The release of a final request for proposals (RFP) for the U.S. Air Force's Combat Search and Rescue-X (CSAR-X) aircraft program has been delayed from July until August at the earliest because preparing the document is taking longer than expected, an Air Force spokesman said July 26.
Boeing and teammate Science Applications International Corp. awarded four contracts to three unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers on July 26, kicking off the first phase of development for the Class II and III UAVs in the Army's Future Combat Systems program.
THAICOM 4: Arianespace has rescheduled the launch of Thaicom 4 for Aug. 11 from the company's launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. A generic version of the company's Ariane 5 rocket will orbit the satellite for the Thai operator Shinsat.
Several prominent House GOP lawmakers are pressing the independent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission to vote against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's call to shutter the Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn. (DAILY, July 14).
The U.S. Marine Corps has added almost $43 million to General Dynamics Corp.'s contract to continue systems development and demonstration of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program.
The joint Air Force/Navy program to develop a panoramic night vision goggle for fixed-wing pilots is expected to release a request for proposals for its Block IV version in August - part of an effort by the services to inject more competition into the struggling program.
SECURITY, INTELLIGENCE: CACI International Inc. of Arlington, Va., has been awarded $89 million in contracts to support various U.S. government national security and intelligence activities, the company said July 26. CACI will provide communications and staffing for a round-the-clock counterterrorism watch center, as well as technical and engineering expertise to help test automated intelligence systems. The work includes supporting a military facility that will develop, prototype, and evaluate surveillance collection systems and processing technologies.
Right on schedule at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26, Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, returning the orbiter to flight after a two-and-a-half year hiatus and marking the first step in the execution of America's vision for space exploration. STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates are scheduled to spend 12 days in space testing new safety procedures and equipment developed in response to the Columbia accident, as well as delivering supplies to the International Space Station.
Lockheed Martin reported big increases in earnings and sales for the second quarter and first six months of 2005, with its Systems and IT Group and Space Systems segments leading the way, offsetting drops in F-16 fighter sales. Net earnings for the largest U.S. defense contractor were up 56% to $461 million for the quarter, and rose 41% to $830 million for the year-to-date. Earnings per share jumped 55% to $1.02 for the quarter, with year-to-date earnings up 41% to $1.85.
SALES UP, NET INCOME DOWN: Axsys Technologies Inc. said July 26 that sales rose 30% in the second quarter of 2005, but net income fell 20%. Sales were $33.4 million, compared with $25.7 million in the second quarter of 2004. Net income fell to $1.6 million, compared with $2 million for the same period a year ago. Operating income was up 47% to $3.3 million and operating margin rose to 10% from 8.8%, the firm said. The Rocky Hill, Conn.-based company designs, manufactures and distributes precision optical products for aerospace, defense and commercial customers.
The Pentagon has given the Army the go-ahead to develop and begin buying the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), clearing the way for Bell or Boeing to be picked as the prime contractor within days. A two-sentence statement released by the Defense Department July 26 says DOD has given "Milestone B" approval for ARH to enter into a system development and demonstration phase. Low-rate initial procurement of 38 aircraft also was endorsed in the statement, which was initialed by Pentagon acquisition chief Ken Krieg.
TORPEDOES: Spain's cabinet has authorized its defense ministry to award a 10-year contract worth 76.3 million euros ($91.6 million) to purchase 40 torpedoes for its S-80 submarines, the country's defense ministry said. The contract will include related equipment, test installations, simulators, documentation, technical assistance and personnel training. The S-80 submarine protects Spain's naval task forces and has anti-ship and anti-sub capabilities that include long-range torpedoes.
Schneider Electric of Rueil-Malmaison, France, will acquire San Francisco-based BEI Technologies, which builds motors, sensors, optical and linear encoders and other products used in military, aviation and space systems. "This acquisition of a leading sensors specialist with strong brand names and excellent reputation for innovation and performance is a breakthrough for our customized sensors platform," Schneider CEO and Chairman Henri Lachmann said in a statement.
INCOME, SALES GROW: Crane Co., which manufactures engineered industrial products for the aerospace industry and others, reported July 26 that net income grew 14.4% in the second quarter of 2005 and sales climbed 10%. Net income was $35.7 million, compared with $31.2 million for the same period in 2004. Sales increased $46.5 million, from $479.1 million to $525.6 million. Crane Co. is headquartered in Stamford, Conn.
The U.S. Navy on July 26 announced that it would go to an all-digital nautical navigation regime by October 2009, in which traditional paper charts will be replaced with interactive, electronic systems throughout the surface and submarine fleet.
Senate leaders could not muster enough votes July 26 to cut off debate on the $441 billion, fiscal 2006 defense authorization bill, which still has a growing list of amendment proposals. Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist (Tenn.), Majority Whip Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for the vote to invoke cloture, which would trim amendments to those that were immediately germane and end debate within 30 hours (DAILY, July 25).
(Editor's note: The following is excerpted from written responses by Gen. Peter Pace (USMC), nominated by President Bush to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to written questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee. He testified June 29, and was confirmed by the Senate on July 15.) Q: How do you believe the United States should respond to the Chinese military modernization program?
SHIP SUPPORT: Anteon International Corp. announced July 26 that it would provide acquisition management support services for the U.S. Navy's Program Executive Office for Ships, Acquisition Management Directorate, under a five-year deal worth $33.2 million. Anteon workers will supplement the directorate's staff at the Washington (D.C.) Navy Yard. PEO Ships is responsible for the acquisition and modernization of all non-nuclear surface ships, and Anteon noted in particular that it would help with combat system acquisitions.
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is requesting information from potential subcontractors for the Crew Exploration Vehicle, which teams led by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman/Boeing are vying to build. NASA plans to downselect to one Phase II CEV prime contractor early next year as part of an effort to accelerate the program and minimize any gap between the 2010 retirement of the space shuttle and the CEV's debut.
Preparations continued without a hitch over the weekend at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as NASA counted down to its second attempt to launch Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-114, currently scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26.
UAV PROGRAM: Spain has joined France, Italy and Norway in a 700,000 euro ($844,365) program to develop a technology demonstrator of a micro unmanned aerial vehicle, the Spanish prime minister's office said July 22. The vehicle will have a wingspan of 50 centimeters (19 inches) and weigh about one kilogram (2.2 pounds). It is to be able to fly forward and hover. The system will also include a lightweight ground control station. The four-year project began in 2004 and is set to be finished in 2007. Spain will share in about 13.5% of the program's value.
