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Cover-0511_AA Template 4/15/11 1:17 PM Page 1 5 May 2011 A E R O S P A C E A M E R IC A M A Y 2 0 1 1 Lows and highs for SBIRS IInn sseeaarrcchh ooff cclleeaanneerr sskkiieess SSttrroonngg UUAASS mmaarrkkeett aattttrraaccttss iinntteennssee ccoommppeettiittiioonn A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS Inspire | Challenge | Enable Th e AIAA Foundation is a nonprofi t, and classroom grants, we seek to inspire the tax-exempt educational organization next generation with a passion for science founded in 1996. Th rough scholarships, and engineering. Aided by donations large student conferences, design competitions, and small, we invest in the future. For more information or to make a tax-deductable donation visit www.aiaafoundation.org TOC.MAY2011_AA Template 4/18/11 12:11 PM Page 1 May 2011 DEPARTMENTS EDITORIAL 3 Is the past prologue? INTERNATIONAL BEAT 4 Air traffic growth in 2010 defies forecasts. Page 4 WASHINGTON WATCH 8 Out of control. AIRCRAFT UPDATE 11 A bigger and wider jetliner decade? Page 11 CONVERSATIONS 14 With John Logsdon. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 18 Strong UAS market attracts intense competition. GREEN ENGINEERING 22 A green space station. OUT OF THE PAST 46 Page 18 FEATURES LOWS AND HIGHS FOR SBIRS EARLY WARNING 26 After early problems, the Space-Based Infrared System appears on track to replace outdated U.S. early warning satellites. by James W. Canan IN SEARCH OF CLEANER SKIES 34 Page 34 Meeting the requirements for cleaner air, lower costs, and improved fuel efficiency is a difficult balancing act. by Jim Banke COMET CHASING MAKES DEEP IMPACT ON SCIENCE 40 After its close encounter with comet Tempel 1, Deep Impact added a bonus flyby of comet Hartley 2. by Leonard David Page 40 BULLETIN AIAA Meeting Schedule B2 AIAA Courses and Training Program B4 AIAA News B5 Meeting Program B13 COVER In a clean room at Northrop Grumman, a SBIRS highly elliptical orbit payload is prepared for delivery to Lockheed Martin. Turn to page 26 to learn about the Space-Based Infrared System. Aerospace America (ISSN 0740-722X) is published monthly, except August, by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. at 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, Va. 20191-4344 [703/264-7500].Subscription rate is 50% of dues for AIAA members (and is not deductible therefrom). Nonmember subscription price: U.S. and Canada, $163, foreign, $200. Single copies $20 each. Postmaster: Send address changes and subscription orders to address above, attention AIAA Customer Service, 703/264-7500.Periodical postage paid at Herndon, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2011 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., all rights reserved. The name Aerospace America is registered by the AIAA in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 40,000 copies of this issue printed. 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Collections are available for all titles, by series, or by subject. 09-0252ebks2sdbr2.indd 1 3/19/09 3:21:35 PM mayeditfinal_AA Template 4/8/11 11:12 AM Page 1 ® is a publication of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Elaine J. Camhi Editor-in-Chief Patricia Jefferson Associate Editor Greg Wilson Can the past be prologue? Production Editor Jerry Grey,Editor-at-Large Christine Williams,Editor AIAA Bulletin On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made an impassioned speech in Correspondents a special address before Congress. It followed the startling wake-up call from Robert F. Dorr,Washington the Soviet Union in the form of the orbital flight of Yuri Gagarin, the first per- Philip Butterworth-Hayes,Europe son in space, on April 12. Just over three weeks later, that call was answered Michael Westlake,Hong Kong by Alan Shepard’s May 5 suborbital flight—the first American in space. Contributing Writers In that speech, with soaring rhetoric, Kennedy issued a challenge to the Richard Aboulafia, James W. Canan, citizenry: “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the Marco Cáceres, Craig Covault, Leonard goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning David, Philip Finnegan, Tom Jones, David him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more Rockwell, J.R. Wilson impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.” Fitzgerald Art & Design Art Direction and Design To emphasize that last point, Kennedy called on the Congress to supply the financial resources necessary to make that challenge a reality—which it Craig Byl,Manufacturing and Distribution did. And just nine short years later, Neil Armstrong stepped down onto the Brian D Dailey,President surface of the Moon, taking that “one giant leap for mankind.” Robert S. Dickman,Publisher Now, 50 years later, the U.S. stands at another watershed