The House Armed Services Committee agreed May 18 to add $86.7 million in advance procurement funds to the futuristic CVN-21 aircraft carrier to speed it up a year, assuming the funds actually do so, and overlooked Navy objections to limit the service's foreign ship leasing to two years.
DISPLAY SUPPORT: The Boeing Co. was awarded an $8.8 million contract modification to provide engineering, logistics and program management services supporting development and low-rate initial production activities for the Advanced Mission Computer and Displays system for the F/A-18 and AV-8B aircraft, the Defense Department said May 16. The work, awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, is expected to be complete in June 2006.
The first combat-capable F/A-22 Raptor fighter has been delivered to the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, at Langley Air Force Base, Va., the Air Force said May 18. The fighter was delivered May 12, joining three other Raptors, one of which is used as a maintenance trainer and the others are used for pilot training.
AUTHORITY BOOSTED: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has boosted budget authority for the Coast Guard's Deepwater recapitalization program to $1.6 billion, well above the fiscal 2006 request for $966 million. However, the committee's approval came a day after the House approved just $500 million for Deepwater in FY '06 as part of the Homeland Security Department's annual spending bill.
Carl A. Alleyne has been named vice president, components, commercial and overhaul and repair for the Electronic Systems sector, headquartered in Woodland Hills, Calif. Mark Casady has been named vice president, navigation and positioning systems for the Electronic Systems sector. Gorik Hossepian has been named vice president, situational awareness systems for the Electronic Systems sector. Robert L. Gunter has been appointed sector vice president, operations, for the Newport News sector, Newport News, Va.
Boeing's X-45A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) began testing its fourth and final software upgrade with its 51st flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center earlier this month, paving the way for a final "graduation demonstration" expected in August. The two X-45A prototypes and their T-33 surrogate aircraft are expected to fly 10-15 missions total as part of this last block of testing, including the graduation demo ñ a multi-aircraft simulation of a suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) mission.
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) has endorsed a recent restructuring of the Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser (ABL) program but has asked MDA for more insight into how ABL compares with another system being developed to destroy ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight.
Ronald W. Davis will retire as president of business development effective June 1. Dan D. Jura will succeed Davis. Jura currently is executive vice president for business development.
SAT WORK: EADS Astrium will design and build the first South Korean multifunction geostationary satellite. It is to carry payloads for meteorology, ocean observation and communications, the company said. It also will carry an ocean imager to monitor marine environments around the Korean peninsula.
The House Science Committee favorably reported out four bills related to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA during a markup hearing on Capitol Hill May 17. The committee passed: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Act (H.R. 50); a bill to establish a scholarship program to prepare students for careers at NOAA and the National Weather Service (H.R. 2364); the Remote Sensing Applications Act (H.R. 426); and the George E. Brown Jr. Near-Earth Object Survey Act (H.R. 1022).
PHALANX WORK: Raytheon Co. will provide Block 1B upgrade and conversion equipment for U.S. and Portuguese navy Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems, the U.S. Department of Defense said May 17. The work will be done under a $45 million modification to a previous contract and combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (31%) and Portugal's navy (69%) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The MK-15 Phalanx CIWS is a fast-reaction defense against high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missiles that have penetrated other ship defenses.
SpaceDev Inc. of Poway, Calif., posted a 78% increase in revenues and improved its net income to about $101,000 in the first quarter of 2005, the company said May 17. The space products company, which lost about $443,000 in the first quarter of 2004, credited the gains to a backlog of contracts including a second task order with the Missile Defense Agency worth $8.3 million. The 2004 first quarter net income loss primarily was due to loan fees of $464,000 on its revolving credit facility, the company said.
The Standard & Poor's ratings service raised its long-term credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on Lockheed Martin from BBB to BBB+, citing its premier defense contractor status and solid financial profile. Credit analyst Roman Szuper said in a statement that the move "reflects an improved financial profile, stemming from stronger earnings and debt reduction. "The action also incorporates expectations that the company will continue to pursue a balanced financial policy and capital allocation from its sizable cash flow," Szuper said.
SBX RADOME: The U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced May 16 that a massive radome, or protective cover, has been placed on its Sea-Based X-Band Radar. Made of synthetic fabric, the radome weighs 18,000 pounds, stands more than 103 feet high and is 120 feet in diameter. The radar, now at Corpus Christi, Texas, is slated to undergo final integration, testing and evaluation before entering service in the ballistic missile defense system late this year.
BOUGHT: The InterTech Group Inc. has purchased the polybenzimidazole fiber and polymer business (PBI) of industrial chemicals producer Celanese Corp. of Charlotte, N.C. and formed PBI Performance Products Inc., InterTech said May 17. Financial terms were not disclosed. PBI polymer and fibers were developed for NASA to provide fire protection for astronauts.
Later this month, Raytheon and XM will demonstrate how satellite radio can provide tailored alerts to military troops as part of the Defense Department's Joint Blue Force Situational Awareness (JBFSA) program.
The House, which took up its version of the fiscal 2006 Homeland Security Department appropriations bill May 17, so far has retained a provision that would cut almost half of the U.S. Coast Guard's requested funding for its Deepwater recapitalization effort.
South Korea's defense ministry said it has developed prototypes of a new amphibious armored vehicle equipped with guided missiles and laser warning systems, the Korea Information Service said May 17. The vehicles, called the Korea Next Infantry Fighting Vehicle (KNIFV), are to be deployed with the military beginning in 2008 as part of a weapons buildup program.
