Continuing problems with a vernier thruster on its Delta II launch vehicle have delayed the start of NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Surveyor Explorer (WISE) mission until Monday, Dec. 14. Workers at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., were to replace a suspect component Dec. 11 in the thruster mechanism, which isn’t properly moving the steering jet, to clear the way for a new launch date at 9:09 a.m. EST Monday. Originally set for launch on Dec. 9, the mission has been delayed both by weather at the California site and by the thruster anomaly.
BEIJING China launched its seventh Yaogan remote sensing satellite on Dec. 9, barely a year after putting the fourth of the series into orbit. “It will be mainly used for scientific experiment, land resources survey, crop yield estimates and disaster prevention and reduction,” says the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, without mentioning potential military uses.
FLAG WAIVING: The Pentagon is waiving U.S. legal limitations on more defense items produced in the U.K. They include air circuit breakers, welded shipboard anchor and mooring chains with a diameter of four inches or less, gyrocompasses, electronic navigation chart systems, steering controls, pumps, propulsion and machinery control systems, and totally enclosed lifeboats. Such waivers are legally encouraged with favored allies like Britain, with which the U.S. has had a defense trade memorandum of understanding (MOU) since 1975.
FULL STEAM: The world market for military naval vessels and equipment is forecast at more than $200 billion over the next 10 years, according to a report by IQPC. The market includes surface combatants, submarines and underwater warfare systems, as well as weapons, sensors and C4I equipment. The largest growth will be in offshore patrol vessels, but there are also many destroyer, frigate and corvette programs under way or planned, the report says. U.S.
As the U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey fleet expands, the program office asserts it is steadily tackling readiness and reliability issues that have plagued the tiltrotor aircraft, while continuing to grow the effort.
ARLINGTON, Va. — By March 10, 2010, the U.S. Air Force will have determined the scope of its next-generation UAV program, or MQ-X, according to Air Force Col. Eric Mathewson, director of the service’s UAV task force.
NASA plans to begin opening the telescope cavity door on its Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia) aircraft in-flight for the first time later this month following the successful completion of a functional check sortie from Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., on Dec. 9.
The U.K. government has decided to create a dedicated space agency. Space activities had previously been coordinated by the British National Space Center (BNSC), with responsibility for budgets and policy spread among a half dozen departments, two research councils, the technology strategy board and the weather office. The new agency, announced Dec. 10 by Science and Innovation Minister Lord Paul Drayson, who is in charge of space, will replace the BNSC and bring together all the different bodies involved in space for the first time.
PARIS — France has contracted with Thales Communications and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate delivery of new medium and very high rate protected ground stations for its Syracuse III secure military communications satellite system, and to modernize an overseas communications facility for the system.
NEW YORK — Improved confidence in the performance of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) new midcourse tracking anti-ballistic missile satellites is allowing Navy officials to curtail ambitious requirements for their next-generation cruiser program. This will allow for development of a less expensive system, which is more likely to garner support as the Pentagon is stretched to continue funding wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
RECEIVERS RECEIVED: Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. has delivered 18 GPS receivers to Sierra Nevada Corp. for integration in Orbcomm’s 18-spacecraft Second-Generation mobile satellite system, which provides asset tracking and other communications services. The receivers, which provide time, position and velocity data, will be used for onboard orbit determination. Sierra Nevada is prime contractor for Orbcomm 2, which is to be orbited starting late next year.
ARLINGTON, Va. — As a first step in fleshing out a new operational concept, the U.S. Army is fielding a so-called “tool kit” of small UAVs to a single brigade based in Afghanistan. The service is responding to requests from the field for Ravens to fly higher and longer, and to have the flexibility to fly a smaller platform if necessary. As the Army works its way through the official acquisition process, it is testing the concept in the field first.
MORE UTILITY: The U.S. Army has awarded EADS a $247 million, five-year contract for its Lakota Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The contract funds Fiscal 2010 production of 45 UH-72A Lakotas to be delivered through June 2011, bringing the total Army order to 178. To date, 93 Lakotas have been delivered to the Army. A total of 345 are expected to be acquired through 2015 for Army and National Guard operations.
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he would like to formally seek his chamber’s ratification of export reform treaties with the U.K. and Australia, and that it would behoove the Obama administration to wrap up some lingering questions on the groundbreaking deals as soon as possible. “This has really kind of dragged on and is something we need to resolve, one way or another,” Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said Dec. 10 to State and Justice Department officials in a hearing over the 2007 treaties. “This is overdue, in my judgment.”
Positive reports are streaming in from U.S. Marines flying newly remanufactured AH-1Z Cobra and UH-1Y Huey helicopters, but the program office is not losing focus on its substantial legacy fleet.
WASHINGTON and NEW YORK — The House and Senate have agreed on a plan to begin immediately funding a land-based Aegis missile defense test bed in Hawaii, and the U.S. Navy has stepped up to manage the mission. The so-called Aegis Ashore program was conceptualized to provide a land-based ballistic missile defense system for the protection of Europe from Iranian weapons. With a goal of flight testing the land-based SM-3 missile in Fiscal 2012 and fielding in Europe three years later, the program appears to be on the fast track.
The U.S. Coast Guard is slowly narrowing the gap between the time it spends on homeland security and other missions, according to data gathered by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (DHS IG).
GENOA, Italy — Italy has emerged from the NATO force generation conference — which discussed partner contributions to the new effort for Afghanistan — with a commitment of up to 1,000 troops and as many as 200 Carabinieri military police trainers against an alliance total of around 7,000 and a U.S. effort of up to 33,000 more soldiers. The Italian government has decided to concentrate its international military efforts on Afghanistan and will reduce its presence in other theaters to offset the increase and limit strain on an already pinched budget.
Wall Street analysts and consultants are issuing 2010 guidance to investors regarding the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review, and despite the global economic crisis and numerous major issues on Washington’s agenda, they expect the QDR to lead to major spending initiatives.
TAXING ISSUE: New momentum on Capitol Hill could help find a more permanent — and effective — research and development tax credit compared with the current regime. Nonpartisan auditors there recently released a report that suggested lawmakers consider eliminating the regular credit option while adding a minimum base to the alternative simplified credit. Last June, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking Republican Chuck Grassley (Iowa) pitched a legislative proposal to do as much, and make the credit permanent.
ADVANCED HAWKEYE: The U.S. Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Program is on track for initial operational test and evaluation in 2011, according to manufacturer Northrop Grumman. Ninety-four percent of the system development and demonstration program is complete and the company is on schedule to deliver three pilot production E-2Ds to the Navy in 2010. Manufacturing of the first two Low-Rate Initial Production aircraft is also progressing well, Northrop says. “We’re exceedingly pleased with where we are in the flight test program,” said U.S. Navy Capt.
