Aviation Technology Group said Aug. 18 that the development of the Javelin prototype aircraft continues despite a "nosewheel shimmy" detected during a recent high-speed taxi test. A new nose landing gear fitting is being designed to correct the problem and will be installed in the first week of September, the company said, with more taxi tests to follow. CEO George Bye said the issue showed the company's emphasis on safety. "I am proud of our team and remain confident the Javelin will safely fly soon," he said in a statement.
Space Adventures Ltd. has partnered with Tokyo-based travel agency JTB Corp. to market the company's space tourism flights in Japan, the company announced Aug. 18. JTB will market all of Space Adventures' flights, including the proposed Soyuz trip around the moon that the company hopes to launch by the end of the decade (DAILY, Aug. 12). Two seats will be sold on the specially modified Soyuz for $100 million each.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The U.S. Missile Defense Agency plans to decide next May on the platform that would be used for a sea-based variant of the Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI). Although KEI is initially intended to be a mobile ground-based system, MDA is considering using cruisers, destroyers, container ships or submarines for an eventual sea-based version, said Kevin Robinson, KEI's chief engineer.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT SYSTEM: Norway-based Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace said Aug. 17 that it has signed a contract with the Norwegian air force to supply a Link 16 tactical data link for the NASAMS II anti-aircraft system. The contract is worth NOK 48 million (USD $7.3 million). The Link 16 will be the first for land-based units in Norway's military and allow its anti-aircraft system to be fully integrated with other NATO systems, the company said.
Jordan is buying two Ilyushin Il-76MF military transport aircraft from Russia, export agency Rosoboronexport said Aug. 17. The Il-76MF is a derivative of the Il-76 and is equipped with new turbofan engines that have more thrust but require less fuel, and meet International Civil Aviation Organization noise and emission requirements.
Uncharacteristically bad weather at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California has delayed the return of space shuttle Discovery to its home at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After two days of thunderstorm delays, NASA is scheduled to try again at roughly 9:15 a.m. Aug. 19 to fly Discovery home atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, according to spokesman Allard Beutel. Discovery landed at Dryden on Aug. 9 after being waved off from KSC by bad weather.
Northrop Grumman on Aug. 18 announced a $19 million contract under the U.S. Air Force's Network Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) program to integrate the service's telephone and network operations.
NASA CONTRACT: NASA has awarded a contract to Jacobs Sverdrup, a subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., to provide engineering, technical, science, propulsion, program management and business services for Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and NASA headquarters in Washington. The one-year base contract begins Oct. 15 and has four one-year options, giving it a maximum possible value of $500 million.
Lockheed Martin said it has demonstrated a technological advance by integrating a boosted penetrator warhead with a long-range cruise missile that can be used to strike hardened or buried targets. In a test at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, the penetrator was fired from a missile body using a small discharge pressurization device.
Engineered Support Systems Inc. of St. Louis has been awarded a $7 million contract by Australia's military to develop a Multi-Spectral Sensor Suite (MSSS) for the Australian Light Armored Vehicle, the company said Aug. 18. The MSSS will be designed, developed and tested by Engineered Support's Systems & Electronics Inc. subsidiary in St. Louis and West Plains, Mo. Australia's military will begin testing the prototype system in late 2006. A follow-on production award is possible in 2007 under the second stage of the program.
General Dynamics Land Systems has selected the 5L890 engine, made by Detroit Diesel Corp., to power ground vehicles for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems.
Raytheon Technical Services Co. was awarded a $13.8 million order under a $109 million contract to rebuild three AN/TPQ-37(V) and two AN/TPQ-36(V) Firefinder weapon-seeking radars, the U.S. Department of Defense said Aug. 18. The work, which will be done in Indianapolis, Forest, Miss., and Fullerton, Calif., is to be completed by Sept. 14, 2007, the DOD said. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, N.J., awarded the contract.
Brian Chase has been named assistant administrator for legislative affairs. Mary Cleave has been appointed associate administrator for the science mission directorate. Rex Geveden has been appointed associate administrator. Lisa J. Porter has been named senior adviser for aeronautics in the office of administrator. Michael P. Ralsky has been appointed senior adviser to the NASA deputy administrator.
PRAGUE - British buyout specialist ECI Partners has moved into the defense sector for the first time by backing a $93.8 million management buyout of United Kingdom-based Racal Acoustics from U.S.-based private equity investor J.F. Lehman & Company. Racal Acoustics, based in Harrow, Middlesex, produces specialized personal communications equipment for the defense and avionics sectors and was part of the Thales group until 2004 when it was taken over by J.F. Lehman.
Gene W. Ray has been elected chairman of the board of directors. Ray is a former CEO and director of Titan Corp. John A. Moore Jr., Wayne M. Rehberger and Anthony C. Warren have been named to the board of directors. Moore is a former executive vice president of ManTech International Corp. Rehberger has been the chief operating officer of XO Communications Inc. Warren is clinical professor of entrepreneurship and director of the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is considering upgrades to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that would dramatically expand the area the system could protect, according to a program official.
STOCK SPLIT: Precision Castparts Corp.'s board of directors has approved a two-for-one stock split in the form of a stock dividend, the company said Aug. 17. CEO Mark Donegan announced the split at the annual shareholders meeting in Portland, Ore. The new shares will be issued Sept. 8. The company currently has 66 million shares of common stock outstanding.
EA-18G TRAINING: Boeing will continue working on modeling and simulation and design and development work for a training system for the EA-18G aircraft, the Department of Defense said Aug. 17. The work will be done under an $8.3 million modification to a previous contract, DOD said, and is to be completed in June 2008.
Northrop Grumman's BQM-34 modernized Firebee aerial target successfully completed its first flight at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Point Mugu, Calif., the company said Aug. 17. The BQM-34 simulates tactical threats from aircraft or missiles and is in service with the U.S. Navy and Air Force, and international armed forces. It also can be used "in a variety of operational scenarios," including carrying payloads, the company said. The target's modernization included an autopilot avionics upgrade and a common digital architecture for payloads.
Kimberly Johnson, Airports editor for our sister publication Aviation Daily, has embedded in Iraq with the 2nd Marine Division for three months. She is reporting for The DAILY from there, covering the performance of specific weapon systems, the realities of warfare in Iraq and other topics important to our readers. She also writes and takes photographs for "Mother of All Blogs," a Web journal about her experiences. It is located at http://www.moab-iraq.blogspot.com.
