The Compact Kinetic Energy Missile program is seeking additional funding from the U.S. Army to keep it alive past September 2006 in the hopes of transitioning to a system development and demonstration program in 2008.
A proposal by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) authorizing $218.5 million for buying General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator MQ-1 unmanned aerial vehicles this fiscal year is on its way to being approved by the Senate. Conrad's proposal (DAILY, Aug. 24) is one of more than 100 additions and changes that leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee have approved as part of a manager's amendment to their fiscal 2006 defense authorization legislation.
The unique X-50A Dragonfly unmanned aerial vehicle is poised to resume flight-testing at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona later this month, roughly a year and a half after the 2004 crash that ruined the first X-50A prototype.
The industry teams competing in the U.S. Army's Future Cargo Aircraft program came out swinging at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in Washington, with each touting the advantages of their offering. The final request for proposals for FCA is expected by early November, with an anticipated response time of 30 days. The winning contractor will be chosen in June of next year.
Contrary to recent press reports, the U.S. Army's overall schedule for fielding the first 15 Brigade Combat Teams in the Future Combat Systems program has not slipped, according to service officials. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker recently was quoted as saying that the first 15 BCTs would be fielded around 2030 rather than the previous target date of 2025, leading to speculation that the FCS deployment had slipped five years or more.
Bell Helicopter Textron plans to begin conducting computer simulations in the next few months to see whether its Eagle Eye vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (VUAV) could be controlled from the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, a Bell official said Oct. 4.
MANPADS: Hungary and the United States have agreed to destroy more than 1,500 of Hungary's shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, the State Department said Oct. 3. A total of 1,540 Strela 2 (SA-7) man-portable air defense systems and related equipment will be destroyed. Hungary Minister of Defense Ferenc Juhasz and U.S. Ambassador George H. Walker signed the cooperation agreement Sept. 27 in Budapest. The accord was worked out between the Hungarian government, the U.S.
Alcatel Alenia Space will supply the payload for the Amos-3 communications satellite that Israel Aircraft Industries is building for Spacecom, the Paris-based company said. The contract calls for delivery of a communications payload with Ku- and Ka-band transponders and a telecommand and ranging system by 2007. The contract is the first major award announced by the new company, one of two new ventures recently created by France's Alcatel and Italy's Finmeccanica (DAILY, July 12).
SUB DESIGN: The Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics Corp.'s Electric Boat company a $107.3 million incentive contract for lead yard services, development studies and design efforts related to Virginia-class submarines. The contract provides services that will maintain, update and support Virginia design and related drawings and data for each sub, including research and development studies to evaluate new technologies for insertion and the post-shakedown availability period, the Defense Department said Oct. 3.
Chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations defense subcommittee are trying to preapprove a limited number of changes to the fiscal 2006 defense authorization and appropriations bills as Washington faces the possibility of not passing an annual defense policy act for the first time since 1961.
General Dynamics Land Systems said Oct. 4 that it has been awarded a $19 million contract to provide the Marine Corps with long-lead material for the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle for Low Rate Initial Production Lot 1. The company will furnish all components, material, parts and technical effort for 13 EFV-Personnel and two EFV-Command variants. The work will be done in Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, Germany, the Netherlands, Florida, Virginia, New York, Alabama, Maryland, Ohio, Canada, California and Michigan.
Northrop Grumman Corp. will field three of its unmanned Tactical Amphibious Ground Support (TAGS) systems in Iraq next August for testing and evaluation, an executive told The DAILY. Mark Kauchak, director of government business and customer support, said Oct. 4 that Northrop Grumman will provide three force-protection TAGS units. If they prove themselves, "it could be a very good program for us," Kauchak said.
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.
