RAYTHEON MODS: Raytheon has received a $75 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to modify data link equipment on the Boeing F-15 fighter aircraft. The weapons data link being modified is associated with the GBU-15 AND AGM-130 weapons. The system will be developed, prototyped, and qualified at Raytheon's Indianapolis facility.
The upgraded space shuttle orbiter Endeavour is turning in a stellar performance in orbit, with only a small transducer malfunction so far - a significant achievement given that the vehicle is flying with nearly 200 significant modifications. "It is a testament to the fantastic job the folks at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) did over the last 4.5 years," says Matt Abbott, lead STS-118 flight director at the Johnson Space Center.
HOROWITZ'S REPLACEMENT: Richard J. Gilbrech, director of NASA's Stennis Space Center, will take over in October as associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, responsible for developing the launch vehicles, spacecraft and other systems intended to enable a human return to the moon and eventual exploration beyond that. He will replace Scott Horowitz, who is leaving the agency (DAILY, July 12). Robert D.
The STS-118 astronauts on the upgraded orbiter Endeavour will have a busy weekend of extravehicular activity (EVA), cargo transfer and checkout of the new Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS). Endeavour pilots Navy Cdr. Scott Kelly, the mission commander, and Marine Lt. Col. Charles Hobaugh docked the orbiter to the International Space Station (ISS) Destiny module at 2:02 p.m. EDT Aug. 10. The docking was performed as the two spacecraft flew in darkness at 17,500 mph over the South Pacific east of Australia.
ARES AWARD: Alliant Techsystems (ATK) will get $1.8 billion from NASA to develop and test the solid-fuel first stage for the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles under a contract signed Aug. 10. The five-segment upgrade of the four-segment reusable solid rocket motor that boosts the space shuttle will fly as a "single-stick" on the human-rated Ares I, and in pairs on the heavy-lift Ares V.
SPANISH AEGIS: The U.S. is eyeing the possible sale of two MK-7 Aegis weapon systems to Spain, along with associated equipment and services. The total value of the sale, if all options are exercised, could reach as high as $780 million. The principal contractors on the project would be Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Dynamics.
The U.S. Army inappropriately consolidated $20 billion worth of work for an information technology (IT) contract, smothering opportunity for small businesses to compete, a recent DOD Inspector General (IG) report says.
OVERPAYMENT: What does it take to hurt Lockheed Martin's bottom line? Apparently more than the $265 million - plus another possible $30 million in fines - that the company must repay the Pentagon for F-35 award fee overcharges (DAILY, Aug. 10). "The company has a cushion in its F-35 EAC [cost estimate at completion], and the over billing represents [about] 1 percent of the total F-35 development contract value," says analyst group Cowen & Co.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] July 30 - Aug. 2 -- 2007 Naval S&T Partnership Conference, "The Navy After Next... Powered by Naval Research II -- Power & Energy for the Fleet and Force," Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C. For more information go to www.ndia.org/meetings/7200. Aug. 6 - 9 -- AUVSI's Unmmaned Systems North America 2007, Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. For more information go to www.auvsi.org.
UAV SAVINGS: The U.S. Air Force says it can save as much as 10 pecent of the budding unmanned aerial systems (UAS) budget if it becomes the Pentagon's executive agent for UASs, over the objections of its sister services. Savings would come from common training and sustainment processes as well as shared basing, the service says. The Army has been furious over this plan, and the Navy and Marine Corps have expressed reservations.
MONITORING THE GIG: Looking ahead to the maintenance and protection of the future Global Information Grid (GIG), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking for new technologies for the monitoring of very large computer networks under its new Scalable Network Monitoring program. "Because the GIG will be the single most important contributor to combat power, it will also be a primary target to our enemies," DARPA says.
NAVY PICKED: The U.S. Navy has been designated the Defense Department's executive agent for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). In an Aug. 3 memo, Deputy Secretary Gordon England selected the service to chair a senior advisory group of representatives from the joint chiefs, the military services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The Navy has 180 days to come up with a plan defining responsibilities and milestones. An MDA implementation directive is due within one year.
