General Dynamics Electric Boat has won an $8 million modification to an existing contract for submarine modernization and related work at the Naval Submarine Support Facility in Groton, Conn., the company said Jan. 25. Initially awarded in October 2001, the overall contract could be worth $149 million over five years if all options are exercised and funded. The work is expected to be completed in March.
The Bush Administration's upcoming proposal for a war-related funding package will include money to replenish ammunition stocks and replace military vehicles lost in combat, a defense official said late Jan. 25.
Modeling simulations show the futuristic CVN-21 aircraft carrier has not yet achieved its sortie-generation rate, one of its highest goals, prompting a Pentagon Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) to plan a "special interest" program review May 5.
Department of Defense research and development spending is expected to increase by 6% during calendar year 2005, says a Battelle Memorial Institute report due out at the end of January. DOD R&D spending will hit $98 billion in 2005, compared with $92 billion in 2004, the nonprofit R&D organization said. The increase follows a flat period in DOD R&D spending during a time when overall DOD spending has seen a significant growth.
Several upgrade efforts for the U.S. Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt are nearing key milestones, industry officials said Jan. 24. For the precision engagement (PE) program, which will give the A-10 a precision-weapons capability, Lockheed Martin expects to get the first production contract by March, company officials said. Several more production contracts are due to follow in an effort to equip all 356 Air Force A-10s with the upgrade by 2009.
Lockheed Martin has tapped Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Fla., to provide mesh reflectors for U.S. Navy Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellites, the company said Jan. 24. The work will be done under a three-year, $37 million risk reduction design development contract, the company said. Including production options, the work could be worth up to $90 million by 2013 if the Navy decides to produce five MUOS satellites, the company said.
NASA is inviting industry comments on its draft request for proposals (RFP) for the Crew Exploration Vehicle, which the agency plans to use to return astronauts to the moon and eventually send them to Mars. The centerpiece of NASA's exploration vision, the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) must be able to transport four astronauts, weigh less than 20 metric tons and provide escape capability for the crew at all phases of flight, according to the RFP.
SIMPLIFIED: The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence has begun a new support program for its Joint Force Harrier Fleet based at Royal Air Force Cottesmore, BAE Systems said last week. The effort, which replaces four maintenance lines with two simplified lines, will save 44 million pounds ($82 million) over four years and improve aircraft availability, BAE Systems said. The new maintenance lines are "forward," for flying squadrons, and "depth," for all other maintenance, the company said.
Australia's navy officially named the first of a fleet of new patrol boats "Armidale" during a Jan. 22 ceremony, the Australian Department of Defence said. The 61-yard long, all-aluminum monohull was named by Jana Stone, daughter of Ordinary Seaman Donald Lawson. Lawson served on the original HMAS Armidale during World War II. Construction of the Armidale began in May 2004. It was launched on Jan. 5. The Armidale is set to be delivered to Australia's navy in May 2005 at its home port of Darwin.
Senate Democratic leaders on Jan. 24 unveiled their top 10 bills for the 109th Congress, including legislation calling for up to 30,000 additional Army personnel and up to 10,000 more Marines over two years to boost military strength.
Five Hungarian pilots have arrived in Sweden to begin a year of training to become flight instructors for the Gripen JAS-39 fighter aircraft, Sweden's defense procurement agency said Jan. 21. The pilots will receive theoretical training, simulator training and flight training before returning to Hungary to work as Gripen instructor pilots in the Hungarian air force, the procurement agency said. The pilots will be based at the Swedish air force F 7 Wing at Satenas.
EUROFIGHTER CAPABLE: Germany's ministry of defense has rebutted a story in the German news magazine "Der Spiegel" which claims that the German air force's Eurofighters have only limited combat readiness and that development costs appear higher than expected, according to the Eurofighter's builder, Eurofighter GmbH. The ministry of defense said Jan. 22 that all development tasks are running according to plan and that performance standards are implemented and released in stages, which is common, the company said.
ARMY Structural Associates Inc., Watertown, N.Y., was awarded on Jan. 13, 2005, a $12,971,600 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a Constant Pressure Hydrant Fueling System. Work will be performed at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and is expected to be completed by March 15, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 70 bids solicited on Sept. 9, 2004, and five bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-05-C-0032). NAVY
The U.S. Navy has chosen to end its involvement in the U.S. Air Force-led Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) program, sources said late Jan. 24. The Navy's decision comes as the program is gearing up to resume flight-testing in February after a half-year hiatus (DAILY, Dec. 2, 2004). A series of failed tests, most recently in July 2004, prompted the Air Force and prime contractor Lockheed Martin to launch several reviews of the stealthy, precision-guided cruise missile and to implement a host of changes to improve the weapon's reliability.
MOOG POSTS GAINS: East Aurora, N.Y.-based Moog Inc. posted gains in profits, earnings per share and consolidated sales in the first quarter of 2005 compared with a year earlier, the company said Jan. 24. First-quarter profits were $15 million, compared with $12.7 million in the first quarter of 2004, an 18.3% hike. Earnings per share grew 18.8%, to 57 cents from 48 cents, after adjustment for a stock split in February 2004. Consolidated sales rose $23 million to $249 million, a 10% jump over last year, the company said.
V-22 WORK: The Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office was awarded an advanced acquisition contract worth $850 million for long-lead work and materials for 11 V-22 aircraft, the DOD said Jan. 24. The aircraft are the fiscal 2006 low-rate initial production lot 10. The work is scheduled to be completed by September 2008.
Responding to press reports that the White House is cutting all funding for a proposed fifth servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, outspoken Hubble supporter Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) has vowed to "lead the fight" to restore the mission and further extend the observatory's life.
Dramatic changes in the types of capacity and services implemented over the United States by the satellite communications industry will lead to changes in the roles and relationships of industry players, according to a new report. "Previous market leaders will fall back while others emerge, often from unusual or unsuspected places," said the report, released Jan. 24 by Futron Corp., a technology management consulting firm based in Bethesda, Md.
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing two contract options, totaling $172.3 million, to produce three new Global Positioning System IIF spacecraft and begin purchasing long-lead hardware for three more. The first award is a $143.9 million contract modification to the existing GPS Block IIF contract, which pays for Boeing to begin building three new satellites for delivery by June 2008. These spacecraft already are in various stages of assembly, integration and test at Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, Calif., according to the company.
U.S. Navy Secretary Gordon England, a leading contender to succeed recently departed Air Force Secretary James Roche, could help the Air Force recover from recent procurement scandals and frayed relations with Congress, an analyst said Jan. 21. "Gordon England has a reputation for being a capable manager who is able to get along with people," said Loren Thompson, chief operating officer at the Lexington Institute. "In this Pentagon team, that makes him exceptional."
HELO PURCHASE: Singapore's ministry of defense (SMD) has signed a contract with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. of Stratford, Conn., to buy six new Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopters, the SMD said Jan. 21. Financial terms were not disclosed. The helicopters will be equipped with advanced anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare sensors and weapons. They will operate from the Singapore navy's new frigates. The helicopters are set for delivery between 2008 and 2010.
