+++ EADS approves A350 XWB +++ AEA discusses emissions trading +++ Lufthansa and Air Malta expand cooperation +++ QinetiQ demonstrates multiple unmanned aircraft autonomy system +++ Fraport to pay for chemical plant removal +++ Finmeccanica and Sukhoi sign final agreement for Superjet 100 +++ Air Berlin orders more Boeings to grow +++ NATO order missile defence testbed +++ UK MoD selects Ascent for Military Flight Training System +++ Successful firing of Vega's first-stage motor +++ News in brief +++
EADS approves A350 XWB
Neuer Airbus kommt
The EADS Board of Directors has given the go ahead for Airbus to launch the industrial programme for the new A350 XWB airliner family. In doing so, the Board has assumed the full implementation of the Power8 competitiveness programme. The A350 XWB - together with the A330/A340 aircraft family – will meet a market that requires some 5,700 new aircraft being delivered in the next two decades with more than US$ 1,000 bn value. “The A350 XWB will be the most modern commercial aircraft and a step ahead of its competitor,” said EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Louis Gallois. “With technologically advanced innovations, the new aircraft is designed to answer the customers' strong demand with the most efficient and comfortable passenger aircraft in the world.”
The A350 XWB is going to be financed predominantly from the company cash flows, with strong contribution from the Power8 programme and from risk sharing partners. The funding requirements going forward will be proactively managed in line with company policy to preserve a strong balance sheet. EADS expects to spread the development costs of the full XWB family over the years 2007 to 2014 with the bulk of spending occurring in 2010-2013. Entry into service of the first A350 XWB is planned for 2013.
Conceived from the outset to become a comprehensive airliner Family, the A350 XWB will be available in three basic passenger versions, the A350-800 which can fly 270 passengers in a spacious three-class configuration up to 8,500 nm / 15,750 km, the A350-900 seating 314, and the A350-1000 which is designed for 350, both with ranges of up to 8,300nm / 15,400 km. The three passenger versions have a cruise speed of Mach 0.85. As an ultra long-range aircraft, the A350-900R will fly even further. A freighter version, the A350-900F will complement the passenger models. According to its latest Global Market Forecast, Airbus estimates the demand for passenger and freighter aircraft in this category, for the next 20 years, at some 5,700 planes representing 41 per cent in terms of value of all new aircraft delivered above 100 seats.
With a cross section of 232 inches / 5.9 meters, the A350 XWB will benefit from the widest fuselage in its category, offering unprecedented levels of comfort in this market segment. It will also offer the lowest operating costs and lowest seat mile cost of any aircraft in that category. The Family is designed to confront the challenges of high fuel prices, rising passenger expectations, and environmental concerns in that market segment. The A350 XWB will be powered by new generation Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines delivering between 75,000 and 95,000 lbs of thrust. Rolls Royce CEO, Sir John Rose, said: "We are very pleased to join Airbus for its A350 XWB programme. Together, we are committed to set new standards in fuel-efficiency, maintainability and engine reliability for the 21st century."
To achieve this, the new A350 XWB will feature the latest innovations in terms of advanced technologies. Amongst those is the use of all-new, easy to maintain and much lighter Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) paneled fuselage skins. This innovation in manufacturing permits easier maintainability and reparability of individual airframe parts, while also allowing the structure of the panels to be much better optimized in terms of design to the stress and load requirements of each individual airframe part. Over 60 per cent of the airframe will be made of new materials. Moreover, the fly-by-wire A350 XWB will have handling and flight deck operational commonality allowing airlines to benefit from the Airbus family concept of cross crew qualification and mixed fleet flying.
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AEA discusses emissions trading
Fluggesellschaften am Emissionshandel beteiligt?
The proposal on a European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for aviation by the Commission's Environment Directorate was at the top of the agenda of the AEA Assembly, a bi-annual gathering of the Presidents of the major European airlines who recently met in Berlin. The Assembly discussed this topic, as well as the industry's most pressing concerns, with European Commission Vice-President and Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot. The AEA Presidents acknowledged the need to address the environmental responsibilities of the aviation sector. They believe that any trading scheme, which they are willing to contribute to in principle, should be seen in the context of a bundle of measures designed to minimise the impact of aviation on the environment, ranging from further technological developments of engines and aircraft, to infrastructural improvements such as the creation of a Single European Sky – an initiative which, when it becomes reality, will cut aircraft emissions over Europe by 12%. Whilst agreeing with the principles of an ETS, the CEOs felt that the proposal developed by Environment Commissioner Dimas is distortive and will damage the competitiveness of European airlines. In their view, it requires further analysis of the consequences of the scheme on Europe's economies, financial situation, tourism and environment, because his services had bypassed an ongoing industry consultation process and had avoided a proper impact assessment.
“As it stands, this proposal discriminates against aviation vis-à-vis other sectors already included in the EU ETS”, said AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus. “We also feel that the possible repercussions of such a proposal on international relations have not been thought through. This text is unbalanced. It should be changed now, or withdrawn and changed in consultation with the industry before being presented to the Commissioners.” Mr Barrot assured the Assembly that he remained personally committed to maintaining the competitiveness of the European airline industry, and applauded aviation's desire to be fully engaged in the climate change debate, and its willingness
to make a significant contribution to controlling emissions. Another important topic of discussion was the Commission's proposed package of regulatory measures in the field of airport activity. Whilst welcoming the progress achieved in establishing a constructive political dialogue between the industry and the Commission on infrastructure policy, the CEOs nonetheless expressed disappointment that proposals for the revision of the 1996 Ground Handling Directive had been deferred to next year, to be replaced by a report on the current status of the ground handling sector in the EU.
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Lufthansa and Air Malta expand cooperation
Wartung in Malta ausgebaut
Lufthansa is expanding its involvement in Malta at various levels. Its MRO subsidiary, Lufthansa Technik, is planning to provide maintenance services for long-range Airbus aircraft in Malta. Meanwhile, as part of a bilateral cooperation, Lufthansa and Air Malta will operate codeshare flights on several routes and also recognise the respective partner's frequent flyer programme. Lufthansa Technik will set up new maintenance and overhaul capabilities in Malta for C-Checks and D-Checks on the Airbus A330/A340 (including the A340-600). The Supervisory Board of Lufthansa Technik has approved a multi-million euro investment in the bay infrastructure, as well as in tooling and ground equipment. Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Malta and Lufthansa Technik Malta, a joint venture with Air Malta, the hangar facility will be constructed by Malta Industrial Parks Ltd. and leased to Lufthansa Technik Malta. Pending approval of a new collective agreement by the local trade unions, the facility is due to be up and running as early as 2008. This additional investment will be undertaken by Lufthansa Technik, which will thus increase its stake in Lufthansa Technik Malta.
The success of this project depends upon the availability of trained personnel. Lufthansa Technik Malta is currently sponsoring training more than 50 apprentices at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, which is also investing in new courses to fulfil the growing demand from the industry.
"We must ensure that we have sufficient resources across our global network to meet the expected increase in demand for wide-body maintenance and overhaul services for Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft in the coming years," said Dr. Thomas Stüger, Chief Executive Product and Services, Lufthansa Technik AG. "Our decision today marks the beginning of a new era for Malta's aviation industry and we are looking forward to finalising our negotiations with our partners in Malta. With more than 500 additional employees, Lufthansa Technik Malta will also make a significant contribution to Malta's economic growth," he added.
