The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is nearing completion of a review that will determine the "gaps" that exist in protecting North America against cruise missile attacks, a NORAD official said March 10. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. William Hodgkins, NORAD's director of plans, said the Colorado-based command probably will send its findings to the Pentagon at the end of April. NORAD was directed by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council to conduct the review and write a "mission area initial capabilities document."
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency probably will cut or cancel the second interceptor booster it has been developing for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, according to a key official. While a final decision has not been made, Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry "Trey" Obering, MDA's director, said late March 9 that budget reductions and growing confidence in the main booster, made by Orbital Sciences, make it increasingly likely that the other booster, under development by Lockheed Martin, will be scaled back or axed.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - U.S. Northern Command is waiting for policy guidance on notifying Canada in the event that an attacking missile is shot down in Canadian airspace, a spokesman for the command said. Canada decided Feb. 24 that it wouldn't participate in a North American missile defense system, although it remains involved in the process of warning of such an attack.
PANEL CHAIR PICKED: Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) on March 9 was appointed to chair the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Defense and Military, a group of 15 members of Congress that will liaison with the "defense community" and advise the House Democratic leadership on military policy. Among other issues, Israel - the only New York Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee - has championed improvements in professional military education and protecting commercial airline passengers from shoulder-fired missiles.
A consortium formed by Embraer and EADS has received approval to acquire Industria Aeronautica de Portugal (OGMA) from government commerce authorities in Portugal, Germany and Italy, Embraer said March 9. To acquire OGMA, Brazilian Embraer and EADS created Airholding SGPS, with Embraer holding a 99% stake and EADS holding a 1% stake. EADS' stakes are allowed to reach 30% in the future.
The Israeli air force (IAF) plans to pursue several technologies to improve its ability to use air power to kill terrorists, especially in urban settings where targets have many places to hide, a senior IAF official said March 9.
Citing an increase in its defense, space and commercial aircraft business, EADS reported that its 2004 net income grew to 1.03 billion euros ($1.4 billion), an increase of 60% compared with 644 million euros ($859 million) in 2003, the company said March 9. Its yearly revenue grew to 31.8 billion euros ($42.4 billion), a 5% increase from 30.1 billion euros ($40.2 billion) in 2003, and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reached 2.4 billion euros ($3.7 billion), a 58% increase from 2003.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) strongly urged acting NASA Administrator Fred Gregory to continue preparations for a servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in a March 2 letter, warning that for NASA to stop work on the mission would be a violation of the law as contained in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of fiscal year 2005.
Peter Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force for space, defended the beleaguered Space Radar program during a hearing on Capitol Hill March 9, assuring lawmakers that the Air Force's new plan for the program will give the service a better handle on the system's technical maturation and cost.
Michael Kraft has been named vice president of sales, marketing and business development. David Reed has been appointed president of North American operations.
Kent Brittan has been appointed chairman of United Technologies International Operations. Jothi Purushotaman has been named vice president of operations, replacing Brittan. Rajeev Bhalla is replacing Purushotaman as senior vice president, finance for UTC's Pratt & Whitney division.
Although it is intrigued by the possible advantages of near-space altitudes, the U.S. Air Force will not be "sold" until it answers some "tough questions" about its value and the difficulty of operating there, according to Gen. Lance Lord, head of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC).
The Boeing Co. is preparing to ship the first of three next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida for launch in May 2005. Built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA, GOES-N is based on Boeing's 601 satellite bus and is slated to launch on the company's Delta IV Medium rocket. The spacecraft is expected to ship by aircraft from Boeing's facilities in El Segundo, Calif., to KSC on March 10.
Talk of layoffs in the wake of proposed budget cuts in U.S. Navy shipbuilding is "premature," and Congress needs to consider whether such cuts are budget driven or the result of requirement changes, a Northrop Grumman official said March 9 in Washington. Mike Petters, president of Northrop Grumman Newport News, also said he agrees with an estimate that a proposed delay in the CVN 21 next-generation carrier program could cost $1 billion, and that the carrier will save money over the long run through reduced personnel needs.
Asa Hutchinson has been named chair of the firm's homeland security practice. Hutchinson is a former member of Congress and undersecretary of homeland security.
Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.), an ardent naval shipbuilding advocate, on March 9 charged that the U.S. Navy and the Defense Department are partly responsible for the reduced readiness and condition of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (JFK), which the Bush Administration has proposed for retirement this year.
