LONDON — BAE Systems and Dassault have agreed to cooperate on development of a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft and a potential unmanned combat aircraft to provide the industrial underpinning for closer Franco-British defense cooperation.
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HYPERSONIC RESEARCH: NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate has amended its “Research Opportunities in Aeronautics 2010” announcement to solicit additional proposals in support of the agency’s Hypersonics Project. The directorate is interested in enabling technologies in air-breathing access to space and EDL (entry, descent and landing) of high-mass vehicles in planetary atmospheres. “NASA expects educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and industry engaged in foundational research will be the announcement’s primary award recipients,” the agency says.
Boeing has completed wind tunnel tests of a new rotor blade for the CH-47F Chinook that is designed to generate 2,000 lb. more lift without degrading the heavy-lift-helicopter’s forward-flight performance. Results of scale-model tests of the latest blade configuration are “promising,” says Pat Donnelly, CH-47F/G program manager. “We are seeing the lift we are looking for with little or no degradation in forward flight.”
The revamped request for proposals (RFP) for the U.S. Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) is “imminent” and will focus more on engineering and manufacturing and less on technology development while giving contractors the option of trading off some cost and capability elements for later increments, spokesman Paul Mehney says.
BEIJING — The small-satellite subsidiary of Chinese spacecraft maker the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) expects to sign its first foreign sale by the end of next year. The company, DFH Satellite Co., can make 10 satellites a year and will launch that many next year, says Director General Ge Yujun. That will mark a significant acceleration in its activity. Since its founding in 2001, DFH Satellite has developed 21 spacecraft, 17 of which remain in orbit.
PARIS — Joint carrier and expeditionary forces, shared nuclear test facilities and common weapon systems – including nuclear submarines, UAVs and missiles – are among the highlights of a comprehensive defense and security treaty agreed to by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Nov. 2.
PHOENIX — Aerospace contractors must face the reality that defense budgets are going to remain under pressure for years to come and figure out how to keep their companies relevant in a leaner environment, says a senior industry executive. “The crunch has begun,” says Tom Bell, vice president for business strategy at Boeing Military Aircraft. “It’s real, and it’s going to be with us for some time.”
PARIS — Eutelsat is planning to order a new satellite to replace a communications satellite that failed after launch on Oct. 29. W3B, launched atop an Ariane 5 rocket along with a Japanese satellite, BSAT-3B, was declared a total loss after an anomaly was detected on the satellite’s propulsion subsystem, preventing its insertion into geostationary orbit.
PARIS — French tactical unmanned aerial vehicle specialist Sagem has signed agreements with companies in Kazakhstan and Ukraine to market and co-produce UAVs based on experience with its Sperwer product line. Sagem agreed with Kazakhstan Engineering to set up a joint venture to sell and build tactical UAV systems to government-sanctioned military and civil customers. The Safran affiliate also struck a teaming agreement with Chuguev of Ukraine to market and produce UAVs in that country. Both agreements are subject to government approvals.
LONDON — Airbus Military has clarified its plans for the A400M’s first dry contact refueling flight tests, which are due to take place before the end of the year. The trials will be undertaken with a U.K. Royal Air Force Vickers VC10 tanker, but it will not be operated from the RAF Brize Norton airbase in the U.K., as Airbus previously indicated. The RAF will instead position the aircraft at Toulouse for the trials, according to Airbus.
HOUSTON — The International Space Station’s U.S.-led, 15-nation partnership marked its 10th anniversary of continuous crew habitation on Nov. 2, with the six-member crew citing the retirement of NASA’s shuttle fleet next year as the biggest challenge to sustaining the accomplishment. Two and possibly three shuttle missions remain, including the STS-133 mission scheduled for launch on board Discovery Nov. 3. Meanwhile, Congress and the White House have authorized at least another decade of station operations.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA called off the scheduled Nov. 3 launch attempt of space shuttle Discovery on its 39th and final flight to assess a potential problem with the backup controller of one of the ship’s main engines, officials said Nov. 2.
BEIJING — China Satcom will favor fellow subsidiaries of national space contractor China Aerospace Corp. (CASC) as it places contracts to enlarge its satellite fleet over the next five years. Declaring an interest in developing L- and S-band technology, the company appears to be aiming to offer global communications services, probably eyeing Chinese state companies as early customers.
DOHA, Qatar — The Qatar emiri air force will soon decide on a new fighter trainer, according to Air Force Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Mubarak Mohammed Al-Khayarin. The notional size of the program is for 12 aircraft, he tells AVIATION WEEK on the sidelines of the Shephard Air Power Middle East conference here. The aircraft would be used for both basic and advanced training, Al-Khayarin notes.
PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Engineers are moving into the last phase of detailed design for ExoMars, the twin lander/orbiter mission planned by the European Space Agency and NASA to pave the way for a sample return from the red planet.
AIR FORCE ITT Industries Inc., Systems Division, Cape Canaveral, Fla., was awarded a maximum $74,628,309 contract modification which will provide a space life range systems contract extension for one base year which is Nov. 1, 2010 through Oct. 31, 2011; two six-month options (Nov. 1. 2011 through April 30, 2012; or May 1 through Oct. 31, 2012). At this time, $23,295,379 has been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001; P00693).
Rockwell Collins CEO Clay Jones tells analysts the recovery from this economic downturn will be different from past recessions, as aftermarket sales remain lower than expected while sales to original equipment manufacturers pick up.
CELL ACTIVITY: Fifteen years after it began producing multi-junction gallium arsenide solar cells, Spectrolab reports it has passed the 3 million mark at its factory in Sylmar, Calif. Part of Boeing Defense Space & Security, the lab is in its 50th year and has supported missions from Apollo to the International Space Station. One of its newest projects for NASA is Juno at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Juno is the first mission to Jupiter to be powered by photovoltaic cells.
The U.S. Marine Corps failed to follow proper procurement procedures in 90% of the 88 Undefinitized Contractual Actions (UCAs) worth about $2.75 billion awarded by Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) from Fiscal 2004-09, according to the Pentagon Inspector General (IG). “MCSC contracting officials did not consistently comply with statutory requirements for managing 80 of the 88 UCAs,” the IG states in a recent report.
