Jun 30, 2008

Laser or infrared systems may have the ability to protect entire flight zones from shoulder-fired missiles, scientists say. However, they note that although the missiles may be detected, there is not currently a way to divert them off target. Jun 27, 2008

The US

The US Army on Thursday will announce significant changes to its Future Combat Systems initiative that include shifting the focus of its effort from armored units to infantry brigades. Officials note that the change could increase the cost of the $160 billion project. The main contractors on FCS are Boeing and SAIC. Jun 26, 2008

AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey underscores the need for a concerted effort on the part of the aerospace industry to address a looming workforce shortage. Insufficient numbers of college students are studying in engineering and related fields, and too few high school graduates are adequately prepared for aerospace-related degrees. Industry leaders are taking steps to address the issue, including such efforts as the AIA-sponsored Team America Rocketry Challenge. Jun 25, 2008

Brain drain in U.S. aerospace and defense industries has contributed to management problems, cost overruns and delays on military contracts, experts say. The Pentagon and military contractors have been forced to compete with high tech companies for new employees, they note. "Ten to 20 years ago, many mechanical engineers went into a limited number of industrial sectors, automotive and aerospace -- including defense -- among the largest," noted James Jones, associate head of Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering. Today, many graduates move into finance, management and medicine, according to recent surveys. A task force organized by the National Research Council is working to identify programs affected by faulty engineering management. Jun 25, 2008

Officials say the Missile Defense Agency is shifting the ground-based midcourse ballistic missile defense system test to radar integration instead of interception. Testing problems have forced the agency to make the changes, said MDA chief Air Force Lt. Gen. Trey Obering. He noted that a flawed telemetry card caused the problem and repairs are needed through the system. Jun 25, 2008

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether the Navy can train with sonar off the California coast this fall. The Navy is now prohibited from conducting the training because of concerns about whales and dolphins. Jun 24, 2008

Boeing

The Boeing 787 achieved full power-on two weeks ahead of schedule, the company said. Power-on brings electricity to an aircraft in stages. "The team has made great progress in bringing the bold innovation of the 787 to reality," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and manager of the 787 program. "There is plenty of work to be done between now and first flight, but with every step forward we grow more and more confident." Jun 23, 2008

Motorola, Lufthansa Technik

Motorola will provide Lufthansa Technik with its RFID solution for tracking components. Technology reads EPC UHF tags and is expected to reduce manual data entry and accelerate the repair process. Jun 25, 2008

ZZ

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