Moody's Investor Service yesterday downgraded Aerospatiale SRI's short-term debt rating for commercial paper to reflect the decline of the French government's ownership in and implied support of the company. Implied government support for Aerospatiale had been a key factor supporting Moody's previous Prime-1 rating, which now falls to Prime-2. France completed the consolidation of its aerospace and defense industry with the partial privatization of Aerospatiale and its merger with Matra Hautes Technologies (DAILY, Feb. 17).
The technology industry and government must work together to protect the nation's critical information infrastructure, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen and Bill Gates, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft, told an audience of Microsoft employees and U.S. Army information technology professionals yesterday. Cohen visited Microsoft in Redmond, Wash., as part of a trip to discuss the military's mission in the post-Cold War era with U.S. businesses and communities.
General Electric Aircraft Engines and the Bedek Aviation Group of Israel Aircraft Industries signed an agreement to cooperate in the marketing of full-service aircraft and engine maintenance to customers around the world. The companies estimate that a combination of their resources to allow "one-stop" aircraft and engine maintenance services will lead to potential annual revenues of $60 million to $80 million.
GEORGE N. MANGURIAN, who helped design the Northrop XB-35 flying wing bomber and was a Northrop vice president before he retired in 1971, died in Atlantis, Fla., on Feb. 12 of cardiac arrest. He would have been 93 on Feb. 28.
RTI INTERNATIONAL METALS INC., Niles, Ohio, said a court order curtailing operations at its RMI Titanium Co. subsidiary has been lifted. A Trumbull County, Ohio, court had ordered a one week "cooling off" period in connection with violence associated with an ongoing strike by the United Steelworkers of America at RMI. RTI contended that the order interfered with its operations and was without legal authority. On Wednesday, the order was amended to allow operations to resume.
BFGoodrich Co. will revamp its Brecksville, Ohio-based Performance Materials business, a move it said will result in expected annual cost savings of $10 million to $12 million. The "ambitious realignment" will "strengthen customer and market focus, simplify business structure and enhance productivity," the company said yesterday.
Northwest Airlines is acquiring 54 CRJ Series 200LR aircraft for $1.3 billion - the largest single sale for Bombardier of the Canadair Regional Jet - and has options for up to 70 more of the 50-seat aircraft, the airline and the contractor said yesterday. General Electric will supply CF34 engines for the jets.
Micronetics Wireless Inc. of Hudson, N.H., said yesterday that it has acquired Vectronics Microwave Corp. of Middlesex, N.J. The purchase price was not disclosed, but the deal was expected to help boost the company's revenue base by about 45%. Micronetics designs, manufactures and markets test equipment and components for cellular, PCS and satellite equipment. Its Switching Products Group manufactures components primarily used in radar, electronic intelligence, wireless communications and simulation applications.
U.S. officials said yesterday that any move by the European Union to approve draft legislation banning hushkitted aircraft would be a "regrettable mistake." The officials were reacting to a news article in The DAILY's sister publication, Aviation Daily. The article, in the Feb. 18 issue, said the EU's Council of Ministers will okay the legislation as soon as Monday. If the legislation is approved, U.S. manufacturers will not be able to sell hushkitted or re-engined aircraft to European Commission member states after June 30.
TELEPHONICS, Farmingdale, N.Y., said it has won additional orders for its AN/APS-143 ocean Eye sea surveillance radar. It said multi-million-dollar contracts were received from Kaman Aerospace International Corp. of Bloomfield, Conn., for SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters on order from Australia and New Zealand.
Cubic Defense Systems said it has merged data from dissimilar air combat training systems into a post-mission debrief for "Commando Sling," a joint U.S. Air Force-Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) training exercise. The San Diego company established interoperability for its Kadena Instrumental Training Systems (KITS) with the RSAF system in Singapore. "This is a long sought-after goal that considerably expands training opportunities for military customers throughout the world," said Keith Shean, KITS program manager.
