November 18, 1996

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HEADLINE NEWS

Mars 96 Poised for Liftoff After Tortuous Development

CAPE CANAVERAL The Russian Mars 96 mission with an orbiter, four landers and participants from more than 20 countries is scheduled to be en route to Mars this week after a tortuous eight-year development that spanned the collapse of the Soviet Union. France is a major partner on the mission, which includes advanced German instrumentation.

By CRAIG COVAULT5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

France Seeks Early Rafale Export Orders

PARIS The French Defense Ministry should procure without delay 10 “early delivery” Rafale combat aircraft to support Dassault Aviation’s effort to seek export customers, according to the parliament’s defense commission. In mid-1996, due to increasingly tight budgets, service-entry date of the French air force’s land-based Rafale C was further delayed to 2005, and first delivery of the navy Rafale M was rescheduled to 2000.

By PIERRE SPARACO4 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Matra Plans $2-billion Ka Satcom System

CAPE CANAVERAL Matra Marconi is beginning development of a new $2-billion wideband European communications satellite system that would use nine new 4-ton spacecraft at medium altitude in combination with a single 4-ton spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit.

By CRAIG COVAULT3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

New Sensors Drive Winning Sbirs Bid

WASHINGTON Lockheed Martin’s winning proposal to build a constellation of nextgeneration U.S. early warning satellites centers on a pair of new sensors tailored to greatly improve detection of Scud-class missile launches. The U.S. Air Force selected the proposal over a Hughes/TRW bid and awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin on Nov. 8 to build five geosynchronous satellites for the Space-Based Infrared System.

By JOSEPH C. ANSELMO3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Desperate for Sales, Moscow Courts Seoul

MOSCOW A new military cooperation pact has raised Russia’s hopes of persuading South Korea to buy Russian rather than American combat aircraft, but the agreement’s practical effect may prove nil. The Russian/South Korean accord, signed here by each government’s defense minister early this month, has become the springboard for fresh Russian claims that Seoul’s purchase of Su-35 and Su-37 multi-purpose fighters instead of U.S. F-15Es would save the Korean air force money and provide it with superior combat performance.

By NICOLAY NOVICHKOV2 min

NBAA '96 PREVIEW

Visionaire Rolls Out Single-Engine Vantage

MOJAVE, CALIF. VisionAire Corp. rolled out a proof-of-concept testbed on Nov. 8 for its “Vantage” single-engine business jet at Scaled Composites’ facility here, and expects to make a first flight in the next several weeks. The aircraft taxied under its own power on Nov. 12 and 13.

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM11 min

NBAA '96 PREVIEW

Rapid Business Pace Boosts Corporate Jet Demand

SEATTLE Business aviation is entering a third year of strong growth as the increased pace, competitiveness and global scope of business forces top executives off the airlines and into more flexible and time-efficient corporate aircraft.

By PAUL PROCTOR9 min

November 111996

November 251996

November 18, 1996

November 18, 1996