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28 July 2009

ROLLS-ROYCE INCREASES SINGAPORE INVESTMENT TO SUPPORT CONTINUED GROWTH


Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, today announced plans to build a
new wide chord fan blade (WCFB) factory in Singapore. The factory will be
located at the Group's Seletar Campus alongside the previously announced
`Facility of the Future', which will test and assemble Trent aero engines.

Total investment in the Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus, including investment in the
WCFB factory, will exceed S$700million (around £300 million). It will create
approximately 500 new jobs when fully operational, bringing the number of
people employed by the Group in Singapore to around 2,000. Construction of the
Facility of the Future and all other elements of the campus, including a
regional training centre, will begin in the first quarter of 2010.

The new factory will be the first outside the UK to manufacture Rolls-Royce
hollow titanium WCFBs, a technology which has played a key role in the success
of the Trent engine family. It will provide additional capacity to the Group's
Barnoldswick factory in the UK, which Rolls-Royce separately announced today
will be receiving further investment.

The Group's growing global order book totalled £55.5 billion at the end of
2008, of which 44 per cent was generated by customers in the Asia Pacific
region. The Group's success in global markets generates the need for additional
capacity to support long-term growth and an expanding customer base.

The decision to locate the new facility in Singapore has been determined by
four strategic considerations: the benefits of locating major facilities close
to key customers; the business continuity benefits that will arise from
locating critical component manufacturing in two locations; the highly
competitive skills and productivity levels in Singapore, exemplified by the
Group's joint venture partnerships with Singapore Airlines Engineering Company;
and the support provided by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and
Jurong Town Corporation (JTC).

Sir John Rose, Rolls-Royce Chief Executive, commented: "Singapore has become a
vitally important centre for the Group's operations and this latest investment
in wide chord fan blade capability reflects our continuing confidence in
Singapore as a place to locate high value-added manufacturing. I am
particularly pleased that we are receiving the support of the Singapore EDB
with whom we already have a very strong relationship."

Mr Leo Yip, Chairman EDB, commented: "We are delighted that Rolls-Royce has
chosen Singapore for the manufacture of Wide Chord Fan Blades. This, together
with Rolls-Royce's Trent aero engine assembly and test facility at Seletar
Aerospace Park, is a strong vote of confidence in Singapore's capabilities to
be a home for high-value manufacturing and development activities. The
Rolls-Royce campus taking shape at Seletar reinforces our position as a leading
global aerospace hub, and reflects the very strong partnership between
Rolls-Royce and Singapore."

NOTES

1. Rolls-Royce is a global business, providing and supplying integrated power
systems for use on land, at sea and in the air. The Group has established a
strong position in civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy
markets.

2. Rolls-Royce employs around 38,000 skilled people in offices, manufacturing
and service facilities in 50 countries. The Group has a strong commitment
to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee
skills.

3. Businesses are headquartered in the UK, US and Singapore. This global
presence allows the Group to deliver benefits to its partners, in addition
to being able to access long-term international growth opportunities with
its technology, presence, partnerships and people.

4. Singapore is a key business hub for the Group. It is home to the global
headquarters of the Group's Marine business and the regional headquarters
of its Asian Energy business. The Group's Advanced Technology Centre and
Procurement office is also located in Singapore and handles the management
of suppliers in South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, India and South East Asia.

5. Rolls-Royce is developing its Facility of the Future, a Trent aero engine
testing and assembly facility, at its new Seletar Campus in the Seletar
Aerospace Park. It will be the most modern Rolls-Royce production engine
assembly and test facility for large commercial aero engines, and the
Group's first in Asia.

6. Rolls-Royce has established a number of highly successful joint venture
partnerships in Singapore, primarily with Singapore Airlines Engineering
Company Limited (SIAEC). These include Singapore Aero Engine Services
Limited (SAESL) and International Engine Components Overhaul (IECO), both
of which provide services to major regional and global carriers.

7. The Singapore Economic Development Board is the lead government agency
responsible for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore's
position as a global business centre and grow the Singapore economy. The
EDB's support for the Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus includes development
grants, training support and the coordination of Singapore government
agencies that enabled efficient and focussed discussions through the
decision process.

8. Rolls-Royce has unique capability in the production of hollow WCFBs, which
are critical components used in fans for civil and military engines and
central to the performance of the engine.

9. The Group's annual underlying revenues were £9.1 billion in 2008, 52 per
cent of which came from services revenues. The firm and announced order
book at the end of 2008 stood at £55.5 billion, providing visibility of
future levels of activity.

10. The Group has invested £1.4 billion in capital projects over the last five
years and £3.7 billion in research and development (R&D). In 2008,
Rolls-Royce and its partners invested £885 million in R&D, two thirds of
which had the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of
its products, in particular the reduction of emissions.

11. Research and development is carried out in facilities in the UK, Canada,
Germany, Singapore, the US and Scandinavia and the Group has particularly
strong relationships with the 27 Rolls-Royce University Technology Centres
worldwide.

28 July 2009

ROLLS-ROYCE INVESTS IN RESEARCH AND FACTORIES TO SUPPORT FUTURE GROWTH


Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, today announced plans to invest
in four new factories and two advanced research programmes in the UK.
These investments will enable Rolls-Royce to respond to anticipated growth in
its aerospace and civil nuclear markets and will create or secure over 800 jobs
in innovative high-value manufacturing programmes, largely in Assisted Areas.

The research programmes will focus on critical technologies to reduce the
CO2 emissions of future aircraft programmes and will accelerate the development
of new manufacturing methods that create significant competitive advantage for
the UK.

Rolls-Royce is also separately announcing today the development of a new wide
chord fan blade factory in Singapore.

Sir John Rose, Rolls-Royce Chief Executive, commented: "These are significant
investments in capability and research which reflect our commitment to continue
to invest in the future of our business, even at this stage in the economic
cycle. We are delighted that the British Government will be supporting these
projects."


New UK factories

Rolls-Royce will invest over £300 million in four factories in the UK, with
£45 million of support to be provided by the UK Government. The factories
comprise:


1. Casting facility for single crystal (SX) turbine blades

Turbine blades are important and highly complex aero engine components.
Rolls-Royce will establish a new casting facility, where it will develop new,
high-productivity manufacturing processes before incorporating them into
production. The factory will manufacture advanced turbine blade castings for
the Company's most modern, high-thrust engines.


2. Advanced disc manufacturing facility

Discs are critical rotating parts used in fans, compressors and turbines.
Rolls-Royce will establish a new disc machining factory that will deliver a
step-change improvement in the manufacture of fan and turbine discs for
commercial and military aero engines. A suite of manufacturing processes,
developed in the advanced manufacturing research centres, will be demonstrated
in the factory before being introduced into production.


3. Military wide chord fan blade (WCFB) facility

Rolls-Royce has unique capability in the production of hollow WCFBs, which are
central to the performance of both military and commercial aero engines.

The Group is positioned on the engine programme of the Lightning Joint Strike
Fighter (JSF) aircraft. Rolls-Royce is providing hollow blisked fans for the
LiftSystem# on the VSTOL (Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing) version of the
aircraft and for the F136 alternative engine. It will extend its facility in
Barnoldswick, UK, where it currently manufactures large WCFBs for commercial
aircraft, to manufacture advanced military blades, investing in new capacity to
meet planned increases in engine production.

Additional capability for the manufacture of civil wide chord fan blades will
be located in a new factory in Singapore announced separately today, which will
complement the existing WCFB facility at Barnoldswick.


4. Civil nuclear facility

Rolls-Royce will build a new factory to manufacture, assemble and test
components for new civil nuclear power stations. These include pressure
vessels, heat exchangers and other large and complex reactor parts,
manufactured to exacting nuclear standards.

The facility will have strong links with the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing
Research Centre, announced by the UK Government on 15 July 2009, in which
Rolls-Royce will be the leading industrial partner.

The Group is consulting globally with appropriate employee representatives on
the UK and Singapore investments.


New research and technology programmes in the UK

The company and its partners will also invest in new research programmes. These
comprise:

1. Research into low carbon aircraft engine technologies
Rolls-Royce and its partners are investing in a Rolls-Royce-led research
programme valued at around £90 million that is central to the development of
low carbon aircraft engine technologies. The UK Government will provide
£45 million through its Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to support the research.
The TSB is currently considering a research programme called SILOET (Strategic
Investment in Low Carbon Engine Technology), which is expected to deliver a
substantial improvement in CO2 emissions and hence engine fuel economy.

2. SAMULET (Strategic Affordable Manufacturing in the UK through Leading
Environmental Technologies)

SAMULET is a Rolls-Royce-led collaborative programme to accelerate the
development of manufacturing and product technologies. It will focus on
productivity and environmental improvements, including efficient advanced
manufacturing processes and lower engine fuel consumption. The programme will
be closely linked with the advanced manufacturing research centres. It will be
valued at up to £90 million over four years and is receiving support of
£28.5 million from the TSB and £11.5 million from the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council, with further support under discussion with regional
bodies.

NOTES

1. Rolls-Royce is a global business, providing and supplying integrated power
systems for use on land, at sea and in the air. The Group has established a
strong position in civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy
markets.

2. Annual underlying revenues were £9.1 billion in 2008, 52 per cent of which
came from services revenues. The firm and announced order book at the end
of 2008 stood at £55.5 billion, providing visibility of future levels of
activity.

3. Rolls-Royce employs around 38,000 skilled people in offices, manufacturing
and service facilities in 50 countries. The Group has a strong commitment
to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee
skills.

4. Businesses are headquartered in the UK, US and Singapore. This global
presence allows the Group to deliver benefits to its partners, in addition
to being able to access long-term international growth opportunities with
its technology, presence, partnerships and people.

5. The Group has invested £1.4 billion in capital projects over the last five
years and £3.7 billion in research and development (R&D). In 2008,
Rolls-Royce and its partners invested £885 million in R&D, two thirds of
which had the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of
its products, in particular the reduction of emissions.

6. Research and development is carried out in facilities in the UK, Canada,
Germany, Singapore, the US and Scandinavia and the Group has particularly
strong relationships with the 27 Rolls-Royce University Technology Centres
worldwide.

7. Rolls-Royce has been closely involved in developing the network of UK
manufacturing research centres. These centres provide an infrastructure to
support public and privately funded manufacturing technology research.
Rolls-Royce joined the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in
Sheffield, which opened in 2004, with founder member Boeing. In early 2009
it opened the £10 million Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future, a four-fold
expansion of the AMRC, on the same Sheffield site. In 2007, Rolls-Royce
agreed with Scottish Enterprise and Strathclyde University to launch the
Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), which will open in 2010, and on
15 July 2009 announced its leading role in the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing
Research Centre (NAMRC). The Group has also been involved in launching
centres in the USA (Virginia) and Singapore.

8. Technical information:

* Turbine blades are complex aero engine components. They are a primary
driver in enabling the performance cycle that reduces fuel consumption and
are therefore fundamental to the economic competitiveness and environmental
performance of the engine.

* Discs are rotating parts used in fans, compressors and turbines. They are
critical to the integrity, performance and economic competitiveness of the
engine.

* Wide chord fan blades are complex, technologically advanced components used
in fans for civil and military engines.

23 July 2009

Rolls Royce Completes 33% investment in ODIM ASA


Further to the announcement made on 29th June, Rolls-Royce Group plc has today
completed its 33 per cent investment in ODIM ASA following approval from the Norwegian
competition authority.

Rolls-Royce announces Air New Zealand Trent 1000 orders


Thursday, 9 July 2009

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, is to power Air New Zealand’s order of Boeing 787-9 aircraft with Trent 1000 engines, including a TotalCare long-term service agreement.

The order will take the number of Air New Zealand Trent 1000-powered Boeing 787-9 aircraft to eight firm and eight options, following the initial selection of the same engines for four firm aircraft in 2004.

The 787 is expected to produce 20 per cent less CO2, 40 per cent less NOx and 50 per cent less noise than current generation aircraft.

Jim Sheard, Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President – Asia Pacific and Africa, said: “I am delighted that Air New Zealand has confirmed its commitment to Trent 1000 technology. The addition of our TotalCareâ long term service agreement will provide a comprehensive support and monitoring package, enabling our customer to better manage business costs.”

Air New Zealand also operates eight Trent 800-powered Boeing 777s and two RB211-powered Boeing 747s.

Rolls-Royce has a leading 50 per cent market share on modern, widebody aircraft, with more than 1,500 Trent engines in service on more than 550 aircraft and a further 2,500 on order. Each of the six members of the Trent family have either been the first or launch engine on the airframe, or have gone on to take the leading market share.

1.Rolls-Royce, a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, has established a strong position in global markets – civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. In each of these sectors, Rolls-Royce offers value-added long-term service agreements for customers and operators.

2.In 2008, Rolls-Royce and its partners invested £885 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of its products, in particular the reduction of noise and emissions.
3.Annual sales were £9.1 billion in 2008, of which 52 per cent came from services revenues. The firm and announced order book at the end of 2008 stood at £55.5 billion, providing visibility of future levels of activity.

4.TotalCare®, tailored for individual operators, offers a range of services from Rolls-Royce covering all aspects of asset management in support of its Civil Aerospace products. Building on the company’s knowledge, experience and infrastructure, these services include elements such as predictive maintenance, logistics management, and global repair and overhaul offerings. TotalCare® can remove uncertainties from engine management and improve operational reliability for operators through a mutually aligned business relationship.

5.Air New Zealand has selected Rolls-Royce Trent 893 engines to power its Boeing 777 aircraft and Trent 1000 engines for its Boeing 787 fleet. The airline’s A320 aircraft are also powered by Rolls-Royce partnership V2500 engines. Today more than half of the installed engines in the New Zealand Defence Force are from Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce wins $470M Trent order from Turkish flag carrier


Friday, 3 July 2009

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won a $470m order, at list prices, for Trent engines to power seven aircraft from Turkish Airlines (Turk Hava Yollari). The contract includes long-term TotalCareâ service support.

The order, for Trent 700EP engines for Airbus A330 aircraft, is part of the Turkish flag carrier’s strategy to expand its fleet and improve its economics, efficiency and environmental performance. Aircraft deliveries will start in 2010.

Candan Karlitekin, Chairman Turkish Airlines, said: “Today THY and Rolls-Royce paved the way towards creating genuine value for Turkish civil aviation. New Turkish Airbus A330s are powered by the Trent 700EP and benefits will trickle down to all stakeholders. Turkish Airlines passengers will enjoy a great service with great engines on wing. We envisage a bright future for THY and Rolls-Royce has shown a real interest and commitment in contributing to this.”

Nick Devall, Rolls-Royce Executive Vice President – Customer Business, said: “I am delighted that Turkish Airlines has selected the Trent for its new A330 aircraft and we look forward to providing them with a world class service.”

The Trent 700, the only engine specifically designed for the A330, remains the market leader for the aircraft, achieving more than 70 per cent of new orders over the last three years.

The Trent 700EP version of the engine continues to improve engine performance by a further 1.3 per cent – confirming its position as best for fuel burn and emissions as well as thrust and noise on the A330.

1.Rolls-Royce, a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, has established a strong position in global markets – civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. In each of these sectors, Rolls-Royce offers value-added long-term service agreements for customers and operators.
2.In 2008, Rolls-Royce and its partners invested £885 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of its products, in particular the reduction of noise and emissions.
3.Annual sales were £9.1 billion in 2008, of which 52 per cent came from services revenues. The firm and announced order book at the end of 2008 stood at £55.5 billion, providing visibility of future levels of activity.

Headline News ~ United Kingdom

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Henry Allingham

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

It is with deep regret that the Royal Air Force has learned of Henry Allingham’s death. Henry was a founder member of the Royal Air Force and his sad passing is a milestone in history.

Henry Allingham dies aged 113 - Saturday 18 July 2009

Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and one of the very last British First World War veterans, died aged 113 at his care home near Brighton on Saturday 18 July 2009.

Born in Clapton in the East End of London on 6 June 1896, Mr Allingham joined the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in 1915 and, after completing his training, was drafted to the RNAS Air Station at Great Yarmouth as an aircraft mechanic. He acted as an observer and gunner searching for U-boats, Zeppelins and mines over the North Sea.

In May 1916 he was ordered aboard HMS Kingfisher as it set out to join the British Battle Fleet, to help launch a Sopwith Schneider seaplane to look for the German Battle Fleet. It was the night when the Kingfisher met up with the fleet and Mr Allingham witnessed the ensuing Battle of Jutland.

In 1917 he was sent to France with 12 Squadron RNAS to support the Royal Flying Corps. Mr Allingham's job as a mechanic was to service the aircraft and recover parts from downed planes. Pilots would often ask their mechanics to fly with them, and Mr Allingham would sit behind his pilot and drop bombs or operate the Lewis machine gun.

He saw service in Flanders at the Somme and Ypres with 12 Squadron until November, and then moved to the Aircraft Depot at Dunkirk where he stayed until the end of the war.

On 1 April 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps merged to form the Royal Air Force and Mr Allingham was transferred into the newly formed RAF as Rigger Aero (Aircraft Mechanic Second Class) and was one of the founding members of the new Service.

He completed his service as part of the army of occupation of Germany returning to England. Mr Allingham married his wife Dorothy in late 1918 and left the RAF a few months later in April 1919.

During the Second World War Mr Allingham was in a reserved occupation and was involved in providing counter-measures to the new German magnetic mines.

In 1939, Henry was called away from his Christmas lunch to lead a team in finding a solution to the menace of the magnetic mines dropped in Harwich bottling up the harbour. The team devised an effective system and after this success every ship was fitted with a device to neutralise magnetic mines.

In 2003, Mr Allingham was awarded as Chevalier, Légion d'Honneur and in 2004 was an honoured guest for the unveiling of the British Air Services Memorial at St Omer Aerodrome, France.

On 16 March 2009 he was promoted to Officier, Légion d'Honneur by Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, the French Ambassador to Britain, who gave thanks to Henry on behalf of President Sarkozy for his part in protecting France during the World Wars.

In the same month, he was made the first honorary lifetime member of the Royal Naval Association and in April as well as becoming an honorary freeman of Brighton and Hove.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, said:

"It is with deep regret that the Royal Air Force has learned of Henry Allingham's death. Henry was a founder member of the Royal Air Force and his sad passing is a milestone in history.

"Henry was an inspiration to many and his thirst for life, cheery disposition and a desire to help others was his mark.

"He was a proud supporter of today's Royal Air Force and we, in turn, were able to learn much from his wise words and vast experience.

"On behalf of the Royal Air Force, I offer our sincere condolences to all of Henry's family and friends. He was a great man who will be sorely missed."

Mr Allingham and his wife Dorothy were married for almost 53 years before her death in 1970. They had two daughters, Jean and Betty, six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 21 great, great grandchildren and one great, great, great grandchild.

Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said:

"I am greatly saddened to hear of the death of Henry Allingham. For one of his age, his vigour for life was extraordinary. I was humbled to meet somebody who had led such an amazing life and we owe such a huge debt of gratitude to him and his generation. My thoughts are with his family."

Mr Allingham's funeral will take place later this month at St Nicholas' Church in Brighton.

Editor: Ministry of Defence.
Photographer: Don McCullin, Stuart Bingham, FS Graham Spark. RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2009.

Headline News ~ United Kingdom

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Henry Allingham leading the veterans parade along Blackpool promenade.

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Headline News ~ United Kingdom

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Henry Allingham and the Chief of the Air Staff..

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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Arrival at RIAT 2009 of an RAF Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACS

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

Monday 20 July 2009


A sell-out crowd, in excess of 160,000, enjoyed a thrilling weekend of flying at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

Fine weather on Saturday brought out a capacity crowd who enjoyed some superb flying displays, including a dramatic mass flypast by Royal Navy aircraft, the stirring appearance of the restored Vulcan bomber XH558 and a range of fast jets including the French Air Force’s new Rafale fighter. In total, 269 aircraft took part in the Air Tattoo, from 33 air arms representing 22 nations.

One of the highlights was a display by the Avro Vulcan, one of the most iconic warbirds of the Cold War era. The “Vulcan Effect” was tangible, with former RAF Vulcan Captain Martin Withers putting XH558 through her paces, bringing the rest of the airshow to a virtual standstill and earning thunderous applause as he touched down after the display. On the ground, enthusiasts enjoyed a fascinating range of aircraft including a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft from the Algerian Air Force. The North African nation was making its Air Tattoo debut, bringing to 51 the number of countries who’ve taken part in the airshow since it began in 1971.

Despite damp and wet conditions on Sunday, organisers said there was absolutely no risk of the airshow cancelling, and the large crowd enjoyed a thrilling flying display including a show-stopping finale by the Red Arrows.

Among the Royal and VIP guests who attended were HRH Prince Michael of Kent, HRH Lieutenant General Prince Feisal bin Hussein, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy and Chief of Staff USAF General Norton Schwartz.

Celebrity guests included Matthew Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, and Radio 2 broadcasters Sarah Kennedy, ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris and Alan Dedicoat.

Despite being a sell-out, organisers said there were no major traffic issues and the event was a great success.

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Tim Prince said the introduction this year of advance ticket sales only, combined with £200,000 worth of improvements to the airshow’s infrastructure, played a large part in the success of the weekend’s event.

“Having seen the disappointment on so many people’s faces last year when we were forced to cancel, it was wonderful to see such a large crowd enjoying themselves over the weekend. The weather was disappointing on Sunday, but because of the measures we have introduced, it never threatened to halt the event.”

Despite the large crowds there were relatively few incidents over the weekend.

The Air Tattoo’s Senior Medical Officer Martin McGrath said his staff had been fairly busy due to the size of the crowd, with around 200 visitors being treated at the first aid posts and the airshow’s medical centre. Cases ranged from blisters to suspected heart attacks, with six people being transferred to hospital.

A spokesman for Air Tattoo Fire Services said it had been a safe Air Tattoo with the biggest issue being members of the public lighting barbecues, which are prohibited on the airfield.

On Friday, all the RIAT emergency services were put on standby after an RAF Harrier suffered a birdstrike on its way to the airshow. However, the aircraft landed safely.

First-time Air Tattoo visitor Terry Greer from Nailsworth, near Stroud, said: “The aircraft are great, but I’m impressed at how much else there is to do, and how well laid-out the showground is.”

Air Tattoo veteran Luca Storti from Verona, Italy, has been to every airshow since it moved to RAF Fairford in 1985. He said: “I like England, I like aircraft, and I like to see action. This is the largest airshow in Europe and the variety of aircraft on display mean it’s well worth coming to see.”

Since its inception in 2005, the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, which organises the Air Tattoo, gifted £1.3 million to the Charitable Trust. To date, the Trust has approved £895,000 worth of grants supporting a range of projects benefiting the RAF family of charities as well as serving personnel and Air Cadets.

Visitors were also given food for thought by members of 28 and 78 Squadron who fly the Merlin helicopter from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire as they threw their weight behind the charity Help for Heroes by promoting a charity cookbook and taking part in marathons.

