Renato A. DiPentima is retiring as president and chief executive effective April 1. Stanton D. Sloane is replacing DiPentima. Sloane had served as executive vice president for integrated systems and solutions at Lockheed Martin Corp. Jennifer E. Smith has been appointed vice president and deputy director for marketing and sales.
SENATE BUDGET: Senate Budget Democratic leaders unveiled budget plans March 14 that fully fund President Bush's baseline fiscal 2008 defense budget, as well as White House requests for supplemental military funding in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The committee last month noted that under the president's proposal, defense spending would grow in inflation-adjusted terms for the 10th straight year and would return the defense budget, even excluding costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to levels last seen at the height of the Reagan administration's buildup.
The House Armed Services Committee on March 13 endorsed an acquisition reform bill first proposed by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), but only after modifying it to win the backing of conservative Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.).
Arthur D. Collins Jr. has been elected to the board of directors. Collins is chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic Inc. Dean McColgan and Liz Vivian have been named to lead Global Corporate Citizenship's NW Region.
Eyal Danan has been appointed general manager of Elta Systems' Group Microwaves Systems & Antennas Division. Gideon Landa has been named general manager of Elta's AEW Division. Roni Segal has been named Elta Systems' vice president for operations. Avishay Yitzhakian has been appointed deputy general manager of Elta's AEW Division.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is studying the use of high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as airborne platforms to counter small surface-to-air missile attacks on commercial aircraft, the head of the department's research arm said March 13. DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Jay Cohen said the department plans to issue a broad agency announcement (BAA) soon, looking for industry suggestions.
Joe Lombardo has been appointed executive vice president of the Aerospace business group and president of subsidiary Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. Bryan T. Moss is being replaced by Lombardo.
Telesat will assist Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) in procuring, building, launching and bringing into service a new communications satellite to replace Paksat-1 at 38 degrees east longitude. The Ottawa, Canada-based telecom satellite operator will initiate and evaluate proposals from manufacturers for Paksat-1R, to begin operation in 2010, and oversee production, launch and in-orbit testing of the spacecraft. Pakistan is one of a growing number of nations developing an indigenous satellite capability.
PLASMA ENGINE FACILITY: Safran has inaugurated a new plasma engine facility at its space propulsion plant in Vernon, north of Paris. The facility, partly financed with a 1 million euro ($1.3 million) grant from the Norman regional government, will include a 400-square-meter test facility with three vacuum test chambers, one of which is already installed.
Boeing officials believe a renewed competition for the U.S. Air Force's combat, search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter fleet is not warranted by recent Government Accountability Office action and that the giant contractor would be disadvantaged if new bids were considered. But the company would prevail again, they asserted March 13.
LAUNCHING SYSTEM: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors - Marine Systems has been awarded a $16 million contract modification to produce MK 41 Baseline VII Vertical Launching System launcher ship sets for the Australian and Spanish navies, the Defense Department said March 13. The work will be done in Baltimore and is expected to be finished by December 2009. The contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C.
