Flight International articles from July 2003

Flight International archives from July 2003

Brave new world.(International Air Transport Association annual general meeting)
July 1, 2003... In the wake of crisis comes opportunity. As became clear at the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Washington at the start of June, there is a new resolve to tackle problems rather than wait for the crisis to pass. But how long will such a...

United presses for loan as it plans Chapter 11 exit.(United Airlines)
July 1, 2003... United Airlines is still seeking the federal loan guarantee as it plans to leave court protection. The loan was rejected last year, pushing the carrier into its December bankruptcy filing. The $1.8 billion guarantee, if granted, would help...

Union vote key to Air Canada future.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Air Canada's future rides on the outcome of ratification votes by its unionised employees. If they approve the nine agreements Air Canada has negotiated with its unions, the airline will take a huge step toward recovery. If they do not, it...

American seeks cash injection and more revenue as it restores seats.(American Airlines)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... American Airlines will need more liquidity as well as increased revenue this year, even though the company had $2 billion in cash on hand, president and chief executive Gerard Arpey told a Merrill Lynch conference in early June. The liquidity...

In brief.(includes multiple articles)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Avensa grounded The weakest of Venezuela's airlines has succumbed to its political and economic chaos. Avensa parked its last four aircraft at the end of May, blaming a 50% plunge in traffic over the past two years. If and when conditions...

JetBlue refocuses with regional jet buy.
July 1, 2003... JetBlue has confirmed that big regional jets are indeed the future with its announcement that it would become the launch customer for up to 200 Embraer 190s in a deal valued at as much as $6 billion. The move, however, raises questions...

Asia faces the challenges ahead.(airlines)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2003... Asia's carriers have again been reporting mixed sets of financial results for last year. They are in agreement about one thing - the SARS crisis means this year is going to be a challenge, writes Nicholas Ionides in Singapore Since the...

'Recovery' in perspective.(financial markets and airline restructuring)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2003... Financial markets have begun to recover from their lows of earlier this year and airline shares along with them. But that should not deflect from the task of restructuring, warn Chris Tarry and Dominic Edridge To read some of the more...

Nicholas Ionides Singapore Dave Knibb Brisbane.(New Zealand airport charges regulation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... New Zealand opts to shun airport charges regulation New Zealand has taken the decision not to regulate Auckland International Airport charges, rejecting a recommendation of its own Commerce Commission. The commission spent four years...

Dragonair challenges Cathay licence.(Cathay Pacific Airways route licenses)
July 1, 2003... Hong Kong's Dragonair is taking legal action in a bid to have the China route licences recently awarded to Cathay Pacific Airways declared "null and void". Dragonair, fearing new competition on China routes from Cathay, sought Hong Kong...

SIA examines no-frills market entry.(Singapore Airlines)
July 1, 2003... Facing the potential threat of competition from growing Malaysian low-fare carrier AirAsia, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has formally opened studies into the establishment of its own no-frills operation. SIA executives have said over the past...

Airlines reinstate flights despite lack of recovery....(in Asia)
July 1, 2003... Major Asian carriers are starting to reinstate services scrapped during the worst of the SARS-induced downturn between April and June but are cautioning that a full-on recovery in demand has yet to begin. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways,...

China and Taiwan target cargo links.(air cargo)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... If the SARS cloud has any silver lining it may be how it forces suspicious neighbours to work together. In the case of Taiwan and China, it could mark a new step in normalising aviation relations between them. The SARS outbreak forced...

...While cargo demand boosts embattled carriers.(in Asia)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Although demand for passenger services to many parts of Asia has plummeted as a result of the SARS outbreak, cargo demand has held up enough to prompt some carriers to look again at expanding their freighter fleets. Hong Kong's Dragonair,...

In brief.(miscellaneous brief articles)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Garuda and MAS codeshare Garuda Indonesia and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) are expanding their codeshare ties to cover flights to Australia and Europe. The deal will cover Denpasar (Bali)-Darwin, Kuala Lumpur-London and Kuala Lumpur-Frankfurt...

