Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

October 12, 2004 NAVY

New observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope have revealed that planets are formed over a long period by massive collisions between rocky bodies the size of mountain ranges, NASA announced Oct. 18. According to previous theory, rocky planets form like snowballs out of planetary discs of dust, slowly accreting until they become mountain-sized bodies. These planetesimals collide further to create terrestrial planets like the Earth, slowly depleting the disc.

The Australian government is issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for Australian shipbuilders to bid on its navy's AU$4.5-$6 billion ($3.3-$4.4 billion U.S.) Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs) project, the Australian Department of Defence said on Oct. 16. The RFP and its terms were set to be released on Oct. 18, Defence Minister Robert Hill said in a statement.

In the wake of a mishap investigation board's (MIB) preliminary finding that the Genesis spacecraft's parachute failed due to a design error dating to 1999, NASA is placing extra scrutiny on other upcoming space science missions to try to ensure their success.

Enertec Systems 2001 Inc. has successfully completed the installation of automatic test equipment (ATE) at the Boeing plant that will produce and test the second stage of the Arrow missile defense interceptor, the company said last week. The company, a majority-owned affiliate of Lapis Technologies Inc., is a major supplier of ATE for the U.S.-Israeli Arrow system.

The U.S. Army is buying AuraGen Vehicle Integrated Primary Electrical Resource (VIPER) mobile power generator systems for $235,000 from El Sengundo, Calif.-based Aura Systems, Inc. for two of its deploying commands, the company said Oct. 18. The Army's Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) made the buy, Aura Systems said. The purchase is the VIPER Operational Field Evaluation portion of $3.5 million approved for the AuraGen VIPER in the FY 2004 Defense Department budget, the company said.

Two more countries have received informational presentations on the U.S.-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in recent months, suggesting they might be interested in buying the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft someday.

Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors will provide Virginia-class submarine long-lead material under a $41.9 million contract modification, the U.S. Department of Defense said Oct. 15. The work will be done under the Acoustic Rapid Commercial off-the-shelf Insertion (A-RCI) program, DOD said. A-RCI is a sonar system upgrade installed on several submarines, including the Virginia (SSN 774). It integrates and improves towed array, hull array, sphere array and other ship sensor processing, DOD said.

The U.S. Navy might have trouble performing some important missions if the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and President Bush pass "The Law of the Sea" treaty," according to Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy. "Under the treaty it would be impermissible to collect intelligence in territorial waters, which is something we do all the time," he said. "Also under the treaty, submarines are supposed to transit territorial waters on the surface displaying the flag, which is not the way we operate submarines."

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Officials at an intelligence center supporting the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command are doing "a wonderful job," according to Gen. Ralph E. "Ed" Eberhart, who is in charge of both commands. But one consumer of the intelligence, who declined to be further identified, disagrees.

UAV WORKSHOP: The Commerce Department/NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory, NASA, and the Energy Department's Office of Science are sponsoring the second workshop on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for climate change research on Dec. 7-8 at the David Skaggs Research Center in Boulder, Colo. Participants will discuss the UAV technologies needed for next-generation Earth observation capabilities that will support the nation's weather research and climate change study goals.

San Diego-based Titan Corp. has been awarded the North American Aerospace Defense Command /U.S. Northern Command's Command Information Sharing, Infrastructure, Architecture, Integration and Implementation and Operations Support contract, the company said Oct 18. The contract could be worth up to $169.9 million if all options are exercised.

Pentagon acquisition officials are seeking more information about the Air Force's Space Based Infrared System-High (SBIRS-High) after conducting a high-level review of the program. In an "acquisition decision information paper" released Oct. 18, the Defense Department said that acting Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Wynne has asked the Air Force to provide a "status update" on the second of two infrared sensors that are to be placed on classified satellites in highly elliptical orbit (HEO).

ANTARCTIC SUPPORT: Raytheon Co. will continue support services for the National Science Foundation's U.S. Antarctic program under a $546 million contract extensiion, the company said Oct. 18. The extension brings the contract's total worth to nearly $1.2 billion and extends the agreement another five years, to March 31, 2010, Raytheon said.

The last two of 10 Stryker variants - the Stryker Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV) and the Mobile Gun System (MGS) - were approved for low-rate initial production (LRIP) by the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) Sept. 9, the Department of Defense said Oct. 18. Complete LRIP was authorized for the NBCRV and limited LRIP was authorized for the MGS. Until now, the Army has been testing eight MGS engineering prototypes and three NBCRV prototypes.

An Oct. 8 "People on the Move" item incorrectly listed the location of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. It is in Washington, D.C. An Oct. 15 story headlined "Shipboard Protection Systems start deployment in 2005" misspelled the name of Capt. Paul Cruz, program manager for anti-terrorism and force protection, Navy Littoral Mine Warfare.

The Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C. private investment firm, completed a tender offer for a majority of Stellex Aerostructures Inc.'s stock, both companies said Oct. 15. As a result, a Carlyle affiliate owns a controlling stake in Stellex Aerostructures, a New Jersey supplier of integrated assemblies and precision parts for commercial and military aviation, private and business aviation and space. Stellex will continue to operate as a privately held company and the existing management team will remain in place, the companies said.

PREPARING DSCA: In light of recent U.S. calls for increased international cooperation in missile defense, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is bracing to receive a growing number of inquiries from nations interested in pursuing such partnerships, according to DSCA's director, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler (USAF). To ensure DSCA is prepared to help those countries and "point them in the right direction," Kohler is working to "get a little more information inside the agency" regarding U.S. missile defense plans and policies.

San Francisco-based BEI Technologies Inc. has acquired Newall Measurement Systems Ltd. of the United Kingdom, BEI Technologies said Oct. 12. Terms of the cash purchase were not disclosed. Newall Measurement Systems manufactures digital readout systems and digital linear encoders for process automation and machine tool markets in Europe, Asia and North America.

JSF REVIEW: A high-level Pentagon panel met Oct. 14 to formally review the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The panel is expected to announce within a few weeks that it has approved design changes and other adjustments aimed at solving weight problems with the stealthy jet, especially the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version.

NASA is soliciting opinions from industry on its draft requirements for the elaborate video camera system that will be required for the Hubble Space Telescope robotic servicing mission.

Defense contractors can access a Web-based, instant reference to U.S. Department of Defense acquisition practices, policies and lessons learned through a newly released Defense Acquisition Guidebook. Approved by Michael Wynne, the acting acquisition undersecretary, the new guidebook is designed to serve as a companion to the revised acquisition policy documents, DOD Directive 5000.1 and DOD Instruction 5000.2, released in May 2003.

CLARIFICATION: An Oct. 12 story, headlined "SkyTower wants government funds for Helios UAV follow-on," incorrectly gave the impression that SkyTower is seeking government funding for a commercial follow-on to the Helios UAV. Parent company AeroVironment is seeking the funds for a Helios follow-on that would be tailored for government uses. SkyTower then plans to commercialize the resulting technology.

INFORMATION: The government of Finland is extending its use of imagery and data from Canada's RADARSAT-1, according to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. of Richmond, British Columbia, which distributes the data. Finland also has signed a prelaunch commitment for RADARSAT-2 information, as has ImageOne Co. Ltd. of Japan, which will distribute it to the Japanese commercial market. The total value of the agreements is about Cdn$4.3 million ($3.4 million).