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.
A LOCKHEED MARTIN ATLAS II launched a Hughes-built Navy communications. satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., yesterday, marking the third Atlas launch from the Cape this year. The Hughes-built Ultra High Frequency follow-On (UFO F/O) F8 carries a Global Broadcast Service payload.
The U.S. Air Force will deploy the B-2 stealth bomber for sustained training operations from a forward location for the first time when its sends two B-2s to Anderson AFB in Guam later this month. The March 23 to April 3 deployment is designed to showcase the B-2's ability to operate from bases worldwide. Aircrews will conduct weapons drops at a bombing range in the Northern Marianas and fly several low-level missions. The AF is sending two of its newest B-2s that are in the Block 30 configuration.
TI/Martin Javelin Joint Venture, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $18,983,793 cost-plus-award-fee contract for engineering services Javelin Missile System. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., (45%) and Lewisville, Texas (55%), and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole source contract initiated on July 31, 1997. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. (DAAH01-98-C-0126).
A U.S. Air Force review of munitions programs that could lead to the cancellation of either the Sensor Fuzed Weapon or AGM-154B Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) may not bring about projected cost savings and might leave the AF worse off than it is now, AF officials said. "We think we need the mix" of AGM-154Bs and SFWs, one AF official told The DAILY recently. Both munitions use the BLU-108 smart, anti-armor submunition. The JSOW delivers the weapon in a standoff, glide missile while SFW uses a Tactical Munitions Dispenser.
BOEING announced the 737-800 earned type certification from the FAA Friday. Validation from Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) is expected by the end of March, the company said.
The Inmarsat Council has agreed to restructure the international mobile satellite communications consortium from an intergovernmental organization into a privatized company by Jan. 1, 1999, Inmarsat announced yesterday. Inmarsat's signatories, parties and management have worked for more than three years to design and develop the framework for the change. Inmarsat will become a public limited company that will seek an initial public offering (IPO) within about two years of formation.
General Dynamics Defense Systems, Pittsfield, Mass., is being awarded a $9,519,013 firm-fixed-price option exercise for the procurement of Guided Missile Director Mark 82 Mod 0 with Director Control Mark 200, Mod 0, Maintenance Assist Modules, and Production Test Center Site Support. The Guided Missile Director Mark 82 Mod 0 with Director Control Mark 200, Mod 0 is a vital part of the AEGIS Weapon System to be installed in DDG 89, DDG 90, DDG 91, and DDG 92. Work will be performed in Burlington, Vt., and is expected to be completed by June 2000.
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.
