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Optimism reigns at record-breaking Heli-Expo 2012 in DallasDALLAS, 13 Feb. 2012. The mood at Helicopter Association International’s (HAI’s) Heli-Expo 2012 in Dallas is positive, with all signs and reports pointing to growth. HAI executives revealed that they broke previous attendance records, logging more than 18,000 registered attendees. The record-breaking attendance was achieved one full day before the show is scheduled to close, in the afternoon of 14 Feb. |
Industry backs, comments on FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012WASHINGTON, 7 Feb. 2012. The heads of several associations in the avionics community are coming forward to commend the U.S. Congress for approving the FAA Modernization and Reform Act 2012. The bill awaits President Obama’s signature. The legislation would provide funding through 2015—a stark departure from the past several years, in which the House and Senate approved only short-term extensions (23 of them, in fact) to the 2004 funding levels. |
LDRA launches Certification Services division, delivering tools, certification services to help achieve complianceMONKS FERRY, U.K., 22 Feb 2012. LDRA, a provider of standards compliance, automated software verification, source code analysis, and test tools, has launched LDRA Certification Services (LCS) to help customers develop certification-ready products. The LCS team includes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Engineering Representatives (DERs) and safety engineering experts, and is aligned with product development and verification specialists who use the LDRA tool suite and other tools to address critical project requirements at high design-assurance levels. |
AeroVironment wins $4.2 million U.S. Air Force order for Switchblade loitering munition systems and servicesMONROVIA, Calif., 16 Feb. 2012. AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) won a $4,167,777 order from the U.S. Air Force for operational Switchblade loitering munition systems and services, engineering services, and operator training. AeroVironment will work with munition subcontractor ATK (NYSE:ATK) to produce and deliver the systems. |
President Obama signs FAA bill into law; work on unmanned integration into airspace, GPS-based air traffic management to beginARLINGTON, Va., 14 Feb. 2012. President Obama has signed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act 2012—with funding and provisions for granting military, commercial, and privately-owned greater access to U.S. airspace and air traffic management systems modernization—into law. |
Boeing taps DRS to continue developing tactical data terminal for EA-18G electronic warfare jetROCKVILLE, Md., 22 Feb. 2012. Jet fighter aircraft designers at the Boeing Co., Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis needed a tactical terminal to enable the U.S. Navy Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jet to receive near-real-time threat, survivor, and blue-force-tracking data and present that data to the pilot. They found their solution from DRS Defense Solutions LLC in Rockville, Md. |
Sikorsky to maintain, repair, and overhaul presidential VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters in $20.5 million contractPATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md., 22 Feb. 2012. U.S. Navy aviation officials are asking helicopter designers at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, Conn., to overhaul and update two VH-3D and one VH-60N executive helicopters, which are part of the Navy's VIP helicopter fleet used to transport the president and vice president of the United States, as well as other high-ranking dignitaries. Sikorsky will do the helicopter overhaul work under terms of a $20.5 million contract modification awarded Tuesday. |
Military technology research and development set to continue three-year decline in 2013WASHINGTON, 21 Feb. 2012. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) budget for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) would continue its decline next year if Congress approves the DOD's fiscal 2013 request for $69.65 billion for military-related research. Next year's Pentagon RDT&E request is down nearly 14 percent from recent-year peak spending of $80.92 billion in 2010, according to DOD budget documents. |
LDRA launches Certification Services division, delivering tools, certification services to help achieve complianceMONKS FERRY, U.K., 22 Feb 2012. LDRA, a provider of standards compliance, automated software verification, source code analysis, and test tools, has launched LDRA Certification Services (LCS) to help customers develop certification-ready products. The LCS team includes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Engineering Representatives (DERs) and safety engineering experts, and is aligned with product development and verification specialists who use the LDRA tool suite and other tools to address critical project requirements at high design-assurance levels. |
Lockheed Martin chooses Presagis VAPS XT-178 software for development of DO-178C-compliant human-machine interfaces under the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130J programMONTREAL, Quebec, 15 Feb. 2012. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics engineers are using the Presagis VAPS XT-178, a DO-178B Level A human machine interface (HMI) tool from Presagis, to develop embedded graphics displays for the Special Mission Processor (SMP) under the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) MC-130J Increment 3 program. Presagis VAPS XT-178 will run on the MC-130J Variant and offer a path to compliance under the new DO-178C guidance. |
FAA approval paves the way for commercial aircraft to exchange data with ATC over HF radioANNAPOLIS, Md., 12 Feb. 2012. Commercial aircraft operators may start using an air traffic management (ATM) communications technology called the FANS 1/A over HFDL (FOH), after officials of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved FOH as a viable means of Air Traffic Service (ATS) communications. This means commercial aircraft may start using the global High Frequency Data Link (HFDL) network to communicate with air traffic controllers. |