South Korea has delayed a decision on its fighter modernization program, saying that all of the bids it received for its tender were too expensive. Four companies submitted bids to the Korean government: The Boeing Co. with the F-15K, a variant of its F-15 Eagle; Sukhoi of Russia with the Su-35; Dassault of France with the Rafale; and the Eurofighter consortium with the Typhoon (DAILY, Oct. 3).
STELSYS LLC of Baltimore will fly experiments on the International Space Station to compare human liver cell function in space with that on Earth. The research could help StelSys' development of treatment for people who are in need of liver transplants, according to NASA. Space Shuttle Discovery will deliver the research equipment on the STS-111 mission, slated for launch in May 2002. "This will be an excellent start for commercial use of space technology," said Neal Pellis, chief of the Biological Systems Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston.
RAYTHEON CO. used its ECLIPSE satellite command and control software to complete launch activities and conduct an in-orbit checkout of the first ICO Global Communications satellite under contract to satellite builder Boeing Satellite Systems. Raytheon's software was designed to control the complete 12-satellite constellation. The first ICO satellite, a modified Boeing 601, was launched June 19, 2001. ECLIPSE software can be tailored to meet the needs of other users, including customers that operate smaller fleets or single satellites, according to Raytheon.
The Navy plans to conduct the first above-the-atmosphere test of the Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) kinetic warhead (KW), on Jan. 25, the Department of Defense said Jan. 24. The Sea-Based Midcourse (SMD) Flight Mission 2 (FM-2) test, to take place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, involves the shipboard launch of a Standard Missile-3 interceptor. The interceptor, carrying the LEAP KW, will be aimed at an Aries target missile launched from the island of Kauai.
INTERNATIONAL CHARTER ON SPACE AND MAJOR DISASTERS members, including the European Space Agency (ESA), the French space agency (CNES) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have launched a website aimed at speeding the use of spacecraft to aid in disaster relief. The website, at www.disasterscharter.org, contains guidelines on the procedures needed to request data from satellites, including CNES' Spot, ESA's ERS and Canada's Radarsat-1.
Expedition Four crewmembers are slated to conduct a spacewalk, or extra-vehicular activity, on Jan. 25 to install thruster plume deflectors and other equipment outside the Zvezda service module. Commander Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineer Dan Bursch have been "prepping the suits and the tools" for the spacewalk, which will be conducted through the Russian Pirs module.
Rep. Tony Hall (D-Ohio) is asking his colleagues to sign a letter urging President Bush to increase spending on defense science and technology (S&T) to 3 percent of the Defense Department's budget, a level recommended by DOD's 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review report.
NASA and THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY in Reston, Va., have partnered to continue the mission of the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) spacecraft by having researchers pay for data. EO-1 price levels have been set to cover the costs of satellite operation, data transmission and customer interfaces, which are estimated at $5 million per year. Depending on demand, EO-1 could be decommissioned as early as this spring or as late as the spring of 2005.
The Air Force's Space Warfare Center has picked RS Information Systems (RSIS) of McLean, Va., to provide systems management and engineering services under a contract with a potential value of $88 million.
Almost a year after negotiations were put on hold, The Boeing Co. and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) announced they have concluded a teaming agreement for U.S. production of components for the Arrow missile. The Arrow missile, produced by IAI, is part of Israel's Arrow missile defense system, jointly funded by the United States and Israel. The first of three Arrow batteries became operational in 2000. In 2001, IAI began seeking a U.S. partner to boost production rates and cut the missile's cost.
STELSYS LLC of Baltimore will fly experiments on the International Space Station to compare human liver cell function in space with that on Earth. The research could help StelSys' development of treatment for people who are in need of liver transplants, according to NASA. Space Shuttle Discovery will deliver the research equipment on the STS-111 mission, slated for launch in May 2002. "This will be an excellent start for commercial use of space technology," said Neal Pellis, chief of the Biological Systems Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston.
Matthew Landano has been appointed director of the Office of Safety and Mission Success, which oversees the engineering and reliability of exploration missions developed by JPL. He replaces Dr. Harry Detweiler, who is retiring.