DBA faces uncertain future.
July 1, 2003... Munich-based DBA, formely Deutsche BA, faces the possibility of closure unless there are clear signs of a turnaround within a year, following its sale to Intro, the German investment company. This was the clear message from Michael Oaten,...

Swiss cuts aircraft, jobs and routes.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... In an effort to cut costs by SFr1.6 billion ($1.2 billion), Swiss is reducing its fleet by 34 aircraft, its workforce by 3,000 people, and its flying by 35%. The drastic survival measures were outlined in a new business plan that features a...

bmi to slash workforce.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... UK carrier bmi is looking to cut its workforce by up to a third as it strives to return to profit, while it continues to explore a possible link up with Virgin Atlantic Airways. The carrier aims to take up to [pounds sterling]100 million...

In brief.(includes multiple articles)
July 1, 2003... Aeroflot launches shuttle Aeroflot is to launch four daily flights from Moscow to Russia's western enclave Kaliningrad in what will become the country's first air shuttle operation. The services will use Tupolev Tu-154Ms in a two-class...

In brief.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Heathrow capacity boost? The UK government is to issue a consultation paper next year on scrapping the "Cranford agreement", which prevents aircraft taking off over London from the northern runway at Heathrow airport. This would open the...

Sequential ticket rules challenged.(European Union)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The right of European Union (EU) carriers to insist that connecting tickets are used in sequential order is being challenged by two passengers forced to buy new, higher-priced tickets by British Airways at London Heathrow. The two...

Feedback.(airline consolidation)
July 1, 2003... Does size matter? The often predicted consolidation within the airline sector has not happened yet and perhaps never will, argues Vicente Mara[currency]on de Pablo, senior consultant at the Spain-based AI-RE, Airports Consulting Group. ...

Carriers demand more from pilots.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... IATA has for the first time in a public forum demanded pilots play their part in lowering airline costs. In his address to the Annual General Meeting (AGM), director general Giovanni Bisignani said pilots must "not hide behind old work rules,...

IATA demands cost saving action.(International Air Transport Association)
July 1, 2003... IATA's new leader is taking the fight for cost control from within the airlines themselves to outside forces such as labour, infrastructure and government regulation. IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani led the association's 59th...

In brief.
July 1, 2003... IATA launches audits In July the first airlines will start being audited under IATA's new Operational Safety Audit Programme, to harmonise airline audit standards and reduce costs. IATA senior vice-president Guenther Matschnigg says in 30...

Privatised airports blasted.(International Air Transport Association meeting)
July 1, 2003... IATA heightened its vocal attack on infrastructure charges at its Annual General Meeting (AGM), bringing fire to bear on privatised airports even as new pricing and fee models emerge. "As airlines struggle, governments allow monopoly...

US to liberalise carrier funding.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The USA has moved to liberalise its limits on foreign investment in US flag carriers in a major concession that may be too little for many and too late for action this year. The policy shift came when Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta...

Airlines call for clarity on security.
July 1, 2003... What do we have to do and why do we have to pay for it? These questions dominated security issue talks at the IATA annual general meeting in Washington. IATA's Giovanni Bisignani says: "New security regulations cost airlines $5 billion in 2002....

Europe pushes for transatlantic deal.(European Union, USA open skies deal)
July 1, 2003... Although Brussels has been given a mandate to negotiate an open skies deal with the USA, it may have to limit its ambitions if a deal is to be sealed any time soon. European Union transport ministers, meeting in early June, gave the...

Show saver.(Emirates signs for Airbus A380; Boeing 7E7 dreamliner)
July 1, 2003... Emirates helped rescue June's Paris airshow with a huge signing for the Airbus A380, while Boeing gave shape to the 7E7 dreamliner. Elsewhere the regional sector got back into its stride The 46th Paris airshow was never likely to be a...

Paris briefs.(includes multiple articles)
July 1, 2003... Boeing's advanced 747 Boeing offered details of its latest 747 concept, the 747 Advanced, which could operate with 5% lower seat-mile costs compared with current models. It has begun talking to airlines about a 440-seat aircraft that is...

