E-TENNA CORP., a subsidiary of the Titan Corp., has unveiled its AccuWave G100 groundplane, designed to make global positioning system antennas lighter, cheaper and smaller. The AccuWave G100 is designed to minimize GPS position errors, which can happen when radio frequency signals bounce from the Earth or other surfaces and interfere with GPS transmission. The AccuWave G100 uses artificial magnetic conductor technology to reduce these bounced signals.
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin announced Oct. 17 he is retiring next month, ending a record-setting, sometimes stormy tenure over the aerospace agency. Goldin, 61, will leave NASA Nov. 17 for an interim position as senior fellow for the non-profit Council on Competitiveness in Washington, before heading into the private sector.
A House-Senate conference committee late Oct. 16 approved a fiscal 2002 military construction appropriations bill after dropping a provision in the Senate version that would have allocated $10 million in Defense Intelligence Agency accounts to planning and designing two measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) facilities.
Raytheon Co. and Hughes Electronics Corp. have settled a $1 billion 1997 merger dispute, with Hughes agreeing to pay Raytheon $635.5 million. Under terms of the price adjustment agreement relating to Raytheon's merger with Hughes Defense, Hughes Electronics will reimburse Raytheon $635.5 million of the $9.5 billion purchase price, Raytheon said Oct. 17. Raytheon received $500 million on Oct. 16, with the rest due within six months. Raytheon said it expects to use the amount to pay down debt.
The U.S. Air Force plans to release a request for proposals for the GPS III program on about Nov. 7, and has tentatively set Dec. 21 as the due date for proposals. The service would issue two pre-acquisition contracts, each worth $100 million and each for 27 months, next March.
The Defense Department is not doing enough long-term planning to ensure its maintenance depots will be equipped to handle future weapon systems, according to a new report by the General Accounting Office.
In light of the changing post-Cold War strategic picture, the Air Force should shift its focus away from the current fighter-centric model to a more bomber-centric force, according to a group of defense analysts at a symposium on the future of America's bomber force.
CROSSBOW TECHNOLOGY INC. has introduced new inertial systems designed for the guidance of unmanned aircraft and remotely piloted vehicles. The San Jose-based company's VG400CB, AHRS400CD and AHRS500CB systems are attitude and heading reference systems that combine the functionality of an inertial measurement unit with vertical and directional gyro capabilities. The AHRS500CB provides the full feature set required for an FAA-approved system, according to the company.
Northrop Grumman Corp. received a $64.8 million test support delivery order from the U.S. Air Force for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS), the company announced Oct. 17. The four-year, fixed-price delivery order for the Joint STARS Extended Test Support (JETS) program was awarded to the company's Integrated Systems Sector (ISS).
The Department of Defense recently has expressed interest in several new Boeing Co. military aviation programs, a Boeing official said Oct. 17. George Muellner, president of Boeing Phantom Works, said during a session of the Aerospace Expo conference here that the company has received "considerable interest" in programs relating to military and commercial satellites.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control will produce nine Army Tactical Missile System (TACMS) penetrator demonstration missiles under a $16.1 million contract. The company is teaming with Sandia National Laboratories on the integration and demonstration program. The contract was funded by the U.S. Army, and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 2004.
Sensytech, Inc. will deliver communications and signal analysis equipment under $2.2 million worth of new contracts. "These rapid awards reflect an increased demand for tactical information, for which our technology is well suited," Sensytech CEO S. Kent Rockwell said in a statement. "We have committed to early delivery of the equipment where possible. We are experiencing an increase in demand for all our equipment and services as a result of the U.S. government declaring war on terrorism."
Advanced Technical Products, Inc.'s Intellitec Division will supply composite flap fairing components to the Boeing Co. for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet under a $5.1 million contract. The contract calls for Intellitec to produce 30 parts per aircraft for the next five years of production, the company announced. The flap fairing components are produced using the company's resin transfer molding process. Intellitec, based in DeLand, Fla., also produces equipment for the Air Force's F-22 Raptor.