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QinetiQ demonstrates multiple unmanned aircraft autonomy system
Neues UAV-System von Qinetiq im Flugtest
QinetiQ has successfully completed the world's first flight demonstration of a system capable of controlling and autonomously organising multiple unmanned aircraft. The successful flight trial was conducted to support the concept of using a package of self-organising unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) under the control of an operator flying in a fast jet. Central to the QinetiQ demonstration, undertaken as part of a Ministry of Defence funded programme, was a BAC1-11 twin-jet aircraft that has been converted into a surrogate UAV. In addition to controlling the BAC1-11 'remotely', an operator directed a package of simulated UAVs at a strategic level and carried out a simulated ground attack on a moving target.
An autonomy computer using agent-based reasoning software in the surrogate UAV was responsible for the self-organising of the UAV package at a tactical level and the operation of communication systems, sensors and weapons. The trial is a world first in demonstrating such a complex system in flight which greatly reduces the workload of the human operator. During the flight trial the BAC1-11 flew and operated as if it was unmanned, being directed from a command station designed for use in a fast jet. Throughout the demonstration, flown from Boscombe Down airfield in Wiltshire at the end of October, a flight crew was retained for safety monitoring and control during takeoff and landing. This enabled the flight to take place largely in uncontrolled airspace over South West England without requiring special clearance. Before flights began the entire UAV system was thoroughly tested in a QinetiQ simulation environment at Bedford. This enabled the flight crew and trials team to rehearse the first real sortie 'flying' from a 'virtual' Boscombe Down using all the software and hardware that was installed in the real aircraft. This approach has realised significant cost savings through the reduction in flying hours and associated support costs.
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Fraport to pay for chemical plant removal
Ausbaupläne von Fraport kommen voran
Fraport AG confirmed the conclusion of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Celanese/Ticona. Under this LOI, Celanese/Ticona will close its chemical plant at Kelsterbach by the middle of 2011, remove aeronautical obstacles within one month thereafter, and transfer the entire site to Fraport by 2015. The land required for Frankfurt Airport's new landing runway will be transferred to Fraport immediately after signing a contract agreement. As compensation, Fraport will pay EUR650 million to Celanese/Ticona. Negotiations for the final contracts, based on this LOI, will take place within the next few months. These final contracts will be presented to Fraport's annual general meeting (AGM). A new job-creation company, to be established by Fraport with participation of the State of Hesse, will take over the employees of Celanese/Ticona. Fraport executive board chairman Dr. Wilhelm Bender views the intended agreement as a "rationality pact." For Fraport, the most important aspect is the "expeditious expansion of Frankfurt Airport" and "securing a positive economic future for the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region." The point is to terminate the previous and public disputes about airport expansion, because of "our responsibility for the community and the people. " For Bender, it is also a matter of securing FRA's future competitiveness. "In the interest of our customers as well as Fraport AG we want to ensure a secure timeframe." "We have to be able to implement the new northwest landing runway in 2011," said Bender. And he added, "Time is money. Every day that the vibrant global aviation market passes us by is a lost day for the company and its employees - and also for the nation, the region, and its people."
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Finmeccanica and Sukhoi sign final agreement for Superjet 100
Neuer Regionaljet auf fester Basis
Finmeccanica and Sukhoi Aviation Holding, and their respective subsidiaries Alenia Aeronautica and Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC), have signed today in Moscow the final agreement to establish a strategic partnership for the Superjet 100 programme. The agreement has been signed by Finmeccanica's Chairman and CEO Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, Alenia Aeronautica's CEO Giovanni Bertolone, Sukhoi Aviation Holding's General Director Mikhail Pogosyan and SCAC's CEO Viktor Soubbotin. Under this agreement, Alenia Aeronautica will acquire a 25% stake plus one share in SCAC and a corresponding financial stake in the development of the Superjet programme, a family of newgeneration regional jets with 75-100 seats. Alenia Aeronautica and Sukhoi will then form a joint venture (51% Alenia Aeronautica, 49% Sukhoi) to be based in France or Italy that will be responsible for marketing, sales and delivery for the Western market, as well as worldwide after sales support of the Superjet 100.
In addition, Alenia Aeronautica will contribute to the development of the Superjet programme through its technical expertise; Alenia will also produce parts and components using advanced composite materials and support the European certification of the aircraft. The agreement between the two Companies, the most significant industrial programme to date involving Europe and the Russian Federation in the area of civil aviation, will be followed by a government-to-government agreement between the Italian and Russian Governments and a General Agreement that will finally enable the execution of the partnership. These two further agreements are expected by the first quarter of 2007.
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Air Berlin orders more Boeings to grow
Neue Großbestellung von Air Berlin
In order to also be able to keep up with its European competitors in the future, Air Berlin is ordering 60 Boeing 737-800 Next Generation jets. As Joachim Hunold stated: "By awarding this large contract, we are securing a favorable delivery price for the long term. The new planes are meant to replace expiring leasing contracts and to secure future growth. As was the case in the past, we aim to renew our fleet every six to eight years in order to be able to deploy the least noise-polluting, and the most fuel-efficient and cost-efficient airplanes. Through this order, we are renewing our strategic partnership with Boeing." Since the acquisition of dba also included the purchase agreement for 25 Boeing 737, Air Berlin is expecting a total of 85 planes to be delivered between 2007 and 2014. The list price for the planes ordered amounts to approximately USD 5.7 billion, making it the largest order for B 737 planes in the history of German aviation. By the end of the 3rd quarter, Air Berlin's fleet consisted of 62 planes; dba deployed 29 planes.
Air Berlin PLC continued to grow in the third quarter. From July to September 2006, the airline company realized a 28.4 per cent increase in revenue to a total of EUR 510 million (Q3/05: EUR 397.3 million). Developments in the first nine months were just as positive. During that time period, Air Berlin realized EUR 1.135 billion in revenue (+ 19.58 per cent). The result from operations before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose to EUR 54.3 million in the third quarter, compared to EUR 51.7 million in the corresponding period of the previous year. With EUR 41.4 million for the nine month period, EBIT surpassed the previous year's level by 76 per cent (2005: EUR 23.5 million). Together with its subsidiary dba, which was only included in the Group's consolidated accounts for the month of September, Air Berlin generated a net profit of EUR 38.7 million (Q3/05: EUR 30.6 million). This corresponds to a 26.5 per cent increase. Air Berlin's CEO, Joachim Hunold, stated on the subject on Tuesday in Berlin: "We have achieved our best quarterly result ever, even though the terrorist attacks in Turkey and flight cancellations due to increased security measures in London certainly did not pass us by without leaving a trace." From January to September, consolidated profit amounted to EUR 37.7 million (previous year: EUR -12.5 million). For the year 2006, Hunold is expecting "a net profit in line with market expectations".
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NATO order missile defence testbed
Raketenabwehrsystem für die NATO
On 28 November, a contract has been signed that puts NATO on track for having, by 2010, a system to protect troops on missions against ballistic missiles. NATO selected in September 2006 an international consortium led by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to build an Integration Test Bed for the Alliance's future Active Layered Theatre Missile Defence (ALTBMD) capability. After two months of negotiations, ALTBMD Programme Manager, General (Ret) Billard, and SAIC contracting Officer, Mr Robert Larrick, signed the contract on the first day of NATO's Riga Summit, in the presence of NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Marshall Billingslea. Once fully implemented, the system will be able to protect troops in specific area against short and medium range ballistic missiles by intercepting them. This is one of three programmes that NATO is pursuing in the area of missile defence. The theatre missile defence will be a multi-layered system of systems, comprising early warning sensors, radar and various interceptors. NATO member countries will provide the sensors and weapon systems, while NATO will develop a commonly funded NATO architecture to integrate all of these elements.
