 November 5, 2009 | News for the aerospace industry |
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- Lockheed disputes reports of further SBIRS delays
Defense officials say the Air Force's Space Based Infrared System program, troubled by cost overruns and schedule delays over the years, will face yet another delay -- this time of 12 to 18 months -- as Lockheed Martin Corp. wraps up testing. But Lockheed disputes that view, insisting that the program is on track for delivery to the Air Force by the fourth quarter of calendar year 2010. Defense News
(11/3)
, AviationWeek.com
(11/4)
     
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- Request for more war funding expected
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he plans to ask Congress for emergency funding in the next few months to help pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress just authorized $130 billion for the wars last month, and while no figures have been announced, analysts expect a request for another $50 billion. The New York Times
(11/4)
- Murtha won't "embarrass" Obama by forcing veto over VH-71
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the House's top defense appropriator, says the administration is sending "clear" signals that President Barack Obama will veto a 2010 Pentagon spending bill if it includes funding for the VH-71 helicopter. Some House lawmakers have been seeking ways to keep the presidential helicopter alive through previously appropriated funds, but Murtha says he will not "embarrass the president" by forcing the issue. The Hill
(11/4)
- Alcoa to spend $110M on aluminum press for F-35
Aluminum giant Alcoa says it will spend $110 million to refurbish the 50,000-ton Cleveland Works press -- one of the largest pieces of industrial equipment in the U.S. -- to boost production of aluminum-alloy bulkheads for the F-35. Under its 10-year, $360 million contract with Lockheed Martin Corp., Alcoa is currently producing parts on a 35,000-ton press, but says the bigger press will be needed to meet the Pentagon's ambitious production goals. "The F-35 absolutely is the driving factor" behind the pricey overhaul, according to Alcoa. Bloomberg
(11/5)
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- FAA committed to cooperation on NextGen, Babbitt says
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt says his agency is "adjusting our plans" for NextGen in light of the findings presented by a government/industry task force. "We have no plans to go it alone," Babbitt said Wednesday, noting that an ambitious project such as ATC modernization "can't be an international competition." AviationWeek.com
(11/4)
- Cheaper fuel helps lower airlines' overall cost index
Airlines' composite costs fell 29% in the second quarter, due mainly to a 36% plunge in fuel prices, according to figures from the Air Transport Association. Lower fuel prices helped to offset increases in other areas, including labor costs (up 6%), aircraft insurance (24%) and landing fees (7%). "Carriers are demonstrating tremendous cost discipline in the face of a weak demand environment and continuing fuel-price volatility," noted ATA's chief economist. Tulsa World (Okla.)
(11/4)
- US Airways notes "signs of improvement" as traffic slips 0.6%
Consolidated traffic numbers edged down a fraction of a point at US Airways in October, while a bigger drop in capacity pushed the monthly load factor to 82.2%, a gain of 1 percentage point compared to year-earlier levels. "The revenue outlook continues to show material signs of improvement with continued strength in both close-in bookings and yields," President Scott Kirby noted. RTT News
(11/4)
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- NASA gives up on Ares I-Y test due to cost concerns
NASA doesn't have the funds needed to quickly build an upper-stage engine for the Ares rocket, forcing the Constellation program manager to recommend scrapping the planned Ares I-Y test flight. "Because of the cost-constrained environment that we've been in, I just cannot get an engine to that vehicle soon enough," says program manager Jeff Hanley. Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
(11/4)
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| Homeland Security | | |
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- Report: No reliable predictors of terrorist attacks
Major terrorist events like the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks cannot be accurately predicted using any current models or methods, a Pentagon-funded study from the Mitre Corp. finds. According to the report, neither natural sciences, social sciences nor engineering can provide accurate predictions of such events, and current approaches are hampered by "false alarm rates and signal detection in the face of massive clutter." Researchers did suggest that adding motive to the current conceptual framework of intent, capability and opportunity could help to better anticipate attacks. Homeland Security Today
(11/5)
- Covert efforts boost security on the ground, in the air
From behavioral detection officers in the airport to air marshals on the plane, a Florida newspaper looks at covert efforts to make air travel more secure. Without providing specific numbers, the Sun-Sentinel says "dozens" of travelers daily are referred to secondary screening by the TSA's behavioral experts at airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. "When somebody's trying to hide something, it's going to show," says one local officer. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
(11/4)
| AIA News | | |
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AIA views equipage as infrastructure investment
In a speech on air traffic modernization, AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey said industry and government should work together to implement NextGen over the next 3 to 5 years, vs. the currently planned 10 to 15 years. She also said we should change the way we look at aircraft equipage, and that it is just as much a part of our national airspace system infrastructure as airports, runways and satellites. Read the speech here.
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