SAFRAN NAMES HERTEMAN AS BECHAT SUCCESSOR
APPOINTMENT French aerospace company Safran has named Jean-Paul Herteman as its new chief executive and chairman in succession to Jean-Paul Bechat, who steps down in September. Herteman has been executive vice-president of Safran and chairman of its Sagem Defence Security unit - a position he will retain in his new role - since December.
AVIC 1 TO START UP AIRLINE IN CHINA
PROPOSAL Chinese state-owned aviation conglomerate Aviation Industries Corporation 1 is looking to start a regional airline in China and may make a bid to acquire a general aviation company in North America, according to a report in Chinese newspaper Shanghai Securities News. The article quotes Lin Zuoming, president of China's largest aircraft manufacturer, as saying AVIC 1 plans to set up a regional airline in China this year and might bring in some strategic investors to help it. No details on the two initiatives were given.
ESA SATELLITES FOR SINGLE EUROPEAN SKY AND CINEMAS
PROJECTS Two new satellite projects have been initiated by the European Space Agency for digital cinema distribution and the Single European Sky Air traffic management Research (SESAR) programme. For SESAR, ESA's ARTES 10 programme is developing a satellite flightdeck and air traffic control link. SESAR requires two such ATC communication links and ESA's satellite would enable one of them. Its timetable is to develop a candidate satellite system by 2010. From 2010, the satellite and related avionics would be developed through phases B2, C and D, and be certificated. A pre-operational system would be launched in 2013 and by the end of 2014 the system would obtain its airworthiness certification. Deployment of the SESAR satellite is scheduled for 2017.
USA TO PUSH AHEAD WITH MISSILE RELIABILITY PLAN
STRATEGY The US Air Force can start working on a plan to boost the reliability of the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 JASSM stealthy cruise missile, but the programme still faces the threat of termination. Kenneth Krieg, undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics, cleared the USAF on 16 July to start Phase 1 of an undisclosed plan to improve the missile's performance. However, the programme's cost growth has triggered a so-called Nunn-McCurdy review, which requires the Department of Defense to certify to the US Congress that the weapon remains critical to national security despite its higher cost. Krieg has made no decision about the programme's certification status, which means the programme can still be terminated because of cost growth.
B-2 STEALTH BOMBER TO BE ADAPTED FOR DEEPER IMPACT
DEVELOPMENT Northrop Grumman is to integrate the 13,600kg (30,000lb)-class Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) on the B-2 stealth bomber to defeat hard and deeply buried targets such as bunkers and tunnels. Boeing is developing the GPS-guided MOP under a $30 million US Air Force Research Laboratory technology demonstration programme, with flight tests from a B-52 planned from November 2007 to July 2008. Northrop's $2.5 million contract is to adapt the B-2's weapon racks to carry the design, which carries 2,400kg of explosive inside a 6.25m (20.5ft)-long hardened steel case. The USAF is expected to decide later this year whether to field a limited, quick-reaction operational capability with the MOP on the B-2 or proceed with a full development programme. The B-2 could carry two MOPs, each with 10 times the explosive power of the BLU-109 penetrator, one in each weapons bay.
AUSTRALIA GETS GO-AHEAD FOR ORION REPLACEMENT
APPROVAL The Australian government has granted first pass approval for replacing the country's Lockheed Martin AP-3C Orion surveillance aircraft. The move to launch the A$4 billion ($3.47 billion) Air 7000 Phase 2 project will allow the defence department to start formal negotiations with the US Navy to take part in co-operative development of the Boeing 737-based P-8A multi-mission maritime aircraft. The P-8A will be equipped with anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors. Australia's new manned maritime patrol and response aircraft will work in conjunction with the multi-mission unmanned aerial system, which is being acquired under Air 7000 Phase 1. Australia plans to retire its Orions in 2018 after 30 years of service.
Source: Flight International