The contract is worth approximately 75 million Euro for work that will be conducted over a period of six years. Welcoming the development, NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Marshall Billingslea, described the contract signature as an “excellent example of co-operation between Industry and a NATO Programme Office”. “NATO urgently needs a NATO theatre missile defence system to protect its troops against ballistic missiles. The Test Bed that SAIC will build is an essential tool for the development of these defences,” he said. The winning consortium, led by SAIC from McLean from Virginia, U.S.A., is comprised of the following companies: Raytheon (US), EADS Astrium (Europe), Thales (FR) Thales Raytheon System Company (FR/US); IABG (GE), TNO (NL), Qinetiq (UK), DATAMAT (IT); Diehl (GE).
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UK MoD selects Ascent for Military Flight Training System
Lockheed Martin liefert Trainingssytem für Großbritannien
Ascent, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and VT Group, has been announced as the preferred bidder to provide military flying training to the UK Armed Forces for the next 25 years. The UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) programme provides comprehensive training to all new UK military aircrew across the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the Army Air Corps. The training covers the period following aircrew selection up to the point the students leave UKMFTS ready to fly in their operational aircraft. Ascent's selection as the UKMFTS Training System Partner follows a unique contractual approach by the MoD that uses partnering to harness the collective skills of the MoD and industry. Ascent will work with the MoD over the life of the programme to design, deliver and manage ground and flying training at multiple locations across the UK.
Under UKMFTS, the MoD maintains the training output requirements and standards while providing elements such as airfields, fuel and instructors. Ascent will design the overall system and deliver the training capability. The role also includes delivering Lockheed Martin's proven Training Management Information System and the procurement of aircraft platforms and simulators. Lockheed Martin and VT have a wealth of experience of flying training and aircraft support in the UK and around the world. VT currently runs the Tucano logistics and maintenance programme and the Light Aircraft Flying Training programme for the RAF. Lockheed Martin provides training for more than 20,000 aircrews annually and was recently awarded a 20 year contract with the Republic of Singapore Air Force to provide flight training for their pilot candidates. Together, as Ascent, Lockheed Martin and VT will bring complimentary skills and relevant experience to deliver the highest level of training possible for the MoD.
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Successful firing of Vega's first-stage motor
Neuer Feststoffbooster getestet
The largest European mono-segment filament-wound case solid propellant motor ever developed came to life at 12:30 Kourou time (16:30 Paris) when it was ignited for its first static firing test at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana. The P80 motor - which will power the first stage of ESA's Vega launch vehicle - delivered a mean thrust of about 190 tonnes for over 100 seconds, representing roughly one third of the thrust delivered by each of Ariane 5's solid booster stages (EAPs). A peak of 250 tonnes was reached 7 seconds into the test. “The first data we have to hand show that the firing closely followed the predicted pressure curve” said Antonio, Fabrizi, ESA's Director of Launchers. “ This event concludes the first set of development tests conducted for the Vega launcher in 2006, a very intensive and successful year for the Programme. This excellent result marks a milestone that contributes significantly to further increasing confidence in the Vega launcher, the exploitation of which is currently being prepared by Arianespace following the signature of a Convention with ESA in November this year.” More than 600 parameters were recorded in the course of the firing test to check that the many new technologies introduced in this motor performed as intended.
Based on the industrial capability acquired with the three-segment Solid Rocket Motor powering Ariane 5's EAP and about the size of one of their lower segments, the P80 motor features many new developments which might later be used on Europe's workhorse heavy launcher to improve its performance in terms of capabilities and cost. About 12 m high and 3 m in diameter, the P80 motor is loaded with 88 tons of solid propellant. Unlike previous motors of this size or larger developed in Europe or in the rest of the world, it is made of a single propellant segment instead of several segments cast separately before being assembled together.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are joining to conduct a feasibility study with the aim of creating a common Functional Airspace Block (FAB) for the core area of Europe. The development of FABs is one of the objectives of the “Single European Sky” initiative of the European Commission, which requires States to design their airspace such that they are no longer constrained by national boundaries, to meet the needs of fast growing air traffic. The study will include both the upper and lower airspace in the six States and will take into account the FAB feasibility project work already started by Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg and the previous work undertaken for the Franco-Swiss FAB, concluded in July 2006. The project will involve close cooperation between States, the Military, Air Navigation Service Providers and Eurocontrol. All the partners are represented in the High Level Policy Group which will oversee the project. The results of the feasibility study “FAB Europe Central” are expected at the beginning of 2008. It will examine the potential contribution of the FAB to improving safety, capacity and cost-effective performance through closer cooperation between Air Navigation Service Providers. The legal and institutional aspects of joint airspace management and relationships with neighbouring States and FABs will be addressed.
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The world's largest commercial airliner, the 555-seat Airbus A380, has successfully completed a series of technical route proving missions, receiving an enthusiastic welcome at each destination. Technical route proving is the last of the trials required for Type Certification, which is expected in mid-December. Returning from its final route that took it over the North Pole, the MSN002 landed in Toulouse, France today at 1.30 pm local time (12H30 UTC). This final flight left Vancouver, Canada under heavy snow conditions, on Wednesday 29 November at 4.25 pm local time (00H25 UTC). The exercise took the A380 MSN002 across the globe on an 18-day trip, stopping at ten airports in the Asia/Pacific region. During the trials, the aircraft flew approximately 69,000 nm / 127,788 km in some 152 flight hours, with all flights performed on schedule. The aircraft was operated by Airbus flight crews. The Airworthiness Authority pilots from both the European Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration also participated in the technical route proving and flew the aircraft on four legs. A major highlight of the exercise was the Johannesburg - Sydney trip over the South Pole, where the A380 demonstrated its capability to fly ultra long-range routes at maximum payload. The A380 departed Johannesburg, South Africa, its maximum take-off weight of 555 tonnes / 1,223,565 lbs and was the heaviest aircraft ever to take off from O.R. Tambo International Airport, located at 1,680 metres (5,323 feet) above sea level. This trial demonstrated the A380s excellent performance at high altitude airports. The aircraft landed at Sydney airport after a flight of around 16 hours covering a distance of 7,296 nm / 13,512km, circling the South Pole on the way.
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The first set of wings for the first A400M military transport aircraft - MSN001 - passed a major milestone when the first whole wing was removed from its state-of-the-art assembly jig at Airbus' Filton, Bristol, UK site. The wing is the first-ever wing for an Airbus-built aircraft constructed largely from composite materials (carbon fibre reinforced plastic, CFRP) and is believed to be the largest composite wing ever made. The 23 metre long by four metre wide port (left side) wingbox, weighing around three tonnes, was removed from its assembly 'jig' by overhead crane. This was the first time the removal procedure had been carried out and it involved a team of ten workers. Final assembly of the first wing components began just four months ago, on 20th July. On 21st September the wing featured in the formal opening of the new £70 million (100 million Euro) A400M Wing Manufacturing Centre by the UK's Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Drayson. For the Airbus workers at Filton, the next step is to carry out comprehensive measurements of the wing before beginning the 'equipping phase' - when the wing will be fitted with hydraulic, pneumatic, fuel and electrical systems and the flying control surfaces. For the first and five subsequent sets of wings, and also for the fatigue and static test wings, "equipping" also includes the fitting of additional instrumentation and equipment for use later during the flight and ground testing of the whole aircraft. In the next few weeks the port wing will be joined in the equipping phase by the first starboard (right-side) wing. After equipping and full testing, the wings will be delivered from Filton to the A400M aircraft final assembly line in Seville, Spain on the A300-600ST "Beluga" aircraft.
