Dornier GmbH's new Helicopter Laser Radar ("Hellas") obstacle warning system has completed its first night mission qualification test, the company announced April 23. Dornier GmbH is a subsidiary of the EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. The EADS Airborne Systems Unit, with participation from Eurocopter Germany and the Bundeswehr Technical Centre, is conducting the tests in Manching, Germany.
The U.S. Air Force aims to deploy a slightly smaller SBIRS Low satellite constellation that could detect and track more hostile missiles and warheads than originally planned. A former defense acquisition chief, Jacques Gansler, last December gave the Air Force authority to proceed with the design and procurement of satellites for the Space Based Infrared System Low that could monitor and attack at the relatively high level known as C-3, according to Col. Michael Booen, director of the SBIRS program.
The Bush Administration's announcement about arms sales to Taiwan brought differing reactions from two prominent congressional Republicans. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) expressed disappointment with the Administration's decision about not including Aegis destroyers, saying it should have announced instead that it would begin building two Aegis destroyers while delaying a final decision on selling them to Taiwan for two or three years.
Taiwan's request for a variety of modern missiles was denied by the U.S. government, The DAILY has learned. President Bush approved on April 24 the sale to Taiwan of several older, less capable weapons. The U.S. refused the request for the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Boeing's GPS-guided, highly accurate, precision munition capable of hitting targets from all altitude ranges under adverse weather conditions. Last year, the U.S. sold JDAMs to Israel and approved a sale to Denmark.
In a flight Russia already had guaranteed it would make, the U.S. space agency NASA on Tuesday grudgingly gave its support to Saturday's launch of American multi-millionaire Dennis Tito aboard a Soyuz capsule to the International Space Station Alpha, Aerospace Daily affiliate AviationNow.com reported. NASA and its partner nations agreed to grant an "exemption" for Tito based on the recommendation of the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel, which reported to the station's Multilateral Coordination Board, NASA said.
Endeavour space walkers Chris Hadfield and Scott Parazynski on April 22 successfully attached a 57.7-foot-long, Canadian-built robotic arm to the exterior of the International Space Station Alpha - a critical addition that will be used to help in future construction of the growing orbital complex. In a seven-hour, 10-minute spacewalk, Hadfield, a Canadian, and Parazynski, an American, also installed a UHF communications antenna on the outside of the U.S. lab Destiny, Aerospace Daily affiliate AviationNow.com reported.
The U.S. Air Force has awarded a $7.1 million initial funding contract to AAI Engineering Support, Inc., a subsidiary of United Industrial Corp., for work on the AF's C-17 Maintenance Training Program, the company announced April 23. Under the contract, UI will provide an Aircraft Maintenance Trainer for the Mississippi Air National Guard supporting the C-17 (Block 12) aircraft. The work is expected to be completed by October 2003.
Japan's National Space Development Agency successfully completed a final hot-fire test of Mitsubishi's LE-7A, a first-stage engine of the H-2A launch vehicle, on April 19 at the Tanegashima space center, off Kyushu island. After a thorough system check, the engine will be installed in the first H-2A, which is scheduled to be launched this summer, although no date has yet been set.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control - Dallas successfully conducted the first flight test of an Army Tactical Missile System (Army TACMS) Block IA Unitary Missile, the company announced April 23. The test was conducted Saturday, April 21, at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The company reported that preliminary data suggested that all test objectives were achieved.
Scientists at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) are developing a new cockpit display system that incorporates all the information from traditional instruments into one immediately comprehensible image - with the goal of making planes easier and safer to fly. The OZ system, which has been in development since the mid-90s, is designed to allow pilots to directly perceive a picture of the vehicle status that simultaneously conveys location, orientation, external objects, systems status, and how all these factors interact.
L-3 Communications, Arlington, Texas, is being awarded a $6,457,529 firm-fixed-price contract, for the lease of a Boeing 737 aircraft, maintenance, and supply, in support of flight training for crews of the E-6 aircraft. The work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2001. There were four firms solicited and one proposal received Solicitation began Feb. 16, 2001; negotiations were completed April 10, 2001. The work will be performed by AAR Aircraft Services, Oklahoma City, Okla. (95%), and other locations.
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, Santa Maria, Calif., is being awarded a $22,000,000 (not to exceed) modification to a cost-plus-award fee contract to provide for enhancement of Eastern Range telemetry and communications equipment to allow for the transmission of digital telemetry data. Additionally, this effort provides Centralized Flight Operations Version 1 (FOV-1) switchable cutover for the development and installation of additional panes and switches to achieve switchable transition capability for FOV-1. The work is expected to be completed April 30, 2006.