Special report.(global alliances)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Alliances Originally established for their marketing reach, today the global alliances are increasingly being asked to provide a platform for cost-saving initiatives. And as the big three alliances mature, unaligned carriers are facing a...

Where are they.(global alliances)
July 1, 2003... Global alliance membership is again in play as industry restructuring moves ahead in both North America and Europe. Meanwhile, the global alliances continue to strengthen their structures and leverage their joint purchasing power After the...

Join the club.(global alliance groupings)
July 1, 2003... Although the global groupings have grabbed the headlines, bilateral deals still dominate for many Few airline initiatives have generated as much interest as the formation of the global alliance groupings. Such is the power of their...

A new balance.(between US, European carriers)
July 1, 2003... The decline on the North Atlantic appears to be bottoming out although uncertainty remains, not least in the dynamic balance between US and European carriers As the summer season takes shape across the North Atlantic there appear to be...

In brief.(includes multiple articles)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Qantas switches Rome route Qantas Airways is to suspend services to Rome and instead codeshare with oneworld alliance partner Cathay Pacific Airways on its flights to the Italian capital. The Cathay codeshare will begin on 9 September,...

Airline Business Award.(Jurgen Weber, Rod Eddington, Jim Ream)
July 1, 2003... Presented to Jurgen Weber Jurgen Weber has been a rare point of stability for an industry in a state of almost constant change. After more than 11 years as Lufthansa chairman, he now steps down as the longest serving chairman of any...

Finance.
July 1, 2003... Presented to USAirways US Airways chief executive David Siegel has made his mark as a young man who moves quickly. First, he became the leader of a USmajor at the age of only 40 in March 2002. Then, he guided it though a bankruptcy...

Executive appointments.(various companies)
July 1, 2003... oneworld New head at oneworld Oneworld has appointed a new managing partner following Peter Buecking's departure to head up airline telecommunications and IT group SITA. John McCulloch, a 44-year-old Scot, was Buecking's deputy at...

aircraft development Andrew Doyle / Madrid; Stretched 717 the star in Boeing alliance proposal; Regional twinjet family competing for members' combined 100-aircraft requirement.
July 15, 2003... Boeing is offering to start deliveries of its proposed 717-300X simple stretch in the second quarter of 2006 if the regional twinjet family is selected to meet a pending Star Alliance requirement for 100 or more aircraft. Meanwhile, having...

Feeder services Paul Lewis / Washington DC; Atlantic Coast is stranded as United seals Express deals; Air Wisconsin, SkyWest and Mesa add capacity to network in return for cutting costs.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... United Express carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) is actively seeking alternative mainline suitors, having failed to reach a new regional feeder agreement with United Airlines. Air Wisconsin and SkyWest have struck new deals with United to...

suppliers; China names ARJ21 parts providers.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... State-run China Aviation Industry I (AVIC I) has chosen more component suppliers for its new ARJ21 regional jet, which is due to enter service in 2007. According to Tao Zhi Hui, assistant to the president of ARJ21 programme company AVIC I...

Delivery; CRJ century.(Bombardier CRJ)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Delta Connection Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) has taken delivery of its 100th Bombardier CRJ, becoming the second operator of the regional jet to reach its century. The 100th jet, a 50-seat CRJ200, joins a fleet of 84 CRJ200s and 15...

charters; Zoom takes off with leased Boeing 767-300ER.(Zoom Airlines)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... New Ottawa-based charter airline Zoom Airlines has begun transatlantic charters using a leased ex-Air France Boeing 767-300ER. The carrier, formed by Canadian winter leisure tour specialist Go Travel Direct, aims to fill part of the void left...

communications Mary Kirby / Washington DC & Guy Norris / Los Angeles; Connexion readies for global launch next year.
July 15, 2003... Connexion by Boeing says it will be ready to offer high-speed airborne connectivity services on a global scale "beginning next year", following a long-awaited decision by the International Telecommuni-cations Union (ITU) to approve a global...

