The transition of the Army's Future Combat Systems to a more traditional contract structure has not resulted in any additional cost or schedule delays, according to the Army. FCS is being switched from an Other Transaction Authority contract to a traditional Federal Acquisition Regulation contract due to congressional concerns that the OTA structure does not provide the appropriate level of taxpayer protection for a program whose total cost is expected to top $108 billion.
PHALANX AMMO: Alliant Techsystems (ATK) said Aug. 15 that it will supply 20mm ammunition to the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center for the Navy's Phalanx systems, used to defend the fleet against missile attacks. The Mk244 Enhanced Lethality Cartridges use a heavier tungsten core, producing more kinetic energy upon impact than the Phalanx's regular ammunition, ATK said. The contract, worth $10 million initially with a total potential value of $23 million, marks the first use of the round, ATK's newest, the company said.
A long-awaited rebound in the commercial communications satellite market will help push the market's worth to $25.4 billion over the next decade, according to a new study from Forecast International. The study predicts that 224 satellites will be constructed for geostationary or medium-Earth orbit. However, only 29 low-Earth orbit satellites will be built during the period, with a market value of $114 million. These primarily are for providing mobile communications.
Northrop Grumman Corp. said Aug. 15 that it has completed its avionics technology update of the U.S. Navy's Group II E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. The Mission Computer Replacement Program's objective was to replace the E-2C early warning aircraft's 1960s-vintage mission computer. The system was replaced with Northrop's Reconfigurable Processor for Legacy Avionics Code Execution (RePLACE), designed to replace aging system hardware without the time-consuming software recoding usually involved, the company said.
After delaying the spacecraft's launch two weeks for additional checks, Boeing, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are completely satisfied that GOES-N's communication system will work properly in orbit, the company says. Originally set to launch on July 29, GOES-N now is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., during a window lasting from 6:32 p.m. to 7:06 p.m. EDT on Aug. 15.
The Department of Defense has once again agreed with Government Accountability Office recommendations to improve the coordination of combatant commanders' needs for munitions and their purchase by the military services, after the GAO found that an earlier DOD effort fell short.
The U.S. Navy's P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) program has scheduled its preliminary design review (PDR) for the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 4, according to an industry source. The PDR had been tentatively slated for September, but that was designed to give the program something to work toward and was not considered a firm date, the source told The DAILY Aug. 11. MMA is intended to be a 737-800ERX jet modified to perform anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare and reconnaissance. Boeing is the prime contractor.
Northrop Grumman's MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle successfully completed a series of tests showing it would be controlled by the Army's existing One System ground stations, the company announced Aug. 15. The tests were conducted Aug. 1-3 at the Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., and involved data and image relay, supply delivery, and an autonomous flight demonstration for senior military and government officials, the company said.
ARMY SUPPORT: Information technology provider SRA International Inc. of Fairfax, Va., has been awarded a five-year, $26.8 million task order to provide logistics support and enhance unit readiness for the U.S. Army, the company said Aug. 15. SRA will provide management, consulting and technical services in support of the Army Forces Command Contract Maintenance Facility for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., and other locations. Services will include materiel management, systems administration and training.
REVENUE FALLS: VirTra Systems Inc. of Arlington, Texas, which sells situational awareness firearms training systems to the military, reported Aug. 15 that second quarter 2005 total revenue fell 32% and its net loss was 47% lower than the same period a year ago. Total second quarter 2005 revenue was $255,079, compared with $374,118 the year before. Net loss improved from $534,907 a year ago to $285,248 in the second quarter of 2005.
GALAXY 14: PanAmSat's Galaxy 14 satellite was launched successfully on a Russian Soyuz-Fregat rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Aug. 14. Starsem and Arianespace jointly managed the launch, which marked the 1,699th launch of the Soyuz variant. Built by Orbital Sciences, the 2,000 kilogram (4,409-pound) Galaxy 14 will deliver digital video programming, high-definition television, voice-on-demand and Internet services throughout the continental U.S.
The Pentagon plans to study alternatives to the Space Based Infrared System-High (SBIRS-High) now that the missile-detecting system has experienced a big cost increase. The analysis of alternatives (AOA) will help the Defense Department determine whether to continue the program.
Ballistic Recovery Systems of South St. Paul, Minn., which makes parachute systems for small aircraft, said its sales for the third quarter of 2005 increased 20.3% over the same period last year, although quarterly net income was down. The company reported sales of $2.1 million in the quarter. Quarterly net income was $41,769, down from $56,831 for the same period in 2004.
PUBLIC OFFERING: Optical company Axsys Technologies said Aug. 12 that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a public offering of three million shares of its common stock. Bear, Stearns & Co. and Banc of America Securities are managing the offering, Rocky Hill, Conn.-based Axsys said.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A new U.S. Army theater space concept will be sharpened this month during an exercise in South Korea, according to Brig. Gen. Jeffrey C. Horne, deputy commanding general for operations of Army Space and Missile Defense Command and Army Forces Strategic Command. Six-person Space Support Teams already are being deployed to Army divisions, with the typical task of optimizing intelligence databases.
FILL 'ER UP: This fiscal year, the Defense Logistics Agency's energy center will buy about 128 million barrels of fuel for $8.5 billion, DLA spokeswoman Lana Hampton says. Jet fuel constitutes nearly 70% of the Defense Department's petroleum product purchases. Hampton said the U.S. military is using between 10 and 11 million barrels of fuel a month to sustain operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Hampton spoke late on Aug.
The U.S. Coast Guard will rely on a variety of patrol aircraft, including C-130s, HU-25s, CN-235-300Ms and unmanned aerial vehicles to try to close a maritime patrol aircraft performance gap under its Deepwater recapitalization program, according to Adm. Thomas Collins.
