case of Hubble, which needs servicing every few years to repair worn out parts, new systems would have to be specially developed in order to meet this requirement.
'NASA decided that doing so was not commensurate with extending Hubble's lifetime until the deployment of [its replacement] the James Webb space telescope, as was originally foreseen,' Anton Linssen, from the European Space Agency (ESA) scientific directorat, said. The plan had been to maintain Hubble until the launch of the new infrared observatory in August 2011. While it appears unlikely that Hubble's instruments will remain operational beyond 2008, Mr. Linssen stressed: 'Hubble is operating fantastically at the moment. Some systems are critical in terms of lifetime, but it is impossible to know how long it will keep producing data.' While the scientific community has reacted with sadness to the news of Hubble's demise, it is somewhat offset by the hope that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will allow them to determine the shape of the universe and better understand the birth and formation of stars.

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US and Europe negotiate on Galileo
Verhandlungen über Galileo

Loyola de Palacio, European Commission Vice-President, has welcomed the latest statements by the USA that the European Union and the USA are on the verge of agreement on the Galileo and GPS satellite radio navigation systems. “These statements reinforce the EU's goal of defining, together with our USA partners, the standard for the best possible civil system for the benefit of users worldwide,” she emphasized, before adding “I hope the remaining obstacles to the signing of an agreement covering all the subjects under discussion will be removed during the forthcoming negotiating session which will be held in Washington on 29 and 30 January”. Concluding the negotiations with the USA has been a priority for the European Union since the discussions on arrangements for cohabitation between Galileo and the American GPS system began four years ago. Initially, the USA disputed the merits of the Galileo program itself. Considerable progress has been made during the last 18 months and the main obstacles to an agreement between the two parties have now been removed.
The USA now recognizes the importance of the Galileo system for all satellite radio navigation users and have taken on board the EU's objective of achieving full interoperability between Galileo and the GPS system for the maximum benefit of users. Furthermore, the USA was opposed, for military security reasons, to Galileo having a signal modulation which partly covers that of the GPS's future military signal, the code M. The European experts were able to show their American colleagues that there is no harmful interference between Galileo's signals and those of the GPS system and that the two systems are technically perfectly compatible, including in terms of time references and geodesy. A major advance towards an overall agreement came in the autumn 2003 with the identification of a solution for the governmental service signal.
Only two questions remain to be solved: the coexistence of Galileo's open signal and the GPS's military signal in the event of a crisis, and the prospects for further improving Galileo's signals. On the first, the Commission has already made several concessions called for by the USA during recent discussions. The European Union, however, intends to have the best possible civil system in the form of Galileo. Some of the civilian service applications offered by the system require great precision, such as applications in an urban environment, emergency calls using the European number 112, the guidance of aircraft and guidance assistance for the blind. They require the choice of a very high-performance signal, which will guarantee Galileo's commercial success. On the second question, the overall agreement under discussion must provide for an effective and transparent way for agreeing on how to optimize the performance of Galileo and the GPS system in line with technological developments and users' demands. This will take account of US national security concerns.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

NHIndustries (NHI) has selected the CAE-Thales Training & Simulation team as the preferred bidder to provide a range of NH90 helicopter training systems throughout Europe in a program valued at approximately Euro 400 million (C$650 million). NHI is managing procurement of the NH90 training systems for the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) and the Nordic Standard Helicopter Program (NSHP). NAHEMA represents the governments Germany, Italy, France, The Netherlands, and Portugal while NSHP represents Norway, Sweden, and Finland. All eight countries are procuring variants of the NH90 helicopter. CAE and Thales Training & Simulation are establishing a joint venture company to serve as prime contractor and design authority for managing and delivering the NH90 training program to NHI and the eight nations. The CAE-Thales Training & Simulation company, working closely with Rheinmetall Defence Electronics (RDE) as a key subcontractor in Germany, will subcontract work to CAE GmbH, Thales Training & Simulation, RDE, Rotorsim, Saab, and other local companies to achieve national workshare obligations for development and production. Contract negotiations between NHI and the CAE-Thales Training & Simulation team have begun and should be completed in 2004.
