The full effect of a campaign with precision-guided weapons can be realized only if ground troops are able to fight the enemy into the open where it can be targeted, a senior Army official said April 9. Contrasting the allied military operations in Bosnia and Afghanistan, Gen. Montgomery Meigs, commander of U.S. Army Europe and the Seventh Army, said the success in Afghanistan was due in large part to the Northern Alliance rooting out Taliban troops so U.S. special forces could target them for air attack.
of Bedminster, N.J., has signed an agreement with Hearst-Argyle Television Inc. to plan and design a custom digital satellite newsgathering platform for Hearst-Argyle on Skynet's Telstar 6 satellite. Loral Skynet's Professional Services team will provide Hearst-Argyle with a customized digital satellite newsgathering service with dedicated transponder service, satellite access management, and operations professionals who will monitor and control the service from Skynet's earth station in Hawley, Pa.
The Bush Administration's fiscal 2002 supplemental appropriations request and FY '03 defense budget request include funding to replace wing center sections on about 23 of the Navy's EA-6B Prowler electronic attack aircraft, according to Navy officials and industry sources. Naval Air Systems Command indicated in a statement April 9 that the Administration's FY '03 budget includes funding for 15 new Northrop Grumman wing center sections. The command issued the statement in response to questions.
Coleman Aerospace will complete the development of the Long Range Air Launch Target (LRALT) and perform a demonstration of the system under a $10.4 million task order from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, for the Missile Defense Agency. The Orlando, Fla.-based company, a subsidiary of L-3 Communications, is developing the LRALT system for the MDA's theater missile defense program. The company's proposed design is for an air-launched ballistic missile target, based on Coleman's existing Short Range Air Launch Target.
Raytheon hopes its Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), which will be formally turned over to the FAA next year, eventually could become a one-stop global satellite navigation system for users around the world. WAAS corrects and enhances Global Positioning System (GPS) signals by comparing them with position information from ground stations and two satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
Equipment launched aboard a Chinese spacecraft, Shenzhou III, indicates the country's spacecraft environment control and life support systems are ready for manned space flights, said a spokesman at the Beijing Aerospace Direction and Control Centre. China's third unmanned spacecraft, Shenzhou III, landed safely in the central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 1, after orbiting the Earth 108 times in just under a week.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark has given the go-ahead to consolidate the Navy's helicopter fleet from seven models to two, a move that is intended to make maintenance, logistics and training more efficient, according to Rear Adm. Michael McCabe, director of the service's air warfare division. The Navy will restructure its helicopter forces around two "linchpin airframes," the Sikorsky MH-60R and MH-60S, McCabe testified April 9 before the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee.
of Colorado Springs, Colo., will deliver Ka-band spot antennas for use on a U.S. Department of Defense Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS), under a contract awarded by Boeing Satellite Systems. Harris will deliver 10 antennas for the third WGS satellite.
SHUTTLE DOCK: Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on April 10, according to NASA. Atlantis launched April 8 on an 11-day mission to install a key segment of the station's truss.
have formed a new company to provide two-way satellite broadband communications services to companies, consumers and small office/home office users in Europe. The company's name, its management team and board of directors have not been announced. The new company's value is more than 200 million euros ($174 million), including 50 million euros in cash and contributions of facilities and equipment from each partner company.
have been awarded $5 million each by NASA to develop proposals over the next nine months for the formulation phase of NASA's Landsat program. After this phase, one company will be selected early next year to execute the Landsat Data Continuity Mission implementation phase, which includes providing five years of satellite imagery data.
of Paris has signed a contract with Eutelsat to deliver the W5 communications satellite. The satellite, which will be ready for launch this summer, will provide video distribution, Internet backbone connections and satellite newsgathering. W5 will carry 24 Ku-band transponders, which can be operated simultaneously for fixed coverage across Europe. It also has two mobile spotbeams, which can be steered to cover different market zones. The satellite has a design life of more than 12 years.
