Defense firms in the United States and Germany have little to lose or gain by new attempts to repair the diplomatic and military rift the allies suffered only two months ago, an international aerospace business expert says. "To be candid, of course, the Germans don't buy much anyway," said Joel Johnson, Aerospace Industries Association vice president, international. "It's not an active market. Most of what the Germans do is through the context of EADS [the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.]."
NEW DELHI - India and the United States are negotiating a partnership to develop a naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft, said an official with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). India requires U.S. expertise, particularly in developing vertical takeoff and landing technology for the naval LCA, the official said.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is sponsoring a series of tests at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., in which a 200-foot airship equipped with hyperspectral cameras will be used to demonstrate a variety of homeland security applications. Under a $7 million ONR contract awarded last year, Honolulu-based Science and Technology International (STI) has integrated the company's Littoral Airborne Sensor - Hyperspectral (LASH) system onto a Skyship 600 airship leased from Airship Management Services (AMS) of Greenwich, Conn.
A second series of bolder and more realistic tests awaits the Tactical Tomahawk next year after the Raytheon missile upgrade program wrapped up an early round of flight tests on Nov. 10, according to the company. A Tactical Tomahawk, also called the Block 4, recorded its first underwater launch from a submerged test stand in the Pacific Ocean, Raytheon said. The missile attacked dummy targets at the China Lake Test Range, Calif., demonstrated an anti-jamming capability for its Global Positioning System, and performed several in-flight maneuvers.
The ship designers chosen to study the requirements for the future Littoral Combat Ship tell a lot about what kinds of ships the Navy is considering, according to senior naval analyst Stuart Slade of Forecast International/DMS. "They included companies with a wide range of experience, which gives them a wide range of options in ship design," Slade said. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on Nov. 8 awarded each of six companies a $500,000 contract to study concepts for focused-mission ships.
Two key members of Congress say they have questions about NASA's new space transportation plan and hope to get answers in the coming weeks. The new Integrated Space Transportation Plan (ISTP), which NASA announced Nov. 8, calls for the agency to develop an orbital space plane (OSP) by 2010 to return an International Space Station crew to Earth in an emergency (DAILY, Nov. 11). The plan also envisions that the OSP could transfer crews to the ISS by 2012.
PRAGUE - Czech police are investigating alleged corruption surrounding the planned government purchase of Gripen supersonic fighters from the BAE Systems/Saab consortium, a police official told The DAILY. The anti-corruption squad began the investigation several weeks ago after being contacted by a Czech senator. It's understood that the police have interviewed several senators, all members of the Freedom Union-DEU-Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) senators' group.
An F/A-22 Raptor fighter successfully intercepted an aerial target with an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) while both the aircraft and the target were flying faster than the speed of sound, F/A-22 builder Lockheed Martin Corp. said Nov. 8. The test met one of the Defense Department's milestones for the program before it can receive a Lot 3 production contract, the company said.
Four incoming House members from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio and Oklahoma indicated Nov. 8 that they have been promised membership on the House Armed Services Committee. Reps.-elect Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), Michael Turner (R-Ohio) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.) received assurances from congressional leaders before the Nov. 5 election that they would be appointed to the committee if they won their House seats.
R&D INTENSIVE: Mergers and acquisitions between small and mid-cap companies would benefit both the companies and the warfighter, says aerospace and defense attorney James McAleese. "As for the mid-tier, it's absolutely critical that defense industry consolidation be completed in areas that are defense-unique and R&D [research and development] intensive," he says. Such areas include secure communications, automatic target recognition, air defense suppression, directed energy weapons and battle management systems.
International Launch Services (ILS) has signed a contract with the Hellas-Sat consortium to launch the first domestic communications satellite for Greece and Cyprus on an Atlas V rocket early next year. Based in Nicosia, Cyprus, Hellas-Sat Consortium Ltd. plans to offer voice, Internet, video and broadcast services to European and Balkan markets. After launch in the first quarter of 2003, the Hellas-Sat satellite should be in service for the Summer Olympics in Athens in 2004, according to ILS.