survey; Accident results show improvements on 2002.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... There have been nine fatal airline accidents and 341 fatalities in the year to 30 June, compared with 18 fatal accidents and 716 fatalities by the same stage in 2002 (Flight International, 30 July-5 August 2002). All the crashes, except a...

strategy Nicholas Ionides / Singapore; Japan Airlines set to add 767s to reduce fleet types; Aircraft are expected to replace ageing A300s operated by merger partner JAS.
July 15, 2003... Japan Airlines (JAL) has quietly ordered eight additional Boeing 767-300ERs as it moves forward with plans to reduce the number of aircraft types in its group fleet to 11 from 16 by the end of 2006. Although the carrier will not comment on...

operations Mary Kirby / Washington DC; TSA set to lift post-9/11 security ban on use of offline cockpit jumpseats.(United States Transportation Security Administration)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is close to launching a test programme to allow commercial airline pilots to again use offline cockpit jumpseats. After 11 September 2001, the US government prohibited pilots from...

production Michael Phelan / Broughton; Airbus faces A380 wing transport dilemma.
July 15, 2003... Airbus is facing a potential headache over the logistics of transporting the UK-built A380 wing assemblies to Toulouse. Meanwhile, the manufacturer says it has not ruled out adopting more metallic structure on future versions of the A380. ...

engine development; SM146 to get open-air testbed.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Snecma and NPO Saturn are to invest g18 million ($21 million) to build an open-air testbed for the SM146 turbofan they are jointly developing to power the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ). The SM146 engine was selected earlier this year to power...

safety David Learmount / London; Sudan minister links crash with trade boycott.(Mustafa Osman Ismail)
July 15, 2003... Sudan's foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail has tried to link last week's fatal crash of a Sudan Airways Boeing 737-200 with US trade sanctions on the country that he alleges have caused a lack of spare parts. The aircraft (ST-AFK) was...

workshop.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... n Oklahoma-based AAR Aircraft Services is to provide installation support for Aviation Partners Boeing's blended winglets on 737-300s, -700s and -800s under a one-year agreement. AAR's Aircraft Component Services of Amsterdam, the Netherlands,...

airports; Carriers seek Christmas ETOPS cheer.(extended range twin engine operations)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... South Pacific carriers are hopeful that Christmas Island in Kiribati will be able to take over from Johnston Atoll as an extended range twin engine operations (ETOPS) alternative for routes from Australasia and Fiji to Hawaii by the end of this...

negotiations Justin Wastnage / London; EC set for new US open skies talks ; Technical discussions start next month, but agreement on safety and competition policy not expected until 2006.
July 15, 2003... The European Commission is poised to begin talks with the USA about transatlantic open skies, but it does not expect to seal a deal until 2006 when a wider agreement will be reached covering safety and aviation competition policy. ...

Strategy Justin Wastnage / London; DBA warns on predatory pricing.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... German carrier DBA is warning that it will alert competition authorities to any incidences of alleged predatory pricing by Lufthansa on German domestic routes as part of the former British Airways subsidiary's investment bank-led recovery plan....

DEVELOPMENT; Rebirth set for Extra Flugzeugbau.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Extra Flugzeugbau is expected to emerge from insolvency by the end of the month as talks between the administrator and the new owner draw to a close. The Dusseldorf, Germany-based company, which will assume a new trading name with the...

SELECTION; Southstar enters into the Spirit with Ibis Ae270.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Ibis Aerospace has selected Texas-based Southstar Aircraft Interiors to complete the Ae270 Spirit single-turboprop business aircraft for the North American market. DeCrane Aircraft Seating (formerly Erda) will supply executive seats for the...

in brief.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... SUBPART K coming The US Federal Aviation Administration is expected to sign off this week the long-awaited rule governing fractional aircraft ownership operations. Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 91 Subpart K was created more than...