moment. The era STEERING COMMITTEE of the space shuttle is drawing to an end, and the decisions needed to create Michael B. Bragg,University of Illinois; its replacement or its successor are mired in the slough of partisan politics. Philip Hattis,Draper Laboratory;Mark S. The looming menace of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union Maurice,AFOSR;Laura McGill, Raytheon; is no more—in fact, the two nations are partners in many space efforts. The Merri Sanchez,National Aeronautics and U.S. role in the current ‘space race’ is now driven by economics, not by a Space Administration;Mary Snitch,Lockheed need for world leadership. Is this why the passion for the human exploration Martin;David W. Thompson, Orbital of space seems to be gone? EDITORIAL BOARD Some legislators are calling for NASA’s development of a new heavy-lift Ned Allen,Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; rocket and crew vehicle, as a replacement for the space shuttle, but are less Jean-Michel Contant,EADS;Eugene Covert, ready to acknowledge the ongoing financial commitment such developments Massachusetts Institute of Technology;L.S. would require. Others, including President Obama, are looking to commercial “Skip” Fletcher,Texas A&M University; enterprises to provide the way forward. But nowhere can be found the awe Michael Francis,United Technologies; and excitement that accompanied the early days of the race to the Moon, the Christian Mari,Teuchos;Cam Martin, NASA Dryden;Don Richardson, Donrich rallying call that will inspire a nation. Research;Douglas Yazell, Honeywell There is no question that the U.S. is facing serious economic issues, and demands on the country’s purse strings come from all directions. But the ADVERTISING heart of what we are as a people still remains: a commitment to discovery National Display and Classified: and growth, perhaps best exemplified by our achievements in space. Robert Silverstein,240.498.9674 Humankind throughout its history has been a curious species. The desire [email protected] West Coast Display:Greg Cruse, for exploration has been a driving force since we first emerged from the cave. 949.361.1870 / [email protected] As Americans we have a history of always striving to be the best. And while this drive has often been fueled by global competitiveness, it is truly in our Send materials to Craig Byl, AIAA, 1801 collective DNA. Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA As we reflect this month on the golden anniversary of the flights of those 20191-4344. Changes of address should be two brave men and all the many men and women who followed them, we sent to Customer Service at the same address, by e-mail at [email protected], or by fax at should also remember some other words in Kennedy’s speech that day, a 703.264.7606. message as true now as it was 50 years ago: “For while we cannot guarantee Send Letters to the Editor to Elaine Camhi that we shall one day be first, we can guarantee that any failure to make this at the same address or [email protected]. effort will make us last.” Elaine Camhi May 2011, Vol. 49, No. 5 Editor-in-Chief BEAT2-revised033111layou_Layout 1 4/6/11 12:22 PM Page 2 Air traffic growth in 2010 defies forecasts THE RELEASE OF 2010 TRAFFIC FIGURES Airlines and manufacturers have Airbus and Boeing through careful will make forecasters at Airbus and widely underestimated the speed and management of the supply chain, and Boeing rethink their long-term predic- strength of recovery. IATA airlines through increasing production levels tions. It seems the speed of airline recorded net profits of $16 billion in only moderately during the demand growth in Asia has been seriously un- 2010; in September 2009 the associa- peak. In the high-level view, the re- derestimated while the speed at which tion was predicting a loss of $3.8 bil- turn to strong growth has merely con- Europe is emerging from recession lion for 2010, with a possible return to firmed that, on average, since the end has been seriously overestimated. profit in 2011. In September 2009 Air- of WW II passenger traffic is increas- In 2010 air traffic grew much faster bus was also predicting the ‘best case’ ing at around 4.9%. than most forecasters expected. Ac- scenario of a 4.6% rise in passenger But beneath the macro figures cording to figures from ICAO (Interna- numbers for 2010. The strength of the there are some new trends emerging tional Civil Aviation Organization), the global economic crisis that hit North that will have wide repercussions for world’s airlines carried approximately America and Europe particularly hard the manufacturing sector. 