The House Foreign Relations Committee, in its fiscal year 1998 authorization report on foreign military financing, blasts the Clinton Administration for its "lack of meaningful progress" in persuading Russia to halt its sale of nuclear reactors to Iran. The committee also says it gives a great deal of credence to allegations that Russia is selling Iran advanced conventional weapons, ballistic missile technology and other advanced weaponry.
In spite of financial constraints hitherto believed in the West to have been insurmountable, Russia's next-generation fighter is flying, its manufacturer has stated categorically. Ivan Boutko, MiG-MAPO's first deputy general director, claimed that the actual date of the maiden flight was commercially sensitive, but promised that if his board agreed, the 1-42 prototype would be exhibited at the Moscow air show in August.
Russia's Phazotron Scientific&Production Company is looking to upgrades of its radar and associated equipment to extend the operating lives of existing combat aircraft by 10-20 years. Phazotron is the main fire-control radar contractor in Russia, with only its former NIIP division as a minor competitor, and is now 100% privately owned. Academician Anatoly Kanashchenkov, president and general designer, is proud of his company's 1942 origins, and the fact that its radars equip some 10,000 fighters in more than 40 air forces.
Republican Oklahoma Senators Don Nickles and James Inhofe have told the Pentagon they will oppose any plan for military base closures or realignments because the Clinton Administration has not complied with findings of the 1995 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
Thiokol will supply its Castor IVB solid rocket motor for the first stage booster of Spain's Capricorinio launch vehicle. The three-stage launch vehicle was developed by Spain's Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA), a branch of the Spanish ministry o Defense. The rocket will be able to carry payloads of up to 150 kg into low-Earth orbit.
United Auto Workers President Stephen P. Yokich and Secretary- Treasurer Roy O. Wyse have come out in support of the Boeing-McDonnell Douglas merger, the UAW announced yesterday. The UAW represents approximately 10,500 workers at McDonnell Douglas and 6,500 at Boeing.
The U.S. Air Force and Navy's JSF/Integrated Subsystem Technology Critical Design Review team has authorized Lockheed Martin to proceed with fabrication and flight-testing of an all-electric flight control actuation system for the Joint Strike Fighter program.
Northrop Grumman Corp. won two contracts worth $132 million from the U.S. Air Force for a computer replacement program for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS), the company announced Monday. Under the $74 million base contract, Northrop Grumman will integrate new central computers and workstations into the Joint STARS architecture, install the new hardware in the third development aircraft and validate the system. The upgrade will replace five central processors with two.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Dennis J. Reimer yesterday called for the establishment of a permanent Joint Task Force as one of several steps to improve U.S. warfighting capability in the next century. The Pentagon has been using Joint Task Forces in conflicts, but they traditionally stand down after a crisis ends. But Reimer told the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association in Washington yesterday that "we must embrace a standing Joint Task Force."
Had anyone predicted at the 1987 Paris show that the Western world's fighter salesmen would spend most of their time in 1997 in Prague, Budapest and Warsaw, they would have been quietly removed from the scene and tested for Excess Lunch Syndrome. But that, of course, is exactly what has happened.
The House National Security Committee, which sharply cut the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet request in the fiscal 1998 defense authorization, has defended its action by contending that the program should proceed "at a slower pace" until competing demands on the Navy budget are evaluated.
Increasing emphasis on commercial launches for foreign customers together with a decline in domestic Russian launch activity has produced a situation in which Western payloads will dominate the Russian launch manifest this month and next. A total of five launches were scheduled for the two months, three in June and two in July. Three will carry U.S. payloads.
BOEING has selected Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Division to provide the electro-optical surveillance and detection system (EOSDS) for the Royal Air Force's Nimrod 2000. Northrop Grumman will deliver the first of 21 systems in October 1998, under a contract worth more than $50 million.
DR. ARNAULD E. NICOGOSSIAN, a 25-year veteran of life sciences work at NASA, has been named associate administrator for life and microgravity sciences and applications. Nicogossian, who is also a physician on the faculty of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Washington, has held the position on an acting basis since May 1996. His office is responsible for such research areas as life support technology, biotechnology, materials sciences, aerospace medicine, occupational health and commercial space efforts.