TRAINER UPGRADE: Rockwell Collins has received a $23.8 million contract from the U.S. Army for the Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) helmet mounted display (HMD) modification and upgrade program. AVCATT is a mobile simulation training system that allows Army aviators to conduct realistic training and mission rehearsals through a networked, combined arms simulation. Rockwell Collins will provide its SimEye SR100A HMD to provide a more compact, lightweight upgrade for another HMD currently in use with AVCATT.
The U.S. Navy's E-2D Hawkeye has completed its first two test flights at Northrop Grumman facilities in St. Augustine, Fla., kicking off a projected 350-flight test program. The first flight, which took place at 11 a.m. Aug. 3 (DAILY, Aug. 7), was a 1.3-hour hop that stayed within sight of the airfield, according to Capt. Randy Mahr, the Navy's program manager for Hawkeye, Advanced Hawkeye and C-2 aircraft. The second flight Aug. 7 continued the check out of basic performance and involved very little envelope expansion.
Proxy Aviation Systems Inc., a start-up company from Germantown, Md., has demonstrated to the U.S. Air Force how its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can fly autonomously in concert with each other to focus multiple sensors on a possible target. A successful demonstration at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., in early July has led to discussions between the Air Force and Proxy about a more elaborate demonstration. Donald P. Ryan, president and CEO of the company, says these discussions could lead to a deployable system.
BORDER UAVs: The Bush administration plans to acquire four more unmanned aerial vehicles to improve border security by 2009. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says three more Predator B UAVs will be committed to strengthen border security by Dec. 31, 2008. "We will also work to ensure that 1,700 more Border Patrol agents and an additional UAV are added in 2009," Chertoff says. Combined with the four Predators Customs and Border Protection (CPB) plans to have on hand by the end of 2007, the new aircraft would bring the total CPB Predator complement to eight.
LORAL RESULTS: Loral Space & Communications reported a 22 percent increase in revenues to $365 million in the first half of 2007 as its satellite manufacturing and operating units continue to rebound. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) declined to $25 million, from $28 million a year earlier, chiefly due to cancellation of the Connexion by Boeing contract, litigation expenses and higher research and development expenses.
JAPANESE AWACS: The U.S. Air Force is awarding Boeing a $110.2 million contract modification for a software option for the Japan E-767 AWACS Radar System Improvement Program (J-RSIP). This work will be complete in January 2009, the Pentagon said Aug. 8.
VEHICLE UPGRADES: General Dynamics units have been awarded more than $548 million total for system enhancement packages (SEPs) for Abrams M1A2 Tanks and for hull protection kits for the Stryker family of vehicles. In three different late-July awards, all announced Aug. 8, General Dynamics Land Systems received $270.6 million for SEPs for M1A2s, $139.3 million for retrofit of M1A2s to SEP Version 2 configuration and another unspecified $19 million contract modification.
Lockheed Martin is paying back the Pentagon about five years' worth of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) award fees totaling $265 million the company erroneously charged because of a computer glitch in its billing system, company spokesman Thomas Jurkowsky said Aug. 9. The company expects to repay the government "within several days" the overpaid award fees, plus interest that's still being determined, Jurkowsky said.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - The U.S./Canadian crew of STS-118 performed inspections of their re-entry protection systems Aug. 9 following a flawless countdown and launch Aug. 8 that has returned the orbiter Endeavour to space after a nearly five-year absence, but with the addition of 194 major modifications.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has chosen the 36 semi-finalists that will compete in a qualification event this October as a final prelude to the Urban Challenge robot race on Nov. 3. The selected teams include the Stanford Racing Team, whose "Stanley" vehicle won the second DARPA Grand Challenge in 2005. Other participants include MIT, Princeton University, Caltech, and Team Oshkosh Truck. A complete list of qualifiers can be found at www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge.
