The U.S. Navy might have trouble performing some important missions if the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and President Bush pass "The Law of the Sea" treaty," according to Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy. "Under the treaty it would be impermissible to collect intelligence in territorial waters, which is something we do all the time," he said. "Also under the treaty, submarines are supposed to transit territorial waters on the surface displaying the flag, which is not the way we operate submarines."
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has completed a key design review of the High Altitude Airship (HAA) and is assessing information it gathered at the two-day event, according to MDA officials. During the Oct. 6-7 critical design review, which occurred in Akron, Ohio, prime contractor Lockheed Martin conducted a series of technical presentations for MDA. The agency plans to evaluate the technical information over the next few weeks before deciding whether Lockheed Martin should receive the go-ahead to build and demonstrate an HAA prototype.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Officials at an intelligence center supporting the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command are doing "a wonderful job," according to Gen. Ralph E. "Ed" Eberhart, who is in charge of both commands. But one consumer of the intelligence, who declined to be further identified, disagrees.
San Diego-based Titan Corp. has been awarded the North American Aerospace Defense Command /U.S. Northern Command's Command Information Sharing, Infrastructure, Architecture, Integration and Implementation and Operations Support contract, the company said Oct 18. The contract could be worth up to $169.9 million if all options are exercised.
An Oct. 8 "People on the Move" item incorrectly listed the location of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. It is in Washington, D.C. An Oct. 15 story headlined "Shipboard Protection Systems start deployment in 2005" misspelled the name of Capt. Paul Cruz, program manager for anti-terrorism and force protection, Navy Littoral Mine Warfare.
Two more countries have received informational presentations on the U.S.-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in recent months, suggesting they might be interested in buying the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft someday.
AMC-15: SES Americom's AMC-15 spacecraft was launched successfully from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Oct. 14. Liftoff took place at 5:23 p.m. EDT aboard a Russian Proton rocket provided by International Launch Services (ILS). Ground controllers made initial contact with the Lockheed Martin-built spacecraft at 2:52 a.m. EDT, using the company's satellite tracking station in Uralla, Australia.
RADAR DISPLAYS: Phoenix-based Honeywell has signed an agreement with Marshall Aerospace to provide Multifunction Radar Displays (MRDs) for nine L1011 TriStar tanker aircraft for the United Kingdom, Honeywell says. Deliveries will begin this year and be completed in 2005. The MRDs interface with Honeywell systems and older systems, says Joe Longworth, director of government sales for Honeywell Defense & Space Systems.
PREPARING DSCA: In light of recent U.S. calls for increased international cooperation in missile defense, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is bracing to receive a growing number of inquiries from nations interested in pursuing such partnerships, according to DSCA's director, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler (USAF). To ensure DSCA is prepared to help those countries and "point them in the right direction," Kohler is working to "get a little more information inside the agency" regarding U.S. missile defense plans and policies.
INFORMATION: The government of Finland is extending its use of imagery and data from Canada's RADARSAT-1, according to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. of Richmond, British Columbia, which distributes the data. Finland also has signed a prelaunch commitment for RADARSAT-2 information, as has ImageOne Co. Ltd. of Japan, which will distribute it to the Japanese commercial market. The total value of the agreements is about Cdn$4.3 million ($3.4 million).
MACH 10: NASA has reviewed the data from the X-43A's captive carry flight Sept. 27 and found "no technical issues" that stand in the way of a Mach 10 (roughly 7,000 mph) free flight attempt in early to mid-November. Project officials are eyeing dates from Nov. 8 through Nov. 15, with the most likely flight date being Nov. 9. The scramjet-powered X-43A and its modified Pegasus booster rocket will be carried to release altitude by a B-52 that will take off from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif.
CHANGES COMING: "Major changes" in defense procurement and planning are on the horizon no matter who wins the presidential election, according to John Kelley, president of Herley Industries Inc., which reported its latest financial results on Oct. 15. "We believe the long-awaited transformation from outdated Cold War policies to defending against today's regional terrorist threats will finally begin to come about," he says.
