JFK DEFENDED: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) has vowed to fight early retirement of the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier or at least receive a commitment from the Navy to station another flattop at its Jacksonville, Fla., base. Nelson told constituents he would try to strip language sponsored by Senate Armed Services Committee head Sen. John Warner (R-Va.). That is unlikely to succeed. Warner was the reason the retirement was barred last year, and now he agrees with the Navy that JFK funds could be used elsewhere.
JASSM ER CONTRACT: Harris Corp. said May 9 that it has been awarded a two-year, $10 million contract by Lockheed Martin to provide the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range weapon data link transceiver. Harris will test, fabricate, design, and deliver a two-way, miniaturized, data link transceiver module for JASSM's beyond-line-of-sight communications.
RUMSFELD REACTS: "Our nation's defense should not be a bill payer for other parts of the budget at a time when our country is at war," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said May 9 in response to congressional moves to tap requested defense funds for domestic spending instead (DAILY, May 8). The Pentagon needs supplemental funds for Iraq and Afghanistan operations now in congressional conference, and contract obligations are being delayed in the meantime. Elsewhere, "no, we're not" trying to take over the U.S. intelligence community, Rumsfeld said about Air Force Gen.
The Senate Armed Services Committee is proposing several legislative provisions for fiscal 2007 to boost the Defense Department's oversight of its acquisition programs, committee staff have said. One provision authorizes a DOD pilot program using time-certain development in the acquisition of major weapons systems, for which program schedule is a key performance parameter.
NET LOSSES: Commercial space services provider SPACEHAB Inc. said May 9 that it suffered net losses for both the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal 2006. The company sustained a third-quarter net loss of $1.7 million on revenue of $12.4 million. For the same period in '05, SPACEHAB had revenue of $14.3 million and a net loss of $500,000. For the nine-month period ending March 31, the company net loss was $12.4 million on revenue of $36.2 million. For the same period in '05, SPACEHAB had a net income of $5.2 million on revenue of $40.4 million.
SPAWAR SUPPORT: AMSEC, a limited liability company jointly owned by Science Applications International Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News, said May 9 it received an award potentially worth $318 million from the U.S. Navy to support its Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center in Charleston, S.C. Contracted services include installation of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems on ships, submarines and shore sites.
The U.S. Air Force last month completed a restructuring of the Space Based Surveillance System (SBSS) Pathfinder satellite program to address tens of millions of dollars in cost growth while maintaining its planned December 2008 launch date.
COLUMBUS TO ESA: EADS Space has handed over the Columbus orbital laboratory, Europe's key contribution to the International Space Station, to the European Space Agency for delivery to NASA. German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the handover ceremony at EADS's plant in Bremen, Germany. Germany is Europe's lead contributor to the ISS, providing 41 percent of European funds. At month's end, the 13-metric ton module will be shipped on an Airbus Beluga transport to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for pre-launch preparations.
EADS BUYS IFR: EADS Test & Services has acquired IFR, a French-based specialist in aircraft management software for maintenance applications. IFR had revenues of 4.7 million euros last year and employs 58 people.
RESEARCH SPENDING: German Chancellor Angela Merckel says Germany will provide strong support for space research spending during its rotation at the head of the European Union presidency next year. Lukewarm support by the U.K. during the previous presidency has threatened to rein in the EU's space ambitions, which include helping bankroll the new Global Monitoring for Environment and Security network.
CLEVELAND - In 1998, aerospace was a blip in industrial giant Eaton Corp.'s wide array of businesses, accounting for just $195 million in sales. Today, aerospace is a key component in Eaton's effort to remake itself into a less cyclical, high-growth company. Eaton's aerospace revenues are on track to reach $1.3 billion this year, and the company is positioned as a major supplier on aircraft such as the Joint Strike Fighter, F-22, UH-60, Airbus A380 and Boeing 787.
ASIASAT-5: Space Systems/Loral has been picked to supply AsiaSat-5 for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co., a Hong Kong operator partly owned by SES Global. The C-/Ku-band spacecraft, to be launched in 2008, will replace and expand capacity on AsiaSat-2, located at 100.5 degrees east longitude.
Several major European providers of wind tunnel facilities have decided to join forces in a bid to gain more work and coordinate future spending. The move comes at a time when U.S. wind tunnel facilities are increasingly pinched for funds and, some U.S. government officials worry, companies are going to be forced increasingly to perform testing overseas. Germany and the Netherlands had already been cooperating in this field, but now France has joined the mix.
CLOGGED CLEARANCES: Seven Washington-based trade associations want an immediate reversal of the Defense Security Service's decision to stop processing security clearance applications and periodic reviews of existing clearances. DSS suspended work on industry clearances April 28, saying it has exhausted its fiscal 2006 funding. In addition to unclogging the clearance pipeline, the groups want Pentagon officials to review fiscal 2007 funding requests to prevent another shortfall next year. Rep.
HOVER: On May 10 Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) will host the Guardian Challenge 2006 Helicopter Hover competition at Camp Guernsey, Wyo. Helicopter crews from Malmstrom, Minot, FE Warren and Vandenberg Air Force bases will compete for three days. Guardian Challenge is an annual event held by AFSPC to improve its warfighting skills. The event began as Olympic Arena in 1967.
Senate defense authorizers continued a hard line on the Army's massive Future Combat Systems (FCS), although they authorized the fiscal 2007 budget request of $3.7 billion, including $322.7 million for the Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System and $112.3 million for the Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon. But in their FY '07 defense authorization markup, they included a provision that would require the Pentagon to submit an independent cost estimate of the core FCS program, FCS spinouts and FCS complementary systems.
ARMY Turner Construction Co., Arlington, Va., was awarded on May 2, 2006, an $8,650,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a military amputee training center. The work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and is expected to be completed by July 3, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 160 bids solicited on Oct. 25, 2005, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, is the contracting activity (W912DR-06-C-0017). AIR FORCE
The U.S. Army has ordered an additional nine Shadow 200 tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems from AAI Corp., the company announced May 8. The $87 million order is the fourth full-rate production contract for the Shadow 200, AAI said. Each system includes four RQ-7B Shadow 200 aircraft and two ground control stations. Deliveries will begin in April 2007 and conclude in March 2008.
NAVAL GUN: BAE Systems said May 8 that the U.S. Navy has ordered 67 more Mk 38 naval gun mounts to go aboard cruisers, destroyers and Landing Ship Transport Dock (LPD) ships. The Mk 38 Mod 2 is a 25mm stabilized gun system that provides the last layer of ship self-protection. BAE Systems provides the system with Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. of Israel (DAILY, April 4). The expected order released $39 million from the current $395 million contract.
ARMY AM General Corp., South Bend, Ind., was awarded on May 1, 2006, a $55,987,075 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of M1113 High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles. The work will be performed in South Bend, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on July 17, 2000. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S001).