Lufthansa Technik AG and LHT Acquisition Corp. have completed their tender offer for shares of Hawker Pacific Aerospace stock, the companies announced April 9. Lufthansa Technik, of Hamburg, Germany, announced its intention to acquire Hawker Pacific Aerospace of Sun Valley, Calif., last month (DAILY, March 13). The company formed LHT Acquisition Corp. to handle the tender offer.
SHUTTLE DOCK: Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on April 10, according to NASA. Atlantis launched April 8 on an 11-day mission to install a key segment of the station's truss.
Lufthansa Technik AG and LHT Acquisition Corp. have completed their tender offer for shares of Hawker Pacific Aerospace stock, the companies announced April 9. Lufthansa Technik, of Hamburg, Germany, announced its intention to acquire Hawker Pacific Aerospace of Sun Valley, Calif., last month (DAILY, March 13). The company formed LHT Acquisition Corp. to handle the tender offer.
LOCKHEED MARTIN SPACE SYSTEMS of Sunnyvale, Calif., is testing NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). The company received SIRTF's Cryogenic Telescope Assembly, which includes its scientific instruments, from Ball Aerospace of Boulder, Colo., and has integrated it with the Lockheed Martin-built spacecraft.
Equipment launched aboard a Chinese spacecraft, Shenzhou III, indicates the country's spacecraft environment control and life support systems are ready for manned space flights, said a spokesman at the Beijing Aerospace Direction and Control Centre. China's third unmanned spacecraft, Shenzhou III, landed safely in the central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 1, after orbiting the Earth 108 times in just under a week.
of Salt Lake City, which builds customized input technology solutions for the consumer market, said its Smart Cat touchpad has been selected by Bradford Engineering as a control device for the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Video Drawer used on the International Space Station. The MSG is used to conduct microgravity experiments, which require an enclosed environment. The Smart Cat requires no finger pressure, which will allow the astronauts to wear gloves when conducting experiments. The MSG is slated to be delivered to the station's U.S.
Even as the Air Force attempts to centralize its space acquisition programs, problems still loom for the Space Based Infrared System High (SBIRS High) and Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM), according to Gen. Ralph "Ed" Eberhart, head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Air Force Space Command. "[The] SBIRS program is in a certain amount of trouble," Eberhart said, speaking April 9 at the 18th National Space Symposium here.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark has given the go-ahead to consolidate the Navy's helicopter fleet from seven models to two, a move that is intended to make maintenance, logistics and training more efficient, according to Rear Adm. Michael McCabe, director of the service's air warfare division. The Navy will restructure its helicopter forces around two "linchpin airframes," the Sikorsky MH-60R and MH-60S, McCabe testified April 9 before the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee.
Boeing will launch a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office in 2004 aboard its Delta IV Heavy booster, the company announced April 9. Details of the launch, which will take place from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., were not released. However, Boeing said the launch is part of the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The Delta IV Heavy is the largest of the Delta family of boosters, and can lift up to 28,950 pounds to geosynchronous transfer orbit, according to the company.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Even as the Air Force attempts to centralize its space acquisition programs, problems still loom for the Space Based Infrared System High (SBIRS High) and Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM), according to Gen. Ralph "Ed" Eberhart, head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Air Force Space Command. "[The] SBIRS program is in a certain amount of trouble," Eberhart said, speaking April 9 at the 18th National Space Symposium here.
Raytheon hopes its Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), which will be formally turned over to the FAA next year, eventually could become a one-stop global satellite navigation system for users around the world. WAAS corrects and enhances Global Positioning System (GPS) signals by comparing them with position information from ground stations and two satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
H-92 IMPROVEMENTS: The first H-92, a military variant of Sikorsky's S-92, has returned to flight testing after being fitted with major structural enhancements, including an extended main rotor shaft, a redesigned electrical system and a lighter tail structure. These improvements will be fitted to all future S/H-92 helicopters, according to Sikorsky.