2.5 billion passengers last year, up in 2009 suggested the recovery would 6.3% over 2009. Airports Council Inter- take longer to emerge than it actually A rapid rise national, the global airport association, did. But the degree to which traffic The first is the speed and strength of also reported a 6.3% rise in passen- surged in the Far East, Latin America, aviation growth in the Far East, espe- gers, along with a 15.2% increase in and the Middle East also took many cially in China and India, which con- cargo but just a 1% increase in air forecasters by surprise. tinue to defy all expectations. transport movements in 2010 over “You could say that 2009 was a 2009. The world scheduled airline in- Teasing out trends turning point marking, on one hand, dustry body, the International Air The aerospace industry works in long the rise of emerging market airlines Transport Association (IATA), reported economic cycles, and the recent dra- and, on the other, the growing ambi- an 8.2% increase in passengers and a matic short-term fluctuations in supply tions of these countries’ aircraft manu- 20.6% increase in freight. and demand have been dealt with by facturers in a market hitherto domi- nated by Airbus and Boeing,” explains Karine Berger, chief economist at the credit insur- ers Euler Hermes. According to ICAO, by 2030 there will According to the Centre be a severe shortfall for Asia Pacific Aviation, Air in training capacity China, which has a market for sorely needed capitalization of $18.9 billion, airport personnel now is valued more on the such as air traffic controllers. stock exchange than U.S. car- riers United-Continental, US Airways, JetBlue, Hawaiian Air, AirTran, American Air- lines, Republic Airways, and SkyWest combined. In its 2009 forecast, Air- bus predicted that by 2028, 14 of the top 20 large aircraft airports will be in Asia-Pa- cific, with Hong Kong han- dling the biggest number and London Heathrow in second place. But at current growth rates, Hong Kong will over- take Heathrow in just five 4 AEROSPACE AMERICA/MAY 2011 BEAT2-revised033111layou_Layout 1 4/6/11 12:22 PM Page 3 years, and Beijing has already over- taken London in terms of international travellers. How long will these growth rates continue, and what will be the impli- cations for manufacturers? With the Chinese economy in dan- ger of overheating, the government is trying to redress the economic situa- tion by enlarging the domestic con- sumer market within the overall econ- omy. So, for example, south China city planners have agreed to merge the nine cities around the Pearl River Delta into a ‘mega city’ of 42 million people across an astonishing 16,000-mi.2 ur- Beijing has already surpassed London in numbers of international travellers. ban area. The development of mega cities is In March, Airbus’s Chris Emerson, There are signs now that there one of the prime market drivers in the senior vice president for product strat- might be a limit to Chinese aviation very large aircraft (VLA) market, a sec- egy and market forecast, predicted that growth. To rebalance the economy, tor in which Boeing with its new 747-8 Asia-Pacific operators will acquire Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has set a Intercontinental and Airbus with the some 3,360 new widebody aircraft target of economic growth of 7% per A380 are competing head to head. over the next two decades, with the year for 2011-2015, against a figure of The one area of major disagree- deployment of larger planes expected 11% for the past five years. While this ment between the two manufacturers to help reduce flight delays and ease is still very high, it shows the govern- involves the shape and size of the fu- air traffic congestion, especially be- ment has started to consider ways of ture market. Airbus believes that 1,700 tween huge urban clusters. Airbus controlling growth—reducing the flow VLAs will be required over the next 20 forecasts that more than 50% of the of credit to consumers and increasing years; Boeing believes only about half world’s VLAs will be operated by air- taxes on consumer goods, for exam- that number will be needed. Over the lines in the Asia-Pacific region. ple. China also recently embarked on past few years sales of VLAs have So far, in terms of assessing the a 2-trillion yuan ($292.9-billion) in- been slow: Airbus sold 32 A380s in VLA market, the more conservative vestment program to increase its high- 2010 to Emirates, with possibly four Boeing predictions have been closer speed rail network by 16,000 km by more to Japan’s Skymark—an order to the mark. But as airlines in China 2020, which will strongly affect do- confirmed in February of this year— and India contemplate over the next mestic airline growth. while Boeing sold just a single B747-8 18 months how they can better link However, these measures are un- in 2010, though Air China ordered five their burgeoning economies to the likely to have an impact on aviation in March of this year. The announce- outside world, it will become clearer growth in China over the next five ment of the new Pearl River mega city which of