Flt Lt Michelle Goodman, 32 who became the first woman to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) after rescuing a badly-wounded soldier in Iraq in 2007 was at RAF Fairford promoting the Help for Heroes Cook Book. Michelle joins a number of household names who have contributed recipes to the book, including Sir David Jason, Ewen MacGregor, Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, and several celebrity chefs.

Michelle's lasagne is now appearing on dinner tables all over the country as the book is promoted at airshows up and down the country. Michelle said: "We hope to raise £10,000 for Help for Heroes by the end of the airshow season. People have been very interested in supporting the charity and the work it does, and the cookbook has been my way of supporting it."

Michelle has been in the Royal Air Force for nine years, having joined in 2000. She was inspired by aviation when she visited the Air Tattoo as a youngster. "I saw the Vulcan fly and I was hooked," she said.

Personnel from 28 Sqn are also supporting Help for Heroes by running in the Munich Marathon. To find out more, visit: www.justgiving.com/28sqnmunichmarathon/.


Editor: Mr Richard Arquati.
Photographer: Air Tattoo Photography. RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2009.

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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RIAT 2009.

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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RAF Harrier

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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HRH Prince Michael of Kent and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy.

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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RAF Westland Sikorsky Sea King Search & Rescue Helicopter

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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RAF Panavia Tornado

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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RAF Boeing CH-47D Chinook Helicopter

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal International Air Tattoo 2009

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Flt Lt Goodman with "The Help for Heroes Cookbook"

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Royal Air Force Timeline

1918 ~ 1926

1 Apr 1918- The Royal Air Force and Women's Royal Air Force are formed.

21 Apr 1918- Baron Manfred von Richthofen, otherwise known as "The Red Baron" is shot down and killed near Corbie. The top scoring fighter pilot of WWI with 80 kills, von Richthofen was variously claimed by Captain Roy Brown of 209 Sqn RAF, Australian gunners of the 24th Machine Gun Company and members of the 53rd Battery, 1402 Field Artillery Brigade.

August 1918- The RAF introduces offensive fighter sweeps on the Western Front. These sweeps normally consisted of Sopwith Camels flying at 10000 feet; SE5as at 14000 feet and Bristol Fighters at 18000 feet.

8 Aug 1918- The Allies launch a major offensive on the Western Front. Heavy fighting results in losses of around a quarter of all aircraft. In the week 5 - 11 August, the RAF alone claims 177 enemy kills against 150 losses.

21 Sep 1918- RAF aircraft in Palestine attack and destroy the retreating Turkish Seventh Army at Wadi el Fara. TE Lawrence wrote: "It was the RAF which converted the retreat into a rout, which had abolished their telephone and telegraph connections, had blocked their lorry columns and scattered their infantry units".

14 Oct 1918- The largest bomb of the war, 1650lbs, is dropped by a Handley Page 0/400 aircraft of the Independent Air Force.

4 - 10 Nov 1918- The last intense combat of WWI. The RAF claim 68 enemy aircraft for 60 losses.

11 Nov 1918- At 10:45 on the morning of November 11th, the crew of a 15 Sqn RE.8 observation aircraft landed at Auchy and reported no enemy aircraft or anti-aircraft fire seen. Fifteen minutes later, Armistice with Germany was declared and the war ended.

1919
11 Jan 1919- Winston Churchill is appointed Secretary of State for War and Air and Major-General Sir Hugh Trenchard becomes Chief of the Air Staff.

14/15 Jun 1919- Captain John Alcock and Lt Arthur Whitten Brown make the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic by aircraft. The Vickers Vimy bomber flew from St John's, Newfoundland to Clifton, County Galway, Ireland in 16 hours 27 minutes.

2-6 Jul 1919- The British airship R34 makes the first airship crossing of the Atlantic, flying from East Fortune, Scotland to New York.

18 Jul 1919- The RAF's top ranking ace of World War I, Major Edward "Mick" Mannock is posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

4 Aug 1919- Inter-service squabbling in the wake of massive post-war defence cuts reaches a new low when the Army and Navy refuse to allow the RAF to use their officer ranks, forcing Trenchard to create new ones. The new rank titles (Pilot Officer, Flight Lieutenant etc.) came into being on this date.

23 Oct 1919- Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund founded by Lord Trenchard.

1920
Jan - Feb 1920- The RAF's first "little war". RAF units were involved in operations with the Camel Corps in British Somaliland (now Somalia) to overthrow Dervish leader Mohammed bin Abdullah Hassan, the "Mad Mullah". The airborne intervention was "the main instrument and decisive factor" in the success of the operation. Ten dH9s were dispatched to form "Z Force", and were used for bombing, strafing and as air ambulances.

5 Feb 1920- The RAF College opened at Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

1 Apr 1920- The WRAF was disbanded.

3 Jul 1920- Over 60,000 spectators attend the first RAF Pageant at Hendon, London.

1921
1921- The RAF's new role of policing the Empire greatly helped to maintain it's status as an independent fighting force. The defence cuts after the Great War saw the RAF fighting for its survival as the Royal Navy and Army sought to take control of the RAF's assets. At the start of the year, front-line strength of the RAF had been reduced to five UK based squadrons (four army co-operation and one fighter), five squadrons in Egypt, four each in India and Iraq and one in the Far East.

23 Jun 1921- Nos. 30 and 47 Sqn, RAF, begin the RAF's weekly Cairo - Baghdad mail service. The 840 mile (1,350km) route had been previously surveyed, and tracks ploughed across the Syrian desert to aid navigation.

1 Aug 1921- The RAF takes delivery of the first purpose-built troop-carrying aircraft, the Vickers Vernon, a development of Vimy bomber with a bulbous fuselage.

1 Oct 1921- The RAF assumes military control of Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and Jordan. The success of the RAF's involvement against the Mad Mullah two years earlier, allow ground forces to be reduced and air-policing introduced.

1922
9 Feb 1922- The Royal Air Force Reserve is created.

4 Apr 1922- RAF Staff College opened at Andover; It's first Commandant is Air Commodore H R M Brooke-Popham.

1923
Jun 1923- The RAF Nursing Service was renamed Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service.

20 Jun 1923- Acting on the recommendations of the Committee of National and Imperial Defence, the Prime Minister advocates a home defence force of 52 squadrons.

1924
20 Mar 1924- The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) is formed at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk under the command of Wing Commander NJ Gill.

April 1924- The Fleet Air Arm is formed, comprising RAF units normally embarked on aircraft carriers and fighting ships.

9 Oct 1924- Formation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

1925
1 Jan 1925- Air Defences of Great Britain formed (commander Air Marshal Sir John Salmond), and comprises Bombing Area, Fighting Area and Special Reserve and the Auxiliary Air Force.

March - May 1925- Outrages by Mahsud tribesmen in Waziristan, India, see the RAF involved in its first independent air action. Aircraft from Nos. 5, 27 and 60 Squadrons, commanded by Wing Commander RCM Pink, bomb and strafe mountain strongholds in a successful attempt to crush the rebellion. On 1 May, the rebel leaders seek an honourable peace, and the short campaign known as "Pink's War" came to a close. A campaign in 1919 had proved inconclusive after causing 1,329 casualties; this latest action results in the loss of just 2 men.

1 Oct 1925- Cambridge becomes the first University Air Squadron (UAS) to be formed. This is closely followed by Oxford UAS on the 11th October.

14 Oct 1925- Northolt is the location of the first two Auxiliary Air Force squadrons to be formed; No. 600 (City of London) and No. 601 (County of London) (Bomber) Squadrons.

22 Oct 1925- No. 1 Apprentices Wing is formed at Halton.

29 Oct 1925- The Observer Corps is formed.

1926
1 Mar - 2 Jun 1926- The start of a golden era of RAF record-breaking flights; Four Fairey IIID floatplanes fly from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa and return, then on to Lee-on-Solent, England - a distance of some 14,000 miles (22,530 km).

1927
1927- The Bristol Bulldog, destined to serve with the Royal Air Force well into the 1930's makes it's first flight.

March 1927- The RAF's first all-metal fighter, the Siskin IIIa, enters service with No. 41 Squadron at Northolt.

April 1927- Headquarters RAF China is formed at Hong Kong, following the addition of an RAF army co-operation squadron to the existing Shanghai Defence Force.

1928
April 1928- The RAF High Speed Flight is formed at Felixstowe.

23 Dec 1928- Following the isolation of the British Legation at Kabul in Afghanistan by rebel tribes led by Kabibullah Khan, No. 70 Squadron begins the first ever air evacuation when 586 civilians from the enclave are airlifted to safety. Over the next two months Victoria troop-carriers fly some 28,000 miles (45,000km) in total at a height of up to 10,000ft (3,048m) over mountains in severe weather.

1929
1 Jan 1929- Control of the Observer Corps was transferred from the War Office to the RAF under the command of Air Commodore E A D Masterman.

7 Sept 1929- Britain retained the Schneider Trophy. Flying the Supermarine S.6, Flying Officer H.R.D. Waghorn lapped the course at the world record speed of 328.629mph.

RAF Afghanistan

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NATO’s Commander of Kandahar Airfield (COMKAF) - Air Commodore Andy Fryer.

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

A day in the life of ‘Mayor’ of Kandahar Airfield

Wednesday 15 July 2009


Kandahar Airfield is one of the most important places on earth. From this dusty airstrip, set at the foot of a range of unforgiving, lifeless mountains in the south of Afghanistan, NATO’s International Assistance Force strikes out against the Taliban insurgency throughout the south of the country.

Already the largest NATO base in the Alliance’s history, Kandahar currently accommodates over 14,000 personnel, a population set to rise to 30,000 by the end of this year. Those personnel operate tonnes of military equipment, including around 300 aircraft stationed at Kandahar. The base’s single runway handles over 5,500 air movements per week, making it the busiest airstrip in the world.

Any large settlement, particularly one centred around such a busy runway, requires a great deal of logistical and life support, ranging from effective waste management, through road safety, to guaranteeing water supply. Security is also a serious consideration; Kandahar is also subject to frequent rocket attacks, often launched by poor farmers bribed to do so by Taliban insurgents.

And that doesn’t even begin to cover catering, amenities, medical care, emergency planning, electrical and fuel supply management and a whole host of other activities. Kandahar is, then, a dizzyingly busy and complex place.

At the heart of all of that activity sits NATO’s Commander of Kandahar Airfield (COMKAF), currently the Royal Air Force’s Air Commodore Andy Fryer. Air Commodore Fryer – a Brigadier General in US military terms – and his staff of 800 multinational personnel run this vital facility. Here, he discusses his diary for a single day’s activity at Kandahar Airfield.



0700hrs – Breakfast. I take breakfast in one of Kandahar’s five dining facilities; this morning, I choose the Luxembourg facility. All of the catering here is managed by civilian contractors; indeed, the airfield couldn’t function without support from the civilians who feed us, run the air traffic control tower, conduct waste management, and so on.

Military and civilian personnel work very well together. Fundamentally, we’re all here for the same reason, which is to help ISAF to restore stability to Afghanistan. Civilians suffer the same privations and face the same risks as their military colleagues, so I have great respect for them.

0800hrs – Arrive at the office. My office is in a rough stone building nicknamed ‘The Taliban’s Last Stand’. Its original purpose is lost in the mists of time, but what we do know is that when NATO forces liberated Kandahar this is where the last of the insurgents ‘dug in’. They didn’t succeed, as bomb damage in the centre of the building testifies. It’s a constant reminder that we’re at war with a difficult and determined enemy.

Emails are the bane of my life, and when I arrive at work the first thing I do is start working through my inbox. While I’m doing that, I listen to the BBC News.

After I’ve worked through some work emails, I’ll send a quick message to my wife, who is a nurse at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. My tour of duty lasts for ten months, so I like to keep up with what’s going on at home with my wife and my daughters, who are both at university in Newcastle.

0845 – Security brief. The first testing engagement of the day is the morning brief. There, I’m given intelligence concerning the insurgency, airfield serviceability, safety issues and water and fuel stocks.

The intelligence is vitally important. The first item I’m briefed about concerns developments in Pakistan and Iran, so that I can assess how Kandahar might be affected. After that, I’ll concentrate on intelligence in lower levels – first Afghanistan, then Regional Command (South), then Kandahar Province, and then our immediate environs.

Several times each week I’ll be given intelligence about rocket attacks. We’re under a constant threat from attacks here, and usually get hit three or four times per week. The people who fire those rockets are, typically, local farmers who have been bribed to do so by the insurgents.

The best way we can defeat those attacks, I believe, is to show the people that we are partners, not enemies. By improving their lives, we can show that the Taliban’s alternative – a return to brutality and lawlessness – is a cruel con.

About 1,700 locally-employed civilians work at the Airfield, and we’re working hard to increase that number so that people enjoy an economic benefit from partnership with us. We’ll also continue to improve people’s living standards – recently, for example, we surveyed all of the wells and pumping equipment within our 16,000-square-kilometre area of responsibility, and repaired those that needed work. We’ve also been renovating schools, and training health professionals and veterinary surgeons to look after people and their livestock.

In the battle against the Taliban, hearts and minds remain a strong weapon. As my intelligence brief draws to an end, I’m told that we’ve had 34 reports of insurgent activity from local civilians. I can call that a job well done.

0930 – Safety liaison visit. About 10 per cent of my time is spent dealing with health and safety issues. While that might sound boring, it’s actually fundamental to military operations – every soldier, sailor or airman who is injured in a road accident, or who contracts food poisoning, or who is injured by faulty gym equipment, is a loss to operations.

This morning, I visit some of the shops at the Boardwalk, a welfare facility at the heart of the Airfield. With shops, restaurants and sports fields, this is both a great way for military personnel to relax for a while, and a potential source of health and safety horror stories. My team – including a medical advisor – will be able to help shop-owners to check and improve their safety standards.

I take an uncompromising approach to safety issues. Not long ago, I closed down and expelled a business that was exposing its staff to seriously dangerous working and living conditions. I managed to re-employ those staff that wanted to remain here, while making sure that the rest were returned home at the business’s expense. There’s no room for rapacious, unethical businesses at Kandahar.

Something I’ve learned while I’ve been here is that when there are no rules, or where the rules are complicated by a large number of different nationalities, some people do behave unscrupulously. We need police, laws and standards. That’s why I concentrate on health and safety so intensely.

1030 – Meeting with the lead contractor. Our lead contractor, NAMSA, is a NATO organisation. I talk to the contract manager about the water situation.

Kandahar sits on top of a huge aquifer, so in terms of water management we’re in a great position; we’re currently running at just 35 per cent of capacity, so there’s some way to go before we worry about running out. However, with the base expanding by around 19,000 personnel over the course of this year, it’s important for us to make sure that the water supply is managed properly.

1130 – Force protection meeting. Kandahar is a big target for insurgent attacks, so we have to protect ourselves with regular patrols and operations within and around the base. This morning I meet the RAF Regiment, who patrol outside the base. They’re planning an operation to raid two compounds in a village to the north of the base, supported by the Afghan National Police. Intelligence tells us that rockets are being stored in the compounds, and I have to give the go-ahead.

After I’m satisfied that no civilians will be harmed in the course of the operation, I agree to it. It will go ahead at 0400 tomorrow morning.

1230 – Lunch. Having enjoyed the Luxembourg facility this morning, I choose to take lunch at the Far Eastern dining facility. The other choices are the British and American facilities, or a field kitchen in the US Marine Corps camp. Each facility has a rolling menu and plenty of variety. By now I know exactly where to go for a good curry!

1330 – Main entry point visit. I jump into one of the RAF Regiment’s new Panther armoured vehicles to visit a main entry point. These points – where we face the greatest threat from suicide bombers – are critical for Kandahar’s daily life. Over 600 trucks arrive at the entry points every day, bringing everything from melons to machinery.

Today’s visit is to an entry point run by the Afghan National Army’s garrison commander, General Khalil. There’s a small amount of disruption because of an exceptionally large number of US deliveries overwhelming the Afghan soldiers, so my American colleague, Brigadier General Schultz, is also here.

After seeing the traffic jams, General Schultz agrees to detail some US Army troops to support our Afghan colleagues, as there’s a risk of our blocking the main highway or even attracting a suicide bomber.

While at the ECP I also have a chance to see how we are improving our processes for dealing with pedestrian visitors. Everyone must be catalogued and searched, and we take great care to ensure they are treated in accordance with local cultural needs. Dogs, for example, are not routinely used to search local people because it would be considered extremely offensive.

In all things, we balance security with partnership.

1600 – Emails. After a couple of hours with the force protection teams, I head back to the office to check my emails – again. There’s a slew of emails from the UK and Kabul, including my boss, Canadian Major General Sullivan. He’s asking how we’re managing the water supply, since we ship bulk quantities of drinking water to the troops at the forward operating bases and things are getting a bit tense on the front line. I reassure him that we are on top of the situation.

Another concern is that we haven’t enough space for an influx of helicopters from the US 82nd Combat Air Brigade. We have over 300 aircraft at Kandahar, so space is at a premium. I call Maj Gen Sullivan, and we work out a compromise whereby his team will negotiate with the Government of Afghanistan to see if we can use space at Kandahar International Airport, which occupies a small part of the airfield. To me, that serves as a reminder that we are here, effectively, as guests of the Government of Afghanistan.

1730 – Senior Council. Every other Wednesday, I meet with my Senior Council – the people in charge of the five ‘stakeholder nations’ who provide the largest number of personnel to ISAF (the US, UK, France, Canada and the Netherlands), as well as staff from Regional Command (South) and NAMSA. This is like a town hall meeting – which I guess makes me the mayor! We talk about all of the issues I’ve dealt with through the day, and I provide updates on Maj Gen Sullivan’s plans.

1830 – Dinner. I have been invited to dine with the commander of the Afghan Air Corps, General Sherzai, at his residence on the outskirts of Kandahar City. I take the senior council with me, along with 20 selected guests – usually people who have done a particularly exceptional job.

Afghans are superb hosts, and Gen Sherzai lays on a fabulous spread for us – we enjoy lamb kebabs, unleavened bread, salads and impossibly juicy pomegranates (one of Afghanistan’s best legitimate agricultural products).

These sort of exchanges underline how closely we are working with the Afghan National Army and the National Police. We cannot win the battle in the long term unless we are able to hand over, when the time comes, to Afghanistan’s own security forces. We spend a huge amount of time and effort supporting the forces with training and kit. It’s fantastic to hear Gen Sherzai’s update on how his men’s training is progressing.

2130 – Emails. After enjoying a splendid evening with my colleagues and Gen Sherzai, I return to the office to deal with more emails. By now, most of my staff have headed off to their accommodation, so I can enjoy the first hour of silence all day.

After I’ve finished, I head back to my room to chat to my wife on Skype. All of the permanent accommodation has wireless internet, so people are able to keep in touch with loved ones with relative ease. I usually get to bed for about 2330 for a short read (currently Taliban, by Ahmed Rachid). Then a few hours’ sleep – and then it all starts again.

Variety. Sometimes, if I have a chance, I’ll drop into the NATO gym – it’s a huge facility, with almost every kind of fitness equipment imaginable. I only ever go during the day, as most rocket attacks occur in the evening and I wouldn’t want to be caught out.

Something I’ve learned over here is that it’s the small things that make life tolerable in the heat and dust. Enjoying a relatively normal evening in the open air is a rare pleasure. I allow myself Sunday mornings off, if I have a chance, but that time is usually spent sleeping!

With only a short time left before I hand over to my successor – an RAF colleague, Air Commodore Malcolm Brecht – I’m starting to think about life back in the UK. After a fascinating and very tough tour, there is just one thing I’m looking forward to.

Nothing more complex than a glass of wine with my wife in the garden as the sun sets.

Editor: Flt Lt Andy Wasley, 7644 (VR) Sqn.
Photographer: RAF/MOD. Crown Copyright 2009.

Alternative career for Reading FC Captain?

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Graeme Murty recording his story.

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Alternative career for Reading FC Captain?

Tuesday 21 July 2009


The outgoing captain of Reading Football Club visited RAF Lyneham last week, fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a pilot.

After hearing the outgoing captain, Graeme Murty, discussing his alternative ambition to be an RAF pilot on local radio, RAF Lyneham's Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Committee invited him along to the Station to get an insight into exactly what is involved in flying the Hercules C130J.

It was also an opportunity to put his recent broadcasting experience to good use to publicise one of the current projects run by RAFA called 'Storybook Wings'.

After observing on a local training sortie and visiting the Hercules simulator, Graeme was made to sing for his supper and he made a 'Storybook Wings' recording at the Station HIVE.

The 'Storybook Wings' scheme focuses on providing emotional support to the children of deployed personnel through encouraging RAF personnel to record a story for their children before they deploy on overseas operations. The story is then professionally remastered, edited and packaged before being sent to the intended recipient.

The Storybook Wings facility is available on most Stations and all of the major deployed operating bases and involves a private recording of one of a number of licensed stories. The recording is sent to a RAFA volunteer who makes the professional enhancements. Although RAFA advertise that the process may take up to 4-6 weeks, it is also possible to specify when you would like the recording delivered, perhaps to tie in with a birthday or other special occasion. This scheme ultimately allows children to listen to mummy or daddy every night, even though they are away on active duty, rather than being at home.

In addition to his storytelling duties, Graeme also delivered a number of Reading FC football strips to the RAF Lyneham representative of the 'Taking Football to Africa, and Beyond' scheme. This is a charity initiative which involves recycling old football shirts and delivering them to children and young people in under-developed countries around the world. As the name suggests, initially the recipients were mainly African nations, but with the increasing Service focus on rebuilding communities in Iraq and Afghanistan, the RAF Regiment have used the scheme as part of their community relations incentives in Basra and Kandahar. Over the past 3 years this charity has delivered over 9000 football shirts to over 23 countries.

Naturally, with a former Premiership and International footballer visiting the Station, both the Men’s’ and Women’s football teams were keen to take advantage of the opportunities on offer so Graeme changed into his familiar football attire and lead a session of pre-season training.

The men’s team is hoping to improve on the success of last season when they were finalists in the Premier League Cup and finishing in an impressive 3rd place in the London League, whilst the ladies team are also keen to improve on their 3rd place finish in the London Ladies League.

Editor: Flight Lieutenant Louise Daly
Photographs: Paul Crouch, Stephen McCourt. RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2009.

Alternative career for Reading FC Captain?

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Graeme Murty at the controls.

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Alternative career for Reading FC Captain?

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Graeme Murty assisting with an Air Drop.

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Waddington International Air Show donates £96,000 to RAF Benevolent Fund

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G

Photo: Royal Air Force / Ministry of Defense / Crown Copyright

RAF/MoD/CC

Waddington International Air Show donates £96,000 to RAF Benevolent Fund

Tuesday 14 July 2009


RAF Waddington Station Commander, Group Captain Powell, presented a cheque for £96,000 to Sir Robert Wright, Controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund, at this year’s Waddington Air Show, on Sunday 5th July. The funds are part of the proceeds from last year’s event and will go to help serving and former members of the RAF in need.

Since the first RAF Waddington International Airshow in 1995 the sums donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund have been growing steadily, and almost a million pounds has been raised in total over that time.

