The Pentagon's former chief weapons tester May 22 endorsed the Defense Department's recent decision to transfer V-22 production decisions from the Navy to the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics (DAILY, May 22), saying it will provide "another layer of decision" for a troubled program expected to cost tens of billions of dollars.
Alcoa Inc. of the U.S. and Dooray Air Metal Co. Ltd. of Korea announced May 22 they have signed a memorandum of understanding for Alcoa to acquire Dooray's extrusion business, located in Changwon, Korea. The Changwon facility produces hard alloy extrusions for use in defense, industrial and transportation applications. The transaction is slated to close in late 2001, pending regulatory and other approvals. Dooray Air Metal Co. Ltd. produces aluminum wheels, castings and extrusion parts for automotive, aerospace and defense applications.
Due to incorrect information from official Pentagon sources, an article in the May 22 issue of The DAILY incorrectly stated that the V-22 Osprey has been moved to a DoD ACAT-1 D Pentagon acquisition category program. Sources now report the V-22 has been moved to a Navy ACAT-1 D program. The Navy ACAT-1 D still requires DoD Defense Acquisition Board oversight and gives Edward "Pete" Aldridge, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, any production decision authority. DoD ACAT-1 D programs are generally large, service-wide programs.
The Army needs a $500 million budget increase over the next few years to alleviate a shortage of aviation spare parts, Lt. Gen. Charles Mahan, the Army's deputy chief of staff for logistics, told a congressional panel May 22. Mahan testified before the House Government Reform Committee's national security panel that the Army has failed to meet its aviation supply availability goal of 85 percent at the wholesale level in any of the last 16 years. It missed the goal by an average of 6 percent during that period.
BAE Systems has completed a series of live fire tests of the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures/Common Missile Warning System (ATIRCM/CMWS) at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The tests were conducted from April 4 to April 24, and completed a major phase of the developmental test/operational test - a critical requirement for the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) decision expected early next year. ATIRCM/CMWS is the next-generation countermeasure to protect aircraft from infrared-guided missiles.
The U.S. Army conducted three successful intercept tests of the Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) missile defense system over the Gulf of Mexico, the Army announced May 21. The first Patriot launched intercepted a MQM-107 drone target flying an inbound profile at low altitude. The second two Patriots intercepted Patriot Omnidirectional Target Ariel-Tow (POTA-Tow) targets, which were flying a nominal trajectory inbound toward the Patriot radar.
The Air Force's Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is preparing for its trip home from Australia early next month, after which it is expected to fly to Paris be one of the major attractions at the 2001 Paris Air Show. The U.S. Department of Defense is scheduled to display more than 20 aircraft at the air show, including the F-22 Raptor and the B-2 stealth bomber. The show will take place June 17 to 24 in Le Bourget, France.
China Southern Airlines and MTU yesterday laid the cornerstone for the new MTU Maintenance Zhuhai Co. Ltd., which will work on IAE V2500 and other aircraft engines when it opens in 2002. The center is a 50% each joint venture between the two companies, Aerospace Daily affiliate Aviation Daily reported. It is located in Zhuhai, one of China's special economic zones, close to Hong Kong and Macao. Capacity is expected to grow for up to 150 engine overhauls a year by 2006.
HERLEY INDUSTRIES, Inc., of Lancaster, Pa., has been awarded contracts to supply microwave assemblies for Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters being sold to international markets, the company announced May 22. Total value of the contracts is $3 million. The company designs, develops and manufactures complex microwave products for commercial, defense and aerospace markets.
DRS Technologies Inc. has been awarded an $18.3 million production contract from Raytheon Missile Systems Co. to produce second generation forward looking infrared (Gen II FLIR) detectors for the Javelin missile's Command Launch Unit, the company announced May 22.
CACI International Inc. has been awarded a $21 million subcontract for work with the Air Force Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., which company officials say will give the Arlington, Va.-based company a key role in helping develop, test and field AF tactical weapon systems. The contract was awarded by Sverdrup Technology, Inc., of Tullahoma, Tenn., and is for work with the Technical and Engineering Acquisition Support (TEAS) contract with the armament center.
Australia's government today confirmed the go-ahead for a range of new military equipment programs, kicking off its biggest defense-spending hike in two decades by tabling a A$12.7 billion (US$6.64 billion) 2001-02 defense budget that includes the first dollop of funds to pay for the upgrades outlined in December's Defense White Paper.