Airport Kate Sarsfield / London; Schiphol starts work on business aviation facility; GA operators say decision to proceed comes as result of new EU security measures.
July 15, 2003... Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is expected to break ground on its first dedicated business aviation terminal at the end of the year. The decision satisfies long-standing demands by resident fixed-based operators Amsterdam Jet Center and KLM General...

noise Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Van Nuys asks court to enforce Stage 2 ruling ; Californian airport accuses Pacific Jet in row over breach of business jet restrictions.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... California's Van Nuys Airport has launched its first legal action under a controversial rule restricting operations of Stage 2 business jets. The lawsuit accuses charter company Pacific Jet of violating a non-addition rule designed to prevent...

Contract; Garrett lands Gulfstream hushkit deal.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Garrett Aviation Services has been designated the preferred installer of Quiet Technology Aerospace's (QTA) Stage 3 hushkit for the Gulfstream II and III. Intallations will be performed at Garrett's Islip, Long Island, and Los Angeles,...

Restructuring Alexander Campbell / London & Pino Modola / Genoa; BAE takes tighter control of AMS; Finer details yet to be decided, but UK company aims for clarity in structure of joint venture with Finmeccanica.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... BAE is taking operational control of its AMS joint venture with Finmeccanica as part of the recent agreement between the two companies to deepen their co-operation in the defence electronics sector. The deal will see parts of BAE's avionics...

in brief.(Hawker Pacific announced senior management changes after death of chairman)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Hawker changes Australian aircraft sales and product support company Hawker Pacific has announced senior management changes following the death of its chairman, Christopher Tennant. Tennant's long-standing investment partner and member of...

Investment; IAI looks abroad for partners to beat budget cuts.(Israel Aircraft Industries )(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is seeking foreign partners to invest in its major programmes in an effort to overcome funding shortages caused by cuts in the Israeli defence budget. The partners will get access to technology as newly...

strategy Karen Walker / Frankfurt; Lufthansa Systems looks to America for expansion; IT provider takes comfort from ongoing contracts and Starnet potential in tough year.
July 15, 2003... Airline industry IT provider Lufthansa Systems is looking to broaden its portfolio, focusing especially on North American markets and small and medium-sized carriers. Lufthansa Systems is enduring another tough year, chief executive Peter...

Takeover offer Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Pechiney rejects bid as Alcan seeks stronger aerospace position.
July 15, 2003... France's Pechiney has rejected a hostile takeover bid from rival aluminium producer Alcan. The Canadian giant has offered c3.4 billion ($3.9 billion) in cash and stock for Pechiney, in a deal that would create the world's largest aluminium...

People.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Emirates managing director Maurice Flanagan has been appointed vice-chairman and group president. Chief director airline Tim Clark will become president of Emirates Airline, reporting to Flanagan, as will president of group support services...

SURVEY MURDO MORRISON / LONDON; Has industry turned the corner? ; Our second three-monthly poll of Top 100 aerospace companies shows a marked change in confidence over quarter one.
July 15, 2003... Aerospace companies are growing in confidence after a buoyant second three months of the year. Flight International's second quarterly Aerospace Trends Survey - produced with strategy consultancy Roland Berger - shows an upswing in optimism...

Inertia overcome.
July 15, 2003... After years of deliberation about the best way of making fuel tanks safer, Boeing and the FAA are testing available solutions Boeing appears to have developed a cost-effective fuel tank inerting system, but at this prototype stage there is...

Co-operation; Northrop seeks Czech help for NATO bid.(Northrop Grumman)(Czech Republic)(North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Ground Surveillance project)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Northrop Grumman has approached the Czech Republic's AOP defence industry association seeking local partners for its bid for the NATOAlliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) project. The Northrop Grumman-led Transatlantic Industrial Proposed...

Cockpits; Fewer MFDs for EH101.(multifunction displays)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... AgustaWestland is considering use of three 330 x 200mm (13 x 8in) multifunction displays (MFD)for the EH101 cockpit as part of itsforward planning for the three-engined helicopter. Peter Hulett, AgustaWestland product marketing manager,...

Helicopters ARIE EGOZI / TelAviv; Israel aims high for CH-53 special missions.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... The Israeli air force is to use its Sikorsky CH-53 Yas'urs for communications relay and electronic warfare missions from unusually high altitudes for a helicopter. The air force has completed an initial series of "high-altitude"CH-53...

