ORION LEADERSHIP: Caris A. (Skip) Hatfield, project manager for NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle, is being reassigned to the International Space Station (ISS) program office at Johnson Space Center as part of a "strategic realignment." He will be replaced as head of the effort to develop the six-person Orion capsule by Mark Geyer, who was deputy manager of the Constellation Program that is overseeing Orion and the rest of the vehicles needed to support U.S. human spaceflight after the space shuttle retires in 2010.
DOCUMENT TRANSLATION: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is figuring out what to do with all the information one might gather during a spy mission inside someone else's computer system or while browsing an interesting waste basket. BBN Technologies of Cambridge, Mass., won a $4.3 million contract to continue researching an end-to-end system that automatically translates handwritten and printed foreign documents into English with very high accuracy. This capability would be a great adjunct to network exploitation capabilities that U.S.
In what the National Academies of Science (NAS) calls the most comprehensive assessment of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to date, researchers have concluded that the Defense Department's SBIR program "is contributing directly to enhanced capabilities for the Department of Defense and the needs of those charged with defending the country," and it is achieving "significant" levels of commercialization.
UAV DREAMS: U.S. military officials increasingly seek small-craft hover and perch capabilities from unmanned aircraft, according to Army aviation chief Brig. Gen. Stephen Mundt. Fixed-wing unmanned systems can provide "stare" capabilities but only for a limited time as the aircraft obviously must follow flight paths. But Mundt acknowledges difficulties in the pursuit as he says the Army still has not solidified what the long-term plans are for its Future Combat Systems class 1 platoon-level and class 4 vertical takeoff unmanned systems.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Dec 3 - 4 --University of Hertfordshire's First International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Intercontinental Hotel, Berlin. For more information go to www.hertfordshireconnect.com Dec. 4 - 8 --Langkawi International Maritime and and Aerospace Exhibition. MIEC Hall. Langkawi, Malaysia. For more information go to www.lima2007.com
GO: Senior NASA managers set a Dec. 6 launch date for the space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122/1E space station assembly mission. As expected, the "executive" flight readiness review Nov. 30 found the station was ready to receive the European Columbus laboratory module Atlantis will be carrying, and identified no technical issues with the shuttle to preclude launching at the beginning of a window that closes Dec. 13.
AIR FORCE IT: U.S. Air Force officials are drafting portfolio-level policies and procedures for information technology (IT) investments and they tell congressional auditors that the groundwork is expected to be completed and approved this month. Until they are implemented, the service runs the risk that its IT investments will not meet its mission needs in the most effective manner, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says.
BRITISH BRAVO: Britain's Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators has given Boeing's X-45A unmanned combat air vehicle its Johnston Memorial Trophy, which is presented to an individual, aircraft crew or organization for outstanding performance of airmanship or operation of airborne systems. In particular, the program was lauded for a series of demonstration flights in August 2005 when two autonomously flying X-45s identified, attacked and destroyed ground-based radars and associated missile launchers before they could launch surface-to-air missiles.
It appears that the United States is unlikely to stop impending F-16 sales to Pakistan or other military equipment deals in the wake of the coup there, a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report says. "While the President has the authority to immediately halt all or some U.S. assistance to Pakistan, there are no signs that he intends to do so," CRS said in a November report.
NETWORK ATTACK: U.S. Marine Corps special operators are going to tackle the very sophisticated mission of network attack. Maj. Gen. Dennis Hejlik, commander of Marine Corps special operations command, says that in addition to adding more intelligence, communications and logistics specialists to his force (which is to reach a two-battalion total of 2,600 troops by October 2008), he wants an effective network attack and exploitation capability. "In my opinion, the hardest [of special operations' core missions] is information operations," he says.
PARIS - The European transport ministers have approved a proposed change in the tendering rules for the Galileo satellite navigation system that will clear the way for the program to move forward as a publicly funded project.
BAE BRIEFS: BAE Systems declared Nov. 28 that it successfully fielded its long-range, electro-optical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ARS) camera as part of the F-16-based program for the Royal Air Force of Oman. ARS can take pictures day or night at high speeds and altitudes from 3,000 to 40,000 feet at ranges up to 60 miles. BAE claims it has the largest focal length currently available for tactical reconnaissance missions. Performance and aircraft integration testing were completed earlier this year at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
BALLISTIC RECORD: The Trident II D5 missile has achieved 120 consecutive successful test launches since 1989, surpassing any other large ballistic missile or space-launch vehicle, according to Lockheed Martin. The sub-launched, nuclear-tipped ballistic missile's prime contractor made the announcement after the Navy test launched an unarmed version Nov. 29 from the submerged USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) in the Pacific Ocean.
PARIS - Scientists say the latest results from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Venus Express probe are adding significantly to our knowledge of our nearest planet. Findings released at ESA's headquarters here show Venusian processes to be closer to Earth's than postulated in recent years, according to Fred Taylor, an interdisciplinary scientist at Oxford University. We now see Venus "as Earth's twin, but separated at birth," Taylor said.
SEA KING SUPPORT: AgustaWestland says the U.K. has contracted for Phase II of the Sea King Integrated Operational Support (SKIOS) flying hour support program. SKIOS parallels the IMOS (Integrated Merlin Operational Support) program for U.K. Merlins contracted in early 2006. The SKIOS contract is worth 470 million ($950 million) for the first five years, but could ultimately reach 800 million pounds.
The U.S. Navy will shut down its Advanced Deployable System (ADS) program next year after a final test report for the undersea surveillance system, once intended for the since-delayed Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to track diesel and nuclear submarines, surface ships and even detect sea mine-laying. Final data archiving and hardware "disposition" will be completed by March 2008, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) said Nov. 29. Navy officials did not address the cause of the cancellation.
The U.S. Air Force has again grounded its main force of F-15 Eagles for safety reasons, with the commander of Air Combat Command on Nov. 28 directing a fleet-wide inspection of all ACC F-15A through D model aircraft, the service announced.
PARIS - Iran's announcement that it has developed the 1,200-mile range Ashura ballistic missile is being viewed with some concern by the Pentagon. Although the Defense Department has long been projecting Iranian ballistic missiles to achieve that range, it was expected to be through upgrades of the long-known Shahab-3. However, the Ashura is "different," says U.S. Missile Defense Agency director Air Force Lt. Gen. Trey Obering. "That's what surprised us," he said.
NEW DELHI - BAE Systems and Wipro Technologies in Hyderabad and Bangalore will combine efforts on the design of subsystems for the air transport and business jet markets, following a memorandum of agreement to work jointly on commercial aerospace projects. The partners also will cooperate on developing subsystems for aircraft engines and establish technical development centers in Hyderabad and Bangalore that will help them cooperate globally in the defense and aerospace markets, according to a statement.
Following new efforts to expand contacts with Chinese counterparts, U.S. Navy Adm. Timothy Keating hopes to go to China in mid-January, his second visit there in less than a year as the commander of Pacific Command. Keating told Pentagon reporters Nov. 27 that the request to visit aligns with U.S. desires to engage Chinese officials more over their military buildup and their January anti-satellite weapon test.
NEW DELHI - Final negotiations are ongoing between India's ministry of defense and Eurocopter to purchase 197 AS 550 C3 Fennec light helicopters for the Indian army, although the contract has not yet been formally signed by defense minister A.K. Antony. The Indian army has denied recent media reports alleging irregularities and the likelihood of the deal being scrapped, saying that neither an inquiry nor fresh bids have been sought.
