ASD-Network - Daily News Headlines Tue 6 Dec 2005

( 1 ) Benin Airlines & Utilicraft Aerospace LOI for 100 Feeder Freighters
( 2 ) Rockwell Collins receives certification of MultiScan radar on Airbus A320, A330 and A340
( 3 ) NOAA, NASA, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Use Unmanned Aircraft for Environmental Resear...
( 4 ) Messier-Dowty cuts first metal on Boeing 787 Dreamliner landing gears Bidos, France, 5 December, 200...
( 5 ) US Airways orders GEnx engine for its new Airbus A350 fleet
( 6 ) Orbital Awarded $12 Million Fleet Management Contract for Foothill Transit in California
( 7 ) Second Boeing X-50A Dragonfly Canard Rotor/Wing Prototype Completes Hover Flight
( 8 ) GE90 and China Southern Airlines: Flying High after a Decade of Remarkable Service
( 9 ) General Dynamics Awarded $6 Million to Design Remotely Operated Variant of XM307 Advanced Crew Serve...
( 10 ) Raytheon's APG-79 AESA Radar for the F/A-18 Super Hornet Sets a New Standard as it Delivers Multiple...
( 11 ) L-3 Communications Acquires Applied Signal and Image Technology, Inc.
( 12 ) ONBASS: ON-Board Active Safety System
( 13 ) ESA’s Integral and XMM-Newton missions extended
( 14 ) Bell Helicopter's Eagle Eye TR918 Unmanned Aircraft System Receives First Ever FAA Certification for...
( 15 ) Raytheon Awarded Two Contracts Valued at $15.7 Million to Support AEGIS Equipment
( 16 ) Alcatel Alenia Space wins new communication and broadcast satellite contract Chinasat 6B from ChinaS...


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Benin Airlines & Utilicraft Aerospace LOI for 100 Feeder Freighters

(Cotonou, Benin Africa – December 2, 2005) -– Benin Airlines, SA - Today officials of Benin Airlines SA, and Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, Inc., executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for 100 of Utilicraft’s FF-1080-300 ER (Extended Range) Freight Feeder aircraft, with an option on an additional 100.

The initial 100 aircraft transaction is valued at $1.35 Billion USD and has been secured by an initial $5.0M good faith deposit from Benin Airlines to Utilicraft’s lawyers today.

The agreements between the two Companies grant Benin Airlines exclusive Distributorship and a Final Assembly rights for a period of 25 years.

The Distributorship Agreement appoints Benin Airlines as the exclusive FF-1080-300 distributor for Africa and specific Middle East markets, including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Baharain, and Lebanon.

The Final Assembly Agreement will grant Benin Airlines the right to complete final assembly-kits of the Aircraft purchased by Benin Airlines.

Benin Airlines plans to locate their Final Assembly facility in either Africa, or one of the Middle East regions mentioned above.

Utilicraft will complete Final Assembly of the “kits” shipped to Benin Airlines at its planned facilities at Double Eagle II Airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The FF1080-300 ER version of the aircraft is the same basic airframe of the -300 currently under development by Utilicraft Aerospace, but with a 10,000 gross weight increase to 80,000 lbs. This increase will allow the Aircraft to carry additional fuel for a max range of 2,000 nautical miles including IFR reserves, with 20,000 lbs., in containers, in five A-1, A-2, or A-3 containers, or ten LD3 containers, or a combination of containers and pallets measuring 88 in. x 125 in. each.

Benin Airlines intends to operate the aircraft as feeder freighters in the growing African and Middle East airfreight markets, to offer them on wet lease ACMI basis (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance included), as well as dry lease and sale.

About Benin Airlines SA:
Benin Airlines is new airline being formed to be the first genuine low cost African airline to operate direct flights across sub-Saharan Africa and to Europe, Middle East, and the Americas commencing operations in second quarter 2006. Benin Airlines is a private company formed with an investment of $250M. Launch operations include 2 x 747-200F cargo aircraft, 2 x 747-400 and 5 x 737-300 passenger aircraft.

About Utilicraft Aerospace Industries
Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, Inc., (UAI) was formed, in 2004, to target the significant problem of addressing the overnight express, international supply chain, e-commerce, and global third party logistics entities, inability to provide effective “containerized” fulfillment and distribution in the medium haul (or feeder) route segments of air cargo. The result of the Company’s research and development is a new air vehicle, the FF-1080-300 Freight Feeder aircraft, capable of cost-effectively carrying standard industry air containers on medium range/medium density routes, combined with an on-board integrated air cargo information and tracking system.


Contact:
Luke Butler – President Director General Benin Airlines SA
10 BP 890, Cotonou – Benin
Tel: +229 97 265 669
lukebutler@afraairlines.com

John J. Dupont – President, CEO Utilicraft Aerospace Industries
Email: jd@utilicraft.com
Direct Number: (505) 699-7848
Fax: 505-212-0296




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Rockwell Collins receives certification of MultiScan radar on Airbus A320, A330 and A340

(CEDAR RAPIDS, December 05, 2005) -- Rockwell Collins has received certification to install the WXR-2100 MultiScan Hazard Weather Detection System on Airbus A320, A330 and A340 aircraft.

“Airbus operators will now have access to the state-of-the-art advances in safety and reduced pilot workload that our MultiScan radar provides,” said Kelly Ortberg, vice president and general manager of Air Transport Systems for Rockwell Collins.

The WXR-2100 MultiScan Hazard Weather Detection System is a fully automatic radar that reduces pilot workload, and enhances safety and passenger comfort by reducing unexpected turbulence encounters. The MultiScan radar provides optimal weather detection from the nose of the aircraft to 320 nautical miles.

