HISPASAT EARNINGS UP: Hispasat has reported a 20 percent increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, to 69.9 million euros ($83.9 million), on revenues of 99.7 million euros, an 18 percent increase, and a quadrupling of its net, to 9.8 million euros. The Spanish operator said it had filled 66 percent of transponders on its new Amazonas satellite, launched in 2004 with Telemar of Brazil.
The U.S. Navy has ordered new EA-6B Prowler Improved Capability (ICAP) III systems from manufacturer Northrop Grumman, the company announced May 2. The Navy has made an initial $73 million purchase for four complete systems under the new indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract. These first kits will be delivered in 2008. Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector will perform the work at its Bethpage, N.Y., facility.
SATCOM BUY: Two-way satellite broadband venture Satlynx has acquired the satcom division of Hewlett-Packard for an undisclosed amount. Together with the purchase of Xantic businesses last year, the buy will further reinforce Satlynx's position in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The SES affiliate recently concluded a deal to offer high-speed IP services to Talia Satellite & Telecom, a U.K. provider specialized in the Middle East.
The Boeing Co. announced May 1 that it has reached a definitive agreement to buy aircraft parts distributor Aviall Inc. for $48 per share, or $1.7 billion, and assume around $350 million of net debt. In a statement, Boeing chief executive W. James McNerney said the acquisition "leverages" the services units of their commercial and military businesses. "The aviation services market offers us tremendous opportunities to profitably grow our business, internally and externally, to better serve our commercial and military customers," he said.
PILOT TRAINING: EADS has been awarded a 10-year contract to provide screening and basic pilot training for French fixed-wing air force, army and navy pilots. Under the award, which could be worth up to 175 million euros ($210 million), EADS will supply 15,000-32,000 flying hours a year at the air force's flight school at Cognac, in southwestern France, using 24 existing EADS Socata TB 30 Epsilon trainers and 18 new Grob 120As.
NO SHIFT: Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall says there are currently no plans for a follow-up capital infusion or a shift in the current shareholder structure. French space agency Cnes has said it is ready to reopen discussions on the sale of all or part of its 32.3 percent share.
LUNAR MISSION: The Indian Space Research Organization is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with NASA on May 9 concerning the U.S payload for a future lunar mission on India's Chandrayaan satellite. The 1,500-kilogram (3,306-pound) satellite is set to be launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in 2007-08. NASA will provide a Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar and Moon Mineralogy Mapper operating in a 0.7-3 micrometer band. Chandrayaan will do chemical mapping of the entire lunar surface.
SAT CONSTELLATION: Globalstar has closed a deal for $400 million to finance the launch of eight spare spacecraft for its existing low Earth orbit mobile satellite constellation, upgrade of the ground system and development of a next-generation hybrid terrestrial/satellite network. The package includes $200 million in debt from Watchovia Securities and $200 million in equity capital from the Thermo Companies.
The Huntsville, Ala., Chamber of Commerce is calling on the area's delegation in Washington to seek an additional $2 million in defense appropriations for the Joint Single Integrated Air Picture Organization and is tying the earmark to domestic cruise missile defense (CMD). "The Chamber believes special attention must be given to development of an effective Single Integrated Air Picture, Integrated Fire Control and Joint Combat Identification System for an integrated CMD program to succeed," according to the group's 2006 federal agenda.
AUDIO/VIDEO SERVICE: The French government's new agency for industrial innovation (AII) has approved 38 million euros ($46 million) to help develop technology for a European mobile digital audio/video service. The 98 million euro project, led by Alcatel Alenia Space and supported by France's national space agency, Cnes, aims to validate the basic system architecture and terrestrial technologies needed to offer a hybrid mobile service for automobile radio and cell phone users.
Foster-Miller Inc. announced May 1 that it has received an additional $28 million from the U.S. Navy for about 200 more Talon robots, as well as replacement parts to fix robots damaged while used against roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Foster-Miller and iRobot Corp. provide robots to the Defense Department to work under the Navy's Man-Transportable Robotic Systems (MTRS) program. In March, iRobot said it received an additional $26 million order to build 213 more robots (DAILY, March 30).
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Aeronautics unit has won two U.S. Navy contracts related to the Air Force's F-35A Joint Strike Fighter conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, the Pentagon announced April 28.
SALE NEAR: Finmeccanica chief executive Pier-Francesco Guarguaglini says the sale of Alcatel Alenia Space and Telespazio, partly owned by the Italian company, to Thales is likely to close shortly, suggesting that efforts to condition its approval on expanded ties in defense electronics have not been successful. Thales chief Denis Ranque confirmed that reinforcement of ties beyond existing joint ventures is not on the immediate horizon.
The 13th crew of the International Space Station (ISS) continues unpacking more than 5,000 pounds of new supplies that arrived via the Progress resupply ship last week and is preparing to reboost the station's altitude on May 4. The Russian Progress 21 unmanned cargo spacecraft, which arrived at the station April 26 after launching from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, was the first supply shipment for Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams. The two have been in space about a month.
The U.S. Air Force's Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has completed a series of congressionally directed test flights in U.S. Southern Command's (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility to demonstrate how it could support counter-drug surveillance operations, manufacturer Northrop Grumman announced May 1.