Tadiran Electronic Systems, Ltd., Holon, Israel, is being awarded a $7,812,506 firm fixed price (completion) contract for enhancements and upgrades to the Israeli Testbed, which is a specialized analyses of ballistic missile defense capabilities to counter short-range ballistic missile threats to Israel. There are two option years, and if all options are exercised the potential value of the contract will be $13,593,756. Work will be performed in Holon, Israel, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 1999.
The U.S. Air Force is assessing whether it is more cost effective to upgrade LANTIRN systems or pursue a follow-on system, even though so far funding hasn't been identified for either effort. The analysis is designed to deal with rising support costs for the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared by Night system. "It's getting scary looking at what LANTIRN is costing us," Capt. Marcus J. Quint, one of Air Combat Command's F-16 fighter requirements officers, told The DAILY in a telephone interview last week.
Britain's declining share in world aerospace markets will, if left unchecked, turn its current $3.5-billion trade surplus into a $4.8- billion deficit by the year 2010. That's the startling forecast that led the UK industry, through the Society of British Aerospace Companies, to push the "Foresight Action" program last year as a partnership with the British government to spend $320 million a year on technology demonstration projects.
Northrop-Grumman, Electronic Systems Integration Division (ESID), Hawthorne, Calif., is being awarded an $11,300,000 ceiling-price order for development, production, testing and logistics support of the Vidicon Tube replacement on the Television Camera System of the F-14 A/B/D models. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed June 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured.
Rick Kirkland, vice president of business development at LM AeronauticalSystems, outlined the company's conception of a New Strategic Aircraft (NSA) in a briefing here. Emphasizing the "clean sheet of paper" approach, Kirkland categorized aircraft such as the J-model Hercules, Airbus FLA and McDonnell C-17 Globemaster III as "transitional designs" bridging the gap between current military transports and those of the future.
Transavia Airlines and TEA Switzerland selected BFGoodrich Aerospace, Troy, Ohio, to supply wheels and brakes for new 737 aircraft, BFGoodrich announced last Wednesday. Transavia will receive the first delivery of its eight firm and 12 option 737-800s in 1998. TEA will receive first delivery of its two firm and two option 737-700s in the fourth quarter of 1997. BFGoodrich also said Condor Flugdienst will use its wheels and carbon brakes for its fleet of 12 firm and 12 option new 757-300s. First delivery is scheduled for 1999.
Science Applications International Corp., McLean, Va., is being awarded a $1,713,250 increment as part of a $7,562,250 cost plus fixed fee contract for nuclear weapons effects stewardship. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (70%); and McLean, Va. (30%), and is expected to be completed by Oct. 15, 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 18 bids solicited on Feb. 12, 1997, and one bid was received. The contracting activity is the Defense Special Weapons Agency, Alexandria, Va. (DSWA01-97-C-0114).
LOCKHEED MARTIN is talking to the Republic of Korea about a possible requirement for special-operations versions of the C-130J. The development of a special-operations C-130J would be easier than that of the U.S. Air Force Combat Talon II, because of the new version's integrated avionics. Korea has also approached Lockheed Martin about a possible follow-on order for eight P-3s.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Palmdale, Calif., is being awarded a $28,679,636 cost plus award fee contract to provide for engineering and manufacturing development of the Block Cycle I Upgrade Program in support of the F-22 aircraft. This program includes updates to the Weapon System Computer Operational Flight Program, the Stores Management System, and the mission planning software, incorporation of sustaining software maintenance updates, support for the F3 Video Tracker/System Controller integration effort, and integration of the SNU84-1E Inertial Guidance System.
TI/Martin Javelin Joint Venture (Texas Instruments and Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla.) is being awarded a $3,527,175 increment as part of a $5,247,842 (if all options are exercised, total will be $9,122,408) cost plus incentive fee contract for research and development efforts for the Tandem Warhead Preplanned Product Improvement Program in support of the Javelin Weapon System. Work will be performed in Lewisville, Tex. (65%) and Orlando, Fla. (35%), and is expected to be completed by March 31, 1999.
Hughes Aircraft Co., Fullerton, Calif., is being awarded an $11,500,000 face value increase to a firm fixed price contract to provide for a Rapid Action Deployment Fixed Site Satellite Network to provide voice and data networking between regional and headquarters interim solution terminals. Contract is expected to be completed November 1997. At this time, $8,625,000 of the contract funds have been obligated. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This effort supports foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia.
