PARIS — Harris CapRock Communications on July 23 said it would book more than 1 gigabit per second (gbps) of broadband capacity on Intelsat’s new generation of high-throughput EpicNG satellites, which are scheduled for launch in 2015. The capacity will be used for advanced fixed and mobile satellite services in the energy, maritime and government markets.
Last week the House passed a provision in the fiscal 2013 defense appropriations bill to block the Obama administration from reducing the nation’s nuclear stockpile. The provision, which will eventually have to be reconciled with the Senate, points to a fundamental difference of opinion about how to manage the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
NEW DELHI — India will soon release a request for proposals (RFP) for 56 cargo aircraft for its air force to replace its aging fleet of Avros, according to a defense ministry official. The final approval for expanding the cargo fleet of the Indian air force (IAF) at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion was given at a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Council headed by Defense Minister A.K. Antony here July 23.
HELPING HAND: The Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved two transactions totaling more than $1.2 billion to finance the export of U.S.-made telecommunications satellites to Mexico and Australia. A $922 million loan guarantee will support the export of three satellites and related equipment to the Mexican government for the Mexsat regional mobile satellite system. The bank also is providing a $281 million direct loan to Jabiru Satellite Ltd. in Southbank, Australia, for the purchase of satellite and ground equipment from Lockheed Martin.
BEJING — A dozen V-22 Ospreys arrived via ship on Japanese shores July 22, but the aircraft will remain grounded until the U.S. Marine Corps receives the results of investigations into earlier accidents involving the tilt-rotor aircraft, which the service still expects by month’s end.
XCOR Aerospace is offering a payload user’s guide for its Lynx suborbital vehicle. Prospective payload providers can request a copy of the guide from the Mojave, Calif.-based company at www.xcor.com/contact/pug.
PARIS — Commercial remote-sensing satellite imagery providers DigitalGlobe and GeoEye announced they would merge in a cash-and-stock deal worth $453 million that would leave Longmont, Colo.-based DigitalGlobe operating the world’s largest fleet of commercial imagery satellites. Under the agreement’s terms, DigitalGlobe is offering 34% more than the July 20 closing price of $15.17 per share for GeoEye stock, the companies said in a July 23 conference call with investors.
EADS North America is considering proposing Eurocopter ’s X3 high-speed helicopter for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi Role advanced rotorcraft technology demonstration
NEW DELHI — India’s third indigenously developed warship, the INS Sahyadri, has been inducted into the country’s naval forces. The warship, named after the mountain range along the western side of India, is equipped with an array of surface, sub-surface and air defense weapons for maritime security and anti-submarine warfare missions. It was commissioned in Mumbai by Defense Minister A.K. Antony on July 21.
With greater focus being directed on ship security in recent years, the U.S. Navy has developed technology that enables sailors and Marines to use their own cell phones as an early warning system.
After months of hopefuls sharpening their bids and building teams, a U.S.-wide competition to find sites to test UAV technologies in civilian airspace is about to begin. Officials expect the FAA’s request by the end of July or early August, with awards by the end of the year. Recent legislation requires the FAA to integrate UAVs into the civilian airspace by Sept. 30, 2015, and the six test sites are a key step toward that goal.
AIR FORCE Canadian Commercial Corp., Ontario, Canada (FA8252-12-D-0005) is being awarded a $71,259,135 firm fixed price, cost-reimbursable, no-fee contract to provide KC-135 and C-130 landing gear repair/overhaul items. The location of the performance is Heroux-Devtek Inc., Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. The work is to be completed by Oct. 12, 2016. The contracting activity is Air Force Global Logistics Supply Chain, Hill AFB Force Base, Utah.
NEW DELHI — The U.S. is showing keen interest in ballistic missile defense (BMD) cooperation with India. “That is an important potential area for our future cooperation ... I think BMD has great strategic importance and, therefore, the two governments should discuss that strategically before they discuss that technically,” said U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who is visiting India.
WHO’S UP FIRST: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is pleading for consideration of the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill. McCain and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) had hoped the Senate would take up the legislation before the August recess. But then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would first consider a cybersecurity bill on which Democrats and Republicans remain divided.
About 13% of the $6.7 billion the Pentagon is slated to spend between fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2017 for fighting improvised explosive devices is still up for grabs
