The FAA awarded contracts of $2.5 million each to Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Co. for hundreds of devices to detect explosives at up to 77 U.S. airports. Lockheed Martin C2 Integration Systems, Manassas, Va., and Raytheon Service Co., Burlington, Mass., will plan, design and provide engineering and management services to integrate and install the equipment, FAA said. They will supply bulk explosives detection systems to exam checked baggage, and trace explosives detection equipment to scan electrical equipment and carry-on bags.
The Marine Corps yesterday moved forward with its plan to upgrade its UH-1N Hueys under the four-blade upgrade program common to both the Huey and its AH-1W Cobras, granting Bell Helicopter Textron a $134 million contract for the development phase.
The Bell/Boeing team developing the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft was unable to meet its self-imposed goal of flying the first production-representative Osprey before the end of 1996, and now hopes to begin flight testing this month. "In the build-up process we ran into a few items that we had to fix," said a spokesman for the team. He said the delay was caused by a several "fairly minor" hardware problems. Even these problems, however, have caused delays because many activities are concurrent.
The U.S. Air Force/NASA LoFLYTE remotely piloted vehicle flew for the first time Dec. 16 at Mojave, Calif., but flight control problems in the 80-pound replica of a future Mach 5.5 aircraft prompted a gear-up landing just 34 seconds after takeoff. LoFLYTE - for Low Observable Flight Test Experiment - reached an altitude of 150 feet and made a 180-degree turn before flight control problems occurred, the Air Force said. The operator was forced to land the vehicle with the wheels up in sand next to the runway, but it sustained little damage.
Spurred by the newest series of 737 jetliners, Boeing plans to return production of the planes to a high of 21 per month by the fourth quarter of this year, matching the level of production reached in September 1992. The company said last month that year-to-date orders stand at 645 planes valued at $47.26 billion - the second highest dollar value in the company's history. Orders for the next generation 737-600, -700 and -800 account for 277 airplanes, while orders for the existing 737-300, -400 and -500 models stand at 129.
HEXCEL, Stamford, Conn., continues business consolidation in Europe following its 1996 acquisitions of CIBA-Geigy and Hercules by eliminating redundancies in manufacturing overhead personnel and consolidation of operations in France. The consolidation is part of a three-year plan to save about $29 million annually.
Litton has filed a protest with the General Accounting Office over last month's U.S. Navy LPD-17 contract award to a team led by Avondale Shipyards, challenging the Navy's decision to award the contract based on life-cycle cost rather than acquisition cost. A stop-work order has been issued to Avondale pending the GAO's ruling. The protest was filed Dec. 26, several days after the company was debriefed by the Navy on why it lost the Dec. 17 decision (DAILY, Dec. 18, 1996).
U.S. AIR FORCE said a satellite was successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., Dec. 20 on a Titan IV rocket, and went into polar orbit. Two days before the event, the National Reconnaissance Office confirmed that the launch would take place, marking a first (DAILY, Dec. 19).
The Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office plans to spend $7.51 billion in its investment accounts between fiscal year 1997 and FY '03, with total spending including operations and maintenance of about $11 billion.
The U.S. Navy is buying 13 Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night pods for its F-14s by exercising a contract option worth about $40 million, system manufacturer Lockheed Martin reported yesterday. The 13 LANTIRNs will consist of 10 integrated pods, three spare pods and carrier-based maintenance support systems. It will allow the Navy to operate 14 F-14s as all-day strike aircraft.
AERO INTERNATIONAL (REGIONAL) delivered a second J41 aircraft to the Royal Thai Army. Both are configured with 29 seats for normal operations, but can be reconfigured to a two cabin arrangement.
A new rule governing the export of encryption software and hardware went into effect Dec. 29 as part of an Administration initiative to support growth of electronic commerce while preserving national security. The new rule amends the federal Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by imposing national security and foreign policy controls on certain information security systems and equipment, cryptographic devices, software and components specifically designed or modified for encryption, and related technology.
A version of the Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle has logged a 16-hour flight, according to Israel Aircraft Industries, which developed it, and TRW, which funded the program. IAI and TRW said the flight of the Endurance Hunter, which they conducted in Israel, clears the way for its acceptance by TRW and availability for demonstrations to the U.S. Army, following delivery to the U.S. early this year.
RAYTHEON CO., Lexington, Mass., received a $6.7 million contract from the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) to provide 288 person months of technical assistance for overhaul of Egyptian Hawk missile system equipment. The contract is between Raytheon Mediterranean System Co. and MICOM. Technical support will be provided in order to begin overhauling 24 Hawk fire units. All work will take place in Egypt.
Maj. Gen. Edward Hanlon Jr., USMC, director of expeditionary warfare for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, said at the rollout of HSL-94's Magic Lantern SH-2G that "there is no silver bullet for mine countermeasures," but that "airborne electro-optics technologies, ranging from various laser approaches to passive multi- and hyper-spectral systems, bring a number of benefits to the mine countermeasures mission." He listed them as follows:
Acceptance of the Magic Lantern mine detection system by a U.S. Navy Reserve helicopter squadron last month marked another step in a drive by the service to come up with a system that can find and destroy mines in just minutes. Helicopter Squadron Light 94 (HSL-94) took delivery of Magic Lantern with rollout of a specially equipped SH-2G helicopter in a ceremony at NAS Willow Grove, Pa., on Dec. 7.
MICRODYNE CORP., Alexandria, Va., received a $1.1 million order through its Aerospace Telemetry Div. from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) for 25 700- MR telemetry receivers and 14 1620-PC diversity combiners. IAI will incorporate some of the gear into one or more mobile telemetry trailers used for tracking and data acquisition of aircraft. Most of the equipment will be used as part of fixed ground station tracking and data acquisition systems for flight test and evaluation of aircraft.
Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) has asked the Justice Dept. to investigate whether McDonnell Douglas violated a 1994 law prohibiting defense contractors from offering payments to induce American companies to purchase goods or services from foreign countries that have purchased U.S. military equipment. Feingold sent a letter to Attorney General Janet Reno on Dec. 19 requesting an investigation.
REFLECTONE U.K., LTD., received two contracts from the U.K. Ministry of Defense valued at more than $7 million. The first calls for upgrade of five Royal Air Force Advanced ESM Training Simulators for $5.5 million. The second, for $2.4 million, provides for five years of on-site support and maintenance of the simulators already in service. Reflectone U.K. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Reflectone Inc., Tampa, Fla.