Sir Robert Wright said: “I am very pleased to accept, on behalf of the RAF Benevolent Fund, this exceptionally generous donation from the RAF Waddington International Airshow. This fantastic contribution is a testament to our enduring ties with this tremendous event, and with the RAF family as a whole.

“It’s also very fitting that funds raised at the RAFBF’s biggest airshow will immediately be directed to assist RAF family members in need, through our work as the RAF’s leading welfare charity.”

If you would like to learn more about how the RAF Benevolent Fund supports the RAF family, visit http://www.rafbf.org/

Editor:Jon Wallace
Photographer: SAC Andy Stevens. RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2009.

RAF Waddington Station Commander, Group Captain Powell, presents the cheque for £96,000 to Sir Robert Wright.

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Air Department Harriers

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier celebrates 40 years


RAF and Navy personnel who have worked with the Harrier jump jet over the last 40 years gathered at RAF Wittering, the 'Home of the Harrier', to celebrate its birthday, yesterday, Thursday 23 July 2009.

Coming into service with the RAF in 1969, the Harrier was a great technological leap forward, being the world's first successful vectored thrust jet offering vertical take-off and landing.

To celebrate the achievements of the jet over the last 40 years, key figures in its proud history met to share stories and toast the fighter at a gala dinner yesterday at RAF Wittering.

Those attending included the designers and first test pilots, those who flew and maintained the Harrier in the Cold War and the first combat operations in the Falklands campaign, and members of No 1 (Fighter) Squadron whose recent return to RAF Cottesmore marked the end of five years of operations in Afghanistan for Joint Force Harrier.

The origins of the plane go back to 1957 when Sir Sydney Camm, Ralph Hooper and Stanley Hooker first began experimenting with the innovative vectored thrust turbofan engine.

This was refined and developed and the first incarnation of the jet as we know it today was the Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR1 which first flew on 28 December 1967 and entered service with the RAF on 1 April 1969.

Since then several upgrades and modifications have been made and the plane has always been a favourite with pilots.

One such pilot was Sir Peter Squire, former Chief of the Air Staff. Sir Peter led 1 (Fighter) Squadron during the Falklands campaign in 1982. He first flew the Harrier in 1975 and has flown all major variants of Harrier since.

Sir Peter Squire said: "I always wanted to fly Harrier. It's THE aeroplane - it was beautifully harmonised. The Hunter was a joy to handle, but the Harrier did it all."

Also at the gala dinner was Duncan Simpson who trained the first RAF instructors for the Harrier in May 1969. Rather than a challenge he said that getting pilots used to the revolutionary new plane was relatively simple:

"It was easy", said Mr Duncan. "We trained four instructors using a system we had devised for the Kestrel programme. We must have got it right because it is still much the same syllabus today!"

However, the longevity of Harrier's in-service life has shocked even some of its most ardent supporters:

"I'm amazed the Harrier's still going strong!" Mr Duncan said.

There is every chance that the plane will continue to serve Britian until its 50th birthday as there are ten more years of operational service planned for the plane before it is withdrawn completely and replaced by the Joint Combat Aircraft.

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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GR.7 Harrier

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Royal Navy Harriers

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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A Harrier landing aboard the Atlantic Conveyor, which was utilized to transport Six Wessex helicopters, 14 Harriers and five CH-47 Chinook helicopters during the Falklands War. Upon arrival, the Harriers were off loaded to the carriers. Two Argentine Air Force Super Etendard fighters launched Exocet missiles, which struck the Atlantic Conveyor, causing a fire which consumed the ship, all of the Wessex helicopters and all but one of the Chinooks ("Bravo November"). Declared unrecoverable, the ship was sunk by the British.

RN / MoD / CC

Informational Source: Wikipedia.Org

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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A formation of four Royal Navy Harriers in flight.

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Cockpit perspective of Harriers in formation.

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Sea Harrier FA2 taking off from a CVS Carrier.

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Night Harrier Launch

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Harrier Gr.7 over Afghanistan

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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British Aerospace Harrier. The Harrier was originally developed by Hawker Aircraft, creator of the Typhoon, Sea Fury, Hunter and Kestrel.

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Royal Navy Sea Harrier

RN / MoD / CC

Harrier's 40th Anniversary

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Royal Navy Maintainers with the pilot of a Sea Harrier

RN / MoD / CC

Latest News As Of July 28, 2009

Aerospace United States

Boeing Celebrates 45th Anniversary of CH-46 Sea Knight's first flight.

Phrogs in flight...

Boeing Photo

Boeing Observes 45th Anniversary of Sea Knight Helicopter 1st Flight


RIDLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa., July 27, 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today recognized the service of the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter, which completed its first flight 45 years ago this month. One hundred sixty-eight of the 624 aircraft originally produced remain in operation with the U.S. Marine Corps and are still maintained by Boeing.

The Sea Knight, also affectionately known as the “Phrog,” has served as the Marines' medium-lift assault helicopter since 1964, logging more than three million flight hours. Although it is no longer in production, it remains in combat service wherever and whenever the Marines are called into action. The remaining active aircraft are, on average, 35 years old.

“The Sea Knight has earned respect and admiration around the world and certainly a special place in history,” said Phil Dunford, vice president and general manager, Boeing Rotorcraft Systems. “While the CH-46 fleet remains in service, it is gradually being replaced by the advanced and highly capable MV-22 Osprey aircraft, which meets the specialized needs of our warfighters in the 21st century.”

# # #

July 28, 2009 2:10 AM EDT

Boeing and Turkish Airlines Finalize Order for Seven Additional 777-300ERs


SEATTLE, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Turkish Airlines have finalized an order for seven Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes valued at $1.9 billion at current list prices. This order is in addition to the five 777-300ERs that Turkish Airlines ordered in April 2009, bringing their total 777-300ER orders to 12. The airline currently operates a fleet of 65 Boeing airplanes including Next-Generation 737s and leased 777-300ERs.

"The 777-300ER already provides Turkish Airlines with exceptional fuel economy, efficiency, reliability and high levels of cabin comfort for their passengers, combined with unmatched levels of payload and range." said Aldo Basile, vice president of Sales for Europe and Russia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This additional order is a further confirmation of Turkish Airline's plans for international expansion and their confidence in the abilities of the 777-300ER to help them meet these goals."

The Boeing 777-300ER is 19 percent lighter than its closest competitor, greatly reducing its fuel requirement. It produces 22 percent less carbon dioxide per seat and costs 20 percent less to operate per seat. The airplane can seat up to 365 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a maximum range of 7,930 nautical miles (14,685 km). The 777 family is the world's most successful twin-engine, twin-aisle airplane. Fifty-six customers around the world have ordered more than 1,100 777s.

Turkish Airlines is one of the fastest growing and prosperous airlines in the world. It carries approximately 20 million passengers a year, with direct flights to 108 international and 33 domestic destinations. The airline was founded in 1933 with a fleet of five airplanes that carried a total of 28 passengers. The airline made its first domestic flight in 1933 and the first international flight in 1947.

This order will be posted to the Boeing Orders and Deliveries Web site when it is refreshed on July 30.

Aerospace United States

Multinational Alliance's 1st Boeing C-17 Joins Heavy Airlift Wing in Hungary

PÁPA AIR BASE, Hungary, July 27, 2009 -- Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai delivers remarks today at a ceremony commemorating the activation of a new airlift capability for 10 NATO and two Partnership for Peace nations, as the first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III acquired by the NATO Airlift Management Organization and the Strategic Airlift Capability consortium officially joins the Heavy Airlift Wing at Pápa Air Base.

Boeing Photo

Multinational Alliance's 1st Boeing C-17 Joins Heavy Airlift Wing in Hungary


PÁPA AIR BASE, Hungary, July 27, 2009 -- The first Boeing [NYSE: BA] C-17 Globemaster III acquired by the NATO Airlift Management Organization and the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) consortium officially joined the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) at Pápa Air Base, Hungary, today, as part of a ceremony commemorating the activation of a new airlift capability for 10 NATO and two Partnership for Peace nations.

The advanced airlifter, known as SAC 01, is the first of three C-17s that will be assigned to the HAW in western Hungary this year and will soon start flying missions in support of the International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan.

“I want to extend my thanks to all of the nations that chose to participate in SAC,” said Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, NATO deputy secretary general. “Because of your commitment, today we are well-positioned to provide aid anywhere, at any time, and on any mission -- humanitarian, disaster relief, or peacekeeping.”

The unique SAC approach to shared use of the strategic airlifter is viewed as a model for the future acquisition and management of defense capabilities. The SAC nations will share acquisition and operating costs for the C-17s over the nearly 30-year course of the agreement. SAC 01 has been contributed by the United States, a member of the consortium. Hungary agreed to both host the wing at Pápa Air Base and to register the C-17s under the Hungarian flag.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Johnston, chairman of the SAC Steering Board, praised the nations for setting a new standard of multinational cooperation.

“Visions are only realized when unrelenting dedication to achievement is applied in full measure,” Johnston said. “When applied twelvefold, success becomes destiny. Today, 12 nations witness the activation of their Heavy Airlift Wing.”

The HAW’s first wing commander, U.S. Air Force Col. John Zazworsky, thanked the hundreds of multinational military personnel who prepared the former Warsaw Pact fighter base for its first mission.

"For nearly a year now, personnel from 12 nations have worked as a team here in Pápa, blending their varied skills, military experiences and cultures into a new form of multinational military unit," said Zazworsky. “The team has consistently focused on being able to conduct strategic airlift missions as soon as the first aircraft is delivered. Now that we have reached that milestone, we have the strong sense that we are creating a model for future cooperative military efforts."

“Boeing is proud that the C-17 is a part of this historic day,” said Jean Chamberlin, Boeing vice president, Global Mobility Systems. “It’s the only aircraft capable of performing all of SAC’s airlift missions -- strategic and tactical, military and humanitarian, brigade airdrop and aeromedical evacuation -- and it can do all of that using standard runways or short, austere airfields.”

The SAC group includes 10 NATO nations -- Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, United States -- and Partnership for Peace members Sweden and Finland.

Boeing will deliver SAC’s two remaining C-17s in September and October. A Boeing team assigned to Pápa Air Base will provide material management, depot maintenance and other support for the C-17s under Global Services & Support’s C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership program.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

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Boeing Delivers 400th F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to US Navy


ST. LOUIS, July 24, 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that it delivered the 400th F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to the U.S. Navy in June.

The original Super Hornet strike fighter achieved initial operational capability with the Navy in September 2001. The advanced Super Hornet Block II, equipped with the Raytheon-built APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, debuted in 2005 and is in production today.

“The Super Hornet provides 21st-century combat capability to U.S. servicemembers around the world every day,” said Bob Gower, vice president of F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs for Global Strike Systems, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.

“This delivery is a result of the dedication and pride of the Boeing employees who build this aircraft, as well as the outstanding program partnership with the Navy, the Hornet Industry Team and more than 1,900 suppliers," Gower added. "It’s also an important milestone for U.S. taxpayers, because every Super Hornet, from one to 400, has been delivered on time and on budget.”

The Block II F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions.

The Hornet Industry Team includes Boeing, Northrop Grumman, GE Aircraft Engines and Raytheon. Boeing will deliver the first F/A-18F for Australia -- the first international Super Hornet customer -- next week. Boeing is in discussions with several other customers about their interest in procuring the Super Hornet.

“The Super Hornet delivers the cost and schedule certainty that governments rely on and taxpayers expect, while providing warfighters with the advanced capability they need, today,” Gower said.

U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Darrah, F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager, PMA-265, said the 400th Super Hornet delivery is critical to ensuring on-schedule and on-budget capability for the Navy.

“Every Super Hornet delivered to the Navy has been delivered on or ahead of schedule,” Darrah said. “The Navy and our nation depend on the advanced capability the Super Hornet delivers each day around the globe. The F/A-18E/F’s advanced capability, combined with its remarkable program performance, make the Super Hornet a true model for defense acquisition.”

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

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Beck Tire International Receives Lockheed Martin Star Supplier Award


KANSAS CITY, MO, July 27th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has presented Beck Tire International with its prestigious STAR Supplier Award for its exemplary performance and contribution to the success of Lockheed Martin’s mission.

Lockheed Martin’s STAR Supplier Award is only presented to suppliers who meet rigorous performance criteria. First established in 1999, this award is an effort to quantitatively measure supplier quality and to create a group of preferred suppliers.

To receive this honor and join the elite group of STAR Suppliers, Beck Tire International provided superior support to Lockheed Martin as part of the Aircraft Tires Privatization Initiative for the Defense Logistics Agency. Under this initiative led by Michelin Aircraft Tire Co., Lockheed Martin manages the logistics and warehousing of all tires used on U.S. Air Force and Army aircraft around the world. In the continental United States, Beck Tire International recycles and disposes of aircraft tires in an environmentally safe manner.

“Beck Tire International continually surpasses required performance metrics. In fact, they maintain a 99 percent performance rating in the area of on-time tire pick ups,” said Vince Dothard, director of Supply Chain Management Programs at Lockheed Martin’s New Ventures business.

“We are honored to receive this award. This recognition is the result of many years of hard work and dedication,” said Eugene Beck, president of Beck Tire International. “Ultimately this is about supporting the men and women who serve our nation in the U.S. Air Force.”

Based in Kansas City, Miss., with additional facilities in Avon Park, Fla., and Burleson and Houston, TX, Beck Tire International has recycled tires for more than 60 years. Beck Tire International offers aircraft tire recycling operations as well as catalog sales of specialty tires and a collection network that oversees the collection of millions of passenger and truck tires each year.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Awarded $142 Million Arrowhead Production Contract


ORLANDO, FL, July 27th, 2009 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $142 million follow-on production contract for the Apache Arrowhead® system, the combat-proven, Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) for the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter.

The Lot 6 contract includes 55 Arrowhead kits for U.S. Army Apache helicopters and kits for several international customers. Over 850 systems will have been delivered with the completion of the Lot 6 contract, which extends production through December 2011.

“The Arrowhead equipped Longbow Apache is an attack, security, and reconnaissance asset every ground commander wants overhead. This demand for the best sight sensor and attack helicopter combination has been consistent throughout the past eight years of military operations,” said Apache Sensors Product Manager Lt. Col. John Vannoy. “Lot 6 will provide the kits required to complete the outfitting of our active component force.”

The Arrowhead kit modernizes the U.S. Army’s Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS) – known as the “eyes of the Apache” – by upgrading the infrared sensors and associated electronics. The Arrowhead system provides Apache pilots the most advanced long-range, electro-optical precision engagement and pilotage capabilities, ensuring safe flight during day, night, and adverse-weather missions.

“Arrowhead enhances system reliability and maintainability, which is extremely important to the Warfighter when the system must operate in severe environments at increased operational tempos,” said Lockheed Martin Apache Fire Control Vice President Bob Gunning. “Arrowhead’s improved capabilities allow the Apache to serve in multiple roles in contingency operations.”

Lockheed Martin rolled out the first Arrowhead system to the U.S. Army in May 2005, and completed integration on the first Apache helicopters in June 2005. The 2008 Lot 5 contract award marked the 25th anniversary of the product line’s continuous service to the U.S. Army.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Awarded $142 Million Arrowhead Production Contract


ORLANDO, FL, July 27th, 2009 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $142 million follow-on production contract for the Apache Arrowhead® system, the combat-proven, Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) for the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter.

The Lot 6 contract includes 55 Arrowhead kits for U.S. Army Apache helicopters and kits for several international customers. Over 850 systems will have been delivered with the completion of the Lot 6 contract, which extends production through December 2011.

“The Arrowhead equipped Longbow Apache is an attack, security, and reconnaissance asset every ground commander wants overhead. This demand for the best sight sensor and attack helicopter combination has been consistent throughout the past eight years of military operations,” said Apache Sensors Product Manager Lt. Col. John Vannoy. “Lot 6 will provide the kits required to complete the outfitting of our active component force.”

The Arrowhead kit modernizes the U.S. Army’s Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS) – known as the “eyes of the Apache” – by upgrading the infrared sensors and associated electronics. The Arrowhead system provides Apache pilots the most advanced long-range, electro-optical precision engagement and pilotage capabilities, ensuring safe flight during day, night, and adverse-weather missions.

“Arrowhead enhances system reliability and maintainability, which is extremely important to the Warfighter when the system must operate in severe environments at increased operational tempos,” said Lockheed Martin Apache Fire Control Vice President Bob Gunning. “Arrowhead’s improved capabilities allow the Apache to serve in multiple roles in contingency operations.”

Lockheed Martin rolled out the first Arrowhead system to the U.S. Army in May 2005, and completed integration on the first Apache helicopters in June 2005. The 2008 Lot 5 contract award marked the 25th anniversary of the product line’s continuous service to the U.S. Army.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Meets Key Milestones For Navy Submarine Communications Program


MARION, MA, July 23rd, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE:LMT] team developing a Communications at Speed and Depth (CSD) capability for U.S. Navy submarines has successfully completed the system requirements review. The capability will enable secure, two-way communications between submarines operating below periscope depth and at tactical speeds with surface ships, aircraft and land-based assets. All classes of U.S. Navy submarines will be equipped with this transformational capability.

“The on-schedule progress of this program results from a strong government-industry team that is focused on delivering a much-needed capability to the fleet,” said Brent Starr, the Navy’s CSD principle acquisition program manager. “The system requirements review was a huge success.”

The Lockheed Martin-led industry team, which includes Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems and ERAPSCO, a joint venture between Sparton Electronics Florida, Inc. and Ultra Electronics – USSI, will deliver three types of two-way communications devices and associated submarine and shore equipment. Two of the devices – the tethered expendable communications buoy (TECB) Iridium system and the TECB–UHF system – are launched from submarines. The third is an acoustic-to-RF Gateway (A2RF) system that can be launched from submarines and aircraft.

Since the January contract award, the team has completed both the integrated baseline review and system requirements review milestones on schedule. Hardware delivery is expected in mid-2010.

“Successful on-schedule completion of the system requirements review is a major step in providing submarines the same access to communication networks as the rest of the U.S. Navy's fleet,” said Rod Reints, Lockheed Martin’s senior program manager for the CSD program. “Our team is now starting the preliminary design phase, moving us closer to our goal of providing communications at speed and depth to the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet.”

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Supports Forum On Environmental Observations


PALO ALTO, Calif., July 23rd, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] is a major corporate sponsor of Forum on Earth Observations III: The Environmental Information Revolution, which will convene in Washington, D.C. on July 30, 2009. The Forum is organized by the Alliance for Earth Observations, of which Lockheed Martin is a member, and will bring together key leaders who are developing solutions to meet the unprecedented demand for information about our changing planet. Participants from both the private and public sectors are expected, from areas including information technology, aerospace, oceans industry, agriculture, energy, climate policy and national security, and science communications.

“The evidence for global warming is compelling and we have to work collaboratively to provide the best possible data to policymakers, allowing wise decisions on mitigating future damage to our planet,” says Dr. James T. Ryder, vice president of the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Palo Alto, Calif. “We’re pleased to be a primary sponsor of this Forum and look forward to a vigorous exchange of ideas that will be instructive in how best we can move forward together to make a difference.” Dr. Ryder will introduce the lunch speaker on Climate and National Security at the Forum.

Confirmed speakers and panelists include Lawrie Jordan, Director, Imagery Enterprise Solutions, ESRI; Sherri Goodman, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Center for Naval Analyses; Richard Lechner, Vice President for Energy and Environment, IBM; Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Former NOAA Administrator, Vice President, Polar Programs, Computer Sciences Corp; Robert Mitrevski, Vice President, Commercial Space Systems, ITT Corp., Space System Division; Berrien Moore III, Executive Director, Climate Central; Andrew Winston, author of the soon-to-be-released book "Green Recovery"; Nancy K. Kopp, Maryland State Treasurer; Linda Travers, Acting Assistant Administrator and Chief Information Officer, Office of Environmental Information, Environmental Protection Agency; and Shere Abbott of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Conference sessions at the Forum will focus on the private sector's role in responding to the emerging need for environmental information; address key questions regarding carbon monitoring, ocean observations, and delivery of information products to an expanding and increasingly diverse user community; discuss strengthening of the environmental information value chain; and examine entrepreneurial opportunities to develop the environmental information sector.

LMSSC designs and engineers products and processes with environmental protection in mind. Some examples of successful reduction of the company’s "environmental footprint" in the San Francisco Bay Area, and recognition for such efforts include:


• Reducing the total solid waste disposed from 3,750 tons in 1990 to 143 tons in 2006 (96% reduction) through effective recycling efforts.


• Reducing hazardous waste from 6,100 tons per year in the 1985 to 781 tons in 2006 (87% reduction)


• Reducing metal-bearing wastewater discharges from 65 million gallons per year in the mid-1980s to 1.2 million gallons in 2006 (99% reduction).


• Reducing ozone-depleting chemical usage from 660,000 pounds per year in the mid-1980s to less than 100 pounds in 2006.

• At the LMSSC ATC in Palo Alto, the company purchases renewable green power for 10% of its energy needs. This contributed to the ATC being honored with the 2006 "Tall Trees Award” from the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce.

LMSSC is also one of the premier builders of the Nation’s environmental satellites. For NASA and NOAA the company designed and built every Television and Infrared Observational Satellite (TIROS) since the first weather satellite was launched in April 1960. TIROS data supports a broad range of environmental monitoring applications including weather analysis and forecasting, climate research and prediction, ocean dynamics research, volcanic eruption monitoring and forest fire detection. LMSSC has been selected by NASA to build the next generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-R) and, for this important program, the ATC is developing the Solar Ultraviolet Imager and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper instruments.

The company also built Terra, the flagship spacecraft in NASA’s Earth Observing System, launched in 1999 that began the continuous, long-term, calibrated measurements of global processes. In addition, LMSSC built every spacecraft in the NASA Landsat program. Landsat’s 37-year collection of land images serves those who observe and study the Earth, manage and utilize its natural resources, and monitor the changes brought on by natural processes and human activities.

The Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory at the ATC conducts basic research into understanding and predicting space weather and the behavior of our Sun including its impacts on Earth and climate. It has a five-decade-long heritage of spaceborne solar instruments including the Soft X-ray Telescope on the Japanese Yohkoh satellite, the Michelson Doppler Imager on the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, the solar telescope on NASA’s Transition Region and Coronal Explorer, the Focal Plane Package on the Japanese Hinode satellite, the Solar X-ray Imagers on GOES-N and -O, the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager instruments on NASA’s twin STEREO spacecraft, and the Heliospheric and Magnetic Imager and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on NASA’s upcoming Solar Dynamics Observatory.

The ATC is the research and development organization of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC). LMSSC, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs and develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security and military, civil government and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology research and development.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Agrees To Acquire Gyrocam Systems LLC


Bethesda, Md., July 22nd, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Gyrocam Systems LLC (Gyrocam). Gyrocam develops and supplies gyrostabalized optical surveillance systems and sustainment field services principally to the U.S. military. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but are not material to Lockheed Martin.

