American Airlines plans to introduce into service today the first of 76 new Boeing 737-800s being acquired to update its short-haul fleet and cut operating costs. The aircraft will replace about a quarter of the carrier’s elderly fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80s.
But passengers will find that the new interior’s represent something of a mixed blessing, adding amenities with one hand and taking away legroom with the other.
The in-seat facilities are impressive: two laptop power outlets for every three seats in economy, larger overhead bins and 10in dropdown IFE screens every few rows, with Aircell’s Gogo passenger broadband service to be added in due course.
On the down side, there are three seats on each side of the aisle in economy compared with the 2-3 layout of the MD-80s. And two extra rows have been crammed in by cutting seat pitch, using thinner seat padding and removing the rear galleys. Journalists previewing the new cabin last week describe the resulting legroom as adequate for people no more than six feet tall.
Despite the additional funding promised this week, the UK armed forces still look set to face cutbacks, and maintaining international commitments to AUKUS and GCAP may limit the options for other programmes.
This week on the Shephard Defence Podcast, senior naval reporter Harry Lye and military training & simulation reporter Norbert Neumann chat with Professor John Louth.
Although the Pentagon claims that current systems can detect this type of threat, it has confirmed that measures will be taken in order to maintain the US's edge over its adversaries.
The UK and France aim to deliver a new cruise missile in 2030 as part of the MBDA-led Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) project.
China's Multi-Domain Precision Warfare project is aiming to disrupt US networks, and could outpace the Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative. A retired US Army general explains what the Pentagon is doing about it.
Although AI provides several operational benefits in the defence arena, it can also put armed forces in risky situations.
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