Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Eagle Vision II is slated to be deployed overseas for the first time in February, SMDC officials say. Eagle Vision II, to be based in Curacao, will provide spectral imagery of Latin America to U.S. SOUTHCOM in support of counter-drug operations. Eagle Vision II also is slated to provide third-country imagery support to The Netherlands and possibly Columbia, SMDC says.
U.S. Space Command is urging full funding for the Discoverer II moving-target radar satellite program in the upcoming budget, Gen. Richard B. Myers, Commander in Chief of U.S. Space Command, told reporters in Washington last week. "It's a very high priority for us," Myers said. "That's being discussed right now in the budget process."
Christine Anderson, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, has been awarded the 1999 Von Braun Award by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for excellence in space program management.
The U.S. Navy has decided to use electric drive propulsion in its next-generation DD 21 Land Attack Destroyer, opting for the approach to enhance combat capability and crew comfort in the new class of warships. Navy Secretary Richard Danzig told reporters last week the service plans to spend as much as $5 billion to upgrade electric drive technology so that it meets military requirements for power output and ruggedness. The first of the DD 21 destroyers is to be in service by the end of this decade, he said.
David C. Gompert has been named president of RAND Europe. Jeffrey A. Isaacson has been named vice president of RAND and director of the think tank's National Security Research Division (NSRD). He succeeds Gompert.
The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization is modifying its contract with Boeing, the lead system integrator for the national missile defense (NMD) program, to establish an option to study an NMD initial site plan consisting of 100 ground based interceptors (GBIs). Currently, Boeing is working with profiles for a 20-GBI site. There are no plans at the time to deploy a site comprised of 100 interceptors, according to BMDO officials. The contract modification calls for an option with additional interceptors and spares and more X-Band radars.
The U.S. Air Force needs a method of handling big losses, such as Milstar III, says Gen. Richard Myers, Commander in Chief of U.S. Space Command. The $800 million Milstar military communications satellite was stranded in a useless orbit when the Centaur upper stage that took over from the satellite's Titan IVB launch vehicle on April 30 of last year malfunctioned.
A new aviation weather program that provides real-time graphics to pilots in the cockpit has been undergoing flight tests aboard a FedEx MD-11 and U.S. Air Force aircraft, Aviation Information Solutions (AIS) reported. Aviation Weather Information (AWIN) is a developmental program led by Boeing in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force and leading industry suppliers. AIS is a business unit of Penny and Giles Aerospace and is contributing the software and workstation that displays the graphical weather information.
Kelly H. Carnes has become assistant secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy. Mary M. Glackin has been named deputy assistant administrator for Satellite and Information Services at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
David S. Barrie has been named vice president, Asia/Pacific, effective February 1, 2000. He succeeds Laurence M. Iwan, who was appointed vice president, Engine Components Operations-Worldwide.
Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Sensors and System Sector ES(3) won a $17.9 million contract to upgrade the Firefinder weapon-locating radar system for the U.S. Army and the armies of Turkey and Portugal. "We look forward to additional opportunities to enhance the performance of this important radar system for the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps and allied nations," said Dr. Robert F. Weber, program manager at Northrop Grumman ES(3).
Donald R. Keith, Gen. U.S. Army (retired), chairman and CEO, has retired. He will be replaced by Ronald V. Hite, Gen. U.S. Army (retired). Jimmy D. Ross, Gen. U.S. Army (retired), will join Cypress as the president and COO. John P. Geis, Brig. Gen. U.S. Army (retired), has joined Cypress as the vice president for Combat Vehicles and Armaments. John F. Kalb, Col. U.S. Army (retired) has joined Cypress as a director for Army Programs.
Japan's NTT Mobile Communications Network Ltd. has picked a team led by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, with Orbital Sciences Corp. playing a large supporting role, to build a geosynchronous satellite that will provide mobile communications in Japan.
Jeffrey R. Kelly, president of Consolidated Fuel Systems in Montgomery, Ala., will also assume the president and chief operating officer responsibilities for Electrosystems, Inc. located in Fort Deposit, Ala.
John K. Welch has been named senior vice president of the corporation and head of the Marine Systems Group. He replaces James E. Turner Jr., president and chief operating officer of General Dynamics, who headed this group since 1995 and will retire January 15, 2000. The company does not have plans to name a new president. Michael W. Toner succeeds Welch as president of Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.
Penelope Longbottom has joined the staff as vice president, Corporate Communications. Matthew Dillon has been named director of OEM Sales in the expanded Detroit sales office. He comes to XM Radio after more than 10 years at Aisin World Corporation of America. Most recently, he was director of Sales and Marketing for Chrysler.
While the Clinton Administration is optimistic the transition of power to Russian Acting President Vladimir Putin will be smooth, there is no certainty the U.S. will make progress with Russia on arms control matters, National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger said last week.
