ViaSpace Technologies, an Altadena, Calif., spinoff from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for Space Microelectronics Technology, will develop a water vapor sensor for commercial aircraft based on gas-sensor technology already en route to the South Pole of Mars.
Heico Corp.'s Electronics and Ground Support Group acquired 40% of the stock of R.H. Phillips and Sons Engineers Ltd., along with the exclusive right to the Phillips 300 and 400 Continuous Jet Engine Air Starting Units. Financial terms were not disclosed. Heico, a manufacturer of aircraft ground support equipment based in Miami, Fla., also received an option to acquire the balance of Phillips stock.
THE U.K. MINISTRY OF DEFENSE and armed forces are ahead of schedule in some areas of solving the Y2K problem, according to a report to Parliament. The MOD has fixed 70% of critical computer systems and remains on track to fix 97% by fall, with the remaining systems slated to be fixed before the end of the year, the report said. The Royal Air Force declared all of its aircraft Year 2000 mission capable on May 31.
LIGHTNING HAMPERED preparations for launch of NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) on a Boeing Delta II vehicle, forcing a one-day slip in the liftoff target. Boeing said yesterday the launch had been rescheduled for a 78-minute window that opens at 11:39 a.m. EDT tomorrow. The scientific satellite will seek chemical signatures of the "Big Bang" and other clues to the evolution of the Universe (DAILY, June 9).
Information technology specialist Veridian signed a letter of intent to acquire Erim International, a leader in the military intelligence community with expertise in satellite, aerial and ground-based imagery. Veridian, of Washington, D.C., said the $87 million business of Erim, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., would boost its annual projected sales to over $490 million. Terms of the transaction, expected to be completed this fall, were not disclosed.
RADA Electronic Industries of Israel signed an agreement with Boeing to supply two Commercial Aviation Test Station automatic testing systems for Boeing 777 line replacement units. The packages feature an overall test package including maintenance services, full technical support, test program sets revision, updates and upgrades.
General Dynamics moved to boost its defense business by agreeing with GTE Corp. to acquire three of the four units of GTE's Government Systems organization for $1.05 billion in cash, the companies reported yesterday. Included in the deal - which comes just as GD is completing its $5 billion acquisition of Gulfstream Aerospace - are GTE's Communication Systems Div., Taunton, Mass.; Worldwide Telecommunications Services, Needham Heights, Mass., and Electronic Systems Div., Mountain View, Calif.
AlliedSignal Engines, Phoenix, Ariz., is being awarded $57,122,897 (obligated amount) of a cumulative total of a $183,420,049 (not to exceed) firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable contract. This is to exercise an option for T65-L to T55-GA-714A engine upgrade and associated spare parts for 73 CH-47D helicopters. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Ariz. (60%), and Greer, S.C., and is expected to be completed by March 15, 2002. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole source contract initiated on Feb. 25, 1999.
Northwest Airlines said it plans to convert options on 30 A320 family aircraft into firm orders. The decision affects options agreed to as part of a 1997 purchase agreement and calls for 18 A319s and 12 A320s. Northwest will have ordered 150 A320 family aircraft, of which 70 have been delivered, making it the largest customer for the type.
Ronald McKenna has been named president of United Technologies Corp.'s new Hamilton Sundstrand division effective immediately, UTC reported yesterday. McKenna, 58, replaces Raymond Kurlak, 55, who has announced his retirement.
General Dynamics Ordnance Systems, Burlington, Vt., is being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery-requirements contract (appropriation number and dollar value will be issued with each delivery order), with an estimated maximum potential value of $1,268,247,145, for various 2.75" rockets, warheads, motors, and incidental engineering services. Work will be performed at various locations inside the continental United States, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2006. There were 19 bids solicited on Oct. 16, 1998, and two bids were received. The U.S.