TRW and S-TEC Unmanned Technologies Inc. agreed to partner for a potential U.S. Army decision to seek competitive proposals for a Close-Range Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the brigade commander, TRW reported. S-TEC, of Mineral Wells, Tex., will offer its 250-pound Sentry UAV, which has logged more than 1,000 flight hours. More than 125 of the UAVs have been made for customers around the world.
The Clinton Administration should not redirect fiscal year 1999 supplemental missile defense funds to implement Wye River Middle East peace initiatives while a number of critical missile defense programs remain underfunded, Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) wrote in a letter sent yesterday to Defense Secretary William Cohen.
Textron Systems has received a contract worth up to $10 million from TRW, Ogden, Utah, to replace the Mk. 21 radio frequency subsystem for the Air Force. Under the contract, Textron replaces the Mk. 21 reentry vehicle fusing system's radio frequency cables and power splitters to provide a 20-year life cycle for the subsystem. The contract, including initial contract and two options, runs through September 2002.
Elbit Systems Ltd. of Israel and Sikorsky Aircraft, Stratford, Conn., have signed a teaming agreement to upgrade and convert Black Hawk helicopters to armed reconnaissance and attack applications. Under the agreement, Elbit will provide the helmet mounted display, targeting sensor, stores management computers and other components, and be responsible for weapons integration.
Calls for caution about accepting the Global Positioning System and its various augmentations as the sole means of aerial navigation are increasing following release of a report by Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Lab endorsing the concept (DAILY, Feb. 2).
The AGM-154A Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) was used in combat for the first time Jan. 24, Raytheon Co. reported yesterday. It said a U.S. Navy F/A-18 on "no-fly" zone patrol over Iraq launched the weapon at an Iraqi air defense site. No other details were available. "Reports from the fleet indicate JSOW performed flawlessly," said C. Dale Reis, a Raytheon senior vice president and general manager of Raytheon Systems Co.'s Defense Systems Segment in Tucson, Ariz.
Cooperation by Romania's Aerostar SA and Israel's Elbit Systems Ltd. on major upgrades of 110 MiG-21s of the Romanian Air Force led to formal inauguration on Jan. 26 of a joint stock company based in Romania. The company, located in Bacau and called A-E Electronics SA, is planned as a logistics center and depot-level repair facility for the equipment installed in Romania's upgraded MiG-21s. It also will become the main facility for the current military avionics systems' modernization programs in Romania.
Wyman-Gordon, North Grafton, Mass., will take a $5.2 million restructuring charge and a $5.8 million one-time charge in the 1999 third quarter related to major cost reduction initiatives, the company reported yesterday. The actions are being taken to consolidate business operations due to revised projections of lower customer demand, as well as productivity improvements from equipment upgrades, cost reduction training and six sigma programs.
The JCSAT-6 communications satellite was launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS rocket Monday night, Lockheed Martin reported. JCSAT-6, an HS 601 satellite design built by Hughes Space and Communications Co., will be operated by Japan Satellite Systems Inc. of Tokyo. Once operational at 124 degrees East longitude, the satellite will provide voice, data, SKY PerfecTV broadcasting and satellite Internet services.
RAYTHEON CO. said the Royal Danish Air Force has accepted two F-16 Mid-Life Update unit level trainers, adding that they are the first such simulators to be used by a European air force. Raytheon said the program is designed to extend the effectiveness of F-16A/B aircraft operated by the European Participating Air Forces for the next 10 to 20 years.
The U.S. Air Force last month cut short two flights of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle due to a faulty reading on the engine's oil sensor and a crack in the vehicle's hydraulic pump casing, the service reported.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Systems and Equipment said it will supply its TERPROM Ground Proximity Warning System for the Eurofighter. The program initially covers the development of the GPWS Line-Replaceable Unit, associated test equipment and map preparation software. The Eurofighter system will use the hardware module in production for the Tornado fleet.