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Boeing delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) its first C-17 Globemaster III during a ceremony at the company's Long Beach, Calif., C-17 manufacturing facility. Senior RAAF officials joined more than 1,000 C-17 employees for the delivery celebration. "I am very pleased our team was able to provide world-class airlift capability to our customer in record time," said Dave Bowman, C-17 program vice president. "This is a great day for Boeing and demonstrates our commitment to design, build, deliver and support the world's greatest airlifter." Air Vice-Marshal John Quaife, Air Commander Australia for the RAAF also noted the speed and ease of the acquisition and Boeing's role in supporting the plane's successful introduction to Australia. "We are very pleased to acquire this new, Responsive Global Airlift capability in Australia," Quaife said. "The C-17s will dramatically increase our ability to support worldwide operations of the Australian Defence Force as well as humanitarian relief in the Asia Pacific region."
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At a ceremony in Estonian's capital Tallinn, the Environmental Inspectorate accepted an Enstrom 480B presented by the President and CEO of Enstrom, Mr. Jerry Mullins. The helicopter will be based in Tallinn and will be operated throughout the Estonian region. The Environmental Inspectorate is planning on 250-300 operational hours in 2007, and anticipates the usage will probably grow in following years. The Enstrom 480B will also be used jointly by other organizations of the Ministry of the Environment; such as the Nature Protection Centre, the Land Board, the State Forest Management Centre and local branches of the Environmental Ministry. The Nature Protection Centre has already booked flight time for next spring to count nesting birds in red beds.
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Raytheon again successfully demonstrated the enhanced 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, was fired against a simulated surface-to-surface missile launcher. The target was not emitting radar signals -- the normal target locater used by the current HARM system. In this case the missile was given the target's geographic location. After launch the missile flew a range-enhancing profile and the fuze successfully activated over the target well within the required parameters. Pieces of the destroyed target were observed flying through the air, which was significant as the missile was not carrying a warhead.
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The A330 has reached the milestone of over 600 firm orders. This shows a strong market endorsement of Airbus' environmentally friendly, long-range twin-engine in production aircraft which is leader in the medium to extended range category. The milestone was reached with the firm order, previously announced, for six A330-200s by TAM, Airbus' largest customer in Latin America. The A330-300 is the world's lowest operating cost per seat aircraft in its segment, typically accommodating 335 passengers in two classes for regional operations or 295 travellers in three classes on long-haul routes of up to10,500km/5,650nm. Today, the A330-300 is the reference for airlines serving intra-Asia routes. The smaller capacity A330-200 has a range of 12,500km/6,750nm with 253 passengers in a comfort three-class seating arrangement. The A330-200 can easily serve non-stop destinations from Latin America to North America and Europe, from Asia to major US West Coast as well as operating economically on medium ranges. Since first delivery in 1993, the A330 Family has accumulated some eight million flight hours with 65 operators. With almost 100 orders and commitments and 63 deliveries of A330 Family aircraft over the last twelve months, the popular Airbus twin-engine long-range family continues to enjoy unabated success. Ten new A330 Family operators were signed up over this period, underlining the aircraft as the super-efficient favourite of airlines looking to increase their capacity and develop their networks.
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Rockwell Collins has been awarded a contract from Thai Aviation Industries, Inc. (TAI) to upgrade the Royal Thai Air Force's (RTAF) fleet of C-130 aircraft with an integrated Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) solution. "With this contract award, the Royal Thai Air Force takes an important step toward gaining unrestricted access to global airspace,'' said Woody Hogle, vice president and general manager of Integrated Systems for Rockwell Collins. "We are committed to delivering fully operational, CNS/ATM-capable military aircraft on time and on budget." Rockwell Collins will deliver the avionics solution, based on the company's Flight2™ avionics system, on six RTAF C-130 aircraft. The system will include an Ethernet-based integrated processing center (IPC) with flight management capabilities, large format multifunction liquid crystal displays, as well as Rockwell Collins Multi-mode Receiver, TCAS II Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, weather radar, autopilot, and SATCOM, HF and V/UHF radios. This upgrade will allow the RTAF C-130 to have unrestricted access to civil airspace by providing required navigation performance compliance and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capability. The system supports growth to controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC).
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Lynn Tilton, Chief Executive Officer of both MD Helicopters, Inc. (“MDHI”) and Patriarch Partners, LLC (“Patriarch”) the New York investment firm whose funds own a majority interest in the company, today announced that Charles Vehlow has been appointed President at MDHI. Mr. Vehlow will continue to hold the position of CEO of the Patriarch Aerospace Platform.
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Boeing was awarded a $296 million U.S. Air Force contract for 12,889 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits. Boeing will deliver the Lot 11 JDAM kits in 2008 and 2009. Known as the world's most accurate bomb, JDAM is a GPS-aided, near-precision weapon that the U.S. Air Force and Navy have used extensively in global combat operations, including Afghanistan and Iraq. JDAM guidance kits are capable of guiding 500- to 2,000-pound inventory warheads, and are widely acknowledged as the "warfighters' weapon of choice." Since 1998, Boeing has produced more than 160,000 tail kits.
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The Boeing Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) program successfully completed flight tests in August that demonstrated for the first time an unmanned air vehicle's ability to autonomously maintain a steady refueling station behind a tanker aircraft. "With autonomous air refueling capabilities, unmanned aircraft will have greater combat radius and loiter time," said David Riley, Boeing Phantom Works AAR program manager. "This can enable a quicker response for time-critical targets and will reduce the need for forward-staging refueling areas. Another benefit is increased in-theater military presence with fewer military assets." Boeing Phantom Works conducted the flight tests with the New York Air National Guard 107th Air Refueling Wing, which provided a KC-135R refueling tanker, and Calspan Corp., which provided a Learjet equipped with a special Boeing flight control system that allowed it to fly as an unmanned air vehicle. The flight tests integrate components on both the tanker and receiver aircraft to demonstrate that the receiver aircraft (the UAV) can autonomously hold position relative to the tanker while the tanker executes its standard air refueling maneuvers.
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Boeing and Singapore Airlines celebrated the airline's first 777-300ER (Extended Range) deliveries with the unveiling of the carrier's innovative new first- and business-class interiors, featuring the widest seats in the industry and a new high-technology in-flight entertainment system. Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer Chew Choon Seng joined Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Scott Carson and GE Aviation Vice President of Sales Roger Seager in a signing ceremony in front of two of the airline's new 777-300ERs, parked nose-to-nose at the Everett, Wash., delivery center. Singapore Airlines has ordered a total of 19 Boeing 777-300ERs, which feature 35-inch-wide seats with 23-inch LCD video screens in the first-class cabin and 30-inch-wide seats with 15-inch LCD screens in business class, as well as increased leg and knee room in economy class, with seat-back screens larger than 10 inches diagonally measured.
