BAE Systems, Navy, and Marine Corps Go 4 for 4 in Testing of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System

BAE Systems ~ Tuesday December 15, 2009
CHINA LAKE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BAE Systems, in concert with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, scored four hits in four shots during the final phase of integrated testing of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), a technology that adds low-cost precision laser guidance to 2.75-inch airborne rockets. Integrated testing seeks to confirm the production readiness of the APKWS system against the full spectrum of system requirements specified by the Navy and Marine Corps. In tests during the week of Nov. 23, four guided rockets fired from a U.S. Marine Corps Cobra helicopter hit laser-designated moving and stationary targets. The firings tested the performance of APKWS against a variety of requirements and operational scenarios and the rockets were fired from the helicopter at varying altitudes and airspeeds. Each shot struck well within the required distance from the laser spot.
APKWS has hit its targets 22 times since September 2002, with six helicopters and several air crews involving various mission scenarios.
“Entering integrated test is an important step in confirming that APKWS will meet the needs of its end users,” said Michelle McBride, co-project manager for the Navy’s Airborne Rockets group, which oversees the development of APKWS. “The performance to date demonstrates the system’s maturity and reliability. The Navy is very pleased that APKWS has entered the final phase of testing and that we are nearing a Milestone C decision.”
The Milestone C decision represents the U.S. government’s certification that APKWS is a mature system ready for low-rate initial production. In addition to proving the flight performance of the system, Milestone C requires proof that APKWS will survive the harsh environments it will encounter in theater, that it will not present a safety risk to aviators and ordnance crews responsible for loading and unloading weapons, and that it will not have an adverse impact on the airframe from which it is fired, among other criteria. APKWS is the only laser-guided 2.75-inch rocket undergoing this full U.S. government evaluation.
“This integrated test is the culmination of years of work on behalf of BAE Systems and our government customers to deliver enhanced capability to the aviator,” said Mike Lewis, vice president and general manager of soldier and vehicle solutions for BAE Systems. “APKWS is a mature, reliable, low-cost system that will greatly improve the ability of aviators to engage targets of opportunity while reducing the risk of collateral damage.”
Because it uses standard launchers, the system requires no platform integration or aircraft modifications, and the mid-body design of its guidance section enables use of existing warheads, fuzes, and rocket motors. APKWS can be fired from any helicopter that can launch 2.75-inch rockets, including the AH-1 Cobra, UH-1 Huey, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, and AH-64 Apache.
The Navy assumed acquisition executive oversight of the program in 2008 and has fully funded it for production. BAE Systems has been the APKWS prime contractor since 2006.
About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is a premier global defense, security and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £18.5 billion (US $34.4 billion) in 2008.
Contact:
BAE Systems
Paula Mondebello,
+1 512-929-2956
Mobile: +1 512-694-0375
paula.mondebello@baesystems.com
or
Susan Lenhardt,
+1 301-838-6907
Mobile: +1 703-850-1621
susan.lenhardt@baesystems.com
www.baesystems.com