In addition, MultiScan automatically adjusts weather detection parameters for variations caused by geographic position and uses advanced radar threshold technologies to adjust the radar returns to more accurately display actual thunderstorm threats. MultiScan digitizes and stores multiple weather sweeps in a temporary data base and processes the digitized weather information to provide an optimized weather picture.

The system features OverFlight™ protection, providing crews with the ability to avoid inadvertent penetration of thunderstorm tops, one of the leading causes of unexpected turbulence encounters. Additionally, the WXR-2100 MultiScan weather radar is the first fully automatic radar to provide enhanced safety by reducing the need for manual intervention.

Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is a worldwide leader in the design, production, and support of communication and aviation electronics for commercial and government customers. The company’s 17,000 employees in 27 countries deliver industry-leading communication, navigation, surveillance, display, flight control, inflight entertainment, information management, and maintenance, training and simulation solutions. Additional information is available at www.rockwellcollins.com.




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NOAA, NASA, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Use Unmanned Aircraft for Environmental Research and Disaster Protection

(Dec. 5, 2005) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration successfully completed its first series of missions using a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system recently to support NOAA’s operational and research needs. Over the course of one flight, the Altair® UAS set a number of records, including the longest duration it has flown, the farthest distance from take off to return to the same base, and the farthest total distance.

The flights further demonstrated that the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Altair could carry an integrated sensor package up to approximately 45,000 feet altitude for an extended period to meet NOAA’s needs. These include oceanic and atmospheric research, climate research, marine sanctuary mapping and enforcement, nautical charting, and fisheries assessment and enforcement. Such a capability allows NOAA to conduct missions deemed “dull, dirty and dangerous,” those that would otherwise be too dangerous or impractical for manned flight.

The missions were conducted in conjunction with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and covered a range of scientific topics from atmospheric chemistry to biological census and coastal mapping. The first flights began in April 2005 and the final missions were completed in November. All flights began and ended at Gray Butte Airfield, one of two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. flight operations facilities in California's Mojave Desert.

“With this successful demonstration, our ability to understand and predict the world we live in is reaching new heights,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “UASs fill in a critical gap where land- and satellite-based observations sometimes fall short, giving us a view of the planet never before seen. This milestone is a huge step forward for earth sciences and will greatly help NOAA achieve its mission goals to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs.”

The Altair is piloted from a command center at a remote site, which allows for “dull, dirty and dangerous” missions without risk to pilots, scientists and crew. Additionally, routine or long-duration flights are made more affordable by eliminating the need for multiple aircraft or crews required by manned aircraft.

NOAA mounted a sophisticated instrument suite on Altair for the missions. The scientific payload included instruments for measurements of ocean color, atmospheric composition and temperature, and a surface imaging and surveillance system. Composition measurements include ozone and long-lived gases such as halocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrous oxide. These are all greenhouse gases that warm the earth by trapping solar energy in the atmosphere.

“NOAA’s scientific objectives have pushed the technology right to the edge and the results are promising,” said Mike Aslaksen, project manager for the Altair mission and chief of the NOAA Ocean Service Remote Sensing Division. “We’ve flown it longer and farther than its typical missions and found great results. UASs can take us places and gather data that has never been possible before.”

During a recent flight, Altair completed an 18.4-hour mission off the West Coast, taking off at about 11:30 a.m. Nov. 14 and landing at 6:00 a.m. Nov. 15. The flight objectives were to collect airborne data for approximately 20 hours with the NOAA science and operational payload. The records for distance were broken during this flight.

NOAA has research requirements in several areas that can be addressed by UAS flights. For example, airborne sampling is required for air quality and ocean studies, measuring the diurnal patterns of biologically produced gases that impact climate change and research in the remote polar regions to address stratospheric ozone depletion.

UASs can have enormous economic benefits in addition to the scientific.

NOAA is congressionally mandated to map the nation's coastal boundaries. The national shoreline provides the baseline for establishing the United States' territorial boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as a navigational reference for mariners and a geographic reference for coastal managers and other constituents. The platform is well suited to flying repetitive or dangerous missions where pilot fatigue and/or safety are an issue, such as patrolling the United States' 3.3-million-mile Exclusive Economic Zone for illegal fishing.

NOAA also manages more than 18,000 square miles of water and land as part of its National Marine Sanctuary Program. Patrolling this large an area for illegal fishing and unpermitted activities presents many challenges. A UAS platform could provide extended operational capability allowing specialized and dual-purpose missions. During the test flights, the Altair used a camera system and electro-optical infrared sensor to demonstrate how these operational needs could be met in future UAS flights.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and nearly 60 countries to develop a global Earth observation network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.


Contact:
Kent Laborde
202-482-5757




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Messier-Dowty cuts first metal on Boeing 787 Dreamliner landing gears Bidos, France, 5 December, 2005

Messier-Dowty, a SAFRAN group company, today began the first metal cutting at its Bidos production facility of the new landing gears for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This first major structural landing gear component to be machined is the inner cylinder for the nose landing gear.

Production of the first titanium forgings for the major structural components of the main gear, including the truck beam and inner cylinder, will begin in the next few weeks. This activity will take place at Messier-Dowty’s facilities in Gloucester, UK, and Bidos, France. Messier-Dowty has carried out extensive titanium machining trials in order to deliver weight savings to the 787 program.

The first sets of landing gears will be used for Boeing’s aircraft systems rig, due for delivery in late 2006. Subsequent sets will be used for development testing in-house at Messier-Dowty, undergoing a complete program of testing through to certification, followed by gears for flight testing at Boeing. The first units to be fitted to the production aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2007.

