In anticipation of a human landing between 2015 and 2020, NASA plans to begin launching robotic scouts to the moon by 2008 to create new maps and hunt for its natural resources, according to Edward Weiler, the associate administrator for space science.
UAV SUPPLY: Elbit Systems Ltd. of Israel will supply the Israel Ministry of Defense with Skylark miniature unmanned aerial vehicle systems, the company said Feb. 4. An initial order for the man-packable UAVs is expected soon, the company said.
Spacehab, a provider of commercial and government space services, finished refinancing its Astrotech Spacecraft Processing Facility (SPF) in Titusville, Fla., with money it used from a contract cancellation fee from Boeing, the company said Feb. 3. The facility provides the location for satellite fueling, encapsulation, and even ground control capabilities through launch, a Spacehab representative told The DAILY. The company mostly works with rocket manufacturers Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp., she said.
The National Guard is getting an infusion of equipment for current military operations and is poised to play significant new roles this year in fielding missile defenses and unmanned aerial vehicles, an official said Feb. 4. The Air Force, Air Force Reserve and California and Nevada Air National Guard are forming a "blended" unit to operate Predator UAVs, said Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, the head of the National Guard Bureau. Blum told the Defense Writers Group that the new "one-of-a-kind unit" likely will be up and running later this year in Nevada.
ALION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, McLean, Va. James C. Fontana has joined the company as senior vice president, general counsel and legal secretary. ANTEON INTERNATIONAL CORP., Fairfax, Va. Robert K. "Ken" Guest has been appointed senior vice president, business development and strategic planning. Dennis Kelly has been appointed senior vice president, investor and government relations, corporate communications. John M. "Mike" McDuffie has been appointed group president, Information Systems Group. CMC ELECTRONICS, Montreal
General Dynamics Land Systems will provide systems technical support to the Abrams tank program under U.S. Army contracts totaling $65.5 million, the company said Feb. 4. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2006, the company said.
Intelsat plans to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) by June 30, the satellite communications company said Jan. 4. The company, which converted from an intergovernmental organization in 2001, plans to offer up to $500 million in shares and will use the money to repay outstanding debt and for "general corporate purposes."
A new two-year budget cycle employed by the U.S. Department of Defense has given the industry new stability, according to some aerospace and defense analysts. "We're seeing a much more stable environment for defense companies and the military service programs, as a result of the two-year process," said Stuart Slade, a Navy analyst at Forecast International. "They can carry out their programs with greater efficiency and everyone knows what's coming down the pipeline ahead of time. It's a more solid and rigid projection."
SAN DIEGO - Defense contractors, not just the U.S. Department of Defense, need to focus on jointness and transformation, according to a Boeing official. John Lockard, Boeing's senior vice president of Navy systems, said that to compete, companies need to be able to respond quickly and effectively and be ready to partner with other firms to provide the technologies for future combat operations.
The Pentagon will take "appropriate action" if it finds wrongdoing in U.S. Air Force negotiations with the Boeing Co. over the lease and purchase of 100 KC-767 tankers, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 4. "... We are proceeding in an orderly and systematic way to try to come to the truth as to what took place," he said. "I assure you that if there has been wrongdoing, as there appears to have been, we will take appropriation action."
Australia's defense department is requesting up to A$1 billion ($770 million) in its new budget plan to establish a squadron of long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles for land and sea surveillance. Although no contractor was named, Defence Minister Robert Hill mentioned the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk as he announced the 2004-2014 budget plan in Sydney on Feb. 4.
The U.S. defense electronics market is expected to continue strong growth and reach $174.8 billion in sales over the next 10 years, according to a new report from Forecast International. The two biggest potential growth markets are command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) software development and network integration, and electro-optical equipment, Richard Sterk, Forecast International's electronic group leader and senior defense analyst, told The DAILY.
NASA's fiscal year 2005 budget request lays out the agency's spiral development plan for the proposed Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), which would be produced in three production blocks with accompanying demonstration flights starting in 2008.
APPROVAL: The U.S. Department of Defense has approved the participation of all military services in the May 10-16, 2004, Berlin Airshow, the show said Jan. 23. European and international attendees will see "displays of new technology that would not be possible without DOD interest," show officials said.
Defense Department officials, providing more specifics about their missile defense deployment plans, revealed late Feb. 2 that nine interceptor missiles for the Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system will be deployed by the end of 2004. DOD had previously estimated that it would field "up to 10" interceptors in 2004. Officials said the department will deploy the interceptors as they become available.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said Feb. 3 that it is exploring "a broad range" of joint missile defense projects with Russia to replace the Russian-American Observation Satellite (RAMOS) program, which MDA plans to cancel with the fiscal 2005 budget. MDA issued a statement confirming that RAMOS is slated for termination. Earlier descriptions of MDA's FY '05 budget request gave conflicting information about the fate of RAMOS, whose U.S. prime contractor is Space Dynamics Laboratory.
Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland and Sikorsky submitted their proposals to the U.S. Navy in the VXX Presidential Helicopter competition on Feb. 2, in anticipation of a final downselect in the late spring or summer. Sikorsky's proposal for its VH-92, a derivative of the S-92, contains thousands of pages and 1,500 charts and graphs organized into separate volumes, according to the company. Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland's proposal for its US101, a derivative of the EH101, is 5,000 pages long.
The Bush Administration's move to continue the sharp reduction in funding for the National Institutes of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Exten-sion Partnership (MEP), which assists defense contractors with technical and business support, has drawn sharp criticism from some lawmakers and industry officials. The White House wants to eliminate the program to avoid subsidizing competition, according to fiscal 2005 budget documents.
