LYNX SENSORS: The Brazilian navy has ordered six Sea Star SAFIRE III infrared multisensor surveillance systems for its Super Lynx helicopters, for use in maritime patrol and fleet security missions. The contract with manufacturer FLIR Systems also has options for another six SAFIRE III systems. The value of the award was not disclosed, per the request of the Brazilian defense ministry. FLIR Systems has delivered more than 70 airborne sensor systems to the Brazilian military, municipal and federal police, as well as private operators, the company says.
The Pentagon failed to properly follow acquisition procedures in buying fleets of cars, trucks and other nontactical vehicles for use in Afghanistan, according to a new Defense Department Inspector General (IG) report. The IG inspected records from the Regional Contracting Center Bagram, the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF)-82, and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), which failed to follow proper acquisition procedures, auditors said.
GEOEYE PARTNER: Italy’s Telespazio S.p.A. will serve as the Europe/North Africa Commercial Regional Affiliate for GeoEye Inc.’s new GeoEye-1 high resolution imaging satellite under an arrangement announced in Dulles, Va., Oct. 29. The deal also gives the Rome-based company access to Ikonos satellite imagery collected after Dec. 31. The U.S. government must approve the imagery-collection, processing and sales rights granted the Italian company for both spacecraft. GeoEye-1 is set to become fully operational later this fall.
There’s more at stake in the Nov. 4 U.S. elections than control of the White House, with a number of top congressional leaders fighting to keep their seats while Democrats seek a veto-proof majority in the Senate and even wider control in the House of Representatives.
NASA has awarded United Space Alliance (USA) the Integrated Mission Operations Contract (IMOC), signaling a continuing partnership between the agency and the company for operation of the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. The contract is valued at $206.5 million for the base contract period, which could grow to a potential of $371 million if the option year and variable work content are fully exercised. The cost-plus-award fee contract has a base period of performance of three years and includes a one-year option.
Pratt & Whitney’s EcoPower engine wash system, which has garnered 60 commercial customers worldwide since its start in 2004, has obtained its first military client – the 800 engines in the U.S. Air Force’s C-17 fleet. Pratt is a subcontractor to Boeing, which announced last month that it had won a fleet-wide overhaul and repair support contract for the C-17’s PW F117-PW-100 engines. The F117 is a military version of Pratt’s PW2000 for Boeing 757s.
PARIS – Thales is being forced to take a 60 million euro charge because of development delays on the A400M military airlifter. “It is necessary to significantly revise the estimated costs for the future versions of the Flight Management System (FMS), which is under its management,” Thales said in announcing third quarter sales. The French aerospace supplier is blaming delays in the flight-test program that are forcing the company to keep its development team operating much longer than initially planned.
Boeing and BAE Systems are teaming as part of the Pentagon’s effort to add nonkinetic weapons, particularly in the areas of electronic attack and cyberwar, to its combat aircraft. It is part of the Defense Department’s attempt to better rationalize its investments, reuse technology it has already paid for and ensure programs are not duplicated by the military services and other agencies.
The British Defense Ministry is being given a general thumbs up by financial watchdog the National Audit Office over central aspects of how the ministry manages Private Finance Initiative programs.
NEW BLOOD: Lockheed Martin’s top lobbyist in Washington, Brian Dailey, will retire from the company in April. In his position he has overseen the top Pentagon contractor’s Washington Operations office. He will be succeeded by Gregory Dahlberg, who currently heads up Lockheed’s legislative affairs office. Dahlberg joined the company in 2003 and was previously the Democratic staff director of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Nov. 4 - 7 – Aircraft Survivability Symposium 2008, “Low Altitude Today, Preparing for Tomorrow,” Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. For more information go to www.ndia.org/meetings/9940
RIVER ROBOT: The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Alliant Techsystems $494,000 to study a robotic submersible to be deployed from aircraft, ships or submarines and navigate rivers, inlets, harbors and coastlines to conduct clandestine surveillance of things on and under the water. The Unmanned Underwater Riverine Craft would be capable of crawling along the bottom, burrowing under the mud to evade detection, and hibernating until recovered.
FRENCH FORCE: With several international competitions looming, MBDA has completed a key element in its strategy to field a surface-launched Mica air defense missile system. The VL-Mica, adapted for ship launch, was tested Oct. 23 at the French CELM test range at Biscarosse. The shot intercepted the Banshee target drone. The missile was fired in a radar-seeker configuration, with the intercept occurring at a range of 15 kilometer. The test validates the production version of the launcher – the CLA (Conteneur Lanceur Autonome or autonomous launch container).
MURTHA MORASS: Boeing advocate Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) stands to take over as chairman of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee if current chair John Murtha (D-Pa.) loses his now-closely contested re-election bid. Murtha’s Republican opponent, retired army Lt. Col. William Russell, has been climbing in the polls since Murtha described his western Pennsylvania district as “racist” and “really redneck” in press interviews. Murtha, himself a retired Marine Corps colonel, has held the seat since 1974.
The U.S. Navy is satisfied with the results of a recent critical design review for Raytheon’s Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1, though the program manager notes that adding a datalink to an existing weapon is likely to meet challenges.
MORE IS LESS: The Pentagon expects to save $5 billion in the fiscal 2010 budget, much of which will be gained through implementing an economic order quantity buy strategy in several programs, Pentagon acquisition chief John Young says. About 12 programs were examined and found to have potential savings opportunities through buying more aircraft in a stable fashion, thus reducing the total cost. Young did not say which programs.
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – NASA is poised to disassemble the Orion crew module test unit at its Dryden Flight Research Center here in preparation for transfer to the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range for the delayed launch abort system tests. The boilerplate test module, built by NASA Langley, is nearing completion of a series of five mass-property tests to verify modeling predictions, and will later be transferred to the nearby space shuttle facility at Edwards.
MORE ARMY HAWKS: As the Pentagon turns its attention to Afghanistan, the Army is speeding ahead to buy roughly 20 more Constant Hawk intelligence collection aircraft to support operations there. Constant Hawk consists of several electro-optical cameras on a single platform that give a 360-degree view of the space around it. High-resolution streaming video is collected and stored, and the system is used for forensics after an event, such as an improvised explosive device detonation. Col.
AFRICOM HQ IN GEORGIA?: Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) is pressing his efforts to have the Pentagon locate Africa Command’s headquarters in Georgia. In an Oct. 30 letter to Defense Secretary Roberts Gates, Chambliss and most of the Georgia congressional delegation extolled the benefits of locating AFRICOM HQ at either Fort McPherson or Fort Gillem outside Atlanta, or Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta. They note all of the bases are “in close proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which has frequent and direct access to Africa. Chambliss, Sen.
Dassault is showing new details of its concept to use the Rafale strike fighter as a small satellite launcher. The launcher would be configured to use several of the aircraft’s weapons store stations. The main element of the launcher would be carried centerline, with two solid boosters slung under the wing. The solids would be connected to the main launcher through so-called “fixed arms.” The configuration would still leave clearance for the landing gear, so the Rafale could return to base with the launcher if that were required.