the two has made the better years. will therefore be music to Airbus’s ears. forecasts. The real shock to forecasters has been the performance of India. Aviation growth rates AIRPORT TRAFFIC GROWTH IN 2010 there are currently touching Percent Percent Percent 50% per year increases, a Regions Passengers change Cargo, tonnes change Movements change rise driven mainly by low- Africa 126,950,421 8.8 1,107,764 9.4 1,998,532 3.7 fare airline growth. This is Asia Pacific 1,171,232,331 11.5 30,568,352 18.6 1,048,632 5.0 far higher than any forecast- Europe 1,409,464,291 4.3 17,337,248 17.0 17,596,411 (0.4) ers had imagined. Most of Latin America this growth has come from and the Caribbean 360,994,685 12.1 4,335,375 14.1 5,631,185 6.2 domestic services, and it is Middle East likely this will be followed and Africa 125,775,339 11.5 4,500,502 11.8 1,144,824 6.1 by a new wave of aircraft North America 1,457,930,721 2.4 25,021,564 11.2 27,999,158 (1.2) acquisitions from Indian air- Total 4,652,347,788 6.3 82,870,805 15.2 64,418,742 0.8 lines for intercontinental services. Source: ACI. AEROSPACE AMERICA/MAY 2011 5 BEAT2-revised033111layou_Layout 1 4/6/11 12:22 PM Page 4 FORECAST DEMAND FOR PILOTS, CONTROLLERS, ANDMRO PERSONNEL bers were up just 0.8%. Yet the airport figures do not tell the whole story. Ac- Current Population cording to ICAO, aircraft movements— Personnel population needed Training Training which included overflights—increased category (2010) (2030) needs* capacity* Shortage* the most in Latin America-Caribbean Pilots 463,386 980,799 52,506 44,360 8,146 (up 6.2%), the Middle East (up 6.1%), Maintenance 580,926 1,164,969 70,331 52,260 18,071 and Asia-Pacific (up 5%) but contin- Controllers 67,024 139,796 8,718 6,740 1,978 ued to decline in Europe (down 0.4%) *Estimated on an average annual basis. Source: ICAO. and North America (down 1.2%). According to the Brussels-based air traffic management agency Euro- The personnel shortfall qualified aviation personnel are likely,” control, the total number of flights in It is not just the demand for aircraft it- says Raymond Benjamin, ICAO secre- Europe in 2010 was 9.49 million, an self from China and India that is fuel- tary general. increase of just 0.8% over 2009. ing business for Western builders. Un- Adding new training capacity to “Flight growth was concentrated in like the aircraft replacement market, Asia will be relatively easy, but the a few states: Turkey, Italy, Ukraine, which dominates sales in Europe and consequences will be to speed further and Germany were the states adding North America, the market for new air- the relative importance of China and most traffic to the European network. craft brings with it the need for train- India as aviation and aerospace busi- The economic crisis and a series of ing and for maintenance, repair, and ness hubs. According to Airbus, North general strikes reduced traffic in overhaul facilities. Boeing predicts that America and Europe—which together Greece overall; and the U.K. and Ire- the Asia-Pacific region alone will re- made up around 59% of global rev- land both ended the year with fewer quire 180,600 pilots and 220,000 main- enue passenger kilometers in 2008— flights than the already reduced levels tenance technicians over the next 20 will see their share of the global mar- of 2009. Russia was a clear source of years, with China needing 70,600 pi- ket decline to 46% by 2028, with Asia growth this year, and indeed for one lots and 96,400 engineers. becoming the leading region, account- month during the summer passed the According to an ICAO study pro- ing for a third of the world’s traffic. U.S. as the main external partner for duced in March, at current aircraft de- Europe.“ livery forecasts, by 2030 there will be A faster fall a shortfall of training capacity equiva- But the current trends point to an Exceptional factors lent to 160,000 pilots, 360,000 mainte- even faster shift in the market. What In 2010, Europe was also hit by a nance personnel, and 40,000 air traffic most forecasters have not envisaged, number of extraordinary events, most controllers, driven in the main by de- in terms of aviation activity relative to of which are unlikely to be repeated mand for air travel within Asia. the global market, is the rapid fall of often—ash-clouds, snow, and strikes. “If no action to increase training Europe. Another unforeseen element But even taking these issues into ac- capacity is initiated early, shortages in in the 2010 traffic figures has been the count, the U.K., traditionally one of speed with which Europe’s share of the key market drivers within Europe, the overall aircraft market also appears is in serious aviation decline. Statistics The need for trained MRO personnel and facilities to be in free fall. from its national regulator, the Civil in the Asia-Pacific region will continue to grow. In