Despite a good performance from its Electronic Systems and C4I Systems businesses, Raytheon Co. posted a net loss of $15 million for the fourth quarter of 2002. Contributing to the loss was $175 million pre-tax charge taken for the company's investment in Space Imaging, Inc., a provider of space imagery and aerial photography. Net sales for the fourth quarter totaled $4.7 billion, compared with $4.4 billion a year ago. For the year, sales totaled $16.8 billion, compared with $16 billion in 2001.
NCW IN IRAQ: Iraq could be a proving ground for new network-centric warfare (NCW) concepts, according to John Stenbit, deputy assistant secretary of defense for command, control, and communications. "This is the first time I've ever seen that the command institutions have enough bandwidth to be able to be able to collaboratively get data almost anywhere they need it," Stenbit says.
Two U.S. senators have asked the General Accounting Office to study whether the federal government could make its fleet of civilian aircraft more efficient and less costly.
NEW POLICY: Many of the contract disputes between BAE Systems and the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) could be resolved if a new industrial policy is implemented, according to Charles Armitage, global aerospace coordinator with Merrill Lynch. A new industrial policy paper published by the MOD last October recommends a better risk/reward system for fixed-price research and development contracts with high technological risks.
Jan. 28 - 30 -- AFCEA Orlando Chapter in coordination with the AUSA Sunshine Chapter presents TechNet 2003 - Orlando. For more information call (407) 306-2607 or email john.p.o'[email protected]. Jan. 29 - 30 -- Shephard's Air Power 2003, The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, UK. Special pre-conference seminar on January 28. For more information call +44 1628 604311 or email [email protected].
After several months of delays, the Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is expected to take to the skies in late February or early March after a series of taxi tests set to begin Feb. 3. A joint effort by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. and NASA, the Altair is a modified version of the company's Predator B military UAV. In December 2002, General Atomics received a $15.7 million contract from the Air Force for two operational Predator Bs - designated MQ-9 Hunter-Killers - to be delivered in November of this year.
Despite strong performances from its space and aeronautics segments, Lockheed Martin Corp. posted a $347 million net loss for the fourth quarter of 2002. Net sales for the quarter totaled $7.8 billion, up from $7.3 billion a year ago. Sales for the year totaled $26.6 billion, compared with $24 billion in 2001. Lockheed Martin posted a $500 million net gain in 2002 compared with a $1 billion loss for 2001.
Northrop Grumman will upgrade AN/ALQ-162 electronic countermeasures for the Danish air force's F-16s under a $7 million foreign military sales contract, the company said Jan. 24. The Danish air force signed a contract with the U.S. Navy for 20 Pulse Doppler/Power Plus retrofit kits as an initial upgrade for the country's AN/ALQ-162 V(1) countermeasure systems.
CASINO BRIEFING: A procurement conference this spring sponsored by the Defense Department is drawing fire for its choice of location: an Atlantic City casino. "We're wondering when, and why, Atlantic City casinos have replaced Pentagon briefing rooms as the choice location for procurement discussions," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). Last week, the budget watchdog group posted a memo signed by E.C. "Pete" Aldridge Jr., undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
The Senate late Jan. 23 approved the fiscal 2003 NASA appropriations bill and 10 other FY '03 non-defense spending bills, sending the legislation to a House-Senate conference committee to work out differences between the two chambers. Getting a final agreement on the 11 bills could take weeks, as there are "thousands and thousands of differences" between the House and Senate versions, according to a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee.
FORCENET: The Navy plans to release a campaign plan for its FORCEnet communications architecture this spring, according to Vice Adm. Richard Mayo, commander of Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM). FORCEnet is intended to provide seamless communications across land, sea, air and space platforms, and is a key enabler of the Navy's Sea Power 21 plan for transforming its surface operations (DAILY, Jan. 16). "We'll be coming out with a campaign plan this spring, that Space and Warfare Systems Command and NETWARCOM are working on," Mayo says.
KC-135E RETIREMENT?: The Air Force's fiscal 2004 budget, due out in early February, will propose retiring 68 aging KC-135E air refuelers, a Senate source says. An Air Force spokesman will say only that "the Air Force and Congress are in discussions on that topic." The Senate source believes the retirement plan strengthens the case for an Air Force proposal to lease 100 new Boeing 767 tankers, which are intended to replace the service's fleet of about 130 KC-135Es.
The U.S. Air Force is turning to a new acquisition vehicle to serve as a platform for a series of planned force protection procurement efforts, some involving the use of sub-tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), networked ground sensors and short-range radars.
NEW DELHI - Boeing has won a contract to sell three high-security aircraft for use by top Indian officials, including the president, prime minister and deputy prime minister. An official with India's interior ministry told The DAILY India is buying three modified 737-700s for $154 million. Rival Airbus had offered three aircraft for $171 million.
NOMINATION HEARING: The Senate Armed Services Committee plans to hold a hearing Jan. 30 on the nomination of former Rep. Paul McHale (D-Pa.) to be assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense (DAILY, Jan. 10). The hearing also will address the nomination of Christopher Henry of Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) to be deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.
IT AND SERVICES: U.S. aerospace and defense companies won't be the only ones looking to acquire small companies specializing in information technology (IT) and services, according to Lucy Fitch, vice president of acquisitions and strategy for BAE Systems North America. BAE Systems also is looking to make such acquisitions. "We look for capabilities in the IT world and services where it makes sense, and where there is already a large inroad in to the DOD [Department of Defense]," she says.
SAN DIEGO - The Air Force will continue to stress advanced technologies, including stealth, and is emphasizing integration of the services, U.S. allies, and classified programs in future operations, according to Col. Tom Hyde, who heads Checkmate, the office responsible for developing air and space strategy.
Lockheed Martin Corp. again led the Pentagon's top 10 contractor list for 2002, with contracts awards totaling $17 billion, up from $14.7 billion in 2001.
A high-level Pentagon body assigned to pass judgment on all major acquisition programs now is taking on a more active role, jumping ahead of the services to define the military's overall priorities, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace said Jan. 23.
The Air Force has ordered five more Lockheed Martin F-16 Mission Training Center pilot systems, bringing to 10 the number it has ordered so far, the company said. The MTCs, which Lockheed Martin says feature new dimensions of realism, are built in Akron, Ohio, under a $176 million fee-for-service contract won by the company in June 1999.
NEW DELHI - Indian navy planners and defense ministry officials are debating what fighter aircraft to buy for the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which India plans to acquire from Russia. Indian navy officials say they want French Dassault Rafale-M aircraft instead of Russian MiG-29Ks, even though the Rafales cost four times as much as the MiGs.
The market for air-to-air missiles over the next 10 years will reach $12 billion, according to a report from Forecast International/DMS. "Unlike other defense markets, air-to-air missiles will see a steady increase in value over the next decade," the report's author, Larry Dickerson said in a statement. "Raytheon is expected to be the dominant provider of air-to-air missiles with a 27 percent share of the market," he added. "But Europe's missile megacorp, MBDA, is not far behind."