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Airborne Laser engineers recently prepared and assessed a 1,200-gallon batch of chemicals that will help generate the airborne laser beam. Mixed at the ABL facility at Edwards, this batch makes up the delicately balanced formula necessary to create a laser beam capable of destroying a ballistic missile, said Col. Ellen Pawlikowski, ABL program director located at Kirtland. The event occurred in mid-December, two weeks after a shipment of 4,400 gallons of hydrogen peroxide was delivered to the ABL's chemical mixing facility. "The completion of this initial mix is the culmination of the ABL team working toward the activation of ABL test infrastructure and transitioning into laser test operations at Edwards," said Kevin Montoya, ABL deputy to the director at Edwards. "The integrated maintenance facility will support activation of the system integration lab and the associated test series of the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser in the SIL later in 2004."
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Over the next 10 years, defense departments will spend some $21 billion on key electronic warfare (EW) systems, according to “The Market for Electronic Warfare Systems,” a new analysis produced by Forecast International. “Long-term RDT&E appears to be taking a back seat to the immediate needs of equipping active military forces,” says the report's author, Andrew Dardine, Aerospace/Defense Electronics Analyst with Forecast International. The replacement of the U.S. Navy's EA-6B Prowler jamming system is a strong case in point, illustrating how immediate need is dictating current market projections. “The systems that have been chosen to take the place of the Prowler represent some of the fastest growing and most lucrative systems in play,” Dardine said. Northrop Grumman's ALQ-218 jamming system upgrades for the EA-6B represent a 10-year value of $678 million. With the integration of the ALQ-218 into the emerging EA-18G (the EA-6B's temporary replacement), the company will stand to make an additional $644 million in the same timeframe. A combined total of 220 systems for both applications are expected to be produced through 2013.
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Raytheon has been awarded a $7.6 million engineering and manufacturing development contract to supply anti-jam Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to the Air Force´s C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP). Boeing Integrated Defense Systems selected the Raytheon Digital Anti-jam Receiver (DAR) to provide C-130 airlift and special mission aircraft with robust and highly accurate navigation components. Under a follow-on production contract, 982 DAR systems at a cost of approximately $37.3 million may be required.
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Bombardier Aerospace has received one firm order and two options for Bombardier Challenger 604 widebody aircraft from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in runway and airway calibration and other special missions. The new aircraft will join a fleet of three Bombardier Challenger 601-3R jets.
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The Bell 206B3 Jet Ranger is one of Bell Helicopters most successful models with thousands of the reliable aircraft in service throughout the world. In response to customer needs, Bell engineers have recently finished a certification program that increases the internal gross weight limit for the 206B to 3,350lbs, a significant increase of 150 lbs. Take-off at the higher gross weight will require an initial airspeed reduction until a corresponding amount of fuel is consumed. The increase in useful load will enable the JetRanger to be more competitive in the Light Helicopter market. The additional capacity will benefit the Law Enforcement market in particular, as agencies will be able to expand mission capabilities and aircraft effectiveness. Police units can now carry an extra person or extra equipment without having to reduce fuel load or otherwise limit aircraft takeoff weight. In addition, this useful load enhancement could benefit applications such as power line/pipeline patrol, air tourism and urban forest fighting applications.
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A study report on how to meet the North Atlantic Treaty Organization¹s (NATO´s) Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) program requirements has been delivered from Los Angeles, Calif., onboard a Bombardier Global Express aircraft to Brussels. The report was prepared by the Cooperative Transatlantic AGS System (CTAS) consortium, a group of leading defense industry companies. The flight began at Los Angeles International Airport at 9:45 p.m. Brussels time on Sunday, January 11, 2004. The aircraft, which flew at Mach.88, arrived at Brussels International Airport at 8:34 a.m. on Monday, January 12, 2004 the deadline for the submission of the study to NATO. The study report was off loaded and immediately delivered to NATO headquarters located outside of Brussels. The Global Express carried 26 copies of the 1,000-page proposal, weighing over 800 pounds. Accompanying the proposal were six CTAS executives and a crew of four.
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Raytheon has been awarded a competitive contract to supply turnkey air traffic management systems for airports in Iraq. The initial award is for $10.5 million, with additional equipment options of up to $38.9 million. Work under this contract will restore full, all weather air traffic control capability to the key commercial airports in Iraq and reestablish the infrastructure needed in order for Iraq to rejoin the international air traffic community. Raytheon will supply state-of-the-art navigation and landing aids, airfield lighting, airport meteorological equipment, as well its latest field-proven all solid-state, digital terminal area surveillance radars and Raytheon AutoTrac II air traffic management systems.