Gyrocam, a privately owned company headquartered in Sarasota, Fla. with personnel in Washington, D.C., Iraq and Afghanistan, provides combat forces greater situational awareness in virtually all conditions with real-time reconnaissance and threat identification and tracking from safe, stand-off distances. The company’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) products are primarily in use on ground vehicles operated by the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, a unit of Lockheed Martin's Electronic Systems business area, with major facilities in Dallas, Texas and Orlando, Fla., will manage the Gyrocam business.

“The acquisition of Gyrocam enhances Lockheed Martin’s ability to address our U.S. government customer’s emphasis on ISR capabilities and to meet urgent warfighter needs,” said Robert J. Stevens, Lockheed Martin’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This transaction is a sound strategic fit that strengthens a core competency while addressing a customer priority, supports our commitment to build shareholder value and reinforces our standing as a global security leader.”

“We are extremely pleased to join Lockheed Martin. This combination will allow the warfighter access to an expanded range of capabilities and will provide professional growth opportunities for our dedicated employees. Lockheed Martin shares a common commitment to performance excellence, ethics and integrity; our promise to partner with our customers; and our dedication to providing quality services and rapid response,” said Darrell Egner, Chief Executive Officer of Gyrocam.

The transaction is subject to various approvals, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and satisfaction of other closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2009.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.



Media Contact: Nettie Johnson, (301) 897-6352 e-mail: nettie.r.johnson@lmco.com

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com


LOCKHEED MARTIN Safe Harbor Statement / Forward-Looking Statements:
Some of the statements contained in this press release are considered "forward-looking statements" under the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to statements regarding: (1) the expected closing date of the transaction; and (2) the potential for strengthened or expanded capabilities arising out of the transaction.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (a) the risk that the transaction may close more slowly than expected or not at all; (b) the risk that the potential demand for strengthened or expanded service offerings arising out of the transaction may not materialize; and (c) other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in Lockheed Martin's Form 10-K, including under the caption “Risk Factors”, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this release is as of July 22, 2009. Lockheed Martin disclaims any duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in expectations.

Lockheed Martin Announces Second Quarter 2009 Results

Bethesda, MD, July 21st, 2009 --  

• Second quarter net sales of $11.2 billion; Year-to-date net sales of $21.6 billion

• Second quarter earnings per share of $1.88; Year-to-date earnings per share of $3.55

• Second quarter net earnings of $734 million; Year-to-date net earnings of $1.4 billion

• Generated $1.1 billion in cash from operations for the quarter; $2.4 billion year-to-date

• Reaffirms outlook for 2009 net sales, earnings per share, cash from operations, and return on invested capital (ROIC)

Earnings Attachment (pdf) | Earnings Attachment (xls) | 8-k | Highlights | Webcast | Webcast Charts

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) today reported second quarter 2009 net earnings of $734 million ($1.88 per diluted share), compared to $882 million ($2.15 per diluted share) in 2008. Net earnings in 2009 included higher pension expense as previously disclosed in our January 22, 2009 earnings release and in our 2008 Form 10-K.  In the second quarter of 2009, the FAS/CAS pension adjustment was ($115) million, which decreased net earnings by $75 million ($0.19 per share). The second quarter of 2008 included a FAS/CAS pension adjustment of $32 million and an unusual gain of $85 million, which together increased net earnings by $77 million ($0.19 per share).

Net sales for the second quarter of 2009 were $11.2 billion, compared to $11.0 billion in 2008. Cash from operations for the second quarter of 2009 was $1.1 billion, compared to $1.5 billion in 2008.

"Our second quarter results reflect recent changes in program priorities undertaken by our U.S. Government customers as well as performance challenges in our IS&GS business segment," said Bob Stevens, Chairman, President and CEO. "While the operational strength demonstrated in Aeronautics, Electronic Systems, and Space Systems was not matched by IS&GS, we remain committed to setting and achieving high standards of operational excellence. We are applying additional resources to improve execution in this important business area. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to delivering innovative solutions for our customers as a global security company and driving shareholder value for our investors."  

Summary Reported Results and Outlook

The following table presents the Corporation’s results for the periods referenced in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP):

The following table and other sections of this press release contain forward-looking statements, which are based on the Corporation's current expectations.  Actual results may differ materially from those projected.  See the "Forward-Looking Statements" discussion contained in this press release.

The Corporation's updated outlook for 2009 diluted earnings per share incorporates the following revisions:

• a reduction in projected segment operating profit in our Information Systems & Global Services business segment, which partially was offset by increases in both the Aeronautics and the Space Systems business segments;
• an increase in Other unallocated corporate expense, net and Other non-operating income, net as a result of improved market performance during the second quarter on Rabbi Trust assets and non-qualified deferred compensation liabilities;
• a reduction in the projected full-year effective tax rate; and
• the benefit from a reduction in projected weighted average shares outstanding.

It is the Corporation's practice not to incorporate adjustments to its outlook for proposed acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, or other unusual activities until such transactions have been consummated.

Balanced Cash Deployment Strategy

The Corporation continued to execute its balanced cash deployment strategy during the second quarter by:

• repurchasing 5.6 million shares at a cost of $453 million in the quarter and 13.7 million shares at a cost of $1.0 billion for the year-to-date period;
• paying cash dividends totaling $222 million in the quarter and $449 million for the year-to-date period;
• investing $31 million in the quarter and $187 million during the first half of the year for acquisition and investment activities; and
• making capital expenditures of $167 million during the quarter and $299 million during the first six months of the year.

Segment Results

The Corporation operates in four principal business segments: Electronic Systems; Information Systems & Global Services (IS&GS); Aeronautics; and Space Systems. 

The following table presents the operating results of the four business segments and reconciles these amounts to the Corporation’s consolidated financial results.

In our discussion of comparative results, changes in net sales and operating profit generally are expressed in terms of volume and/or performance.  Volume refers to increases (or decreases) in sales resulting from varying production activity levels, deliveries, or service levels on individual contracts.  Volume changes typically include a corresponding change in operating profit based on the estimated profit rate at completion for a particular contract for design, development, and production activities.  Performance generally refers to changes in contract profit booking rates.  These changes to our contracts for products usually relate to profit recognition associated with revisions to total estimated costs at completion of the contracts that reflect improved (or deteriorated) operating or award fee performance on a particular contract.  Changes in contract profit booking rates on contracts for products are recognized by recording adjustments in the current period for the inception-to-date effect of the changes on current and prior periods.  Recognition of the inception-to-date adjustment in the current or prior periods may affect the comparison of segment operating results.

Electronic Systems

Net sales for Electronic Systems decreased by 1% for the quarter and increased by 2% for the first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods. During the quarter, the decrease mainly was due to lower volume on air defense programs at Missiles & Fire Control (M&FC). This decrease partially was offset by growth in simulation and training activities at Platforms & Training (P&T) and in radar programs and surface naval warfare activities at Maritime Systems & Sensors (MS2).

During the first six months of the year, the increase mainly was due to higher volume on tactical missile programs and fire control systems at M&FC and in simulation and training activities at P&T. The increase in simulation and training also included sales from the first quarter 2009 acquisition of Universal Systems and Technology, Inc. These increases partially were offset by declines in integrated defense technology programs at MS2.

Operating profit for Electronic Systems decreased by 1% for the quarter and increased by 3% for the first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods. During the quarter, the decrease in operating profit mainly was due to lower volume on air defense programs at M&FC and the absence of favorable 2008 performance adjustments on integrated defense technology programs at MS2 in 2009. These decreases partially were offset by higher volume and improved performance in platform integration activities at P&T.

During the first six months of the year, the increase in operating profit primarily was attributable to improved performance on platform integration activities and the benefit recognized in the first quarter of 2009 from favorably resolving a simulation and training contract matter at P&T. These increases partially were offset by declines in volume on integrated defense technology programs at MS2.

Information Systems & Global Services

Net sales for IS&GS increased by 6% for the quarter and 8% for the first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods. In both periods, increases in Defense and Civil partially were offset by declines in Intelligence. Defense sales increased due to higher volume on mission and combat systems activities and readiness and stability operations. Civil increased mainly due to higher volume on enterprise civilian services. Intelligence sales declined slightly between periods.

Operating profit for IS&GS decreased by 9% for the quarter and 2% for the first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods.  During the second quarter, operating profit declines in Civil and Intelligence more than offset growth in Defense. The decrease in Civil primarily was attributable to the absence of a favorable 2008 performance adjustment on an enterprise civilian services program. The decrease in Intelligence was mainly due to lower volume and performance on security solutions activities. The increase in Defense mainly was due to volume and improved performance in mission and combat systems and readiness and stability operations.

During the first six months of the year, operating profit declines in Civil and Intelligence more than offset growth in Defense. The decrease in Civil primarily was attributable to the absence in 2009 of a benefit recognized in the first quarter of 2008 for a contract restructuring and the second quarter 2008 performance adjustment discussed above, both of which occurred on an enterprise civilian services program. The decrease in Intelligence was mainly due to lower volume and performance on enterprise integration activities. The increase in Defense mainly was due to volume and improved performance in mission and combat systems and readiness and stability operations.

The prior period amounts for IS&GS have been reclassified to conform to its current lines of business (Civil, Defense and Intelligence). The realignment had no impact on the segment’s operating results.  

Aeronautics

Net sales for Aeronautics increased by 7% for the quarter and 3% for the first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods.  During the quarter, the increase in Combat Aircraft sales partially was offset by declines in Air Mobility and Other Aeronautics Programs. The increase in Combat Aircraft mainly was due to higher volume on F-35 and F-16 programs. The decrease in Air Mobility mainly was attributable to lower volume on C-130J support and C-5 programs. The decrease in Other Aeronautics Programs principally was due to lower volume on sustainment activities, which partially was offset by growth on advanced development programs.

During the first six months of the year, sales increased in all three lines of business. The increase in Combat Aircraft mainly was due to higher volume on F-35 and F-16 programs, which more than offset lower volume on the F-22 program. The increase in Other Aeronautics Programs principally was due to growth on advanced development programs, which more than offset the lower volume on sustainment activities. Air Mobility sales increased slightly between periods.

Operating profit for Aeronautics increased by 9% for both the quarter and first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods.  In both periods, the growth in operating profit primarily was due to increases in Combat Aircraft and Air Mobility. The increase in Combat Aircraft operating profit primarily was due to higher volume and improved performance on the F-35 program and improved performance on the F-22 program. These increases more than offset declines in operating profit on F-16 programs mainly due to the absence of favorable 2008 performance adjustments in 2009. The increase in Air Mobility was mainly attributable to improved performance on C-130 support activities and C-5 programs.

Space Systems

Net sales for Space Systems decreased by 7% for the quarter and 3% for the first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods.  During the quarter, declines in sales at Space Transportation and Satellites more than offset growth in Strategic & Defensive Missile Systems (S&DMS).  The decrease in Space Transportation primarily was due to lower volume in commercial launch vehicle activities and on the Orion program in 2009. There were no commercial launches during the first six months of 2009.   During the first six months of 2008, there was one commercial launch which occurred during the second quarter of the year.  The sales decline in Satellites was due to lower volume in commercial satellite activities, which more than offset higher volume in government satellite activities. There were no commercial satellite deliveries during the first six months of 2009.   In 2008, there was one commercial satellite delivery during the second quarter and two during the first six months of the year.  S&DMS sales increased mainly due to higher volume on strategic missile programs.

During the first six months of the year, declines in sales at Space Transportation and S&DMS more than offset growth in Satellites. The decrease in Space Transportation primarily was due to lower volume in commercial launch vehicle activities and on the Orion program in 2009. S&DMS sales decreased mainly due to lower volume on defensive missile programs, which more than offset growth in strategic missile programs. The sales growth in Satellites was due to higher volume in government satellite activities, which partially was offset by lower volume in commercial satellite activities.

Operating profit for Space Systems decreased by 16% for the quarter and 13% for the first six months of 2009 from the comparable 2008 periods.  During the quarter, Satellites operating profit decreased primarily due to the decline in commercial deliveries, which more than offset increases associated with the higher volume on government satellite activities. In Space Transportation the decrease mainly was attributable to volume on the Orion program and volume and performance on the space shuttle’s external tank program. The decrease in S&DMS primarily was attributable to lower volume on defensive missile programs.

During the first six months of the year, Space Transportation’s operating profit decrease mainly was attributable to lower equity earnings on the United Launch Alliance joint venture and the absence in 2009 of a benefit recognized in 2008 from the successful negotiations of a terminated commercial launch vehicle contract.  The decrease in S&DMS’ operating profit primarily was attributable to lower volume on defensive missile programs.  In Satellites, the operating profit increase mainly was due to higher volume and improved performance on government satellite activities, which was partially offset by lower volume in commercial satellite activities.  

Unallocated Corporate Income (Expense), Net

Consistent with the manner in which the Corporation’s business segment operating performance is evaluated by senior management, certain items are excluded from the business segment results and included in "Unallocated corporate income (expense), net."  See the Corporation’s 2008 Form 10-K for a description of "Unallocated corporate income (expense), net," including the FAS/CAS pension adjustment. 

The FAS/CAS pension adjustment (calculated as the difference between FAS 87 expense and the CAS cost amounts) resulted in an expense in 2009 compared to income in 2008 due to the negative actual return on plan assets in 2008 and a lower discount rate at December 31, 2008.  This trend is consistent with the Corporation’s previously disclosed assumptions used to compute these amounts.

For purposes of segment reporting, unusual items are included in "Unallocated corporate income (expense), net":

2009 –

• There were no unusual items during the first six months of the year.

2008 –

• Second quarter earnings, net of state income taxes, of $85 million associated with reserves related to various land sales that are no longer required. Reserves were recorded at the time of each land sale based on the U.S. Government’s assertion of its right to share in the sale proceeds. This matter was favorably settled with the U.S. Government in the second quarter. This item increased net earnings by $56 million ($0.14 per share) during the second quarter of 2008; and

• A first quarter gain, net of state income taxes, of $16 million representing the recognition of a portion of the deferred net gain from the 2006 sale of the Corporation’s ownership interest in Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International, Inc. (LKEI) and International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS). At the time of the sale, the Corporation deferred recognition of the gain pending the expiration of its responsibility to refund advances for future launch services. This item increased net earnings by $10 million ($0.02 per share) during the first quarter of 2008.

These items increased 2008 net earnings by $66 million ($0.16 per share) during the first six months of 2008.

Income Taxes

Our effective income tax rates were 30.4% and 31.1% for the quarter and six months ended June 28, 2009 and 32.4% and 32.5% for the quarter and six months ended June 29, 2008.   These rates were lower than the statutory rate of 35% for all periods due to tax benefits for U.S. manufacturing activities and dividends related to our employee stock ownership plans.   The effective tax rates for the second quarter and first six months of 2009 are lower than the comparable periods in 2008, primarily due to the partial elimination of a valuation allowance previously provided against certain foreign company deferred tax assets arising from carryforwards of unused tax benefits and the extension of the research and development (R&D) credit as a result of the enactment on October 3, 2008, of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA) of 2008.  Although EESA retroactively extended the R&D credit for two years from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009, we did not recognize the benefit until EESA became law in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Conference call:  Lockheed Martin will webcast the earnings conference call (listen-only mode) at 11:00 a.m. E.D.T. on July 21, 2009.  A live audio broadcast, including relevant charts, will be available on the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/investor.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this release that are "forward-looking statements" are based on Lockheed Martin’s current expectations and assumptions.  Forward-looking statements in this release include estimates of future sales, earnings and cash flow.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties.  Actual results could differ materially due to factors such as: the availability of government funding for our products and services both domestically and internationally; changes in government and customer priorities and requirements (including changes to respond to the priorities of Congress and the Administration, budgetary constraints, and cost-cutting initiatives); the impact of economic recovery and stimulus plans and continued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on funding for existing defense programs; the award or termination of contracts; actual returns (or losses) on pension plan assets, interest and discount rates and other changes that may impact pension plan assumptions; changes in counter-party credit risk exposure; difficulties in developing and producing operationally advanced technology systems; the timing and customer acceptance of product deliveries; materials availability and performance by key suppliers, subcontractors and customers; charges from any future impairment reviews that may result in the recognition of losses and a reduction in the book value of goodwill or other long-term assets; the future impact of legislation, rulemaking, and changes in accounting, tax, defense procurement, or export policies; the future impact of acquisitions or divestitures, joint ventures or teaming arrangements; the outcome of legal proceedings and other contingencies (including lawsuits, government investigations or audits, and environmental remediation efforts); the competitive environment for the Corporation’s products and services; and economic, business and political conditions domestically and internationally. 

These are only some of the factors that may affect the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.  For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Lockheed Martin's business, please refer to the Corporation's SEC filings, including the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," "Risk Factors," and "Legal Proceedings" sections of the Corporation's 2008 annual report on Form 10-K, which may be obtained at the Corporation’s website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com

It is the Corporation’s policy to only update or reconfirm its financial projections by issuing a press release.  The Corporation generally plans to provide a forward-looking outlook as part of its quarterly earnings release but reserves the right to provide an outlook at different intervals or to revise its practice in future periods.  All information in this release is as of July 20, 2009.  Lockheed Martin undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in the Corporation’s expectations.  We also disclaim any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others.

NON-GAAP PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The Corporation believes that reporting ROIC provides investors with greater visibility into how effectively Lockheed Martin uses the capital invested in its operations.  The Corporation uses ROIC to evaluate multi-year investment decisions and as a long-term performance measure, and also uses ROIC as a factor in evaluating management performance for incentive compensation purposes.  ROIC is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles, and may not be defined and calculated by other companies in the same manner.  ROIC should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to net earnings as an indicator of performance.

The Corporation calculates ROIC as follows:
Net earnings plus after-tax interest expense divided by average invested capital (stockholders’ equity plus debt), after adjusting stockholders’ equity by adding back adjustments related to postretirement benefit plans.

1    Represents after-tax interest expense utilizing the federal statutory rate of 35%.
2    Debt consists of long-term debt, including current maturities, and short-term borrowings (if any).
3    Equity includes non-cash adjustments, primarily for unrecognized benefit plan actuarial losses and prior service costs, the adjustment for the adoption of FAS 158 in 2006 and the additional minimum pension liability in years prior to 2007.
4    Average Benefit Plan Adjustments reflect the cumulative value of entries identified in our Statement of Stockholders' Equity discussed in Note 3.
5   Yearly averages are calculated using balances at the start of the year and at the end of each quarter.

New Lockheed Martin-Built Military Communications Satellite Completes Environmental Testing


SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 20th, 2009 -- The first of a new generation of military communications satellites built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the U.S. Air Force has successfully completed final thermal vacuum testing at the company's Sunnyvale, Calif. facilities.

Known as the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program, the system will provide global, highly secure, protected, survivable communications for all warfighters serving under the U.S. Department of Defense. The AEHF constellation will also serve international partners including Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Final thermal vacuum testing of the first AEHF satellite was conducted between June 7 and July 13, and is one of several critical environmental test phases that validate the overall satellite design, quality of workmanship and survivability during space vehicle launching and on-orbit operations.

The successful test demonstrated spacecraft performance and functionality in a complete test-like-you-fly environment where the satellite was stressed at the extreme hot and cold temperatures it will experience in space throughout its 14-year design life.

“Our highly successful test and analysis gives us high confidence that we have a robust spacecraft that will meet all performance requirements once on-orbit," said John Miyamoto, Lockheed Martin's AEHF vice president. "We look forward to our continued progress on this vitally important program that will usher in a new era of high-speed, protected communications to aid our military personnel and allies worldwide."

With the completion of spacecraft thermal vacuum testing, the team of Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., the AEHF prime contractor, and Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif., the payload supplier, will now perform final integrated spacecraft and system test activities necessary to prepare the vehicle for flight.

The first spacecraft is planned for delivery to the Air Force in 2010 in preparation for launch aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle. The second and third AEHF satellites are also progressing through final integration and test activities and are on track for launch in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

A single AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar constellation currently on-orbit. Individual user data rates can be up to five times higher than Milstar’s highest speed. The higher data rates will permit transmission of tactical military communications, such as higher-quality real-time video and faster access to battlefield maps and targeting data. In addition to its tactical mission, AEHF will also provide the critical survivable, protected, and endurable communications to the National Command Authority including presidential conferencing in all levels of conflict.

Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to provide three AEHF satellites and the Mission Control Segment to its customer, the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The program is in the early stages of adding a fourth spacecraft to the planned constellation.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin to Upgrade U.S. Navy Submarine Communication Mast Antenna Systems


MARION, MA, July 15th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], in a joint venture with Granite State Manufacturing (GSM), received a $6.9 million contract from the U.S. Navy to design, test and manufacture an upgraded Multifunction Mast Antenna System to improve submarine communications.

Currently, all U.S. Navy submarines operating at periscope depth, including the new Virginia-class attack submarines, use the antenna system as their primary method to communicate with aircraft, surface ships and land-based assets. The system – designated the OE-538 – provides high performance, erectable mast-mounted communication and navigation capabilities.

The upgraded OE-538/BRC Multifunction Mast Antenna System will provide submarine communications with improved performance in the UHF signal band. It also will add LINK 16, Iridium and Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) UHF satellite communications capabilities, while maintaining performance in legacy bands. Lockheed Martin expects to upgrade and return to the fleet at least 12 systems per year over six years. If all options are exercised, the cumulative value of the contract is estimated at $57.6 million.

“Lockheed Martin has provided more than 90 OE-538 systems for the U.S. and allied navies since 1989,” said Joe Rappisi, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Marion-based business. “This upgrade ensures compatibility with new satellites and evolving communication systems to ensure that submarine forces will remain connected to the global information grid.”

GSM, of Manchester, NH, is a highly specialized organization, combining value engineering, program management and in-house state of the art production facilities. GSM offers a full range of manufacturing services including precision machining, metal fabrication, welding, soldering, mechanical assembly, electrical assembly and testing.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin to Develop Concept for New U.S. Navy Air and Missile Defense Radar


MOORESTOWN, NJ, July 14th, 2009 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $10 million firm-fixed-price contract to perform concept studies for the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR), a scalable solid-state radar suite for future surface combatants.

Comprised of an S-Band radar, an X-Band radar and a Radar Suite Controller (RSC), AMDR is intended to significantly enhance a ship’s defensive capability against advanced anti-ship and ballistic missile threats. Lockheed Martin was one of three industry teams to receive AMDR contracts, which will focus on the S-Band radar and RSC during this six-month concept studies phase. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., leads the procurement for AMDR.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will evaluate potential system configurations. Subsequent phases, including technology development, engineering and manufacturing development, production and follow-on support, will be the subject of future competitive procurements. The work will be performed at Lockheed Martin’s Moorestown, NJ facility.

Lockheed Martin is a leader in S-Band radar system development and production. With more than 100 operational systems deployed worldwide, Lockheed Martin supports a range of naval radar programs providing advanced anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense mission capability.

