March 16, 1987

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SAFETY

Canadian Safety Board Assesses Crash of F-20A Prototype

At 1345 Atlantic Daylight Time (All times are given in ADT), May 14, 1985, the Northrop F-20A Prototype aircraft, GI-1001, United States of America civil registration N3986B, took off from Goose Bay Airport Runway 08 on a 5-min. practice demonstration flight, in preparation for the Paris air show.

MANAGEMENT

Army, Navy Secretaries Initiate Major Changes in Staff Structure

Washington—The secretaries of the Army and Navy have unveiled their latest organizational plans to comply with two measures that call for sweeping changes and personnel reductions in the Defense Dept.’s bureaucratic structure. The Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 directed the services to place the acquisition and research and development functions under the control of the civilian secretaries and reduce the number of civilian and military staff personnel by 15% through consolidating duplicative functions.

By John D. Morrocco6 min

Space Technology

NASA Begins Work on Mars Mission To Rejuvenate U.S. Space Program

Washington—Extensive exploration of the planet Mars is emerging as the key for rejuvenating the U.S. space program with an effort that would advance technologies, provide more direction to the space station and reassert U.S. space leadership into the 21st century.

By Craig Covault6 min

STRATEGIC WEAPONS TRENDS

Nunn Affirms 1972 ABM Pact, Finding Kinetic Tests Illegal

Washington—Kinetic kill vehicles—highspeed antimissile projectiles—probably cannot legally be tested or developed under either a narrow or broad interpretation of the 1972 U.S./Soviet Antiballistic Missile Treaty, Sen. Sam Nunn (D.-Ga.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said last week.

By Paul Mann6 min

AIR TRANSPORT

USAir-Piedmont Merger Pending Government, Shareholder Approval

Washington—The USAir-Piedmont airlines merger will create the seventh largest U.S. airline with 7% of the market and particular strength in the East, if the Transportation Dept. and Piedmont shareholders give their approval. USAir Group last week began a cash tender offer for all of Piedmont’s common stock at $69 per share, totaling $1.59 billion in cash.

By Cecilia Preble6 min

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

New Shuttle Launch Procedures May Result in Countdown Scrubs

Kennedy Space Center—New conservatism and discipline being incorporated into a complete revision of shuttle launch operations here will result in numerous launch scrubs to ensure safety once the program resumes flight operations, managers believe.

By Craig Covault5 min

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

American Rocket Negotiating For Suborbital Test Flight Of Hybrid Launch Vehicle

Los Angeles—American Rocket Co. has started negotiations with Air Force officials to make a suborbital test flight of the company’s hybrid rocket engine from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., possibly by the end of the year (AW&ST Feb. 23, p. 59).

By Michael A. Dornheim5 min

March 91987

March 231987

March 16, 1987

March 16, 1987

Canadian Safety Board Assesses Crash of F-20A Prototype

Harris Corp. Offering Digital Map Generator for Airborne Operations

By Edward H. Kolcum7 min

MD-11, A340 Competition Gains Momentum at Thai International

By Richard G. O’Lone6 min

Canadian Safety Board Assesses Crash of F-20A Prototype

Harris Corp. Offering Digital Map Generator for Airborne Operations

By Edward H. Kolcum7 min

MD-11, A340 Competition Gains Momentum at Thai International

By Richard G. O’Lone6 min