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With a roar and a rush of water vapor, the Space Shuttle's Main Engines (SSME) reached a significant milestone Wednesday. The system surpassed one million seconds of successful testing and launch firings during a successful flight-acceptance test at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The engine that was tested is scheduled for use on STS-121, the mission following the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight. The test ran for eight-and-a-half minutes, the length of time it takes the Space Shuttle to achieve orbit. "This one millionth-second test is a testimony to the NASA and contractor team that developed, tested and continues to improve the SSME to safely take humans to low Earth orbit," said NASA's Miguel Rodriguez, director of the Propulsion Test Directorate at Stennis. "Personally, it is an honor to be part of this great program," he added.
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The second of three unpiloted X-43A vehicles in NASA's Hyper-X program is being prepared for a no earlier than Jan 24, 2004, captive carry flight, which is the dress rehearsal for its free flight currently scheduled for Feb. 21, 2004. Pending thorough evaluation of all flight data, the captive-carry test could lead to the December flight of the X-43A stack. The stack, consisting of the X-43A and its modified Pegasus booster will be air-launched by NASA's B-52 carrier aircraft at 40,000 feet altitude. The booster will accelerate the experimental vehicle to Mach 7 at approximately 95,000 feet altitude. At booster burnout, the X-43 will separate and fly under its own power on a preprogrammed path.
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The European consortium ATR (Avions de Transport Régional) with headquarters in Toulouse (France) announced that despite a planned difficult year, its 2003 results are encouraging. On the new aircraft market ATR has logged a total of 10 orders (from Air Tahiti, Guradi di Finanza in Italy and CSA). Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 676 aircraft (380 ATR 42s and 296 ATR 72s). The ATR is operated by 115 airlines. In 2003, ATR delivered 9 aircraft to 7 airlines. 5 deliveries along with 5 orders to Khalifa Airways have been cancelled after the collapse of the Algerian airline. Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has delivered 661 aircraft (372 ATR 42s and 289 ATR 72s). On the second hand aircraft market, ATR registered once again a strong activity with 43 aircraft transactions (31 ATR 42s and 12 ATR 72s) including 15 cash sales.
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The Sikorsky VH-3D helicopters that have flown every American President since Gerald Ford today achieved 100,000 flight hours in Presidential service, a major milestone in Sikorsky's 46-year relationship with the Presidential mission. Sikorsky Chairman Dean Borgman was on hand at HMX-1, the United States Marine Corps' Presidential Helicopter Squadron based here, as the familiar green-and-white Presidential helicopter touched down at the end of the ceremonial mission to mark the 100,000th flight hour. Borgman presented a commemorative plaque to the crew for the flight: HMX-1 Commanding Officer Col. John Page, of Irving, Texas; Maj. Matthew McLuckie, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Sgt. Anthony Caudillo, of Bakersfield, California.
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With one aircraft in International Falls, MN, undergoing cold weather evaluation flights and the other two conducting test flights here, the AH-1Z test fleet exceeded 1,000 flight hours this week. The AH-1Z Super Cobra is the attack helicopter component of the U.S. Marine Corps' H-1 Upgrade program to remanufacture the existing AH-1W SuperCobra and UH-1N twin-engine Huey into the 84 percent identical AH-1Z and UH-1Y configurations. During its first 1,000 flight hours, the AH-1Z achieved 160 knots cruise speed with a maximum airspeed of 220 knots. In February 2004, the AH-1Z is scheduled to conduct live fire testing at the Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ. The H-1 Program received a major boost Oct. 23, 2003, from the Defense Acquisition Board giving the approval for Bell Helicopter to remanufacture six UH-1N and three AH-1W helicopters to the UH-1Y and AH-1Z standard during FY04. A second Low Rate Initial Production lot, currently scheduled to be another six Hueys and three Super Cobras, should enter production in FY05.
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Space Imaging has been awarded a contract to continue providing geographic information services (GIS) in support of the operations of the U.S. Forest Service's Regional Office in Vallejo, Calif., its Remote Sensing Laboratory in Sacramento and the 18 national forests throughout California's Region 5. The contract has a maximum potential value of $1,300,000 over three years. Space Imaging has successfully provided GIS support services on-site at USDA Forest Service offices in Region 5 for the past 12 years. This on-going support has helped the Forest Service establish a robust GIS infrastructure throughout California. Space Imaging currently staffs 14 employees in Region 5, with combined experience of more than 40 years of service to the Forest Service.
