Hong Kong Airlines Selects Pratt & Whitney PW4000 Advantage70(TM) Engines in $470 Million Deal

Defense News ~ SINGAPORE, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SINGAPORE AIR SHOW -- Hong Kong Airlines has selected Pratt & Whitney's PW4170 Advantage70™ engine to power six new Airbus A330 aircraft. The memorandum of understanding, valued at approximately $470 million at list prices, includes two spare engines and a fleet management program. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.
"We are very pleased with the fuel burn and environmental performance benefits of the PW4170 Advantage70 engine," said Wang Jun Shan, General Manager Purchasing Management Department, of HNA Group, parent company of Hong Kong Airlines. "We look forward to extending these benefits to our customers."
"Pratt & Whitney is proud that HNA Group is the second Chinese carrier to select the PW4170 Advantage70 engine to power its new Airbus A330 aircraft," said Todd Kallman, president, Commercial Engines & Global Services, Pratt & Whitney. "The Advantage70 engine has performed extremely well since entering service last year."
Pratt & Whitney offers the Advantage70 both as a new engine and as an upgrade kit for existing engines. The upgrade includes a suite of technology enhancements that can be incorporated into a fleet during engine overhaul. Advantage70 technology delivers superior engine performance, including a 2 percent thrust increase, a 1 percent reduction in fuel consumption, increased durability, and reduced maintenance costs.
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

Contacts;
Katy Padgett
Commercial Engines & Global Services
Int'l Cell +1-860-324-6121
kathleen.padgett@pw.utc.com
Greg Brostowicz
Pratt & Whitney
+860-565-1655
gregory.brostowicz@pw.utc.com


Related Headlines
Hong Kong Airlines Selects Pratt & Whitney PW4000 Advantage70(TM) Engines in $470 Million Deal - PR Newswire
Pratt & Whitney Offers PW4000 94" Advantage Performance Upgrade Package to Reduce Fuel Burn and Operating Costs - PR Newswire
Singapore Polytechnic's Students Take Flight with Pratt & Whitney - PR Newswire
China Airlines Selects Pratt & Whitney for Inventory Logistics Program - PR Newswire
Pratt & Whitney and Royal Brunei Sign Exclusive V2500 Part Repair Service Agreement - PR Newswire

France hopeful Brazil will buy its Rafale jets

* Minister says has reason to be confident on Rafale sale

* Brazil has said still undecided on French jets

Defense News ~ PARIS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - France is confident that Brazil will choose French-made Rafale jets as its next generation fighter planes, trade minister Anne-Marie Idrac said on Friday.
"Brazil's decision is not confirmed. We have indeed information that gives us reason to be confident," Idrac told reporters on the sideline of a news conference on trade figures.
"We think our plane has so many qualities that we have reason to be optimistic," she added.
Idrac was speaking one day after Brazil's Defense Minister Nelson Jobim denied his country had reached an agreement to buy Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA), and that his government was still undecided.
A local newspaper had earlier reported Brazil had agreed on a price to buy 36 Rafale jets.
The Rafale is in competition with the Gripen NG made by Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST) and the Boeing Co (BA.N) F-18.

(Reporting by Veronique Tison and Dominique Vidalon; editing by Marcel Michelson and Jon Loades-Carter)

Most Shared
U.S. investors should be more worldly, says Goldman
04 Feb 2010
UPDATE 1-Strong 6.0 magnitude quake hits off California coast
04 Feb 2010
Factbox: Five facts about Costa Rica
04 Feb 2010
Teenager fights off shark with board
03 Feb 2010
Gold posts biggest one-day loss since 2008
04 Feb 2010

