BREMEN, Germany — Russia’s Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) is preparing to start wind tunnel tests of a Tupolev Tu-22M3 Blinder model fitted with the LEA hypersonic test vehicle in development by MBDA and the French research agency Onera. The test campaign will gather data on the flow field around the 4.2-meter long vehicle, which will be sped up to ramjet transition speed using a booster derived from a modified Raduya Kh-22 (AS-4) anti-ship missile from Russia’s Tactical Missile Corp.
The U.S. Air Force wants to tie a lot of non-kinetic technology together for the fight in Afghanistan, but the integration challenge is formidable. “Do we really know what we need to do?” asked Maj. Gen. David Scott, Air Force director of operational capability requirements. He asked the Association of Old Crows in Washington this week if the services and industry have even “accepted non-kinetic as a military option? We may be able to do something electronic, spectral, non-kinetic, that can win a war.”
The U.S. Air Force has twice offered programs for a standoff jamming system to be carried by the B-52 and twice been rejected, but now the effort appears to be taking a new direction. “The USAF believes we need to have ‘stand-in’ capability,” said Maj. Gen. David Scott, Air Force director of operational capability requirements, during the Association of Old Crows symposium in Washington this week.
NASA HAWK: NASA is expected to make the first flight of AV-6, one of two ex-U.S. Air Force Northrop Grumman Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on Oct. 23. The aircraft was successfully taxied on Oct. 20 “and all systems (both aircraft and ground station) operated nominally,” the agency says. Preflight checks were conducted Oct. 22, and assuming these pass as planned, NASA says the first sortie will consist of a 2-4 hour mission within the Edwards range.
PARIS — The Swiss parliament has reaffirmed the time line for the F-5 Tiger replacement program, which should lead to a fighter source selection next year. The government in March decided to defer a decision on the program until 2010. In a hearing this week, parliament decided to stick to that plan. The three-way competition includes the Saab Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Aviation Rafale. The current plan calls for the defense ministry to make its type selection in parallel with a strategic review. Both are due in the spring.
The release of the final report by the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee is cranking up the volume on a debate that has been simmering quietly within NASA and its contractor community over the fate of the Ares I crew launch vehicle. While the blue-ribbon panel is giving President Barack Obama options rather than recommendations, the administration is getting a strong hint that it’s time for NASA to hire someone to carry its astronauts to low Earth orbit.
Iridium Communications Inc. has received all the necessary authorizations to provide and sell mobile satellite services in Mexico through its subsidiary Iridium Mexico. Iridium Mexico received its licenses from Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation, and the Federal Telecommunications Commission, the company announced Oct. 21. In connection with its entry into the Mexican market, Iridium has partnered with Mexican telecommunications company Spacenet, which provides a range of voice and data services and applications.
TURKISH TRAINERS: Korea Aerospace Industries has rolled out the first of 40 KT-1 trainers on contract for supply to Turkey. The company has sold 12 of the aircraft to Indonesia and 85 to South Korea.
U.S. regulatory fallout from this decade’s sometimes wasteful defense contracting continues in Washington as rule makers crystallize new requirements for Defense Department awards. The Civilian Agency Acquisition and Defense Acquisition Regulations councils announced more moves last week stemming from 2007 law and White House guidance.
Conventional wisdom holds that a weak dollar benefits U.S. exports by giving domestic producers an edge over competing products priced in euros and other currencies. But do not argue that with Joe Murphy.
NASA has selected a Williams International high-speed turbojet as the turbine element of its Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) engine test rig, which will be used to evaluate technologies for potential future two-stage to orbit launcher concepts.
AUSSIE ARTILLERY: Australian defense officials have granted approval in their second major round of program reviews for a $493 million project for the next army artillery system. Officials repeated Oct. 20 that the first phase of Land 17, the Artillery Replacement Project, will provide the army with four batteries of 35 M777A2 155mm Lightweight Towed Howitzers. The second phase is supposed to include a self-propelled artillery system, which will be capable of providing fire support to highly mobile mechanized forces, according to the defense minister, Sen. John Faulkner.
FEDERAL IT: Government information technology (IT) services consultancy Input said Oct. 20 that the top 20 U.S. federal opportunities for fiscal 2010 represent $180 billion worth of viable programs for prime contractors and smaller businesses. Most opportunities, however, will be continuing work as there are “very few” new programs up for bid this fiscal year. Much of the recompeted opportunities are in IT services, engineering services and professional services for the Obama administration.
BAD HOUSEKEEPING: The British Defense Ministry needs to continue efforts to improve the state of the housing it provides to armed forces personnel, according to a report by the Parliament’s public accounts committee. The committee was concerned to learn that a recent survey of military families showed that “almost a third consider their houses to be in poor condition.” The committee also was critical of the length of time a considerable percentage of the ministry’s housing stock was empty. The Defense Ministry has about 50,000 properties.
MUOS COMPATIBLE: Lockheed Martin Space Systems (LMSS) has demonstrated that the first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) spacecraft’s combination of legacy and next-generation Ultra High Frequency communications payloads is compatible with ground user test terminals. The test was aimed at ensuring that the existing UHF Follow On system will have a smooth transition when MUOS goes through an in-orbit handover to the U.S. Navy, now set for 2011.
U.S. lawmakers are on their way again toward appropriating funding for more unrequested Boeing C-17 airlifters, but congressional researchers on Capitol Hill say Congress also should further examine the underlying airlift force structure and the U.S. industrial base.
PBL AWARDS: The Aviation Support Equipment program office’s Consolidated Automated Support System Performance-Based Logistics Team (CASS PBL) has won a 2009 Secretary of Defense PBL Award. CASS is the Navy’s standard automatic test system that supports the Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18, AV-8B, EA-6B, E-2C, V-22, H-60 and H-1 aircraft afloat and ashore throughout the world.
BAE Systems filed a second supplemental protest late last week over the U.S. Army’s late August decision to award a $3 billion contract to Oshkosh Corp. to produce a family of medium tactical vehicles (FMTV).
The “vast, vast majority” of the 3.3 million pieces of U.S. equipment in Iraq will return home or stay with U.S. forces abroad, including in Afghanistan or with domestic National Guard units, Pentagon officials told lawmakers Oct. 21.
LONDON Different tacks are being taken by the U.K.’s two research councils involved in the British National Space Center (BNSC) over whether the U.K. should replace the center with a space agency.
BREMEN, Germany Test officials preparing for first flight of the X-51 scramjet demonstrator say issues with the U.S. Air Force B-52 mothership may delay the first hypersonic flight attempt to early 2010.
