Boeing officials believe a renewed competition for the U.S. Air Force's combat, search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter fleet is not warranted by recent Government Accountability Office action and that the giant contractor would be disadvantaged if new bids were considered. But the company would prevail again, they asserted March 13.
LAUNCHING SYSTEM: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors - Marine Systems has been awarded a $16 million contract modification to produce MK 41 Baseline VII Vertical Launching System launcher ship sets for the Australian and Spanish navies, the Defense Department said March 13. The work will be done in Baltimore and is expected to be finished by December 2009. The contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C.
Martin E. Dandridge has been named to the board of directors. Dandridge retired as sector executive vice president of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems last year. Ramon Lopez has become the company's communications manager.
NASA will need an additional $350 million in fiscal 2009 and $400 million FY '10 to reverse the effect of the FY '07 continuing budget resolution and put the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) back on schedule to debut in 2014, Administrator Michael Griffin told House appropriators March 13.
TITAN'S SEAS: NASA's Cassini spacecraft has found evidence for seas most likely filled either with liquid methane or ethane in the high northern latitudes of Saturn's cloud-shrouded moon Titan, the agency announced March 13. One of these features is larger than any of North America's Great Lakes and is equal in size to several seas on Earth, NASA said. The images from Cassini's radar instrument show several very dark features near Titan's north pole, the largest measuring at least 39,000 square miles.
The U.S. Navy is taking a different approach in developing combat and communications systems and equipment for the CVN 21 aircraft carrier. For previous flattops, the Navy tried to hire outside contractors to develop and build new combat centers or communication networks unique to the ships, which led to program delays and higher price tags.
The Air Force's proposed $60 million national airspace defense system, meant to marry Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NORAD radars with Air Force monitoring and defense capabilities, is now the shield for the continental United States (CONUS), the service announced March 13. The Air Force transitioned the defense system - called Battle Control System-Fixed (BCS-F) - to CONUS operations Feb. 16. "We passed an important milestone," Maj. Mark Pearson said during a March 13 briefing.
DATA LINK: The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has selected Rockwell Collins for Phase 1 of the Miniature Common Data Link program to develop a miniature Ku-band link to serve small Unmanned Air Systems. Cubic Defense Applications is teamed with Rockwell Collins on the effort.
The biggest risk for cost growth and developmental concerns for the proposed CVN 21 aircraft carrier remain the new systems being planned for the U.S. Navy's newest ship, estimated to cost about $8.1 billion, said Capt. Michael Schwartz, service program manager for future carriers. The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and advanced arresting gear being developed by General Atomics, as well as the dual-band radar system being crafted by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, still have to be proven as carrier-worthy and ready, Schwartz said.
Lawmakers are looking to boost submarine design work and to accelerate Virginia-class production amid concerns of a dwindling fleet and loss of industrial base skills. House defense authorizers are looking to provide design work somehow, congressional aides say, as designers and engineers face the prospect of no major new sub-design project in half a decade. The immediate concern is loss of jobs, but long-term they fear an atrophy of skilled labor leaving the United States where many think Britain wound up - in need of foreign help.
DUAL-LAUNCHED: Arianespace launched the Skynet 5A and Insat 4B spacecraft aboard a single Ariane 5 rocket from the company's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on March 11. The launch was postponed 24 hours from its original target to allow time to investigate a ground equipment anomaly. Built by EADS Astrium, Skynet 5A will provide secure military communications for the armed forces of NATO, the U.K. and other countries. The Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Insat 4B spacecraft will provide television and telecommunications services to the Indian subcontinent.
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Clearfield, Utah, is being awarded a $6,070,886 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification. The Trainer Block Update (TBU) Program is in support of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Minuteman III trainers. The update will correct trainer deficiencies as defined by 30 AF Form 1067 modification requests. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Headquarters 526th ICBM Systems Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001/No modification number at this time).
The U.S. Air Force has asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to schedule a teleconference to discuss protest points the GAO did not address in its recent decision to sustain the protests of the service's award for the combat, search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter fleet. In a March 9 e-mailed response to the Air Force request, GAO said it would be willing to schedule such a conference.
PMM WORK: As the U.S. Navy strives for power alternatives to help cut long-term costs and provide increased energy for futuristic weapons and systems, the Naval Sea Systems Command has chosen DRS Power Technology Inc. for a $19.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for integrated power systems research and development of a permanent magnet motor system land-based test site and "next-generation design." Work will be performed in Fitchburg, Mass., and is expected to be finished by the end of September 2009, the Defense Department said March 7.
Challenges with the integration of the beam control/fire control system caused the first live shootdown test of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Airborne Laser (ABL) program to slip from its original target of 2008 into 2009, according to prime contractor Boeing.
L-3 Communications has announced that if a recent U.S. Navy prime contract on the C-9 Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) program is fully exercised for all five years, it could grow to roughly $230 million. The company said March 12 that its Link Simulation and Training division was awarded a $43.7 million contract, along with subcontractors Goodrich Corp., Pacific Gas Turbine Center and Patriot Aviation Services.