Z Microsystems Receives $2 Million Order for Airborne Surveillance Program

- Rugged, High-Performance Workstations to Support Tactical Intelligence Collection -
Source: Z Microsystems ~ Tuesday December 15, 2009
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Z Microsystems, a leading provider of mission-ready computing systems, today announced it has received a $2 million order for rugged, high-performance workstations and data storage for a forward deployed airborne surveillance program used for tactical intelligence missions.
The program involves the collection of data by sensor-equipped aircraft. Workstations and data storage equipment supplied by Z Microsystems will support tactical intelligence collection, which includes facilitating accurate weapon targeting and identifying improvised explosive devices.
“Z Microsystems has a reputation for providing military computing systems that can withstand harsh environmental conditions. This capability will ensure that field commanders have access to important and timely information needed to make critical decisions," said Jack Wade, CEO of Z Microsystems. “We are proud to provide the systems needed to support this project and contribute to its success.”
The military program is implementing Z Microsystems’ ZXL2 workstations and TranzPak 7 data storage devices. The ZXL2 workstation is a low profile, rack mountable system with high-performance computing and graphics processing capabilities. The compact system is 3.45 inches (2U) high by 20 inches deep and supports up to three rugged hot–pluggable, removable drives, a slimline DVD-RW and a slimline floppy drive. User–friendly features include a front accessible power switch, two front accessible USB ports for rapid connectivity, and a quick-release top access cover for ease of service and hardware installation.
Optimized for rugged conditions, the ZXL2 hosts innovative PCI card hold–down brackets that secure cards in all three axes (X/Y/Z). In addition, filtered sliding front panel doors, which do not interfere with other rack–mounted equipment when opened, repel sand and dust. A robust 550W power supply supports the latest Intel Core2 Duo and AMD Opteron server boards, as well as high–power (PCI Express) graphics cards.
The rugged TranzPak 7 removable storage module provides up to two terabytes of storage capacity. It features an extruded aluminum body and die cast cam locking front panel. With the single docking station, the TranzPak 7 works like any removable drive, but its storage capacity allows more flexibility and efficiency in reproducing fielded settings in lab situation and vice versa. An operator can plug-in or remove an entire operating system, including programs and projects in any computer or storage system, in any location.
For more information, visit Z Microsystems at www.zmicro.com, or call 858-831–7054 for a demo or quote.
About Z Microsystems
For more than 20 years, Z Microsystems has been supplying superior computing technology to the US military and defense system integrators. Z Microsystems is the leading designer and manufacturer of “mission–ready” computing solutions designed to meet the rigorous requirements of military and government users. Z Microsystems’ field–ready commercial off–the–shelf (COTS) products include rugged flat panel displays, rugged computers and rugged storage systems. For more information, visit www.zmicro.com.
Contact:
Chereskin Communications
Valerie Chereskin,
760-942-3116
valerie@chereskincomm.com

Cubic Receives $7 Million in New Orders for Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Training Systems

Cubic Corporation ~ Tuesday December 15, 2009
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - 12/15/09) - Cubic Defense Applications, the defense systems business of Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB - News), has received $7 million in follow-on contracts to provide additional combat training instrumentation for the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
"These new contracts bring Cubic's total orders for air combat technology in Japan to $20 million," said Philip J. Fisch, Senior Director of Business Development for Cubic Defense Applications. "Our training systems are helping to enhance the capabilities and readiness of Japanese pilots and contribute to security in the region."
Cubic delivered Japan's first Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) system to Komatsu Air Base in 2007 under contract to Sumitomo Corporation of America. The "rangeless" system allows training without a fixed infrastructure and is fully interoperable with Cubic training systems used by U.S. combat pilots at Misawa and Kadena air bases in Japan, and Osan and Kunsan air bases in the Republic of Korea. It includes wing-mounted instrumentation pods that record simulated weapons actions, and Cubic's Individual Combat Aircrew Display System, or ICADS�, used for ACMI debriefs.
Cubic ACMI systems are in use throughout the Asia Pacific region with U.S. coalition partners, including Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan.
Cubic Defense Applications, Inc. is part of Cubic Corporation's defense systems business. Cubic Corporation is the parent company of three major business segments: Defense Systems, Mission Support Services and Transportation Systems. Cubic Defense Systems is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems and defense electronics. Mission Support Services is a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance, technical and other support services. Cubic Transportation Systems is the world's leading provider of automated fare collection systems and services for public transit authorities. For more information about Cubic, see the company's Web site at www.cubic.com.
Contact:
Contact:
Jan Stevens
jan.steven@cubic.com
858-505-2174

Global Space Market to Grow Significantly Despite the Economic Downturn, Says Frost & Sullivan