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A high reliability fiber-optic inertial measurement unit from Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected by Sikorsky for the BLACK HAWK UH-60M Fly-by-Wire-Upgrade Program to supply navigation information for the BLACK HAWK'S flight control computers. The UH-60M program will upgrade the U.S. Army's current BLACK HAWK fleet of UH-60A and UH-60L models into the UH-60M standardized configuration. The upgrades will incorporate a digitized cockpit for improved aircraft systems that will increase combat situational awareness and extend the service life of the aircraft. The UH-60M is currently in low rate production.
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Bremen-based space technology company OHB-System AG, a subsidiary of OHB Technology AG has been awarded a contract by the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB), Koblenz, for the implementation of the European satellite-based reconnaissance system. The contract was signed at the BWB head offices in Koblenz by its vice-president Harald Stein and Prof. Manfred Fuchs, CEO of OHB-System AG. In a contract worth a total of some EUR 87 million (plus VAT) including all options, which will be cofinanced by Germany and France, OHB-System will be creating the technical basis allowing France to access the German SAR-Lupe radar system. In return, Germany will receive access to HELIOS II optical system. The utilization of both satellite systems together marks a preliminary milestone in European strategic reconnaissance. The French and German Ministries of Defence had signed an arrangement to this effect at a German-French summit held in Schwerin four years ago. OHB-System, which is developing and building SAR-Lupe as the prime contractor, had previously developed the specifications underlying the system in the preliminary E-SGA and FSLGS studies. E-SGA is a German acronym standing for “Europeanization of Satellite-Based Reconnaissance”, while FSLGS is short for “French SAR-Lupe Ground Segment”. Specifically, this means that Germany will gain access to the HELIOS II system, which is able to supply optical and infrared images. In return, France will be able to use the German SAR-Lupe system, which generates high-resolution radar images independ-ently of the weather and time of day. Various modifications to the German SAR-Lupe ground segment are necessary to implement this project. Thus, interfaces are to be installed to allow France to request and receive images from SAR-Lupe. In addition, the system will be enlarged to permit the addition of further partners in the future.
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Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) and SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) recently held a code share agreement signing ceremony at THAI's head office in Bangkok in order to establish an extensive partnership to offer services beyond their destinations. The code share agreement will include services to/from Bangkok-Singapore/Hong Kong/Kuala Lumpur/Sydney from December 15, 2006, and Bangkok-Melbourne/Brisbane/Auckland/Perth from January 15, 2007, as well as to/from Copenhagen-Oslo/Gothenburg/Aalborg/Aarhus from December 15, 2006. "SAS will continue to offer passengers smooth, seamless travel and a high level of service when flying to and from the above destinations. SAS is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to build on its historically strong and positive relations with THAI to be able to jointly offer our customers the best possible travel solutions and comfort. Travel activity between Southeast Asia/Oceania and Scandinavia has undergone strong expansion in recent years and is expected to grow further. SAS can offer an optimal schedule to provide convenient connections with our intercontinental flights to and from Bangkok in the new Star Terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport," says Lars Sandahl, Chief Commercial Officer, Scandinavian Airlines International.
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Sikorsky announced plans to double the size of its workforce in Troy, Ala. over the next several months. The company will hire about 250 new employees to build major assemblies and sub-assemblies to support U.S. government H-60 Naval Hawk helicopter production. The Troy facility currently has about 240 employees involved in manufacturing H-60 helicopter tail cones and cabins for the U.S. Navy. Most of the new 250 openings are for riveters and assemblers.
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AgustaWestland is pleased to announce the hand over of two AW139 helicopters for the Irish Air Corps by Mr Willie O'Dea T.D., Irish Minister for Defence in the presence of Mr Michael Howard, Secretary General of the Department of Defence and Brigadier General Ralph James, General Officer Commanding, Irish Air Corps. The ceremony took place at the Air Corps base at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Dublin, Ireland where the AW139s will be based. The AW139 helicopters for the Irish Air Corps are equipped with a range of role equipment including AM/FM tactical radios, a rescue hoist and a fifth cockpit LCD mission display. In the cabin the aircraft can be quickly reconfigured from the troop transport role with ten crashworthy troop seats to the medical evacuation role with air ambulance equipment plus seats for attendants. Additional role equipment includes abseiling and fast rope systems as well as a dual machine gun installation.
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Bombardier Aerospace announced that Brit Air of Morlaix, Brittany, France has placed a firm order for three more Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets. The contract based on CRJ700 aircraft list prices is valued at approximately $97 million US. Brit Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air France, currently reports a CRJ fleet of 19 50-passenger CRJ100 and 12 72-passenger CRJ700 aircraft. The three new CRJ700 aircraft will be used to further increase capacity, and to replace three existing CRJ100 aircraft that are coming off lease."
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Bombardier Aerospace announced that M1 Travel Ltd., one of the largest shareholders of Geneva, Switzerland-based Flybaboo SA, has placed a firm order for two Bombardier Q400 turboprop airliners and has taken options on an additional four. The Q400 aircraft will be operated by Flybaboo SA. The value of the firm order contract is approximately $51 million US based on Q400 aircraft list prices. Flybaboo, incorporated in August, 2003, has been operating two leased 50-seat Bombardier Q300 aircraft since its inception. The airline serves Geneva, Florence, Lugano, Prague, Ibiza, Valencia, St-Tropez, Venice and Nice.
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Fiscal year 2006 was the safest year in aviation ever for the US Air Force. The year marked the lowest number of major aircraft accidents and fatalities within the Department of Defense, said the Chief of Air Force Safety Maj. Gen. Stan Gorenc recently. According to the statistics, the Air Force recorded 19 major aviation mishaps, eight destroyed aircraft and one aviation fatality. "It's quite an historical accomplishment," General Gorenc said. "In 1947, the Air Force recorded over 1,500 major accidents and over 500 aircraft destroyed at a cost of over 500 servicemember lives. Obviously, there's been a continuous culture change in which safety has come into the forefront with everything that we do." He credited great leadership and dedicated Airmen for such a successful year, emphasizing that education has been key to preventing mishaps.
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The two month-review of the A400M-program, mandated by the CEOs of EADS in September, has been completed this week through presentations to OCCAR and the EADS Board of Directors. This review was the most comprehensive assessment ever done on an EADS development program. The review team which incorporated external experts and “veterans” from the A380 review of last summer, conducted intensive program management and floor level interviews, industrial site visits and data analysis, capitalizing on reference data from the A380 and other programs as far as applicable. As to the findings, the review validated that the A400M program is currently progressing according to the contractually agreed schedule. However, the program challenges ahead until first delivery in 2009 are assessed as significant and the review has clearly identified several critical risk areas: systems design (in particular electrical harnesses), maturity of military mission systems, engine modifications, remaining work to be done on the Final Assembly Line. The review team has proposed detailed mitigating actions to comply with the delivery schedule committed to customers. These actions were endorsed by the CEOs of EADS and the Board of Directors. Implementation will be followed by Louis Gallois and Thomas Enders personally, on a bi-monthly basis.