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The DGA (French Government Armament Agency), Telecommunication and Information Programmes Department, has awarded EADS Astrium a contract for the design and production of a space based optical early warning system demonstrator. EADS Astrium is the prime contractor for this 124 M Euros program and will supply the alert and monitoring ground segment. Alcatel Space will develop the satellites whilst EADS Astrium will be responsible for satellite integration and in-orbit operations. The demonstrator called SPIRALE (French acronym for “Preparatory System for IR Early Warning”) covers the supply and operation of a complete system able to collect and analyze infrared imagery against a land background, in order to detect ballistic missiles during their boost phase, just after launch. The space segment consists of two 120 kg class micro-satellites operating on an elliptical orbit, to be launched by Ariane 5 in 2008. Alcatel Space, a subsidiary of Alcatel, has been chosen by EADS Astrium, prime contractor for the SPIRALE (Système Préparatoire Infra-Rouge pour l'Alerte) early warning program, to build two demonstration satellites. The SPIRALE program, worth 124 million euros, involves the supply and operation of a complete ballistic missile early warning system. It will gather and analyze infrared images of terrestrial backgrounds to detect ballistic missiles during their powered phase, just after launch. Alcatel Space is prime contractor for the space segment, comprising two 120-kg class micro-satellites in elliptical orbit. They will be launched in 2008 by an Ariane 5 rocket. A first in Europe, this demonstration program is designed to pave the way for a future spaceborne early warning system using optical sensors. This system would be key to an anti-ballistic missile defense system, as well as contributing to other missions, such as monitoring of weapon proliferation, for the French defense procurement agency DGA.
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In 2003 Europe had the lowest levels of air traffic-related delays for any year since records began, EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. Analysis for 41 European countries shows that 2003 was the busiest year on record, with a total number of 8,466,966 flights, up 2.8% on 2002. At the same time, average air traffic flow management delay per flight was 20% down on 2002, averaging 1.7 minutes per flight. 12 September 2003 now holds the record for the busiest single day, with 28,173 flights. “These are excellent results for passengers, the airlines and everyone involved in air traffic management,” said Mr Víctor M. Aguado, Director General of EUROCONTROL. “The joint investment that has been made in improving the air traffic management system is clearly paying off, with dramatically reduced delays despite increases in traffic.” EUROCONTROL predictions suggest that the number of flights in Europe could increase by approximately 4.3% in 2004. EUROCONTROL will continue its collaborative approach to air traffic flow management operations in order to optimise capacity and prevent delay increases. A particular focus for 2004 will be on assisting airports to deal with the increased demands placed on their services.
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Germany-based tour operator Thomas Cook AG has signed an agreement to sell 12 of its Boeing 757-200 airliners to the Moscow-based leasing company Tsentr-Kapital. Tsentr-Kapital, one of Russia's five largest leasing companies, was set up in 2001 by Tatneft and Zenit bank, in which Tatneft has a controlling stake. Tsentr-Kapital's boasts capital of 120 million rubles and a $230 million leasing portfolio. Tsentr-Kapital primarily deals with the leasing technological equipment, automobiles, and special vehicles. The agreement to sell the 12 commercial airliners was signed in Germany on 15 January between Thomas Cook subdivision Condor Flugdienst GmbH and Tsentr-Kapital, according to Thomas Cook. The company's press department said it sold the airliners because a sharp decline in the market for short-distance flights made it unprofitable to retain them in its fleet.
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Aerojet, a GenCorp Inc. company, through its recently announced acquisition of the assets of Atlantic Research Corporation's propulsion business (ARC Propulsion) was named by Raytheon Missile Systems to be the propulsion supplier for the Variable Flow Ducted Rocket (VFDR) Flight Vehicle Concepts program. Raytheon is the prime contractor on the program for the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate Flight Vehicle Integration Branch. The first phase of the contract will operate for approximately one year. Under the VFDR program, Aerojet will develop a preliminary design for a flight test vehicle with a propulsion system designed specifically for air-to-air tactical missile applications. Additionally, adaptations of the VFDR technology will be evaluated for other potential tactical missile applications.
