Boosted by strong sales of fighter and transport aircraft, Lockheed Martin Corp. said its net income more than doubled for the second quarter. Net earnings for the quarter totaled $339 million, compared with $144 million a year ago. Net sales for the quarter rose 11 percent over the same period last year, from $5.7 billion in 2001 to $6.3 billion this year.
NEW DELHI - India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has been given approval to begin work with Russian companies on the Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA). A July 17 Indian ministry of defense statement said HAL officials signed an agreement with Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association and Rosoboronexport in June, and that "a joint detailed product report is under preparation."
The Senate Appropriations Committee was meeting at presstime July 18 to consider a fiscal 2003 defense appropriations bill that adds $188 million to the Army's aircraft procurement request, including $96 million for additional Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.
Industry-to-industry European aerospace exports to the United States equaled imports from there in 2001, according to Jean-Paul Bechat, president of the European Association of Aerospace Industries (AECMA). "After years in which imports from U.S. industry have always exceeded exports to U.S. industry, the figures are in balance in 2001," Bechat said at a Paris press conference last week held to announce European aerospace statistics for 2001.
The United Arab Emirates has requested an upgrade to its Apache helicopters and the purchase of related equipment, a deal that could top $1.5 billion in value, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress July 17. UAE has requested the remanufacture of 30 AH-64A Apache helicopters to the AH-64D Longbow model, DSCA said. The proposed sale also includes 32 each of fire control radars, radar frequency interferometers, T-700-GE-701C engines and target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors.
Policies governing the European aerospace industry are too fragmented to bridge the gap between capabilities and ambitions, according to a new report. "A coherent, long-term perspective is essential for planning and investment" by Europe's aerospace industry, says the report, entitled "Strategic Aerospace Review for the 21st Century," or STAR 21.
Forecast International/DMS has once again selected Krauss-Maffei Wegmann's Leopard 2 tank as the world's number one overall tank, beating out General Dynamics' M1A2 Abrams tank. The Leopard 2 has been improving steadily over the years, according to senior weapons analyst Gregory Fetter, and the newest A6EX version maintains the lead. "The Leopard 2 just edged out the United States' M1A2 system enhancement package tank," Fetter said in a statement.
NEW DELHI - Pakistan has begun a military exercise, its largest ever, which includes forces from its army, navy and air force. The objective of the Sabit Kadam II exercise, which began July 16 and is due to last 10 days, is to review the performance and planning of the domestic forces, code named Blueland, against mock enemy forces, code named Foxland. About one million troops from India and Pakistan are massed along the border and standing on alert since December, raising the threat of another war between the nuclear neighbors.
MOSCOW - Sukhoi fighters will not fly to the Farnborough air show to avoid being impounded by the embittered Swiss firm Noga, the company's director said July 17. "For the first time in the last 12 years, Russian combat aircraft will not be represented at the Farnborough air show," Pogosyan said at a news conference. "We are not going to take the risk of our planes' arrest, so the AVPK Sukhoi leadership made a decision not to participate in the flight demonstrations in Farnborough."
ANNIVERSARY: NASA and the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum will partner with the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission to plan activities for the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight next year. Congress created the commission to expand interest in commemorating 100 years of powered flight.
While lauding FAA's initiative to develop new communications technologies that will support future air traffic management needs, a July 15 report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) recommends the agency assess the possible impact of emerging technologies on the effort. FAA uses radios to provide voice and data communications for pilots and air traffic controllers to coordinate operations. Anticipated growth in air traffic soon will require more channels for voice communication than FAA's current systems can handle, according to the report.
U.S. intelligence agencies should tap "data mining" technology developed by the private sector to improve their ability to process intelligence information, according to Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence terrorism subcommittee. "There is no possible way, period, that human beings can translate all of the noise that is picked up with the technology that we have," Harman said July 17. "What we need are more intelligent systems to target those gems that we do need to know about in real time."
Despite strong sales from its Military Aircraft and Missile Systems division, the Boeing Co. reported a 7 percent drop in earnings for the second quarter. Company officials reported net earnings of $751 million on sales of $13.9 billion for the quarter, compared with earnings of $804 million on sales of $15.5 billion for the same period last year. The earnings reflect a one-time gain of $45 million from the sale of the company's ordnance unit to Alliant Techsystems.
A July 16 story on the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 program incorrectly stated the production schedule. PAC-3 is expected to enter full-rate production in 2003.
SATELLITE PDR: AeroAstro Inc. recently completed a successful preliminary design review of the STPSat-1, which it is building for the Air Force under a $12 million contract awarded in 2001. The PDR included reviews of the space vehicle system-level architecture, subsystem-level engineering and mission operations. STPSat-1, based on a low-risk design and existing components, is slated for launch in 2006 on a Delta IV booster.
The House Armed Services Committee, which is scheduled to finish a $10 billion "cost of war" bill July 18, is expected to consider making an additional $200 million available for ammunition, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and Hellfire missiles, according to congressional documents and sources.
Boosted by sales from its recently acquired Newport News Shipbuilding unit, Northrop Grumman Corp. reported a 20 percent increase in sales revenue for the second quarter.
BEARING INSPECTION INC., Los Alamitos, Calif. David Heminger has been named president and chief executive officer, replacing Alan Sanderson. BOEING, Chicago. The Hon. Andrew Peacock, AC, has been named as president of Boeing-Australia. DYNCORP, Reston, Va. Claude M. DeBruhl has been named a senior vice president of the Systems & Solutions unit, overseeing human resources functions.
Future Combat Systems subcontractor Robotic Technology Inc. of Potomac, Md., is helping FCS lead systems integrators Boeing and SAIC define the evolving role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within the Army brigade of the future. FCS will be a network-centric system of ground, air, manned, and unmanned platforms that could be fielded by the Army as early as 2008. Robotic Technology was among the first 30 companies to be awarded FCS contracts last month.
A Defense Department study has recommended canceling the final two satellites in Lockheed Martin's Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program and embarking on a new satellite communications system that could transmit 10 times as much data as current systems.
Lockheed Martin has delivered the first pilot training system of a four-ship F-16 Mission Training Center to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. The other three systems will be delivered in coming weeks, and all four will be integrated in August, making Shaw the first base to field a networked four-ship F-16 MTC, Lockheed Martin said. The company won a $176 million contract in June 1999 to build F-16 MTCs.