“AMDR will provide a scalable radar suite that will deliver enhanced capability against evolving threats for current and future ship platforms,” said Carl Bannar, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Radar Systems. “Through our established partnership with the Navy, Lockheed Martin will build on our 30-year naval radar heritage to meet the challenging mission requirements envisioned for AMDR with an open, capable, and affordable system solution.”

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Awarded Apache Performance Based Logistics Follow-On Contract


ORLANDO, FL, July 14th, 2009 -- The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a follow-on Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract to support the Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS) and Modernized TADS/PNVS (M-TADS/PNVS) systems on the AH-64 Apache helicopter. The contract has a potential value of $89 million for 2009.

The original PBL contract, awarded in early 2007, established a system of continuous improvements supporting the AH-64 Apache TADS/PNVS and M-TADS/PNVS programs. The PBL contract provides complete post-production supply chain management, including spares planning, procurement, repairs, maintenance, modifications and inventory management of fielded systems. The value of the first year of the contract was $117.8 million and the 2008 contract was worth $76.6 million.

“PBL is a strategy for system product support that employs an integrated, affordable performance package designed to optimize system readiness,” said Dave Belvin, Apache TADS and Support Programs director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “PBL is intended to save operating and support costs by having the prime contractor assume responsibility for the total performance of a system. Our team is in position and is providing a cost-effective support solution that meets the needs of our Warfighters.”

As part of Lockheed Martin's centralized logistics management, damaged components are expedited directly back to a repair center, significantly reducing the length of the supply pipeline and enabling the U.S. Army to receive spare parts more quickly and efficiently. Lockheed Martin’s PBL supply management reduces operation and support cost burdens, providing funds for continuing system modernization and reliability improvements. To date, the Apache TADS/PNVS PBL program has been credited by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command with improving fleet readiness, requisition fill rates, and reducing the U.S. Army’s life cycle cost.

“This PBL program is a partnership with the Army and industry that leverages the strengths of the collective organizations to provide the best possible performance outcomes. The success of the program is based on continuous improvement,” said Belvin. “The program continues to be innovative to meet our customer’s challenging and rapidly changing objectives.”

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

U.S. Navy Selects Lockheed Martin to Continue Development of Secure Information Sharing System

Radiant Mercury Provides Cyber Security For More Than 480 Systems


San Diego, Calif., July 14th, 2009 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] an indefinite-delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to continue the development of Radiant Mercury, a secure Multi-National Information Sharing system used by the Department of Defense. Considered to be one of the premier cross-domain solutions, Radiant Mercury is a critical component of many security domains used by DoD, national intelligence agencies, as well as U.S. coalition partners.

This IDIQ contract entails field support for 483 Radiant Mercury systems worldwide, as well as continued enhancement to the system’s capabilities. Lockheed Martin’s team will support approximately 80 task orders per year which have a contract ceiling of approximately $74M over the five-year time period. Three initial task orders were received with a potential value of $3.5M.

“Radiant Mercury bridges a gap in intelligence sharing,” said Jim Quinn, vice president of C4ISR Systems for Lockheed Martin’s IS&GS-Defense. “Since developing the system in 1992, we have met the operational needs of our customers throughout the world. We will continue to evolve the system to ensure that critical data is accessible to those who need it most.”

Radiant Mercury incorporates a suite of high-assurance, trusted, network-encryption technologies that “guards” classified and sensitive data from unauthorized access while protecting networks from intended/unintended corruption by ‘malicious’ or hidden code.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin DAGR Rockets Successfully Fired From Airborne AH-6 Little Bird, Strike Targets


ORLANDO, FL, July 13th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has launched DAGRTM rockets from an airborne AH-6 Little Bird helicopter and successfully hit the target in two separate trials. This is the second platform DAGR has fired from in the past few months—Lockheed Martin also fired DAGR rockets from the AH-64D Apache helicopter in March.

In preparation for the tests, conducted at the Yuma Army Proving Ground in Arizona, Lockheed Martin engineers mounted the DAGR four-pack launch canister on the outboard rail of a modified XM299 launcher carried by the AH-6 Mission Enhanced Little Bird test platform.

The Little Bird firings were performed as a running fire, using a ground designator, and then self designation using the Little Bird's onboard MX-15D1 targeting system. The DAGR rocket was extremely accurate in hitting the laser aimpoint in both tests.

“Not long ago we fired DAGR from an airborne Apache, and we are pleased to add the Little Bird to the roster of platforms that have demonstrated integration with the DAGR system,” said Jerry Brode, DAGR program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

"Pilots in theater have expressed a desire for a guided rocket that hits the target and minimizes collateral damage," he added. "With multiple platform firings under its belt, along with the live warhead test we conducted at Eglin Air Force Base last year, DAGR is being qualified to deliver that capability."

Because the DAGR system is designed to be compatible with the M299 family of launchers, it offers potential integration on all rotary-wing HELLFIRE platforms, including the Apache, Little Bird, Kiowa, Blackhawk, Cobra, and Tiger helicopters. A mixed loadout of HELLFIRE IIs and DAGRs can be mounted on the same launcher, providing operational flexibility that enables cost-effective multi-mission capability from a single platform.

In 12 successful guided flight tests, the DAGR system has repeatedly demonstrated its precision strike and maneuver capabilities, hitting short- and long-range off-axis targets within minimal distance of the laser-designated aimpoint. This provides Warfighters with increased capability and an expanded engagement envelope.

Lockheed Martin has developed the DAGR system with internal funding, and is now making the system available for integration and fielding. Qualification of DAGR products and configurations is ongoing.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Unit Achieves CMMI® Maturity Level 5

Rating Reflects Disciplined, Proven Processes for Developing Complex Systems


HERNDON, VA., July 10th, 2009 -- A Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] business unit has earned a top rating for the quality and maturity of its processes for developing and managing highly-complex technology systems. The company’s Information Systems & Global Services – Intelligence product line achieved a Maturity Level 5 rating during its recent appraisal against the Capability Maturity Model ® Integration for Development, or CMMI-DEV.

“Our customers rely on us to deliver highly advanced information technology systems that are both innovative and rock-solid reliable,” said Mike Thomas, President of IS&GS-Intelligence. “Meeting that challenge starts with a mature and disciplined set of processes that help us manage all of the moving pieces in a major system development program. This rating demonstrates not only that we have the right processes in place, but also that we are continuously working to improve and innovate our processes to meet new and evolving challenges.”

CMMI-DEV is a process improvement maturity model for the development of products and services. It consists of best practices that address development and maintenance activities that cover the product lifecycle from conception through delivery and maintenance. CMMI is managed by the Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute, which is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.

IS&GS-Intelligence designs and integrates the complex, global systems that help its customers gather, analyze and securely distribute critical intelligence data. The organization also provides highly skilled professionals who deliver a wide range of support to government agencies, from mission and analytical specialists to IT and operational support staff.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Awarded Contracts to Continue Training for U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard F-16 Pilots


Orlando, FL, July 9th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) was awarded the Weapons System Support Contract (WSSC) by the U.S. Air Force’s Air Education Training Command (AETC) and the Weapons Systems Simulator Training & Support Contract by the Air National Guard Bureau to provide pilot training for the F-16. The contracts for $13 million and $20 million, respectively, provide support services for multiple versions of the F-16 covering academic instruction and assessment, courseware development, simulator and training device instruction and training management support.

“Lockheed Martin has supported the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard training program since 2002, training approximately 500 students a year,” said Jim Weitzel, vice president of flight solutions for Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support. “We will continue our commitment to deliver the best training available today and will work with our customers to reinvent how we prepare their students for challenges they may face tomorrow.”

Lockheed Martin provides pilot training and support at Luke Air Force Base and Tucson Air National Guard Base in Arizona, Springfield Air National Guard Base, Ohio, and Lackland Air Force Base and Kelly Air Force Base Annex in Texas.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard and many allied nations.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

18th Air Force Commander C-130J Delivery Continues U.S. Air Force Build-Up Of Super Hercules Fleet


MARIETTA, Ga., July 8th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] yesterday delivered the 14th of 16 C 130J Super Hercules to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. The aircraft will be assigned to the 41st Airlift Squadron, the first active-duty combat C-130J squadron in the U.S. Air Force. This latest C-130J Super Hercules was accepted by Major General Winfield W. Scott III, Commander 18th Air Force, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

"After we deliver this aircraft to Little Rock, this C-130J could be flying a combat mission within the week, if so tasked. That’s a testament to the employees who build this aircraft and the quality of the aircraft," Scott said. "The C-130J is a great aircraft, the capabilities of which we are just beginning to touch on. It’s not only the capability that the J brings, but it’s also its increased sustainability. With the J, the maintenance crews have to work less; we can turn it around quicker and fly it harder."

C-130Js from the 41st Airlift Squadron "Black Cats" are engaged in high-tempo operations in multiple combat theaters. In the last two years, the 41st has already carried 56,000 passengers, 3,500 tons of cargo and flown 2,600 combat sorties over 4,000 flight hours. Since the Air Force started operating the C-130J in 2000, it has flown 40,000 sorties and about 87,000 flying hours.

The C-130J is a proven airlifter that has been selected by 11 countries. As of March 2009 263 C 130Js have been ordered and 174 have been delivered. The C-130J is a flexible, multimission aircraft that is available in varied configurations to meet a wide-range of operational needs.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Receives $60 Million Worldwide LANTIRN Depot Award


ORLANDO, FL, July 8th, 2009 -- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a five-year, $60 million contract to continue depot maintenance support for LANTIRN navigation and targeting pods at the Lockheed Martin Warner Robins Worldwide Depot. The depot supports repairs on LANTIRN pods for both U.S. Air Force and foreign military sales customers.

LANTIRN navigation and targeting pods provide aviators with enhanced range, resolution and reliability. Under provisions of the contract, Lockheed Martin will continue to operate the government-owned Worldwide Depot at Warner Robins Air Force Base, GA, through 2014.

"Lockheed Martin is proud of its 11-year partnership with the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center to keep LANTIRN pods available and battle-ready," said David Ragsdale, LANTIRN product support manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Our depot employees and U.S. Air Force team provide quick-turn repairs on LANTIRN assets with a commitment to quality. We "proud to be given the opportunity to continue this support."

The Worldwide Depot is located alongside the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, strengthening a close partnership that has been a key factor in achieving LANTIRN fully-mission capable rates exceeding 90 percent.

"The renewal of this contract represents much more than the renewal of the successful public-private partnership between the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin," said Marty Hutchinson, Air Force Precision Attack System program director at Warner Robins AFB. "It represents the continuation of our joint commitment to meeting the worldwide mission needs of LANTIRN Warfighters by providing them timely and highly effective LANTIRN support."

LANTIRN Extended Range (ER), an upgraded version of the highly successful LANTIRN, allows aircrews to operate in daylight or darkness, at mission altitudes from sea level to 40,000 feet, all with outstanding targeting performance. LANTIRN ER is offered as a newly fabricated pod, or as an upgrade to existing pods. The LANTIRN ER targeting pod is deployed and combat-proven on the U.S. Navy S-3B, and is integrated and tested on the P-3.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Aerospace United States

Lockheed Martin EQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar System

Lockheed Martin Photo

U.S. Army Receives First Lockheed Martin EQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar System

EQ-36 Radar Delivered After Live-fire Testing at Yuma Proving Ground


SYRACUSE, NY, July 7th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has delivered the first Non-Recurring Engineering Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition (EQ-36) Radar System to the U.S. Army.

The EQ-36 radar’s delivery on July 2 followed its successful live-fire performance testing against indirect fire from mortars, artillery and rockets from a simulated enemy. The series of tests, held this spring at the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, included engineering, contractor and government acceptance testing.

The on-time delivery of the first operational EQ-36 system was just 30 months after the Army's Program Executive Office – Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors awarded Lockheed Martin a $120 million design and development contract for five systems. EQ-36 radar systems will replace the aging TPQ-36 and TPQ-37 medium-range radars now in the Army’s inventory.

“We’ve listened carefully to the U.S. Army and understand the urgent need to field EQ-36 to protect soldiers currently in the theater,” said Carl Bannar, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Radar Systems business. “We’re very proud to deliver this first operational EQ-36 system to our customer on schedule.”

To accelerate the fielding of the EQ-36 radar, the U.S. Army in June 2008 exercised contract options with Lockheed Martin for 12 additional systems, which will include enhanced performance capabilities. Further, to support the war fighter, delivery of all 12 systems has been accelerated. With production for both orders now running in parallel, the remaining EQ-36 systems will be delivered by fall 2010.

In October 2007, the EQ-36 program completed a successful Preliminary Design Review and in March 2008, the program successfully completed its Critical Design Review.

In November and December 2007, a prototype EQ-36 radar, built by industry partner SRC, was tested against mortars and rockets at Yuma Proving Ground. During the tests, which were specifically designed to evaluate the radar’s ability to meet U.S. Army requirements, the EQ-36 prototype successfully located the firing positions of both rocket and mortar launchers. Live fire testing was conducted over a seven-day period without a single false alarm.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Delivers 1,000th Vertical Launch ASROC Missile


Akron, OH, July 6th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] recently marked the production and delivery of the 1,000th Vertical Launch ASROC (VLA) missile during a ceremony at the company’s Akron, OH, facility. The milestone VLA missile is part of a contract for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.

The world’s only urgent attack operational antisubmarine warfare (ASW) weapon for surface combatants, VLA missiles provide vessels with the capability to attack submarines beyond the submarine’s attack range, even in adverse weather conditions. Lockheed Martin supplies VLA missiles to the U.S. Navy as well as the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force through a combination of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and direct commercial sales.

“The VLA missile has proven to be a very robust weapon,” said Capt. Tom Wears, U.S. Navy program manager. “This weapon will be a critical component of the U.S. Navy’s inventory for many years.”

“This milestone demonstrates the longstanding teamwork and commitment from the VLA Program Team to our customers and to the warfighter,” said Rick Perez, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Defense Systems market segment.

“We are pleased that the VLA missile is the primary ASW weapon for Japan’s newest surface combatant ships,” said Naoji Tomita, vice president and general manager, Mitsubishi International Corporation. Mitsubishi is Lockheed Martin’s trading partner for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.

Development of the VLA missile began in 1984 and production units have been delivered to the U.S. and allied navies since 1992.

To provide defense against existing and future ASW threats, Lockheed Martin is currently extending the range of the VLA. This new missile, the VLA Extended Range (VLA-ER), will provide four to five times more range by adding a wing glide kit to the existing system. VLA-ER reuses nearly 90 percent of the existing VLA and includes a common configuration allowing both ship and air launch.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Delivers 1,000th Vertical Launch ASROC Missile


Akron, OH, July 6th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] recently marked the production and delivery of the 1,000th Vertical Launch ASROC (VLA) missile during a ceremony at the company’s Akron, OH, facility. The milestone VLA missile is part of a contract for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.

The world’s only urgent attack operational antisubmarine warfare (ASW) weapon for surface combatants, VLA missiles provide vessels with the capability to attack submarines beyond the submarine’s attack range, even in adverse weather conditions. Lockheed Martin supplies VLA missiles to the U.S. Navy as well as the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force through a combination of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and direct commercial sales.

“The VLA missile has proven to be a very robust weapon,” said Capt. Tom Wears, U.S. Navy program manager. “This weapon will be a critical component of the U.S. Navy’s inventory for many years.”

“This milestone demonstrates the longstanding teamwork and commitment from the VLA Program Team to our customers and to the warfighter,” said Rick Perez, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Defense Systems market segment.

“We are pleased that the VLA missile is the primary ASW weapon for Japan’s newest surface combatant ships,” said Naoji Tomita, vice president and general manager, Mitsubishi International Corporation. Mitsubishi is Lockheed Martin’s trading partner for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.

Development of the VLA missile began in 1984 and production units have been delivered to the U.S. and allied navies since 1992.

To provide defense against existing and future ASW threats, Lockheed Martin is currently extending the range of the VLA. This new missile, the VLA Extended Range (VLA-ER), will provide four to five times more range by adding a wing glide kit to the existing system. VLA-ER reuses nearly 90 percent of the existing VLA and includes a common configuration allowing both ship and air launch.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Wins Role on U.S. Air Force's Europe Advisory and Assistance Contract


Greenbelt, M.d., July 6th, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] has been selected to compete for future task orders under the U.S. Air Forces Europe Advisory and Assistance Services contract.

The Corporation is one of two awardees for this indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. The contract has a one-year base and four one-year option periods, and a Lockheed Martin ceiling of $375 million.

"We are excited about the opportunity to support the Air Force’s mission in Europe,” said Lockheed Martin IS&GS-Defense President, John Mengucci. “I am confident that we will be able to provide USAFE with a cost effective program and a full range of management solutions."

The contract gives USAFE flexibility to obtain engineering and technical services, and management and professional support for operations in England, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Africa. Lockheed Martin’s teammates include CIBER, Inc. of Greenwood Village, Colo.; TEAM Integrated Engineering, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas; and MacAulay Brown, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio.

USAFE, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is a major command of the U.S. Air Force. It is also the air component of the U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command. USAFE directs air operations in a theater spanning three continents and covering more than eight million square miles.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

TERRORISM TAKEDOWN

Seven Charged in North Carolina

07/27/09


The operation was dubbed "Triangle Terror Takedown" as a geographic reference to the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill areas of North Carolina.


FBI agents this morning arrested a group of homegrown terrorists in North Carolina who were heavily armed, organized, and making plans to wage jihad overseas.

The seven men arrested—including a father and his two sons—were charged with providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure people overseas.

The father, Daniel Patrick Boyd, once fought in Afghanistan and trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan. All of the defendants are North Carolina residents, and all but one are U.S. citizens.

“The threat that terrorists and extremists pose to America and our allies has not dulled or gone away,” said Owen D. Harris, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Charlotte Division. “These arrests today show there are people living among us, in our communities in North Carolina and around the U.S., that are honing their skills to carry out acts of murder and mayhem.”

The seven-count indictment details a conspiracy that began in earnest in 2006 and continued until shortly before today’s arrests. The defendants trained in the U.S. for battle and were willing to die as martyrs. They raised money to support their training and in some cases recruited and radicalized others to further their cause overseas. In one case, Daniel Patrick Boyd traveled in March 2006 with one of his sons to Gaza to introduce him to individuals who believed violent jihad was a religious obligation. A year later, Boyd and several of the defendants went to Israel to wage jihad but returned without success.

The defendants, as well as some of the additional charges they face, are:


Daniel Patrick Boyd: The 39-year-old Boyd faces charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime, receiving a firearm through interstate commerce, and also selling a firearm to a felon.

Dylan Boyd: One of Daniel Boyd’s sons, Dylan, 22, is also charged with selling a firearm—a 9mm Beretta handgun—to a felon.

Zakariya Boyd: Also a son of Daniel Boyd, Zakariya, 20, is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime.

Hysen Sherifi: The 24-year-old Kosovo native is a legal U.S. resident. As part of the conspiracy, the indictment alleges he traveled to Kosovo in July 2008 to engage in violent jihad, then returned in April to raise support for the mujahedeen. Sherifi allegedly supplied $500 to help fund Daniel Boyd’s overseas efforts.

Anes Subasic: The 33-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen discussed preparations with Daniel Boyd to send two people overseas.

Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan: A 22-year-old U.S. citizen.

Ziyad Yaghi: The 21-year-old U.S. citizen traveled to Jordan in October 2006 to engage in violent jihad.


The indictment details the arsenal the defendants built up over several years, including handguns, assault rifles, and a Bushmaster M4A3 that Daniel Boyd allegedly received illegally in 2006. Over the past two months, the defendants practiced with the weapons and developed their military tactics on private property in rural Caswell County.

The Raleigh Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI Charlotte Division led the multi-year, multi-agency investigation, dubbed “Triangle Terror Takedown” in reference to the state’s research triangle, along with the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

“We will remain vigilant, so must the public,” Special Agent in Charge Harris said. “If you see or hear something, act. Call your local police department or the FBI.”

It's here! WhiteKnightTwo arrives

By James Wynbrandt, EAA AirVenture Today


July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - WhiteKnightTwo (WK2), aka mother ship Eve, the launch vehicle for the first system designed to take civilian travelers beyond the earth's atmosphere, made a triumphant arrival at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 at 2:46 p.m. for its world public debut.

Eve did a fly-by at about 2:38 p.m., in the sky the same time as the Ford Tri-Motor. Then it left the immediate area so a Thunderbird F-16 could take off and do a fly-by before it departed for Nellis Air Force Base. Moments later, Elvis, an Erickson S-64F Aircrane Helitanker, arrived and did a water drop demonstration.

Eve did not do any fly-bys before landing and stopping at AeroShell Square where it will now be towed onto the ramp.

The largest all-composite aircraft ever built, WK2 was developed by Mojave, California-based Scaled Composites, the company founded by Burt Rutan, in partnership with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

"This will be a major highlight of our event," said EAA President and AirVenture Chairman Tom Poberezny, before WK2's arrival. "Since the appearance of the X-Prize-winning WhiteKnight and SpaceShipOne at AirVenture four years ago, our members have eagerly awaited the next advancements from the Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites innovators."

Rutan, Scaled's chairman emeritus, credits the EAA fly-in with encouraging him to develop the space launch system.

"To get the kind of feedback we get here at Oshkosh was one of the ingredients that was important for me in making the decision that maybe I can build a spaceship," Rutan said. "Because without that interface, I wouldn't have had that strong feeling that this was something the masses really want to do. So my interface with Oshkosh dating back to 1971 was real important for me in having the courage to say, 'Listen, I can do this, and I'm going to go for it.'"

WK2 will be on display at AeroShell Square until its departure on Saturday.

Elvis has arrived!

By Kelly Nelson, EAA AirVenture Today


July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - The Erickson S-64F Aircrane Helitanker, dubbed Elvis, arrived at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 at 2:36 p.m. today, and did a firebombing demonstration to the delight of the crowds who had gathered on the flightline.

The arrival marked the first time this unique helicopter has visited Oshkosh. Elvis will be on AeroShell Square all week, and is scheduled to perform several water drop demonstrations before its departure Sunday.

The heavy-duty, twin-engined rotorcraft is noted as one of the best aerial firefighting platforms available. Elvis gained notoriety for its performance during the Australian bushfires in 2000-2001 when it helped save more than 1,500 homes.

The helicopter's tank holds 2,650 gallons of water or retardant and, according to a U.S. Forest Service study, is the most economical firefighting platform on a price-per-gallon basis.

Electric Ultralight

By Mary Jones, EAA AirVenture Today


July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - The Yuneec/Flightstar e-Spyder is on display in the Ultralight/Lightplane area in the Flightstar exhibit, and has been the object of much attention.

The Part 103 compliant machine is powered by a Yuneec Power Drive 200 motor that develops 20 kilowatts (approximately 27 hp). The e-Spyder airframe is an updated Flighstar Spyder, featuring aircraft grade aluminum, carbon fiber, and thinner-walled chromoly steel to keep the airframe light.

The e-Spyder has a 30-foot wingspan, a gross weight of 253 pounds, cruises at 50 mph, and stalls at 24 mph.

