Last year's failure of the composite liquid hydrogen tank for the X-33 reusable launch vehicle testbed doesn't necessarily mean lightweight composite tanks can't handle cryogenic propellants in future spacecraft, industry and government experts agree.
ITT Federal Services International Corporation, Colorado Springs, Colo., is being awarded an indefinite delivery requirements contract to operate and maintain a voice switching, data routing, and local distribution network linking U.S. forces base camps located in Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia supporting the Stabilization Force (SFOR) mission. The estimated value of the contract over its two-year base and three one-year option periods is $74,215,305. Contract will be awarded with no funds obligated.
Boeing Co.'s Space&Communications Group (S&C), based in Seal Beach, Calif., is launching a new organization to help government customers to keep up with the rapidly evolving communication and information technology markets. "Today, more than ever, government customers require -- and deserve -- integrated information and communications systems solutions that maximize existing and planned architectures," said Jim Albaugh, S&C president.
Hughes Space and Communications Co. announced receipt of the tenth order for its Hughes 702 model spacecraft. The satellite, called Anik F2, will be the 11th satellite built by Hughes for Telesat Canada. Financial details were not disclosed, but Hughes said Anik F2 is slated to join its sister satellite, Anik F1, in late 2002. Anik F1, Telesat Canada's first 702 model, is scheduled for launch this summer. Anik F2 will offer fixed satellite services across North America using 108 active transponders, 52 of them in Ka-band.
Nav Canada increased second quarter and six-month revenues and said it is looking at another year of more than $100 million in capital investment as it gears up for a 35% growth in instrument flight movements by 2008. Second quarter revenues rose to $208 million from $201 million, while expenses remained level at $714 million. President John Crichton said the company is "now well positioned for a strategy shift from cost reduction to cost control." Six-month revenues rose to $437 million from $443 million.
Orbital Sciences Corp. said there will be a further delay in release of its revamped financial statements. The Dulles, Va., company has been working with auditors to restate expenses related to two space launch vehicles, the Pegasus and Taurus, which were capitalized in 1995 and 1996. Orbital announced the original delay late last month, but was expected to post the restatements by April 14.
BFGoodrich is putting its Performance Materials unit up for sale in order to grow its Aerospace and Industrial Engineered products businesses, reduce debt and support the share buyback program. "From a strategic and shareholder perspective, we believe the best course is to focus our resources on our Aerospace and Industrial segments," said David L. Burner, chairman and CEO.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $6,200,000 modification to definitize a previously awarded letter contract (N00019-97-C-0099) to a firm-fixed-price contract. This modification provides additional funding for the production and installation of one F/A-18E/F tactical operational flight trainer with smart weapons capability at the Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan, including training. Work will be performed in Arlington, Texas (80%); St. Louis, Mo.
Boeing North American, Inc., Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a $17,931,553 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the design, development, fabrication, test and delivery of four virtual aircraft imaging and tracking systems for CV and LH class ships. Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif., and is expected to be completed by June 2004. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured by a request for proposal with 24 proposals solicited and five offers received.
Raytheon Electronics Systems, Naval&Maritime Integrated Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $12,977,659 firm-fixed-price contract for 115 MK48 Advance Capability MODS Torpedo kits, which include the following: first article units, proofing support, turnaround kits, engineering services as necessary, provisioned item orders as necessary and engineering change proposals as necessary. Work will be performed in Keyport, Wash., and is expected to be completed by July 2001. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
FLIGHTSAFETY Boeing Training International received its first 737-700/800 full-flight simulator for its Palma Training Center in Spain. FSBTI will own and operate two 737 simulators within facilities of Globalia Formacion.
After more than ten hours of talks called by federal mediators over the weekend, representatives of Lockheed Martin and the International Association of Machinists in Fort Worth, Tex., walked away from the negotiating table. No further discussions are scheduled, a Lockheed Martin spokesman said. Noting that the company tried to work with the union "in the overall framework" of the previous contract offer, he said company negotiators were unsuccessful in ending the strike that began on April 10.
