The U.S. Defense Department has given its final blessing to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program's strategy for fixing the aircraft's weight problems. In a two-sentence statement, DOD said June 1 that Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Wynne has approved a detailed version of the "re-plan" that is intended to overcome JSF's weight woes. Wynne's decision follows a May 5 Defense Acquisition Board review of the program (DAILY, May 6). A more conceptual version of the re-plan received DOD's endorsement in 2004.
JUNO: NASA announced June 1 that the proposed Juno mission to Jupiter will proceed to a preliminary design. The second mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program, Juno would place a spacecraft in polar orbit around Jupiter to investigate the existence of an ice-rock core and study the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field. To launch before mid-1020, the mission will be capped at $700 million.
Lockheed Martin and Aerojet conducted the second test firing of the Atlas V's upgraded Block B solid rocket booster (SRB) on May 24 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the companies announced. It was the second test of the Aerojet-built Block B SRB at the company's new SRB test stand at Edwards. A third test is planned for this fall.
REPLENISHING OILER: United Defense Industries Inc. announced June 1 that the U.S. Military Sealift Command awarded it a $1.6 million contract for work on the USNS Laramie (T-AO 203). If all options are exercised, the award could total slightly more than $2 million. The work is scheduled to complete on July 15. The Laramie is one of MSC's 14 Fleet Replenishment Oilers and is part of the 37-ship Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, which provides fuel, food, ammunition, spare parts and other supplies and services to ships at sea.
Ron Genova has been appointed to the scientific and commercialization board of advisers. Genova is a former executive with JDS Uniphase of San Jose, Calif.
The Air Force has released a request for proposals for the Transformational Satellite Communications (TSAT) Mission Operations System (TMOS), and has scheduled a bidders' conference for June 2. Responses to the RFP, released May 27, are due July 25. A single TMOS contractor is slated to be chosen by the end of fiscal year 2005, or Oct. 1.
The tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program has completed two key events in as many weeks, according to MEADS International, which is developing the anti-aircraft, anti-missile system.
UNDERWATER MINE HUNTERS: Britain has agreed to purchase 10 high-tech unmanned underwater mine hunting vehicles from Pocasset, Mass.-based Hydroid Inc. for 2.75 million pounds ($5 million), the U.K. Ministry of Defence said May 30. The battery-powered Remote Environmental Monitoring Units (REMUS) will scan the seabed in water up to 100 meters (109.3 yards) deep to track down sea mines, the MOD said. The vehicles will be delivered to the Royal Navy in early 2006 and are expected to stay in service until 2011.
The U.S. Army is gearing up to reveal plans for a new guided rocket, an effort designed to replace recently canceled work that was led by General Dynamics. The Army intends to release a draft request for proposals (RFP) the week of June 20-24 and hold an industry day the week of July 4-8, said Dan O'Boyle, a spokesman for Army Aviation and Missile Command.
ASC Shipbuilder Pty Ltd. will be the in-country shipbuilder for the Australian navy's Aegis-equipped Air Warfare Destroyer program, Australia's defense minister said May 31. Lockheed Martin is providing its Aegis weapon system and will serve as the combat system engineering agent for the destroyer program.
ARMY Northstar Aerospace, Bedford Park, Ill., was awarded on May 20, 2005, a $5,336,696 firm-fixed-price contract for spare parts for the CH-47 System. The work will be performed in Bedford Park, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on June 1, 2004. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-05-G-0009).
MOSCOW - Russia's Federal Space Agency launched a Foton M space materials processing research laboratory on May 31 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The 14,400-pound spacecraft is based on the proven design of manned Vostok capsules and unmanned Zenit photoreconnaissance satellites. The spherical return capsule carries about 60 Russian and European Space Agency (ESA) experiments, including a fluid dynamics research package.
NASA did not adequately explore alternatives to the space shuttle for ferrying cargo to the International Space Station, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
NAVY United Defense L.P., Armament Systems Division, Minneapolis, is being awarded a $44,164,231 contract modification to a previously awarded contract for three 5"/62 MK 45 MOD 4 Gun Mounts. The work will be performed in Minneapolis (60 percent) and Louisville, Ky. (40 percent) and is expected to be completed by December 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C., is the contracting activity. (N00024-99-C-5206) AIR FORCE
A shipbuilding benchmarking study is recommending that the United States establish a five-year, $148.2 million Shipbuilding Industrial Base Investment Fund that would help the two major U.S. defense shipbuilders better design and produce vessels, outsource services and supply and streamline the government's involvement in the shipbuilding process.
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded United Defense LP's Armament Systems Division of Minneapolis a maximum $376 million contract to continue working on the Advanced Gun System (AGS) for the DD(X) destroyer program. Most of the work under the contract will be performed in Minneapolis with the rest in Orlando, Fla. It is expected to be finished by September 2010, the Defense Department announced late May 27.
Air-breathing hypersonic stages for future launch systems could offer significant benefits in safety and mission flexibility over today's rockets, according to hypersonics engineers at NASA.
Australia has asked to buy up to 175 Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA missiles and related equipment and services, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress. The deal could be worth up to $315 million, DSCA said May 31. It could include up to 30 telemetry missiles, two SM-2 Block IIIA inert operational missiles, canisters, spare and repair parts, and other equipment and services. Raytheon Systems Co. of Tucson, Ariz., and General Dynamics of Scottsdale, Ariz., would be the primary contractors.
MOSCOW - On May 28, RSC Energia shareholders elected Nikolai Sevastianov president of the company, Russia's main contractor for manned space programs. Sevastianov got 53% of the votes from attendees of a shareholders' meeting and about 43% of the total vote. Although he was backed by the Federal Space Agency, which owns about 38% of the company, he was opposed by company management, who wanted to retain Yuri Semyonov in the post (DAILY, May 27). - Dmitry Pieson ([email protected])