Bombardier Aerospace Delivers 302 Aircraft in Fiscal Year 2009/10

Defense News ~ MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - 02/05/10) - - Business aircraft: 176 deliveries; 85 negative net orders
- Commercial aircraft: 121 deliveries; 88 net orders
- Amphibious aircraft: 5 deliveries; 8 net orders
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it delivered 302 aircraft for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2010, compared to 349 aircraft deliveries in the previous fiscal year 2008/09 (year ending January 31, 2009). It received 11 aircraft orders, net of cancellations, compared to 367 orders, net of cancellations, for the previous fiscal year. With the aviation industry continuing to struggle in the current difficult economic environment, Bombardier Aerospace's performance was solid.
"The global economic crisis which began in 2008 continued to impact the civil aviation industry throughout 2009 as conditions remained challenging," said Guy C. Hachey, President and Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Aerospace. "While indicators of market stabilization have started to emerge, we remain cautious as economic uncertainty still prevails. We have taken significant steps to strengthen our operations and continue to invest significantly in future programs. We strongly believe that through flawless execution and by creating a loyal customer base for our products and services, we will emerge from this crisis a stronger and more efficient company," he added.
Business Aircraft
In fiscal year 2009/10, Bombardier delivered 176 business jets, compared to 235 for the same period last fiscal year, in line with the 25 per cent decrease in business aircraft delivery guidance provided in 2009.
Business aircraft deliveries for the current fiscal year 2010/11 are expected to be approximately 15 per cent less than fiscal year 2009/10.
Commercial Aircraft
In fiscal year 2009/10, Bombardier delivered 121 commercial aircraft, compared to 110 for the previous fiscal year. This is in line with the 10 per cent increase in commercial aircraft delivery guidance provided last year.
Bombardier expects that most of the deliveries of its commercial aircraft will take place in the last three quarters of the current fiscal year 2010/11 as a result of the production rate reductions announced in 2009 and the delay in the certification and entry into service of the CRJ1000 aircraft to the second half of fiscal year 2011. Compared to the previous fiscal year, the Corporation expects to deliver approximately 20 per cent fewer commercial aircraft in fiscal year 2010/11.
Tables at the end of this press release provide delivery totals and net order totals for business, commercial and amphibious aircraft for the previous fiscal year 2009/10.
Note:
All fiscal year 2009/10 delivery and order numbers are unaudited.
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2009, were $19.7 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.

Contact:
Contacts:Bombardier Aerospace
Marc Duchesne
514-855-7989
www.bombardier.com


Related Headlines
Bombardier Aerospace Delivers 302 Aircraft in Fiscal Year 2009/10 - Marketwire
Bombardier Receives Sustainability Star Awards for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch and Streetcar Demonstration Project - Marketwire
Bombardier Celebrates Launch of the Olympic Line-Vancouver's 2010 Streetcar - Marketwire
BOMBARDIER TRAXX Locomotives to Serve on Hungarian State Railways - Marketwire
Bombardier Confirms $405 million US Order to Provide Fleet Maintenance Services for Renfe in Spain - Marketwire

Qantas unit signs $3.5 bln order for engines, service

Defense News ~ SINGAPORE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Jetstar Airways, a unit of Qantas (QAN.AX), has signed a $3.5 billion deal with International Aero Engines for V2500 engines and long-term services, it was announced at the Singapore Airshow on Friday.
The International Aero Engines consortium groups Pratt & Whitney (UTX.N) together with Rolls-Royce (RR.L), MTU Aero Engines (MTXGn.DE) of Germany and a trio of Japanese heavy engineering companies.
The announcement by the airshow organisers said the deal consisted of $1.5 billion for the engines and $2.0 billion for a long-term service agreement.

(Reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by David Fogarty)

Most Popular
UPDATE 1-Taiwan says to buy miltary helicopters from Europe
04 Feb 2010
Gold posts biggest one-day loss since 2008
04 Feb 2010
Google facing many risks in China standoff
04 Feb 2010
U.S. investors should be more worldly, says Goldman
04 Feb 2010
Factbox: Democrats face battle for Senate majority
04 Feb 2010