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Thirty-five new Air Force "aggressors" graduated Nov. 17 from the first Aggressor 101 training course conducted by the 57th Adversary Tactics Group here. The two-week course provides a baseline understanding of the aggressor mission and philosophy, 57th Wing and 57th ATG organization, and threat capabilities and employment doctrine to people who specialize in "attacking" friendly forces using simulated hostile systems and tactics. Basically, they play the "bad guy" in various exercises. These aggressors will leverage the information they are taught in the course to replicate complex, integrated surface, air, space and cyberspace threat arrays. They will train U.S., allied and partner air forces to quickly and decisively defeat them in major exercises including Red Flag - Nellis, Red Flag - Alaska, Maple Flag and Silver Flag. This course is a critical milestone in achieving the Air Force chief of staff's vision for the 57th ATG as "Threats Central" -- the place where all air forces will come to learn about and fight potential adversaries. The 57th ATG is comprised of 575 Airmen in eight active duty, Guard and Reserve squadrons, each focused on understanding and replicating specific portions of the spectrum of threats facing our forces today and tomorrow. The 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadrons replicate air threats using F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Eagles, while the 177th Information Aggressor Squadron at McConnell AFB, Kan., replicates cyber threats.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded Raytheon a contract to produce the Advanced Route Evaluation System (ARES) that will perform risk analysis on aviation routes to help planners determine the best routes for aircraft to use during an emergency. The ARES contract was awarded under the Rapid Technology Application program (RTAP) and is valued at $1.9 million. ARES is an integrated solution for aviation route risk analysis that assesses factors such as aircraft type, fuel loads, and flight route, as well as modeling the relative vulnerability to terrorist activity for any planned flight. "ARES will help DHS and other government users better align and deploy critical resources and manpower to protect our national assets," said Dan Boelsche, DHS program manager. "The system will determine high-risk air transportation routes based on threat information received from government sources and help us ensure that the country is prepared should we encounter another national emergency."
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Dieter Kaden, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH, was today presented with the Single European Sky (SES) certificate by the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs in Berlin. This certificate confirms that DFS provides its services in compliance with European legislation. DFS needed to receive SES certification in order to continue to provide air navigation services in Germany in the future. The SES regulation of the EU stipulates that all air navigation service providers must demonstrate by the end of 2006 that they can provide safe and efficient air navigation services in Europe. Mr Kaden commented: "We are proud to say that we are fully certified and conform to all European requirements." Apart from SES certification activities, DFS is also actively involved in making the Single European Sky a reality. Furthermore, Germany and DFS are helping to optimise traffic flows while taking account of possible cross-border solutions. They are conducting a feasibility study together with the States and ANS organisations of Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland on a joint functional airspace block (FAB) in the core area of Europe. The results of this study are expected in 2008.
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Rolls-Royce, world leading provider of power systems and services, has begun the process of considering options for potential new facilities around the world. All the company's global business sectors – Civil Aerospace, Defense Aerospace, Marine and Energy – have identified growth opportunities. New facilities would provide the company with greater capacity, strengthened business continuity as well as increased global competitiveness. As part of this evaluation process the company has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to eight US states. The RFQ is based on comprehensive business criteria developed by the company. It will be provided to Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
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United Launch Alliance (ULA), the new joint venture combining the Delta and Atlas rocket programs of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, officially opened its doors today as a new enterprise focused on providing world-class space launch services for the U.S. government at lower cost. ULA combines the assets of the two programs, including mission management and support, engineering, vehicle production, test and launch operations, and, most importantly, the people whose intellectual capital will enable the new venture. "Today is a major milestone for ULA and our U.S. government customers," said Michael C. Gass, president and chief executive officer of the new joint venture. "We have joined forces to create the strongest launch vehicle company in the world and to carry out the space policies and critical missions of our government." ULA will support diverse missions for the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Estimated annual savings for the government, resulting from the increased efficiencies created by the joint venture, are expected to be about $100-150 million. "ULA will offer two robust launch systems that each have an excellent record of mission success," said Daniel J. Collins, ULA chief operating officer. "Our new combined team is focused on assuring access to space while offering the best and most innovative solutions for current and future national requirements." The joint venture is structured as a 50-50 partnership between the two parent companies. After a thorough review and positive recommendation from the Department of Defense, the Federal Trade Commission approved the joint venture on Oct. 3, 2006. The European Union also has approved the joint venture.
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Alenia Aeronautica's C-27J has chalked up another international success and is fast establishing itself as the next-generation tactical aircraft of choice for new NATO member countries. Romania's Ministry of Defence has invited Alenia Aeronautica to take part in exclusive final negotiations to supply the C- 27J to replace its Air Force's current fleet of medium-sized transport aircraft. The final contract is for seven aircraft, worth a total of around EUR 220 million, and is expected to be signed by the end of the year. The planes will be equipped with a complete self-protection system to allow them to carry out inter-theatre missions in any operational scenario under maximum security conditions. The C-27J, preferred to EADS-CASA's C-295, was chosen by Romania thanks to its operational characteristics and the fact that it is the only aircraft of its category specifically designed for tactical transport. In addition to Italy (12 aircraft) and Greece (12), the C-27J has also recently been ordered by Bulgaria (8) and Lithuania (3), and is currently being evaluated by the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia.
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QinetiQ has secured a two-year $5.0m research contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in support of its Large Area Coverage Optical Search While Track and Engage (LACOSTE) programme. This will investigate using first-of-their-kind sensors, like lensless imaging, to provide persistent tactical surveillance and precision tracking capabilities. The concept is to develop a suite of sensors that can be operated at high altitude (~20 km), possibly on an airship or endurance UAV, that detect and simultaneously track large numbers of moving vehicles in dense urban areas with a high degree of accuracy, 24-hours a day. In order to achieve this the sensors need to be high resolution and sensitivity and have a wide field-of-regard and a variable almost instantaneous reconfigurable field of-view. QinetiQ's novel lensless imaging solution is the basis of this approach and is itself a disruptive camera technology with a wide range of defence, security, industrial and commercial applications. QinetiQ is being assisted in delivering the LACOSTE programme by subcontractor Goodrich Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems. The first phase of the programme is intended to provide a complete description of the initial objective system to meet the LACOSTE goals. This includes mechanical design (mass, volume, power, cooling); digital signal processing (decoding, gain, diffraction) and operational concept (resource management and tracking). It will also describe the critical technologies assumed and map out a clear technology development path, with scaled concept demonstrations supporting a decision for the next phase.
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Boeing and Air India celebrated the delivery of the first of 18 Next-Generation 737-800s to Air-India Express, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India. The delivery also marked the first airplane delivered to Air India following the airline's order for 68 Boeing jetliners, the largest commercial airplane order in India's civil aviation history. The order was placed in December 2005 and is valued at more than $11 billion at list prices. Air India's order comprised 27 787-8 Dreamliners, eight 777-200LR (Longer Range) Worldliners and 15 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes for Air India; and 18 Next-Generation 737-800s for Air-India Express. To date, the Next-Generation 737 has logged 574 net orders in 2006. As of Oct. 30, 101 customers have placed orders for more than 3,500 Next-Generation 737s. The program has 1,442 unfilled orders with a value of nearly $100 billion at current list prices.
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Boeing recently delivered a completed 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter to Guggenheim Aviation Partners. Guggenheim Aviation Partners leased the freighter to Martinair Cargo, which is operating the airplane on routes to and from the Middle East, the Far East and Australia. Guggenheim and Martinair Cargo have lease agreements on a further three 747-400BCFs, which will be converted and delivered in 2007 and 2008. Martinair is replacing its older 747-200s with the newly converted 747-400BCFs.