The Navy plans to launch a development program for the Boeing EA-18G Growler in fiscal 2004 after receiving a tentative go-ahead last week from Pentagon acquisition chief E.C. "Pete" Aldridge Jr., the Navy's top-ranking acquisition official told The DAILY. Aldridge, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, gave the Navy tentative approval to release $10 million for Boeing to conduct early studies and tests of the EA-18G in FY '03, said John Young, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.
MILESTONE: The V-22 Integrated Test Team recently passed the 100-flight hour mark, the Navy said. Osprey No. 10 reached the milestone during a three-hour flight
FCS FIREWALL: A "firewall" has been set up around the Boeing/SAIC-led Future Combat Systems (FCS) program to ensure the company doesn't have an unfair advantage in the ongoing Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) competition, according to Steve Glusman, director of engineering for Army unmanned systems at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Although not formally a part of FCS, the UCAR program will have to interoperate seamlessly with FCS equipment when it enters service in 2012. "We certainly are keeping abreast of all the FCS efforts," Glusman says.
Nov. 11 - 14 -- National Defense Industrial Association presents its 2nd Annual CMMI Technology Conference and User Group. Hyatt Regency Tech Center, Denver, Colo. For more information contact Derek Jenks at (703) 247 2582. Nov. 17 - 22 -- 2002 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and R&D Expo. The Ernest Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La. For more information call (800) THE SAME (843-2763) or email [email protected].
WARMING TREND: Are defense relations between the United States and Germany warming only two months after a bitter standoff over U.S. statements on Iraq? Defense Department Secretary Donald Rumsfeld hosted his German counterpart, Minister of Defense Peter Struck, at a Pentagon ceremony and press conference Nov. 8. In September, Rumsfeld refused to meet with Struck during a defense ministerial meeting in Poland, which came amid Germany's close political elections that featured high-level protests against the U.S. policy on Iraq and the war on terror.
PRAGUE - Slovak defense officials told the DAILY Nov. 8 that the country's air defense capability has not been compromised, despite the loss of two of its 23 MiG-29s in a crash Nov. 6. A 39-year-old pilot was killed in the accident, which took place on a night-training flight near Spisske Tomasovce. The other pilot ejected and was rescued after several hours. "The accident has not affected our air defense capabilities," said defense spokesman Frantisek Kasicky.
HORNET STRIKE: The F/A-18E Super Hornet participated in its first combat action Nov. 6, when aircraft from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired on Iraqi targets, the Navy said Nov. 7.
RECORD ACTIVITY: A record number of merger and acquisition deals should be signed in the aerospace and defense industry over the next few quarters "due to the sheer volume of transactions necessary for consolidating the defense industry 'food chain,'" according to Quarterdeck Investment Partners Chairman and CEO Jon Kutler. But the value of merger deals will begin to decline late in 2003 as the number of sellers increases dramatically and the number of buyers remains constant and more focused, he says. Quarterdeck also expects "U.S.
Spacehab Inc. said Nov. 8 that its net loss for the first quarter of 2003 narrowed from one year ago, as revenues for the quarter rose. Net loss for the quarter, which ended Sept. 30, totaled $94,000, compared with $2.8 million a year ago at this time. Revenue for the quarter rose from $22.2 million a year ago to $26.8 million this year. Company officials also said nearly $2.6 million in debt was repaid during the quarter. The company's total debt as of Sept. 30 stood at $22.8 million.
LAME DUCK: When Congress returns Nov. 12 for its post-election lame duck session, lawmakers will try to complete several bills with aerospace implications, including the fiscal 2003 defense authorization and intelligence authorization bills, both of which are before House-Senate conference committees. Lawmakers still have to decide whether they will finish the FY '03 NASA appropriations bill in the lame duck session or wait until the new 108th Congress takes office in early calendar 2003.
PRAGUE - Czech aircraft producer Aero Vodochody appears to be closing in on its first overseas sale after displaying its L-159B in Kenya. The company said it had received a "positive response" from Kenyan officials after the aircraft was displayed at Laikipia air force base last week. Talks are continuing with Kenya for the sale of up to eight L-159s, Aero officials said.
