NASA completed a test of a new lightweight fuel tank, designed to help the Space Shuttle haul Space Station parts into orbit, a spokeswoman confirmed yesterday. The aluminum lithium tank, attached to the Shuttle Discovery, was filled with a half million gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. Engineers checked for leaks and to make sure the new tank did not put unexpected stress on the struts that attach it to the solid rocket motors. The tank, which weighs 7,500 pounds less than previous tanks, is scheduled to make its first flight June 2.
JAY C. DAVIS will become the first director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which will be activated Oct. 1, the Pentagon said yesterday. The DTRA will consolidate the activities of the On-Site Inspection Agency, Defense Special Weapons Agency and Defense Technology Security Administration. Davis will begin working on establishment of DTRA in June.
The Senate Armed Services Committee is adding $13.3 million to the U.S. Air Force's F-16 Theater Airborne Reconnaissance Pod (TARP) program to eliminate a sensor shortfall that could have forced recce missions to be flown in a higher risk environment. Cost increases on TARP forced the AF to adjust its procurement plans. Rather than buying 20 pods with forward-oblique cameras and a Medium Altitude Electro-Optic (MAEO) sensor, the AF was looking to drop the procurement of 15 MAEOs to cover overall cost increases in the program.
The unique capabilities of the U.S. Air Force's 16 RC-135V/W Rivet Joint electronic reconnaissance aircraft should ensure that the fleet remains stable even as efficiencies are sought in airborne recce, according to Brig. Gen. David Nagy. A Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Architecture has proposed several force mix alternatives for airborne recce in 2010, at least one of which reduces the number of Rivet Joints.
THE F/A-18E/F has completed 200 test flights, the U.S. Navy said. The 200th flight took place May 14 at the Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, Calif., where one of a pair of two-seat F/A-18Fs in the flight test program is undergoing weapon system integration testing.
Boeing North American, Inc., Canoga Park, Calif., was awarded on May 8, 1998 a $6,029,839 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for the Advanced Laser Devices and Effects Research (ALDER) program. This effort involves the preliminary design, limited fabrication, installation, modification, operation and maintenance of laser devices, laser systems, and test equipment applicable thereto. There were 32 firms were solicited and 3 proposals received. Expected contract completion date is August 2000.
Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $12,800,001 modification to previously awarded contract N00019-97-C-0059 to fund the integrated logistics support for the FY 98 T-45TS program. Work will be performed in Kingsville, Texas (60%), Meridian, Miss. (25%), St. Louis, Mo. (10%), and Patuxent River, Md. (5%), and is expected to be completed in September 1999. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
The U.S. Air Force yesterday combined its 2nd and 4th Space Launch Squadrons at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., into one organization responsible for overseeing all Vandenberg launch operations. The single remaining organization will be the 2nd Space Launch Squadron under Lt. Col. Rick Patenaude, who commanded the 4th Space Launch Squadron. The two organizations performed similar duties, although the 2nd Space Launch Squadron has a Atlas rocket heritage while the 4th Space Launch Squadron's roots trace to Titan launches.
Honeywell, Inc., Clearwater, Fla., is being awarded a $20,586,000 face value increase to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for 282 Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (EGI) units, 282 synchronization cards, and associated warranties in support of the F-16 aircraft. Expected contract completion date is April 2000. Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-93-C-0002, P00137).
General Electric Corp., Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded an $11,840,000 firm-fixed-price-contract to provide for 160 fan blade modification kits applicable to the F101 engine on the B-1 aircraft. There were six firms solicited, and one proposal received. Expected contract completion date is April 2001. Solicitation issue date was October 28, 1997. Negotiation completion date was April 28, 1998. Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity (F34601-97-G-0002-0181).
University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), Dayton, Ohio, a $9,195,542 cost-reimbursement contract to provide for research and development support for the Life Prediction Methodologies for Aerospace Materials Program. This program will develop a comprehensive understanding of the behavior and failure mechanisms of aerospace materials to allow for development of new life prediction concepts and models. The work will be done at the AF Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Solicitation began December 1997; negotiations were completed April 1998.
