 June 23, 2009 | News for the aerospace industry |
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- CEO steps down from greatly expanded General Dynamics
Since taking over General Dynamics 12 years ago, CEO Nicholas Chabraja has grown the company's sales more than 700% to $29.3 billion. Along the way, General Dynamics has gone from a maker of tanks and submarines to a diversified industrial powerhouse with interests in shipbuilding, corporate jets and information technology. As Chabraja prepares to step down at the end of the month, The Washington Post offers a look back at his dozen years of service, plus an analysis of the company's future under successor Jay Johnson. The Washington Post
(6/22)
     
- Pentagon to officially jettison two-war strategy
The New York Times reports that the Pentagon is prepared to officially revise its long-held assumption that U.S. forces will never face more than two opponents at once. According to the paper, the Quadrennial Defense Review will adopt a theory of hybrid warfare, compelling military planners to prepare for traditional battles with nation-states while simultaneously fighting multiple insurgencies. Opponents say Defense Secretary Robert Gates is going too far in emphasizing counterinsurgency at the expense of traditional warfare and weapons. The New York Times
(6/22)
- Congress mulls mandated tests of procurement reform
The House of Representatives this week is likely to pass a bill that would require the Department of Defense to test new approaches to IT procurement. Following an April review that found the current process "too long and too cumbersome," lawmakers want the Pentagon to use 10 contracts per year to study reforms in its procurement system. Defense News
(6/22)
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| | Raytheon Company fired four Excalibur 1b projectiles from Swedish Archer gun system, completing first-ever demonstration of system's compatibility.
The tests evaluated controlled-flight and safe-muzzle exit, while validating the simulation used to predict the performance of Raytheon's Excalibur 1b. All test objectives were met, and Excalibur 1b's ballistic accuracy exceeded expectations. | |
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- Flu, recession cut May air traffic by 9.5%
New numbers from the Air Transport Association show airlines took a double hit in May, as the weak economy and the H1N1 flu virus helped push traffic down by 9.5%. "In May, the H1N1 influenza outbreak compounded an already weak demand situation, negatively impacting industry cash flow and forcing a closer look at current levels of flying," said ATA President and CEO Jim May. Revenues at U.S. carriers have now fallen for seven consecutive months, according to ATA's figures. The Dallas Morning News/Airline Biz Blog
(6/22)
, American City Business Journals/Denver
(6/22)
- Frontier accepts buyout offer from Republic
Frontier Airlines has agreed to a $108.75 million buyout by Republic Airways Holdings, allowing the Denver-based carrier to emerge from bankruptcy with much of its business intact. The deal is subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York, with hearings scheduled for next month. "This agreement represents a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to position Frontier to emerge from bankruptcy as a competitive, sustainable airline," said Frontier CEO Sean Menke, noting that most employees could expect to keep their jobs under the plan. American City Business Journals/Sacramento, Calif.
(6/22)
, Chicago Tribune/The Associated Press
(6/22)
- Delta sees $250M hit from swine flu
Delta Air Lines says the global flu pandemic will cost the company $250 million in lost revenue this year, roughly double an earlier estimate for the second quarter alone. CEO Richard Anderson told shareholders attending an annual meeting that Delta has "significantly" cut capacity as a result, though some flights to Mexico and Latin America could be restored later in the year. Reuters
(6/22)
, USA TODAY/The Associated Press
(6/22)
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- NASA: "We are in lunar orbit"
For the first time since 1998, the U.S. has a spacecraft circling the moon. NASA's $504 million Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reached its orbit early Tuesday morning, beginning its year-long mission to map the moon's surface in search of landing sites for future astronauts. Mission managers expect to begin receiving detailed images within a matter of weeks. Space.com
(6/23)
- Opinion: Time to prepare for a lunar land rush
With China, India, Japan and the U.S. all planning to send astronauts to the moon by 2020, the lunar landscape could see something of a traffic jam, says author Michio Kaku in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. "We could get a bottleneck on the moon," he writes, "with manned and unmanned probes from several countries whizzing around it from different directions." With the Outer Space Treaty now more than 40 years old, Kaku says now is the time to rethink limits and protocols, "before national rivalries and tensions heat up as we approach 2020." The Wall Street Journal
(6/23)
 | Maximize Your Efficiency
Find out how the right operating system can help you to maximize the efficiency of your industrial devices and manufacturing processes. On June 24 at 8:00am PDT listen as Gordon Smith of Microsoft and Yannick Chamming of Adaneo Embedded, discuss Windows Embedded, a family of operating systems designed to streamline your industrial environment. |
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- Report: Napolitano to ax domestic spy satellite program
The Department of Homeland Security plans to pull the plug on a controversial Bush administration plan to use U.S. spy satellites to aid in domestic law enforcement and counter-terrorism efforts. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano reportedly decided to nix the two-year-old National Applications Office after state and city law enforcement officials told her that satellite monitoring was not a priority. According to an unnamed source in the department, the satellites will still be used domestically for natural disasters and special events such as political conventions. Los Angeles Times
(6/23)
- Registered Traveler program collapses on operator's woes
Verified Identity Pass, operator of the Clear program in airports across the U.S., said it will shut down its operations, leaving hundreds of thousands of fliers without the privilege of speeding through security lines. The company "had been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations," according to a statement on its Web site. USA TODAY/Today in the Sky blog
(6/23)
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