San Francisco-based BEI Technologies Inc. has acquired Newall Measurement Systems Ltd. of the United Kingdom, BEI Technologies said Oct. 12. Terms of the cash purchase were not disclosed. Newall Measurement Systems manufactures digital readout systems and digital linear encoders for process automation and machine tool markets in Europe, Asia and North America.
NASA is soliciting opinions from industry on its draft requirements for the elaborate video camera system that will be required for the Hubble Space Telescope robotic servicing mission.
MILESTONE REACHED: The RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle recently achieved 100,000 flight hours, San Diego, Calif.-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. said Oct. 14. The milestone was reached on Sept. 27 during a routine combat mission over Iraq with U.S. Air Force Predator number 61, the company said. The Predator has been operational in every U.S. conflict since 1995.
ROBOTIC DISPOSAL: The Navy is ramping up a pilot program for a joint man-transportable robot system for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), says Rear Adm. William Landay, program executive officer, Navy Littoral and Mine Warfare. The Navy is the lead service for the joint technology system, he says.
Defense contractors can access a Web-based, instant reference to U.S. Department of Defense acquisition practices, policies and lessons learned through a newly released Defense Acquisition Guidebook. Approved by Michael Wynne, the acting acquisition undersecretary, the new guidebook is designed to serve as a companion to the revised acquisition policy documents, DOD Directive 5000.1 and DOD Instruction 5000.2, released in May 2003.
Several defense and aerospace companies are slated to release quarterly financial results over the next few weeks. The following companies have announced their reporting plans: * Armor Holdings, Inc., will announce its third-quarter results on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 4:30 p.m. EDT * Honeywell will announce its third-quarter results on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 8 a.m. EDT * Orbital Sciences Corp. will announce its third-quarter results on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 9 a.m. EDT
Hi-Shear Technology Corp., which provides pyrotechnic, mechanical and electronic products for aerospace and defense markets, said Oct. 15 that increased defense work helped boost its bottom line for its first quarter, which ended Aug. 31. The company reported revenue of $3.9 million, up from $3.6 million for the same period last year. The company also cited lower manufacturing and administrative costs for the increase.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) plans to propose creating an equipment reserve that could be tapped quickly to support allies in the war on terrorism.
The flight turret assembly for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser arrives at Edwards Air Force Base on Oct. 11. It will be installed on the program's first airplane (DAILY, Oct. 14), a modified Boeing 747-400 series freighter. The turret assembly completes the beam control/fire control system, which is designed to point and focus a high-energy laser on a ballistic missile in its boost phase of flight. Photo by Tech. Sgt. James Graham, courtesy U.S. Air Force.
CLARIFICATION: An Oct. 12 story, headlined "SkyTower wants government funds for Helios UAV follow-on," incorrectly gave the impression that SkyTower is seeking government funding for a commercial follow-on to the Helios UAV. Parent company AeroVironment is seeking the funds for a Helios follow-on that would be tailored for government uses. SkyTower then plans to commercialize the resulting technology.
Northrop Grumman Corp. will build four Global Hawk low-rate initial production Lot 3 unmanned aerial vehicles and related equipment under a $207.7 million Air Force contract modification, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Oct. 15. The company will build one Global Hawk (RQ-4A) vehicle with Basic Integrated Sensor Suite; two Global Hawk (RQ-4B) vehicles; one Global Hawk vehicle with Enhanced-Integrated Sensor Suites and Clip-In Sensor (Hyperwide); and related equipment, DOD said. The work is to be completed by October, 2005.
Loral Space & Communications Ltd. has reached an agreement with its creditors on a revised reorganization plan that will allow the company to emerge from bankruptcy during the first quarter of next year. The company filed for Chapter 11 last year, wracked by debt resulting from the failed Globalstar satellite communications venture (DAILY, July 16, 2003). It will file the new plan with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court by Oct. 22.