Boeing says it will develop smaller and larger versions of its B717, formerly known as the MD-95, to create a B717-based family, provided there is sufficient demand. "By experience, our customers prefer families of aircraft and that is what we have in mind if there is strong and steady demand for the B717," Rolf Sellige, Boeing's product marketing director for the new aircraft, told reporters yesterday during the International Aerospace Exhibition '98 (ILA'98) here at Berlin-Schoenfeld.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Vought Systems Division, Dallas, Texas, is being awarded a $90,025,614 modification to a $104,229,373 firm-fixed-price contract for the first year of full rate production of 100 each, and a supplemental quantity of 79 each, Block IA Army Tactical Missile System (Army TACMS) guided missile and launching assemblies. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 15, 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole source contract initiated on May 7, 1997.
The U.S. Navy has told Congress it plans to retire its fleet of intelligence gathering ES-3A Shadow aircraft in 2000, prompting the House National Security Committee to eliminate funding requested for upgrades. The Navy operates two squadrons of ES-3s, each with eight aircraft. The Shadow is the only carrier-based signals intelligence gathering platform in U.S. inventory. The retirement would come seven years after the first squadron began operations, in August 1993.
Lockheed Martin and Israel's Rafael are considering an agreement under which they would build and sell Israel's Python-4 air-to-air missile. Terms of such an arrangement are not yet well defined, but Lockheed Martin said yesterday that it expects a more formal structure to emerge. The basic agreement between the two companies has been approved by Israel's defense ministry.
Boeing Co. won a $13.9 million U.S. Army contract to kick off the engineering and manufacturing development program for the CH-47 Improved Cargo Helicopter. Under the contract, awarded Friday, Boeing will modify two heavy lift CH-47D Chinooks into the ICH configuration. The program will include vibration reduction, integration of a new Rockwell Collins cockpit and installation of AlliedSignal T55-GA-714A engines to replace T55-L-712s. The engine portion of the program is managed as a separate activity.
Singapore Airlines has ordered five Airbus A340-500s and placed options on five more. It plans to use the ultra long-range aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines, on the first nonstop routes between Singapore and such points as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Such flights - about 8,600 n.m. - will take about 17 hours. The aircraft seats 313 in three classes.
PROGRESS cargo spacecraft docked with Mir early Sunday, delivering supplies and equipment for new medical experiments. The three-man crew was resting following the docking, which was carried out in automatic mode at 23:51 GMT.
Raytheon Missile Systems Company, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $6,760,662 modification to previously awarded contract N00019-94-C-0257 to procure spare parts and components for the Tomahawk missile for the U.S. Navy (68%), and the United Kingdom (32%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (94%), Farmington, N.M. (5%), and Sycamore Canyon, Calif. (1%), and is expected to be completed in October 2000. Contract funds in the amount of $4,615,759 will expire at the end of the fiscal year.
Kollsman, Inc., Merrimack, N.H., is being awarded a $10,881,000 modification to previously awarded contract N00019-95-C-0211 to exercise an option for 15 night targeting systems for integration into United States Marine Corps' AH-1W helicopters. Work will be performed in Nashua, N.H., and is expected to be completed in June 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE said it will move final assembly of the Canadair 415 firefighting aircraft to North Bay, Ontario, to clear the way for work on the Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 airliner at Montreal International Airport. Thunder Bay, Sault-Ste-Marie and Ottawa were also in the running, but "North Bay was the final choice because its facilities were the most suitable for the job at hand and because they had the most attractive business package," said Tom Appleton, president, Bombardier Aerospace, Amphibious Aircraft.
Raytheon Missile Systems Company, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $5,919,400 cost reimbursement, letter contract to procure 40 Block 1 variant guided missile roundpacks for the Rolling Airframe Guided Missile Weapons Systems. The Block 1 variant adds a new guidance section missile capability to allow infrared and all the way guidance, to significantly improve ship self defense. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (50%) and Ottobrunn, Germany (50%), and is expected to be completed by February 2001.
Standard Missile Co., Lexington, Mass., has received a $43.4 million modification to a previous contract for production of Standard Missile-2 Block IV missiles. Under the contract, the company will provide 20 SM-2 Block IV missile rounds and various section level spares, shipping containers and handling equipment.
Europe's Infrared Space Observatory was switched off May 16, ending on-orbit operations, the European Space Agency said yesterday. It also said the satellite's orbit was changed to bring it back into the atmosphere in 30 or 40 years. ISO was launched in November 1995 by an Ariane 44P rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. It made more than 26,000 observations. ESA said a supply of liquid helium, used to cool the telescope and instruments, lasted more than 30% longer than expected but ran out on April 8.
