AIL SYSTEMS INC., Deer Park, N.Y., received a $54.3 million sole-source contract for 94 universal exciter upgrades, integrated logistics support equipment, and interim spares. The Dept. of Defense, announcing the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command contract on Sept. 19, said the devices will be used to generate the jamming modulations for the transmitters carried in the tactical jamming system pod on the EA-6B aircraft.
The U.S. Army plans to buy up to 274 Avenger short-range air defense vehicles over the next few years for the foreign military sales market, according to a Sept. 23 Commerce Business Daily notice. The Army's Missile Command said it has a requirement for 37 of the Boeing-built vehicles, with three options for another 37, 150 and 50 vehicles. The FMS deals would include M3P machine guns and spares. The Avenger is in service with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, which plan a total system buy of more than 1,000 vehicles.
LITTON INDUSTRIES' Applied Technology Div., San Jose, Calif., is working under a U.S. Army contract with a potential value of $97 million to produce threat warning systems for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Litton said the first order, valued at $45.7 million, is for 210 systems and related testing, training and logistics support. An additional 290 systems with an estimated value to the company of about $52 million can be ordered under the contract by the Army through fiscal year 2000.
The U.S. Air Force would benefit from a B-52 re-engining program even if independent cost assessments adopt worst-case life-cycle cost projections, according to one Boeing official.
RAYTHEON CO., Goleta, Calif., won a $5.9 million U.S. Air Force contract for 225 reprogrammable low band field upgrade kits for the AN/ALQ-184 electronic attack pod on the F-16 fighter. Under the contract, from Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, Ga., Raytheon will also design, develop, fabricate and test six prototype pods. The Pentagon announced the award on Sept. 12.
AEL INDUSTRIES INC., Lansdale, Pa., beat two other competitors to win $9.8 million U.S. Naval Air Systems Command contract for seven AN/ALQ-99 low band transmitters and related items for the EA-6B aircraft. The Dept. of Defense announced the contract on Sept. 20.
The U.S. Air Force and a Rockwell International-led team have demonstrated in two separate experiments the ability to track a boosting missile with a laser system. Laser active tracking is required by the Airborne Laser program. Rockwell said last week that it illuminated a boosting rocket with a laser beam and tracked it using laser light returned from the rocket body.
Intelsat's Board of Governors has authorized a request for proposals for a new Ku-band satellite that would provide broadband and direct-to-home television to customers around the Pacific region. Meeting in Washington, governors of the international communications satellite consortium also agreed to accept short-term leases from news agencies eager for satellite relays for their coverage of events surrounding next year's transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong.
Raytheon Electronic Systems will add a total of 50 jobs to its work force as a result of creating 650 new engineering and technical positions and cutting 600 manufacturing jobs, the company reported last week. Bedford, Mass-based RES said that since the beginning of the year it has hired the first 200 of 650 new engineering personnel. The cuts in manufacturing are still to come, RES said, with 300 salaried and 300 hourly-paid manufacturing positions being eliminated by the end of the year.
LOCKHEED MARTIN Electronic Defense Systems, Yonkers, N.Y., said yesterday that it has negotiated an $11.5 million increase to a subcontract from McDonnell Douglas for software modifications to the AN/ALR-56C radar warning receiver of Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S fighters. Lockheed Martin said the effort is a follow-on to the Peace Sun VI software program, and that it will update the software to the most current releasable configuration.
Lawmakers were still unsure yesterday if they would try to push a "catch- all" fiscal year 1997 spending bill through Congress in time to adjourn by the end of the week. Such a bill would tie together the defense appropriations measure with at least four other unfinished spending bills. The GOP leadership worked through the weekend on a plan to use the defense appropriations conference report as the vehicle to which to attach other outstanding FY '97 spending measures, including the Commerce-Justice- State and Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bills.
The U.S. Air Force plans to add a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, multi-mission computer, color displays and a Link 16 datalink to its most modern F-16s under a Common Configuration Implementation Program. The four subsystems will be installed at the same time to achieve cost savings and minimize the impact to the operational community, the F-16 program office said in a written response to questions. Besides adding new capabilities, the program aims at reducing F-16 life cycle cost by increasing system reliability and maintainability.
September 19, 1996 Westinghouse Electric Corporation Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Baltimore, Maryland, is being awarded a $8,500,000 face value increase to a time and material contract to provide for FY1997 sustaining engineering services for the Offensive Radar System on the B-1B aircraft. Contract is expected to be completed September 1998. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (F34601-94/C-0122, P00072).
Senate and House conferees, completing work last week on the fiscal year 1997 appropriations bill that funds NASA, directed the NASA Administrator to submit a multi-year workforce restructuring plan. The plan, the conferees say in language accompanying their bill, must outline how NASA intends to achieve its stated FY 2000 force structure goal. NASA is required to update the plan annually.
NASA's Langley Research Center has abolished its old Hypersonics Vehicle Office, replacing it with a new organization that encompasses other technology areas. Known as the Aerospace Transportation Technology Office, the new unit will absorb activities at Langley related to the X-33 and X-34 reusable launch vehicle prototypes, the HYPER-X ramjet/scramjet testbeds (DAILY, Sept. 19) and future space transportation activities.
Add the Chemical Weapons Treaty to the list of legislation falling by the wayside in the Republican leadership's desire to adjourn Congress and devote full time to campaigning in what appears to be a rough year for the GOP. Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) puts the treaty in the same category as the Defend America Act. Defend America, he says, will "probably not" be taken up in the Senate before adjournment. "I don't see how we can come to cloture" on the chemical weapons pact in the remaining week or two of the current Congress, he says.
Paul Kaminski, under secretary of defense for acquisition and technology, has new responsibilities for development of anti-terrorism technology. Defense Secretary William J. Perry tells a House National Security Committee hearing that the bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia last June prompted the move, and that he has asked Kaminski to expedite adaptation of "new advanced technologies" to meet force protection needs. Gen.
Senate Democratic leader Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) Friday threatened to sidetrack Republican plans to make the fiscal 1997 defense appropriations conference report the vehicle for a catch-all appropriations measure - a funding bill for all agencies whose appropriations have not yet cleared Congress.
Funding for the three JSF competitors - Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and McDonnell Douglas/Northrop Grumman/British Aerospace - will run out at the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. Because contracts to the two winners of the next phase won't be awarded until early or mid November, they'll have to keep their teams together with their own money. They can charge it to the government, but the loser will be stuck.