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CHC Helicopter Corporation announced the purchase of Heli-Dyne Systems, Inc., a helicopter completion and maintenance centre based in Hurst, Texas, from FSS Air Holdings Inc. Heli-Dyne becomes part of CHC's Heli-One group. Heli-One President Neil Calvert said: "Heli-Dyne has an excellent reputation and is a perfect fit for us. With this acquisition, we will be able to deliver new aircraft to our customers more quickly and efficiently." Heli-Dyne operates a 30,000-square-foot helicopter completion and maintenance center in Hurst, Texas, specializing in helicopter interior completions, and maintenance of airframes, engines and avionics, and employs approximately 75 full-time professionals. Heli-Dyne is an authorized service center for Agusta, Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter and MD Helicopter.
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The negotiations between regional carrier Swiss European Air Lines and the Swiss Pilots Association (SPA) union, which represents the company's pilots, have broken down. Swiss European will now unilaterally improve the individual employment contracts of its pilot corps. Despite concessions made by Swiss European, the negotiations broke down as a result of the SPA's unrealistic and excessively high salary demands. Swiss European regrets this, and appeals to the union's sense of responsibility towards the company's customers and all employees. Swiss European remains willing to resume a dialogue with the SPA. After months of negotiations, Swiss European, which is the separate regional airline of Swiss International Air Lines, and the SPA reached agreement on a new Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) in March of this year. The proposed new CLA was also approved in a referendum by a clear majority of the company's regional pilots. Regrettably, however, the new agreement could not enter into effect, because such approval fell short of the substantial two-thirds majority of SPA members required under the union's regulations. The referendum was further overshadowed by vote manipulation by members of the union's executive committee. As a result of these developments, the previous CLA was superseded in April 2006 by individual employment contracts for the regional pilots concerned. These contracts were intended to be a bridging solution, until a new CLA was adopted; and in devising them, Swiss European assumed that a new CLA could be concluded within a reasonable time. To this end, Swiss European resumed talks with a newly-formed SPA executive committee in summer 2006. Despite these ongoing discussions, however, the SPA instructed its members to take strike action on September 26. Shortly after this disproportionate and illegal industrial action, the CLA negotiations were resumed as previously agreed. But these negotiations have so far failed to produce agreement between the two parties.
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ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang is about to become the first Swedish and the first Nordic astronaut in space. During the night of 7/8 December, he will board NASA's Shuttle Discovery as Mission Specialist on flight STS-116. With his six crewmates, he will fly to the International Space Station on a mission to add a new section to its truss structure and to reroute electrical power supply and thermal control from its new set of solar arrays and radiators. Discovery will lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 03:36 CET (02:36 UTC) on 8 December. Docking with the ISS is scheduled for 00:00 CET on 10 December (23:00 UTC, 9 December). Once onboard the Space Station, Christer Fuglesang will meet up with fellow ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter from Germany, who has been a permanent crew member since 6 July. This will be the first time that two ESA astronauts fly together on the same ISS mission. Both will return to Earth onboard Discovery at the end of its 12-day assignment. During his stay onboard, Christer Fuglesang will perform two Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), of the three scheduled on this mission.
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Raytheon was awarded a $2 million contract for its Paveway II laser-guided bomb kits in a winner-take-all U.S. Air Force competition. Raytheon will provide Paveway GBU-10 air foil groups, used with 2,000- pound Mk-84 warheads, under a contract with Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The award was based on several factors, especially low price. Paveway II precision guided bomb kits convert "dumb" bombs into precision guided munitions. Air foil groups, mounted on the rear of bombs, stabilize the munitions as they fly. Seeker units, mounted on the front of bombs, offer laser guidance or in the case of Enhanced Paveway™ dual-mode laser-Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance for pinpoint accuracy in all weather conditions. Raytheon's legacy of more than 35 years of laser-guided bomb development and manufacturing experience has seen more than 250,000 Paveway II precision guided weapons delivered to the United States and more than 35 allied nations for use on 25 different aircraft.
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SAS Sweden is to launch a new biometric system throughout Sweden. You travel using your fingerprint, which is matched to your checked baggage. This makes the check-in process easier and improves security. The new technology will be launched during November and December at almost all airports served by SAS in Sweden. "We work hard to make flying with SAS within Sweden smooth and easy, and one way of doing so is to use the latest technology. The new biometric system speeds up check-in," says Susanne Dahlberg, commercial director of Scandinavian Airlines Sweden. The new system, the only one of its kind in the world, offers many benefits. You register your fingerprint when handing in your baggage and again at the gate. In this way you are automatically matched to your checked baggage. The new system eliminates the need to show photographic ID. Your fingerprint is the means of identification.
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Switzerland has become a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency. It is the fourth non-EU country to adopt European Union aviation safety legislation after Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Patrick Goudou, Executive Director of the Agency, said: “I welcome Switzerland's membership. It is an in important step towards a more integrated safety system in Europe and underlines the key role of the Agency in this system”. The four non-EU countries are represented in the Agency's Management Board and nationals of these countries are eligible to work for the Agency.
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Boeing Business Jets delivered its 100th "green" -- unfurnished -- airplane. Representatives of the government of India accepted the milestone airplane at the Boeing Delivery Center in Seattle. "One hundred business jets delivered in 10 years is an amazing testament to the BBJ's wide market appeal and the great work of the Boeing team members who design, sell, build and support these airplanes," said Steven Hill, president of Boeing Business Jets. Boeing delivers VIP airplanes in so-called "green" condition, meaning the airplane does not have interior furnishings or exterior paint. Customers then work with designers and interior completion centers to install an interior that exactly matches the owner's preferences and needs. About 35 percent of BBJs ordered are for government heads of state and are typically designed to seat between 25 to 50 passengers. The Indian Government BBJ will be completed at PATS Aircraft completion center in Delaware, a wholly owned subsidiary of DeCrane Aircraft. PATS Aircraft will install an interior that includes a stateroom, meeting room, communications center and seating for 48 passengers. The jet is the first of three on order. The BBJs will replace the government's existing fleet of 737-200s.
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Lockheed Martin delivered the 2300th C-130 Hercules built at its facility in Marietta, Georgia. The milestone aircraft, a KC-130J Super Hercules tanker for the United States Marine Corps, was accepted by Maj. Gen. Samuel T. Helland, Commanding General of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Miramar, Calif. The Marine Corps has taken delivery of 24 KC-130J Tankers, six of which are currently deployed to Iraq in support of ongoing combat operations. The C-130 production line in Marietta is the longest continuously operating military aircraft production line in history. The C-130 has been in continuous production for more than 50 years. The J model is the fifth major production variant of this versatile airlifter.
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NASA senior managers unanimously recommended launching the Space Shuttle Discovery on December 7. Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 9:35 p.m. EST on the STS-116 mission, one of the most challenging flights to continue building the International Space Station. During the 12-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work closely with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, to install a new segment of the station's girder-like truss and activate the station's permanent, complex power and cooling systems.
