Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the U.S. Army's Aerial Common Sensor (ACS), is taking a fresh look at the Embraer ERJ-145 to see if the jet could remain the program's platform despite recent growth in payload weight.
The South Korean army plans to deploy an automatic ammunition supply vehicle in 2006 for its K9 self-propelled howitzer, the Korean Overseas Information Service said Oct. 4. The three-seat robotic K10 Thunder Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (ARV) can carry 104 rounds of ammunition and automatically load 12 rounds for firing. The country's Agency for Defense Development spent KRW 12.7 billion won (USD $12 million) since 2002 to develop the system.
Lockheed Martin and Finmeccanica's Selex Communications are collaborating to offer a new obstacle detection and avoidance technology for U.S. aircraft, including Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, Lockheed Martin said Oct. 4.
The joint venture heading the U.S. Coast Guard's Deepwater recapitalization program has received a $117.5 million contract to modify six HC-130J long-range search aircraft as the Homeland Security Department service tries to close a maritime patrol gap. Modifications to the HC-130J will result in roughly 90% commonality in command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems also planned for the Coast Guard's CASA CN235-300M maritime patrol aircraft, Coast Guard and industry officials have said.
The U.S. Army and Boeing's proposed strategy to sell a limited number of CH-47D Chinook helicopters commercially and apply the proceeds to the manufacture of new CH-47F Chinooks for the Army received final approvals from the government last week, according to program officials.
RESCHEDULED: The inaugural launch of an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from the West Coast has been rescheduled for Oct. 5, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., said. The launch window for the Boeing Delta IV rocket is 3 to 5 p.m. Pacific time.
The U.S. Army has awarded DRS Technologies Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., a $45.5 million contract to provide more than 5,500 Applique Computer Systems and related equipment for the Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below (FBCB2) program, the company said Oct. 4.
JAVELIN: A Raytheon-Lockheed Martin joint venture has received a $110 million contract modification to continue production of the Javelin Anti-tank Weapon System for the U.S. Army. The contract is for an additional 901 command launch units and 101 trainer systems. The work will be done in Orlando, Fla., and Tucson, Ariz., and is to be finished by September 2008. Javelin is in full-rate production. The joint venture received a $119 million Javelin contract in May.
Lockheed Martin Corp. said it was awarded a $75 million contract for 13 Arrowhead Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor systems, which will serve as the day/night vision system for the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter. "This contract represents a new milestone for the Arrowhead team because this is the first time we will build and deliver complete systems to the U.S. Army," Jack McClafferty, Arrowhead program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in an Oct. 3 statement.
Honeywell said it has shipped the initial prototype HTS900 turboshaft engine to Bell Helicopter for deign integration into the Model 407X helicopter. "This new engine includes a newly designed dual-channel full authority digital engine control that reduces pilot workload and simplifies maintenance procedures," Nasos Karras, vice president for Honeywell's helicopter business, said in an Oct. 3 statement.
ARMY McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co., Mesa, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 23, 2005, a $5,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for AH-64D Apache Longbow aircraft. Work will be performed in Mesa, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on June 2, 2005. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-05-C-0274). NAVY
MARINE TRUCKS: The Marine Corps Systems Command has ordered almost $500 million in Medium Tactical Vehicle replacement cargo and tractor vehicles, as well as their armoring kits, from Oshkosh Truck Corp. The Marines ordered 832 replacement cargo vehicles, 130 tractor vehicles and 930 ECP-59 armor kits, the Pentagon said Sept. 30. With a Marine Corps requirement of 70% off-road and 30% on-road capability, these trucks operate from 50 degrees to 125 degrees while carrying at least 7.1 tons, and up to 15 tons on primary or secondary roads, according to Oshkosh.
HELO CONTRACT: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has awarded Rockwell Collins a contract worth up to $100 million over 20 years to provide avionics, simulators, training and support on its S-92 platform for the Canadian Maritime Helicopter Program, Rockwell Collins said Sept. 29. The equipment includes an integrated cockpit, the EyeHUD helmet mounted display, two Level D equivalent full-flight simulators and communications products.
U.S. Senate appropriators have approved language that could reignite a debate over developing and fielding space-based weapons. The Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC), which recently finished its version of the fiscal 2006 defense appropriations bill, has proposed reviving the Missile Defense Agency's canceled plans for adding a kill vehicle to the Near Field InfraRed (NFIRE) satellite. The NFIRE satellite is designed to track launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles to increase understanding about how hostile missiles perform early in flight.
General Dynamics Corp.'s Bath Iron Works and Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Ship Systems units each received $53.4 million from the Naval Sea Systems Command for the DD(X) destroyer program, the Defense Department announced Sept. 30. The money will allow the companies to gather vendor-furnished information for key equipment, completion of system diagrams and maintenance of the DD(X) integrated data environment, the DOD said.
AgustaWestland North America and EADS North America both announced their major partners in their respective bids for the Army's Light Utility Helicopter program during the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in Washington Oct. 3. AgustaWestland is teaming with L-3 Communications to offer the US139 helicopter for LUH, with AgustaWestland serving as prime contractor and L-3 as principal subcontractor. L-3 would perform final assembly and customization for the US139 at its facility in Waco, Texas.
The possible recompetition of a contract to replace the Air Force's refueling tanker aircraft may result in a "split deal," the new head of Airbus North America Holdings Inc. said Oct. 3. Barry Eccleston, the company's new president and CEO, said he is "optimistic that there's an opportunity for a split deal" between a team of Northrop Grumman Corp. and Airbus North America's parent, EADS North America, and Boeing Co., which lost the multibillion contract last year after a procurement scandal and objections by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Yakovac Jr., the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said Oct. 3 that he is "very concerned" about the effect of potential budget crunches on the Army's ability to meet future requirements. Speaking to reporters at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in Washington, Yakovac said the "360-degree" threat structure under antiterrorism, counterinsurgency and homeland defense operations is far different from a force-on-force conflict.
With the retracted Air Force-Boeing tanker lease deal still lingering in their memories, the Senate Armed Services Committee on Oct. 6 will question Michael Wynne over his nomination to become secretary of the Air Force.
LAUNCH DATE: The European Space Agency's Cryosat spacecraft is scheduled to be launched Oct. 8 on a Rockot vehicle from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia, ESA said Sept. 29. Cryosat is to measure the ice at the Earth's poles with greater accuracy, including its thickness (DAILY, Oct. 11, 2004).
NAVAL DISPLAY: The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has tacked on almost $105 million more to Lockheed Martin Corp.'s contract award for AN/UYQ-70(V) Advanced Display Systems and associated upgrade kits, software and services. Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors received $14.5 million for the same in August (DAILY, Aug. 5). The system provides display, peripheral processor and memory, and network functions on surface, subsurface, and air platforms and at shore sites.
LRIP AWARDED: The Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Maritime Systems and Sensors unit a $30.2 million letter contract for low-rate initial production of three remote mine-hunting vehicles and associated engineering services. The AN/WLD-1 (V)1 vehicle is a high-endurance, remotely controlled, off-board, low-observable, semi-submersible unit for detecting and classifying bottom and moored mines. Five years ago, Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems won a $70 million award to start development on the system (DAILY, Jan. 14, 2000).
Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey said he has not yet accepted the idea that fixing the troubled Aerial Common Sensor program necessarily will require additional money. Service officials have estimated that changing ACS airframes could increase the cost of the program's $879 million system development and demonstration phase by 50%. For now, the proposed ACS payload exceeds the capacity of the Embraer ERJ-145 business jet - the original platform choice - by about 3,000 pounds.