terms of traffic growth, the Aviation Authority (CAA), suggest U.K. world is now operating on two differ- airports handled 3.4% fewer passen- ent tracks: the slow lane—Europe and gers in 2010 than in 2009 and that pas- North America, where aircraft move- senger numbers have now fallen con- ments actually fell in 2010—and the fast secutively for three years, to a level lane, everywhere else. lower than that in 2004. According to Angela Gittens, ACI According to Iain Osborne, CAA’s World director general, “2010 also pro- director of regulatory policy: “The nounced the shift and divergence in U.K.’s fragile recovery is not yet driv- growth across the regions. While North ing increases in passenger numbers. America and Europe have struggled to Although the decline in business reach precrisis passenger volumes, travel levelled out last year, leisure Asia-Pacific, Latin America-Caribbean, travel continued to fall in 2010. With- and Middle East sustained a strong out the year’s exceptional events, with momentum and gained market share snow, strikes, and volcanic ash all af- through double-digit growth.” fecting aviation, passenger numbers In Europe, airports registered 4.3% overall would likely have been level growth in 2010, but actual flight num- with 2009. 6 AEROSPACE AMERICA/MAY 2011 BEAT2-revised033111layou_Layout 1 4/6/11 12:22 PM Page 5 “Overall, the outlook for aviation Events Calendar is still uncertain. A return to robust economic growth should see in- MAY 2-5 creased passenger numbers, but this Reinventing Space 2011, Los Angeles, California. will be affected by other costs that Contact: James R. Wertz, [email protected] bear on the sector, such as high oil MAY 9-12 prices and taxation, and by the avail- IAA Planetary Defense Conference, Bucharest, Romania. ability of capacity. Congestion in the Contact: William Ailor, 310/336-1135, [email protected] southeast could also see more cus- tomers flying from regional airports, or MAY 10-12 via other European hubs to travel to or IEEE/AESS/AIAA Integrated Communications, Navigation and Surveillance from the U.K.” Conference, Washington, D.C. Contact: Col. John C. Gonda III, [email protected], www.i-cns.org Airport capacity lagging MAY 11 Europe is now starting to suffer from a Inside Aerospace, Washington, D.C. severe lack of airport capacity. Ac- Contact: Steve Howell, [email protected] cording to Eurocontrol, an estimated MAY 18-20 175,000 scheduled flights were can- Sixth Argentine Congress on Space Technology, San Luis, Argentina. celed during 2010, and this summer is Contact: Pablo de Leon, 701/777-2369 (U.S.); www.aate.org likely to feature further delays and dis- ruption in Europe. The lack of runway MAY 23-26 capacity at major hubs exacerbates the Twenty-first AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology situation, as there is very little addi- Conference and Seminar, Dublin, Ireland. tional capacity to cope with disrup- Contact: 703/264-7500 tions to flight schedules. MAY 27-29 Eurocontrol is now predicting air European Air Surveillance Expo 2011, Bitburg Airport, Germany. traffic growth will rise between 1.6% Contact: Richard Ayling, [email protected] and 3.9% in Europe between 2011 and 2030, with growth limited by airport MAY 30-JUNE 1 capacity. According to the agency’s Eighteenth St. Petersburg International Conference on Integrated forecasts from January of this year, Navigation Systems, St. Petersburg, Russia. “Between 0.7 [million] and 5 million Contact: Prof. V. Peshekhonov, +7 812 238 8210; [email protected] flights will be unaccommodated in MAY 30-JUNE 1 2030, representing from 5% to 19% of Second International IAA Symposium on Private Human Access to Space, the demand. In addition to unaccom- Arachon, France. modated demand, airport capacity Contact: Christine Bonnal, www.avantage-aquitaine.com constraints have an effect on the flow of operations in the network. The de- JUNE 2 cline in traffic in 2008 and 2009 has Aerospace Today...and Tomorrow: An Executive Symposium, eased the pressure on airport capacity, Williamsburg, Virginia. but in the longer term the demand will Contact: 703/264-7500 grow, and airports will not always be JUNE 5-8 able to fully respond.” Seventeenth AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference, Portland, Oregon. Contact: 703/264-7500 QQQ It is highly probable that, despite the JUNE 6-8 current steep price of fuel, this year The Space Shuttle: An Engineering Milestone, Atlanta, Georgia. will see airline growth return again Contact: [email protected] more vigorously to Europe and the JUNE 9-11 U.K. But aviation businesses looking Fifth International Conference on Recent Advances in Space Technologies, for new opportunities in manufactur- Istanbul, Turkey. ing, maintenance, and training will Contact: 703/264-7500 look at these global trends and draw their own conclusions. JUNE 13-17 International Conference on Aircraft and Engine Icing and Ground Philip Butterworth-Hayes Deicing, Chicago, Illinois. Brighton, U.K. Contact: Frank Bokulich, [email protected] [email protected] AEROSPACE AMERICA/MAY 2011 7 AA-layout-WATCH0111_Layout 1 4/6/11 12:23 PM Page 2 Resolutions, but few solutions In Washington, March 20, the first day way to run a government or a busi- longed campaign over Libya would be of spring, was the day a U.S.