L-3 Communications' Link Simulation and Training division has been awarded a $10.3 million contract to begin low rate initial production of the U.S. Army's Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer - Aviation Reconfigurable Manned Simulator (AVCATT-A) program.
EDO Corp. will continue production of the Universal Exciter Upgrade receiver, the AN/ALQ-99 advanced jamming signal generator, under a $38.5 million contract it received from the U.S. Navy. The company also received a $3.2 million contract for the production of UEU subassembly spares. The UEU is carried under the wing pod of the Navy's EA-6B aircraft.
JOSEPH E. SCHMITZ will be nominated to be the Department of Defense inspector general, the White House announced. He is currently the deputy senior inspector for the Naval Reserve Intelligence Program, a partner with the law firm of Patton Boggs in Washington, D.C., and an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center.
Lockheed Martin may be getting close to a payoff for some 15 years of work on closed loop infrared countermeasures technology, a method of rapidly determining the best way for an aircraft to respond to a heat-seeking missile. The company, with team leader Northrop Grumman, will propose its version of the technology in a competition for an Air Force program intended to protect transport aircraft from shoulder-fired infrared-guided missiles.
The U.S. Air Force has begun a 90-day evaluation of the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) ground station slated to replace three control centers of the legacy Defense Support Program (DSP).
Boeing has already engaged with Rolls-Royce, General Electric, and Pratt&Whitney about the engine needs for its 0.95-0.98 Mach Sonic Cruiser with the results of the deliberations likely to impact the aircraft's shape.
Latest studies by engine maker Rolls-Royce reveal a sharp upward swing in the predicted market, thanks to Asia's generally rapid recovery from recession and anticipated liberalization in Asian air travel. Needs are now estimated as 100,000 engines valued at $456 billion for large aircraft, regional and business jets over 20 years. Business jets alone are expected to account for 30,000 power plants, costing $50 billion.
Navy Secretary Gordon England told a Senate panel June 20 that he would like to speed up development of the Joint Strike Fighter, which he considers a "very, very important platform" for the U.S. military.
There are signs that Europeans are coming around to the idea of establishing a regional missile defense system, but they probably won't come around quickly or quietly, several missile defense experts said June 20 at a Washington conference.
Baikal-1, a reusable first-stage booster concept developed at the Khrunichev Space Center in Russia, made its international debut at the Paris Air Show. The booster is equipped with a pivoted wing, turbojet engine, retractable landing gear and an automatic flight and landing control system. Khrunichev's plans for the Baikal concept include twin- and quad-booster configurations for medium-and heavy-lift missions.
Longbow International, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., has teamed with Bell Helicopter to develop the Cobra Radar System for the AH-1Z Cobra Helicopter. The radar system will complement the warfighting, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of the helicopter, Northrop Grumman announced.
Lufthansa has agreed to become the international launch customer for Boeing's Connexion broadband inflight entertainment service, with plans to test the service on a single aircraft next year.
Europe's go-ahead for the Italian Vega light space launcher could be an advantage in developing improved solid fuel boosters for Ariane 5. "Vega is a very interesting program," Snecma Group chairman&CEO Jean-Paul Bechat told Show News. "It could kill two birds with one stone - by working on that, we can also prepare the subassemblies and test the cost improvements required for the improved Ariane 5."
Development of BGT Bodenseewerk's new IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile is progressing, with the fourth free flight test program completed in April. The missile has been fired from the F-4F, F-16, and JAS-39, with further testing planned for launch from the F/A-18, Tornado, AMX and Eurofighter.
Northrop Grumman Corp. has signed a foreign military sales contract to deliver an E-2C Hawkeye 2000 export configuration aircraft to Egypt, the company announced June 19. The contract adds the modification and upgrade of a sixth Egyptian E-2C - a former U.S. Navy E-2C airborne early warning and control aircraft - to a program previously awarded, and brings the value of the work to $163 million, according to the company.
Israel's Defense Ministry is expected this week to exercise options to buy more than 50 Lockheed Martin F-16s. "The Israeli Ministry of Defense and senior executives at Lockheed Martin have reached an understanding that will lead the Israeli government to notify the U.S. government of their intent to exercise the option under the current [Letter of Agreement] for more than 50 F-16Is," a source told The DAILY during the Paris Air Show here.
A NASA-convened board investigating the June 2 loss of the X-43A hypersonic test vehicle is continuing to meet at the space agency's Dryden Research Center at Edwards, Calif., but so far has not found the root cause of the failed flight, NASA announced June 19. The X-43A, the first of three to be launched, was lost moments after launch when its Pegasus booster veered out of control, forcing flight controllers to blow it up (DAILY, June 5). The X-43A and Pegasus fell into a cleared Navy sea range off the coast of California.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has appointed Anthony J. Tether director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon announced June 18. As director, Tether is responsible for management of the agency's projects for innovative research and development to provide advanced military capabilities. Tether has previous DARPA experience, having served as director of the agency's Strategic Technology Office from 1982 to 1986.
Within the space of a week earlier this month, the LHTEC T800 turboshaft engine made initial flights after retrofit in two types of helicopter. On June 6, a Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopter flew for the first time on the power of a pair of -801 versions of the T800 at West Palm Beach, Florida. Six days later, two CTS800-4N variant engines powered an AgustaWestland Super Lynx 300 at Yeovil, England.
To solidify their supplier base, prime contractors have begun rating the products and delivery time of their suppliers. But some suppliers claim the system does not accurately reflect their performance as compared to that of their competitors. "The main concern for our business is, am I being fairly judged against the competition?" said John Speight, director of quality for Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The Canadian Armed Forces have selected the Israeli Elisra SPS-65 self-protection system for the Canadian CH-146 Griffon helicopter, a local version of the Bell 412EP. The SPS-65 will upgrade existing systems with the introduction of an integrated radar and laser warning receiver (RLWR), missile warning capability and management of expandable countermeasures.
Aerojet has been awarded a two-year U.S. Army contract to develop solid-propellant motors for the Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM). The contract has a potential value of $2.7 million, the Sacramento, Calif.-based company announced. Aerojet is a GenCorp company. CKEM is a system capable of destroying enemy tanks with a hypervelocity kinetic-energy missile. The Army is evaluating the system for possible use as part of its Future Combat System.
Northrop Grumman is aggressively promoting European sales of its Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, derived from E-8C Joint STARS technology. Relaxation of restrictions on access to U.S. Air Force E-8C "RTIP" radar technology, and the planned availability of Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft, in support of military operations and crisis situations in Europe, is opening up some of the most advanced U.S. surveillance technologies to European participation.
The airlift shortfall is the biggest problem hampering America's force projection capability, according to Gen. Charles T. Robertson, commander in chief of U.S. Transportation Command. "The number one priority of the commander in chief of United States Transportation Command is to fix strategic airlift," said Robertson, speaking at a meeting of defense reporters in Washington, D.C. June 19. Robertson is also commander in chief of the Air Force's Air Mobility Command.
The Air Force seems to be devoting increasing attention to studying the future needs of its aerial refueling fleet, according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service. Several studies on the tanker fleet are or will soon be underway, CRS wrote in "Air Force Aerial Refueling: Background and Issues." The studies include a tanker requirements study (TRS-05) led by the Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC). TRS-05 is examining aerial refueling needs up to 2005 and is scheduled for release this summer.