The first test flights were made in mid-July, and Tom Peghiny, president of Flightstar, described it as the "best flying Flightstar I've flown."

For more information, visit www.Fly-Flightstar.com.

Luck + Preparation = Safety

By Barbara A. Schmitz, EAA AirVenture Today


July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Look up "mentor" in the dictionary and it reads "a wise and trusted teacher." But to those starting to fly aerobatics, a better definition likely is Sean Tucker and The Collaborators.

With 23,000 hours in the air, Tucker is lead pilot of the four-plane aerobatic team, The Collaborators, as well as president of the Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety in California. The school offers training in aerobatic proficiency, pilot awareness, formation flight, and advanced flight training. Besides Tucker, the instructors include fellow Collaborator pilots Bill Stein, Ben Freelove, and Tucker's son, Eric.

Despite flying air shows since the mid-1970s, Tucker says he continually learns from his mistakes, as well as from the many mentors he's had, including the French Connection, Leo Loudenslager, Charlie Hillard, and others.

"I offer the Academy as a way to pay back (those mentors)," he said. "It really isn't a huge financial success, but it is a great place to share the magic of flying, to make people who are already good pilots go beyond their own personal envelope."

The instructors formed Collaborators so that they, too, could push their personal envelopes and become better pilots and instructors, he said. The group flies 6 shows a year, with EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 being their third event this season. They will be performing in the afternoon air show from July 29-August 1.

Tucker isn't new to mentoring. In 2003, he also helped to create a mentor program called Stars of Tomorrow. The program was meant to help young aerobatic pilots break into the air show circuit and do it safely. And while the program had much success, it has also had sadness when two former Stars died in plane crashes, one recently.

Nick Nilmeyer died in 2006 in a practice flight, while Chandy Clanton died earlier this month, also in a practice flight. Clanton was scheduled to fly in the Friday air show at AirVenture.

Tucker said those deaths were particularly hard on him.

"It not only breaks my heart, but it makes me not want to be a mentor," Tucker said. "Right now I'm mentoring some other fabulous young people and I want to make sure they don't make the mistakes I, or others, have made. I keep doing it because I know those kids would still be out there flying aerobatics anyway, and they need help..."

He acknowledged that flying formation is dangerous. "But if you precisely train and communicate, it can be safe," he stressed.

But that doesn't mean Tucker hasn't had any frightening moments in the air. The latest moment occurred on Sunday while the team was performing at the Milwaukee Air and Water Show.

"I was performing with the Collaborators during the solo portion of the act when my oil line ruptured," Tucker said. The rupture caused oil to spew all over his airplane, instead of going into his engine.

"By the time I was able to get to the Milwaukee International Airport, my engine was out of oil," he said. Tucker was able to safely land after declaring an emergency and having planes moved out of the way. He said he will need a new engine before he can perform in Oshkosh.

An engine is being shipped and Tucker said The Collaborators should be able to perform as scheduled on Wednesday.

POP…goes the question

By Barb Schmitz, EAA AirVenture Today


July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - For decades, volunteers from Protect our Planes (POP) have helped assure that the public keeps their hands off, and only their eyes on, the thousands of planes that converge each year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
But in 2009, the group officially has another duty: providing directions and guidance as they roam the grounds and at the 50-foot wayfinding towers in the Warbirds, Homebuilders, Vintage/Showplanes, and Ultralight/Lightplane areas.

You'll know them by their blue vests.

Judy Knight, of Cameron Park, California, and co-chairman in Vintage/Showplanes, said their new role is an extension of what they're done in years gone by. "In the past, people would see our vests and stop and ask us questions," she said. "This is a natural step for us to become a source of information."

Most of the questions she's received so far have centered about WiFi availability, the location of the toilets-particularly the flush toilets-and the highlights and schedule of the day.

And while she can't always answer every question every day, she knows where to look. "Plus I take the map everywhere I go."

Don Abner of Bemidji, Michigan, does the same thing.

Although this is only his third year volunteering with POP, it's his 29th convention. Abner and his grandson, Cole, 16, of Kerkhoven, Minnesota, were volunteering Monday in the homebuilt area, carrying a map and issue of EAA AirVenture Today, which includes the daily schedule.

Abner said most of the questions they have gotten centered on where things are. And with the revamped grounds, that wasn't surprising.

As they walk around and answer questions, Abner said they also watch out to make sure all the visitors respect the planes.

"Last year I had a woman changing a diaper on the wing of an airplane," he said. Plus, they occasionally have to stop people from standing on someone else's plane so they can see a particular plane land, he said.

While there are nearly 200 people signed up to volunteer for the POP corps, Knight said they still need more since volunteers roam the grounds about 12 hours each day. All you have to do is show up at the POP office by the B lot near the main entrance and say you want to help.

Garmin announces G500, G3X


By George Wilhelmsen, EAA AirVenture Today

New lower cost alternative to G600, improvements to G3X series.

July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Garmin announced several new products at a press conference today at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009, but the one that was the most unexpected was a lower-cost version of the G600 display, dubbed the G500.

The new G500, which will cost $15,995, is designed to fill the role of a primary flight display (PFD) and multi-function display (MFD) for single- and twin-engine Class 1 and 2 aircraft that weigh less than 6,000 pounds. The new G500 has the same fit and form as the G600, and even shares the same display, but it offers options for the inclusion of Synthetic Vision, the new GAD 43 autopilot interface, and the Garmin weather radar interface.

Garmin also announced a new application or "app" for the popular Apple iPhone, which sells for $99.95 per year and provides Pilot MyCast weather on the iPhone. The weather products include NEXRAD loops, METARs, TAFs, weather maps, satellite loops, lightning maps, AOPA airport directory information, and NOTAMs, and also provides for flight planning and flight plan filing. The new application is expected to be available in September 2009.

Further support of the G3X series was included with the release of the GSU 73. The new device supports the G3X with an attitude heading reference system (AHRS), an air data computer, an engine instrument system that works with most popular light sport and experimental aircraft, and an ARINC 429 interface to support autopilots. The new unit also has a magnetometer and temperature probe, to allow it to provide all the required information. The effect of this unit, when combined with the optional engine probes, is to turn the G3X series into a small version of the G1000 display.

For more information, visit www.Garmin.com.

Tecnam introduces twin-engine P2006T

By Mary Jones, EAA AirVenture Today


July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Tecnam Aircraft introduced its newest aircraft - the twin-engine P2006T - to the U.S. market today on AeroShell Square.

The P2006T is a high-wing, four-seat, light twin-engine airplane with retractable landing gear, full feathering constant speed propellers, and an optional all glass avionics cockpit. Powered by FAR 33 certified Rotax 912S engines, the aircraft can operate on auto fuel and has a fuel burn at cruise of 10 gph.

Lynne Bermingham of Tecnam Aircraft (Marietta, Georgia), the U.S. distributor for the parent Italian company, said Tecnam believes the P2006T will energize the flight training market. "This airplane is economical to fly and economical to maintain. It's all aluminum to make maintenance easier. And, its single-engine performance characteristics are significant."

The aircraft has been flying in the European marketplace for the past year, and Bermingham said Tecnam will be ready to make U.S. deliveries in six to eight months. Price ranges from just over $400,000 for an analog panel to $500,000 for an all-glass Garmin suite.

You can see the P2006T fly at about 3 p.m. today, following the arrival of WhiteKnightTwo.

For more information, visit http://www.tecnamaircraft.com/Tecnam_P2006T.htm.

ICON's amphibian makes in-flight debut at Oshkosh


By Peter Lert, EAA AirVenture Today

July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - ICON Aircraft's A5 amphibian light-sport aircraft (LSA)-which was first announced, and a non-flying mock-up displayed, at AirVenture 2008-made its Oshkosh in-flight debut this morning with an impressive series of passes flown by test pilot and project engineer Jon Karkow.

Although the prototype has been flying extensively from water in California during the past year, today's demo marked its first public appearance flying from land. Landing gear retraction and extension tests have been successful, but the gear was left extended during the demo due to a temporary limit switch issue.

After the flight, the airplane was taxied to AeroShell Square, where EAA President Tom Poberezny introduced ICON founder and CEO Kirk Hawkins. Poberezny noted that the LSA movement "is what EAA is all about" and said it represents a significant direction in aviation's future.

Hawkins said the A5 is many months into its flight-test program; aerodynamic and hydrodynamic testing are essentially complete, with tests of the landing gear and terrestrial operations well underway. Some 400 orders have been received, about a third of them from non- or first-time pilots.

He added that, as an LSA, the A5 isn't designed only to meet specific speed, range, or other performance points, but rather to offer its pilot and passenger a visceral experience of flight and a new way to interact with the air, with the water when the aircraft is operated as an amphibian, and with the world around us. After years of experience flying everything from bushplanes to jet fighters to airline 767s, Hawkins said his most rewarding experiences have still come from flying "low and slow with the windows open." He also noted that with its large single-piece windshield and a pilot position well forward of the wing and pusher engine, the visibility is on par with that of the F-16s he flew in the Air Force.

ICON Aircraft's displays are at spaces 162-164 and 180-182. The prototype will be on display at AirVenture through Thursday, and will operate from the EAA Seaplane Base on Friday.

Predator pioneers a path to AirVenture 2009


By Frederick A. Johnsen, EAA AirVenture Today

July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - With no one on board flying, an exciting aircraft landed at Wittman Field for AirVenture 2009—the stealthy, gray Predator B remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft.

That landing established another first for AirVenture: it’s the first time a civilian airfield has hosted an aircraft like the Predator B. The event came about only after eight months of negotiating and collaborating between the aircraft’s operators and the FAA.

Predator B aircraft became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency following their successes with the U.S. military in overseas antiterrorism campaigns.

Home for this Predator B is Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.

Thomas Griffin, operations manager for the border-patrolling Predator program, said a certificate of authorization (COA) to fly a Predator to Oshkosh was turned down by the FAA in 2008 – an outcome that may have had something to do with proposed dates of operations, he said. This year he began negotiating a COA for visiting AirVenture 2009 in January and a key to his success this year was the proposed operating window.

The Predator flew in to Oshkosh July 21 and won’t depart until August 5, well outside the footprint of most air-show traffic.

The Predator B launched this mission from Grand Forks with takeoff controlled by a ground-based pilot in North Dakota using a C-band link, a line-of-sight communications band. At altitude control switched to K-band satellite communications, and then returned to C-band so the Predator could be landed by a different pilot in a ground control station parked on Wittman Field for this special mission.

For this special cross-country sortie, the Predator was accompanied by a piloted CBP Cessna Citation as part of its COA requirements, Griffin said. That had to do with the Predator’s flight outside of its normal operating area and its landing at a civilian airfield.

The CBP Citation was required to stay no more than one mile laterally and 100 feet vertically off the Predator, explained John Priddy, deputy director of the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) Operations Center in North Dakota.

Another factor in Predator’s presence at Oshkosh this year is the growing base of experience between CBP’s UAS operators and the FAA, Griffin explained.

Since inaugurating operations in North Dakota along the northern tier of the United States, the Predators have been encountered repeatedly by the FAA’s Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTC) controllers as the gray reconnaissance aircraft follow a strictly-defined climb corridor to an operating box in Category A airspace—above 18,000 feet—along the U.S. border with Canada.

And that’s a point Griffin and Priddy emphasized repeatedly—as UAS aircraft gain more hang time in the U.S. airspace system, their successes will continue to validate their expanded use.

“It’s a real partnership for us and the FAA,” Priddy explained. “We couldn’t do it without them.

” Progress is evident in the few short years UAS vehicles have flown in American skies. When Predators operate in their assigned southern and northern tier patrol boxes, they now fly using a yearlong COA that does not require renegotiation before each mission. These COAs still require the aircraft to avoid overflying populated areas, Griffin noted.

Various users and advocates of UAS keep working together with the FAA, with the goal of making the arrival of UAS aircraft at Oshkosh unremarkable in the future. But even then, don’t expect to see Customs and Border Protection Predators at many air shows.

“We have work to do,” Griffin explained.

See comedy sensation Jeff Dunham Saturday


EAA AirVenture Today

July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - A record crowd estimated at 10,000 people turned out to see comedian and homebuilder Jeff Dunham perform at AirVenture last year courtesy of RotorWay International, and he’ll return for another show on Saturday evening, August 1, thanks again to RotorWay.

Thousands of comedy fans have enjoyed Dunham’s performances in concert, plus tens of millions more have laughed through his DVD, online, and television appearances. But in Oshkosh, Dunham will be performing among kindred spirits—an audience of aviation enthusiasts

DVDs of Dunham’s performances have sold more than two million copies in little more than three years, and most of his national tour dates have sold out well in advance. His video clips on YouTube have drawn an estimated 100 million views worldwide, and no less an authority than former Tonight Show host Jay Leno has called Dunham “the best there is.” In late 2008, Dunham’s Christmas special was a huge hit on Comedy Central. He had previewed some of that material for last year’s AirVenture audience.

“As we all discovered in 2008, Jeff Dunham’s comedy and his own aviation interest are a perfect fit for the thousands of flying enthusiasts at EAA AirVenture,” said Grant Norwitz, chief executive officer of RotorWay International. “Jeff has long been a member of the RotorWay builders’ family, and he was eager to get back to Oshkosh in 2009. We’re proud to bring him and his colorful cast of characters such as Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and others back to ‘aviation’s family reunion’ at Oshkosh this year!”

Dick Rutan to receive key to city


By Barbara A. Schmitz, EAA AirVenture Today

July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Some people believe that success is the key to happiness; Dick Rutan believes the opposite is so, that happiness is the key to success. And he should be happy tonight, when he receives one more key that symbolizes his success and happiness.

Oshkosh Mayor Paul Esslinger will present Rutan “The Key to the City” at 8 p.m. at Theater in the Woods. The award was created by EAA and the city of Oshkosh in 2002 to honor distinguished personalities for contributions to the promotion and support of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and the aviation community.

Rutan has been synonymous with aviation, EAA, and AirVenture since the beginning. He received his solo pilot’s certificate and driver’s license on his 16th birthday and at 19, he joined the Air Force Aviation Cadet Program.

As a Tactical Air Command fighter pilot during most of his two decades in the Air Force, Rutan flew 325 combat missions in Vietnam, 105 of them as a member of a high-risk classified operation commonly known as MISTY. Lt. Col. Rutan received the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals and the Purple Heart.

After the Air Force, Dick joined his brother, Burt, as production manager and chief test pilot for Rutan Aircraft Factory. Rutan flew test flights of many types of experimental aircraft, both military and civilian. In addition, he set numerous world speed and distance records in his Long-EZ, a popular Rutan designed homebuilt airplane.

In 1981, he left the Rutan Aircraft Factory and founded Voyager Aircraft to complete the first world flight. In 1986 he achieved his goal, flying Voyager non-stop with Jeanna Yeager around the world in nine days, three minutes and 44 seconds—without refueling. Four days later, President Ronald Reagan awarded him the Citizen’s Medal of Honor.

In 1997, Rutan completed The Spirit of EAA Friendship World Tour, along with flight lead Mike Melvill. This “Around The World In 80 Nights” flight was completed in two small experimental Long- EZ aircraft that the two men built side by side two decades ago.

Rutan set another record in 2005 when he flew the EZ-Rocket for the longest distance in a ground launched rocket-powered aircraft. He flew from the Mojave Spaceport to the California City Airport, and the National Aeronautics Association recognized the flight.

Rutan has several appearances scheduled throughout the fly-in convention. Check www.airventure.org/schedule/ or EAA AirVenture Today to find out where and when he will be speaking.

Aerospace United States

The Airbus A380 makes its first visit to EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The A380 is seen here with the RAF Red Arrows at the Farnborough Air Show in England.

P. Masclet / Airbus Photo

Just a sampling of aircraft you’ll see no place else


EAA AirVenture Today

July 27, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Every year Oshkosh can claim to have the most diverse and unmatched collection of aircraft on the planet. This year is no exception, so let’s take a peek at what’s in store for the week.

Virgin Galactic mother ship (VMS) Eve (July 27-August 1): Born as WhiteKnightTwo, VMS Eve is the next generation of civilian space carrier vehicles.

Airbus A380 (July 28-31): The world’s largest passenger airliner, which will also be open for public tours during its stay in Oshkosh.

Erickson S-64F Air-Crane Helitanker Elvis (all week): A heavy-duty, twinengine firefighting helicopter that will make aerial demonstrations.

1934 Klemm mission aircraft and Comper Swift (all week): Shipped from Australia, these airplanes are associated with the Fly for Life public-benefit aviation program.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Predator B (all week): Unmanned aerial platform technology on display at the Federal Pavilion.

U.S. Air Force C-5M (July 31-August 2): The newest upgrade of the USAF’s huge cargo aircraft.

Avro Lancaster bomber (July 27-31): World War II bomber in Oshkosh to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada.

Silver Dart replica (all week): A faithful re-creation of the aircraft that made the first flight in Canada back in 1909.

1909 Wright B Flyer replica (all week): A flying example of the Wright brothers’ second-generation aircraft, direct from Dayton, Ohio.

U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 (July 26-27): A brief stay at Oshkosh for one of the famous performers.

Lockheed P-38 Ruff Stuff (all week): A rare flying example of the World War II aircraft that changed the tide of the war in the Pacific theater.

Japanese Zero: Vintage warbird rarely seen in the United States.

1932 Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro (all week): The world’s only flying example of this forerunner of the modern helicopter.

Electric aircraft/flying cars: The latest technologies from a variety of companies showcasing what’s ahead.

Grimes Flying Lab: One-of-a-kind airplane that played a key role in aircraft lighting development.

Aircraft type anniversaries celebrated this year include the 80th for the Pietenpol Air Camper, 60th for the T-28 warbirds military trainer, and the 50th for the Cessna 150/152.

Sonex unveils new single place jet

By James Wynbrandt, EAA AirVenture Today


July 26, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Kit aircraft manufacturer Sonex unveiled a surprise at the open house at its Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) headquarters on Sunday: A single-place jet.
"We call it Sub-Sonex," said John Monnett, Sonex Aircraft founder, owner, and president. "The genre is entirely different from anything we've done so far. The idea is to have a kit jet that's well under $50,000."

The single-place jet weighs 330 pounds and has a 750 pound gross weight. The engine, a modified version of a turbine used to power RC (radio controlled) aircraft, will generate 170 to 200 pounds of thrust. The aircraft has the boxy look of the rest of the Sonex line, the small engine positioned atop the fuselage just forward of the V-tail empennage.

"How fast will it go?" someone from the crowd of 100-plus people on hand for the open house asked.

"How fast do you think?" Monnett fired back.

"Two-hundred," someone said.

"If it was only 200, why would I bother building a jet?" Monnett said, laughing in response.

The projected numbers, Monnett said, are for a cruise of about 250 mph and a VNE (never exceed speed) of 300 mph. The aircraft has not flown nor has the engine been fired up as of yet.

"It just needs programming on our ECU (Engine Control Unit) and completing all the ground engine tests," Monnett said, emphasizing that the Sub-Sonex is "not something you're going to be flying from here to California. It's just a sport airplane."

The concept aircraft features simple construction, and with a 32-gallon tank, has about one hour of endurance, and "enough fuel to have some fun," Monnett said.

The aircraft will be on display at the Sonex booth, No. 622, during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009.

EAA AirVenture 2009: Change in the air and everywhere

By Dave Higdon, EAA AirVenture Today


July 26, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Change, the only constant, has really landed at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009, something veterans will notice upon arrival and newcomers will learn about from the old-timers.
From the removal of the landmark tower, to the relocation of some buildings, to the installation of new pathways and pylons, the differences share a major element: they result from EAA’s long-range planning to improve the AirVenture experience.

Among the changes to be celebrated are the dedications Monday of a new main entrance design and a renewal of the Brown Arch that marks the entry from the flightline.

Change has been an element of EAA’s annual convention since its second gathering in Milwaukee back in 1954, through its move to Rockford, Illinois, a few years later, and the 1970 move that brought the fly-in to Oshkosh.

But AirVenture boasts significant constants: the unchanging dedication of the EAA membership and the pilots and volunteers who flock to Oshkosh out of a shared love of aviation and to reunite with old friends while making new ones.

This family reunites to share those special moments of each year that live on in their memories. AirVenture 2009 will witness a celebration of a century of Canadian aviation, with appearances expected by a vintage Lancaster bomber; a Westland Lysander and a Hawker Hurricane, one of the designs that helped win the Battle of Britain in 1940; and the diminutive DHC-1 Chipmunk, a trainer still in use decades after its introduction by de Havilland Canada.

Reunions are another constant at AirVenture beyond the personal level, and this year offers some special ones: a gathering of passengers who flew to Oshkosh on the Concorde supersonic airliner, a collection of Pietenpol Air Campers in celebration of its 80th anniversary, and another to commemorate the milestone of 60 years for the T-28, an early mainstay of the U.S. Air Force.

Resurrection is also a recurring element at AirVenture, this year bringing the return of the Commemorative Air Force’s Red Tail Project, a rare P-51C dubbed Tuskegee Airmen. This Red Tail Mustang returns to AirVenture following a five-year rebuild undertaken after it was badly damaged in an unfortunate accident.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is also about firsts, and this year it offers excellent variety with the first visit of Airbus Industries’ massive A380 airliner and the first public appearance of WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve, the launch platform for Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle.

Firsts in personal aircraft also abound at AirVenture, with the first public appearances expected for the Terrafugia Transition, a roadable aircraft; Cessna’s new SkyCatcher light-sport aircraft (LSA); the ICON amphibious LSA; and inaugural appearances by a collection of LSA-category machines powered by electricity instead of aviation fuels.

From new personal airplanes to very light jets, a celebration of business aviation, advances in homebuilt aircraft, and innovations in aircraft avionics, EAA AirVenture arguably offers the widest selection of aviation options of any event in the world.

Ranging across the grounds from Pioneer Airport and the EAA AirVenture Museum’s new Founders’ Wing to KidVenture, to the hundreds of free forums and craft workshops, to music concerts and nightly movies in Camp Scholler and the variety of evening programs in the Theater in the Woods, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 provides its fans with a choice of activities unparalleled in aviation.

The flying action that draws so many to attend ranges from the passing parade of planes arriving by the thousands to the daily afternoon air show filled with the world’s finest air show performers and aerobatic aces performing aerial maneuvers of skill.

Group arrivals kick off AirVenture


By James Wynbrandt, EAA AirVenture Today

July 26, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Bonanzas and Cessnas arrived en mass on Sunday at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 in their annual group formation flights. The 137 Bonanzas comprised the largest group in 20 years of Bonanzas to Oshkosh formations. The Cessnas 2 Oshkosh group included 43 aircraft ranging from C-172s to a C-310 twin in their fourth group flight to AirVenture. Beating the rush, on Saturday, 21 Cessna 150/152s arrived together to mark the 50th anniversary of the beloved Cessna trainer. Pilots in each group camp together and enjoy a full schedule of activities throughout the week, including building their campsites. Elliot Schippman and Barry Otto erected their tent after arriving with the Cessna contingent, trying to beat the late afternoon shower. All the groups invite attendees who want to learn more about their aircraft or just say hello to stop by their campsites in the North 40. (Cessna 150/152s, row 511; Bonanzas, rows 525-529; Cessnas rows 530-532.)