Neuro Kinetics Is Company 'To Watch,' Says Top Defense Publication

Heralds "Critically Important" Research into Early Diagnosis of Combat Brain Injuries
Defense News ~ PITTSBURGH, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Defense Technology International, an influential publication serving the defense and military markets, says medical device manufacturer Neuro Kinetics, Inc. (www.neuro-kinetics.com) is a company "to watch" for its research into new methods of detecting traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) in wounded combat soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Neuro Kinetics is one of just eight companies serving the military to be highlighted by the magazine. (http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416111587&p=88)
"We're honored to be given this distinction by Defense Technology International," said J. Howison Schroeder, Neuro Kinetics president and CEO. "We believe our work with the military holds great promise. America's wounded soldiers deserve the best care possible and we are proud to be playing a part to improve early and accurate diagnosis of brain injuries that can have life-long consequences for them."
Defense Technology International notes that Neuro Kinetics' research "is critically important, since an estimated 20% of soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from mild TBIs."
Neuro Kinetics is collaborating with military medical specialists at U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) at Fort Rucker (Alabama), Tripler Army Medical Center (Hawaii), The Traumatic Brain Injury Warrior Resilience and Recovery Center at Fort Campbell (Kentucky) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (D.C.) in the comprehensive research effort.
The coordinated research focuses on using Neuro Kinetics' I-Portal® NOTC (Neuro-Otologic Test Center) system to evaluate and characterize neuro-otologic and neuro-physiologic, conditions that appear to indicate otherwise hard-to-detect mTBI as a result of blast exposure.
A portion of the research is being supported financially by grants from the T.R.U.E. Research Foundation (http://trueresearch.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that assists the military medical community.
A number of other U.S. military hospitals have installed the I-Portal NOTC system to improve diagnosis and monitoring of returning brain-injured military personnel. Other federal government medical facilities, including those operated by the Veterans Administration and the National Institutes of Health, also rely on Neuro Kinetics equipment for conducting daily clinical evaluations of patients as well as undertaking a range of research projects.
ABOUT NEURO KINETICS, INC.
Neuro Kinetics, Inc. (www.neuro-kinetics.com) is a fast-growing manufacturer of noninvasive medical test equipment used worldwide by audiologists, neurologists, neuro-otologists, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists and other medical specialists in the detection and evaluation of neurological, otological and vestibular disorders. The privately owned company, originating in the 1970s, pioneered the development of vestibular and neuro-otologic testing equipment, including the renowned Barany (rotational) chair. The company's patented products include the I-Portal® NOTC system (Neuro-Otologic Test Center), I-Portal® VNG (Video Nystagmography) system and I-Portal® VOG (Video Oculography) system, along with related accessories, software, training and support services. Users include doctors and researchers in universities and government facilities as well as specialists in fields such as audiology, neurology, neuro-otology, ophthalmology and otolaryngology.

John Buckman
Buckman Communications, for Neuro Kinetics, Inc.
+ 1 412-381-2900
jbuckman@buckman.biz


Top Stories
Toyota CEO to speak on quality woes - AP
World stocks tumble amid global recovery doubts - AP
Bankers try to put a better face before Congress - AP
Job losses from Great Recession about to get worse - AP

Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman Facilities Honored by California Environmental Agency for Recycling Activities

Defense News ~ LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Several Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - News) sites have been honored by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery as Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) winners.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=7060
Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) Winners. Established in 1993 by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the Waste Reduction Awards Program annually recognizes those California businesses that have made outstanding efforts to reduce the volume of paper, cardboard and other recyclable waste products that otherwise might end up in local landfills.
For the fourth consecutive year, Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division in Woodland Hills was cited for its comprehensive waste reduction and recycling activities, including recycling approximately 660 tons of waste and the reuse of more than eight tons of green waste each month as compost at its 58-acre Woodland Hills facility.
Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sites in El Segundo and Palmdale each won the WRAP award for the 12th consecutive year. The two sites, which together employ about 8,000 people, recycled approximately 1,000 tons of waste in 2009.
Northrop Grumman's Defense Systems Division was cited for its comprehensive waste reduction and recycling activities including diverting nine tons of waste in 2008 at its 20-acre Carson facility. The Carson facility has been recognized for its WRAP efforts since 1998.
"We are very proud that several of our facilities have been recognized and continue to be recognized for their waste reduction efforts," said Tom McCabe, corporate director, Environmental, Health and Safety for Northrop Grumman. "We feel that those efforts not only benefit Northrop Grumman but also the communities in which we live and work."
As part of Northrop Grumman's long-standing environmental initiatives, employees are encouraged to actively support environmentally-friendly initiatives at work, at home and in their local communities. Several volunteer employee resource groups at the company are focused on the continued development and implementation of a wide range of "green" initiatives of benefit to both the company and the surrounding community.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Contact:
Gina Piellusch
Northrop Grumman Corporation
(818) 715-2285
gina.piellusch@ngc.com