Messier-Dowty was selected to design and produce the 787 Dreamliner landing gears in March 2004. This was a significant achievement for the company and parent group SAFRAN, this being the first Boeing Commercial aircraft landing gear order for Messier-Dowty and the culmination of over 12 years of teamwork, working closely with Boeing in their development studies. Messier-Dowty is responsible for the design, development, testing, manufacture and integration of the main and nose landing gear structure, and will work closely with Boeing to provide in-service support.

Messier-Dowty already supplies landing gears for a number of Boeing military aircraft including the F/A-18, AV-8B, T-45 & V-22 Osprey plus a substantial sub-contract element of the landing gear for Boeing’s 777 commercial aircraft.

During the joint definition phase, Messier-Dowty engineers worked alongside Boeing teams, designing the landing gear and supporting aircraft interface and integration. Messier-Dowty has now entered the detailed design phase, concentrating landing gear design activities at the company’s Seattle office, staffed with engineers from Seattle and from Messier-Dowty sites in Canada the UK and France. Messier-Dowty is part of Boeing’s Life Cycle Product Team (LCPT) combining knowledge and experience from design, test, operations and customer services, to consider all aspects of the landing gears throughout the life cycle of the aircraft. Testing of the gears will take place at Messier-Dowty’s test centers located at Gloucester and Toronto.

Production for the 787 will take place at Messier-Dowty’s existing centers of manufacturing excellence around the world. The production plan for the major components of the gears includes the manufacture of the inner cylinder in Bidos France, the outer cylinder in Montreal, the truck beam in Gloucester and linkage parts from its Suzhou operation in China. During the initial production cycle the gears will be assembled at the Gloucester operation and as the program moves into volume production Messier-Dowty will move production to a North American assembly facility.

Messier-Dowty, a SAFRAN group company, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of landing gear systems. Messier-Dowty landing gear are in service on more than 19,000 aircraft making over 30 000 landings every day. The company supplies 30 airframe manufacturers and supports 750 operators of large commercial aircraft, regional and business aircraft, military aircraft and helicopters. Messier-Dowty is also the majority shareholder of the worldwide MRO network, Messier Services. Messier-Dowty and Messier Services together have 4,000 employees across sites in Europe, North America and Asia, and posted consolidated sales of roughly 720 million euros in 2004.


www.messier-dowty.com
Alison JOLY
Phone: +33 (0)1 46 29 18 22
Fax +33 (0)1 46 29 18 03
alison.joly@messier-dowty.com




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US Airways orders GEnx engine for its new Airbus A350 fleet

(EVENDALE, Ohio - December 5, 2005) -- US Airways has reached agreement with General Electric Company to purchase GEnx engines for its new order of 20 Airbus A350 aircraft.

US Airways is scheduled to take delivery of its A350s beginning in 2011. The GEnx engine contract with US Airways is valued at more than $400 million.

"GE has collaborated closely with US Airways as it restructures and invests in new aircraft," said David Romansky, GE's regional sales director. "GE has a long history with the airline and looks forward to supporting this new aircraft fleet."

To date, GE has signed agreements to power a total of 112 A350 aircraft with its fast-selling GEnx engine.

Airbus has established an integrated certification schedule for the A350, which includes GEnx engine flight-testing in 2009, and aircraft/engine certification in 2010. GE has a full-time team of engineers at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, collaborating on the A350 program.

The GEnx is based on the highly successful GE90 architecture. It will succeed GE's CF6 engine family, which is the most reliable and best-selling engine on wide-body aircraft. It provides significantly better fuel burn and payload performance than GE's CF6 engines.

The GEnx engine is the world's only jet engine with a front fan case and fan blades made of composites, which provide for greater engine durability, weight reduction and lower operating costs. The fan blades will utilize GE90 composite technology that has performed well, with no routine on-wing maintenance required and no in-service issue for almost a decade. The GEnx will operate with 18 fan blades (50 percent fewer than the CF6) at noise levels lower than any large GE commercial engine. The GEnx also features a new combustor for efficient fuel mixing before ignition, resulting in significantly lower NOx levels.

The GEnx is part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio-GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.


Contact:
Rick Kennedy (513) 243-3372, rick.l.kennedy@ae.ge.com
Debbie Case (513) 243-0094, deborah.case@ae.ge.com




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Orbital Awarded $12 Million Fleet Management Contract for Foothill Transit in California

-- Company's Transportation Management Systems Division to Provide SmartBus System for Foothill Transit in West Covina, California --

-- Fleet of 300 Public Transit Vehicles to be Tracked and Managed by Company's GPS Satellite-based System --

(Dulles, VA, 5 December 2005) -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that its Transportation Management Systems division (Orbital TMS) has been awarded an $11.7 million contract by Foothill Transit of West Covina, California. The company will provide a SmartBusTM System (SBS) to track and manage Foothill Transit's fleet of 300 public transportation and related vehicles. Orbital TMS will utilize its GPS satellite-based OrbCAD fleet management system to help Foothill Transit achieve its objectives of improving service for its riders and increasing the efficiency of its operations.

Mr. Doran Barnes, Executive Director of Foothill Transit said, "The SBS will support the agency's initiatives to improve operator and passenger safety, and provide accurate and reliable transit information to the riding public. At the same time, the system will allow us to keep our operational costs in check."

