Experts from the Defense Image Processing and Analysis Center (DIPAC) reportedly have told an Indian government panel probing the near-war over the Kargil border district with Pakistan that the Indian Remote Sensing satellites are inadequate for imagery intelligence and should be replaced with a range of new assets. To get "continuous coverage," the DIPAC has said India needs synthetic aperture radars, unmanned aerial vehicles and a "constellation of imaging satellites."
Computer Sciences Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., formed a long-term strategic alliance to provide information technology systems and services for Hitachi customers in Japan, CSC reported yesterday.
New Smart Procurement policies have saved the U.K. government up to 20% over original estimates in a new 200 million pound ($323 million) contract with MATRA BAe Dynamics for upgraded Rapier Mk 2 surface-to-air missiles for British air defense units, the Ministry of Defense claimed.
AlliedSignal Inc. and Honeywell Inc. completed the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) agreement that permits the companies to close their merger under U.S. competition law, the companies reported Monday.
Triumph Group Inc., Wayne, Pa., acquired Construction Brevitees d'Alfortville (CBA) and KT Aerofab in separate transactions, the company reported Monday. CBA, located near Paris, France, makes mechanical ball bearing control assemblies for the aerospace, ground transportation and marine industries. The company, which also has assembly facilities in Spain, has revenues of about $8 million.
Fuji Heavy Industries will build two HOPE-X mini-shuttle technology demonstrators for flight tests in 2002 and 2003 under a 2.8 billion yen (about $26.9 million) contract with the National Space Development Agency (NASDA). The two "High Speed Flight Technology Demonstrators" will be quarter-scale models of the proposed HOPE-X vehicle. The demonstrators will be four meters long, with a wing span of 2.5 meters and a height of 1.2 meters. One will weigh 600 kilograms, and the other will weight 800 kilograms.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has undertaken a host of management and technical reforms based on an independent panel's findings that poor communications and training contributed to the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter in September. As its controllers prepare to guide Mars Polar Lander, the lost probe's sister ship, to a soft landing at the planet's south pole, JPL has set up a system of checks and counterchecks to ensure there is not another miscue lurking like the measurement mixup that sent the orbiter too deep into the Martian atmosphere.
John L. Junkins, professor of aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University, has been awarded the Frank J. Malina Medal from the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). The award is named for IAF co-founder Frank J. Malina, a pioneer rocket scientist who also was co-founder and director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The following appointments have been announced at Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation, a unit of K&F Industries: Frank P. Crampton, vice president of marketing, has been named senior vice president of marketing, Richard W. Johnson, vice president of finance and administration, has been named senior vice president of finance and administration, James J. Williams, vice president of manufacturing, has been named senior vice president of operations, and Gary M. Rimlinger will continue to serve as vice president of engineering.
Michael J. McCulley has been appointed chief operating officer of United Space Alliance, prime contractor for NASA's Space Shuttle program. He replaces Jim Adamson, who left the company to become president of AlliedSignal Technical Services Corporation.
M. R. (Jim) Kaletta has been promoted to vice president and general manager of the Aviation&Government Products Group, based in Lancaster, N.Y. John D. McStravick has been promoted to vice president and general manager of the Health&Safety Products Group, based in Monroe, N.C. John A. Kazour has been hired as vice president and general manager of Scott/Bacharach Instruments LLC-an Exton, Penn.-based joint venture between Scott and privately held Bacharach Holdings Inc.
Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed to the board of directors. Nathaniel A. Davis, executive vice president, Nextel Communications, has also been appointed to the board of directors.
Legislation may surface in the House this week regarding the privatization of Intelsat, which would be a major move toward breaking a two-year stalemate on the issue in Congress. Earlier this year, Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) introduced the Open-market Reorganization for the Betterment of International Telecommunications (ORBIT) bill, which was later passed by the full Senate. The bill requires Intelsat, the international body that controls much of the satellite industry, to privatize by January 2002.
Space Shuttle managers have decided to delay launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery until Dec. 6, a slip of roughly a day, after finding damage to a cable that sends destruct commands to the Shuttle's two solid rocket boosters. Managers determined Monday the cable would have to be replaced and decided to do the work in the Vehicle Assembly Building. At the same time, work crews will replace a Shuttle Main Engine that has a small piece of drill bit wedged between two faceplates.
KAZAKHSTAN yesterday banned Proton launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome through February, a move that will further delay assembly of the International Space Station if it stands. NASA has been expecting an early January launch of Russia's long-awaited Zvezda Service Module on a Proton (DAILY, Nov. 8), but Kazakhstan's National Aerospace Agency cited the need to correct Proton engine defects after two launch failures over its territory this year.
Raytheon Co. has reorganized its defense and government electronics businesses, phasing out Raytheon Systems Co., which was created following the completion of its merger with Hughes. In the new structure, RSC will be replaced by a new Electronic Systems business that combines the company's former defense systems and sensors and electronic systems segments. RSC, born after the completion of Raytheon's merger with the defense operations of Hughes Aircraft Co. (DAILY, Dec 19, 1997), lasted less than two years.
Dennis Kovalsky has been appointed general manager of the aerospace coatings and sealants business unit. He succeeds Theodore M. Clark, who has been named chief executive officer of Burke Industries, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
U.K. and German defense ministries placed an initial $115 million industrial contract with ARTEC GmbH - formerly known as Eurokonsortium - for development of a family of armored utility vehicles. Headquartered in Munich, ARTEC comprises the U.K.'s Alvis Vehicles group, plus Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and MAK in Germany, and was selected last April as preferred bidder for the new vehicles.
Karen M. Weldon has been named director, management information systems. She will will oversee the management and administration of all computer applications and networks for Lockheed Martin at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
ABOUT 400 of the Army's AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will need to have tail rotor hanger bearing assemblies replaced at a cost of about $13.5 million, a Pentagon spokesman said yesterday. The Army has nearly completed inspecting all of its 743 Apaches, looking for signs of the hydrogen embrittlement suspected as the cause of the stress corrosion fractures that cost the Army an aircraft and minor injuries for its two-person crew in a January crash (DAILY, Nov. 9). Overall it will take eight to 10 months to complete the repairs with parts on hand.
Hermann Altmann, chief engineer for Northrop Grumman's Ryan Aeronautical Center and its Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle program, has received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aircraft Design Award for 1999.
