While the U.S. Navy and Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have been touting the recent performance of Aegis-related ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems, the service’s radar plans appear to hold even more promise. The Navy’s anticipated next-generation system — the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) — has great potential for BMD missions in certain key areas, according to John Geary, president of SEG, a Telephonics Corp. unit that provides threat engineering and analysis for MDA and the Aegis BMD programs.
Planetary scientists working through the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) have made a mission to cache Martian samples for a later return to Earth their top priority for the 2013-22 decade, but only if its cost can be held down to permit other missions. The Planetary Science Decadal Survey is organized by the NRC at the request of NASA and the National Science Foundation. Its aim is to set clear priorities for Solar System exploration for the coming decade and make specific recommendations to NASA on which missions to fund.
EXPEDITIONARY AMMO: The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded General Dynamics a contract potentially worth $198.7 million for 120-mm mortar ammunition for the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS). The EFSS ammunition is a family of spin-stabilized, insensitive munitions. Fitted with standard U.S. artillery fuses, the ammunition provides ground troops with point detonation and airburst capabilities, according to the company.
Former U.S. Air Force four-star generals are encouraging the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), and others in Congress to call for establishing a no-fly zone over three key parts of Libya.
LOS ANGELES — The contest for development and sustainment of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) ballistic interceptor missiles marks a turning point in the evolution of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, says bidder and current prime contractor Boeing.
SAN FRANCISCO — Lockheed Martin is in the last week of thermal vacuum tests before shipping Juno, NASA’s solar-powered Jupiter spacecraft, to Cape Canaveral in early April for its scheduled Aug. 5 liftoff. Launch will be on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551. Following Juno’s arrival at Jupiter in 2016, it will orbit the gas giant’s poles 33 times to investigate the planet’s origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere.
An estimated $100 billion worth of medium and heavy helicopters will be sold around the world over the next nine years, according to a new report by Forecast International. The study projects a total of 4,434 rotorcraft will be produced from 2011 through 2020, with medium/heavy rotorcraft being defined as having a gross weight of at least 15,000 lb.
LOS ANGELES — Boeing is preparing the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) for a further missile intercept attempt, and plans to use the modified 747 freighter to test elements of future large-scale, solid-state directed-energy weapons.
REGULAR EXERCISE: The U.S. 7th Fleet and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) completed the Fleet Synthetic Training (FST) joint exercise earlier this month, the U.S. Navy announced last week. FST is an annual ballistic missile defense (BMD) exercise designed to enhance training in BMD against threats to regional and homeland installations and units. “This fleet synthetic training event provides a great opportunity to exercise with our JMSDF allies and U.S. joint forces in Hawaii and Japan in a fast-paced, realistic environment,” says Capt.
BENGALURU, India — Following the latest successful test of an air defense interceptor, India’s defense research chief says the technology for anti-satellite missiles is within the country’s grasp. The March 6 intercept test featured an advanced air defense interceptor incorporating new technologies including an RF seeker, fiber-optic gyroscopes and directional warheads. The missile executed a textbook prescribed intercept of a modified Prithvi missile at an altitude of 16 km (10 mi.) above the Bay of Bengal.
BENGALURU, India — Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) soon will hand over five Mk. 3 versions of the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) to the Indian army. This is in addition to the five Dhruv Mk. 3 helicopters delivered to the service during the just-concluded Aero India 2011 symposium, which marked the first deliveries in a total order of 159 advanced Dhruv variants. HAL says the rest of the helicopters will be delivered in phases over the next five years.
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to use its new Extended Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (EMRBM) during a flight trial in the fourth quarter of 2012. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $359 million contract a year ago to develop the target, which is described as having a longer range than a typical medium-range threat system. “EMRBM can fly short but it is really optimized to be at the higher end,” says Tory Bruno, vice president of strategic systems and missile defense for Lockheed Martin Space Systems here.
EADS faces an uphill task to meet growth targets in the U.S. market in the wake of its loss of the U.S. Air Force KC-X tanker program to rival Boeing. The European aerospace and defense contractor has a goal for its North American unit to reach $10 billion in revenue by 2020 as part of CEO Louis Gallois’ Vision 2020 for the company. Sean O’Keefe, CEO of EADS North America, says that reaching that goal “will take some real, serious work. No doubt about it.”
BAE Systems will extend the application of its Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided 2.75-in. rocket beyond helicopters to fixed-wing aircraft under a $19.7 million U.S. Navy contract. The 27-month program will culminate in 30 test launches from the U.S. Air Force A-10 and Marine Corps AV-8B close air-support aircraft — 16 performance shots and 14 military utility assessment firings. The contract includes delivery of another 50 rounds for further evaluation.
Senators on the Appropriations Committee who oversee NASA spending have agreed on a funding measure for the rest of fiscal 2011 that is $412 million more than the level approved by the full House, but still cuts out the open-ended technology-development program sought by the Obama administration.
U.S. analysts worry that man-portable surface-to-air-missiles like the SA-7 and rocket-propelled grenades, which are a threat to helicopters, are being looted from Libyan government stockpiles for sales to international black-market operators. Large groups of Libyan rebels have been seen with assault rifles, machine guns, light anti-aircraft guns like the ZSU-23/2, mines, grenades and various types of anti-tank missiles.
The U.S. government’s ongoing failure to devise a spaceflight plan for NASA after the shuttle fleet is retired raises the specter of more workforce cuts in the 50-year-old U.S. launch industry, with serious industrial-base implications for the nation, according to the head of rocket-engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR).
LOS ANGELES — After a day of delays due to weather and a valve change, the U.S. Air Force’s second X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-2) was successfully launched at 5:46 p.m. EST March 5 from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., marking the start of a classified mission that could extend into November.
SES S.A. will consider Sea Launch as a provider of future launch missions following the launch services company’s reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, adding a lucrative potential customer base to the unique operation. Under a “framework understanding” announced March 7, Sea Launch will provide Luxembourg-based SES with detailed technical data on its Zenit-based launcher, which lifts off from a ship-based launch platform positioned in the equatorial Pacific for maximum lift.