From Commerce Business Daily: Posted in CBDNet on June 18, 1999 ... PART: U.S. GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENTS; SUBPART: SERVICES; CLASSCOD: A-Research and Development; OFFADD: United States Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Phillips Research Site, 2251 Maxwell Ave, Kirtland AFB, NM, 87177 ... SOL F29601-99-R-0003 DUE 070299 POC Barbara Steinbock, Contracting Officer, Phone 505 846 2246, Fax 505 846 1546, Email [email protected]
Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $29,265,518 cost-plus-award-fee contract to provide for development of the Suite 4E+ Operational Flight Program in support of the F-15E aircraft. This program will permit integration of smart weapons, including the Joint Direct Attack Munition, Joint Standoff Weapon, and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser onto the aircraft. Expected contract completion date is June 26, 2002. Solicitation issue date was Oct. 5, 1998. Negotiation completion date was June 1, 1999.
From Commerce Business Daily: Posted in CBDNet on June 18, 1999; PART: SPECIAL NOTICES; OFFADD: United States Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, SMC - Space&Missiles System Center, 2420 Vela Way, Suite 2420, El Segundo, CA, 90245-4659 ...
General Electric Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a $7,449,600 firm-fixed-price contract to provide for 100 low pressure turbine nozzles applicable to the F110 engines on the F-16 aircraft. Approximately five percent of this effort supports foreign military sales to Greece. There was one firm solicited and one proposal received. Expected contract completion date is May 31, 2001. Solicitation issue date was April 20, 1999. Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity (F34601-97-G-0002-0317).
Top Raytheon Co. executives will meet with senior Pentagon officials in late September to discuss a number of key programs, a company spokeswoman said yesterday. The meeting follows similar high-level discussions between Pentagon officials and Lockheed Martin executives on June 5, and similar sessions with other major companies are slated for later this year. A Lockheed Martin spokesman said that DOD officials "indicated to us that our review was the first of three, and an industry-wide review was underway."
Much of the new equipment installed on U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles during NATO's 78-day air campaign against Yugoslavia is providing lessons for the Pentagon's three major operational UAV programs, officials of the programs say. Army Hunters, Air Force Predators and Navy Pioneers all flew over Kosovo during the March 24 - June 9 campaign, monitoring activity and sometimes helping to guide air strikes.
Secretary of Defense William Cohen yesterday okayed the return of more than 300 U.S. aircraft from Europe where they participated in the NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia. The redeployment could begin today with the first increment taking 10 to 14 days to send 97 fighters, bombers and electronic warfare aircraft back to their bases in the U.S. and Europe. The second wave of 243 aircraft will include C-130 airlifters, and will begin in two weeks.
General Information: Solicitation Number: 99153ER2; NAIS Posted Date: Jun 17, 1999; CBDNet Posted Date: Jun 17, 1999; Response Date: Jul 02, 1999; Classification Code: 70 - General purpose information technology equipment. Contracting Office Address: NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BJ
Fletcher Pacific Construction Co., LTD, Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded a $6,146,950 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of two missile silo shafts. One missile silo shaft will be priced as an option item. The contractor shall install government-furnished launch equipment including the silo, silo interface vault, silo/silo interface vault environmental control system, silo headworks, power cable and conduit, communications conduit and chilled water piping from Building 5065 to the silo interface vault.
President Clinton's announcement over the weekend that talks with Russia on changes to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty will resume doesn't go far enough, according to some GOP lawmakers. Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin, following meetings in Cologne, Germany, this weekend on Kosovo, agreed to reopen negotiations on the ABM Treaty to allow the U.S. to deploy a national missile defense (NMD) system. Clinton also said the leaders would work to implement START III nuclear weapons reductions.
Potomac Photonics, Lanham, Md., is being awarded a $7,845,544 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to construct a complete workstation which will be able to more effectively fabricate advanced circuitry of use to the U.S. Navy. System demonstration will consist of production of a credit-card sized global positioning system unit. The sophisticated process being demonstrated will provide the Navy with the ability to rapidly prototype, customize and produce electronic devices for many applications including communications, security, sensing, and tracking on one workstation.
British Aerospace, Land and Sea Systems, New Malden, Surrey, England, is being awarded a $21,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for design agent engineering in association with surface ship combat system Mk. 7's Standard Missile-2 integration requirements for the Republic of Korea's KDX-II class ships under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in England and is expected to be completed by June 2002. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured.
