PARIS — A Dnepr booster has successfully launched a pair of European technology and science satellites, Prisma and Piccard. The launch, from Yasny, Russia, had been scheduled for March-April but was held up by concerns over possible downrange damage in the event of a launch mishap.
U.K. firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) will design the platform for the Long-Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) unmanned surveillance airship to be built for use in Afghanistan under Northrop Grumman’s $517 million contract from the U.S. Army. Although the LEMV will be assembled and tested in the U.S. before being deployed to Afghanistan for military utility evaluation, HAV will have design authority for the air vehicle, which will be based on its 302-ft.-long HAV304 hybrid airship.
HOUSTON — A Soyuz rocket lifted off for the International Space Station June 15 with three U.S. and Russian astronauts prepared to finish outfitting the latest addition to the orbiting science lab, conduct dozens of science experiments and host the next-to-last scheduled space shuttle assembly mission. The TMA-19 spacecraft carrying Fyodor Yurchikhin, the Soyuz commander, and NASA astronauts Doug Wheelock and Shannon Walker lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:35 p.m. EDT, initiating a five-to-six month mission.
PARIS — This fall, the U.S. Army will wrap up a re-evaluation of its requirements for precision fires after the mid-May cancellation of its Non Line-Of-Sight Launch System (NLOS-LS), says Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center.
BEIJING — A Long March 2D rocket successfully launched a Chinese scientific research satellite from the Jiuquan base in the country’s northwest on June 15, Xinhua news agency says. The satellite, Shijian 12, “was designed for carrying out scientific and technological experiments,” Xinhua says, adding that its equipment includes a space environment probe. There were no details as to the spacecraft’s precise function. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, part of the China Aerospace Science & Technology Corp., developed the satellite.
HOUSTON — Ad Astra Rocket Co., led by former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz, reports new strides in the performance of its experimental 200-kw. Variable Specific Impulse Magneto-plasma Rocket (Vasimr), the VX-200, which the company is developing as a commercial propulsion source for a range of future deep space and possible near-Earth missions.
U.S. military officials are unable to account for millions of dollars because of lapses in oversight of funding for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in Iraq and Afghanistan, a recent Pentagon Inspector General (IG) report says. While U.S. military officials found that FMS funds in combat zones were generally used for what the money was meant for, investigators still identified oversight issues.
PARIS — The U.S. Army is turning to a seemingly unlikely source — the race car industry — for tips on streamlining requirements and future production of its Ground Combat Vehicle, says Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center.
NEW DELHI — The jointly developed Indian/Israeli Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) was test fired in Israel within the last two weeks, according to local news reports. Known as Barak-2, the system is due for a second test later this year.
PARIS — The French defense ministry is going to have to find up to €5 billion ($6 billion) in cost savings and non-budget revenues to keep its multi-year spending plan from unraveling.
Slowed by funding issues, development of an advanced networking waveform is to be completed under a new contract that also will look at enhancing the system for use in denied airspace. Despite showing promise, Rockwell Collins’ Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) waveform was put on the back burner in 2008 after the U.S. Air Force selected the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) for the F-22 and B-2.
BENGALURU, India — The Indian Air Force (IAF) will form the first squadron of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in Bengaluru next year before it is moved to Sulur, IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal P.K. Barbora tells AVIATION WEEK. Sulur is located near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
PARIS — According to Saab executives, the decision to go ahead with the Gripen Next Generation (NG) fighter has already been made by the Swedish government. If Saab wins one or more of the upcoming fighter competitions — with Brazil and Switzerland among those closest to a decision date — it will affect the timing of Sweden’s own deployment of the Gripen NG, already identified by the Swedish military as the JAS 39E/F. But the decision to acquire the fighter is a done deal, according to the head of Gripen marketing and campaigns, Hans Rosen.
NEW DELHI — India will start field development trials with Boeing’s C-17 heavy-lift transport in two weeks, according to Tommy Dunehew, vice president for global mobility systems at Boeing Defense, Space & Security (DSS). “We have submitted the offset proposal and the draft letter of acceptance from the U.S. is expected to come this summer,” an official said.
NEW CONTRACT: Lockheed Martin has reached a new three-year agreement with members of the Federated Independent Texas Union (FITU), covering about 270 workers who perform manufacturing planning, tool design and tool manufacturing planning in the Fort Worth, Texas, facility that houses production of the F-35, F-16, major portions of the F-22 and other aircraft programs. The contract became effective at midnight on June 13. About 4,500 of the 14,400 workers at the Fort Worth plant are represented by unions.
PARIS — EADS has formally unveiled the EC645 helicopter, the military derivative of the EC145 it will market globally and in parallel with the AAS-72X the company plans to bid for the U.S. Army Armed Aerial Scout program. The EC645 is aimed at sales to non-U.S. customers. To that end, it will have a non-U.S. weapons suite, unlike the AAS-72X, company officials say. The EC645 was unveiled on June 14 at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris.
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