-led coali- ness.” Added Pelosi, “It certainly is not a challenge. tion began air and missile strikes on a way, as the military generals, leader- From the start, many in Washing- Libya, U.S. aircraft and space assets ship, have told us, to protect the na- ton questioned the need for the U.S. were being used to assist a disaster- tional security of our country, on a to take the lead role in the no-fly cam- torn Japan, and U.S. federal agencies week-to-week basis.” paign aimed at neutralizing Gaddafi’s were still without an FY11 budget. It As legislators spar over the annual air defenses and air force. now appears that the government will deficit and the overall national debt, The first aircraft lost in what was continue to operate on a series of con- the debate revolves around small por- quickly named Operation Odyssey tinuing resolutions (CRs) until the end tions of the 14% of government spend- Dawn was an F-15E Strike Eagle of the of this fiscal year. The administration ing that is considered discretionary. 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lak- has produced a proposed budget for No one on Capitol Hill is demanding enheath, England. The pilot and the FY12, which begins October 1, but it any cut in the so-called entitlements— weapons systems officer bailed out is unclear when, whether, or how Social Security and Medicare—and not and were rescued—the pilot in the Congress will act on the proposal. many are suggesting serious cuts in first-ever combat rescue performed by defense. a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor. It was the sec- ond time the 48th Wing had ham- Libya campaign mered Gaddafi’s homeland. Equipped Through it all, the Pentagon is contin- in an earlier era with F-111F Aard- uing operations. Just before the U.N. varks, the wing led the mission known ordered a no-fly zone in Libya, hoping as Operation Eldorado Canyon, the to prevent Muammar Gaddafi’s forces April 15, 1986, attack on Libya in retal- from crushing a fledgling rebellion in iation for its support of the Abu Nidal the country’s east, USAF Chief of Staff terrorist organization. Gen. Norton Schwartz surprised many Both in 1986 and in 2011, U.S. of- by predicting that establishing a no-fly ficials denied that the purpose of air zone would not change the outcome raids was to kill Gaddafi. Retired Air of Libya’s internal conflict. Schwartz Force Col. Arnold Franklin, leader of said “enormous resources” would be the 1986 mission, told this author that required and that the U.S. F-22 Raptor no one had ever said to aircrews that superfighter—which has not partici- Gaddafi was their target—but that one Sen. Olympia Snowe pated in the Iraq and Afghanistan of Gaddafi’s residences, also used as a wars—might be needed. Schwartz has military headquarters, was. President At press time, the government was said privately that the U.S. military is Barack Obama says the U.S. position operating on the sixth, short-term CR stretched too thin and that any pro- in 2011 is that “Gaddafi has to go” but of the year. The resolution cut discre- insists that the Libyan leader is not be- tionary spending by $6 billion and ing targeted for death from the air. was slated to last until April 8. The re- Supporters of the strikes say they sult of a split Congress being unable were long overdue in protecting the to agree on a full spending plan, it wave of protesters sweeping the Arab was expected to be followed by a sev- world. Critics, including many in both enth CR. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Me.) parties on the Hill, say the aerial cam- blamed “a complete budget break- paign lacks a clearly defined mission. down in the Senate” and an “absence Said Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of presidential leadership,” saying “the of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “There government is running on an unsus- have been lots of options which have tainable patchwork budget by which been discussed, but I think it’s very no business in America would ever uncertain how this ends.” dream of operating.” Rep. Nancy Pe- A CV-22 Osprey was part of the rescue operation In late March, NATO agreed to take after an F-15 Eagle crashed in no-fly zone in losi (D-Calif.) said, “This is not any over command of the Libyan mission, Libya. Photo by Lance Cpl. Santiago G. Colon Jr. 8 AEROSPACE AMERICA/MAY 2011

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