Boeing and Lockheed Martin will continue to dominate a world military transport market valued at $38.1 billion over the next 10 years, Teal Group analysts said in their latest forecast. The Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin C-130 will own 93% of the market "due to the European neglect of transport requirements," Richard Aboulafia, lead analyst for Teal Group's World Military and Civil Aircraft Briefing, said in a statement issued Monday. "The two U.S. prime contractors almost monopolize the world transport market, and will continue to do so."
Raytheon has been picked by Boeing to develop an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The announcement by Boeing ends a competitive evaluation of submissions by Raytheon and Northrop Grumman that began in September. Under an advance agreement between Boeing and the U.S. Navy, Boeing and subcontractor Raytheon will develop an integrated AESA radar prototype. A Navy contract award is expected in early 2001 for engineering and manufacturing development. Deliveries of AESAs would begin in 2004.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has moved its international sales headquarters to larger offices in Farnborough, England, the company reported Monday. Ernie Edwards, Gulfstream vice president, international sales, will continue to head the operation.
Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA) says it will buy a replacement satellite by March 2000 for the Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) lost Monday when controllers had to destroy its H-2 launch vehicle. Space Systems/Loral, which built the original satellite, was seen as the most likely candidate to build a replacement. Toshihiro Nikai, Japan's transport minister, said after Monday's failure it was "essential" for aviation safety to replace the lost satellite as quickly as possible (DAILY, Nov. 16).
PRATT&WHITNEY CANADA said L. David Caplan has announced his plans to retire as chief executive officer of the company, effective April 1, 2000. He will remain chairman until March 31, 2001, and will continue to report to Louis Chenevert, president of United Technologies' Pratt&Whitney Group. Giles P. Ouimet, currently president and chief operating officer will succeed Caplan, who has been with P&WC for nearly four decades.
A team of government and industry experts being assembled to find out why the right-hand composite liquid hydrogen tank for NASA's X-33 reusable launch vehicle prototype failed in ground testing will take four to six weeks to complete its work, making a first flight of the suborbital vehicle next year even more remote.
The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) international partners this week signed a $9.5 million contract to start a six-month program transition into development. The six-month transition will move into a three-year risk reduction effort technology program slated for next spring, the MEADS team reported. The total contract is worth a potential $200 million. MEADS is intended to provide a mobile, maneuverable theater missile defense capability for troops in the field.
The Duma added 1.5 billion rubles (about $57 million) for space activity next year when the budget bill for 2000 received its second reading, bringing the total to 4.8 billion rubles (about $185 million). Viktor Khristenko, first deputy prime minister, told Duma members the amount includes $12 million to terminate the Mir orbital station. That drew opposition from a number of lawmakers, who pointed out the government has not issued a formal decision to deorbit Mir.
Smiths Industries Aerospace concluded a Memorandum of Agreement with Boeing Military Aircraft and Missile Systems to supply an improved power management system for the Apache Longbow helicopter, Smiths reported Monday.
A test Saturday of a Minuteman III ICBM was part of the U.S. Air Force's Propulsion Replacement Program (PRP), managed by TRW Inc., to test the design and performance of remanufactured solid rocket motors, TRW reported yesterday.
PRIMEX TECHNOLOGIES said its Defense Research Inc. business unit has received a $7.6 million contract from Raytheon Co. for production of warhead cases and fuzewells for the Tomahawk cruise missile. Work on the contract will be performed in Anniston, Ala., with deliveries in 2000 and 2001.
AlliedSignal, Inc., Redmond, Wash., is being awarded a $274,385,584 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, F19628-99-D-0025-D.O.0001, to provide for up to 3,218 (estimated maximum) Multi-Mode Receiver systems, up to 950 (estimated maximum) High Frequency Data Radio Systems, and associated support and engineering services in support of the Global Air Traffic Management program. Further funds will be obligated as individual delivery orders are issued for equipment and services through the end of FY2008. Expected contract completion date is November 2008.
Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $505,676,496 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, F19628-99-D-0024-D.O.0001, to provide for up to 3,218 (estimated maximum) Multi-Mode Receiver systems, up to 950 (estimated maximum) High Frequency Data Radio Systems, up to 950 (estimated maximum) High Frequency Data Radio upgradex kits, and associated support and engineering services in support of the Global Air Traffic Management program.
An Ariane 44LP rocket orbited the GE-4 telecommunications satellite for GE Americom Saturday, adding 24 C-band and 28 Ku-band transponders to the orbital mix serving North, Central and South America. Liftoff of the Ariane variant carrying two liquid- and two solid-fueled strap-on boosters came at 5:54 p.m. EST Saturday from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou. The launch hit the targeted geostationary orbit as planned.
Raytheon Systems Company, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $487,616,294 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, F19628-99-D-0027-D.O.0001, to provide for up to 3,218 estimated maximum) Multi-Mode Receiver systems, up to 2,833 (estimated maximum) Multi-Mode Receiver upgrade kits, and associated support and engineering services. Further funds will be obligated as individual delivery orders are issued for equipment and services through the end of FY2008. Expectedcontract completion date is November 2008. Solicitation issue date is July 13, 1999.
A MINUTEMAN III intercontinental ballistic missile sent a package of unarmed reentry vehicles 4,200 miles from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to Kwajalein Missile Range in the Marshall Islands Saturday, the Air Force reported. The flight was the first of two scheduled to test the reliability of a new propulsion system for the ICBMs before the system is fielded at operational missile wings. The Propulsion Replacement Program is designed to increase the service life of the Minuteman booster, the Air Force said.
Marconi Aerospace Systems Inc., Wayne, NJ., is being awarded a $442,600,316 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, F19628-99-D-0026-D.O.0001, to provide for up to 3,218 (estimated maximum) Multi-Mode Receiver systems, up to 2,833 (estimated maximum) Multi-Mode Receiver upgrade kits, and associated support and engineering services in support of the Global Air Traffic Management program. Further funds will be obligated as individual delivery orders are issued for equipment and services through the end of FY2008. Expected contract completion date is November 2008.
Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise has ordered 20 more Airbus A320s and three more A321s, confirming a previous commitment. The aircraft are to be delivered between 2001 and 2008, increasing SALE's fleet of single-aisle Airbus aircraft to 41. "This order further consolidates SALE's position as the premier Asian-based lessor serving a global client base as we enter the new millennium," said Robert Martin managing director.
Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Machine Apparatus Operation, Schenectady, N.Y., is being awarded a $89,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-99-C-4053 for nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Schenectady, N.Y., and is expected to be completed by December 2004. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No additional information is provided on Naval nuclear propulsion efforts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures (ISA) sector will team with the U.S. Navy to upgrade the E-2C's with mission systems based on the Hawkeye 2000 for foreign military sales countries, the company reported yesterday.
Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Plant Apparatus Division, Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $198,061,627 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-99-C-4004 for nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., and is expected to be completed by January 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No additional information is provided on Naval nuclear propulsion efforts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
Global InfoTek, Inc., Vienna, Va., is being awarded an $18,133,540 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with a cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing arrangement for research of advanced technologies for human and information systems interactions supporting Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. The contract will provide prototype concepts and technologies in three key areas: Battlespace Knowledge Pipeline Management; Profound Knowledge through Dynamic Visualization, and Enabling Technology for Trans-Physical Teams, using next generation collaboration techniques.
Boeing has resumed aircraft deliveries following fixes which placed both dripshields and environmental control system ducts in conformance with FAA regulations, the company said Friday. The next step will be talks with FAA this week on "what we do with the in-service fleet," Boeing said. About 50 aircraft on the assembly line were on hold until a fix was determined.
A premature engine shutdown forced Japanese launch controllers to destroy the latest H-2 space launch vehicle just eight minutes after liftoff yesterday, sending a $95 million satellite into the Pacific. It was the second H-2 failure in as many tries in the past two years. The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) started a failure investigation after the loss. "We expect a thorough investigation," Hirofumi Nakasone, head of the Cabinet-level Science and Technology Agency, told reporters in Tokyo.
