Autonomous pedestrian and traffic avoidance as well as better communications for tele-operation top the list of technologies needed for the unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, according to Scott Fish, chief UGV engineer for FCS co-lead SAIC.
Arianespace is talking to the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) about launching its Express domestic communications satellites on the Soyuz rocket from Kourou, once launch facilities for the venerable Russian rocket are completed there in 2008.
The commercial realm likely can carry out civilian space programs cheaper than the government alone, but the credibility of industry's cost estimates remains a question, according to Scott Pace, NASA's associate administrator for program analysis and evaluation. Historically, "large, large gaps" exist between government's projections and industry's claims, Pace said.
After peaking with a fleet size of 330 ships around 2018, the U.S. Navy would drop to as low as 292 in 2031 and end up with 296 in 2036, according to the new long-range shipbuilding plan provided to Congress (DAILY, Feb. 8).
Allan W. LeGrow has been promoted to associate principal director in the National Space Systems Engineering Directorate for Architectures, Programs and Integration in Rosslyn, Va.
Among contenders in the U.S. Air Force's CSAR-X (combat search and rescue) helicopter competition are models from Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft. During the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., last week, both companies made presentations detailing the features and benefits of their offerings.
Adventurer Steve Fossett is to pilot the Scaled Composites/Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer across Africa Feb. 9, following a harrowing takeoff and initial cockpit problems Feb. 8 at the start of the planned longest flight in history.
Hushang Ansary has been appointed chairman. John B. Simmons has been named vice chairman and will continue to serve as CEO. Gary W. Stratulate has been appointed president and chief operating officer.
VEHICLES DELIVERED: The Dutch military has received six FOX nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicles from Germany's Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, the company said Feb. 7. The vehicles were ordered in late 2003. The vehicle's integrated sensor and analysis systems can detect a wide range of nuclear and chemical hazards, allowing quick protective countermeasures to be taken. Rheinmetall has produces more than 260 of the vehicles in all, half of them for the U.S. military.
Donald G. DeGryse has been appointed vice president of navigation systems for the space systems company. Mary Margaret VanDeWeghe has been named senior vice president of finance
GUN SHIELDS: BAE Systems said Feb. 8 that it has delivered to Iraq 1,000 Transparent Armored Gun Shields (TAGS) for U.S. Army Humvees. The $4.7 million contract was awarded in November by the U.S. Army's Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. The TAGS are effective during close-in urban combat and are also used on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, and M113 vehicles, as well as for the Stryker Common Ballistic Shield.
Development of the Boeing X-45C and Northrop Grumman X-47B Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) vehicles is continuing for now with available fiscal 2006 funding, despite uncertainty over what happens in FY '07, when J-UCAS is scheduled to end.
Congressional Democrats continue to raise the prospect of curbing requested funds for national missile defense in light of the Bush administration's fiscal 2007 request and long-term military planning for reduced Guard troop levels. Rep. Ike Skelton (Mo.), ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace on Feb. 8 that he questioned plans to go "skinny" on Guard levels while going "robust" on missile funding.