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Saab Bofors Dynamics and BGT have signed a contract for the Series Preparation and Pilot Lot production phase for the short range air-to-air missile IRIS-T. The contract value is 12.5MEUR covering two years. Saab Bofors Dynamics and BGT (Bodenseewerk Geraetetechnik GmbH) have signed a contract for the Series Preparation and Pilot Lot production phase of two electronics units (Aircraft Interface Unit and Signal Processing Unit) for the short range air-to-air missile IRIS-T. Saab Bofors Dynamics is anticipating an order for the Series Production of these electronics units during 2005.
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The Rosetta mission, Europe's bid to land a spacecraft on the surface of a comet, is in difficulty again, after technical concerns were raised about the flight readiness of the Ariane rocket to be used in the launch. However, both the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace, the rocket's manufacturers, insist that the faults are not major and that they still plan to launch from the Kourou spaceport in French Guyana on 26 February.
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The “Roll Out” ceremony of the first E-2C Hawkeye Aircraft for the Mexican Navy took place on January 21st, 2004 at the facilities of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)'s Bedek Aviation Group, near Ben-Gurion International Airport, Israel. The aircraft is one of three former Israeli Air Force E-2C Aircraft that were sold to Mexico by the Israeli Government through SIBAT, the Foreign Defense Assistance and Defense Export Organization, of Israel's Ministry of Defense. Bedek Aviation Group is performing the refurbishment and reconditioning of the three Aircraft, including their mission systems. IAI's Bedek Aviation Group also conducts extensive training courses to the Mexican Navy Air Crews and Ground Crews aimed at qualifying and certifying them in the operation and maintenance of the E-2C A/C upon their arrival to Mexico.
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An independent oversight panel says the U.S. space agency NASA is making substantial, but uneven progress in getting its space shuttle fleet back to orbit. NASA's ability to fly a shuttle this year remains in question. NASA grounded the three remaining shuttles when the orbiter Columbia disintegrated upon its return from a mission one year ago. In August, an investigation board found that the mishap was caused by a piece of foam insulation that flew off Columbia's external tank during launch and made a hole in its left wing. The board recommended 15 steps NASA should take to make shuttles safer. Now, an oversight committee created to assess NASA's compliance, says it is making headway, but is further ahead on some issues than others. The co-chair of the panel, former astronaut Richard Covey, says “The agency has made solid progress toward addressing each and every one of the return-to-flight recommendations, but [there is] still a great deal of work to be done. At the same time, we haven't seen anything that says they can't get this done within a reasonable period of time to return to flight.”
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The Spanish carrier Binter Canarias has signed a contract for 6 ATR 72-500s. With this new order, Binter Canarias will renew its existing fleet of 13 ATR 72 with new-generation aircraft. The 6 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between May 2004 and February 2005. The Spanish carrier, which started its ATR operations in 1991, will equip these new ATR 72-500 aircraft with the new « Elégance » cabin, a concept which has been developed to further enhance the level of comfort for the passengers.
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Flight Options, LLC, a leading provider of fractional shares in business aircraft, will soon begin training all of the company's pilots at CAE SimuFlite's Dallas-Fort Worth center. The exclusive three-year agreement, with an option for two more years, is the single largest ever for CAE SimuFlite. “The utilization of CAE SimuFlite's services is one of the ways in which Flight Options ensures its pilots receive the best training,” said John Nahill, chairman and chief executive officer of Flight Options, LLC. CAE's global network of training centers—which in two years has expanded to more than 100 full-flight simulators from 60—offers aviation training for business, commercial, regional and helicopter operators, and the network continues to develop. CAE SimuFlite is the world's largest business aviation training facility and the flagship business-aviation training center in CAE's global training network.
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Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov arrived in Delhi with a promise to deliver a completely revamped aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov to India before 2008, as the two countries signed the 1.5 Billion US dollar deal. “The shipment of the Gorshkov complete with its armaments, along the lines of the proposed agreement, is expected before 2008,” he told reporters on arrival on a three-day crucial visit.
