The U.S. Army last week completed the first successful firing of an Army Tactical Missile System from its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) carrier vehicle, Lockheed Martin Vought Systems said yesterday. The test took place July 1 at White Sands Missile, N.M. HIMARS is designed to carry one ATACMS missile or a six-pack of Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets. The system has been developed to support the Rapid Force Projection Initiative advanced concept technology demonstration, scheduled for this summer.
Raytheon Systems Co. won a follow-on production contract from England's Avimo Ltd. for a thermal imaging and fire control sight for British Army Scimitar Light Armored Vehicles. The specific value of the multi-million contract was not disclosed. Raytheon said it will provide Avimo with thermal imaging technology for integration with a laser rangefinder, fire control processor and periscope head to upgrade the Scimitar. The system, called SPIRE, also has applications for similar upgrades to Scorpion and Sabre armored vehicles.
LMI AEROSPACE INC., St. Louis, began a public offering of 2.3 million shares at $10 per share. Net proceeds of about $20.8 million will be used to repay certain debt, pursue acquisitions, and expand manufacturing capacity.
C. Dale Reis has been appointed general manager of the Defense Systems segment in Tucson, Ariz. succeeding David L. McPherson who is retiring. Frank S. Marchilena succeeeds Reis as general manager, Command, Control and Communication Systems segment in Marlborough, Mass. Marchilena had been general manager of Training and Services. Philip T. Le Pore becomes general manager, Training and Services segment, Vienna, Va. and executive vice president, succeeding Marchilena.
Stephen E. Nash, formerly president of Defiance, Inc., has been appointed chief executive officer of the Los Angeles company. Jim Brannan, owner of Waltco, has been appointed chairman of the board.
KISTLER AEROSPACE marked two milestones last month in its march to completion of the first commercial reusable launch vehicle. Lockheed Martin Michoud Systems, near New Orleans, completed the first welded aluminum liquid oxygen tank for Kistler's K-1 RLV, and Kistler itself successfully tested the six-parachute cluster that will ease the K-1 first stage back to an airbag-assisted soft landing after launch.
AIR FORCE Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded on June 29, 1998, a $150,024,762 firm-fixed-price contract to provide FY99 contractor logistics support for the KC-10 and KDC-10 aircraft. There were 30 firms solicited and two proposals received. Expected contract completion date is September 30,1999. Solicitation issue date was October 15, 1997. Negotiation completion date was May 13, 1998. Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (F34601-98-C-0125).
B/E AEROSPACE, which produces cabin interior products for commercial passenger transport aircraft, reached an agreement to acquire Aerospace Lighting Corp., continuing what it says is its strategy of penetrating the market for corporate and VIP jet aircraft cabin interiors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This is the third acquisition of the current fiscal year for BE Aerospace, headquartered in Wellington, Fla. It follows the buy of Puritan-Bennett's WEMAC air and oxygen flow valve business and Aircraft Modular Products, both in April.
Satellites generally used for intelligence gathering recently were used by the U.S. Navy to help find mines that could endanger operations in littoral waters, the Office of Naval Research said.
Fairchild Corp., Dulles, Va., will spin off its fastener business in a newly formed subsidiary through a distribution of stock to shareholders, Fairchild announced yesterday. The company said the proposed distribution of Fairchild Fasteners will supersede a previously announced plan to spin off the technology products segment and certain other assets (DAILY, Oct. 9, 1997). "We believe that Fairchild Fasteners will best prosper as a stand-
Bell Helicopter Textron has selected Lockheed Martin to supply the targeting system for the upgraded AH-1Z four-bladed Cobra attack helicopters being developed for the U.S. Marine Corps. Lockheed Martin this month will begin development and engineering work under a 54-month, $7.8 million contract, according to the company's Electronics&Missiles Div. Total value of the program could reach $150 million as the Marines upgrade 180 Cobras.
Loral Space&Communications has increased its ownership in the Globalstar Limited Partnership by purchasing 4.2 million "partnership interests" from founding service-provider partners for $420 million, with half of the sale proceeds set aside to fund Globalstar gateway and user terminal purchases by the selling partners. Meanwhile Loral sold three Soros funds a total of 8.4 million shares of Globalstar stock - equivalent to half of the equity it purchased from the service providers - with stipulations restricting their sale for a year.
A U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite was slightly damaged on July 1 when an external battery used in testing exploded, injuring a contractor employee, the Air Force reported. During a routine test of the Lockheed Martin-built satellite at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., "a contractor was injured after an external battery used to test electrical subsystems exploded after electrical power was applied during a routine test," according to the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB.
NAVY Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $5,853,488 modification to previously awarded contract N00019-96-C-0165 for the fabrication and delivery of communication, navigation, and survivability production kits for two VH-3D helicopters. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed in September 2001. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