LONDON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the global financial crisis, revenue-generating opportunities across the entire space value chain are expected to increase over the medium to long terms. However, changing dynamics will impel individual industry participants within specific sub-sectors toward a more complex market.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO)
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.aerospace.frost.com), Global Space Industry Stakeholder Mapping, finds that the global space market earned revenues of $257.00 billion in 2008 and is estimated to reach $300.00 billion by 2017.
"Capacity constraints and alternative applications are dramatically transforming the overall space industry," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Aman Pannu. "Market participants who fail to grasp these changes will struggle to survive, unlike those who have understood them."
While the global space market is currently quite open and accessible, the drive to increase capabilities within market offerings is pushing large industry participants to absorb different elements of the space value chain with strategic partnerships and mergers and acquisitions (M&As). These potential 'hyper-players' will eventually dominate increasingly large swathes of the market, leaving the others to compete for whatever low-value market scraps are left over.
"Major market participants are beginning to understand how they can command ever larger portions of the overall market," explains Pannu. "Without a true understanding of the nature and dynamics of this market, they will not be able to manipulate the future market successfully."
Understanding the potential benefits of strategic partnerships and alliances and knowing what the market demands in the future will improve the chances of success for potential market participants. A clear grasp of the regional and global market as well as the way business is undertaken will boost revenues in the long term.
If you are interested in more information on this study, please email Monika Kwiecinska, Corporate Communications, at monika.kwiecinska@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brochure will be emailed to you.
Global Space Industry Stakeholder Mapping is part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets Global Launch Services Market, European Defence Strategic Communication Market, Middle East Strategic and Tactical communication Market. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

Global Space Industry Stakeholder Mapping
M423
Contact:
Monika Kwiecinska
Corporate Communications – Europe
P: +48 22 390 4127
F: +48 22 390 4160
E: monika.kwiecinska@frost.com
http://www.frost.com

Mahindra buys 2 Australia aerospace firms

MUMBAI (Reuters) Tue Dec 15, 2009 - Mahindra & Mahindra has bought two small Australian firms to build its aerospace capacity so it can compete for large orders from airline manufacturers modernising Indian defence forces.
The company on Tuesday said it and India's Kotak Private Equity had bought majority stakes in component firm Aerostaff Australia and aircraft maker Gippsland Aeronautics for 1.75 billion rupees ($37.5 million).
Hemant Luthra, a Mahindra group management board member, said the Australian firms would get a small upfront payment, some shares in the group's aerospace unit, and be eligible for milestone payments.
Most of the investment would go towards a new plant in south India, he said.
Aerostaff supplies components to companies such as Boeing, Airbus, said Luthra, but the firms were not in a position to scale up their operations.
"They have now got somebody like Mahindra coming in with the capital. They have the ability to scale up, able to duplicate the facilities in India," he said.
India's defence policy mandates that foreign contractors source components and systems from local vendors for at least 30 percent of the value of the orders they get.
The offset opportunity is $750 million a year for the next 10 years with Indian defence forces likely to modernise their airline fleet at a cost of nearly $25 billion, Luthra said.
Companies such as Mahindra are eyeing a potential $100 billion Indian defence market over the next 10 years.

Last month, the chief executive of Mahindra's defence unit told Reuters it was looking to bid for $3.5 billion defence deals and expected to ramp up revenues to $430 million by 2016.
(Reporting by Narayanan Somasundaram; Writing by Janaki Krishnan; Editing by John Mair)
(For more news on Reuters Money visit www.reutersmoney.in)

