Despite strong performances from its space and aeronautics segments, Lockheed Martin Corp. posted a $347 million net loss for the fourth quarter of 2002. Net sales for the quarter totaled $7.8 billion, up from $7.3 billion a year ago. Sales for the year totaled $26.6 billion, compared with $24 billion in 2001. Lockheed Martin posted a $500 million net gain in 2002 compared with a $1 billion loss for 2001.
Two U.S. senators have asked the General Accounting Office to study whether the federal government could make its fleet of civilian aircraft more efficient and less costly.
FORCENET: The Navy plans to release a campaign plan for its FORCEnet communications architecture this spring, according to Vice Adm. Richard Mayo, commander of Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM). FORCEnet is intended to provide seamless communications across land, sea, air and space platforms, and is a key enabler of the Navy's Sea Power 21 plan for transforming its surface operations (DAILY, Jan. 16). "We'll be coming out with a campaign plan this spring, that Space and Warfare Systems Command and NETWARCOM are working on," Mayo says.
NEW POLICY: Many of the contract disputes between BAE Systems and the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) could be resolved if a new industrial policy is implemented, according to Charles Armitage, global aerospace coordinator with Merrill Lynch. A new industrial policy paper published by the MOD last October recommends a better risk/reward system for fixed-price research and development contracts with high technological risks.
KC-135E RETIREMENT?: The Air Force's fiscal 2004 budget, due out in early February, will propose retiring 68 aging KC-135E air refuelers, a Senate source says. An Air Force spokesman will say only that "the Air Force and Congress are in discussions on that topic." The Senate source believes the retirement plan strengthens the case for an Air Force proposal to lease 100 new Boeing 767 tankers, which are intended to replace the service's fleet of about 130 KC-135Es.
FIRST SECRETARY: President Bush swore in Tom Ridge as the first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on Jan. 24, the day the department began operations. More than 170,000 employees will work for the department. "We've learned that vast oceans no longer protect us from the dangers of a new era," Bush said.
The U.S. Air Force is turning to a new acquisition vehicle to serve as a platform for a series of planned force protection procurement efforts, some involving the use of sub-tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), networked ground sensors and short-range radars.
After several months of delays, the Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is expected to take to the skies in late February or early March after a series of taxi tests set to begin Feb. 3. A joint effort by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. and NASA, the Altair is a modified version of the company's Predator B military UAV. In December 2002, General Atomics received a $15.7 million contract from the Air Force for two operational Predator Bs - designated MQ-9 Hunter-Killers - to be delivered in November of this year.
NEW DELHI - Boeing has won a contract to sell three high-security aircraft for use by top Indian officials, including the president, prime minister and deputy prime minister. An official with India's interior ministry told The DAILY India is buying three modified 737-700s for $154 million. Rival Airbus had offered three aircraft for $171 million.
Jan. 28 - 30 -- AFCEA Orlando Chapter in coordination with the AUSA Sunshine Chapter presents TechNet 2003 - Orlando. For more information call (407) 306-2607 or email john.p.o'[email protected]. Jan. 29 - 30 -- Shephard's Air Power 2003, The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, UK. Special pre-conference seminar on January 28. For more information call +44 1628 604311 or email [email protected].
CASINO BRIEFING: A procurement conference this spring sponsored by the Defense Department is drawing fire for its choice of location: an Atlantic City casino. "We're wondering when, and why, Atlantic City casinos have replaced Pentagon briefing rooms as the choice location for procurement discussions," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). Last week, the budget watchdog group posted a memo signed by E.C. "Pete" Aldridge Jr., undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
Northrop Grumman will upgrade AN/ALQ-162 electronic countermeasures for the Danish air force's F-16s under a $7 million foreign military sales contract, the company said Jan. 24. The Danish air force signed a contract with the U.S. Navy for 20 Pulse Doppler/Power Plus retrofit kits as an initial upgrade for the country's AN/ALQ-162 V(1) countermeasure systems.
The Senate late Jan. 23 approved the fiscal 2003 NASA appropriations bill and 10 other FY '03 non-defense spending bills, sending the legislation to a House-Senate conference committee to work out differences between the two chambers. Getting a final agreement on the 11 bills could take weeks, as there are "thousands and thousands of differences" between the House and Senate versions, according to a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee.
SAN DIEGO - The Air Force will continue to stress advanced technologies, including stealth, and is emphasizing integration of the services, U.S. allies, and classified programs in future operations, according to Col. Tom Hyde, who heads Checkmate, the office responsible for developing air and space strategy.
JSF OF TRUCKS: The Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) has an idea for the next generation of Army and Marine Corps trucks, says Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and JROC chairman. Both services plan to start replacing their existing fleet within the next 12 years. "Would it surprise you to know that the Army is designing its own fleet of vehicles and the Marines are designing its own fleet of vehicles, not knowing that the other guys are doing this?" Pace asked. JROC is giving each service a new assignment.
LONDON - The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MOD) has selected a proposal from Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Systems and the U.S. government to provide the Javelin attack missile to meet British army medium-range anti-tank requirements, Defence Procurement Minister Lord Willy Bach said Jan. 22. Bach said the selection followed a rigorous and comprehensive assessment phase, which included live-fire trials of the Javelin and the Spike anti-tank missile (ATM) system, which was proposed by Israel's Rafael and the European MBDA companies.
Lockheed Martin Corp. again led the Pentagon's top 10 contractor list for 2002, with contracts awards totaling $17 billion, up from $14.7 billion in 2001.
Aviation Week will launch its Top 100 Stars of Aerospace program next month, allowing aerospace officials and readers to vote on "the most important, most interesting and most influential people" in the global aerospace community, past and present.
TELEPHONICS CORP. of Farmingdale, N.Y., will deliver its APS-143B(V)3 OceanEye Surveillance Radar for range surveillance missions for the U.S. Navy and NASA at Goddard Space Center in Wallops Island, Va. the work is being done under a $1.7 million contract award from Dyncorp. The radar, which will replace the Telephonics APS-128D radar used there, will be the primary sensor installed on a Beech 100 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, according to the company. The Ocean Eye Radar will provide target data to the command center during tactical missions conducted from Wallops Island.
Consolidation of companies in all tiers of the U.S. aerospace and defense industry likely will continue as long as the defense budget rises, according to a senior acquisition official with BAE Systems North America. "Depending on what analyst you listen to, what report you listen to, most people think [merger and acquisition activity] is going to go down, and as the defense budget goes back up, there'll be no need for further consolidation. I don't agree with that," said Lucy Fitch, vice president of acquisitions and strategy.
A high-level Pentagon body assigned to pass judgment on all major acquisition programs now is taking on a more active role, jumping ahead of the services to define the military's overall priorities, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace said Jan. 23.
NEW DELHI - Indian navy planners and defense ministry officials are debating what fighter aircraft to buy for the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which India plans to acquire from Russia. Indian navy officials say they want French Dassault Rafale-M aircraft instead of Russian MiG-29Ks, even though the Rafales cost four times as much as the MiGs.
The market for air-to-air missiles over the next 10 years will reach $12 billion, according to a report from Forecast International/DMS. "Unlike other defense markets, air-to-air missiles will see a steady increase in value over the next decade," the report's author, Larry Dickerson said in a statement. "Raytheon is expected to be the dominant provider of air-to-air missiles with a 27 percent share of the market," he added. "But Europe's missile megacorp, MBDA, is not far behind."