Aerospace United States

British Airways Concorde G-BOAB in storage at London Heathrow.

Adrian Pingstone / Arpingstone / Wikipedia.Org

Remembering Concorde at Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Today

Concorde Reunion highlights include forums, Wednesday evening program.


July 26, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Nearly a quarter century ago, British Airways’ Concorde passenger jet made a historic landing at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. That appearance, the first of five here for the supersonic transport, was a turning point for the aircraft and for EAA’s annual fly-in convention.
The Concordes are now retired and no longer flying, but the memories of those trips to Oshkosh are still vivid for many people. Those recollections and stories will be relived this year during the Concorde Reunion at AirVenture, honoring the 40th anniversary of the prototype Concorde’s first flight over Europe in 1969.

“Concorde’s visits changed the way EAA members looked at their event and the way the aviation world looked at Oshkosh,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA chairman and president. “We’re looking forward to seeing old friends once again and sharing stories about this magnificent airplane.”

Concorde made its first visit to Oshkosh in 1985 and returned to Wittman Regional Airport in 1988, 1990, 1994, and 1998. As hundreds of thousands of visitors got their first—and for many, only—close-up look at an SST, hundreds of others booked hour-long flights from Oshkosh.

A Concorde Reunion luncheon will be held on Wednesday, July 29, at the EAA Nature Center for flight crews involved with the Oshkosh appearances. Those who flew on the flights to Oshkosh or the local flights based at Oshkosh are also invited to attend. Make your reservations by e-mailing kphillip@eaa.org.

Other activities celebrating the Concorde include daily forums; an evening program on Wednesday, July 29, at Theater in the Woods featuring members of Concorde flight crews who came here; and showings of the 1985 Mach 2 to Oshkosh film, a first-person account by the late Bob Collins, longtime EAA member and Chicago-area radio personality.

Listen to AirVenture on EAA Radio


EAA AirVenture Today

July 26, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - Since 1995, EAA Radio, 1210 AM, has provided live “wire-to-wire coverage” of The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. Leading up to tomorrow’s opening day, you’ll hear recorded segments from previous conventions, but they’re live on the air from 7 a.m. Monday, July 27, through the end of the air show on Sunday afternoon, August 2. Listen on the radio or grab the live stream at www.AirVenture.org/radio.

Daily programming includes live coverage of the afternoon air show and showcase, Theater in the Woods evening programs, and selected forums and field reports. EAA Radio is a division of the EAA AirVenture Communications Center, more commonly know as “The Green Gang.”

You can also open up the online EAA Radio Vault and stream content from past conventions at www.AirVenture.org/radio/archives.html. EAA Radio’s Internet stream is hosted by Discovery World in Milwaukee.

EAA Radio now has an iPhone app

Each year, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh volunteers present EAA Radio, a station completely devoted to AirVenture. In addition to broadcasting on both 1210 AM and 100.7 FM, and streaming over the Internet, EAA Radio now has an application for the Apple iPhone or iPod touch. This free application comes with archived programs streamed from the Internet. It will also be updated with new program content during AirVenture. The program was created for EAA by CoDeveloper, creator of the applications PilotFAR, PilotAIM, and PilotPrep. Search for EAA Radio in Apple’s App store to download.

Quality crop of warbirds


By Frederick A. Johnsen, EAA AirVenture Today

July 26, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - From a thundering formation of T-28 Trojan trainers powering through aerobatic maneuvers to a friendly Canadian invasion, variety is key to this year’s warbird offerings. Warbirds of America Executive Director Bill Fisher uses a rule of thumb that says twice as many warbirds fly to AirVenture as the number that preregister, and this early in the week he is forecasting about 350 arrivals will make that math good before next Sunday. “This year we may not have the quantity, but we have the quality,” Fisher said. That’s more than enough big iron to satisfy die-hard enthusiasts.

As part of the Canadian aggregate at AirVenture 2009 celebrating 100 years of Canadian wings, a masterful Avro Lancaster heavy bomber from the Canadian Warplane Heritage will join a Hawker Hurricane, a Supermarine Spitfire, and a hulking-big single-engine Lysander.

Pre-registered is a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk jet; already on the field by Saturday was a newly refurbished side-by-side T-37 decked out as the similar A-37 attack jet in evocative South Vietnamese air force markings.

As many as 40 T-28 Trojan trainers may participate in this year’s AirVenture, including a mass arrival set for Monday, Fisher said. The Trojans are gathering to honor the 60th anniversary of the T-28, a beefy tricycle-gear trainer that also served as a ground-attack warplane in Southeast Asia. Set for Wednesday is an aerobatic formation performance by several T-28 pilots calling themselves the Trojan Horsemen, Fisher said.

The always-popular Warbirds in Review sessions has 13 sessions scheduled:

Monday, July 27: 10 a.m., F4U Corsair with Blacksheep Squadron pilot Lt. Col. Jim Hill; 1 p.m., PT-19 and PT-26 trainers with Herb Carper, Jack Hibbits, and Paul Poberezny

Tuesday, July 28: 10 a.m., P-40 and Hawker Hurricane with Vintage Wings of Canada; 1 p.m., A-4 with Paul Wood and T.R. Swartz

Wednesday, July 29: 10 a.m., T-28 with Jack Drummond, Ed Gunter, and Bob Hoover; 1 p.m., P-51B and P-51D Old Crow with Bud Anderson, Jack Roush, and Jim Hagedorn

Thursday, July 30: 10 a.m., P-51 Red Tail representing Tuskegee Airmen with Brad Lang and Charles McGee; 1 p.m., Luftwaffe ace Günther Rall

Friday, July 31: 10 a.m., Grumman Wildcat and North American SNJ-5 with Chuck Downey, Mike Gillian, and Mike Murphy; 1 p.m., T-38 with astronaut Joe Engle

Saturday, August 1: 10 a.m., P-47 Thunderbolt with Col. Robert “Shorty” Rankin of the 56th Fighter Group; 1 p.m., P-51 Mustangs with Bill and Buck Patillo and Bob Baker

Sunday, August 2: 10 a.m., P-51 Quicksilver with Bill and Scott Yoak

Aerospace United States

The fifth Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight test airplane has been unveiled sporting a special Boeing livery.

Boeing Photo

787 Dreamliner Flight Test Airplane Painted in Special Boeing Livery


EVERETT, Wash., July 21, 2009 -- The fifth Boeing [NYSE:BA] 787 Dreamliner flight test airplane has been unveiled sporting a special Boeing livery.

Painted white with blue accents, the new livery incorporates visual and color elements from the distinctive blue-and-white Boeing Commercial Airplanes livery seen on the first 787 flight test airplane and other new commercial models. The simplified paint scheme will be applied to the three remaining unpainted flight test airplanes (Nos. 3, 4 and 6). Airplane No. 2 has been painted in the colors of launch customer ANA of Japan.

The modified livery, which saves time and expense compared to the full Boeing livery, will remain on the airplane until the flight test program is completed and it is refurbished and delivered to a customer.

The airplane’s two GEnx engines have been temporarily removed and returned to GE Aviation so that planned minor improvements can be made.

# # #

Aerospace United States

The modified livery, which saves time and expense compared to the full Boeing livery, will remain on the airplane until the flight test program is completed and it is refurbished and delivered to a customer.

Boeing Photo

News as of July 24, 2009

Aerospace United States

STS-127 Mission Status Reports

7 p.m. CDT Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas


07.23.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-17 STS-127 MCC Status Report #17 On its inaugural operational use, the Japanese robotic arm installed the first experiments and hardware on Kibo’s new porch at the International Space Station.

Station and space shuttle Endeavour crew members took turns operating the arm to move equipment from a Japanese payload carrier to the Japanese Exposed Facility outside Kibo. The operations were performed by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra, shuttle Commander Mark Polansky, shuttle Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Julie Payette.

Although the robotic arm had been checked out previously, the operations ran long as the arm was put through its paces holding experiments and hardware for the first time. The initial movement was faster than expected so the arm was stopped and transitioned into a manual mode that was a bit slower moving.

All three experiments – the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, Inter-orbit Communication System and Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload – were installed on the Kibo exposed facility.

After the robotics operations, crew members took time to discuss their mission with reporters in North Carolina, Maine, Florida, Nevada and Texas.

The crew also prepared spacesuits and tools, and reviewed the updated procedures for the fourth spacewalk. Mission specialists Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will swap all four of the remaining P6 Truss batteries on the fourth of five spacewalks, which is budgeted to last seven and a half hours.

Cassidy and Mission Specialist Dave Wolf completed two of the battery swaps on the third spacewalk, but had to end the excursion early because of rising carbon dioxide levels in Cassidy’s suit. A different carbon dioxide removal canister will be used in Cassidy’s suit Friday.

Inside, the crew transferred experiment samples to Endeavour’s high-tech freezer for return home. Tonight Cassidy and Marshburn will spend the night in the lower-pressure airlock to prepare for Friday’s spacewalk.

The next mission status report will be issued Friday after crew wakeup, which is scheduled for 4:03 a.m.



6:30 a.m. CDT Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-127 MCC Status Report #16 Japan’s Koichi Wakata will inaugurate the use of Kibo’s robotic arm for scientific purposes today to install a trio of components on the station’s new “front porch.”

Starting about 7:33 a.m. CDT, Wakata and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra will begin the experiment transfers, moving the equipment from the Japanese payload carrier to the Japanese Exposed Facility outside Kibo. They’ll have help along the way from STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky and Canadian Mission Specialist Julie Payette.

The combined STS-127 and Expedition 20 crew was awakened at 4:33 a.m. with the song “Tiny Dancer,” performed by Elton John. The song was selected for Polansky.

On Wednesday spacewalkers Dave Wolf and Chris Cassidy removed insulation covers from the Kibo module and readied the Japanese Exposed Section payloads for their transfer to the Exposed Facility.

Today, the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image experiment will be moved first, then the Inter-orbit Communication System and the Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload.

After the robotics are complete, the entire shuttle crew will field questions from television reporters in North Carolina, Maine and Florida at 3:23 p.m. Polansky and Mission Specialists Payette and Wolf will participate in a second set of television interviews at 4:58 p.m.

The crew also will configure spacesuits and tools, and review the updated procedures for the fourth spacewalk before going to bed about 7:30 p.m.

While the crew slept, Mission Control updated Friday’s spacewalk plan. Mission Specialists Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will swap all four of the remaining Port 6 batteries on the fourth of five spacewalks. In addition, they’ll install a camera on the Kibo porch that was deferred from the first spacewalk. Cassidy and Wolf completed two of the battery swaps on the third spacewalk, but had to end the excursion early because of rising carbon dioxide levels in Cassidy’s suit.

The crew also will transfer experiment samples to be returned home to Earth in the General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator.

The next mission status report will be issued at the end of the crew’s day, or earlier if events warrant.



8 p.m. CDT Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.22.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-15 STS-127 MCC Status Report #15 The third spacewalk outside the International Space Station ended after five hours, 59 minutes when a potential problem occurred with the carbon dioxide scrubbing device on one of the spacewalker’s suits concerned flight controllers in Mission Control.

Mission specialists Dave Wolf and Chris Cassidy began the STS-127 mission’s third spacewalk at 9:32 a.m. and ended it at 3:31 p.m. when Cassidy’s CO2 levels increased more than expected as the two were in the midst of installing six new batteries used to absorb solar energy for electricity production when the station is not in sunlight. They completed two battery installations before ending the spacewalk. The remainder will be installed during the fourth spacewalk Friday.

To prepare for the P6 Truss battery swap out, STS-127 Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Julie Payette used the station’s robot arm to move the Integrated Cargo Carrier securing the batteries to the worksite.

The spacewalkers removed insulation covers from the Kibo module and readied the Japanese Exposed Section payloads for their transfer to the Exposed Facility on Thursday.

While there was no immediate danger to Cassidy, rules called for termination of the spacewalk. This was the third of five spacewalks planned while Endeavour is docked to the station and the 128th in support of station assembly and maintenance, totaling 798 hours, 30 minutes. It was the 100th spacewalk out of space station airlocks and the 216th American spacewalk in history. It was Wolf’s seventh spacewalk, totaling 41 hours, 57 minutes and placing him 14th on the all-time list. It was Cassidy’s first excursion.

Much of tomorrow’s planned activity will focus on the Japanese robotic arm, which will be used to transfer systems and experiments to the newly installed Japanese Exposed Facility on Kibo. Astronauts Koichi Wakata and Tim Kopra will become the first to use the arm operationally as opposed to the testing that has been done up to this point.

The space station crew goes to sleep a little earlier tonight, about 8 p.m., followed 30 minutes later by the shuttle crew. Wake up Thursday is scheduled for 4:33 a.m. The next mission status report will be issued following crew wake up, or earlier if events warrant.



6:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.22.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-14 STS-127 MCC Status Report #14 The third spacewalk of the STS-127 mission is scheduled to start at 9:58 a.m. CDT today and focus on the first set of battery replacements for the oldest solar array assembly on the International Space Station.

The crew was awakened at 5:03 a.m. to the song “Santa Monica,” performed by Everclear, for Endeavour’s pilot, Doug Hurley.

Mission Specialists Dave Wolf and Chris Cassidy camped out in the Quest airlock module overnight, and will resume preparations for the excursion at 5:43 a.m. Mission Specialist Tom Marshburn will help coordinate their activities from inside the complex.

Before the spacewalkers step outside, Hurley and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette will use the station’s Canadarm2 to maneuver the Integrated Cargo Carrier containing the new batteries into close proximity to the Port 6 truss, which was delivered to the station in November 2000.

The cargo carrier was kept at a distance overnight to avoid interfering with solar array rotation to track the sun. Over the past several days, flight controllers have discharged the old batteries to ensure there’s no danger of electrical shock for the spacewalkers. The batteries store electricity generated by the solar arrays for use when the station is in the shadow of the Earth and the arrays are not able to generate power.

Wolf and Cassidy also will remove multilayer insulation from the Kibo module and prepare the Japanese Exposed Section payloads for transfer from the Japanese cargo carrier to the scientific front porch.

Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and the rest of his multinational crew will continue maintaining station systems and performing experiments. Flight Engineer Bob Thirsk is scheduled to work with the Bodies in Space Experiment, which looks at how the human body perceives up and down in microgravity.

Station Flight Engineer Tim Kopra, the newest member of the Expedition 20 crew, will continue handover activities with off-going Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata.

The space station crew goes to sleep a little earlier tonight, about 8 p.m., followed 30 minutes later by the shuttle crew. The next mission status report will be issued following the spacewalk, or earlier if events warrant.



4:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.21.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-13 STS-127 MCC Status Report #13 The combined efforts of the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Endeavour crews were successful in installing the Japanese Logistics Module-Exposed Section using two robotic arms.

Commander Mark Polansky and mission specialist Julie Payette operated the robotic arm aboard the space shuttle to pass the platform from Endeavour to Canadarm2 on the space station. Canadarm2 was operated by mission specialist Koichi Wakata and shuttle pilot Doug Hurley.

The Japanese Exposed Section was installed at about 9:30 a.m. The Japanese robotic arm on the station will be used Thursday to take experiments from that Exposed Section and install them on the new porch of the Kibo laboratory.

Astronauts Dave Wolf and Chris Cassidy began preparations for their spacewalk Wednesday, which is scheduled to begin at 9:58 a.m. Wolf and Cassidy changed out a series of spacesuit batteries to prepare for their spacewalk.

Tonight they will sleep in the airlock where they will adjust to a lower pressure, going from 14.7 psi to 10 psi, to adapt for the conditions in their spacesuit. This spacewalk will be the third spacewalk of the mission and will focus on the installation of four of the six Port 6 (P6) Truss batteries.

Polansky, Hurley, Payette and Wolf took time to answer questions posed by visitors on YouTube and Twitter. Polansky is providing regular updates on the mission’s progress from space via Twitter at http://twitter.com/Astro_127.

Tim Kopra continued with his familiarization of the space station, having recently replaced Wakata as an Expedition 20 flight engineer.

Both crews enjoyed off-duty time throughout their afternoon in space.

The space station crew goes to sleep about 9:30 p.m., followed 30 minutes later by the shuttle crew. The next mission status report will be issued following crew wake up, or earlier if events warrant.



6:30 a.m. CDT Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.21.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-12 STS-127 MCC Status Report #12 With two of five spacewalks and some of the most challenging robotics operations of the mission complete, the pace will let up briefly today for the international crews of STS-127 and Expedition 20.

Robotic operations and spacesuit preparations will pave the way for the third spacewalk of the mission on Wednesday, but the International Space Station crew will enjoy an afternoon off.

The crew was awakened at 5:03 a.m. CDT to the sounds of “Life Is a Highway,” performed by Rascal Flatts. The tune was played for Tom Marshburn, who completed his first spacewalk Monday.

The main objective Tuesday is the transfer of the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section from Endeavour’s cargo bay to the station’s new “front porch.” Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky and Mission Specialist Julie Payette will use the shuttle’s robotic arm to remove the experiment carrier from Endeavour’s payload bay and hand it off to the station’s robotic arm, operated by Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata. They’ll position the structure and its experiments near the Japanese Exposed Facility, where they’ll be ready for transfer to the station on flight day 9.

Polansky, Hurley, Payette and lead spacewalker Dave Wolf will answer questions posed by visitors on YouTube and Twitter. Polansky is providing regular updates on the mission’s progress from space via Twitter.

The station’s Waste Hygiene Compartment toilet continues to work well following maintenance work by Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Frank De Winne.

The combined crew will have several off-duty hours, then prepare for the mission’s third spacewalk by checking out spacesuits and tools, and reviewing procedures for a challenging set of solar array battery replacements on the Port 6 truss structure Wednesday.

The crew sleep period begins about 9 p.m. with wake-up set for 5:03 a.m. Wednesday. The next mission status report will be issued at the end of the day, or earlier if events warrant.



9 p.m. CDT Monday, July 20, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.20.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-11 STS-127 MCC Status Report #11 The crews aboard the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour honored the legacy of Apollo 11 by conducting a spacewalk on the same day that 40 years ago captured the world’s attention when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon for the first time.

The fifth day of the shuttle mission focused on the second of five planned spacewalks of the mission – this one performed by mission specialists Dave Wolf and Tom Marshburn.

Wolf and Marshburn performed the six hour, 53 minute extravehicular excursion to complete a number of station hardware installation tasks.

Exiting from the Quest Airlock at 10:27 a.m., Wolf removed three hardware spares – a Ku-Band Space-to-Ground Antenna, a Pump Module and a Linear Drive Unit, from an Integrated Cargo Carrier. With each spare in hand, Wolf rode the space station robotic arm to the P3 Truss where a stowage platform awaited. There he and Marshburn attached them for long-term storage.

Mission Specialist Julie Payette and Pilot Doug Hurley operated the robotic arm. Marshburn mounted a grapple bar onto an ammonia tank assembly so that the next space shuttle crew of STS-128 can move the tank by robotic arm. Marshburn also attached two insulation sleeves for external power connectors to the Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System. Wolf and Marshburn completed most of the planned tasks, but deferred a video camera installation.

The spacewalk concluded at 5:20 p.m. CDT. It was Wolf’s sixth spacewalk and the first for Marshburn.

Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Frank De Winne replaced components of the Waste Hygiene Compartment toilet in the Destiny laboratory. The system’s dose pump failed Sunday. After Padalka and De Winne replaced the separator pump, control panel and the COT, a container that holds liquid, the system was activated and performed normally.

Meanwhile, Tim Kopra continued with his familiarization of the space station, having recently replaced Koichi Wakata as an Expedition 20 Flight Engineer.

The crew sleep period begins about 9 p.m. with wake up set for 5:03 a.m. Tuesday. The next mission status report will be issued following crew wake up, or earlier if events warrant.



6 a.m. CDT Monday, July 20, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.20.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-10 STS-127 MCC Status Report #10 A day of spacewalking and plumbing repair are in store for the Endeavour and Expedition 20 crews aboard the International Space Station.

The 13 spacefarers were awakened at 5:33 a.m. CDT to the theme from the 1960s television series “Thunderbirds,” by composer Barry Gray, for Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette.

Preparations for the second of five spacewalks will resume at 6:13 a.m. in the Quest airlock module. Spacewalkers Dave Wolf and Tom Marshburn are scheduled to start their six and a half hour excursion at 10:28 a.m.

While the spacewalk team is getting ready, Expedition 20 commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Frank De Winne will begin replacing components of the Waste Hygiene Compartment toilet in the Destiny Laboratory. The system’s dose pump failed after running for about 15 minutes Sunday. The pump introduces the correct amount of chemicals into the system to help separate liquids from solid waste.

Since then the station crew has been using the toilet in the Zvezda service module and the shuttle crew has been using the shuttle commode, but the temporary shutdown has no significant impact on joint docked operations.

Flight controllers powered up the station’s robotic arm at 5 a.m. today. Mission Specialist Julie Payette will use Canadarm2 like a space-aged “cherry picker,” moving Wolf between an Integrated Cargo Carrier and one of the station’s External Stowage Platforms so he can stage for key station replacement parts. The pair also will install a television camera on the newly delivered Japanese Exposed Facility.

Today’s spacewalk will take place on the anniversary of the first moon walk by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969.

Tim Kopra, the newest member of the Expedition 20 crew, will spend several hours adapting to his new home on orbit with help from off-going Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata, who will be returning to Earth with Endeavour’s crew after four months on the station as a member of the Expedition 18, 19 and 20 crews.

The next shuttle status report will be issued following the spacewalk, or earlier if events warrant.



4:30 p.m. CDT Sunday, July 19, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.19.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-09 STS-127 MCC Status Report #09 The Space Shuttle Endeavour and International Space Station crews were successful in their robotic arm tasks today, but encountered a problem with one of the bathrooms on the station.

Robotic arm operators aboard Endeavour and the station installed the Integrated Cargo Carrier – Vertical Light Deployable, or ICC-VLD --- a cargo pallet--- on the port side of the space station’s mobile base system. Station arm operators Julie Payette and Tim Kopra finished the move at 11:55 a.m. CDT.

The pallet contains three hardware spares that spacewalkers Dave Wolf and Tom Marshburn will move to a stowage platform on the outside of the Port 3 truss during Monday’s spacewalk.

The Kibo robotic arm was commanded through a series of calibrations in preparation for later use in the mission, when Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency payloads will be transferred from the Exposed Section, another platform where the experiments are temporarily mounted, to the newly installed Exposed Facility for operation. The Exposed Facility was installed on the aft end of Kibo Saturday.

Wolf and Marshburn spent the remainder of their day preparing special tools, reviewing procedures and beginning their campout for the second spacewalk, which is set to start Monday at 10:28 a.m. CDT.

