The U.S. Dept. of Defense said it will award $520 million in research and development contracts to small technology companies in fiscal year 1997. Solicitations for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program close Jan. 8, 1997. DOD's Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program will award $36 million in R&D contracts to companies working with research institutions. Solicitations open Dec. 1 and close April 2, 1997. Interested parties may view the topics on the Internet and talk to authors until Dec. 1.
PRELIMINARY INSPECTION of the solid rocket boosters recovered after last week's launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia revealed only "minor wash erosion" on the booster nozzles, NASA reported yesterday. The STS-80 launch was delayed while engineers studied unusual erosion in the insulation on one of the boosters used on the previous Shuttle launch (DAILY, Sept. 25, Oct. 30, Nov. 5). After last week's launch inspectors found the nozzle erosion patterns "appear consistent with previous performance." A detailed inspection is planned.
The U.S. Army is going to focus in coming years on expanding focal plane array technology now in development as part of the third-generation forward looking infra-red (FLIR) sensor program from demonstrations in the visual spectrum to the infra-red range where it will operate, a program official said yesterday.
Local election officials in California's 46th district on Friday declared Democrat Loretta Sanchez a winner over longtime Republican House National Security Committee member Bob Dornan, edging the outspoken conservative by just under 400 votes in the district tally. State election officials are slated to declare Sanchez the winner today. Dornan has not conceded and is threatening to bring charges of voter fraud to the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.
A consortium headed by Texas Instruments Defense Systems and Electronics, Dallas, won a $12.3 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop new conformal and off-axis optical elements for high performance aircraft and missiles, TI announced. The four-year Physical Optics program includes the development of new optical design tools, manufacturing equipment, conformal optical element fabrication and test and demonstration in a military platform.
There will be a few new faces on the House defense and space committees next year, although most appointments repeat panel memberships in the departing Congress. Six new Republicans and seven new Democrats will serve on the House National Security Committee. The new Democrats include Reps. Adam Smith (Wash.); Rod Blagojevich (Ill.); Jim Turner (Tex.); Alan Boyd (Fla.); Victor Snyder (Ark.); Silvester Reyes (Tex.), and Tom Allen (Maine).
Lockheed Martin has demonstrated the Target Avionics System it is developing for the U.S. Navy to cue and fire High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles in the more lethal "range known" mode. It said TAS was demonstrated in a live HARM firing late last month at the Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, Calif.
Improvements in the U.S. Air Force's Sensor Fuzed Weapon (DAILY, Nov. 22) will benefit the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) program of the Navy and AF, says Col. Bill Wise, director of the AF's area attack system program office. The JSOW "B" variant, to be used by both services, features the improved SFW's BLU-108 submunition. It also has the improved SFW's laser range finder and more lethal warhead. Additionally, the Navy is evaluating four insensitive projectile fills for the BLU-108, and will pick one early next year.
Japan's five airframe makers expect to sign a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to participate in the 747-500X and -600X airliner programs. The companies - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Fuji Heavy Industries, ShinMaywa Industry and Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Co. - will have a share of about 18%, and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry is requesting a $5.4 million subsidy from the Ministry of Finance for the participants. They participated in the 777 airliner development program with a 21% share.
Preliminary results of the Mars 96 failure investigation are expected by the beginning of this week, officials here said, offering a possible explanation for the post-failure dispute that arose between U.S. and Russian space trackers over whether the spacecraft and its kick stage reentered Earth's atmosphere separately or together.
A MODIFIED Army Tactical Missile System was fired from a Navy Mk. 41 vertical launch canister in a test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., ATACMS prime contractor Lockheed Martin Vought Systems reported. The missile had been fired previously at sea, but required a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launcher be installed on a ship. The Mk. 41 VLS is the first such firing to use the Navy's regular missile launch system. Lockheed Martin said the missile flew 75 miles.
LOCKHEED MARTIN launched the Hot Bird 2 direct-broadcast satellite aboard an Atlas IIA rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., on Thursday. The satellite, built by Matra Marconi Space, reached its geostationary transfer orbit en route to its operational position at 13 degrees East longitude. Operated by the Eutelsat consortium, the satellite will broadcast to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
LAGARDERE SCA faces a court case filed by shareholders disputing the terms of a merger of Matra and Hachette, according to published reports in France. The merged company will be 94% owned by Lagardere. The judge allowed the case to go to trial over objections by the French government.
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) is seeking to fill a Republican vacancy on the House Intelligence Committee. He would join another House National Security Committee member, Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), on Intelligence.
Six new battlelabs being set up by the U.S. Air Force to help it fulfill its new strategic vision (DAILY, Nov. 22) are slated to be ready to explore technologies in depth by next July, and will include representatives from other services, says Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman. "To stay agile and innovative, we're setting up a limited number of focused battlelabs," Fogleman said at the AF's unveiling of its new strategic vision "Global Engagement: A Vision for the 21st Century Air Force" in Washington.
Elbit Ltd., Haifa, Israel, completed its breakup into three separate publicly held companies, the company announced Friday. The breakup was approved by the District Court of Tel Aviv on Nov. 19. Elbit Systems Ltd. (ESL) will own and operate defense related businesses; Elbit Ltd. will focus primarily in the communications area, and Elbit Medical Imaging Ltd. (EMI) will handle health care business. On Nov. 26, each holder of a share of Elbit Ltd. will retain that share and receive a share of ESL and a share of EMI.
One possibility in future USAF precision engagement scenarios, Fogleman says, "may be injecting a software virus into someone's command and control software systems. It offers great capability without great human sacrifice."
The U.S. Air Force says some of the capabilities promoted in its new strategic vision (DAILY, Nov. 22) are already in existence, but will be improved over time. Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald Fogleman says, for example, that the AF can now "find, fix or track anything of significance, anything that is moving or fixed on the earth," but that it is "moving to near real- time" execution.
Rep. C.W. (Bill) Young (R-Fla.) will stay on as chairman of the House Appropriations national security subcommittee in the 105th Congress. Instead of trying to take over that seat, Rep. Joseph McDade (R- Pa.) accepted a deal offered by the House leadership and will instead chair the Appropriations panel on energy and water. McDade argued that he should be given the chair seat on the full committee based on seniority, but House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) feels it's better to keep Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) in that post.
U.S. Navy EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft are flying with a prototype satellite communications system that allows crews to tap into intelligence broadcasts as they fly into combat and to configure their EW suites accordingly, said Cdr. Kent Krech, requirements officer for the plane.
Chagrined at the international uproar over potential contamination from the 270 grams of plutonium dioxide aboard the failed Mars 96 mission (see story on page 295), Russia has released details of the steps it took to protect the deadly material in accidents. Each "radiation heat source" encapsulates 15 grams of plutonium in airtight nested shells of platinum-rhodium alloy to protect against corrosion, and tantalum- tungsten alloy to protect against heat and mechanical loads.
To offset the 20% cost increase of each SFW resulting from the improvement program, the AF plans to adjust its SFW buys, Wise says. The first production lots, starting in fiscal '99, will be smaller, but the numbers will be made up for later. The total buy, however, is still around 5,000 units, and will end as planned in fiscal '04.
