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Most Clicked AIA dailyLead Stories


1. Boeing mulls withdrawing from tanker contract competition

AIA dailyLead | Aug 22, 2008

Boeing is reconsidering its plan to bid on a $40 billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force. The company says it needs six months to develop a competitive proposal, but the DOD has given competitors 60 days to submit new bids. "I think the option we would have if we were not given the six months, there is a really high likelihood that we would no-bid the program," said Jim Albaugh, chief of Boeing's defense unit. Northrop Grumman is also competing for the contract. Wall Street Journal, The (subscription required) (08/22)


2. Unmanned aircraft destroys unmanned explosive device in Iraq

AIA dailyLead | Aug 26, 2008

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report (08/25)


3. DOD returns to original plan for Zumwalt destroyer

AIA dailyLead | Aug 20, 2008

The Pentagon this week decided to maintain its original plan to buy a third Zumwalt-class destroyer in 2009 and possibly more later. In July, the Navy told lawmakers it would buy only two of the ships. The DOD changed its mind after lawmakers raised concerns about jobs at Raytheon and Bath Iron Works. Boston Globe, The (08/20)


4. Machinists' strike would delay Boeing 787 program

AIA dailyLead | Aug 21, 2008

Final talks between Boeing and its machinists' union begin today in Seattle. A potential strike by the workers could result in delays to the company's 787 program, which already faces a backed-up production line. Health care, pensions and job security are the major issues in today's negotiations. Wall Street Journal, The (subscription required) (08/21)


5. Airlines drop pre-boarding policies for families

AIA dailyLead | Aug 25, 2008

St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) (08/25)


6. Sikorsky builds maintenance business, expands in Texas

AIA dailyLead | Aug 20, 2008

Sikorsky Aircraft has expanded its operations in Texas in recent years as part of a plan to capitalize on the growing demand for repair and maintenance of commercial and military aircraft. The company has acquired or opened three of its four Texas operations since 2005. Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) (08/20)


7. Bell's R&D chief looking for incremental changes

AIA dailyLead | Aug 25, 2008

Four months after taking over XworX, Bell Helicopter's research and development arm, Nick Lappos says he's focused on incremental improvements to the company's existing aircraft. Noting that advances can come in "big strokes or in chip shots, Lappos says he's looking for "technology that increases the safety and efficiencies of the customer's aircraft in completing the mission." One priority: technology to help cut the industry's accident rate by reducing pilot errors. Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) (08/25)


8. Air Force expects to pick rescue helicopter design this fall

AIA dailyLead | Aug 20, 2008

Air Force officials expect to choose a design for the rescue helicopter replacement program this fall. They do not expect findings by the inspector general's office to slow the process of awarding the contract. Boeing, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin are competing for the contract. AviationWeek.com (08/19)


9. U.S. struggles for proper balance on export rules

AIA dailyLead | Aug 22, 2008

The U.S. government struggles to strike a balance with its export rules that cover technology, satellites and weapons, according to an editorial in the Economist. The editorial notes that critics of the U.S. rules say the rules are unnecessarily restrictive. "The system, they complain, fails to distinguish between militarily sensitive hardware that should be controlled and widely available commercial technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries and solar cells," the board writes. Economist, The (08/21)


10. Amphibious vehicle "degraded," Navy inspectors find

AIA dailyLead | Aug 26, 2008

The Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey says that two years after delivery, the amphibious transport dock New Orleans is "degraded" in its "ability to conduct sustained combat operations." The New Orleans, built at Northrop Grumman's Gulf Coast shipyards, has an unreliable propulsion system, inoperable vehicle ramps, balky missile launchers and a host of other problems, according to InSurv's Aug. 11-15 inspection. Navy Times (08/25)




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