Meanwhile, station flight controllers and crew members spent part of the day troubleshooting a problem with the Waste and Hygiene Compartment, or WHC, the toilet in the U.S. Destiny module. The system’s dose pump failed after running for about 15 minutes Sunday. The pump introduces the correct amount of chemicals into the system to help separate liquids from solid waste. About six liters of pre-treated water may have flowed into the pump separator and other areas where it should not have, flooding the separator.

Astronauts Mike Barratt and Frank De Winne began work on the toilet to replace parts that likely were contaminated. The suspect dose pump and a control panel are also on tap for replacement to restore the toilet.

The WHC is one of two toilet systems aboard the space station. Temporarily, the six station crew members will use the facilities in the Russian Zvezda module while the seven astronauts will use the shuttle Waste Compartment System, or WCS, that is located in Endeavour’s middeck.

The temporary shutdown of the U.S. toilet on the station will not impact joint docked operations.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Canadian Space Agency Astronauts Bob Thirsk and Payette will speak with the Canadian Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear, Member of Parliament Steven Bleany and CSA President Steve MacLean. This mission marks the first time the pair of astronauts has been in space together at the same time.

The crew is scheduled to go to bed about 9:30 p.m. and wake up at 5:33 a.m. on the 40th anniversary of the first landing by humans on the moon on Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969.

The next shuttle status report will be issued at the beginning of the crew’s work day, or earlier if events warrant.



6 a.m. CDT Sunday, July 19, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.19.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-08 STS-127 MCC Status Report #08 HOUSTON – The astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station complex will take a break from spacewalking today, but continue their robotics work to prepare for the following day’s excursion.

The joint crew was awakened at 5:33 a.m. CDT with the song “Learning to Fly,” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, for former Navy SEAL Chris Cassidy, who is making his first space flight aboard the space shuttle Endeavour.

With focused inspection of Endeavour’s heat shield no longer necessary, the crew will have additional time to complete transfers of supplies and equipment from the shuttle to the station and review plans for Monday’s second spacewalk of the mission.

Commander Mark Polansky and Pilot Doug Hurley will begin the day by grappling the Integrated Cargo Carrier in the rear of Endeavour’s cargo bay, lifting it and handing it off to the station’s robotic arm. Mission specialists Julie Payette and Tim Kopra will guide the station’s arm as it accepts the carrier and installs it on the mobile base system. This placement will allow spacewalkers to transfer the spare parts to an external stowage platform on the station.

Spacewalkers Dave Wolf and Tom Marshburn will configure their space suits and tools, and review the procedures for Monday’s spacewalk.

Departing Expedition 20 astronaut Koichi Wakata, now a member of Endeavour’s crew, will work on the station’s Advanced Resistive Exercise Device. He’ll replace a shock absorber, known as a “dashpot,” that helps prevent vibrations from simulated weightlifting from interfering with sensitive science experiments on the station.

Mission specialist Julie Payette and Flight Engineer Bob Thirsk will talk with Canadian dignitaries and news media in a 20-minute event starting at 5:08 p.m.

Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka will take temperature, humidity, air flow and surface temperature readings in the station’s Russian segment.

The crew is scheduled to go to bed at 9:33 p.m. and wake up at 5:33 a.m. on the 40th anniversary of the first human moon landing.

The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crew’s day, or earlier if events warrant.



9 p.m. CDT Saturday, July 18, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.18.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-07 STS-127 MCC Status Report #07 In a complex and choreographed activity, the crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station installed the Exposed Facility on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory today, the top priority for the mission, and completed the first of five spacewalks planned.

Early in the day, space shuttle managers notified the crew of Endeavour that a Focused Inspection of the orbiter’s heat shield will not be required.

Though plagued by communication problems, crew members Dave Wolf and Tim Kopra completed all of their primary tasks during a 5 hour, 32 minute spacewalk. STS-127 lead spacewalker Dave Wolf and the newest space station crew member Tim Kopra began the spacewalk at 11:19 a.m., when they switched their spacesuits to battery power. The spacewalk ended at 4:51 p.m.

The Japanese Exposed Facility is the space station’s new porch and will expose science experiments to the extreme environments of space. The JEF was installed by Shuttle Commander Mark Polansky and Mission Specialist Julie Payette, who operated the shuttle robotic arm, and by Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata, who operated the station robotic arm.

Spacewalkers Wolf and Kopra began by preparing the berthing mechanisms on the Kibo laboratory and the JEF for the installation. The two also completed deploying an unpressurized cargo carrier attachment system (UCCAS) on the Port 3 truss that had failed to unfurl during STS-119 in March. The UCCAS will be used in the future to store equipment and supplies on the outside of the station.

After a series of robotic arm “hand offs,” the JEF was officially latched to the Kibo laboratory at 6:29 p.m. The process involved three robotic arm systems. The space station and shuttle arms moved JEF from Endeavour’s payload bay to the Kibo laboratory and Kibo’s robotic arm was used to view the installation.

The station crew is scheduled to go to bed at about 9 p.m. with the shuttle crew following about 30 minutes later. Wake up Sunday is scheduled for 5:33 a.m.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wake, or earlier if events warrant.



7 a.m. CDT Saturday, July 18, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.18.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-06 STS-127 MCC Status Report #06 The third and final piece of Japan’s Kibo laboratory will be assembled on orbit Saturday, a symphony of robotic and spacewalking performances by the 13 member orchestra aboard the International Space Station complex.

The players awakened at 6:03 a.m. to the strains of “Home,” by Marc Broussard, played for lead spacewalker Dave Wolf, who heard the call while camped out in the Quest airlock with Tim Kopra, the newest addition to the Expedition 20 crew.

Spacewalk preparations resume at 6:43 a.m., followed by the start of robotic operations by Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata and Endeavour Pilot Doug Hurley, who will use the station’s Canadarm2 to grapple the Japanese Exposed Facility at 9:38 a.m. and lift it out of the payload bay at 12:43 p.m. They’ll hand the facility to the shuttle’s Canadarm at 1:43 p.m. and move the station’s arm into position for installation at 2:53 p.m. The shuttle arm will hand off the new Kibo component to the station arm at 4:23 p.m., and then the station arm will be used to move the new “porch” into position for installation to the Kibo pressurized module at 4:38 p.m.

Wolf and Kopra are set to begin their six and a half-hour spacewalk at 10:58 a.m. They’ll remove insulation from Kibo’s berthing mechanism, disconnect power cables providing electricity to the shuttle’s Integrated Cargo Carrier, apply a specially designed tool to release the station’s Earth-facing Unpressurized Cargo Carriers Attachment System, secure covers on the Harmony and Unity modules’ common berthing mechanisms, and set up a payload attach system on the station’s backbone. Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will help coordinate the spacewalk from inside.

STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky will help out with the exposed facility arm-to-arm handoff and work with cargo, water and nitrogen transfers, and Mission Specialist Julie Payette will assist with robotic and camera operations.

Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Mike Barratt, Bob Thirsk, Roman Romanenko and Frank De Winne will focus on station maintenance and exercise, helping out as needed with the spacewalk and robotics tasks.

Meanwhile, imagery experts and mission managers continue to review data and photos to assess the health of Endeavour’s heat shield.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after the spacewalk or earlier if events warrant.



6 p.m. CDT Friday, July 17, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.17.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-05 STS-127 MCC Status Report #05 The space shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station at 12:47 p.m. CDT, delivering the final pieces of the Japanese Kibo complex and a new flight engineer to join the Expedition 20 crew.

Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky guided the shuttle to a docking as the two spacecraft flew 220 miles above the northern coast of Australia. Before closing the final 600 feet to the station, Polansky commanded Endeavour through a “backflip” allowing the station’s Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Michael Barratt to take photos that imagery experts will review to assess the health of Endeavour’s heat shield.

The shuttle and station crews opened hatches and greeted one another at 2:48 p.m., beginning more than a week of joint operations between the two crews.

One of the first major tasks of the crews was to swap station crew member Koichi Wakata for NASA astronaut Tim Kopra. The official swap occurred when a specially fitted seat liner was installed in the Soyuz crew vehicle. That swap at 4:22 p.m. signified the official designation change making Kopra an Expedition 20 flight engineer and Wakata a shuttle mission specialist.

The mission’s main objective Saturday will be to install the Japanese Exposed Facility to Kibo during the first planned spacewalk by mission specialists Dave Wolf and Tim Kopra.

Preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk will take place tonight with Wolf and Kopra spending the night in the station’s Quest Airlock. They will “campout” at a reduced air pressure overnight to prepare their bodies for the spacewalk planned to last six and a half hours.

Before going to bed, a minor reboost of the station will be performed at 7:27 p.m. to ensure plenty of clearance in relation to an unknown piece of space debris. That maneuver using Endeavour’s small vernier thrusters will last about 15 minutes and change the overall velocity of the shuttle/station complex by about 0.8 meters per second.

The station crew is scheduled to go to bed at about 9:30 p.m. and the shuttle crew 30 minutes later at 10. Wake up Saturday is scheduled for 6:03 a.m.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wake, or earlier if events warrant.



6 p.m. CDT Friday, July 17, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.17.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-05 STS-127 MCC Status Report #05 The space shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station at 12:47 p.m. CDT, delivering the final pieces of the Japanese Kibo complex and a new flight engineer to join the Expedition 20 crew.

Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky guided the shuttle to a docking as the two spacecraft flew 220 miles above the northern coast of Australia. Before closing the final 600 feet to the station, Polansky commanded Endeavour through a “backflip” allowing the station’s Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Michael Barratt to take photos that imagery experts will review to assess the health of Endeavour’s heat shield.

The shuttle and station crews opened hatches and greeted one another at 2:48 p.m., beginning more than a week of joint operations between the two crews.

One of the first major tasks of the crews was to swap station crew member Koichi Wakata for NASA astronaut Tim Kopra. The official swap occurred when a specially fitted seat liner was installed in the Soyuz crew vehicle. That swap at 4:22 p.m. signified the official designation change making Kopra an Expedition 20 flight engineer and Wakata a shuttle mission specialist.

The mission’s main objective Saturday will be to install the Japanese Exposed Facility to Kibo during the first planned spacewalk by mission specialists Dave Wolf and Tim Kopra.

Preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk will take place tonight with Wolf and Kopra spending the night in the station’s Quest Airlock. They will “campout” at a reduced air pressure overnight to prepare their bodies for the spacewalk planned to last six and a half hours.

Before going to bed, a minor reboost of the station will be performed at 7:27 p.m. to ensure plenty of clearance in relation to an unknown piece of space debris. That maneuver using Endeavour’s small vernier thrusters will last about 15 minutes and change the overall velocity of the shuttle/station complex by about 0.8 meters per second.

The station crew is scheduled to go to bed at about 9:30 p.m. and the shuttle crew 30 minutes later at 10. Wake up Saturday is scheduled for 6:03 a.m.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wake, or earlier if events warrant.



7 a.m. CDT Friday, July 17, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.17.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-04 STS-127 MCC Status Report #04 The International Space Station population will grow to a record 13 today once the space shuttle Endeavour completes its orbital chase and docks at 12:55 p.m. CDT.

Today’s wake-up call, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, was chosen for Commander Mark Polansky. He and the rest of the shuttle crew – Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy, Tim Kopra, Tom Marshburn, Canadian Julie Payette and Dave Wolf – were awakened at 6:03 a.m.

The astronauts aboard Endeavour will begin rendezvous preparations at 7:23 a.m. and perform the terminal initiation engine burn at 10:17 a.m. to begin the shuttle’s final approach. All of the tools the crew will use to accomplish the rendezvous checked out as expected Thursday.

Meanwhile, on the station, Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Mike Barratt are ready to document the condition of Endeavour’s heat protection tiles with photos as Polansky guides the shuttle through a slow back flip at a distance of 600 feet. Those digital images will be downlinked to Mission Control and evaluated along with data from Thursday’s 3-D scans of the shuttle’s reinforced carbon-carbon thermal protection materials.

Once docked, Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Roman Romanenko of Russia, Bob Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency and Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency will join their Expedition 20 colleagues in opening hatches at 2:03 p.m. to begin 11 days of docked operations.

After a brief greeting and thorough safety briefing for the visiting crew, Kopra’s specially fitted seat liner will be transferred to one of the two Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station and he will become the newest Expedition 20 crew member. Wakata will be returning home aboard Endeavour after more than four months aboard the station.

The next status report will be issued near the end of the joint crew’s day, or before, if events warrant.



7 p.m. CDT Thursday, July 16, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.16.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-03 STS-127 MCC Status Report #03 En route to the International Space Station, astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour spent their first full day in space conducting a routine inspection of their thermal protection system ahead of docking at 12:55 p.m. CDT Friday.

While inspections take place to ensure Endeavour’s wing leading edge panels and nosecap are in good shape, imagery experts will continue to assess the overall health of the shuttle’s Thermal Protection System. The early review indicates only a few minor dings in some tiles is present in video due to some unexpected losses of small foam pieces from the External Tank.

Thursday’s five-hour inspection took place as the seven crew members prepare for the docking to the station as the two spacecraft pass high above the Tasman Sea bridging the gap between southern Australia and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Space Shuttle Discovery is being readied at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for its next mission targeted for mid August. Its launch to the station will deliver supplies and logistics to support the six crew members living and working aboard the complex.

Discovery is targeted to roll to the Vehicle Assembly Building Monday to be mated to its External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters before being hauled to the launch pad a week later.

On orbit, Endeavour’s crew checked out spacesuits that will be used during the five spacewalks planned during the docked phase of the mission. In preparation for docking, the crew tested rendezvous equipment, installed an Orbiter Docking System “centerline” camera and extended the docking ring atop the docking system before heading for its eight hour sleep period beginning about 10 p.m.

The shuttle crew includes Tim Kopra, who will become the newest station crew member after docking and hatch opening. He will replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata who returns home after more than four months aboard the station.

Awaiting Endeavour’s arrival at the station are Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Michael Barratt, Wakata, Roman Romanenko, Robert Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency and Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency. The station crew spent the day preparing for seven new visitors by reviewing procedures they will use to capture images of Endeavour as it approaches and conducts a backflip exposing its underside tiles to the long-range camera lenses.

Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Kopra and Julie Payette of the Canadian Space Agency make up Endeavour’s crew and will awaken at 6:03 a.m. Friday to begin rendezvous activities leading toward docking.

The next status report will be issued after wake-up, or before, if events warrant.



7 a.m. CDT Thursday, July 16, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.16.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-02 STS-127 MCC Status Report #02 Seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavour awakened at 7:03 a.m. to begin a day of heat shield inspections and preparations for Friday’s rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.

The song “These Are Days” by the band 10,000 Maniacs emanated from speakers inside Endeavour’s crew cabin, a wake-up call targeted especially for Mission Specialist Tim Kopra.

Commander Mark Polansky and Pilot Doug Hurley will start their day with an Orbital Maneuvering System engine firing to refine Endeavour’s path toward the station. A second burn is planned at the end of the crew’s day. In addition, the crew will set up a camera in the shuttle’s docking tunnel, extend the Orbiter Docking System ring and check out the hand-held laser range-finder and other equipment that will be used to provide precise distance and approach information for the upcoming docking.

Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Kopra and Julie Payette of the Canadian Space Agency will focus on inspections of Endeavour’s heat shield using the shuttle’s robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System.

Spacewalkers Wolf, Cassidy, Marshburn and Kopra also will begin checking out the space suits they will wear and the tools they will use on the mission’s five spacewalks.

Aboard the station, Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Michael Barratt, Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Roman Romanenko, Robert Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency and Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency, will spend the day packing and preparing for the arrival of visitors. They’ll review photography procedures for documenting the condition of the shuttle’s heat protection tiles as it completes a rendezvous pitch maneuver during its approach to the station.

Endeavour’s crew will go to bed just after 10 p.m.

The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crew’s workday, or earlier if events warrant.



6 p.m. CDT Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

07.15.09 STATUS REPORT :

STS-127-01 STS-127 MCC Status Report #01 On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 on the journey to put humans on the moon, space shuttle Endeavour blasted off at 5:03 p.m. CDT today from the Kennedy Space Center. Endeavour is on a 16-day mission to the International Space Station packed with spacewalks, robotics work and science experiments to complete the assembly of the Japanese segment of the orbital outpost.

Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Tim Kopra and Julie Payette of the Canadian Space Agency reached orbit less than nine minutes after launch. At the time of Endeavour’s liftoff, the International Space Station was orbiting 225 statute miles over the south central Pacific Ocean. Aboard the complex were Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Michael Barratt, Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Roman Romanenko, Robert Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency and Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency, equaling the most humans in orbit at the same time – 13.

Kopra will become a station crew member a few hours after docking on Friday, replacing Wakata, who will wrap up his four-month stay in space by returning to Earth aboard Endeavour.

In addition to the crew, Endeavour is carrying a “porch” for the space station, on which the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will be exposing science experiments to the extreme environment of space. Along side of the porch inside the shuttle’s cargo bay are the experiments to outfit the porch, as well as several spare parts for the space station. The crew will conduct five spacewalks and operate three different robotic arms as the assembly of the porch and its experiments unfolds.

Shortly after reaching orbit, Endeavour’s crew prepared to open the shuttle’s cargo bay doors and will unstow equipment prior to testing the ship’s robotic arm for work tomorrow to grapple the Orbiter Boom Sensor System crane for the initial inspection of Endeavour’s heat shield.

Endeavour’s crew heads to sleep just after 11 p.m. CDT with wakeup set for 7:03 CDT Thursday morning. The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wakeup, or earlier if events warrant.

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Latest News As Of July 24, 2009

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STS-127

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Payload Transfer to Kibo Complete

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:31:58 PM PDT


Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata and his space shuttle Endeavour crewmates completed transferring three payloads from a cargo carrier to Kibo’s Exposed Facility. This was the first operational use of the Kibo robotic arm.

MAXI, SEDA-AP and ICS all are installed on the Exposed Facility. MAXI is the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image experiment and SEDA-AP is the Space Environment Data Acquisition equipment – Attached Payload experiment. ICS is the Inter-orbit Communication System, the Kibo-specific communications system for uplinking and downlinking data, images and voice between Kibo and the Mission Control Center at Tsukuba Space Center by way of Japan’s own relay satellite, the Data Relay Test Satellite, or DRTS.

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Crews Work With Robotics, Prepare for Friday Spacewalk


On its inaugural operational use, the Japanese robotic arm installed the first experiments and hardware on Kibo’s new porch at the International Space Station.

Station and space shuttle Endeavour crew members took turns operating the arm to move equipment from a Japanese payload carrier to the Japanese Exposed Facility outside Kibo. The operations were performed by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra, shuttle Commander Mark Polansky, shuttle Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Julie Payette.

All three experiments – the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, Inter-orbit Communication System and Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload – were installed on the Kibo exposed facility.

The crew also prepared spacesuits and tools, and reviewed the updated procedures for the fourth spacewalk, which is budgeted to last seven and a half hours.

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7 p.m. CDT Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-127 MCC Status Report #17

On its inaugural operational use, the Japanese robotic arm installed the first experiments and hardware on Kibo’s new porch at the International Space Station.

Station and space shuttle Endeavour crew members took turns operating the arm to move equipment from a Japanese payload carrier to the Japanese Exposed Facility outside Kibo. The operations were performed by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra, shuttle Commander Mark Polansky, shuttle Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Julie Payette.

Although the robotic arm had been checked out previously, the operations ran long as the arm was put through its paces holding experiments and hardware for the first time. The initial movement was faster than expected so the arm was stopped and transitioned into a manual mode that was a bit slower moving.

All three experiments – the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, Inter-orbit Communication System and Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload – were installed on the Kibo exposed facility.

After the robotics operations, crew members took time to discuss their mission with reporters in North Carolina, Maine, Florida, Nevada and Texas.

The crew also prepared spacesuits and tools, and reviewed the updated procedures for the fourth spacewalk. Mission specialists Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will swap all four of the remaining P6 Truss batteries on the fourth of five spacewalks, which is budgeted to last seven and a half hours.

Cassidy and Mission Specialist Dave Wolf completed two of the battery swaps on the third spacewalk, but had to end the excursion early because of rising carbon dioxide levels in Cassidy’s suit. A different carbon dioxide removal canister will be used in Cassidy’s suit Friday.

Inside, the crew transferred experiment samples to Endeavour’s high-tech freezer for return home. Tonight Cassidy and Marshburn will spend the night in the lower-pressure airlock to prepare for Friday’s spacewalk.

The next mission status report will be issued Friday after crew wakeup, which is scheduled for 4:03 a.m.

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6:30 a.m. CDT Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas


STS-127 MCC Status Report #16

Japan’s Koichi Wakata will inaugurate the use of Kibo’s robotic arm for scientific purposes today to install a trio of components on the station’s new “front porch.”

Starting about 7:33 a.m. CDT, Wakata and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra will begin the experiment transfers, moving the equipment from the Japanese payload carrier to the Japanese Exposed Facility outside Kibo. They’ll have help along the way from STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky and Canadian Mission Specialist Julie Payette.

The combined STS-127 and Expedition 20 crew was awakened at 4:33 a.m. with the song “Tiny Dancer,” performed by Elton John. The song was selected for Polansky.

On Wednesday spacewalkers Dave Wolf and Chris Cassidy removed insulation covers from the Kibo module and readied the Japanese Exposed Section payloads for their transfer to the Exposed Facility.

Today, the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image experiment will be moved first, then the Inter-orbit Communication System and the Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload.

After the robotics are complete, the entire shuttle crew will field questions from television reporters in North Carolina, Maine and Florida at 3:23 p.m. Polansky and Mission Specialists Payette and Wolf will participate in a second set of television interviews at 4:58 p.m.

The crew also will configure spacesuits and tools, and review the updated procedures for the fourth spacewalk before going to bed about 7:30 p.m.

While the crew slept, Mission Control updated Friday’s spacewalk plan. Mission Specialists Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will swap all four of the remaining Port 6 batteries on the fourth of five spacewalks. In addition, they’ll install a camera on the Kibo porch that was deferred from the first spacewalk. Cassidy and Wolf completed two of the battery swaps on the third spacewalk, but had to end the excursion early because of rising carbon dioxide levels in Cassidy’s suit.

The crew also will transfer experiment samples to be returned home to Earth in the General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator.

The next mission status report will be issued at the end of the crew’s day, or earlier if events warrant.

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STS-127

Flight Day 8

With Earth below, astronaut Christopher Cassidy participates in the third spacewalk of the STS-127 mission. This was the first of Cassidy's three scheduled spacewalks during the 16-day mission.

Image credit: NASA
July 22, 2009

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STS-127

Flight Day 7
The Japanese Logistics Module Exposed Section is handed from space shuttle Endeavour's remote manipulator system to the space station's remote manipulator system, Canadarm2, during the module's unberthing.

Image credit: NASA
July 21, 2009

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STS-127

Flight Day 6
Astronaut Dave Wolf performs his second spacewalk of the mission. Wolf and Tom Marshburn successfully transferred a spare KU-band antenna to long-term storage on the space station, along with a backup coolant system pump module and a spare drive motor for the station's robotic arm transporter.

Image credit: NASA
July 20, 2009