DHL Airways Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to buy seven A300B4 converted freighters powered by General Electric engines, the companies announced last week. DHL thus becomes the first operator to acquire the converted aircraft. Deliveries will begin in the second half of 1998 and will conclude by the end of 1999. The freighters will be based in Cincinnati and will be used on domestic hub-to-gateway high density routes.
The Pentagon will ask industry how it would address Army, Navy and Marine Corps requirements for tactical unmanned aerial vehicles with separate UAVs in an effort that could supplant Alliant Techsystems' beleaguered Outrider program.
Robert H. Jenkins, president and chief executive officer of Sundstrand Corp., has been elected to the additional postion of chairman of the board, the company announced yesterday after its annual meeting. Jenkins succeeds Don R. O'Hare, 74, who had come out of retirement to replace Harry Stonecipher, who went to McDonnell Douglas. O'Hare retired yesterday after 46 years with the Rockford, Ill., company. He assumed the post of chairman while it searched for a permanent successor.
A General Accounting Office executive yesterday called estimates of savings from defense company mergers "overly optimistic," and recommended ongoing monitoring to ensure that "real savings are realized." The recommendation was made to the Senate Armed Services Committee by David E. Cooper, GAO's associate director of defense acquisition issues, National Security and International Affairs Div.
LOCKHEED MARTIN Tactical Aircraft Systems, Fort Worth, Tex., won a contract from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for production of major components of the first 11 of Japan's new F-2 support fighters, Lockheed Martin announced yesterday. The companies haven't disclosed the exact amount of the commercial contract, which is worth more than several hundred million dollars and extends into late 1999. Lockheed Martin will provide all the aft fuselages, all wing leading-edge flaps, six left-side wing boxes and other systems. The work will sustain about 500 jobs at Fort Worth.
The General Accounting Office has sustained AlliedSignal's bid protest concerning the Joint Tactical Terminal/Common Integrated Broadcast Service Module, and recommended that the U.S. Army recompete the program. The GAO's non-binding ruling could strip Hughes, winner of the competition, of the almost $22 million contract that included nine options for follow-on production. AlliedSignal should have its legal costs reimbursed, the GAO said in a redacted version of its ruling.
The Russian government has authorized the Russian Space Agency to borrow about $140 million from commercial banks over the next two months to restart work on the Russian segment of the International Space Station.
Textron Inc. said yesterday that first quarter revenues of its Aircraft segment increased 8% and operating income grew 14% as overall sales and profit each climbed 15%. The company, based in Providence, R.I., said it earned $125 million on sales of $2.6 billion in the first three months of the year, compared to profits of $109 million on sales of $2.2 billion in the same period a year ago. A $74 million charge dropped 1996 earnings to $35 million.
U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command Chief Lt. Gen. Edward G. Anderson said yesterday that he is "keeping an open mind" on the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, which so far hasn't been able to intercept another missile. This week, program officials will be briefed on reviews by the team investigating THAAD failures, the last of which occurred March 6. The team is slated to make a formal presentation April 21 to the program steering committee headed by Lt. Gen. Lester Lyles, head of Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.
United Defense, LP, Production Division, Chambersburg, Pa., is being awarded a $25,450,000 modification to a firm fixed price contract for the acquisition of 37 M109A6 Paladin Self Propelled Howitzers with FY '98 options for 36 or 72 additional units. Work will be performed in Chambersburg, Pa., and is expected to be completed by 31 July 1999. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole-source contract solicited on 14 January 1997. The contracting activity is the U.S.
Vitro Services, Corp., Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $126,823,157 cost plus award fee contract to provide for FY 1997-2000 operation and maintenance of the test range and technical facilities at Eglin AFB, Fla. The work will be performed at Eglin AFB, Fla. Contract is expected to be completed September 2000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 28 firms solicited and 3 proposals received. Solicitation began November 1996; negotiations were completed March 1997.
The first flight of a Pratt&Whitney Canada PW150A turboprop engine was incorrectly reported in The DAILY on March 6. The engine successfully completed its first flight on P&WC's Boeing 720B flying test bed at the end of January 1997.
Northrop Grumman will make the Army's new BAT "brilliant" anti-armor submunition in Huntsville, Ala., the company announced Friday. A decision on an exact plant location should be made later this year, the company said. The Huntsville area was selected because of its proximity to the U.S. Army Missile Command, the Program Executive Office-Tactical Missiles and the Army TACMS-BAT project office, all of which are headquartered at Redstone Arsenal.
The Director of Naval Intelligence told the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee that he is "more comfortable now" with his assessment of Russian submarine capabilities "than ever before." Rear Adm. Michael W. Cramer did admit during testimony last Tuesday that Russia's plan to introduce the Severodvinsk class of attack submarine in 1999 "causes us concern." Initial operational capability is predicted for 2002.
UNC INC. Won a $29 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for training jet maintenance at Laughlin AFB, Tex,, the Annapolis, Md.-company announced Friday. UNC Aviation Services won the Air Force Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance (JEIM) award, which covers an initial five-month start-up period beginning May 1 and four option years. UNC will perform all intermediate depot maintenance on the J69 and J85 jet engines used on the T-37 and T-38 trainers flown at the six Air Force Air Education and Training Command bases.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $30,006,965 firm-fixed-price contract for materials and services for the Standoff Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER). Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed by December 1999. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00019-97-C- 0083).
The technology needed to develop and deploy a national missile defense (NMD) system based on Minuteman interceptors can be integrated relatively quickly and inexpensively if the U.S. decides to proceed with such a system, according to a new Rand study.
GROEN BROTHERS AVIATION, Salt Lake City, and OC INC., Arlington, Va., signed a memorandum of understanding to form an operational and marketing alliance. Groen makes the Hawk gyroplane, and OCI is an engineering and training services company.
Raytheon Electronic Systems finished with increases in both sales and operating profits for the first time in 15 quarters, as Raytheon Co., Lexington, Mass., set a first quarter record with $2.9 billion in overall sales. Company-wide revenues increased 4%, but earnings dipped slightly to $183.4 million. The drop mostly was due to higher interest income expense of $15 million in the quarter and lower non-operating income of $34 million.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP., Los Angeles, won a $16.1 million contract from the U.S. Navy to upgrade the electronic guidance and propulsion systems on MK 48 Advanced Capability torpedoes. The Navy exercised the fourth option to a contract awarded in 1995, ordering 135 torpedo propulsion modification kits, guidance and control upgrade kits and 100 warhead electronic systems. Northrop Grumman also will provide associated support and engineering services.
The U.S. Navy says the Standoff Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response would need only minor modification to fit inside Air Force bomber bays, addressing one of the Air Force's concerns about having SLAM-ER displace the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile program.
LOGICON INC., Los Angeles, won a four-year, $22 million Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) Technology Integration contract. Logicon will develop technologies for an advanced information technology system for command and control of joint and coalition air operations. The contract award is from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and work will be performed in San Pedro, Calif. and Arlington, Va.
Lockheed Martin Missiles&Space, Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $15,602,079 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for FY '97-'98 Strategic Capability Preservation (SCP) in support of Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) reentry systems. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 1998. This contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds in the amount of $2,081,462 would have expired at the end of the current fiscal year.