Related Headlines
Northrop Grumman Corporation Q4 2009 Earnings Call Transcript - at Seeking Alpha
Northrop Grumman Eyes Earnings Growth - at Fox Business
Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman Facilities Honored by California Environmental Agency for Recycling Activities - GlobeNewswire
Northrop posts 4Q profit on higher sales - AP
Northrop swings to fourth-quarter profit - at MarketWatch

Lockheed Martin Receives $243 Million from the U.S. Air Force for Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missile Lot 8 Production

Defense News ~ ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has received a U.S. Air Force contract valued at $243.5 million for an eighth production lot of the JASSM cruise missile. The award brings the total contracted quantities of the cruise missile to over 1,200.
The Lot 8 contract is for 158 JASSM missiles, along with fuze reliability, parts obsolescence efforts, test instrumentation kits, system reliability and flight test support. In recent flight tests on B-52 and F-16 aircraft, the stealthy standoff cruise missile proved its reliability and capabilities across a wide variety of targets – including hardened, underground bunkers and air defense systems.
"This contract enables Lockheed Martin to continue to provide the critical capabilities of JASSM to the Warfighter," said Alan Jackson, JASSM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "JASSM's combination of standoff range, low observable flight and high lethality provides an unrivaled precision engagement capability and a greater range of options to combatant commanders."
"With the recent success of Lot 7 reliability testing, a successful test flight of a production upgrade vehicle, and the award of this contract, JASSM is back on track," said Lt. Col. Jeff Gates, U.S. Air Force Deputy Program Manager for JASSM.
JASSM is a critical weapon for the U.S. Air Force, with eight production lots already under contract toward a total objective of 4,900 JASSM and JASSM-ER (Extended Range) missiles. Lockheed Martin also produces the baseline JASSM for foreign military sale customers. JASSM has been successfully demonstrated on the B-1, B-2, B-52 and F-16 aircraft. Future platforms include the F-15E, F/A-18 and F-35.
A 2,000-pound class weapon with a penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously in adverse weather, day or night, using a state-of-the-art infrared seeker in addition to the anti-jam GPS to find a specific aimpoint on the target. Its stealthy airframe makes it extremely difficult to defeat.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.
For additional information, visit our website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Related Headlines
Differences narrow on A400M financing - AP
Lockheed Martin's Energy Efficiency Team Last Year Saved Customers 400 Million Kilowatt Hours of Electricity and 4 Million Therms of Gas - PR Newswire
Lockheed Martin Receives $243 Million from the U.S. Air Force for Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missile Lot 8 Production - PR Newswire
NASA Plan Faces Turbulence in House - at The Wall Street Journal Online
Lockheed Martin Names Mathew Joyce Vice President and Program Manager for Ground-Based Midcourse Defense - PR Newswire

GE Aviation Completes Second GPS-Independent Navigation System Flight Test for Automated Aerial Refueling Applications

Defense News ~ GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--February 4, 2010, (BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Aviation successfully completed a second flight test of its Electro-Optical Grid Reference System (EOGRS) in support of future automated aerial refueling applications in late December 2009. This activity further expands the EOGRS operational envelope and demonstrated performance enhancements beyond those which were successfully achieved during the first flight test conducted in late July 2009.
"These flight tests confirm the viability of our technology for aerial refueling drogue stabilization and tanker-relative navigation, including in a GPS-denied scenario,” said Stuart Mullan, president, Military Business for GE Aviation Systems. “This is the second successful airborne test of proprietary GE laser-grid technology and the wealth of data that was gathered confirms robustness and field of view improvements over the first flight.”
This second flight test enabled GE to confirm refinements made to the grid navigation system transmitter and detectors. An Omega Aerial Refueling Services Inc K-707 tanker was again used for the flight test. It was modified by adding GE’s EOGRS transmitter and a form, fit, and function replacement US/NATO MA-3 refueling drogue with EOGRS detectors.
This flight test provides high fidelity refueling drogue motion and position data, allowing GE to validate EOGRS navigation accuracy, integrity, continuity and availability.
Advances in automated aerial refueling technology, such as GE’s EOGRS, will increase the safety of manned refueling as well as facilitate unmanned refueling operations. This technology is a key enabler of persistent, world-wide aerial refueling operations. In addition, EOGRS solves the complex portion of the automated refueling equation by providing a system capable of performing terminal guidance between the tanker and receiver aircraft. The GE EOGRS tanker-relative navigation system is on a path toward certification as a sole and/or supplemental means of navigation.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE - News), is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and integrated systems for commercial and military aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aviation Systems LLC and GE Aviation Systems Ltd are subsidiaries of General Electric Company. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation.