L-3 Communications' Link Simulation and Training division has been awarded a $6.4 million firm-fixed-price contract by the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center for the lease and maintenance of Boeing 737 aircraft that will be used for in-flight training of E-6 Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) flight crews. The logistics center is based at Tinker Air Force Base. Link will provide program management, scheduling and quality assurance services, and has contracted with AAR Aircraft Services of Oklahoma City to provide the 737 leases and maintenance support.
Standard&Poor's has revised its ratings on K&F Industries from stable to positive, citing the aerospace component provider's reduced debt following its 1997 recapitalization. The ratings service also said the company's cash flows are benefiting from industry demand, which it said should be sustainable. K&F is a leading supplier of braking systems - wheels, steel and carbon brakes, and anti-skid systems - and fuel tanks to commercial and military aerospace markets.
The first flight of NASA's Hyper-X vehicle has been rescheduled for June 2nd while flight engineers at Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. continue to analyze data from an April 28 captive-carry flight. "They just want to make sure all the data they looked over was what they wanted to see and everything went successfully with the captive carry," said NASA spokesperson Leslie Williams.
KAISER ELECTRONICS, a Rockwell Collins company, has been selected by the Boeing Co. to supply flat panel color displays for the U.S. Air Force F-15E program, the company announced May 21. The Kaiser five-inch FPCD will replace the current CRT-based display in new production F-15E aircraft.
Rockwell Collins Government Systems, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $17,658,290 modification to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-01-C-0092) to exercise an option for the production of 307 AN/ARC-210(V) Electronic Protection Radio Systems (49 RT-1556B, 34 RT-1747D, 50 RT-1824C, 174 RT-1794C ARC radios), including ancillary equipment and associated support. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (134: 49 RT-1556B, 35 RT-1794C and 50 RT-1824C), the U.S. Air Force (83: 49 RT-1794C and 34 RT-1747D), the U.S.
The futuristic X-40A technology demonstrator had its seventh - and final - free-flight test in California over the weekend, paving the way for NASA's X-37 robotic spaceplane program. However, the future for the X-37 itself isn't yet clear. It wasn't given new money under NASA's Space Launch Initiative program, which released its first contract awards last week, and NASA, contractor Boeing and the Air Force are now discussing what to do with it.
Lockheed Martin, Government Electronics Systems, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $30,002,956 cost-plus-award-fee level-of-effort option exercise for 326,000 man-hours to perform Aegis Combat System Baseline upgrades and critical experiments. The work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J., and is expected to be completed by May 2002. Contract funds in the amount of $236,273 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00024-98-C-5197).
Sticking with the Clinton Administration's defense modernization plan, which includes buying the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-22 and other expensive new weapons, would require the Defense Department's $60 billion procurement budget to rise by about $20 billion a year for the next 15 years, according to a new report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
President Bush intends to nominate R. Nicholas Burns to be the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, the White House announced. Burns has been ambassador to Greece since 1997. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, he served as State Department spokesman and acting assistant secretary of state for public affairs from 1995 to 1997.
Two Marines assigned to the V-22 squadron command at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., expressed confidence in the Osprey during a congressional field hearing May 21, saying they look forward to flying on the Bell-Boeing aircraft after its flaws are corrected. Maj. Karston Henkel, squadron assistant operations officer, and Staff Sgt. Tom Fowler, squadron maintenance chief, both called the Osprey a "phenomenal" aircraft whose capability will far exceed the CH-46 helicopter it's designed to replace.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is assembling the main wing and central fuselage of the Global Express as a risk-sharing partner, has completed and sent the 100th shipset to Bombardier. The local production began in January 1996. Mitsubishi is also working on Bombardier's Continental business jet, CRJ-700 and CRJ-900 programs.
BAE Systems Australia has signed an agreement with the Boeing Co. to become a key in-country partner to supply the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, according to the company. Under the $200 million USD agreement, BAE Systems Australia has responsibility for developing, supplying and supporting the electronic support function; electronic warfare self-protection systems; operational mission simulator; mission support segment and AEW&C support facility.
AIL Systems Inc., Long Island, N.Y., is being awarded a $5,047,755 firm-fixed-price contract to provide for repair of various components applicable to the AN/ALQ-161A Electronic Countermeasures System for the B-1B aircraft. AIL Systems will perform this effort in Deer Park, N.Y. Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (09603-98-D-0083-0041).