RPT-UPDATE 1-UK to buy helicopters, cut other areas of defence

( Repeats to additional subscribers)
* Britain expected to order 20 Chinooks over 10 years
* Cuts expected in other areas to help fund purchases
* Watchdog says military faces huge procurement deficit
(Adds report on Chinook order)
By Tim Castle
LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Britain will announce plans on Tuesday to buy more than 20 Chinook transport helicopters over the next decade but will cut spending in other areas to balance a stretched defence budget, media reports said.
One hundred British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this year and the Labour government has been criticised for failing to provide enough helicopters to transport its soldiers, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by roadside bombs.
The Chinook is a twin-rotor, heavy-lift helicopter made by U.S. company Boeing (BA.N).
"It's significant to us. I don't have the details of that to hand, it's about 20," Boeing UK President Roger Bone told BBC radio when asked about the reports.
British forces took delivery of 14 Chinooks in 2001, but eight of them could not be used because software source code needed to certify their airworthiness was not supplied. Access to the code had not been specified as part of the contract.
Britain, which holds an election next year, is facing a record budget deficit this year of 178 billion pounds ($290 billion). The BBC reported that a Royal Air Force base could be shut and thousands of defence jobs lost as the government rebalances its spending.
A parliamentary spending watchdog warned on Tuesday that the defence budget falls at least 6 billion pounds ($9.7 billion) short of spending commitments on aircraft, ships and other equipment.
The National Audit Office (NAO) said the shortfall over the next decade would rise to 36 billion pounds -- equivalent to a full year's military budget -- if defence spending was frozen.
"In either case the budget remains consistently unaffordable over the next 10 years," the watchdog said.
Closing the gap would require "bold action" in a strategic defence review planned after the 2010 general election, NAO head Amyas Morse said. "The Ministry of Defence has a multi-billion pound budgetary black hole which it is trying to fix with a `save now, pay later' approach," he said.
The watchdog said defence chiefs were slowing major procurement projects to achieve short-term savings at the cost of greater overall expense.
A delay in the delivery of two aircraft carriers is forecast to save 450 million pounds over the next four years, but in the long run will cost 674 million pounds more, the NAO said.
Finance minister Alistair Darling has promised to protect key health and education services and has yet to say where he will cut spending to meet his goal of halving the deficit over four years.
Analysts say the defence budget would have to be cut by as much as 14 percent to match the reductions in other public sector spending that are needed.
On Monday Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that 160 million pounds of the defence budget would be switched over three years to help counter improvised bombs in Afghanistan. [ID:nLDE5BD1BP] (Additional reporting by Keith Weir; editing by David Stamp)

AOptix Technologies Completes Air Force Flight Test Program of Breakthrough Laser Communications System

Ground Observers Watch Live Uncompressed HD Video Feeds From Airplane Cameras at Over 100 Kilometers Distance
AOptix Technologies, Inc. ~ Tuesday December 15, 2009
CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AOptix Technologies, Inc. (AOptix) (www.aoptix.com), a leading edge developer of ultra-high bandwidth laser communication solutions, disclosed today the completion of a two-phase flight test program for the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) located in Rome, New York, with funding provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in Arlington, Va. The flight tests were conducted as part of the Enhanced Air-to-Ground Lasercom System (EAGLS) Program, and demonstrated AOptix’s unique capabilities in Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking (PAT) along with ultra-high bandwidth real-time communications between their aircraft-mounted R3.1 Lasercom terminal and LCT-5 fixed-ground Lasercom terminal.

Business Wire - Still from un-compressed HD video feed recorded over long distance lasercom link to the ground. (Photo: Business Wire). Flying at an altitude of approximately 12,000ft above ground level (AGL), and with a slant distance of more than 100 kilometers, AOptix successfully demonstrated a low-power, eye-safe, ultra-high bandwidth air-to-ground Free Space Optical (FSO) link. Covering an effective ground area of more than 31,000 square kilometers, the single bi-directional 2.5 Gbps multi-channel data link transmitted live simultaneous uncompressed high-definition (HD) video from two different airplane cameras and gigabit Ethernet. AOptix also demonstrated advanced error correction capabilities in Automatic Clock Recovery (ACR) and Forward Error Correction (FEC) techniques developed specifically for an ultra-high bandwidth FSO link.
“Our defense lasercom products deliver critically needed optical bandwidth for the war fighter,” says Dean Senner, President and CEO of AOptix Technologies. “In- theater operations requiring real-time dissemination of persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) information are no longer limited by the data rate constraints of today’s radio frequency (RF) networks.”
The AOptix wireless bi-directional optical terminals utilize a unique patented, single aperture, adaptive optics method of beam control to compensate for real-time atmospheric turbulence while maintaining lock between two terminals. Video, voice and data is transmitted through the air over a single invisible, low power, eye-safe, FSO laser link.
About the company
AOptix Technologies is a privately funded company founded in 2000. With core technology expertise in the application of advanced adaptive optics, they develop free space optical communications and iris biometrics based identification solutions for both government and commercial markets. For additional information, please see www.aoptix.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6119521&lang=en
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6119521

