The United Kingdom's Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) vehicle program is getting a close look in Parliament, with at least one member expressing skepticism that it is the right way to go. The FRES concept, like that of the U.S. Future Combat Systems (FCS), is to network soldiers, vehicles and other systems with sensors to allow a high degree of situational awareness.
LUH RFP: The U.S. Army plans to pick a prime contractor for its Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program on or about April 30, 2006, according to a newly released request for proposals (RFP). Industry responses to the RFP are due Sept. 12. AgustaWestland, American Eurocopter and Bell are expected to compete.
House Science space subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) plans to contact Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) to discuss NASA in advance of the upcoming House-Senate conference on the agency's authorization bill.
SUCCESSFUL BID: Armor Holdings Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla., which produces vehicle armor and security products, has purchased Second Chance Body Armor Inc. at auction for $45 million, Armor Holdings said July 27. Armor Holdings will assume some of Second Chance's liabilities. The buy must be approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Michigan. The deal is expected to close on July 29. Second Chance is based in Central Lake, Mich., and has a manufacturing plant in Geneva, Ala.
Two former top executives of Information Systems Support Inc. (ISS), a Gaithersburg, Md.-based defense contractor, have pleaded guilty to conflict of interest charges relating to illegal job negotiations with a then-U.S. Army colonel who was the commander of contracting for the U.S. military in Korea, according to U.S. District Attorney for Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
NASA engineers are analyzing several instances of debris coming loose during Discovery's July 26 launch, some of which may have damaged the orbiter, but shuttle managers say they are not overly concerned yet. One of the damage areas is near Discovery's nose wheel landing gear door, where cameras showed a fragment of thermal tile little more than an inch across breaking loose during ascent.
CONFIRMED: Space Adventures announced July 27 that entrepreneur Gregory Olsen has been confirmed as a member of the Soyuz TMA-7 crew that will fly to the International Space Station in October. Olsen will be the third private space tourist, after Dennis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth. Olsen already has completed 500 hours of cosmonaut training in Star City, Russia, and has been declared in "excellent condition" by the Russian Space Agency, according to Space Adventures. His training was briefly halted because of a medical condition, but the condition since has been remedied.
An article in the July 22 DAILY headlined "Admiral: Tiltrotor Eagle Eye UAV slated for September flight," incorrectly described some aspects of the U.S. Coast Guard's version of Bell Helicopter Textron's Eagle Eye unmanned aerial vehicle. The UAV is expected to deploy on the first National Security Cutter in 2009.
REVENUE, INCOME UP: MTC Technologies Inc. posted a 43% jump in revenue and a 23.2% increase in net income in the second quarter of 2005, the company said July 26. Revenues were $89.7 million, compared with $62.7 million for the same period a year ago, a $27 million gain. Second quarter 2005 net income climbed from $4.1 million to $5.1 million, the company said. The Dayton, Ohio-based firm provides system engineering, technical and management services to the U.S. government.
The release of a final request for proposals (RFP) for the U.S. Air Force's Combat Search and Rescue-X (CSAR-X) aircraft program has been delayed from July until August at the earliest because preparing the document is taking longer than expected, an Air Force spokesman said July 26.
Boeing and teammate Science Applications International Corp. awarded four contracts to three unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers on July 26, kicking off the first phase of development for the Class II and III UAVs in the Army's Future Combat Systems program.
THAICOM 4: Arianespace has rescheduled the launch of Thaicom 4 for Aug. 11 from the company's launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. A generic version of the company's Ariane 5 rocket will orbit the satellite for the Thai operator Shinsat.
Several prominent House GOP lawmakers are pressing the independent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission to vote against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's call to shutter the Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn. (DAILY, July 14).
The U.S. Marine Corps has added almost $43 million to General Dynamics Corp.'s contract to continue systems development and demonstration of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program.
The joint Air Force/Navy program to develop a panoramic night vision goggle for fixed-wing pilots is expected to release a request for proposals for its Block IV version in August - part of an effort by the services to inject more competition into the struggling program.
SECURITY, INTELLIGENCE: CACI International Inc. of Arlington, Va., has been awarded $89 million in contracts to support various U.S. government national security and intelligence activities, the company said July 26. CACI will provide communications and staffing for a round-the-clock counterterrorism watch center, as well as technical and engineering expertise to help test automated intelligence systems. The work includes supporting a military facility that will develop, prototype, and evaluate surveillance collection systems and processing technologies.
Right on schedule at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26, Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, returning the orbiter to flight after a two-and-a-half year hiatus and marking the first step in the execution of America's vision for space exploration. STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates are scheduled to spend 12 days in space testing new safety procedures and equipment developed in response to the Columbia accident, as well as delivering supplies to the International Space Station.
Lockheed Martin reported big increases in earnings and sales for the second quarter and first six months of 2005, with its Systems and IT Group and Space Systems segments leading the way, offsetting drops in F-16 fighter sales. Net earnings for the largest U.S. defense contractor were up 56% to $461 million for the quarter, and rose 41% to $830 million for the year-to-date. Earnings per share jumped 55% to $1.02 for the quarter, with year-to-date earnings up 41% to $1.85.