Contact:
GE Aviation
Jennifer Villarreal, +1 616 241 8643
jennifer.villarreal3@ge.com


Related Headlines
Democrats Question Comcast-NBC Universal Deal - at The New York Times
Business Highlights - AP
Boxee: Either Jeff Zucker or Jason Kilar Are Lying About Booting Us Off Hulu - at AllThingsD
Jobs, Debts Drop Dow to 10002; ETFs Plunge - at SmartMoney.com
House Democrats challenge Comcast, NBC on deal - AP

Kubotek USA Donates Software for SkillsUSA Championships Contestants

Defense News ~ MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--February 4, 2010, (BUSINESS WIRE)--Kubotek USA is pleased to be providing its KeyCreator software to support SkillsUSA Championship competitions and students nationwide. The donation will provide KeyCreator software to local, statewide and national level SkillsUSA competitions for use by students, and fully licensed versions of KeyCreator will be given as prizes to student winners of state and national level contests.
“It’s important for students to be exposed to 3D direct CAD, especially as companies in the supply chain begin shifting away from popular history-based CAD software,” states Scott Sweeney, Vice President, Kubotek USA. “KeyCreator is a 3D Direct Modeler that is perfect for students—easy to learn, easy to use and great for conceptualizing new designs. Students can focus their energy into learning how to apply design concepts and not just a software package.”
SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. Students can showcase their occupational and leadership skills in competitions, culminating with the annual national level SkillsUSA Championships. The vision of SkillsUSA to bring students, teachers and industry together to ensure America has a skilled workforce resonates profoundly with Kubotek.
Mark Parent, COO, Kubotek USA says, “Kubotek is very interested in helping educational institutions train the next generation of workers. We believe that design, engineering and manufacturing are critical to a strong economy in the US. SkillsUSA helps us reach out to those students who see the value in technical know-how.”
Adds David Worden, Program Director, SkillsUSA Championships, “We are happy to have the support of Kubotek USA. We rely on like-minded business and industry sponsors to help us continually grow and improve our programs and competitions.”
Students competing in the following contests will be eligible for KeyCreator, as well as free, online training: Architectural Drafting, Automated Manufacturing Technology, Engineering Technology, Technical Drafting, Precision Machining Technology, CNC Milling and CNC Turning. Interested students can visit Kubotek’s website to fill out a grant form.
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA has more than 305,000 members annually, organized into 13,000 chapters and 54 state and territorial associations (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands).
SkillsUSA prepares America’s high performance workers. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills.
SkillsUSA programs also help to establish industry standards for job skill training in the classroom, and promote community service. SkillsUSA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and is cited as a successful model of employer-driven youth development training program by the U.S. Department of Labor.
For more information: www.skillsusa.org.
About Kubotek
The Kubotek Corporation Creation Engineering Division is the leading pioneer in geometry-based engineering software. Kubotek’s flagship KeyCreator 3D direct modeling product introduced the first-ever capabilities for real-time feature inference in 2005 and direct dimension-driven editing in 2007. KeyCreator is used by design and manufacturing professionals to innovate new solutions, improve quality, and reduce time-to-market in a broad range of applications from jet aircraft to medical prosthetics to consumer packaging. Other Kubotek software products include Validation Tool™ for precise CAD model comparison and Spectrum multi-CAD viewer.
Visit Kubotek USA at: www.kubotekusa.com.
Kubotek, KeyCreator, Validation Tool, Kubotek Spectrum and CADKEY are registered trademarks or trademarks of Kubotek Corporation. All other brand or product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact:
Kubotek USA, Inc.
Andrea Giles, 508-229-2020
marketing@kubotekusa.com


Top Stories
World stocks tumble amid global recovery doubts - AP
Bankers try to put a better face before Congress - AP
Job losses from Great Recession about to get worse - AP
Toyota CEO to speak on quality woes - AP