GUN RUN: The U.S. Naval Gunnery Project Office conducted Advanced Gun Barrel Technology (AGBT) rapid fire tests in September at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. The tests demonstrated a new refractory metal coating for large caliber naval gun barrels. During the demonstration, 48 high-propellant rounds were expelled in rapid fire mode from the Navy’s 155mm Advanced Gun System Engineering Development Model gun mount for eventual installation on the Navy’s new Zumwalt-class destroyer, the DDG-1000.
PARIS — The European Space Agency (ESA) has issued a call for proposals for an eighth Earth Explorer mission Scientists will have until Dec. 1 to submit initial letters of intent for the Opportunity mission, which is to be launched by 2018. Up to three candidates are expected to be shortlisted for subsequent evaluation.
Saab’s South Korean unit is under investigation, suspected of bribing officials at a government research institute in return for secret information about the KF-X fighter program.
PARIS — Astrium will build a pair of surveillance satellites for Kazakhstan and establish a joint venture that will enable the country to build and test its own satellites. The deal is the latest in a string of wins by European manufacturers in the remote sensing field, including an Astrium sale to Chile in late 2008 and a Telespazio/Thales Alenia Space order from Turkey early this year. Further sales to Australia, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates are up for grabs.
The U.S. Army and Marine Corps’ long-term solution to their light tactical vehicle needs — the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle — is on track to hit all of its milestones, according to program managers who spoke with reporters Oct. 6 at the Association of the U.S. Army convention in Washington.
SUB TEXT: Australian Minister for Defense Personnel, Materiel and Science Greg Combet said Oct. 6 that he has “finalized discussions” with U.S. industry giants General Dynamics Electric Boat and Lockheed Martin over Australia’s Future Submarine project to replace its six Collins-class submarines. Combet said U.S. technology is likely to be an important facilitator in Australia’s largest-ever defense acquisition, although the government promotes Australian submarine and shipbuilding company ASC too. “Any U.S.
MARIETTA, Ga. — The U.S. Air Force is weaponizing its MC-130W aircraft, which are used by special operations forces for infiltration/exfiltration, and Lockheed Martin has begun studying options to arm the new HC/MC-130J models now being produced at the company’s production plant here.
TIGER TESTING: Australia’s Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter project has achieved initial operational test and evaluation readiness, according to Greg Combet, minister for defense personnel, materiel and science. The milestone marks the point where the project transitions from individual flying, maintenance and support qualifications to focusing on training and development of Army aviation combat skills, according to a prepared announcement. “The integration of the U.S.
LASER AWARDS: BAE Systems is touting a $347 million award and Northrop Grumman a $393 million award over five years to provide hundreds of new laser target locator modules (LTLM) for the U.S. Army every month. The devices provide 24-hour imaging capabilities, as well as accurate target location for shooters and surveillance and are major pieces of equipment in ground combat overseas.
ENGINE MARKET: Aerospace and defense consultants at Connecticut-based Forecast International expect the global turbine engine market to remain essentially stagnant through 2012, then rebound starting in 2013. In total, the world turbofan engine market is projected to generate $292 billion in revenue now through 2018 via production of 66,273 engines, according to the group’s analysis Oct. 5. The business aircraft segment has been hit with a double whammy between the worldwide credit freeze and the negative U.S. publicity of corporate business jets and executive largesse.
AIR FORCE Centauri Solution LLC of Alexandria, Va., was awarded an $11,750,000 contract which will demonstrate the operational feasibility and military effectiveness of integrating an advanced lightweight high definition electro-infrared sensor with an unintentional electromagnetic emissions sensor system on an autonomous vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. AFRL/RIKD, Rome, N.Y. is the contracting activity (FA8750-09-C-0211).
The success of the U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program is leading the service to look for opportunities to expand it. The Army has committed to buying 345 EADS-built UH-72A Lakotas, 210 of which are destined for National Guard duty. Already, 86 aircraft have been delivered, according to Col. Neil Thurgood, the Army’s Utility Helicopter program manager, who detailed the program for an audience at the Association of the U.S. Army show Oct. 5.
Not much has changed since U.S. Army aviation leaders announced a plan last spring for an analysis of alternatives to address the capabilities gap opened by its cancellation of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program. At the Association of the U.S. Army show Oct. 5, the four big Army aviation chiefs, fondly referred to as the Four Horsemen, reiterated their commitment to determining the future of their branch.
The rapidly expanding U.S. military demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and its ascendency as a warfighting centerpiece has hit a snag following last week’s closed-session, four-star summit to review the Air Force ISR enterprise. The summit concluded that an initiative for elevating the ISR agency to a major command is on hold for an indefinite period (Aerospace DAILY, Sept. 17).
WAESCHE UNDER WAY: The National Security Cutter (NSC) Waesche, built by Northrop Grumman, will be delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard in November. Acceptance trials, completed Oct. 1 in the Gulf of Mexico, were the final test prior to delivery. During the acceptance trials, Waesche conducted extensive testing of propulsion, electrical, damage control and combat systems. Waesche is the second NSC.
AIR FORCE United Launch Alliance of Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $927,720,071 contract to provide the Fiscal Year 2010 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Launch Capability effort for the Delta IV and Atlas V families to launch vehicles. At this time, $16,000,000 has been obligated. SMC/LRSW, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity. (FA8816-06-C-0001, FA8816-06-C-0002, P00149). NAVY
PARIS — The European Commission says the Egnos Global Positioning System (GPS) augmentation system’s open service is now operational and available to all users equipped with Egnos-compatible GPS receivers.
After a blistering floor speech on alleged waste, fraud and abuse by the U.S. aerospace and defense industry — particularly top Pentagon contractors Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman — the Senate has agreed to push for a Defense Department study to calculate how much DOD pays companies that have committed fraud.
ARMY Alliant Techsystems Inc., Independence, Mo., was awarded on Sept. 25, 2009, a $105,820,739 firm-fixed-price based with options contract for nonstandard ammunition for the government of Afghanistan and U.S. forces. The work is to be performed in Independence, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2012. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three received. Army Contracting Command (ACC) Rock Island Contracting Center, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-09-C-0060). NAVY