Mr. Barnes added, "As the costs to operate public transit systems grow, new technologies provide opportunities to manage these costs while at the same time improve the quality of service to our customers. In addition, we are excited about the possibility of attracting new riders with the availability of real-time data regarding our system. Further, we look forward to using the data generated by the SBS to develop services that more closely meet the needs of the communities that we serve."

The system that Foothill Transit is deploying will include a fully integrated vehicle equipment suite in each of its buses. The benefits of this package include simplified driver operations, ADA regulatory compliant announcements to the public and enhanced passenger security through an advanced video and audio surveillance system. The Foothill Transit fleet is linked to its divisions and headquarters through a wide-area communications radio system that provides a complete assessment of fleet operations and enables rapid response to incidents through the Orbital TMS system.

Among the features the system offers are a Bus Signal Priority (BSP) capability that controls traffic signals to assist buses in maintaining their published schedule. Additionally, Orbital's Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) will be included to provide real-time schedule information to the public at major Foothill Transit centers and throughout the regional transit information system.

Mr. David A. Kachemov, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Orbital's TMS division, said, "We are pleased to partner with Foothill Transit in providing the SmartBus System that will assist in providing a more efficient and cost effective transit solution. This system is also scalable and is able to be upgraded, enabling Foothill Transit to plan for the long-term management of services to the riding public."

Mr. Kachemov concluded by adding, "Situational awareness, responsiveness to incidents, service restoration and enhanced customer service are just a few of the benefits that Foothill Transit will realize when the new SBS system is fully implemented."

About Orbital TMS
Orbital TMS is a leading integrator of products for fleet and workforce management, mobile data communications, data management and advanced traveler information systems. TMS provides integrated Computer Aided Dispatch/Automated Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) solutions for 60 transit and state agency customers in the U.S. and internationally, with units installed or scheduled to be installed on approximately 27,500 vehicles. More information about Orbital TMS can be found at http://www.tms-online.com

About Orbital
Orbital develops and manufactures small space and rocket systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-orbit, geosynchronous and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators. More information about Orbital can be found at: http://www.orbital.com


Contact:
Barron Beneski (703) 406-5528
Public and Investor Relations
Beneski.barron@orbital.com




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Second Boeing X-50A Dragonfly Canard Rotor/Wing Prototype Completes Hover Flight

(CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2005) -– The Boeing Company’s [NYSE: BA] second canard rotor/wing (CRW) technology demonstrator – the X-50A Dragonfly unmanned air vehicle – has successfully completed a four-minute hover flight at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in southwest Arizona. The aircraft reached an altitude of about 20 feet above ground.

“Our first flight test objectives were met today,” said Clark Mitchell, Boeing Phantom Works program manager for the CRW prototype. “This is a significant achievement toward validating the new stopped-rotor technology.”

Under joint development by Boeing Phantom Works and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the CRW is a revolutionary aircraft that combines the speed and range of fixed-wing flight with the flexibility of rotary-wing flight. It also incorporates tip jet propulsion and stopped rotor technologies.

“The most significant objective met was verification that software compensation effectively reduces the rotor control issue we were having, or cross coupling,” he said. The phenomenon of cross coupling was a finding in the mishap investigation of Ship 1 in 2004 that led to wind tunnel tests for Ship 2 at the Boeing helicopter facility in Philadelphia earlier this year.

Ship 2 then completed ground checkout testing at the Boeing facility in Mesa, Ariz., where it was configured for flight. After a flight readiness review, the vehicle was shipped to Yuma where it completed a preparatory “pop up” flight Nov. 4. The flight lasted only about 30 seconds during which the aircraft stabilized briefly at 16 feet above the ground and then landed. Success with the initial flight led to the hover flight Dec. 2.

Mitchell said that flight tests are expected to continue into early next year. The flight-test schedule calls for 11 flights. Under the remote control of a pilot in a ground station cockpit, the X-50A Dragonfly will gradually perform more extensive hover flights, then forward-moving rotary wing flights.

The test program will culminate with the first ever “conversion” from rotary wing flight to fixed-wing flight and back again to rotary wing flight for landing. The conversion requires the main rotor to stop turning in flight, and lock in place to become a fixed wing for high speed flight.

Ship 1, the first Dragonfly prototype vehicle, was involved in a flight mishap on March 23, 2004, that led to a joint investigation by Boeing and DARPA. The findings identified cross coupling of the rotor controls as the main cause of the mishap. Since then, improvements have been incorporated into Ship 2 that address design issues related to findings. These include changes such as new rotor torsion springs for increased control power, new flight control software and a flight data recorder.


Doug Kinneard
Boeing Phantom Works
(480) 891-2896
doug.kinneard@boeing.com

Daryl Stephenson
Boeing Phantom Works
(314) 232-8203
daryl.l.stephenson@boeing.com




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GE90 and China Southern Airlines: Flying High after a Decade of Remarkable Service

(EVENDALE, OH - December 5, 2005) - On December 28, 1995, the world's most powerful jet engine-the GE90-on a new Boeing 777 was delivered to China Southern Airlines. Since then, GE and China Southern have developed a strong relationship and demonstrated the outstanding reliability of the GE90 engines.

China Southern was the first Asian airline to operate the GE90-powered, 777 aircraft, and the airline has continued to garner more firsts with this engine and aircraft. In 1997, China Southern made aviation history with the world's first, non-stop flight between mainland China and the United States with the GE90 engine-777 aircraft combination. In 2000, the airline awarded GE a 10-year, $215 million engine service agreement for the GE90 engines-which was the first long-term maintenance agreement with a Chinese airline. This service agreement was extended through 2013. Today, China Southern operates 10 777 aircraft and 25 GE90 engines.

