A small engineering firm on Florida’s Space Coast hopes to recover some of the revenue and jobs the region lost with retirement of the space shuttle fleet by offering maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to the commercial spaceflight industry that the Obama administration hopes will take the shuttle’s place.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is making yet another run at trying to force the U.S. to sell 66 F-16 C/D multi-role fighter aircraft to Taiwan. Cornyn, along with Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), have teamed up for a third attempt to make the sale of the Lockheed Martin fighters and hope to include it in the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill being considered this week on the Senate floor.
MISDEF MARKET: Even before the latest fighting in Gaza between Israeli and Hamas forces, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin were poised to receive major new orders for missile defense systems from Middle Eastern countries, Wall Street analysts note. But the recent fighting, and the performance of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system developed with U.S. funds and technology, may spur growth. This month, the Pentagon announced potential foreign military sales to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) worth up to $17 billion combined.
NEW DELHI — India on Nov. 28 successfully carried out the first flight of its Jaguar aircraft with upgraded avionics, known as the Darin III. State-run defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) flew the upgraded version for re-induction into the Indian air force (IAF) after final certification and clearance. “The upgrade will enable the Darin III Jaguar to fly in all weather with air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea capabilities, using [the] latest avionics and multi-mode radar,” says HAL chairman R.K. Tyagi.
After returning from the presidential campaign trail, former vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has received a waiver to continue as chairman of the House Budget Committee. Term limits have opened chairmanships on other key aerospace and defense committees, and the Republican Steering Committee is recommending a number of changes. Those were due to be voted on by House Republicans Nov. 28.
ZHUHAI, China — The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has reiterated its intention to replace its Dassault Mirage fighters with JF-17s, the single-engine fighter that Pakistan manufactures and which it jointly developed with China. Khalid Mahmood, PAF Air Commodore and JF-17 deputy chief project director, tells Aviation Week that Pakistan plans to have 150 JF-17s. He says the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra is producing 18 JF-17s per year and the production rate can move to 25 annually, if there is a requirement from a foreign customer.
The Senate has amended the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill to allow the Pentagon to continue investing in alternative fuels by a 62-37 vote. On Nov. 27, the fate of the defense bill, which has passed annually for more than 50 years, was still in question as senators continued to negotiate over which amendments would be subject to debate.
LONDON — Alenia and ATK are offering a precision-guided missile capability for their MC-27J intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) gunship conversion of the C-27J Spartan transport aircraft. Lightweight air-to-ground weapons in the class of the Raytheon AGM-175 Griffin or the MBDA GBU-44 Viper Strike will boost the armament of the multirole cargo aircraft concept, which was first unveiled at this year’s Farnborough air show and is now being actively marketed as a joint program by the two companies.
NEW DELHI — Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport is denying reports that it has already lost Indian air force (IAF) competitions for heavy-lift transport helicopters and refueling aircraft. A senior Indian defense ministry official indicated in October that Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook had emerged as the lowest bidder for India’s heavy-lift helicopter deal, besting an upgraded Russian Mi-26T2 after life cycle costs were calculated. At the same time, there also were reports that the Russian Il-78MK-90 aerial tanker aircraft had lost to the Airbus A330 MRTT.
Senate floor action on the annual U.S. defense policy bill remained at a standstill Nov. 27, with a dispute over how to handle legislation regarding military detainees. But a senator involved in the dispute indicated he was open to a resolution that would allow the bill to proceed.
LONDON — The U.K. Royal Navy is to boost the capability of its Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyers by fitting them with the Boeing RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.
SATELLITE EXPORTS: The U.S. Export-Import Bank has authorized two transactions totaling $461 million to underwrite the export of U.S.-made satellites to Hong Kong. Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) will deploy the satellites to upgrade and expand its fleet, which offers coverage to 80% of the world’s population. In the first transaction, the bank authorized a $171.3 million loan to ABS to finance the purchase of a FS1300, C/Ka/Ku-band geostationary satellite from Space Systems/Loral and associated insurance. The satellite is scheduled to launch in 2013.
Houston — The nonprofit ArduSat initiative has selected NanoRacks LLC to coordinate the launch of the first U.S. commercial satellites from the International Space Station using the small spacecraft deployment system successfully demonstrated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA from the orbiting lab’s Kibo science module in early October.
NEW DELHI — Following a successful test-firing of its Advanced Air Defense (AAD) system, India says it is likely to deploy its first ballistic missile defense (BMD) shield in 2014. The indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile, launched from a defense base in India’s eastern state of Odisha, hit an incoming ballistic missile target at around 12:52 a.m. local time Nov. 23, according to Ravi Gupta, an official at the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
The 40-year stream of Landsat remote sending imagery of the Earth is poised to be extended by another decade with the upcoming launch of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The LDCM spacecraft is in thermal vacuum testing at prime contractor Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Gilbert, Ariz., factory, and on track for a Feb. 11 launch. The 3,085-kg spacecraft — built around Orbital’s LEOStar-3 bus — has a design life of five years, but will carry enough fuel to keep it functioning for 10.
NEW DELHI — Russia is likely to carry out fresh sea trials of INS Vikramaditya next April, after a failed propulsion trial of the refurbished aircraft carrier further delayed the delivery to India until the last quarter of 2013.
LONDON — The German government has given the green light for the deployment of the Eurocopter EC665 Tiger attack helicopter to Afghanistan. The deployment will see four Tigers transported to Mazar-e-Sharif in the north of the country. From there the aircraft will be used to deliver fire support to ground troops, conduct convoy protection and provide an escort capability for transport helicopters such as the Sikorsky CH-53Gs being used by the German forces in the region.
