The issue of antisatellite (ASAT) weapons is once again on the doorsteps of the White House and State Dept. this week as China and Russia press the U.S. to join in crafting a long-debated United Nations treaty to ban weapons in space. Any development or testing of ASAT weapons is fraught with geopolitical implications, as China found in January 2007, when it destroyed one of its own weather satellites.
The aerospace and defense industry’s top trade representatives in Washington are working to promote the size of the sector’s trade surplus and its desire for industry friendly policymaking in Washington as the whole country becomes increasingly caught up in a presidential election this year.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicated new calendar listing.) Feb. 20 - 21 — Shephard’s Defense IT ‘08 Conference, London, UK. For more information call +44-162-860-6879 or go to www.shephard.co.uk/events
FOURTH FLEET: The U.S. Navy is officially re-establishing its Fourth Fleet, which will be based out of Mayport, Fla., to raise the profile of Latin American antidrug and antiterrorist operations internally and internationally, a vice admiral says. The sea service, which is suffering an atrophied fleet already, does not plan new ships specifically for the fleet.
CURTAILING CUTS: U.K. The British Defense Ministry could curtail the period covered in the planning round now being discussed as a means of avoiding – or at least deferring - having to ax procurement programs. Industry executives suggest that one option considered by Defense Ministry is shortening the coverage of Planning Round 08 (PR08) by a financial year. Immediately after concluding PR08, officials would then begin working on PR09 as the ministry struggles to fit its expenditure plans within the available budget.
UAV ANALYSIS: The U.S. Coast Guard’s plans for replacing its canceled vertical unmanned aerial vehicle (VUAV) program will be part of the alternatives analysis for the troubled Deepwater program coming out this week. The congressionally chartered study by ABS Group’s Consulting unit surveyed existing or imminent technology and platform options to help redraw Deepwater after major problems emerged more than a year ago with new patrol craft and the VUAV program. Adm. Thad Allen, the Coast Guard commandant says that will all be addressed when the study is released.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER - The space shuttle Atlantis is preparing to return home from the International Space Station as early as possible to give the Defense Department maximum flexilility in shooting down the ailing classified satellite expected to enter Earth’s atmosphere soon.
FIRST RESPONDERS: The head of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) research and development arm says he’s trying develop a version of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) to develop interoperable communication between federal authorities and first responders. An ambitious program to develop and produce software programmable radios for use on ground, air and maritime platforms, JTRS has been plagued by cost overruns and delays due to its size, scope and technological challenges.
PROTEST PENALTIES: The chairman of the aerospace and defense industry’s Washington trade organization suggests caution before the U.S. government considers the idea of applying a penalty to contractors on the losing side of a bid protest. Clayton Jones, chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), says protesters are not looking to cause mischief – they just believe something unfair happened during the competition.
THE HAGUE - European Union (EU) governments will pursue a European Air Transport Fleet through pooled ownership of Airbus Military A400M transport aircraft. They also will share information on rotary wing assets available for European Security and Defence Policy missions, which could lead to cooperation among countries operating the same type of helicopters to improve helo availability. The decisions were made Feb. 15 at a European Defense Agency (EDA) Steering Board meeting, in which 26 European nations participated.
