The Ukrainian military is slated to undertake upgrades to its command, control, communications and computer systems as part of a larger effort to bring the former-Soviet republic closer to NATO. The enhancements are part of the newly issued NATO-Ukraine Annual Target Plan for 2006. It is the latest iteration of the document that first was established in 2002 to help Ukraine along the path towards potentially becoming a NATO member. The document outlines policy, operational and technical steps Kiev should adopt.
BOEING NUMBERS: The Boeing Co. will release its first-quarter 2006 financial results at 7:30 a.m. Eastern on April 26. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer James Bell will host a web- and teleconference about the results and company outlook at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.
While the U.S. Navy is emphasizing electric propulsion to improve the efficiency and operation of its surface ships and submarines, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) continues to push for an all-nuclear Navy. Bartlett, House Armed Services projection forces subcommittee chairman, has cited the director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion and said life-cycle cost efficiency lines already have crossed for large-deck amphibious ships to go nuclear. If crude oil prices reach $205 per barrel, "those lines will cross for surface combatants as well," he said April 6.
SPACE AWARD: The Cassini-Huygens mission team received an Aerospace Laurel award from the editors of Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine during a ceremony held at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles, Va., April 7. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)-led team won the award for the successful landing of the European Space Agency's Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan in January, and for the science data and imagery from NASA's Cassini orbiter, which will continue sending back data for many years.
NASA on April 11 issued a request for information (RFI) asking for ideas on lunar activities that could fit into the agency's plans for revisiting the moon and using it as a springboard for the human exploration of Mars.
SPACE FIRSTS: On April 12, NASA celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first space shuttle mission, STS-1, when Apollo veteran Commander John Young and Pilot Bob Crippen flew the shuttle Columbia. The date also marks the 45th anniversary of the first-ever human spaceflight, by Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
RADAR HAWK: The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. an $89.3 million contract modification for radar integration into the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system, the Pentagon said April 10. This work will be finished in September 2009.
NASA signed an agreement April 10 with other U.S. and international agencies to cooperate on the launch of the Jason-2 ocean observation satellite in 2008. NASA is cooperating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
The prototype ARH-70A Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) has surpassed the 70-hour mark in flight testing at manufacturer Bell Helicopter Textron's facilities in Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft, fitted with a Mission Equipment Package (MEP), is serving as a risk-reduction platform as Bell continues ARH development for the U.S. Army. The Army plans to buy 368 of the single-engine, turbine-powered helicopters, which are based on the commercial Model 407 series (DAILY, Jan 17).
Congress has never been more inclined to fund port and maritime security programs and industry should ramp up its outreach to congressional staff now, according to Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.). Weldon, the vice chairman of both the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, told an audience at Equity International's Homeland & Global Security Summit April 11 that the U.S. Coast Guard needs more money - and Congress is going to provide it.
Israel could order up to two Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) built by a Lockheed Martin Corp.-led team, according to the company, a move that would spearhead foreign military sales (FMS) efforts for the new class of ship and help return FMS to U.S. naval shipbuilding. Lockheed Martin announced April 10 that the U.S. Navy awarded it an FMS contract for nearly $5.2 million for an LCS feasibility study for the Israeli Navy. Lockheed Martin will review modifications to its LCS design to meet specific Israeli requirements, the company said.
SUPERBIRD-7: Arianespace announced April 10 that it has signed a contract to launch the Superbird-7 telecommunications satellite for Japanese operator Space Communications Corporation. Built by Mitsubishi Electric, Superbird-7 will be orbited by an Ariane 5 rocket in the first quarter of 2008.
With the government's third fiscal quarter of 2006 starting this month, lawmakers on Capitol Hill finally agreed to a FY '06 Coast Guard authorization bill that, among other things, allows $1.6 billion for the Deepwater recapitalization program. Still, Congress already appropriated only $933 million for the current fiscal year, and the Bush administration has requested $934 million for FY '07 - a sum that leading legislators are increasingly calling insufficient.
JCSAT READY: The JCSAT-9 telecommunications satellite, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. for JSAT Corp. of Japan, is ready for launch April 12, Lockheed Martin said April 10. Launch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern time aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL launch vehicle. JCSAT-9 is the second of seven satellite launches planned this year for Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and the first of three satellites Lockheed Martin said it will deliver to JSAT over the next two years.
Army McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co., Mesa, Ariz., was awarded on March 30, 2006, a $120,269,205 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for reliability and safety and recapitalization overhaul for fielded aircraft. Work will be performed in Mesa, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on April 14, 2005. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (DAAH23-01-C-0092).
