Aviation Technology Group is continuing to assemble a Javelin prototype and anticipates a first flight of the demonstrator aircraft in the second quarter. The company installed the main landing gear and rudder pedals in front and rear cockpits of the aircraft. ATG has completed bench testing of the avionics in preparation for installation and integrated the engine instruments and flight test data display with avionics and aircraft instrumentation in preparation for preliminary engine runs.
The third time is anything but a charm for the Air Force, which has notified Congress--again--it needs more money for its next-generation missile early-warning system. Originally expected to cost about $4 billion, the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) High is now expected to total well beyond $10 billion. But needing more cash is not the only problem: Officials don't know just how much they need. The final amount is expected to be at least $1.5 billion, although officials say it could exceed $2.5 billion.
The prospect of a fourth version of the Joint Strike Fighter specialized by the U.S. Air Force for close air support is probably dead for at least a decade. Informal talks between Pentagon planners and congressional staffers have quashed the idea.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics proposed newly manufactured P-3C Orions to meet joint German and Italian requirements for a maritime patrol aircraft replacement (MPA-R) program. Both countries currently operate twin-turboprop 1960s-vintage Breguet 1150 Atlantic ATL.1s for MPA roles. Lockheed's proposal was formally made July 26 at the Farnborough Air Show. The combined fleets include 13 Atlantics in the German navy, plus four equipped for ELINT roles, and 18 ATL.1s that have been operated by the Italian air force since 1972 on behalf of the navy.
As wrenching as the last four months have been for airlines in North America, a few have proven to be exceptionally adept at making money and growing shareholder value in a harsh economic environment.
Of all the small-cap defense contractors that stand to benefit from the U.S.' renewed commitment to military preparedness, Alliant Techsystems would seem to be as well positioned as any.
With virtually all airline stocks trading well below book value, last week's crash of American Airlines Flight 587 was the last thing the industry needed as it struggles to regain investor confidence.
On the surface, recent rallies in some airline equities would seem to suggest stability is returning to the sector after being pummeled by the markets since Sept. 11. But some analysts think that would be reading too much into the meager gains.
Since the Defense Dept. announced Lockheed Martin Corp. as the winner of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition on Oct. 26, the tone of team members' public statements suggests they're feeling pretty good about their fortune.
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s win in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition positions the company to dominate the fighter market beginning in 2008, as the Defense Department begins to replace aging A-10s, F-16s, early model Navy F/A-18s, and the Marine Corp's AV-8B. The final JSF production contract could be worth "in excess of $200 billion," said Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics E.C. "Pete" Aldridge, speaking at the Pentagon Oct. 26.
Commercial aerospace suppliers already know demand for their products will be sharply reduced for months to come, although companies are still trying to figure out just how severe a downturn they're facing.
With so much attention focused in recent weeks on airlines' survival and the impact their struggle is having on commercial aviation suppliers, it's easy to forget that the weak U.S. economy is playing no small role in eroding some companies' performance.
Pure-play defense contractors, large and small, are receiving a steady stream of inquiries about their ability to dramatically increase production of weapon systems, as well as other items necessary to support Operation Enduring Freedom.
It may be months before there is a clear indication of just how hard the Boeing Co. and other aerospace contractors will be hit by the softening in Asia/Pacific air traffic.
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center plans to conduct follow-on testing of a wing design that achieved supersonic natural laminar flow over more than 80% of a test article during initial flights.
The Mexican government has ordered 24 Bell 206L-4 LongRanger helicopters worth $35 million to locate and destroy marijuana and opium poppy fields in remote mountainous areas.
With Iridium LLC's survival in doubt and ICO Global Communications Ltd. experiencing problems of its own--a recent public offering failed to raise the $600 million management had targeted--some observers might be questioning what the future holds for satellite operators in general.
Facing barriers to entry stiffer than management initially anticipated, Litton Industries Inc. plans to bow out of the commercial mainframe outsourcing and professional services businesses.
A privately held company since 1907, employee-owned United Parcel Service of America Inc. is proposing to offer stock to the public, but not for the usual reason of raising capital.
Speculation about possible transatlantic mergers between major European and U.S. aerospace/defense companies may have been responsible for propelling the price of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s stock to 745/16--an increase of 5 points--last Wednesday.