"China Southern operates the largest fleet and the highest density routes in China, as well as handling the highest volume turnover," said Mr. Yuan Xin An, Vice President of China Southern. " Over the past 10 years, the GE90 has played an important role in supporting our operations by improving operational safety, customer satisfaction, and helping to establish the China Southern brand. We are continuing to build our relationship with GE and look forward to a long and successful future together."

Throughout the last decade, GE has continued to invest in the GE90 engine family, which has grown from its initial certification at 76,400 pounds of thrust to an unprecedented 115,000 pounds of thrust today. To date, more than 350 GE90 engines are in service.

GE introduced the first major derivative growth engine, the GE90-94B, in 2000. The baseline GE90-76B through the GE90-94B engines have logged more than 6.4 million flight hours. The GE90-94B engine, in particular, has an outstanding in-flight shutdown rate of 0.003 per 1000 engine flight-hours, well below the current 180-minute ETOPS requirement of 0.020 per 1000 engine flight-hours. With this level of performance, the GE90-94B engine has set a high standard of performance for high-thrust engines.

In 2004, the GE90-115B entered service, powering the 777-300ER. To date, the GE90-115B engine has completed more than 160,000 hours and 22,000 cycles with no engine removals and no in-flight shutdowns-a remarkable achievement for an entry into service of a new jet engine. The GE90-115B engine is currently awaiting type certification on the 777-200LR. Delivery of the first 777-200LR aircraft is scheduled for January 2006.

"This year has been outstanding for engine orders with more than 130 GE90 engines ordered by eight customers," says Tom Wygle, general manager of the GE90 engine program. "These new orders reflect our customers' trust in the technology and recognition of the operational benefits the GE90 engine has demonstrated."

Technologies from the GE90 continue to play a role in the new engines that GE is developing. The Engine Alliance, a joint venture between GE and Pratt & Whitney, utilized the GE90's hot section design for the GP7200, which will power the Airbus A380. The GE90's highly successful composite fan blades will be incorporated into the new GEnx engine for Boeing's 787 and 747-8 aircraft and the Airbus A350 aircraft.

GE - Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of jet engines for civil and military aircraft. GE also is a global provider of maintenance and support services for operators of GE jet engines.


Contact:
Rick Kennedy (513) 243-3372, rick.l.kennedy@ae.ge.com
Debbie Case (513) 243-0094, deborah.case@ae.ge.com




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General Dynamics Awarded $6 Million to Design Remotely Operated Variant of XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon

(December 5, 2005) -- Charlotte, N.C. – General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has received a $6 million contract modification from the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.) for the design and development of a remotely operated variant of the XM307 Advanced Crew-Served Weapon (ACSW) system. This award funds work through June 2006, and brings the total cumulative value of the ACSW System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract to $108 million.

The XM307 is a lightweight, portable grenade machine gun that utilizes 25mm airbursting ammunition. This next-generation replacement for current heavy and grenade machine guns efficiently manages recoil and is highly portable in small soldier units. This contract funds design and development of a Remotely Operated Variant (ROV) of the XM307, which will be used in the Future Combat Systems family of vehicles now in development. The weapon will be integrated into a vehicle-mounted firing station that is remotely controlled by the operator. Cameras and range finders in the firing station will allow the operator to accurately identify and engage targets while remaining safely protected within the vehicle.

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products will perform system integration and weapon development at its Burlington, Vt., facility. The family of ammunition is being developed by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems in Marion, Ill.
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, located in Charlotte, N.C., provides a broad range of system solutions for military applications. The company designs, develops and produces high-performance armament systems; a full range of advanced composite-based products; biological and chemical detection systems; and mobile shelter systems. More information about General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products can be found on the World Wide Web at www.gdatp.com.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 71,900 people worldwide and had 2004 revenue of $19.2 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation. More information about the company can be found at www.generaldynamics.com.


Contact:
John Suttle
Tel: 704 714 8014
Fax: 704 714 8055
JSuttle@gdatp.com




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Raytheon's APG-79 AESA Radar for the F/A-18 Super Hornet Sets a New Standard as it Delivers Multiple JDAMs Simultaneously on Target

(EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec. 5, 2005) -- The revolutionary APG-79 AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar developed by Raytheon Company's Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) has scored another first. The system successfully delivered multiple JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munition) using real-time targeting coordinates derived from a high resolution SAR (synthetic aperture radar) image during recent testing at the U.S. Navy's China Lake facility.

This latest demonstration confirms the radar's real-time targeting capability and establishes a new standard for time-critical precision strike. The APG-79 radar also allows aircrews to operate at a greater stand-off distance, in all weather and has the ability to target multiple coordinates off the same map, which has not been possible before.

To further demonstrate the synergy of the onboard Raytheon sensors, the JDAM test also employed the ATFLIR (Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared) system to provide imagery of the targeting area. Interfacing seamlessly with the APG-79, ATFLIR recorded the impact of the weapons against two diverse targets, confirming simultaneous weapon delivery while providing post-impact bomb damage information.

Erv Grau, Raytheon vice president for Air Combat Avionics, said: "The beauty of our AESA radar is the revolutionary real-time targeting capability it brings to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. This has not been done before.
Simultaneous air-to-ground weapons delivery is now possible against multiple targets using our high resolution SAR images. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate the seamless operation between the radar and ATFLIR which further enhances the superiority of the Super Hornet."

The APG-79 is the world's only air-to-air and air-to-surface multi-mode AESA radar in production today.

