MOSCOW - A failure in a descent control system instrument is the most likely reason for the off-target landing of a Soyuz capsule returning from the International Space Station May 3, according to an official of Soyuz-builder RSC Energia. Nikolai Zelenschikov, the first deputy general designer for the company, said RSC Energia has been studying the capsule since May 7 to understand what happened and try to keep it from happening on the next Soyuz return from the station.
7E7 SITE: Only U.S. locations will be considered for the final assembly site for Boeing's proposed 7E7 passenger jet, the company said May 16. Boeing briefed Washington state officials in its selection criteria, which also are posted on the web at www.boeing.com/commercial/7E7/. The final assembly location will be announced by the end of the year.
In its latest Broad Area Announcement (BAA) calling for technologies to combat terrorism, the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) spells out its requirements for systems to protect commercial airliners from shoulder-fired missiles. In the May 14 BAA, TSWG asks for "technologies that will support the defeat of Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) targeted against commercial and private aircraft during take-off and landing operations."
TALLY: In a four-week snapshot of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), more than 1,800 U.S. and allied aircraft targeted 25,240 aimpoints and dispensed about 29,000 munitions, says a recent U.S. Air Force report tallying the combined air war effort. Coalition forces lost 20 aircraft during the war, including seven downed by enemy fire. The report lists 1,224 attacks from Iraqi anti-aircraft fire, 1,669 launches of surface-to-air missiles and 19 launches of surface-to-surface missiles.
US101 VENTURE: AgustaWestland and Bell Helicopter will form a joint venture company to manufacture the US101 helicopter in America. The joint venture company will act as a subcontractor to prime contractor and systems integrator Lockheed Martin, which has overall responsibility for the program and delivery of the US101 to customers. After the joint venture company manufactures the aircraft, mission customization, systems integration, and final aircraft delivery will take place at Lockheed Martin's facility in Owego, N.Y.
AEGIS BMD: When the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (Aegis BMD) system has its next test in June, two ships will be used for the first time to test the system's interoperability. One ship will track a target missile and cue that information to the other ship, which will fire an interceptor. In previous tests, one ship performed both the tracking and firing functions. The Defense Department plans to deploy Aegis BMD by 2005 to intercept short and medium-range ballistic missiles in their midcourse phase.
F/A-22 FUNDS: When the full House takes up the fiscal 2004 defense authorization bill as early as the week of May 19, Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), whose congressional district includes the F/A-22 Raptor assembly plant, says he probably will not offer an amendment to restore $161 million that the House Armed Services Committee cut from the Air Force's F/A-22 budget request.
May 19 - 22 -- 2003 Global Demilitarization Symposium & Exhibition, John Ascuaga's Nugget, Sparks, Nev. Contact Tim Becker at (703) 247-2573, fax (703) 522-1885, email [email protected] or go to www.ndia.org. June 2 - 4 -- 3rd Annual National Symposium and Exhibition on Terrorism Preparedness & Response, "Enhancing the Capabilities of First Responders." Contact Simone L. Baldwin at (703) 247-2596, email [email protected] or go to www.ndia.org.
The Missile Defense Agency is considering conducting another nighttime intercept test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system before the anti-missile system is fielded, according to an agency spokesman. MDA spokesman Rick Lehner said May 15 that the agency plans to test GMD at night in the future. With two intercept tests slated to occur before GMD's initial deployment in September 2004, one possibility under consideration is to conduct one of them at night, he said.
NASA, Boeing Rocketdyne and the U.S. Air Force have begun a series of nine hot-fire tests of a new liquid oxygen turbopump at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., Boeing announced May 15.
Two U.S. Army ground commanders in Operation Iraqi Freedom defended the combat performance of the AH-64 Apache fleet but reserved glowing praise for other systems, such as mobile command centers, blue force tracking systems and new tactical targeting systems. Maj. Gen. Buford Blount, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, on May 15 described coordinating three battles spread across 230 kilometers (143 miles) while on the move.
Germany is set to announce a policy change that will transform its military from a defensive force to a capabilities-based force, a senior German defense official said May 15. German defense ministry officials will announce the policy change on May 21 in Berlin. Hans-Heinrich Weise, Germany's director of armaments, said the change is needed to allow German forces to participate in international operations alongside European, NATO, and United Nations forces.
NEW DELHI - The experimental GSAT-2 satellite launched last week by India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle has successfully been placed in geostationary orbit and is moving toward its intended orbital slot at 48 degrees east. The satellite, launched May 8, opened its solar arrays May 12, said an Indian Space Research Organization official. The arrays will generate 1,400 watts of power for the satellite's four C-band and two Ku-band transponders, one mobile satellite service payload and four scientific payloads.
NEW DELHI - India and the United States have agreed to hold a bilateral meeting on technology issues within the next three months to speed cooperation on dual-use technology and civilian space and nuclear issues. An official with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said a decision to hold the meeting was made during last week's meeting in London of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Indian National Security Adviser Brijesh Mishra. Sources in the external affairs ministry said the meeting could take place at the end of July.
Spanish shipbuilder Izar will join a team led by Lockheed Martin Corp. to help develop a proposal for the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), company officials announced May 14. Izar will provide core support in the areas of mission development planning, ship design support and materials studies.
BUYING: Lockheed Martin will acquire ORINCON Corp. International, a defense and information technology company. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter, the company said.
The Department of Homeland Security plans to ask two companies to develop prototype countermeasure systems to shield commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles, lawmakers said May 15. To ensure it does not ignore promising ideas from anyone else in the private sector, DHS also intends to issue a Broad Agency Announcement to solicit proposals from high-tech firms "on the best way to protect our aircraft from this threat," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) announced at a press conference with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.).
After learning the value of commercial remote sensing imagery during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) was able to make "key use" of such imagery during the war in Iraq, according to NIMA Executive Director Roberta Lenczowski.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved language requiring a test of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system against an actual Scud ballistic missile. The language, contained in a report accompanying the committee's recently completed version of the fiscal 2004 defense authorization bill, calls for using a Scud B, the most widely proliferated version of the Scud. The committee said the test could wait until FY '05 to provide adequate preparation time.
The U.S. Air Force on May 14 awarded a $215 million contract to an integration team led by Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Sector to begin initial work on the E-10A Multi-sensor Command and Control Aircraft (MC2A). The deal covers integration of the aircraft's radar, battle management system and airframe during the program's system development and demonstration phase, which ends in September 2004, an Air Force acquisition notice says.
NEW DELHI - The Indian air force is considering a proposal from France's Snecma to upgrade the M53-P2 engines in India's fleet of Mirage 2000-H MK II aircraft. The Indian air force has about 40 Mirage 2000-Hs and has ordered 10 more. An official with the Indian defense ministry said upgrading the engines could increase their thrust by about 6 percent. The first upgrade of India's Mirages was in 1998, when their night attack and electronic warfare capabilities were enhanced with Indian-built equipment.
SELLING: Vector Aerospace of Toronto is selling its fixed-wing repair and overhaul business to focus on its helicopter business, the company said May 15. The company has received "a number of expressions of interest," it said.
