The U.S. Air Force is revising flight procedures for the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle following the Nov. 21 incident in which the UAV briefly lost communications during its first operational flight from its new home at Beale Air Force Base in California.
Russel Salmon has been named CFO and COO. Dr. Gerard Medioni, Ph.D., has been named to the board of advisors. Medioni is a professor and chairman at the Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California.
Global Hawk builder Northrop Grumman expects the long-delayed contract for Germany's Euro Hawk program to go through in January, according to Ed Walby, the company's director of Global Hawk business development. The program already has received subcommittee-level approval, but despite a "concerted effort" to get everything done this month, the full legislature won't be able to approve the deal until after the holidays, Walby told The DAILY. But at this point, "all of the legwork is done" and the details of the contract have been finalized, he said.
ROAR RADAR: The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has triggered a $10.6 million contract option with ITT Industries for the Radar Obsolescence Availability Recovery program for the AN/SPS-48E Radar System. The AN/SPS-48 (series) radar system is the principal three-dimensional air surveillance sensor on all U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and large deck amphibious ships. The contract will provide for continuing engineering and technical services to design, integrate and test the AN/SPS-48G(V) radar system upgrade.
Brian Chappel has been appointed vice president of contracts, pricing and programs business management. Timothy J. Frei has been appointed vice president of ISR business development. Steve Hixson has been named vice president of advanced concepts.
Nickolas W. Vande Steeg is retiring as president and chief operating officer, effective Dec. 31. Donald E. Washkewicz, currently chairman and chief executive officer, will become president.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Texas - Engineers in the International Space Station control room here issued some 4,000 commands to switch off half of the orbiting facility's systems so a pair of spacewalkers on its hull could safely rewire its power grid.
SOUTH KOREAN TRAINERS: South Korea has signed a contract with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for around 50 additional T-50 and TA-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainers, bringing the total number of T-50s ordered by South Korea to more than 70, according to Lockheed Martin Corp. The T-50 was developed by KAI and Lockheed Martin to train pilots who will fly advanced fighters, even the Joint Strike Fighter, the company said Dec. 13. It can also be used as a light attack aircraft when equipped with various arms, such as air-to-air missiles.
The Government Accountability Office is recommending better cooperation among the agencies involved in the development of the next-generation air transportation system (NGATS), including agreements to better delineate each partner's responsibilities. Congress established the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) in 2003 to develop NGATS, which will have to keep pace with an anticipated tripling in air traffic by 2025. The JPDO includes participation by FAA, the Defense Department, the Homeland Security Department, NASA and others.
AEGIS UPGRADES: The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Maritime Systems & Sensors unit a $91.2 million contract modification to exercise options for Aegis Combat System baseline upgrades. Services include material, equipment, supplies and technical engineering required to define, design, develop, integrate, test and deliver Aegis baseline computer programs for system upgrades. The work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J., and the award runs through September 2007, the Defense Department said Dec. 13.
U.S. Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker told reporters Dec. 14 that he believes the Army is experiencing "momentum" that mandates buying new equipment for its reset and recapitalization, particularly Future Combat Systems spinout technology in coming years, and that the United States should boost its overall defense spending to pay for a "long war" buildup. "This isn't an either or," the chief of staff said. "You don't want to buy old stuff. What you want to do is when you replace equipment you've worn out, you want to buy the new stuff."
LAUNCH DELAYED: Starsem has pushed back the Soyuz launch of France's Corot planet-finding mission one week, to Dec. 27. The delay was due to a leaking membrane in the hydrazine tank of the Fregat upper stage. A new tank was expected to arrive at the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on Dec. 8, permitting the launch campaign to resume.
The Department of Defense Comparative Testing Office has decided to include the Global Broadcast System Receive Suite by Windmill International Inc. of Nashua, N.H., in the FY 2007 Defense Acquisition Challenge Program. Windmill and partner AntennaSys Inc. of Pelham, N.H., have been developing the technology under the U.S. Air Force Research Lab Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Yosef Fouks has been appointed general manager of SIGNIT, EW and the communications division. Yosef Oren has been named general manager of the IMINT and radar division.