"These tests prove that the radar can work flawlessly with the other critical mission systems on the aircraft, such as the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing system, the Multi-function Information Distribution System, ATFLIR and both the ALR-67v3 and IDECM electronic warfare systems," said Chris Chadwick, vice president for Boeing's F/A-18 program. "It is this integrated weapon system approach that will give our warfighters the edge they need to dominate the battlespace."

The program has also been highly successful during the recent air-to-air live fire demonstrations last month in which an AMRAAM was successfully deployed.
This proved that weapons delivery from an AESA equipped F/A-18 can now be executed at ranges not possible before.

"In the past, the weapon's capability exceeded that of the aircraft. The missile could reach the target, but the radar couldn't see it. Now, with the
APG-79 radar, the aircraft's capability exceeds that of the weapon, and this gives us an enormous advantage when prosecuting a mission," said Capt. Aaron "Slime" Bowman, U.S. Navy AESA program manager for the F/A-18.

The APG-79 program is on target to transition from engineering manufacturing development into integrated test and evaluation shortly. This will be followed by the start of operational evaluation in late spring 2006.

So far each phase has been successfully completed on schedule with outstanding results.

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems is the leading provider of sensor systems giving warfighters the most accurate and timely information available for the network-centric battlefield.

With 2004 revenues of $4 billion and 13,000 employees, SAS is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., with additional facilities in Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.; Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several international locations.

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2004 sales of $20.2 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft.
With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.


Contact:
Faith Jennings
310 334 2553 office
310 977 1963 mobile
faith_jennings@raytheon.com




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L-3 Communications Acquires Applied Signal and Image Technology, Inc.

(NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2005) -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that it acquired Applied Signal and Image Technology, Inc. (ASIT) on November 23, 2005. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The business has been renamed L-3 ASIT and will report to L-3's Integrated Systems Group. The acquisition is expected to add approximately $20 million to L-3's sales in 2006 and is planned to be accretive.

Headquartered in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, ASIT specializes in the research, engineering and production of signal processing systems. ASIT designs, develops and integrates tactical communications intelligence (COMINT), measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) and electronic attack (EA) systems for both ground and airborne installations, including fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). ASIT has specific expertise in precision radio-signal direction finding and geo-location.

Founded in 1992, ASIT has sold over 600 geo-location systems, including payloads for the Predator UAV and the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. Many of these systems and payloads are deployed in support of U.S. operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. ASIT also develops algorithms and technology for processing MASINT signatures, such as hyperspectral imagery, in support of national programs.

"As a leader in the signals processing field, ASIT adds their unique capabilities and products to L-3 while being highly complementary to our existing ISR business," said Robert W. Drewes, president and chief operating officer of L-3 Integrated Systems Group. "Already, L-3 businesses have worked with ASIT on such programs as Predator and Big Safari, and as part of our C3ISR segment ASIT will provide L-3 with sensor systems and technology that will integrate well with our UAV initiatives and our larger C3ISR programs."

Mr. Drewes also noted that there are solid growth opportunities for ASIT's capabilities in the small payload UAV market, as well as the business jet class of aircraft.

"ASIT has developed a family of small, low-power geo-location systems for both ground and airborne applications, and has established strong working relationships with the special operations groups in the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines," continued Mr. Drewes. "With this acquisition, L-3 Communications has positioned itself to compete well in the networked tactical geo-location market."

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications is a leading provider of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, secure communications systems, aircraft modernization, training and government services. The company is a leading merchant supplier of a broad array of high technology products, including guidance and navigation, sensors, scanners, fuzes, data links, propulsion systems, simulators, avionics, electro optics, satellite communications, electrical power equipment, encryption, signal intelligence, antennas and microwave components. L-3 also supports a variety of Homeland Security initiatives with products and services. Its customers include the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, selected U.S. Government intelligence agencies and aerospace prime contractors.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to events or conditions or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the company's Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-looking Statements included in the company's recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.


Contact:
L-3 Communications
Cynthia Swain
Vice President, Corporate Communications
212-697-1111

Financial Dynamics
Investors: Eric Boyriven, Olivia Pirovano
Media Contacts: Evan Goetz
212-850-5600




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ONBASS: ON-Board Active Safety System

ONBASS is a Specific Targeted Research Project (STREP), partly funded by the European Commission under the ‘Aeronautics and Space’ thematic priority of the 6th Framework Programme. The project aims at significantly improving flight safety by introducing the Principle of Active System Safety (PASS) initially for General Aviation (and later for all other types of aviation) in Europe. ONBASS started in January 2005 and is due for completion at the end of December 2007.

Concept
The final goal of the project is to design, develop, test and validate an on-board active real-time data processing system that will monitor flight related parameters and react in the case of a proliferation of risk to the aircraft or its occupants. The system will recognise undesirable trends or patterns in data relating to the various aircraft agents (aircraft, systems, pilot) by analysing and comparing current flight data against previously accumulated aircraft-specific behavioural data. As a result, timely interventions could be made in order to eliminate the associated risk(s) or to minimise the severity of the corresponding effects. In addition, the system will offer invaluable and comprehensive data for post-flight analysis upon which aviation safety bodies could base and/or redesign safety policies and procedures.

Objectives
ONBASS will introduce the Principle of Active System Safety (PASS) for General Aviation in Europe. The scientific and technological objectives of the project can be summarised as follows:

- Further theoretical and conceptual development of the active safety principle and formation of theoretical models to analyse the limits of the principle’s applicability.
- Research and development of basic fault tolerant hardware elements for the on-board part of the active safety system.
- Concepts, design and development of a resilient system software core for the active safety system.
- Investigation, analysis and definition of the financial and business aspects associated with the PASS concept in the long-term.

