Leaders of the House Appropriations homeland security subcommittee from both parties are questioning the Homeland Security Department's fiscal 2007 budget request, and namely its emphasis on borders and immigration security as compared to continuing needs elsewhere such as the Coast Guard.
COMBAT CONTROL: Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems said Feb. 15 that it has been awarded a $31.7 million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command to provide integrated combat control systems for the next five Virginia class submarines. The agreement includes all combat control hardware and software, as well as tactical software and logistics support. It includes procurement, production, testing and integration.
The Army secretary and chief of staff declined Feb. 15 to give House defense authorizers much insight on how they would fund a potential surge in troop levels, but said they were confident they could find the $963 million within the Army's $110 billion fiscal 2007 request. In particular, Secretary Francis Harvey and Gen. Peter Schoomaker did not answer whether they would take funds from weapon systems, despite ranking Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton's (Mo.) persistence at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
The Defense Department's fiscal 2007 budget request for research and development (R&D) is $74 billion, according to White House Science Adviser John Marburger, which is more than half of the government's entire R&D request for the year.
Gaylene M. McHale has been named vice president and program manager of large deck amphibious ship programs for the company's Ship Systems sector. Harry Miles has been appointed sector vice president of enterprise process development and quality.
The limitations of U.S. Air Force helicopters often pressed into search and rescue operations were underscored on Feb. 13, when a 40th Helicopter Squadron UH-1N "Huey" crew rescued an injured climber in Montana's Mission Mountain range. Although its primary mission is supporting Minuteman missile field operations, the unit also has logged 361 "saves" over several years.
DRS Technologies has received a $54 million contract to provide infrared sighting systems for U.S. Army combat vehicles, the Parsippany, N.J., company said Feb 15. The horizontal technology integration second generation forward looking infrared (HTI SGF) sighting systems will provide enhanced night vision capability to the Army's M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank System Enhancement Package and M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) teams at the NASA Jet propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and at Lockheed Martin near Denver have shifted into final "approach phase" operations as they prepare for Mars orbit insertion March 10.
AIRCRAFT REPAIRS: Sikorsky Aircraft has been awarded a $97.5 million contract for the repair and overhaul of 10 components of H-53 helicopters, the Defense Department said Feb 15. If all options are exercised, the contract could be worth $219.2 million. The work will be done in Cherry Point, N.C., and Stratford, Conn. It is expected to be finished by February 2010. The contract was awarded by the Naval Inventory Control Point.
Bell Helicopter Textron is embarking on an aggressive four-year technology maturation program aimed at positioning the company to capture military business in the emerging vertical unmanned aerial systems market.
"We're on path to the finest Army aviation we've ever had," Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker said Feb. 15, but he also acknowledged it came at the price of major acquisition upheaval such as canceling the Comanche helicopter. Schoomaker, Army Chief of staff, told the House Armed Services Committee that "every cent" of the $12.6 billion Comanche effort was committed to upgrading other legacy helicopters.
PROVIDING SYSTEMS: Elbit Systems Ltd. said Feb. 14 that it has won a $32 million contract to supply unmanned turret systems, fire control systems and land systems to the Portuguese army. The contract was awarded by Austria-based Steyr, a part of the General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems Group, which is the program's prime contractor. The systems will be integrated into Steyr-built Pandur II 8X8 light wheeled armored vehicles, helping the Portuguese army to deploy quickly, the company said.
STRYKER REPAIRS: GM GDLS Defense Group L.L.C. of Sterling Heights, Mich., has been awarded an $18 million contract modification to repair Stryker Combat Vehicles, the Defense Department said Feb. 14. The work will be performed in Qatar and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2006. The contract was awarded by the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich.
The Marine Corps Systems Command has chosen General Dynamics Corp.'s Armament and Technical Products unit to provide 3,858 radio-controlled Ground Mobile Electronics Counter Measure Systems to be used against improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The $289 million, competitive contract was awarded to General Dynamics after two offers were received. The jammers are headed for Iraq, where IEDs have become insurgents' deadliest weapon, and Afghanistan, where they are becoming increasingly prevalent (DAILY, Jan. 30).
Northrop Grumman Corp. received a contract in December for the presystem development and demonstration and initial design review for the E-10A Multisensor Command and Control Aircraft program, according to the Defense Department. The $280 million award, through May 2007, was made Dec. 23, 2005, but announced Feb. 13 by the DOD due to "administrative oversight and change of personnel."
CAE, which provides simulation and modeling technologies for civil aviation and military customers, said Feb. 14 that its revenue and net earnings improved in both the third quarter of fiscal 2006 and for the year to date. The Montreal-based firm reported that revenue grew from 257.5 million Canadian dollars to 276.6 million dollars for the three-month period ending Dec. 31, a 7.4 percent gain. The company posted net earnings of 17.6 million dollars for the third quarter of FY '06 after suffering a loss of 347 million dollars the year before.