RSRM AWARD: NASA has awarded a contract modification valued at $812.5 million to ATK Launch Systems Inc. for continued delivery of space shuttle reusable solid rocket motors. The modification changes the current contract to align production to launch requirements through September 2010, when the shuttle is due to retire. Work will be performed at the contractor’s plants in Brigham City and Clearfield, Utah, along with facilities at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Oman is acquiring a computerized, mobile, close-in combat indirect fire support capability by placing an order for an undisclosed quantity of 120mm rifled mortar systems from French Thales subsidiary TDA Armements, Thales announced on Feb. 14. The systems, known as the 2R2M Recoiling Rifled Mounted Mortar, will be installed in upgraded Omani army VAB armored wheeled vehicles, Thales says. VAB
TOKYO – Fueling problems will delay launch of Japan’s high-speed Internet satellite, WINDS, which had been scheduled for Feb. 15. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries identified a leaking diaphragm from one of the two hydrazine tanks on the H-IIA rocket. These particular tanks are designed to fuel attitude-controlling thrusters during the second stage of launch by pumping pressurized helium into the tank from the other side of the diaphragm.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER – Crew members on the International Space Station continued to activate Europe’s Columbus laboratory module Feb. 14 after overcoming a computer glitch that slowed the activity. European Space Agency astronauts Hans Schlegel and Leopold Eyharts worked with Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson and the crew of the shuttle Atlantis to wrestle bulky experiment racks into their final positions in Columbus.
DDG AWARD: The U.S. Navy on Feb. 14 awarded Northrop Grumman a $1.4 billion cost plus incentive fee contract for the construction of a Zumwalt-class destroyer, DDG 1001, as well as major components for the DDG 1000. The award enables construction of DDG 1001 to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009, with an expected delivery date of 2014. The contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, a newly-formed company sector comprising the former Ship Systems and Newport News shipbuilding divisions.
SLAMRAAM SLAMMED: Government watchdogs in Washington have slammed the U.S. Army’s $623 million Surface-Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile after the DOD’s inspector general said the program needs to be reworked. According to a December 2007 report by the DOD IG, obtained by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), the Army needs to “rebaseline” the contract due to “contractor technical difficulties” and “increased contract costs,” stemming from thin management of the program and its dependence on contractor Raytheon’s plan.
Orbital Sciences Corp. has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2007, and reported a 35 percent increase in revenue over 2006’s numbers. For 2007, Orbital reported $1.1 billion in revenues, up from $803 million in 2006. The company’s operating income increased 27 percent to $86.4 million and net income increased 43 percent to $56.7 million in 2007.
LONDON – The British government’s Civil Space Strategy, unveiled Feb. 14, provides encouragement for the U.K. space sector but lacks any financial details to support the grand vision.
In observance of Presidents’ Day, Aerospace Daily & Defense Report will not publish an issue on Monday, Feb. 18. The next issue will be dated Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Saudi Arabia has ordered a Samoc surface-to-air missile operations center from EADS to provide mixed-force battle management command, control, communications and coordination for its Patriot-, Hawk- and Shahine (Crotale)-equipped ground-based air defense forces. The Samoc system is to be built and tested by EADS Defense & Communications Systems in Ulm, Germany, and will be delivered to Saudi Arabia by the end of April 2009, EADS says.
The Navy is in discussions with the Coast Guard about testing the Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system on a cutter. The Coast Guard, which canceled its vertical UAV program last year, has been looking for a replacement system to extend the patrol reach of its new class of cutters. And Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen says all possible aircraft are under consideration.
F-22 RADAR: Northrop Grumman has demonstrated the capability to generate high-resolution, in-flight synthetic aperture radar (SAR) maps using the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar being produced for the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor. The test flights, conducted on a BAC 1-11 test bed aircraft, are the first phase of a planned multiyear contract with Boeing to incorporate SAR capability into the existing F-22 fleet and new production aircraft in support of future air-to-ground requirements.
NEW DELHI – Bidders on India’s 126 Medium Multi-Range Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program have expressed concerns over the Defense Procurement Policy (DPP) 2006, which does not lay down in clear terms a banking of credits and transfer of technology clause. Clarifications for both will be required before the bidders can develop their plans for fulfilling a commitment of 50 percent offsets. The request for proposals (RFP) for the MMRCA is to be submitted March 3.
War costs are nearing the $1 trillion mark, bolstered by the recent major increase in procurement costs, a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis shows. To finance war operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and the general fight against terrorists, Congress initially provided emergency appropriations of $18 billion in fiscal year 2002 and $76 billion in fiscal 2003.