Eight Royal Air Force tanker/transports will be fitted with new Rockwell Collins URC-138(V), or Link 16, secure tactical datalink communications systems under a $10 million Ministry of Defence contract. The work will be done on five BAE Systems VC10s and three Lockheed Martin TriStar aircraft. United Kingdom Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Willy Bach said the new systems offer an improved battlespace picture, helping cut down on the risk of friendly fire. Bigger than a shoebox
The military services and the FAA often take different approaches to aviation safety issues, even if the aircraft concerned are similar or use common parts and materials, the General Accounting Office says in a new report. The Jan. 22 report, "Aviation Safety: FAA and DOD Response to Similar Safety Concerns" (GAO-02-77), cites an example involving technologies to avoid collision with terrain. Here, the report says, the military has lagged about 20 years behind the FAA in requiring the installation of such technologies aboard passenger aircraft.
Newly elected Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) expects to find out as early as the week of Jan. 28 whether he will get a seat on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), according to a spokesman for the congressman. Wilson has been "vigorously lobbying" to become a member of the HASC, his top choice for committee assignments, the spokesman said late Jan. 22. Wilson is also seeking to join the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Sir Charles Masefield has been appointed chairman. Mark Ronald has been appointed chief operating officer and president of BAE Systems North America. Harris Belman has been named vice president for homeland security. Mike Rouse has been appointed group marketing director.
Japan's Self-Defense Agency has selected NEC Corp. to be the prime contractor for a program to develop a new version of the Base Air Defense Ground Equipment (BADGE), an air defense warning and control system. The agency's schedule calls for developing the system within six years and starting its operation by fiscal 2008. The development cost is estimated at about $530 million.
The head of the Defense Department's foreign military sales agency presented the official U.S. proposal to meet Austria's requirement for new fighters Jan. 22, telling Austrian officials that Lockheed Martin's F-16 will meet Austria's requirements until the company's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is completed.
F-16 UPGRADES: Lockheed Aeronautics Co. will deliver more than 300 F-16 modification kits to upgrade the aircraft used by the air forces of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. The kits will improve communications, displays and allow use of new "smart weapons," including the Joint Direct Attack Munition.
Richard P. Reinker has been named director, Engineering Services West. He will oversee Swales' engineering support services contracts for customers in the western U.S., primarily NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Tom Risley has been appointed president and chief executive officer and will be elected a director of the corporation. Gordon Williams will be elected chairman of the company. He succeeds Allan Holt, who will remain a director of the company.
As more measures are taken to tighten physical security in domestic airports, U.S. airlines remain highly vulnerable to cyberattack, according to Internet security analysts. Airlines make particularly attractive targets for cybercriminals - whose crimes can run the gamut from simple vandalism to identity theft and financial espionage - since so much of their business has migrated online, according to Izhar Bar-Gad, chief technology officer at Sanctum, Inc.
President Bush said Jan. 23 that his fiscal 2003 budget will propose higher spending for precision weapons, missile defense and unmanned vehicles as part of a total increase for the Defense Department of $48 billion or 14.5 percent. "The tools of modern warfare are effective. They are expensive. But in order to win this war against terror, they are essential," Bush said in a speech to the Reserve Officers Association. "Buying these tools may put a strain on the budget, but we will not cut corners when it comes to the defense of our great land."
LONDON - European officials have reported progress on several major collaborative military procurement programs governed by the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation, known by its French acronym OCCAR. Defense ministers from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom met last week in Bonn, Germany, to discuss improving the cost-effectiveness and management of collaborative defense projects. OCCAR was established in 1996, but its operations as a legal entity didn't start until March 1, 2001.
BAE Systems, Farnborough, U.K. Sir Charles Masefield has been appointed chairman. Mark Ronald has been appointed chief operating officer and president of BAE Systems North America. Harris Belman has been named vice president for homeland security. Mike Rouse has been appointed group marketing director. Compass Aerospace, Santa Ana, Calif. Eric Gunther has joined the company's Southwest Leadership team. Goodrich Corp., Charlotte, N.C.
