An item in the Defense Contracts section of The DAILY published June 27 (page 490) incorrectly stated that a $36.2 million U.S. Navy contract awarded to the Kollsman Div. of Sequa Corp. for night targeting systems was not competitively bid. The contract was awarded after a competitive procurement.
House Science Committee members defeated a measure late Wednesday that would have linked funding for the International Space Station to the overall NASA funding level, and then went on to recommend multi-year funding for the Station until it is completed in 2002.
Even though defense and aerospace companies have, by and large, been profitable for more than a year, old Wall Street aerospace hands like this year better than last. Steady or rising profits in the early part of this decade were won the hard way-by wringing out new efficiencies, cutting staff, or selling plants. That's a strategy that papers over holes in your balance sheet, but doesn't keep it fixed.
Fokker has selected Collins Avsat satellite-based avionics as the flight management system for its F70 and F100 airliners, giving Collins its first Avsat air transport market, David Mineck, executive VP of Collins Air Transport Div., said yesterday in Washington. Avsat, which also has been chosen for Bombardier's Challenger 604 executive jet, is being flight tested; certification is expected in September.
Launch of NASA/commercial Meteor (formerly COMET) satellite is scheduled for launch on July 29 from Wallops Island, Va. Meteor was built by Westinghouse and Space Industries as part of the old COMET program.
NASA has set up a new headquarters office designed to "dramatically" cut headquarters staff by merging a number of functions into the new organization. To be known as the Office of Operations, it will be headed by Michael D. (Chris) Christensen, who moves to the new job from his present position as deputy associate administrator for management systems and facilities under Associate Administrator Benita A. Cooper.
Launch of Helios IA, the first spacecraft for a defense space observation program developed by France, Italy and Spain, is scheduled for July 7 from Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite was built by Matra Marconi Space. The rocket will also carry two small satellites- Cerise, a technological demonstrator satellite built by Alcatel Espace for the French space agency (CNES) to improve the knowledge of wideband transmissions from polar orbit; and UPM/SAT-1, a technological satellite from the University of Madrid for microgravity and telecommunications.
Thiokol said yesterday it has been informed by Lockheed Martin Space Operations (LMSO) that its services processing NASA Space Shuttles at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., won't be needed after Oct. 1. The Ogden, Utah-based company stacks Shuttle solid rocket booster segments, mates the complete solid boosters to the external tank, helps mate the tank to the orbiter, and recovers the boosters after they parachute into the ocean following a launch.
The Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday voted to reject the proposed $500 million add-on for additional B-2 stealth bombers, two Senators on the committee said. Chances of funding additional B-2s would nevertheless be an issue in conference, since the House has approved $553 million in long-lead funding for renewed B-2 production. The committee also approved an attack submarine compromise package as it moved toward completion of the fiscal 1996 defense authorization.
Raytheon is sending its active electronic defense system unit, the Goleta Operation, to newly acquired subsidiary E-Systems, where it will become a division of E-Systems, Raytheon said yesterday. "The combination of both organizations will create one of the strongest, most competitive electronic combat systems companies in the world," Raytheon claimed in a prepared statement. Raytheon has said that E-Systems, once acquired, would remain a stand- alone unit of Raytheon and would retain its own identity.
Launch of Defense Satellite Communications System III (DSCS III) is scheduled for launch July 26 from Cape Canaveral. The satellite was built for the U.S. Air Force by Lockheed Martin Astro Space.
Rockwell International said a version of an acoustic processing system it is developing with Bolt Beranek&Newman will be deployed aboard a Royal Air Force Nimrod patrol plane next month to support an ocean test to be conducted jointly by the U.K. and the U.S. Navy. It said the modified BBN Airborne Multistatic Active Processor (AAP-400) will process data obtained from multiple DIFAR and BARRA sonobuoys in real time as part of a multistatic active sonar test.
Rear Adm. Brent Bennitt, the U.S. Navy's air warfare director, has decided for now to forego the Joint Direct Attack Munition for the F-14 fighter and fit it instead with Lockheed Martin's LANTIRN pod to give the plane a precision strike capability.
Launch of the Asiasat 2 commercial communications satellite is now expected no earlier than late September. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin Astro Space for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. (Asiasat).
Launch of Discovery is scheduled for July 13 from Cape Canaveral. The Shuttle will orbit TDRS-6, a tracking and data relay satellite built for NASA by TRW.
Prudential's Look-Ahead Prudential analyst Gary Reich's predictions for second-quarter earnings per share in the aerospace and defense electronics group appear below. Among the big names, Northrop Grumman and Rockwell International could offer some positive earnings surprises. The (E) is Reich's estimate, and figures in parentheses are negative numbers. (Editor's Note: Lockheed Martin's forecast was prepared before this week's announcement of a major layoff plan that will result in a half-billion dollar charge against earnings.)
NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with Russia's Mir space station yesterday, inaugurating an era of on-orbit cooperation between former superpower rivals that will end in joint construction and operation of the International Space Station. Atlantis commander Robert "Hoot" Gibson eased his 100-ton space plane onto Mir's docking apparatus at less than one-tenth of a foot per second. Gibson's "capture" signal to Mission Control Center-Houston, came right on time at 9 a.m. EDT as the two spacecraft passed 245 miles above the Russian-Mongolian border.
Debut flight expected no earlier than mid- July from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Scheduled to launch GemStar, a 300-pound communications satellite built by CTA Inc.
The European Commission will decide in about a month whether to let British Aerospace, Aerospatiale and Alenia go ahead with plans to create a joint venture to sell and support their lines of regional aircraft. The European Union panel said yesterday that it will begin looking into those plans to see whether they create or strengthen a dominant position in the aerospace marketplace under EU merger rules.
Launch of Koreasat-1, a commercial communications satellite is scheduled for Aug. 3 from Cape Canaveral. The satellite was built for Korea Telecom by Lockheed Martin Astro Space.
First commercial flight, the launch of the Astra satellite, is expected around the first quarter of 1996. The satellite was built by Hughes for Luxembourg-based SES.
U.S. ARMY RESEARCH LABORATORY, Adelphi, Md., is pursuing at least two sniper location efforts. On June 15, it awarded a $1.2 million contract to Loral Infrared&Imaging Systems, Lexington, Mass., for work on an Integrated Sniper Location System. On the same day, it awarded a $195,000 contract to Lockheed Sanders, Nashua, N.H., for an effort titled Acoustic Sensors for Sniper Location. Also involved in anti-sniper programs are Raytheon subsidiary Amber Engineering (DAILY, Jan.
LUCAS AEROSPACE Cargo Systems, Brea, Calif., has won a contract to supply Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan with electrical external personnel rescue hoists for the KHI BK117 helicopter. Lucas said that the initial order is for two hoists, and that an open ended contract for additional orders is expected to follow. It said the projected value is over $2.5 million.
U.S. ARMY'S Communications-Electronics Command plans to issue a draft solicitation for research and development of a Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS). CECOM said in a June 22 Commerce Business Daily notice that HSTAMIDS "is primarily expected to be based on the technology of electromagnetically based mine detection systems, such as Ground Penetrating Radars, and Infrared Imaging Systems." It also said that "Contract or contracts awarded will be for a Demonstration/Validation with an option for Engineering Manufacturing Development."
