HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Rivals Lockheed Martin and Boeing are locked in a duel to nab what is likely the single largest pot of money up for grabs at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in the coming years. It is roughly $10 billion worth of work if all 10 years of options are exercised for overseeing the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program, including development of new capabilities, flight testing, sustainment and disposal if systems become too old to operate.
MRAP DISPLAY: General Dynamics Canada has received an order for more than 1,000 Smart Display Units (SDU) for U.S. Army Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The order represents the first use of General Dynamics Canada’s technology on the MRAP platform, the company says. The SD7310 display includes a 10.4-in. ruggedized computer and high-resolution touch-screen.
BENGALURU, India — The four-day Bengaluru Space Expo 2010 opens Aug. 25 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Center. The space summit was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries in association with Antrix Corporation and the Indian Space Research Organization. The Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Defense Research and Development Organization also are supporting the event. A much-anticipated Leaders Forum on Space (LFS) is scheduled for opening day, organizers say.
September 29-30, 2010 ExCeL, London, UK Learn to maintain military assets longer; sustain aircraft beyond forecast; recover from budget cuts, delays and program cancellations, and develop new strategies required to deliver and support equipment. Learn more at www.aviationweek.com/events
Intelsat sees strong enough demand in the coming decade to add 20 25-KHz. ultra-high-frequency channels beyond those for which it already has customers on Intelsat-27, a Boeing 702MP satellite due for launch sometime after 2012. IS-27 will be the second spacecraft in the 702MP group carrying hosted payloads, those not dedicated to the satellite’s primary customer. Intelsat’s purchase launched the midsize version of the 702 series in July 2009.
DENVER — AeroVironment is “in a position today to actually segue into low-rate production” of the Global Observer unmanned aerial system (UAS), which is designed to stay aloft in the stratosphere for days, not hours, according to Steven Gitlin, a company spokesman. Better known for small UAS such as the Raven, AeroVironment has conducted three flights of the large, high-flying Global Observer, which is supposed to operate for seven days carrying 400 lb. of payload (Aerospace DAILY, Aug. 16).
The U.S. Army’s equivalent of AAA road service is getting a pick-me-up from military action in Afghanistan. The country’s rough terrain and the growing reliance on ground logistics is creating a need for BAE Systems’ M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (Hercules) by U.S. forces, particularly the Marine Corps.
BENGALURU, India — The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is gearing up to launch the 2,000-kg. GSAT-5P communication satellite in October using a Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), an ISRO official tells AVIATION WEEK.
Federal officials announced Aug. 23 that they are renaming the National Nuclear Security Administration’s famed Nevada Test Site to better reflect “the diversity of nuclear, energy and homeland security activities being conducted there.” The 1,360-sq.-mi. facility 65 mi. northwest of Las Vegas will henceforth be called the “Nevada National Security Site” (NNSS).
The U.S. Air Force needs to do a better job overseeing its time-and-materials contracts in Southwest Asia, the Pentagon Inspector General (IG) says. USAF failed to ensure that $120.8 million in contracts met federal procurement regulations, the IG says in its report, released Aug. 16.
DENVER — Boeing/Insitu says a small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor has been integrated onto the ScanEagle unmanned aerial system (UAS) and is ready for sale. The small sensor, made by ImSAR, is also being eyed for the Integrator, selected last month by the U.S. Navy, which is buying a small fleet of the systems for use on ships and land (Aerospace DAILY, July 30).
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has again slipped a critical flight test for the 747-400F-based Airborne Laser. The most recent attempt was to be between midnight and 4 a.m. Aug. 24. But the trial was slipped due to unsuccessful tracking-beam calibration engagements by the aircraft against a surrogate target. “The calibrations must be successfully completed prior to firing the aircraft’s main directed energy beam,” according to an MDA announcement.
The U.S. Navy has pushed back its contract award date for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) again, announcing it will make its source selection “as expeditiously as practicable.” The Navy asked bidders to hand in final proposal revisions by September, and those proposals will “remain valid for 90 days.” That extension allows the service an additional three months to continue conversations before making a firm decision. Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics have been in heated competition on the LCS program, and both have produced prototypes.
BENGALURU, India — India’s National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), a critical facility under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, is ready with a firm five-year plan to develop micro air vehicles (MAVs). Shyam Chetty, senior scientist and head of the Flight Mechanics and Control Division at NAL, tells AVIATION WEEK that a two-pronged strategy will be adopted for MAVs.
AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, was awarded a $111,386,931 contract modification to provide sustainment for the F-22 program for calendar year 2010. At this time, $241,645,563 has been obligated. ASC/WWUK,Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting agency (FA8611-08-C-2897 P00049).
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency again canceled a flight test of the Boeing 747-400F-based Airborne Laser (ABL) over the weekend due to a cooling system matter for a camera in the aircraft’s missile tracking system. The flight test was slated for Aug. 17 and then slipped to Aug. 21 for the same reason. Missile Defense Agency spokesman Rick Lehner said officials were aiming for a window between midnight and 4 a.m. Aug. 24.
Bengaluru, India — India’s increasing emphasis on micro air vehicles (MAVs) will create much-needed synergies between agencies working in similar fields, an MAV official says. P.S. Krishnan, director of India’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), also believes Indian scientists need to be imaginative when working with MAVs.
LOS ANGELES — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has successfully completed a high-altitude drop test of its Dragon spacecraft, the last major test of the parachute systems before the launch of the first operational vehicle.
SHIP SHAPE: The U.K. expects to commission the Astute submarine on Friday, Aug. 27. The nuclear-powered submarine is the first of six on contract with BAE Systems, with a stated plan to grow the fleet to seven vessels. The fielding milestone will culminate what has been one of the U.K.’s most challenging defense acquisition programs and, along with the Nimrod MRA4, a financial headache for BAE Systems. Construction of the first Astute began in early 2001.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Pentagon must make a major decision in December 2011 on whether to proceed with fielding the Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA) missile defense architecture based in Europe. A key hurdle next spring will be testing the Aegis ship-based Raytheon SM-3 Block IA against its longest-range target to date, an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