Technical Approach
The ONBASS system will comprise of a Data Communication element (DC) and an Active Safety Processing element (ASP).

The DC provides a flexible means for connecting the system to any type of aircraft and onboard sensor being unique in the data interfaces it offers. It normalises the data, packs it into frames and then forwards it to the ASP via a resilient communications interface (resilient hardware and resilient data link protocol).

The ASP is a standard element that is conceived, designed and constructed to provide extremely high reliability and hence availability. The goal is for ONBASS to be a 'fit and forget' unit requiring no maintenance throughout the life of the aircraft. In order to achieve this, fault tolerance techniques for hardware processing, logic and memory and systematic analysis and implementation techniques for the run-time system application software are used.

The ASP may potentially provide different types of feedback regarding safety information. At level 1 (current project) it may be appropriate (subject to research) to provide safety feedback to the pilot (e.g. on a display) during operation of the aircraft (in flight and/or on ground). At level 2 (future projects) it may be possible to feed safety information back to the flight control system and/or to fault tolerant actuator systems in order to conserve or improve safety levels of the aircraft.

Consortium
The ONBASS consortium consists of companies and organisations from five different European countries; these are:

Euro Telematik AG - Germany
London Metropolitan University – United Kingdom
iRoC Technologies - France
Robinsons Associates - United Kingdom
ETH Zürich - Switzerland
Oration S.A. - Greece


Contact:
Project Coordinator
Dr. Thomas Wittig
thomas.wittig@euro-telematik.de




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ESA’s Integral and XMM-Newton missions extended

(5 December 2005) -- ESA’s Science Programme Committee has extended operations of the highly successful astronomical observatories Integral and XMM-Newton for four years, until 16 December 2010 and 31 March 2010 respectively.

As usual, there will be a review of the scientific performance and of the missions status in another two years' time, around autumn 2007.
The Integral gamma-ray observatory was launched on 17 October 2002, and has been providing ever since an increasingly detailed insight into some of the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. These include the births and deaths of stars, supermassive black holes, neutron stars, the annihilation of matter and anti-matter, and gamma-ray bursts.

Integral is also conducting of the first detailed gamma-ray mapping of the galactic plane, and studying extra-galactic gamma-ray sources with unprecedented sensitivity.

Having already amassed a large number of scientific results and publications, the latest extension will provide even more opportunities for the scientists hoping to investigate many of the scientific issues being addressed by Integral.

With its four instruments (a gamma-ray imager and spectrometer, an X-ray monitor and an optical camera), the Integral observatory displays a unique combination of outstanding sensitivity to faint details, spectral resolution and imaging capability.

The X-ray observatory XMM-Newton was launched on 10 December 1999. Thanks to its large effective area and high throughput, it is providing important scientific results which continue to break new ground in many key areas of X-ray astrophysics.
It provides observations of all kinds of astronomical objects starting from comets and planets in our Solar System up to the most distant quasars, which are observed at a time when the Universe was only 7% of its current age (13 700 million years).

With its six instruments (three X-ray cameras, two spectrometers and a UV/Optical monitor), which operate simultaneously, the XMM-Newton observatory provides a state-of-the-art high-throughput facility featuring high spectral resolution and excellent sensitivity to provide high-quality spectra of both point and spatially extended sources.


Contact:
Chris Winkler, ESA Integral Project Scientist
E-mail: christoph.winkler @ esa.int

Norbert Schartel, ESA XMM-Newton Project Scientist
E-mail:norbert.schartel @ esa.int




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Bell Helicopter's Eagle Eye TR918 Unmanned Aircraft System Receives First Ever FAA Certification for Testing of a Vertical Lift Unmanned Aircraft

(Ft. Worth, TX - December 5, 2005) -- Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), today announced that its Eagle Eye TR918 Unmanned Aircraft System, or UAS, has received its certificate of airworthiness for experimental flight testing from the Federal Aviation Administration. This certification represents the first certificate of airworthiness for experimental flight-testing ever issued by the FAA to a vertical lift UAS.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment that many people from both Bell Helicopter and the FAA have been working very hard to achieve," explained Kevin Connell, Vice President of Bell Helicopter's XworX facility. "Not only are we celebrating the certification of the Eagle Eye TR 918, but we are also celebrating the fact that with this first ever certificate of airworthiness for experimental testing of a vertical lift unmanned aircraft, Bell Helicopter is once again leading the way in the vertical lift industry. Flight testing will be conducted at a recently opened Bell XworX facility in West Texas."

"This is another example of Bell Helicopter's leadership in vertical lift technology," said Bell Helicopter Chief Executive Officer, Mike Redenbaugh.

The successful experimental flight certification of Bell's Eagle Eye TR918 UAS is the culmination of nearly a year of preparations, coordination and cooperation between Bell Helicopter and the FAA.

"The approval of experimental flight certification by the FAA is an example of government and industry teamwork," explained Bob Ellithorpe, Bell Helicopter's Director of Unmanned Systems. "The FAA and Bell Helicopter executed a detailed plan over the last several months that today yielded the approval of an Experimental Flight Certification for the Eagle Eye TR918 UAS...we are now cleared to take to the air and begin flight test operations."

During the certification process, an eight member team made of representatives from FAA headquarters in Washington D.C. and the FAA Southwest Region, scrutinized every aspect of the Eagle Eye program from hardware and software to operational procedures and quality control.

