The Boeing/TRW/Lockheed Martin team building the U.S. Air Force's Airborne Laser (ABL) has demonstrated that the system's laser module exceeds design margins for laser power output, the team reported. In recent testing, the TRW-designed flight weighted laser module (FLM) produced 110% of power output, the team said. It said the FLM is the "building block" for the ABL system's 747-400F-mounted high-energy laser.
September 8, 1998 Rocketdyne Technical Services Company, Albuquerque, N.M., is being awarded a $17,990,081 cost-plus-award-fee-contract to provide for FY 1999 Operation, Maintenance, and Support and Research and Development at the Maui Space Surveillance System, Maui, Hawaii. Expected contract completion date is September 30, 1999. The 21st Contracting Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo., is the contracting activity (F05604-95-C-9011-P00054).
GE Capital said its GE Capital Aviation Services, AAR Corp. and GE Engine Services have created a new joint venture called Aviation Inventory Management Co. (AIMCO) to finance airframe rotables to commercial customers worldwide. The venture combines the inventory management and technical skills of AAR and GE Engine Services inventory with the financial strength and lease structuring experience of GECAS.
Russia's MiG-29UBT two-seat prototype fighter made its Western debut at the Farnborough Air Show last week. The jet, rolled out at the Zhukovsky test center near Moscow last month, was parked in the static display area next to its single-seat counterpart, the MiG-29SMT. Both planes are conversions of testbeds in the Military Industrial Group, Moscow Aircraft Production Association (MIG MAPO) fleet, and upgrades are to begin shortly on 150 to 180 Russian Federation Air Force MiG-29S Fulcrum Cs, and MiG-29UB Fulcrum Bs.
The U.S. defense budget topline amount, planned to remain at about the $250 billion level for the next several years, won't be enough to halt a decline in readiness, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Ryan said yesterday.
The Tier III Minus DarkStar high altitude endurance unmanned aerial vehicle on Sunday completed its second flight, a 45-minute mission at Edwards AFB, Calif. The vehicle flew at altitude of 5,000 feet and conducted all preplanned maneuvers. The test included flight control changes required to counteract low-amplitude oscillations that were encountered on the first flight.
Britain's GKN industrial group, which is merging its Westland helicopter subsidiary with Italy's Agusta, is also planning to acquire a stake of up to 49% in Alvis, one of its two national rivals in the light armored fighting vehicle (AFV) business. If achieved as expected within the next week or so, the $490 million GKN/Alvis merger will leave Vickers in an isolated position. This is despite earlier attempts, with the backing of the Ministry of Defense, to combine all three companies.
September 10, 1998 Cabaco Inc., Sierra Vista, Ariz., is being awarded an $8,449,065 firm-fixed-price-contract to provide for FY 1999 operation and maintenance of the base facilities on the Nellis Training and Test Range, Nevada. Expected contract completion date is Sept. 30, 1999. Solicitation issue date was March 6, 1995. Range management Office, Nellis AFB, Nev., is the contracting activity (F26600-95-C0043-P00067).
HAPAG-LLOYD, the German tour carrier, has exercised an option to purchase five more next-generation 737-800s. The carrier, which is also the launch customer, placed the initial order in 1994 for 16 with options for eight more.
A total of 1,017 commercial communications satellites valued at $49.8 billion will be launched over the next 10 years, according to the Teal Group of Fairfax, Va.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will lead a $4 million U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a "backpackable" robot that soldiers could use to search and clear buildings on an urban battlefield.
Continental Airlines on Sept. 21 is slated to use the FAA certified Global Positioning System (GPS) landing system (GLS) for the first time on a revenue service flight. A Continental MD-83, after departing Washington Reagan National Airport, will fly two approaches using the Honeywell-Pelorus system, the first into the Newark, N.J., airport, and the second into Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Newark approach will be the "world's first [by] Differential GPS (DGPS)...."
EFW Inc., Fort Worth, Tex., was selected by Boeing to make and supply subsystems for the V-22 Multifunction Display Upgrade Program, Elbit Systems Ltd., reported yesterday. EFW is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elbit.
Raytheon Co. completed its acquisition of AlliedSignal's Communications Systems business for $62.5 million. The business, based in Towson, Md., will be known as Identification Systems (IS) and will be part of Raytheon Systems Co.'s Command, Control and Communication (C3) systems business segment. IS, which has estimated 1998 sales of $122 million, develops and makes secure communications technology systems for combat identification, military radar and civilian air traffic management, along with tactical information.
The AAR-54(V) imaging ultraviolet passive missile warning system built by Northrop Grumman got a closer look by European F-16 customers during a demonstration involving the Danish, Dutch, and Norwegian air forces.
Fairchild Aerospace Corp. named the suppliers for its 728JET family of regional airliners. Jack Pelton, senior VP and 728JET program manager, said in a statement that "The aircraft have been defined, we have a strong program management team in place and we have an outstanding systems team all fully committed to the program and its schedule." The company said that: -- General Electric will supply the engine CF34-8D engine, which will incorporate a new nacelle and installation design specifically tailored to the 728JET.
A joint commission of U.S. and Israeli lawmakers, meeting for the first time yesterday, has agreed to expand cooperative efforts in the area of ballistic missile defense. Members of the U.S. Congress and the Israeli Knesset held their first joint hearing yesterday, stressing the need for effective ballistic missile defenses to protect Israel and U.S. troops in that region.
