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Magazine Issue

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, October 28, 2014

VOL. 250 NO. 17 October 28, 2014
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Programs

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Brazil Signs Gripen Contract

Oct 28, 2014
LONDON—The Brazilian defense ministry has formally signed the $5.4 billion deal to purchase the Saab Gripen fighter, which it selected in its F-X2 competition. The contract, signed between Saab and the Brazilian air force’s Aeronautics Command (Comaer) on Oct. 24, is for 36 new-generation Gripens, comprising 28 single-seat and eight twin-seat aircraft. Contract signature came just two days before Brazil’s Oct. 26 presidential election, which saw incumbent president Dilma Rousseff returned to power after a narrow win in the polls.
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USAF Weighs Gorgon Stare Future

Oct 28, 2014
The U.S. Air Force is reviewing whether to continue with the Gorgon Stare wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) sensor program beyond the limited quick-reaction capability already fielded, and plans to make a decision by the end of the year. Air Combat Command (ACC) officials are formulating a recommendation for review by the Air Force Requirements Oversight Council, says Franklin Stone, who handles Gorgon Stare requirements for the command. They declined to provide insight on the proposal in advanced of the final decision.
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HAL To Deliver 12 Dornier Aircraft To Indian Navy

Oct 28, 2014
NEW DELHI—India’s Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared long-pending projects worth over $13.1 billion during an Oct. 25 meeting, including a proposal to buy 12 upgraded Dornier surveillance aircraft for the navy. As part of the new government’s insistence on home-grown products, the navy will buy the aircraft from state-run aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) at a cost of $310 million. Though no delivery schedule has been fixed, HAL hopes to deliver the aircraft from 2016 through 2019.
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Station Dodges Debris Ahead of Orbital’s Re-supply Mission Launch

Oct 28, 2014
HOUSTON—Thrusters from the European Space Agency’s Automated Transfer Vehicle-5 fired for 3.5 min. Oct. 27 to push the International Space Station away from orbital debris on a course calculated to pass within two tenths of a mi. of the orbiting lab. The debris source was identified as the inactive Cosmos 2251 communications satellite that collided with a U.S. Iridium communications satellite on Feb. 10, 2009, Jay Bolden, a spokesman for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, confirmed.
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SpaceX Targets December For Falcon 9 First Stage Landing Attempt

Oct 28, 2014
LOS ANGELES — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) plans to attempt the first powered vertical landing of a Falcon 9 first stage onto a specially built flat-top barge in the Atlantic in early December.
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MQ-8C Fire Scout Completes Sloped Landing Tests

Oct 28, 2014
Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter recently completed successful precision sloped landing tests at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California, in preparation for at-sea testing. The Fire Scout has been undergoing rigorous flight testing and validation, which will culminate in actual takeoff and landing on the deck of a Navy vessel at sea. The MQ-8C is the company’s latest variant, which performs intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the U.S. Navy.
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Space Station Cargo Departures Set Stage For New U.S., Russian Missions

Oct 28, 2014
HOUSTON—Russia’s Progress 56 re-supply capsule departed the International Space Station early Oct. 27, clearing a second berthing port aboard the six-person orbiting science laboratory for two cargo missions awaiting liftoff this week. Progress 56, which arrived on July 23, undocked from the Russian segment’s Pirs module at 1:38 a.m. EDT. The trash-laden Russian spacecraft is scheduled to remain in orbit until Nov. 19 before making a destructive descent into the Pacific Ocean.

SpeedNews Defense & Space

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SpeedNews Defense & Space

Oct 28, 2014
BOEING delivered the 300th CH-47F Chinook to U.S. ARMY since 2006; 18 units have been trained and equipped with the aircraft. EMBRAER rolled out the first prototype KC-390 military transport at at Gavião Peixoto; first flight is planned before end of 2014.

Funding & Policy

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This Week Ahead

Oct 28, 2014
On Oct. 28, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency hosts a press event in which officials from Guiness World Records will recognize the agency’s Terahertz Electronics program for creating the fastest solid-stage amplifier integrated circuit ever measured. On Oct. 28-29, TechAmerica holds its 50th Annual Vision Conference, with speakers including Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall and Pentagon CFO Mike McCord. And with Congress out of session in Washington, local think tanks are filling the discussion gap: On Oct.
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U.S. Navy Resurrects Frigate Parts For USCG Cutters

Oct 28, 2014
U.S. Navy engineers are harvesting weapon system components from decommissioned U.S. Navy frigates (FFG) for re-use on Coast Guard cutters. The resurrection of components from four decommissioned frigates has already saved $24 million, with more savings expected from a fifth ship, according to the service. Navy officials say the program underscores the growing collaboration between the two services.
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Guam Remains Key In Evolving U.S. Asia-Pacific Policy, Operations

Oct 28, 2014
As the U.S. sharpens its Asia-Pacific focus, the country is moving toward different kinds of relationships in the region, and Guam is becoming an increasingly important part of that effort, according to a senior Pentagon policy advisor.
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Additional Workload Shifted To U.S. Navy Specialized Aircraft Office

Oct 28, 2014
The U.S. Navy’s Specialized and Proven Aircraft Program Office (PMA-226) has expanded its mission, taking over management of F-5 N/Fs and F-16 A/Bs that simulate adversary aircraft during training exercises, as well as the acquisition of services using commercial aircraft, Navy officials say.

Contracts

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Select U.S. defense contracts for the week of Oct. 20 - 24, 2014

Oct 28, 2014
Oct. 20, 2014 U.S. NAVY