The U.S. Marine Corps is driving to accelerate procurement of the V-22 Osprey with a new proposal from industry that would ramp up production of the tiltrotor even faster than the Marines themselves have proposed. The service told Congress several weeks ago that it wants to bring V-22 production to a rate of 36 aircraft a year, starting in 2004. But the new proposal calls for that rate to be achieved a year earlier, in 2003.
NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program has completed a three-flight test series of the Centurion flying wing at Dryden Flight Research Center, Calif., paving the way for high-altitude, solar powered flights of the testbed within three years. In the final flight Dec. 3 Centurion was aloft for 31 minutes at an altitude of about 400 feet, carrying a simulated 600-pound payload. Like the previous two flights Nov. 10 and Nov. 19, the remotely piloted aircraft flew over the Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB.
The U.S. Air Force wants the Fast Reaction Standoff Weapon to be able to destroy a target within 10 minutes, and is now working out how best to dispense smart munitions from the hypersonic system. The AF is only beginning to undertake trade studies to determine the exact timelines of the Fast Reaction Standoff Weapon, but has already decided that a target should be engaged within 10 minutes, John Wolverton, program manager for the Fast Reaction Standoff Weapon at Eglin AFB, Fla., said in a telephone interview.
The Pentagon's National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) has signed a multi-year contract with EarthWatch Inc. for commercial remote sensing products provided by airborne and spaceborne platforms. Under the deal the Longmont, Colo.-based company will provide imagery through its "Digital Globe" partners, which include Intermap Technologies and Positive Systems. Once its first "QuickBird" imaging satellite is launched late next year, the one-meter-resolution data from that platform also will be supplied to NIMA.
Kellstrom Industries Inc. signed an agreement to acquire Solair Inc., a subsidiary of Banner Aerospace, for about $57 million in cash plus a stock deal. Closing is expected on Dec. 31. The acquisition would put Kellstrom, which buys, overhauls, resells and leases aircraft, engines and engine parts, in the market for avionics and high-end aftermarket rotables. Kellstrom is based in Sunrise, Fla.
AN ORBITAL SCIENCES CORP. Pegasus XL rocket orbited NASA's Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) Saturday after high winds at the drop zone thwarted an attempt to fly the air-launched vehicle on Friday. The Pegasus carrying SWAS was dropped at an altitude of 39,000 feet from Orbital's L-1011 carrier aircraft at about 7:57 p.m. EST Saturday from a point some 100 miles offshore of Vandenberg AFB, Calif. According to Orbital, the satellite reached its 645-kilometer polar orbit on target and was "performing as expected."
December 2, 1998 PGSUS Limited Liability Company, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $5,800,000 face value increase to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for establishment of a production capability in the United States for the AGM-142 Have Nap standoff attack missile. There was one firm solicited and one proposal received. Expected contract completion date is June 30, 2000. Solicitation issue date was May 29, 1998. Air Armament Center, Eglin AFB, Fla., is the contracting activity (F08626-97-C-0125-P00001).
Because of a typographical error, the Dec. 4 Stock Box of The DAILY listed an incorrect figure for that date's Dow Jones average. The correct figure was 8879.68.
A European Ariane 42L rocket has launched a Hughes-built communications satellite into a Mexican orbital slot that is 75% owned by Loral Space&Communications and a Mexican partner. SatMex 5 was launched on the two-booster Ariane variant at 7:43 p.m. EST Saturday, Dec. 5, from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou. It had been delayed from Friday after controllers received "anomalous" telemetry from the satellite. Early indications were that the satellite was near its target orbit and functioning properly.
The Pentagon is debating whether to accelerate the Space-Based Infrared System-High program, acting Air Force Secretary F. Whitten Peters said yesterday. As part of its on-going budget deliberations, the Pentagon is trying to determine whether to move the SBIRS-High launch up to 2002 from 2004, Peters said. The move would reflect a growing feeling among some regional commanders-in-chief that the ballistic missile threat is growing.
Portugal signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) on Nov. 30 for 25 F-16 aircraft and 20 upgrade kits to modernize its air force, Lockheed Martin reported. Total value of the program will be about $268 million. The aircraft, 21 F-16As and four two-seat F-16Bs, were formerly part of the U.S. Air Force inventory, Lockheed Martin said. All of the Bs and 20 of the As will receive upgrades, and the five remaining As will be used for spare parts.
The U.S. Army and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization are conducting final checks on the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system in preparation for a Dec. 14 flight test, according to Brig. Gen. Daniel L. Montgomery, Army program executive officer for air and missile defense. Program officials still are working through some system-level checks with the PAC-3 radar and battle management command and control, Montgomery told reporters at the Association of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Symposium here.
The FAA has ordered inspection and repair of the center fuel pumps and canisters of Airbus A300-600 aircraft to prevent a "possible ignition source in the center fuel tank." The FAA's order follows a similar action by its French counterpart, the DGAC, which received three reports of damaged center tank fuel tank canisters and pumps.
Astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour are scheduled to begin one of the most complex series of spacewalks in NASA history today when they wire the U.S. "Unity" node into the International Space Station, represented to this point only by Russia's "Zarya" control module.
Robert Hanisee, chief investment officer for Asset Allocation in the Private Client Services Group of Trust Company of the West and Jim Roth, former chariman, president and CEO of GRC International (GRH), have been appointed to the board of directors to lend financial and defense industry expertise.
Officials of the C-17 program are working to reduce an interference problem that is affecting transmissions by pilots and U.S. Army operators in the transport plane's cargo area. The ability of an airborne commander to communicate with troops on other C-17s, on the ground, or the National Command Authority are hampered under the existing architecture, Army officials tell The DAILY. The C-17 is required to provide those commanders satellite and line-of-sight UHF capability for secure communications.