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Brazil may be about to buy into the controversial European satellite navigation system, Galileo, despite misgivings from their neighbor to the north, the United States. The EUobserver has learned that Brasilia is currently weighing up its participation in the 3.2 billion euro project which is due to be launched in 2008. Although no formal decision has yet been made, according to Brazilian diplomats the visit to Brazil by European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, may result in an announcement. Patten will meet with the Brazilian president, foreign minister and defense minister this week as part of a three-country tour of South America. The satellite system has caused controversy in Washington because it uses some of the same frequencies as the U.S. military system known as GPS (Global Positioning System).
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Messier-Dowty has delivered the first test A380 nose landing gear to Airbus UK. Standing at 4.8 meters tall when fully extended, the A380 nose landing gear is the largest landing gear ever supplied by Messier-Dowty to Airbus. The gear will be fitted to the Airbus system test rig located in Filton, England to allow Airbus UK to perform the aircraft systems testing validation. "This handover of the first A380 nose landing gear marks the latest milestone in Messier-Dowty's long and successful history with Airbus," said Louis Le Portz, chairman and CEO. "As landing gear supplier for all existing Airbus in service aircraft, Messier-Dowty is proud of its contribution to the world's largest airliner."
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Various media have reported on the negotiations SWISS is involved in to obtain an operating credit. SWISS has the following to say on the matter: SWISS is engaged in ongoing negotiations with various foreign and domestic banks to secure an operating credit. In addition to commercial credit provided by the banks, support from shareholders is also desired. This could take the form of a shareholders' loan, for example. The main purpose of these negotiations is to ensure liquidity in the event of unforeseen developments. SWISS will inform the public about the conclusion of these negotiations at the appropriate time.
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Fraport AG has now received via its lawyers the Philippine Supreme Court decision, which confirms its early decision of May 2003 that concession contracts between the Philippine government and the PIATCO consortium for constructing and operating the new passenger terminal in Manila were invalid. This latest decision comes as no surprise to Fraport AG - which has a 30 percent share in PIATCO - and is by no means a "final end" to the company's claim for compensation. Rather, in view of the previous Supreme Court decision Fraport already applied last summer for an arbitration procedure at the World Bank to receive compensation from the Philippine government for the nearly completed International Passenger Terminal 3 project (NAIA IPT 3). In this latest decision, the Philippine Supreme Court confirms for the first time that the government can only take over the terminal following payment of compensation. Page 40 of the Supreme Court's written decision states word-for-word: "This court, however, is not unmindful of the reality that the structures comprising the NAIA IPT 3 facility are almost complete and that funds have been spent by PIATCO in their construction. For the government to take over the said facility, it has to compensate respondent PIATCO as builder of the said structures. The compensation must be just and in accordance with law and equity for the government can not unjustly enrich itself at the expense of PIATCO and its investors." The Supreme Court decision unmistakeably calls on the Philippine government to negotiate a compensation agreement with PIATCO or its shareholding partners. Fraport is striving to get respective talks with the government resumed - without jeopardizing, in any form whatsoever, the arbitration procedure now in process at the World Bank in Washington.
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On Friday, the flight team for NASA's Spirit received data from the rover in a communication session that began at 13:26 Universal Time (5:26 a.m. PST) and lasted 20 minutes at a data rate of 120 bits per second. "The spacecraft sent limted data in a proper response to a ground command, and we're planning for commanding further communication sessions later today," said Mars Exploration Rover Project Manager Pete Theisinger at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The flight team at JPL had sent a command to Spirit at 13:02 Universal Time (5:02 PST) via the NASA Deep Space Network antenna complex near Madrid, Spain, telling Spirit to begin transmitting.
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Bombardier Aerospace announced today that its appointment of Adria Airways as a Bombardier CRJ Recognized Service Facility (RSF) in Europe has been extended until 2007. Adria Airways of Ljubljana, Slovenia was awarded the distinction as the first Bombardier recognized CRJ heavy maintenance facility in Europe in July 2002. Since that time, Adria has performed more than 90 modification and check events on Bombardier CRJ200 and Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets. “Adria's willingness to accept challenges, respond to customer requirements and its excellence in service performance makes us proud to have Adria as our service partner to support our CRJ customers,” said Jeff Mihalic, vice-president and general manager, Customer Services, Bombardier Aerospace, Regional Aircraft. “We look forward to continuing and expanding our relationship as Bombardier's CRJ product family continues to grow in the European market.”
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