Contact:
AOptix Technologies, Inc.
Brian Rhea,
408-558-3318 or 408-234-1496
Director, Corporate Communications
brhea@aoptix.com

The Problem of the M16 Rifle Solved by Osprey Defense, LLC

Florida Company Solves the M16 Rifle Problem
Osprey Defense, LLC ~ Tuesday December 15, 2009
SARASOTA, Fla., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The 40-year-old problems of the M16 / AR15 / M4 rifle are now a thing of the past. In testing Osprey Defense, LLC has been able to install their OPS-416 system in under 4 minutes followed by firing more than 10,000 rounds without cleaning through an ordinary M16 rifle without failure. This is unprecedented from any firearm and even more amazing considering it requires no modification of the original gun.
Osprey Defense, LLC, www.GasPiston.com, a Florida based Limited Liability Company, has spent the last 3 years dedicated to developing a robust yet deceptively simple solution to the problem plaguing US Military's standard rifle platform. The M16 has historically been a less than reliable platform due to the deposits of hot gasses, carbon and debris in the critical operating areas of the rifle which cause malfunctions.
The Osprey Defense OPS-416 family of user installable gas-piston conversion systems is the solution to this problem. The company demonstrates it extensively on their website where you can watch demonstrations of the system being blasted with high-pressure sand which is enough to cut concrete, yet the rifle still runs. In another demonstration they buried a rifle using a 17-ton excavator, ground it into the earth, then dug it out caked with dirt, and the rifle still ran.
After millions of rounds of testing and an aggressive law enforcement agency and military Test and Evaluation program, the system is being made available today via their website and dealer/distributor network. New dealer opportunities are still available according to the company.

To Contact Osprey Defense:
Osprey Defense, LLC
Drew Bigelow
2270 72nd Avenue East
Sarasota, FL 34243
1-877-AR15-M16
http://www.GasPiston.com

FACTBOX-Five facts about the Boeing Dreamliner

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) plans to fly its new, carbon-composite 787 Dreamliner on Tuesday (see full story [ID:N10182958]).
The test flight, more than two years behind schedule, could help restore credibility for the No. 2 plane-maker behind Airbus (EAD.PA).
Here are five facts about the 787 Dreamliner:
* The 787 Dreamliner promises greater fuel efficiency through the use of durable, light-weight composite materials.
* Planes in the 787 family have list prices between $150 million and $205.5 million.
* Boeing has taken orders for 840 Dreamliners.
* The most recent delay results from a structural problem within the side-of-body joint of the aircraft -- the connection of the wing to the fuselage.
* The 787 will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions in similarly sized airplanes. (Reporting by Kyle Peterson; Editing by Gary Hill)

