Early U.S. Air Force predictions that the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile will cost around $400,000 or less have firmed up as the AF gets ready to select either Boeing and Lockheed Martin for follow-on development of the missile. "I expected that we would be at or below the [$400,000 cost] goal," and those numbers have been maintained with final cost data submitted by both contractors, Terry Little, the AF's JASSM program director, said in a telephone interview yesterday. The winner is slated to be announced in late March or early April.
Lockheed Martin Intersputnik, a satellite telecommunications venture forged from the old Soviet Bloc communications satellite organization and the U.S. megacompany created in the shakeout that follow the collapse of that Bloc, aims to set up a global communications services network building on Intersputnik's orbital slots and Lockheed Martin's resources.
The U.S. Air Force may shift some of its science and technology funding for space to focus to a greater extent on long-range projects. The re-look was prompted by a recent National Academy of Sciences study that examined overall space S&T investment in the government and industry, Lt. Gen. George K. Muellner, the Air Force's top acquisition officer, told the Senate Armed Services acquisition and technology subcommittee last week.
House National Security Chairman Rep. Floyd Spence (R-S.C.), in a letter to the House Budget Committee released yesterday, urged that projected surpluses in fiscal 1999 and over the next five years be tapped to increase defense spending to levels "that at least keep pace with inflation." The Congressional Budget Office has projected a $9 billion surplus in FY '99 and a $143 billion surplus for fiscal years 1999-2003.
A tentative agreement could be at hand between the U.S. Dept. of Justice and Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman on the companies' proposed combination, according to a source familiar with the situation.
By late this year the U.S. Air Force plans to field a limited capability to pass data between the Army's AH-64D Longbow Apache and its E- 8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System using the Improved Data Modem.
The Russian Space Agency has picked two international teams, led by NPO PM and Energia Corp., to supply new communications satellites for national needs. An order for seven advanced geosynchronous satellites will be shared between the two teams. NPO PM, teamed with Aerospatiale Espace and Defense and Alcatel Espace, will deliver three so-called Express-K satellites, while Energia together with Gazkom company will deliver two Yamal-200 and two Yamal-300 satellites.
The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday approved a $2.960 billion fiscal 1998 supplemental that included $1.3 billion for the Persian Gulf buildup and $383 million for operations in Bosnia. Committee action came after members dropped report language that would have told NASA not to shift funds from one account to another to cover cost overruns in the International Space Station.
The E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System's (Joint STARS) command and control function is one of the main discriminators between it and other systems that feature a ground moving target indicator (MTI) radar system, Air Force Gen. Richard Hawley, commander of Air Combat Command, said recently.
The Fairchild Corp., Dulles, Va., completed the sale of its affiliate, Shared Technologies Fairchild Inc. (STF), to Intermedia Communications Inc., Tampa, Fla., Fairchild announced.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $71,557,399 fixed-price-incentive-fee contract for the procurement of two Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems (eight air vehicles and two ground control stations), 10 air vehicles, and associated ground support equipment and spare parts. This equipment is being procured for the U.S. Air Force, with the exception of two air vehicles, which are being procured to support UAV Tactical Control Systems (TCS) integrated testing. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif.
Sparton Defense Electronics, DeLeon Springs, Fla., is being awarded a $5,258,478 split, firm-fixed-price contract to procure 3,000 AN/SSQ-62E sonobuoys and associated data. Work will be performed in DeLeon Springs, Fla., and is expected to be completed by March 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with two proposals solicited and two offers received.
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., is being awarded a $12,718,686 indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price-incentive (successive targets) contract for generic Navy simulators/stimulators (GNSS). These GNSS units will enable various radar systems to be interfaced with the Battle Force Tactical Training System to provide realistic training onboard ships. Twelve first article sets of various radar components, two lots of common GNSS components, and 125 GNSS units are being procured on this contract.
Raytheon Systems Company, Ft. Wayne, Ind., is being awarded a $21,749,920 split, firm-fixed-price contract to procure 22,751 AN/SSQ-62E sonobuoys and associated data. The place of performance is yet to be determined, and is expected to be completed by March 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with two proposals solicited and two offers received.
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Vought Systems Division, Grand Prairie, Texas, is being awarded a $28,294,253 increment as part of a $180,713,887 cumulative total cost-plus-incentive-fee (CPIF) contract for the continued development of the Army tactical (Army TACMS) missile system block II guided missile and launching assembly. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 1999. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole source contract initiated of Oct. 28, 1994.
The Progress M-38 automated cargo spaceship was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome Sunday with a load of spare parts and tools for the aging Mir space station. The three-stage Soyuz-U launcher lifted off from the Cosmodrome's historic Site 1 at 1:46 a.m. Sunday Moscow Standard Time (5:46 p.m. Saturday EST). Less than 10 minutes later the capsule separated from the Soyuz-U third stage in an interim parking orbit with an apogee of 249 kilometers, a perigee of 193 kilometers, an inclination of 51.65 degrees and a period of 88.63 minutes.
Lockheed Martin Corp., is being awarded a $95,269,474 face value increase to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for post-production sustainment support for the F-16 aircraft from March 1998 through February 1999. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This effort supports foreign military sales to Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Bahrain, Greece, Indonesia, Korea, Portugal, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Venezuela.
Advanced Marine Enterprises, Inc., Arlington, Va., is being awarded a $15,230,872 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering services related to ship and submarine evaluations in the area of hydrodynamics and hydroacoustics at both model-scale and full-scale. Work will be performed in Fulton, Md. (95%), Arlington, Va. (3%), and at sea (2%), and is expected to be completed by March 2003. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 40 proposals solicited and one offer received.
Lockheed Martin Federal Systems, Inc., Manassas, Va., is being awarded an $18,379,880 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the procurement of an upgraded software package for existing SH-60B Flight and Weapons Tactics Trainers to reflect the current SH-60B configuration and a Tactical Operational Flight Trainer for advanced pilot training. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $52,780,000. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2002.
Computer Sciences Corp., Falls Church, Va., realigned its federal business organization into two business groups - Defense and Civil, the company announced Thursday. The changes are scheduled to take affect May 30. Thomas Robinson will become president of the Defense Group, rejoining CSC's federal business after serving as the president of the company's Technology Management Group since June 1996. Michael Laphen will head the Civil Group after serving as president of the federal Integrated Systems Division.
AIR COMBAT COMMAND, Hampton, Va. - The U.S. Air Force is considering a future modification to the F-22's internal bomb bay that would allow it to carry eight miniaturized munitions, doubling what the fighter could carry in its existing configuration.
The House National Security Committee is slated to mark up the Iranian Missile Protection Act of 1998 (IMPACT '98) this afternoon, putting $147 million of new funding into a number of key theater missile defense (TMD) programs to combat an emerging ballistic missile threat from Iran. HNSC Research and Development Subcommittee Chair Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), chief sponsor of the bill, late last year proposed a version that would have added $300 million to the TMD programs.
The Navy on Saturday flew an F/A-18E/F with the porous wing full fairing approach it had identified as the fix for the aircraft's wing-drop problem, and found it still had an unacceptable buffeting effect, Pentagon sources said yesterday. The test flight took place at Patuxent NAS, sources said, adding that the Navy has formed a tiger team to push for a prompt solution. A Navy spokesman withheld immediate comment on the development.
