October 4, 1999

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HEADLINE NEWS

Major Risks Surround Russia’s Y2k Readiness

WASHINGTON Russia is unlikely to suffer catastrophic Y2K failures when the millennium changes, but experts warn it does face potentially serious computer hitches that could upset nuclear security and early warning systems. Also vulnerable are U.S.-Russian “hotline” communications, and Russia’s airports, air traffic control, nuclear powerplants, electrical power grids and telecommunications.

By PAUL MANN6 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Faulty Thruster Table Led to Mars Mishap

LOS ANGELES Engineers have discovered that use of English instead of metric units in a navigation software table contributed to, if not caused, the loss of Mars Climate Orbiter during orbit injection on Sept. 23. As of late last week, investigators had not determined whether the switch was enough to fully cause the 100-km.

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Most Ew Units Up for Sale

WASHINGTON The most surprising aspect of Lockheed Martin's divestiture plan is its decision to all but abandon the field of airborne electronic warfare systems where it presently is a world leader. This is unexpected because recent Kosovo operations focused on the need for enhanced aircraft EW capabilities.

By PHILIP J. KLASS5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Asia’s Outlook Brightens in Broad Return to Growth

WASHINGTON The economic outlook is brightening in the aerospace industry’s vital Asian market, including upticks in regional air traffic. For all the Asian crisis economies, 1999 growth projections have risen significantly, and downturns in Russia and Brazil have been shallower than expected, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported last week in its authoritative World Economic Outlook.

By PAUL MANN4 min

HEADLINE NEWS

F-22 Contract Changes Loom

WASHINGTON U.S. Air Force officials are girding for lengthy contract renegotiations on the F-22 and a vanishing supplier base in anticipation of the House and Senate resolving their dispute over this Fiscal years funding for the stealth fighter.

By ROBERT WALL3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

FAA Mulls Special Rules for Fractional Ownership

DALLAS The FAA is forming a committee to assess whether rapidly growing fractional ownership programs require unique regulation and how the agency should proceed to modify existing rules or enact new ones regulating such operations.

By EDWARD H. PHILLIPS3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Navy Gains Ground with Tmd Test

WASHINGTON With the start of testing of its Theater Wide missile defense system, the U.S. Navy has begun making the case for becoming the Pentagon’s premier provider of an upper tier theater missile defense (TMD) system. A Sept. 24 test was the first of eight the Navy and Raytheon plan to complete before next December.

By ROBERT WALL3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Martin-Baker to Set Up Assembly Site in U.S.

London Ejection seat-maker Martin-Baker, vying to equip the Joint Strike Fighter, will establish a new assembly and product support facility in Pennsylvania. A final decision on the exact location will be made before the first quarter of next year.

By John D. Morrocco3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

LMI-1 Satellite Inaugurates Russian-U.S. Venture

Paris and Moscow The first satellite to be operated by a U.S.-Russian satellite telecommunications consortium has been launched successfully from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. LMI-1, built by Lockheed Martin for Lockheed Martin Intersputnik—a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications and the Intersputnik International Organization for Space Communications—was orbited by a Proton booster on Sept. 26.

By Michael A. Taverna,2 min

September 271999

October 111999

October 4, 1999

October 4, 1999