MMA STRATEGY: Top naval aviation planners were slated to meet June 7 to plot the acquisition strategy and future requirements for the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), a Navy spokesman says. Called by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark, the meeting's agenda focuses on discussing details of the aircraft's design and integration into the fleet. MMA is expected to replace the aging Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion as the primary maritime patrol aircraft and submarine hunter.
'VISIBLE' DAMAGE: A June 6 foam strike test conducted using reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) panels from the shuttle Discovery resulted in "visible and significant" damage to panel 6, some surrounding T-seals, and supporting hardware, according to a spokesman for the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). After the strike, "there was a crack in the rib of the RCC panel," Lt. Col. Woody Woodyard said. "Inside it was about three inches long, outside about three-quarters of an inch."
The U.S. delegation traveling to the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) 2003 that begins June 9 in Geneva, Switzerland, is pledging to fight perceived spectrum threats to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and some U.S. Navy radars. WRC, held every three years, is a month-long meeting convened to administer disputes over spectrum allocation. Each invited country sends a delegation that has a single vote.
SPACE WEAPONS: Although some Democratic senators expressed reservations about space-based weapons during recent debate over the fiscal 2004 defense authorization bill (DAILY, May 22, May 23), the Missile Defense Agency does not appear to be slowing in its pursuit of a space-based test bed that would use interceptor missiles to shoot down ballistic missiles. MDA is soliciting information from industry about its ability to design, develop and implement a test bed. The agency plans to hold an industry day in August to discuss its acquisition plans.
The first Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) equipped with Stryker combat vehicles successfully completed an exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, La., according to the U.S. Army. The exercise, Arrowhead Lightning II, involved simulated military and military-civil operations conducted by the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at four training areas around Fort Polk (DAILY, May 23).
The U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command said it is studying how it would use air-to-air missiles carried by the MQ-9 Predator-B unmanned aerial vehicle. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., maker of the MQ-9, is in line to receive a contract from the service to move the UAV into the production stage and outfit it with a variety of weapons, including air-to-air types.
The recent Iraq war is unlikely to end the debate over the viability of missile defense systems that use hit-to-kill technology, according to a new report by congressional analysts.
PROGRESS: A Russian Progress resupply vehicle is scheduled to launch June 8 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, to carry 5,300 pounds of fuel, food, water and supplies to the International Space Station, NASA said June 5. The Progress is scheduled to dock with the station on June 11.
PRAGUE - Slovakia's president has called on the country's prime minister to take urgent action to improve the combat readiness of the Slovak air force after discovering that only three of its MiG-29s are capable of flying. President Rudolf Schuster said he was "horrified" to discover the state of the supersonic fleet during a June 3 visit to the Slovak air base at Sliac.
The U.S. Air Force has trimmed its baseline requirements for the battle management system aboard the future E-10A Multi-sensor Command and Control Aircraft (MC2A), deferring several key capabilities to later spirals, a program official told The DAILY June 5.
CORRECTION: A story in The DAILY of June 2 should have said that the solar-powered system in NASA's Helios aircraft will not store energy to power the aircraft at night in an upcoming flight. However, this capability will be developed in future flights.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing guidance for how it should use the Defense Production Act (DPA), a representative of the new department said June 5. The DPA gives the president tools to ensure an adequate, timely supply of vital equipment and materials for military and homeland security agencies.
Herley Industries will supply microwave hardware for Textron Systems' Sensor Fuzed Weapon under a $2.3 million contract from the company, Herley said June 5. The contract is for one year but the company expects follow-on options, Herley said. The Sensor Fuzed Weapon is an air-dropped dispenser that can eject 40 seeker-equipped submunitions, each of which can detect and fire on a target (DAILY, April 22).
The Japan Defense Agency has selected the EH101 helicopter to perform minesweeping operations, officials with GKN said June 5. The EH101 is made by AgustaWestland, a joint venture of the United Kingdom's GKN and Italy's Finmeccanica. Under the contract, which still is being negotiated, AgustaWestland will provide 14 EH101 helicopters to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
INDUSTRY DAY: A GPS III industry day is planned for June 11 and requests for proposals will be issued June 27, according to Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The Global Positioning System Joint Program Office will sponsor the industry day, which is for contractors interested in competing for Phase A contracts. The June 27 RFP will be for up to two such contracts, each worth $25 million and lasting 21 months, and possibly 29 months, depending on program options.
Raytheon Co. has received its third order to supply upgraded high-band emission receivers for the EC-130H Compass Call fleet, the company announced June 5. The 25-month, $10.5 million Lot 3 contract calls for 124 line replaceable units, upgrade kits and spares for the upgraded Compass Call Enhanced High Band Subsystems. The receivers are used to increase the aircraft crew's ability to process information, although precise details are classified.
Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) H-46 Program Office (PMA-226) formally presented the first upgraded T58-GE-16A engine to the fleet in a May 21 ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., NAVAIR announced June 4.
On June 8, NASA is scheduled to launch the first of its two Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), which are to study how Martian rocks may have been affected by past surface water. Both rovers will launch on Delta II rockets from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Launch opportunities begin for the first mission at 2:06 p.m. EDT June 8, and for the second mission at 12:38 a.m. June 25, repeating twice daily for up to three weeks for each mission.
LOCKHEED MARTIN will continue to perform phased depot maintenance for U.S. Navy P-3 Orion aircraft, the company said. The work will be done under a one-year contract with four one-year options, which could boost its value to $434 million. The company, which originally built the anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance aircraft, will perform the work at its Greenville Aircraft Center in South Carolina.
Telemedicine systems that allow doctors to communicate with aircraft remotely via satellite are beginning to save lives and money, according to manufacturers Remote Diagnostic Technologies (RDT) Ltd. and TeleMedic Systems.
NEW DELHI - The Indian air force lost another MiG-21 fighter in a crash during a routine exercise in Rajasthan, which killed the pilot. A court of inquiry has been set up to investigate the incident, the latest in a string of Indian MiG crashes. Sources said the problem has been linked to the aircraft's engine. The air force has lost more than 200 MiGs in the last decade and there has been frequent criticism in the press and in parliament about the high accident rate, particularly for MiG-21s.
