The competition to supply Turkey with a new anti-tank weapon will be fought out in the coming months between South Africa's Denel, Israel's Rafael, Russia's Rosoboronexport, and Raytheon. The four companies have asked for the formal request for proposals for the so-called Medium-Range Anti-Tank Weapon Systems program. The deadline for requesting the bid documents remains open until the end of the month. The competitors have until June 29 to finalize their offers and pricing packages for MRAWS, according to the Turkish defense ministry.
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, Md. - Scientists analyzing the first 3D images of the sun returned by NASA's twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft believe the extra detail they are getting will help them hone their ability to forecast dangerous solar storms.
EGYPTSAT-1 LAUNCHED: The chances for a late May/early June launch of Germany's TerraSAR-X 1-meter resolution commercial radar imaging satellite look better following the successful April 18 sendoff of an Egyptian remote sensing/scientific satellite, EgyptSat-1, by a Russian Dnepr-1 rocket, the intended TerraSAR-X launch vehicle. Dnepr-1 had been sidelined since a July 2006 failure caused by a premature first stage engine shutdown.
Under the current CG(X) development plan, the Navy would likely need to start ordering some components for a nuclear-powered ship if it wants that type of propulsion for the ship, says a recent report by the Congressional Research Service.
The United States and Russia will form a working group of experts to discuss the proposed U.S. plan to base missile defenses in Eastern Europe, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced April 23 in Moscow. We "would like to have the Russians as partners in this process," Gates said. "We would like to share information with them. We're prepared to co-locate radars with them. We think there are some real opportunities here for both sides." Not a threat
If weapons costs grow in the near future as they have over the past 30 years, spending requirements for the Defense Department's planned purchases in 2011 - excluding cost risk associated with ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - would average about $195 billion annually, or $19 billion more than the Bush administration has outlined, congressional budgeters have reported.
ARMY FLIR Systems Inc., Wilsonville, Ore., was awarded on April 5, 2007, a delivery order amount of $14,678,393 as part of a $14,678,393 firm-fixed-price contract for FLIR StarSAFIRE sensors. Work will be performed in Wilsonville, Ore., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 1, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on March 27, 2007. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (W9113M-07-D-0001).
NFIRE LAUNCH SCRUB: Ground-support equipment problems postponed the April 23 launch from the NASA Wallops Island Facility, Va., of a four-stage Minotaur I rocket carrying a Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) satellite for NASA, the Missile Defense Agency and the Air Force. A new attempt was scheduled for 2:48 a.m. EDT April 24. The primary payload is the Track Sensor Payload that will collect images of the exhaust plume from two rockets to be launched later this year from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
The Pentagon's outlines for how it plans to handle intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and operations need some fine-tuning, according to recent congressional testimony by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
FOREIGN RAPTORS: The Pentagon is looking at "softening" the restraints on releasing some of the F-22 Raptor technology to make it easier to export, according to industry sources familiar with the aircraft and the Defense Department review. But the department also is looking at changing some of the avionics in the Raptor to make it more current and common with its newer cousin, the Joint Strike Fighter. Possible export customers mentioned as being interested and capable of buying some Raptors include Japan and Israel.
JAPAN AGREEMENT: Rocketplane Kistler (RpK) will help support Japanese users of the International Space Station (ISS) under a memorandum of understanding the company recently signed with Japan Manned Space Systems Corp. RpK is developing its K-1 launch vehicle for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, in which the company is competing with SpaceX to provide cargo and possibly crew transport to the ISS. Japan Manned Space Systems Corp. was established to provide the same services that RpK would provide to NASA if it is the low bidder for COTS.
ISR CLOUDED: U.S. Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley, chief of staff, has promised to deliver a "comprehensive plan" to optimize U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities as he jockeys his service for a lead position in unmanned aircraft. But congressional auditors say DOD's updated ISR Integration Roadmap still does not represent a comprehensive vision for DOD's ISR enterprise or define strategy to guide future investments.
ORBITAL ADAPTATION: Just as militaries use spacecraft to help fight wars, a former space-agency chief sees spaceborne assets playing a key role in helping human populations adapt to the changing climate and cope with natural disasters. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, a member of India's parliament who headed the Indian Space Research Organization, forecasts a growing role for Earth-observing and communications satellites in boosting food production and managing clean water resources in the face of climate change and population growth.
Boeing's unsolicited offer to sell 30 new C-17s to the U.S. Air Force hasn't yet changed the service's purchasing plan, though service officials are including the offer as a strong option for addressing growing transport needs for the military.
C-5 COSTS: The U.S. Air Force is still focused on C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program - especially with the current testing of the third re-engined C-5A, program sources say. But because of cost growth in the program, service officials are keeping an open mind to providing Air Mobility Command the right mix of aircraft - including the possibility of buying more C-17s for the fleet.
FALCON 9: Before the end of the year SpaceX plans a full-stage hotfire test of the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket it is building for NASA's COTS program. SpaceX has completed the primary structure for the first-stage tank and soon will ship the tank to its test facility in Texas for integration of the propulsion system in preparation for the test. SpaceX has six Falcon 9 flights under contract, beginning with a demonstration flight for a U.S. government customer in the third quarter of next year.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] April 23 - 26 -- Gun & Missile Systems Conference & Exhibition, Charlotte, N.C. For more information go to www.ndia.org. April 24 - 25 -- Precision Strike Annual Programs Review, Theme: Precision Engagement -- Adapting Technology to Meet Emerging Warfighter Needs, Waterford Receptions of Springfield, Springfield, Va. For more information call (703) 247-2590 or email [email protected].
