AEROSTAR WIN: The Polish defense ministry has selected the Aeronautics Defense System Aerostar unmanned aircraft to meet an urgent operational need for the military to support deployed forces. The Aerostar beat out two other Israeli rivals — Elbit’s Hermes 450 and Israel Aerospace Industries’ Searcher III. The government used a bidding process to whittle down the cost of the system to 89 million zlotys ($31 million) from 144 million zlotys, the defense ministry says.
NEW DELHI — Sweden-based Saab and India’s Samtel Display Systems (SDS), which specializes in products for avionics and military applications, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop, manufacture and market the RIGS Head-Up Displays (HUDs) in India. RIGS is an advanced lightweight HUD designed by Saab to provide helicopters with a cost-effective display solution.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. recently announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Danish company Terma A/S on a potential MH-60R Seahawk helicopter procurement, which would add to the growing list of Black Hawk variants flying around the world. The MOU will “explore potential collaborations if the Danish government decides to procure MH-60R Seahawk helicopters,” according to Sikorsky. The Danes are evaluating several alternatives for a replacement maritime helicopter, including the MH-60R.
LONDON — Britain needs to re-examine the extent of its reliance on “third-party capabilities” for military space, according to the chief of the Royal Air Force (RAF), while also revisiting national investment ambitions in this arena. Air Chief Marshal Steve Dalton also took the opportunity during a Feb. 15 speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies to attempt to put air and space power center stage in the forthcoming Strategic Defense Review (SDR).
Astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) and the visiting space shuttle Endeavour relocated a docking cone to the open end of the new Tranquility node on the evening of Feb. 15, leaving the pressurized facility in its final configuration after a week of assembly.
A Northrop Grumman radar that can track individuals on foot over a wide area is to be deployed operationally by U.S. forces in Afghanistan to aid the fight against improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (Vader) is a podded active electronically scanned array designed to be carried by unmanned aircraft and smaller manned surveillance platforms (Aerospace DAILY, Feb. 9).
U.S. defense officials have handed a major contracting victory to Oshkosh Corp., announcing recently that the company will continue to provide the Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) despite significant protests from more established competitors.
NEW DELHI — Boeing is looking further ahead in the Indian defense procurement and development market as it now enters the third and final phase of field trials for the proposed F/A-18IN for India’s 126 Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition.
LAUNCH AWARDS: International Launch Services (ILS) has been picked to orbit SES-3, the third in a batch of four spacecraft being procured by SES from Orbital Sciences Corp., and KazSat-2, a Ku-band spacecraft being built by Khrunichev for Kazakhstan. KazSat-2 will replace an initial Kazakh spacecraft that failed in orbit in 2008. The 3-metric ton SES-3, which will replace existing spacecraft over the Americas, and the 1.3-ton KazSat-2 will be orbited together in 2011 in the first dual-launch mission for ILS.
FOUR OF SIX: Boeing has completed the satellite bus and payload module for the fourth of the six Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) spacecraft it is building for the U.S. Air Force. WGS-4 is the first of a Block II upgrade that includes additional bandwidth to support operations such as field command of unmanned aircraft.
ATHENA-FIDUS: Thales Alenia Space will build the dual-use broadband satellite Athena-Fidus, intended to supply high-speed, low-security-level traffic to French and Italian forces. Arianespace was chosen to launch the 3-metric-ton satellite, which will carry separate French and Italian payloads built to commercial DVB-RCS and DVB-S2 standards and is slated to be orbited in 2013. The awards, for 240 million euros ($330 million) to be shared equally by the two nations, followed the conclusion of a bilateral agreement between Paris and Rome at year’s end.
BEST PRACTICE: The Defense Department will develop a more comprehensive estimate of long-term operating and support costs for its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), on the recommendation of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). In a recent report, GAO assessed the extent to which DOD had properly estimated those costs and whether the department had developed plans to operate and support the ships. The Navy plans to spend about $28 billion buying 55 LCS and at least 64 interchangeable mission packages.
NEW OFFICE: After embarrassing issues with its submarine fleet and questions over a contentious replacement effort, Australian officials say they will open a new sub program office in Adelaide next month. The move follows discussions between the Navy, the Defense Material Organization and contractor ASC “on how better results can be achieved,” according to Greg Combet, minister for defense personnel, materiel and science. “The government has made clear to all parties involved in the maintenance of the Collins-class submarines that we expect better results.
A Feb. 11 story on General Atomics contained some inaccurate figures. The company recently acquired another 200,000 square foot facility, and is hiring new employees at a rate of 40 per month.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Airborne Laser (ABL) has successfully engaged its first ballistic missile with its powerful chemical laser, shooting it down and demonstrating the concept of using high-powered lasers to destroy such threats in their boost phase of flight.
FIGHTER FINESSING: The Brazilian government may find a way to skirt the approaching deadline to make its F-X2 fighter decision. With general elections due in October, a moratorium on big announcements such as the fighter program begins in April. However, the Brazilian government is considering establishing a fighter procurement funding line in its current budget before then, essentially to make the F-X2 a program of record. That way, the actual type selection could come even after April, industry officials suggest.
NEW DELHI — India is making a significant change in its defense industrial policy in the next two months, adding a new Defense Production Procedure (DPP) under its present Make category. The Make category was introduced to provide a framework for increased participation by Indian industry in the defense sector. But it did not take off as there was no financial boost to the industry for research and development (R&D), as well as uncertainty over orders from the military.
JSF BASING: The Norwegian defense ministry next month will kick off the process to determine where it will base the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter once it is delivered. The basing selection is seen as important, both because of the potential noise implications for the local community, and also the spending effect the new infrastructure project will have. Bodø, Orland and Evenes, or a combination thereof, are named as candidates. The final recommendation is due to go to parliament this year.
Spacewalking astronauts Nick Patrick and Bob Behnken worked closely with colleagues Terry Virts, Kay Hire and Steve Robinson to get the third and final pressurized node attached to the International Space Station (ISS) on the evening of Feb. 11, setting up a week of work activating and outfitting the module and installing its panoramic cupola.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Feb. 17 — AFCEA International Federal Networks 2010, Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, McLean, Va. For more information go to www.afcea.org Feb. 17 - 18 — AVIATION WEEK Defense Technology and Requirements Conference, Washington, D.C. For more information go to http://www.aviationweek.com/conferences
METEOSAT CONTROVERSY: OHB and Thales Alenia Space reportedly will supply six spacecraft for Europe’s Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) geostationary weather forecasting satellite system under a €1.5-billion contract. The win, over EADS Astrium, is provoking charges that the European Space Agency (ESA) did not fully respect procedures in its selection process. Astrium also lost to OHB in the contest to supply the first batch of Galileo satellites.
Intelsat’s latest geostationary satellite, Intelsat 16, is being checked out in orbit following its successful launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 7:40 p.m. EST Feb. 11 (6:39 a.m. local time). After a 9-hour 34-minute mission, the rocket’s Breeze M upper stage successfully released Intelsat 16 into a near-geostationary orbit, according to a statement from launch manager International Launch Services (ILS). The spacecraft then used its onboard thrusters to maneuver to its geostationary orbit location at 58 degrees West Longitude.