"With this successful certification, we can now demonstrate to the world the remarkable capability of a vertical lift, tiltrotor UAS like the Eagle Eye TR918," Ellithorpe said. "This system will provide military and commercial operators with multiple capabilities ranging from homeland security to pipeline patrol. Ultimately, Bell's objective is to provide a family of unmanned systems that give our customers the means to more effectively accomplish their missions."

According the Redenbaugh, the Bell Helicopter funded Eagle Eye TR918 program is a great example of Bell Helicopter and Textron's commitment to continue to invest in vertical lift.

"This is a great example of Bell Helicopter continuing to advance the overall strategy of being in both military and commercial business, in both tilt totors and helicopters and in both manned and unmanned aircraft," Redenbaugh said.

Bell Helicopter is a leading producer of commercial and military helicopters and the pioneer of the revolutionary tilt rotor aircraft. Globally recognized for customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in over 120 countries.

Textron Inc. is a $10 billion multi-industry company with 44,000 employees in 40 countries. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com.




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Raytheon Awarded Two Contracts Valued at $15.7 Million to Support AEGIS Equipment

(TEWKSBURY, Mass., Dec. 5, 2005) -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded two sole source contracts by the U.S. Navy totaling $15.7 million for AEGIS equipment support.

A $10.2 million performance based logistics contract renews Raytheon Integrated Defense System's (IDS) direct responsibility for administering AEGIS technical support for spares and repairs requirements of U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. A $5.5 million contract calls for upgrading transmitter equipment in the AEGIS Weapon System. The AEGIS program is served by Raytheon's IDS Surveillance & Sensor Systems business area.
Raytheon recently commemorated a 25-year milestone of continuous AEGIS equipment production.

"Logistics contracts are our vehicles for supporting IDS customers throughout the product life cycle," says Dan Martin, vice president, Surveillance & Sensors Systems. "A critical role we play in supporting and protecting the fleet is to understand and anticipate the Navy's continually changing needs and to help them control life-cycle costs while delivering on the warfighters' needs."

The $5.5 million transmitter upgrade contract calls for the manufacture, test and delivery of solid state amplifiers for use in RF (radio frequency) monitor cabinets in SPY-1 radar transmitters. Whole life services and support is central to maintaining and upgrading AEGIS equipment on board the U.S.
Navy's fleet, which includes Ticonderoga class cruisers and Arleigh Burke class destroyers.

Based in Tewksbury, Mass., Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Joint Battlespace Integration. With a strong international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. armed forces, Integrated Defense Systems provides a wide spectrum of integrated air and missile defense and naval and maritime warfighting solutions.

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2004 sales of $20.2 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft.
With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.


Contact:
Guy Shields
978.858.5246




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Alcatel Alenia Space wins new communication and broadcast satellite contract Chinasat 6B from ChinaSatcom, bolstering cooperation with China

(Paris, December 5, 2005) -- Alcatel Alenia Space announced today that it has signed a contract with ChinaSatcom (China Satellite Communication
Corporation) to design and manufacture the new-generation Chinasat 6B communication and broadcast satellite. Dedicated to television broadcasting, this satellite will enable ChinaSatcom to expand its services in China. After Chinasat 9 in 2004, this is the second contract signed with ChinaSatcom and the fourth satellite contract signed with a Chinese operator, making Alcatel Alenia Space a leading supplier of satellites to China.

The contract was signed today in the presence of Chinese Prime minister Wen Jiabao, French Prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, Zhang Hainan, President of ChinaSatcom, Serge Tchuruk, Chairman and CEO of Alcatel, and Pascale Sourisse, President and CEO of Alcatel Alenia Space.

During the contract signing ceremony at Hotel Matignon (offices of the French Prime minister), Zhang Hainan said: "This signature, following
Chinasat 9 contract, will strengthen ChinaSatcom communication and
broadcast capacities on the Chinese market and will enable most of Chinese people to enjoy the latest services based on Alcatel Alenia Space satellite technology."

Serge Tchuruk added: "The Chinasat 6B contract marks a new step forward in partnership and trust between Alcatel and China which started some 20 years ago. We are very proud to provide ChinaSatcom with our state-of-the-art technology, proven in orbit."

Chinasat 6B will be based on the Spacebus 4000 C2 platform from Alcatel Alenia Space, fitted with 38 active C-band channels. Weighing about 4,600 kilograms at launch and having 8,7 kW of electrical power, it will be positioned at 115.5 degrees East. The satellite's lifetime will exceed 15 years.

Chinasat 6B will be orbited by the Chinese Long March 3B launcher. Alcatel Alenia Space will assist ChinaSatcom for the launch campaign, orbital positioning and in-orbit tests.

The cooperation between Alcatel and Chinese satellite operators started in
1984 with the supply of subassemblies for Chinasat 1. Alcatel then delivered Sinosat 1 in July 1998, and Apstar VI last April. Chinasat 9 is currently under construction.

In the frame of the official visit of the Chinese Prime minister in France, Serge Tchuruk and Pascale Sourisse will welcome Wen Jiabao to the Alcatel Alenia Space's facility in Cannes, France, on Wednesday December 7th.

About Alcatel Alenia Space
Alcatel Alenia Space, leader in satellite systems and at the forefront of orbit infrastructures, brings together the vast experience and know-how of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio to form a new leading force in European space technology. Alcatel Alenia Space represents a worldwide standard for space development that impacts everybody's future: from navigation to telecommunications, from meteorology to environmental monitoring, from defence to science and observation. An affiliate of Alcatel (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%), Alcatel Alenia Space generated an estimated turnover of
1.8 billion euros with around 7,200 people in 2004.


About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks; applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.3 billion and 56,000 employees in 2004, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.