As part of a strategic resources review mandated by the White House, NASA is considering scaling back or closing some of its 10 nationwide centers, as well as cutting jobs in the International Space Station (ISS) program. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has instructed NASA to identify the agency's critical capabilities, determine which must be retained and which can be discontinued or led outside the agency.
Orbital Sciences Corp. has been awarded a $24 million task order from the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command to develop and launch four air-launched missile defense targets. The air-launched target missile will be transported to an area over the ocean by a C-130 aircraft. At the correct location, the target will be dropped via parachute and its motor will be ignited.
PASSES TEST: BAE Systems' Tactical Aircraft Directable Infrared Countermeasure System has completed key tests for the U.S. Navy, including hostile missile detection and jamming missile seekers. Live fire tests of the system are slated to begin later this month.
Aerojet of Sacramento, Calif., has been awarded a 17-month, $13.4 million contract from Orbital Sciences Corp. to continue development of a new liquid-fueled engine for a U.S. Army target vehicle. Orbital Sciences was one of two companies given Phase II contracts by the Army Space&Missile Defense Command to develop liquid-fueled target boosters. TRW was the other winner. When development is complete, one company will be awarded a contract that could be worth $100 million over six years (DAILY, Oct. 5).
While not discussing specific targets, a Pentagon official confirmed that the U.S. used an AC-130 gunship over Afghanistan during Oct. 15 air strikes. The AC-130 has been used in a number of U.S. combat operations, including the Vietnam War. It is most often used for close air support, interdiction, and force protection, according to the Air Force.
(Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from a press briefing that Secretary of State Colin Powell gave Oct. 16 en route to Pakistan and India). Q: Mr. Secretary, since the events, the [military] sanctions against both countries have been lifted - POWELL: Some have. Q: Are you in any way going to discuss that, for example, what the limits might be particularly with respect to military sales to Pakistan. Is that on the plate?
Sikorsky Aircraft Co. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Korean Air Lines (KAL) to develop multi-mission helicopters for the government of Korea. The companies will cooperate in product development and marketing for the Korean Multi-Purpose Helicopter Program, Connecticut-based Sikorsky, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., announced. The helicopter program could ultimately lead to the purchase of hundreds of aircraft to replace Korea's aging fleet, according to Sikorsky.
Orbit International Corp. will supply its Remote Control Units (RCU) to BAE Systems to support the Common Identification Friend or Foe Digital Transponder program, the company announced. The RCU is a multi-usage panel designed to be readable in sunlight or by using night-vision equipment. The $300,000 contract announced Oct. 16 is a pre-production order for 70 RCUs that will be deliverable during the first and second quarters of 2002. The units will be used for airborne, naval and other field service transponder applications.
Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and ranking Republican Ted Stevens (Alaska) said Oct. 16 that their panel's fiscal 2002 defense spending bill will contain the Bush Administration's $8.3 billion request for missile defense, but would give President Bush the option to use up to $1.3 billion of that money for anti-terrorism.
Heico Corp., of Hollywood, Fla., announced Oct. 16 it has acquired a provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services and a producer of aftermarket commercial aircraft parts. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. Officials with Heico's aerospace division said a deal was signed to acquire the assets of Avitech Engineering Corp., of Hayward, Calif. Avitech provides overhaul and repair services on fuel systems, hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical and propeller controls for air carriers operating turboprop and turbofan aircraft.
Aerospace companies invested fewer inflation-adjusted dollars on research and development in 2000 than in 1994 - even as U.S.-based companies overall nearly doubled their spending growth on research programs, a new U.S. government survey shows. The aerospace sector's research spending on aircraft, weapons systems and space vehicles dropped 0.5 percent during the seven-year period, particularly after 1997, according to the survey released Tuesday by the U.S. Commerce Department's Office of Technology Policy.
House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) said Oct. 16 that he would favor boosting NASA's spending on aerospace research and development. Although he didn't endorse any specific increase, Boehlert told reporters he agrees with the Aerospace Industries Association's general view that NASA needs to spend more money on aerospace R&D (DAILY, May 1). AIA has proposed increasing the federal R&D aerospace budget by $50 billion over the next five years, with $20 billion of that going to NASA.