Maritime patrol Vladimir Karnozov/Moscow; Modified Indian Il-38 May takes off; Ten-year airframe life extension and installation of Sea Dragon search and targeting system complete Ilyushin's upgrade.
July 15, 2003... Ilyushin has completed the first flight of an Il-38 May maritime patrol aircraft upgraded to SD standard. The flight on 9 July was from Khodynka in Moscow to the Gromov flight test and research institute at Zhukovsky. The airframe is an...

Investigation; Indonesian deal under scrutiny.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Indonesia's parliament is investigating the purchase of four Sukhoi fighters and two Mil helicopters from Russia. President Megawati Sukarnoputri has been accused by politicians of bypassing normal procedures in not seeking defence ministry...

Precision munitions Paul Lewis / WashingtonDC; USN and Raytheon look at new roles for JSOW ; After Iraq conflict success, USN wants to increase GPS-guided weapon's capability.
July 15, 2003... The US Navy and Raytheon are studying a range of alternative applications for the AGM-154 Joint Stand-off Weapon (JSOW), including a directed energy payload, following the successful employment of the GPS-guided weapon during the recent Iraq...

Programme ; Malaysia to restart F-5 upgrade.(Caledonian Airborne Systems)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Malaysia plans to restart its Northrop F-5 overhaul and upgrade programme, possibly by selecting Airod to work with the UK's Caledonian Airborne Systems on avionics and structural enhancements. Caledonian was first contracted by Malaysia in...

Airborne Surveillance Paul Lewis / WashingtonDC; Sea King growth plans in the offing; Royal Navy and Thales study potential role expansion for AEW7 after helicopter proves capabilities in Iraq combat debut.
July 15, 2003... The UK Royal Navy and Thales are looking at further growth applications for the Searchwater 2000AEW radar-equipped Westland Sea King AEW7 airborne early warning (AEW)helicopter following the recent success of the system in support of coalition...

Unmanned systems ; Boeing links up with Insitu to produce and market ScanEagle.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Boeing has paved the way for production of the ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle (UAV) by signing a long-term agreement with the Insitu Group, original developer of its Seascan predecessor. The contract, which could run for up to 10 years,...

flight test; India's LCA to go supersonic.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... The Hindustan Aeronautics Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA),is being primed for its first supersonic flight this week. Dr V K Aatre, scientific adviser to the Indian defence minister, says the flight will begin the next stage of envelope...

Precision Munitions ARIE EGOZI / Tel Aviv; Israel to add Spice to F-16 squadron.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... The Israeli air forcewill soon equip a first Lockheed Martin F-16 squadron with the Rafael Spice precision-guidance weapon following a series of tests at the Rafael Shdema desert range. The guidance kit, dubbed "poor man's Popeye", turns a...

Amphibian Brendan Sobie / Singapore; Upgraded US-1A Kai set for first flight in August; Ground trials of search and rescue aircraft nearly complete and service entry due in 2006.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... ShinMaywa Industries is preparing to fly the first upgraded US-1A Kai search and rescue amphibian next month, having nearly completed the ground trials required before starting the flight test programme. The first of the new type was rolled...

Contracts.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... n The USMissile Defense Agency has awarded Boeing a $241.8 million contract for Airborne Laser (ABL) Block 2004 work. The ABL Block 2004 programme includes cost adjust- ments for the laser, beam control and integration and test efforts....

Ballistic missiles; Iran's Shihab-3 to enter service.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2003... Iran has moved closer todeploying the Shihab-3 long-range ballistic missile, sayIsraeli and US intelligence sources, following the latest successful launch late last month. The missile was launched into an east-west trajectory and the...

Academic divisions.(Advanced European Jet Pilot Training)
July 15, 2003... Several European countries are reviewing prospects for advanced training, but politics are beginning to cloud the issue and little progress seems to have been made Christina Mackenzie / Paris &Michael Phelan / London At the half-way...