CHRONOLOGY-Boeing's troubled 787

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N)> is set to make the first test flight of its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner on Tuesday -- more than two years after the first target date in the summer of 2007.
The No. 2 plane-maker behind EADS (EAD.PA) unit Airbus has been struggling with a range of supply, manufacturing and design problems, made worse by a two-month strike at Boeing's Seattle-area plants last year.
The following events show the slow and bumpy progress of the revolutionary, carbon composite aircraft, which is key to Boeing's financial success.
2002 - Boeing drops its "Sonic Cruiser" concept, responding to airlines' calls for better fuel efficiency rather than extra speed.
June 2003 - Dubs its new, carbon-composite airplane the "Dreamliner"
Dec 2003 - Approves an initial version of the plane with the temporary name 7E7, the E standing for "efficiency"
April 2004 - officially launches the plane as Japan's All Nippon Airways (9202.T) (ANA) orders 50
Dec 2004 - Ends 2004 with 56 orders for the new plane, fewer than it had expected
Jan 2005 - Gives plane official designation 787
Dec 2005 - Ends year with 232 orders for 787s, for a running total of 288
July 2006 - Popularity of 787 design forces Airbus to go back to drawing board on its competing A350, relaunching it as A350 XWB (extra wide body)
Dec 2006 - Boeing ends year with 160 orders for 787s, for running total of 448
Jan 2007 - Unconfirmed talk of some 787 suppliers falling behind schedule sends Boeing shares lower. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney says plane on target for first test flight around end of August 2007 and first delivery May 2008
May 2007 - Starts to put together first 787 in Everett, Washington.
June 2007 - Reports surface at Paris Air Show that 787 is up to four months late. Boeing says first test flight may slip to September 2007, while still on schedule for first delivery in May 2008
July 8, 2007 - Gleaming shell of first 787 rolled out in front of 15,000 ecstatic employees and customers at Everett
July 25, 2007 - Boeing shares hit all-time high of $107.80, boosted by strong 787 orders. Company admits plane running slightly behind in certain areas but holds to schedule
Sept 2007 - Boeing puts back first test flight by about three months because of a shortage of bolts and problems with flight control software. Shifts flight target to mid-November to mid-December 2007; keeps May 2008 delivery target
Oct 2007 - Announces longer delay, due to continued production problems, pushing first test flight to end-March 2008 and putting back first delivery by about six months to late November or December 2008
Oct 2007 - 787 program head Mike Bair replaced by Pat Shanahan from Boeing's defense unit
Dec 2007 - Boeing says 787 sticking to revised schedule; ends year with 369 orders for the plane in 2007, for running total of 817
Jan 2008 - After two weeks of rumors, Boeing announces a further three-month delay due to problems with unnamed suppliers and slow assembly progress at Everett plant. Pushes back test flight to end-June 2008 and first delivery to early 2009, making plane about nine months behind original schedule
March 2008 - Admits it had to redesign center wing box to make it stronger
April 2008 - Announces third major delay due to continuing problems with unfinished work from suppliers. Sets first test flight for fourth quarter 2008 and first delivery for third quarter 2009, about 15 months behind original schedule
June 2008 - Boeing completes "power-on" testing on first Dreamliner, bringing the plane's electrical systems to life. It is the first public milestone the company has hit on the program.
August - First cancellation of a 787 order, by Azerbaijan Airlines
Sept 6, 2008 - Boeing's assembly workers go on strike over contract terms, shutting down Boeing's Seattle-area plants. They return to work in early November after 58 days out. Nov 4, 2008 - Boeing says first flight delayed by strike, will not happen until 2009
Dec 11, 2008 - Boeing announces fourth major delay, due to strike and continuing fastener problems. Says first flight now set for second quarter of 2009 and first delivery in first quarter of 2010, making plane about two years late
Dec. 31, 2008 - Boeing ends year with 93 orders for 787s, making a running total of 910
Jan 2009 - Russia's S7 becomes first major airline to cancel orders for 787, walking away from deal to buy 15 planes worth $2.4 billion. More cancellations follow
June - Boeing reports 59 total cancellations for 787s, with net orders for 866 planes.
June 23, 2009 - Announces fifth delay due to side panel issue
Aug 27, 2009 - Sets new timetable, with first flight by end of 2009 and first delivery in fourth quarter of 2010
Aug 31, 2009 - Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief Scott Carson announces retirement at end of the year, is replaced immediately by Jim Albaugh, head of Boeing's defense business
Nov 12, 2009 - Boeing completes installing reinforcements within the side-of-body section on the first 787 Dreamliner.
Dec. 10, 2009 -- Boeing opens flight-test window starting Dec. 15. (Reporting by Bill Rigby and Kyle Peterson, editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Gary Hill)