July 31, 1995

July 31, 1995

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HEADLINE NEWS

SA-10S MAY AWAIT ALLIES IN BOSNIA

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

HEADLINE NEWS

NEW UAV FORCE FORMS AT NELLIS

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

HEADLINE NEWS

JAST MODEL BEGINS HOVER TESTS

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2021
HEADLINE NEWS

SA-10S MAY AWAIT ALLIES IN BOSNIA

WASHINGTON Over 100 new missiles would escalate the danger to allied aircrews, but U.S. officials believe the acquisition is a bluff If allied aircrews are ordered to fly combat missions in Bosnia, they will face sophisticated, Russian-made SA-10 surface-toair missiles, according to senior Bosnian Serb military officials.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

2021
HEADLINE NEWS

NEW UAV FORCE FORMS AT NELLIS

WASHINGTON The U.S. Air Force has formed its first operational unit to fly a new generation of long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles—the 11th Reconnaissance Sqdn. The move carves a place for the service in one of the currently prospering areas of defense development and could help shore up a badly sagging tactical reconnaissance capability.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

2223
HEADLINE NEWS

JAST MODEL BEGINS HOVER TESTS

NEW Outdoor hover and ground effects tests of an 86%-scale aircraft model will help reduce the technical risks associated with developing a shaft-coupled lift fan propulsion system for the Joint Advanced Strike Technology program. Tests now being run on Lockheed Martin's non-flightworthy, powered STOVL model are expected to provide engineers with data on jet thrust, airframe suckdown, hot gas ingestion and ground temperatures and pressures.
2223
HEADLINE NEWS

B-2 DROPS FIRST GPS-AIDED MUNITION

COLORADO SPRINGS The first Northrop Grumman GPS-Aided Munition (GAM) dropped from a B-2 bomber fell within the 20-ft. circular error probable predicted by company engineers. A June 13 release over the Navy's China Lake range in California demonstrated that the weapon responded to B-2 command messages, acquired GPS satellite signals within 10 sec. and maneuvered to maintain a desired trajectory over long distances.
2223
HEADLINE NEWS

CHINESE TESTS STUN NEIGHBORS

and Missile tests off Taiwan are Beijing's way of putting political pressure on President Lee Teng-hui before the country's first direct presidential elections next March. But analysts said these attacks could backfire and actually boost his power.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM,MICHAEL MECHAM

2425
HEADLINE NEWS

WIND SHEAR BLAMED IN APSTAR-2 LOSS

HONG KONG. Makers of China's Long March 2E booster and the HS 601 Apstar-2 satellite that exploded last January have agreed on the root cause for the explosion: wind shear striking the vehicle about 50 sec. after liftoff. But they differ on exactly what happened next.

By MICHAEL MECHAM

2425
HEADLINE NEWS

U.S. FIRM SAYS BAIKONUR IMPROVING SLOWLY

WASHINGTON The builder of Soyuz boosters is planning upgrades at Russia's space center in Kazakhstan to allow it to sell commercial launch services, but the effort is hampered by a shortage of capital and infrastructure weaknesses. Still, conditions at the Baikonur Cosmodrome are gradually improving, and there is a noticeable change in attitude, according to Anser Corp. personnel who assessed the sprawling complex recently.

By JAMES R. ASKER

2627
HEADLINE NEWS

RISING YEN SPARKS IRE OVER FS-X SHARES

TOKYO The rise in the yen—or fall in the dollar—is causing concern between the U.S. Defense Dept. and Japan's Defense Agency over production shares of Japan's FS-X close air support fighter. In a 1989 agreement, the U.S. production share for the fighter, which is a derivative of the Lockheed F-16C developed by Mitsubishi, was set at 40%.
2627
HEADLINE NEWS

EUROPEAN AEROSPACE JOBS STILL ERODING

PIERRE SPARACO PARIS The European aerospace industry's workforce is shrinking markedly as a result of plummeting military budgets, weak civil markets and improved productivity. According to a European Union (EU) survey covering the member countries, airframe, engine and component manufacturers have cut 108,062 jobs since 1985.
3839
COVER STORY

FREE FLIGHT: ATC MODEL FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS

WASHINGTON The new concept hopes to give pilots the flexibility of visual flight under instrument flight rules "Free flight," a concept still being defined by a government/industry task force, aims to increase flight efficiency by returning some aspects of air traffic control to pilots— without reducing safety.

By BRUCE D. NORDWALL

July 241995 AUGUST 71995