Raytheon Company, Goleta, Calif., is being awarded a $5,437,361 modification to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for 298 modification kits (149 depot installation, 149 field installation) applicable to the AN/ALQ-184 electronic attack pod on the F-15, F-16, and A-10 aircraft. These kits upgrade the pods from versions seven and eight to version 11. Expected contract completion date is September, 2001. Solicitation issue date was July 25, 1996. Negotiation completion date was Sept. 9, 1996.
Computer Sciences Corp. will team up with Sweden's Saab AB to offer information technology services to aerospace and other security clients in Sweden. "A key factor in our relationship with Saab is CSC's very strong and effective experience in the aerospace and defense industry," said Van B. Honeycutt, chairman, president and CEO of CSC. "And, we're committed to provide the very best solutions and value to Saab."
Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr finalized the details last week of a $1.5 million medium-term guarantee from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to buy 11 sets of Honeywell traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS) for its fleet of cargo aircraft.
Raytheon will walk away with between $800 million and $820 million under an agreement to sell its engineering and construction subsidiary to Morrison Knudsen Corp. of Boise, Idaho. Last week, Raytheon said it was ready to sell its Constructors&Engineers unit, noting that it was not "central" to the company's business strategy.
A Northrop Grumman spokesman said yesterday that the company has tapped Salomon Smith Barney to help determine what to do with its commercial aerostructures operations. The business, representing about $1.4 billion in sales, falls under Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures (ISA) sector. The spokesman confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that the company "is in discussions with interested parties" about the operation, but he would not elaborate on the nature or stage of any potential talks.
Northrop Grumman Corp., Melborne, Fla., is being awarded a $40,304,979 cost-plus-incentive contract to provide research and development for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System. The effort encompasses provisions for all analysis, system engineering and design, development, fabrication, testing, qualification, operation and maintenance training, documentation, and management required to support this effort as well as all materials, software, and services necessary to ensure successful performance of this program.
Aero Simulation, Inc., Tampa, Fla., is being awarded a $12,091,118 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of one VH-3D and one VH-60N Aircrew Procedures Trainer for the U.S. Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1), including associated support and data. Work will be performed in Tampa, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 2002. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 17 proposals solicited and three offers received.
Northrop Grumman Corp., Baltimore, Md., is being awarded a $52,179,753 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for 24 AN/APG-68(V)8 fire control radar systems and 11 lots of spares applicable to the F-16 aircraft. This effort supports foreign military sales to Egypt. Expected contract completion date is Dec. 31, 2001. Solicitation issue date was April29, 1999. Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-99-C-0029-PZ0001).
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., energized by the U.S. Army's new requirement for 1,200 Comanche helicopters and 323 new Black Hawks and ready to move more aggressively into domestic and international markets, said it is poised to rebound from a worldwide industry slump. Dean C. Borgman, president of the United Technologies company, outlined a plan that he said will improve operations to take advantage of opportunities in the worldwide market.
Aerospace/Defense Stock Box As of closing April 17, 2000 United States Close Change Dow Jones 10582.51 276.74 NASDAQ 3539.16 217.87 S&P500 1401.44 44.88 AARCorp 16.38 0.13 Aersonic 9.38 -0.25 AllTech 61.50 0.81 Aviall 5.19 -0.81
Italian state defense and engineering group Finmeccanica chose European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) as a partner for its aircraft manufacturing subsidiary Alenia, rather than Britain's BAE Systems. The agreement, announced Friday in Rome, gives Finmeccanica an option to buy 5% of Airbus Integrated Company (AIC), which will be created when EADS and BAE Systems finalize the merger of their Airbus manufacturing operations. The option is good for three years, commencing at the creation of AIC.
Russia is moving ahead on schedule to launch the critical Zvezda Service Module to the International Station in July, even as President Vladimir Putin gives lip service to keeping the aging Mir station in operation (DAILY, April 14). Khrunichev Space Production Center near Moscow has started assembling the modified Proton rocket that will launch Zvezda, with completion set for mid-May and delivery to the Baikonur Cosmodrome about two weeks after that.
