 June 18, 2009 | News for the aerospace industry |
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 | Engineered Solutions, On Time and On Budget
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- U.S. to sell more than $40B in arms in 2009
Rising international arms sales by the U.S. will likely top the $40 billion mark this year, according to the head of the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa told Reuters during the Paris Air Show that sales through the first half of the year have already reached $27 billion, a "pretty unprecedented level." Reuters
(6/18)       
- Lockheed F-35 seen as "program killer," but Boeing to stay competitive
With potential sales reaching 6,000 units, analysts say the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter could become a "program killer" that forces other manufacturers out of the market. By 2015, according to Teal Group estimates, the F-35 will control more than half the $17 billion market for warplanes. "It's entirely possible that by 2020 there will be only one surviving western fighter plane," says Teal analyst Richard Aboulafia. "The F-35 is designed to do what the F-16 almost did: drive competing manufacturers out of the market." But Boeing Co. responds that it sees "a very bright future" for its F/A-18 Super Hornet and plans to produce the plane for at least another decade. The company also said it is diversifying away from over-reliance on NASA and the Pentagon, which used to represent 95% of the company's business. As Boeing expands into areas such as cybersecurity and unmanned vehicles, sales to NASA and the DOD now account for only 60% to 65% of Boeing's total sales. Bloomberg
(6/17), Reuters
(6/17)
- Canada to move up decision on new fighter plane
Canada is hoping to decide later this year what model fighter jet it will acquire to replace its fleet of CF-18s, which will be phased out beginning in 2017. With the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as the presumed frontrunner, an early decision would allow Canada to achieve better pricing by participating in a "consortium buy." AviationWeek.com
(6/17)
- Pentagon: North Korea could hit U.S. in three years
Pentagon officials told lawmakers on Tuesday that North Korean missiles could hit the U.S. in as little as three years. Pyonyang's missile program "could present a threat to the homeland," Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn told the Senate Armed Services Committee, agreeing with the panel's top Republican that the U.S. should prepare for a "worst-case scenario." Google/The Associated Press
(6/17)
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- AIA chief warns over tit-for-tat inspection rule
European regulators will insist on inspections of U.S. aircraft repair facilities if Washington imposes a similar requirement on maintenance stations based in Europe. Marion Blakey, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, says the inspection provision in the FAA reauthorization bill is a violation of bilateral safety accords and a threat to U.S. jobs. "We have protested it very strongly because we believe ... that it is unnecessary, that there are strong safeguards in the system to oversee repair stations, both foreign and domestic," Blakey says. Aviation International News
(6/2009)
- European regulator focuses on air-speed sensors
The European Aviation Safety Agency is considering whether to require airlines to replace air-speed sensors on all Airbus A330 aircraft following the recent crash of an Air France jetliner. "I would expect that toward the end of the week, we will have a pretty clear idea of whether we go down the [airworthiness directive] route or not," said Daniel Holtgen, an agency representative. NYTimes.com
(6/17)
- DOJ wants review of Continental alliance plan
Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday he had requested more information from the Transportation Department regarding Continental Airlines' bid for a closer alliance on trans-Atlantic routes. "We did ask the Transportation Department to allow our antitrust division to have some input," Holder told a Senate panel, adding that Continental's request for antitrust immunity could still be settled in a matter of weeks. A Continental spokeswoman said coordination between the two government agencies is not unusual, and the company is "confident the DOT will approve the application so we can begin bringing its benefits to consumers." The Air Transport Association urged senators to reject a House measure limiting immunity for airline alliances, arguing that such a move would cost jobs, reduce service and raise fares. Chicago Tribune/The Associated Press
(6/17), CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires
(6/17)
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- Spaceflight panel hears opposing views in first public session
NASA officials on Wednesday told a federal review panel that the Constellation program represents a "stable plan to get us to 2015," the year Ares I is scheduled to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. But representatives of United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., told the panel there are "credible alternatives" to the NASA plan. ULA President Michael Gass said a modified Delta IV rocket could return America to space more safely, cheaply and quickly than the Ares I. The clashing views came during the first of four public sessions convened by the presidential commission charged with reviewing plans for the future of human spaceflight. NYTimes.com
(6/17)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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| Homeland Security | | |
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- DHS inspector general: GA terrorism threat "mostly hypothetical"
The inspector general of the Homeland Security Department issued a finding on Wednesday that the terrorism threat posed by general aviation is "limited and mostly hypothetical." In response to a Houston TV news report, Richard Skinner said TSA guidelines, "coupled with voluntary measures taken by owners and operators of aircraft and facilities, provide baseline security for aircraft based at general aviation sites." In preparing the report, Skinner's staff visited a mix of large and small GA airports across the country. "The current status of [general aviation] operations does not present a serious homeland security vulnerability requiring TSA to increase regulatory oversight of the industry," Skinner's report concluded. Government Executive
(6/17)
| AIA News | | |
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AIA, ASD urge governments to invest in aerospace, shun protectionism
Industry leaders from the Aerospace and Defense Industries Association of Europe and the Aerospace Industries Association exchanged views June 16 on the current economic situation and the impact of government policy responses on the aerospace and defense industry. Read more.
| AIA Aero Webinars | | |
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Webinar: DoD Technology Transition Process -- June 25, 2 p.m. ET
Learn the basics about the Defense Department Technology Transition Process and the formal investment programs that span the gap between the Science and Technology Process and the Defense Acquisition Framework. Sign up now.
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