PARIS — Space managers in Europe say improvements contemplated for the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and the International Space Station (ISS) would sharply increase its cargo volume while offering a more realistic cost comparison with a proposed Advanced Reentry Vehicle (ARV) derivative.
ST. DIZIER, France — France has stood up a squadron of Rafale F3 multirole fighters at its big fighter base at St. Dizier, in Eastern France, to train pilots transitioning to the new combat aircraft.
LONDON — Although the U.K. defense industry is still bracing for significant program cuts when the government’s strategic and spending review is revealed next week, there are growing indications the calamitous reductions once feared will not materialize. At one point, defense industry representatives were bracing for cuts in defense spending well above 20% of current outlays, but recent indications are that the figure will be less severe. A cut in spending of 10% or less is now expected, several industry officials say.
GENOA, Italy — Finmeccanica’s efforts to stave off a forced wedding with Fincantieri appear to be failing, with Rome increasingly intent on finding a home for the troubled state-owned shipbuilder.
BEIJING — Chinese mission controllers have braked the Chang’e 2 lunar probe to bring it into an initial orbit around the Moon, with the aim of reducing its velocity twice more to place the spacecraft on its operational track. One of the chief aims of the mission is to achieve an orbit of 100 km. (60 mi.) with a period of 118 min. The initial orbit lasts 12 hr.
BENGALURU, India — India is developing a satellite-based detection radar system to track vessels as part of the country’s effort to beef up coastal security. The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) is developing the radar for coastal security. These measures are now being initiated following the 2008 terrorist attacks in which terrorists entered Mumbai through the sea route.
NEW DELHI — Russia and India are moving fast on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said Oct. 7 following the 10th Meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation here. Military cooperation between the two countries is defined through an umbrella intergovernmental agreement covering 2011-2020. The document was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Russia in December of last year.
NEW DELHI — India’s domestically developed airborne early warning and control system is taking a big step forward with the first of three modified Brazilian EMB-145s headed for flight trials. The preliminary testing, due to kick off in the next two months, will be carried out in Brazil by Embraer and a team from the Indian air force’s Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in association with Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil and its Indian counterpart, the Center for Military Airthworthiness and Certification (Cemilac).
PARIS — Mexican President Felipe Calderon says Mexico is planning a $1.5-billion national dual-use communications satellite system. Speaking at the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) plenipotentiary conference, which opened in Guadalajara, Mexico on Oct. 4, Calderon said the system will serve to improve the nation’s telecommunications network, in particular by providing connectivity to remote rural areas, and reinforce national security.
ISRAELI JSF: Israeli Ministry of Defense Director Udi Shani formally signed a letter of offer and acceptance for the country’s first purchase of F-35s on Oct. 7. Israel is the first foreign military sales customer for the single-engine stealthy aircraft made by Lockheed Martin. The $2.75 billion sale includes 19 aircraft for an average cost of $144 million. There is an option for 25 more fighters. Israeli officials say there will be about $4 billion worth of offsets for the country’s industry.
LONDON — The Brazilian government is confirming that no decision will be taken on the F-X2 fighter program until November, after the country’s presidential election process is concluded. Candidate Dilma Rousseff, championed by retiring President Lula da Silva, is in a runoff against Jose Serra after failing to win an absolute majority in the first round of the elections Oct. 3. The runoff is set to be held Oct. 31.
MOSCOW — The first production Ilyushin Il-76MF military transport plane has completed its first flight. The Il-76MF is a stretched version of the four-engine Il-76MD transport plane in service with the Russian air force. Jordan is the launch customer, with an order for two units.
HOUSTON — NASA space shuttle program managers approved a Nov. 1 launch date for the 11-day STS-133 mission aboard the shuttle Discovery, following a Oct. 6 review of mission preparations. John Shannon, the shuttle program manager, received a unanimous “go” from the team members to continue with launch preparations.
Montreal-based CMC Electronics will provide its CMA-9000 flight management system (FMS) for the Boeing-led avionics upgrade of the U.S. Air Force’s 59-strong KC-10 fleet. The first tanker is scheduled to be modified and flight tested in 2012 at Boeing’s facility in San Antonio, with delivery of the final KC-10 modification expected in 2015.
LONDON — In advance of the Royal Australian Air Force’s receipt of its first Airbus A330-based Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) in the coming weeks, Spanish military authorities have provided the aircraft’s military type certificate. The RAAF is due to receive two of its five KC-30A MRTTs this year.
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The inability of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to provide the proper oversight of a contractor security program helped allow contractors to illegally retain security clearances at sensitive jobs in Kuwait, the Pentagon Inspector General (IG) says. “CSSC-K [Combat Support Services Contract-Kuwait] contractor employees worked in sensitive positions without the required security clearance,” the IG says in its September report.
LONDON — U.K. Defense Secretary Liam Fox reaffirmed the British government’s commitment to maintain the Trident replacement program but shed little new light on the ongoing Strategic Defense and Security Review while speaking at the Conservative Party’s congress. In his address, Fox notes that economic circumstances are constraining the ambitions he has for defense. Nevertheless, he says, “we have to be willing to invest” to field forces that can be adaptive and handle a range of scenarios.
NASA has given a thumbs-up in its mission confirmation review process for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (Maven) project, heading it toward a 2013 launch.
The Defense Department’s decision to decertify Lockheed Martin’s premier Fort Worth fighter assembly facility for poor auditing has caught company officials off guard. “We were surprised by this action,” says Joe Stout, a company spokesman. “We have a corrective action plan in place that the Defense Contract Management Agency accepted on June 30, and we have been executing tasks on schedule in accordance with the plan.”
NEW DELHI — Price negotiations will begin soon for 99 General Electric F414 fighter jet engines selected to power the Mk II version of the Indian Air Force’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). India’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) awarded the contract on Oct. 1, and it is expected to be signed in a few months (Aerospace DAILY, Oct. 1).
BENGALURU, India — Signaling the end of the monopoly enjoyed by Indian government-owned Defense Public Sector Units, Minister of State for Defense M.M. Pallam Raju has asked DPSUs to shift gears and compete for defense manufacturing work. Pallam’s comments are significant in light of increased participation of private players in the defense and aerospace sectors.