Executives with Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) announced April 23 that the purchase of Thiokol Propulsion from Pittsburgh-based Alcoa Inc. has been completed. ATK, which announced the sale in January (DAILY, Feb. 1), purchased Thiokol for $685 million in cash.
AIRBUS' A340-600 made its first flight April 23, beginning a test program that will involve three of the aircraft and 1,600 flight hours, ending in certification entry into service in mid-2002. The A340-600 currently is the highest capacity Airbus, with a maximum take-off weight of 365 metric tons. It has 127 orders and commitments from 11 customers.
Japan's Self-Defense Agency awarded contracts worth nearly $10.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2000, which ran from April 2000 to March 2001. This was 0.3% less than in 1999. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries retained its No. 1 rank from 1999 to 2000, and Japan Electronic Calculator stayed at No. 10, but there was movement elsewhere within the top 10 ranks. Contractor Rank in 1999 Rank in 2000 Total contract
The Rocketdyne RS-68, being developed for the Delta IV family of launch vehicles, has logged more than 10,000 seconds of accumulated hot-fire test time, according to Boeing Co.'s Rocketdyne business unit. The engine program is on track for the first launch of the Delta IV in early 2002, the company announced April 23.
Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss., is being awarded a $13,551,119 indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity contract to provide for research and development insupport of the High Temperature, High Power, High Efficiency, High Voltage Converters Using Silicon Carbide Program. This effort will advance all aspects of aircraft and space power-system technology. The work is expected to be completed April 2007. There were three proposals received. Solicitation began April 2000; negotiations were completed April 2001.
BAE Systems North America has reached an agreement with the equity firm the Carlyle Group to spin out its Imaging Sensors business to form a new company, Fairchild Imaging, Inc., the company announced April 23. Imaging Sensors, of Milpitas, Calif., was previously part of BAE Systems Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems of Syosset, N.Y. The closing of the agreement occurred April 6, BAE Systems announced.
Armor Holdings, Inc., of Jacksonville, Fla., announced April 23 it has signed an agreement to buy the Security Products and Services Group, including the O'Gara-Hess&Eisenhardt subsidiary, of the Kroll O'Gara Co. O'Gara-Hess&Eisenhardt, headquartered in Fairfield, Ohio, provides armored products, including ballistic and blast-protected armoring systems, for commercial and military vehicles, aircraft and missile components.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Information Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $7,607,509 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-00-C-0289) for the fabrication, assembly, integration and testing for three Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) Reconfigurable Transportable Consolidated Automated Support System (RTCASS) stations. This requirement includes cabling, and one Operation/Performance Interface Device (OPID) Test Program Set (TPS) to be used for V-22 TPS development.
Lockheed Martin Astronautics Group, Littleton, Colo., is being awarded a $5,810,974 modification to a cost-plus-award fee contract to provide for caretaker maintenance status for Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. This provides for sustainment such that the complex can be ready for launch operations on six-month notice. This work is expected to be completed by September 2002. This effort will be performed by Lockheed Martin, Littleton, Colo. (25%), and Lockheed Martin Astronautics Group, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (75%).
After completing its record-setting flight across the Pacific, the Air Force's Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is being readied for its next challenge: weeks of advanced flight testing and joint American-Australian military demonstrations. Its schedule will include participation in the annual Tandem Thrust exercise, which is intended to train U.S. and Australian staffs in crisis action planning and contingency response operations.
European Commission said it has informed the United States in confidence of the terms of government support for the Airbus A380 program. The EU said the information "confirms that the support fully respects" the criteria established by the 1992 EU-U.S. bilateral agreement on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft, Aerospace Daily affiliate Aviation Daily reported.
Dyncorp Technical Services, Ft. Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $16,233,142 modification to firm-fixed-price with cost-reimbursable lines contract DAAH23-00-C-0226 for C-12 and UC-35 aircraft life cycle support. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2002. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was an announcement on the World Wide Web on March 8, 2000, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Aviation&Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.
AAI Engineering Support Inc., Hunt Valley, Md., is being awarded an $8,174,000 (not to exceed) modification to a cost-plus-award fee contract to provide for additional engineering and program management support for a concurrency upgrade to the Maintenance Training System supporting the C-17 (Block 8) aircraft. At this time, $6,130,500 of the funds have been obligated. This work is expected to be completed May 2003. AAI will perform this effort at its facility in Summerville, S.C. (100%).