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The team working on ESA's Rosetta mission have been particularly busy. Activities are underway to set the spacecraft's trajectory and prepare the on-board instruments ready for the next major mission milestone: the swing-by of planet Mars in February 2007. Since its launch in March 2004, Rosetta has been bouncing around the inner solar system on a trajectory that will eventually lead it to its final destination in the first half of 2014 – comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. As the three-tonne spacecraft could not be set by its launcher onto a trajectory that would take it directly to the comet, a series of four planetary gravity-assisted manoeuvres were introduced into the mission design. Swing-bys allow a spacecraft to gain energy in a 'natural' way by exploiting the gravitational energy of massive planetary bodies such as planets, similar to the way in which a slingshot is used to release a stone.
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Boeing has delivered the second EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft to the U.S. Navy test site at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md. The second EA-18G, known as aircraft EA-2, made the flight from St. Louis to Maryland with U.S. Navy pilot Cmdr. Jack Waters and weapons system operator Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Williams on board. EA-2 is the second of two test aircraft built under a System Development and Demonstration contract Boeing signed with the Navy on Dec. 29, 2003. The first EA-18G, EA-1, currently is undergoing electromagnetic testing in an anechoic chamber at NAS Patuxent River.
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Korean Air took delivery of the first of its two Airbus A300-600Fs at EADS EFW´s facility in Dresden, Germany. The airframe bearing the MSN 717 was formerly operated by the Korean airline itself as a passenger aircraft. It touched down in Dresden for conversion into freighter configuration in August 2006. Korean Air´s second A300-600 aircraft is currently under conversion. “I am delighted to welcome the number one commercial cargo airline as a new customer. Korean Air made a great choice to convert the popular Airbus A300-600 wide-body aircraft to enlarge its freighter fleet”, said Horst Emker, President and CEO of EADS EFW. With the delivery of A300-600, Korean Air expects to utilize its own cargo fleet fully meeting cargo demand effectively. The A300-600 converted freighter will be mainly used on short haul routes. As of today, EADS has delivered a total of 133 converted freighter aircraft to over 20 customers worldwide. EFW, headquartered in Dresden, Germany, is the centre of competence for Airbus passenger to freighter conversion within EADS.
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Boeing celebrated the upcoming delivery of the 16th and final upgraded E6-B Mercury to the U.S. Navy during a ceremony at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The upgrades include a new, modernized cockpit similar to the glass cockpit installed in the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft and an advanced communications package that provides faster data processing, communications capabilities and better situational awareness for the crew. The E6-B is a communications relay for the Navy's fleet of submarines and a strategic airborne command post aircraft. The 16 airplanes are commercial-derivative Boeing 707s originally delivered from 1989 to 1992. "This modification program is a good example of taking an in-service aircraft fleet and using modern and established technology to improve its effectiveness at a reasonable cost," said John Fraser, Boeing E-6 program manager. "I'm proud of the work our Boeing team has done to upgrade the Mercury fleet in support of this critical national security asset." Boeing replaced more than 100 analog cockpit instruments with six state-of-the-art flat-panel digital displays and dual flight management systems. The cockpit improvements were taken from the more modern Boeing 777 and 737 commercial airliners. Boeing also integrated new battle management command and control communications equipment that link the aircraft to the Navy's airborne strategic command and control system.
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Boeing dedicated a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Technology Center (MROTC) in Oklahoma City, Okla. The center will provide readiness capabilities and upgrades to the U.S. Air Force E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet. The MROTC development project is a joint venture between Trammell Crow Company and Battelle Memorial Institute with the support of state and local government and private industry. In 2005, Boeing signed a lease with the MROTC development partners to construct three hangars that will be used for the AWACS upgrades. Located across from Tinker Air Force Base, the first AWACS hangar represents the initial phase of development for the MROTC. It is planned as a major military and commercial aircraft facility with 17 hangars and more than one million square feet of related industrial space and education and training facilities.
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Following the expiry of the subscription and offer periods for the public offer in Austria of up to 51,680,000 new ordinary bearer shares with no par value of Austrian Airlines Österreichische Luftverkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft, the company announces the successful completion of the offering. Demand was strong amongst both international institutional investors as well as retail and institutional investors in Austria. The principal shareholder, ÖIAG, and the other shareholders represented in the Austrian Syndicate also participated in the offering (as previously announced), and continue to hold a total share of 50% plus one share in the company. Merrill Lynch and Bank Austria Creditanstalt acted as underwriters and advised Austrian Airlines Österreichische Luftverkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft in connection with the implementation of the capital increase. Austrian Chief Executive Officer Alfred Ötsch commented as follows on the successful capital increase: 'With the successful completion of our transaction, we have taken an important step in our restructuring program. I would like to thank our institutional and retail investors for the confidence they have shown in the company. The fact that we were able to place all of the offered new shares in the current volatile market environment of the airline industry underlines the acceptance of our corporate strategy. We also believe that it reflects the investors' confidence in the company's future prospects as it continues to assert itself as a specialist carrier in the European airline market.
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At the Summit meeting in Riga, 29 November, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced that NATO's cutting-edge Response Force is at full operational capability. The NATO Response Force is a highly ready and technologically advanced force made up of land, air, sea and special forces components that the Alliance can deploy quickly wherever needed. It is capable of performing missions worldwide across the whole spectrum of operations. These include evacuations, disaster management, counterterrorism, and acting as 'an initial entry force' for larger, follow-on forces.It can number up to 25,000 troops and start to deploy after five days' notice and sustain itself for operations lasting 30 days or longer if resupplied.
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Northrop Grumman Corporation received an $860.6 million contract modification to a previously awarded contract for continuation of work on the CVN 21 aircraft carrier program. The base contract modification is valued at approximately $754 million with an additional $106.7 million in options. This additional work brings the total value of the contract to $2.2 billion. The company's Newport News sector will perform the work, which includes the continuation of ship design activities, procurement of long-lead time materials to support construction, and advanced construction work on select parts of the ship.
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The A-10C Thunderbolt II made its official roll-out debut here Nov. 29, revealing its transformation and its enhanced capabilities under the Precision Engagement program. The Precision Engagement program will offer the A-10 the most significant modifications it has ever received in its 30-year history, making it a more capable and survivable attack fighter, according to Maj. Dan Walls, 355th Training Squadron director of conversion training unit operations. “Precision Engagement increases the lethality, survivability and standoff of one of the most respected and recognized attack aircraft in the world and ushers in a new era in the A-10 story," Major Walls said. Under this program, the A-10 will receive numerous enhancements including the full integration of sensors, including data link and a targeting pod, allowing the A-10C to identify and strike targets from higher altitudes and greater distances without sacrificing accuracy. This integration also will enhance the aircraft's communication capabilities.
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Embraer announces that Finnair has confirmed its four remaining options of the initial order placed in July 2004. The airline has opted for four additional EMBRAER 190 jets, thus reaffirming its confidence in this model. The total value of the deal, at list price, comes to US$ 135 million. Finnair initially placed an order for 12 EMBRAER 170 jets, plus eight options convertible to other models of the E-Jets family. Today?s announcement marks the confirmation of all of Finnair?s options. When completed, the Finnair E-Jets fleet will consist of ten EMBRAER 170 and ten EMBRAER 190 jets.
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22 October 2006
15 October 2006
8 October 2006
1 October 2006
24 September 2006
17 September 2006
10 September 2006
3 September 2006
27 August 2006
20 August 2006
13 August 2006
6 August 2006
30 July 2006
23 July 2006
16 July 2006
January - June 2006
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January to December 2000
January to December 1999
January to December 1998
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September to December 1996
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