Speaking at a San Francisco conference on Tuesday, Boeing Chief Financial Officer James Bell proclaimed optimism that the proposed merger of Boeing and Lockheed Martin space launch services would go through. The Air Force and the Federal Trade Commission recently questioned whether projected savings would indeed materialize. (DR, 9/15/05) Bell believes federal regulators will approve the United Launch Alliance by next year.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.