Carmen J. Palermo, vice president and chief scientist, Harris Corp., was elected chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) technical and operations council. He succeeds Samuel A. Musa, vice president, research and technology E-System. Robert J. Polutchko, vice president, technical operations, Martin Marietta Corp., was elected vice chairman. AIA product support committee elects 1995 officers:
At the dinner with Gorman and Deutch, Schlesinger also takes a few shots at the Clinton Administration's national security policy, saying, "There are many things wrong with national security policy in the U.S. Few have to do with the Department of Defense." Most of them stem from the White House's "remarkably elusive" foreign policy, which has been "all over the lot," Schlesinger says.
Martin Marietta and Lockheed have to decide precisely how to combine their space assets now that their merger plans have been approved by the Federal Trade Commission (DAILY, Jan. 12, page 51). The new Lockheed Martin will have four major space facilities: Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. in Sunnyvale, Calif., Martin Marietta Astronautics in Denver, and two Martin Marietta Astro Space plants, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Martin Marietta Astro Space and Hughes Space and Communications Co. announced Friday they have each formed teams to compete for an upcoming contract for the next generation of Air Force Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. Rockwell International has also formed a team and hopes to make an announcement in the next week or two, a spokesman said.
Ramesh L. Ratan, who most recently served as senior vice president, administration, chief financial officer and corporate secretary, Repligen Corp., was appointed executive vice president, corporate development and chief financial officer.
It's not likely all four facilities will be kept open. There's significant overcapacity at Sunnyvale and Denver-despite a move of Martin's recently-acquired Atlas launcher business from San Diego to Denver. And company employees don't see overcapacity jibing with Martin Marietta Chairman Norman Augustine's repeated statement that three full factories are better than six empty ones.
The U.S. Air Force will probably release a modification request, or MR, on Friday telling the six remaining Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) competitors to make sure that they really have adopted commercial practices, which could effectively push announcement of a winner as late as early June, sources familiar with the program confirmed to The DAILY last week.
Berger G. "Bud" Wallin has been elected to the board of directors and named executive vice president for special projects. Patrick L. Thomas, formerly president of Milton Roy Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sundstrand, was elected executive vice president and chief operating officer of the company's industrial segment.
House Intelligence Chairman Larry Combest (R-Tex.), newly elected vice chairman of the Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy, says he wants to "look at what is being newly classified and why...." If less truly sensitive information were classified, he says, it could be held with more tightly and at lower cost. According to the National Security Council's Information Security Oversight Office, the total of all classification actions reported in 1993 increased 1% to 6,408,688. The Defense Dept.
Top Defense Dept. officials hope to notify Congress today about the cancellation of AGM-137 Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile (TSSAM) development, sources said Friday. Pentagon officials met late Friday to review the termination plans, which are still under wraps. Cancellation costs could be as much as $1.6 billion, according to one source.
U.S. Army scientists have demonstrated an artillery fuze that uses the Global Positioning System to allow soldiers to track the round in flight and determine its impact point. In a test last month at the Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., the Sensors Application Branch of the Army Research Laboratory showed that an artillery round can receive GPS information and send it back to the gunner, who can then target the next round with great accuracy.
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS is marketing an aircraft paint removal system called Flashjet. It's described as a process that uses a combination of pulsed light energy and frozen carbon dioxide pellets, and is said to be safe and less costly than methods that use chemicals and generate contaminated waste. The company said that it developed and delivered a proof-of-concept prototype system to the U.S. Air Force at Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center in 1992, and that the Air Force contracted for a second system for eventual use on F-15 fighter aircraft.
Rep. Ron Dellums (D-Calif.), after initial resistance, has accepted a House Democratic rules change that would have the practical effect of reducing his role on the acquisition subcommittee of the National Security Committee. He told The DAILY that after speaking out against the change in the Democratic Caucus, "I decided on my own that even if I had the opportunity to serve as ranking [Democrat on the subcommittee], I would not." The issue will be reconsidered by the Caucus next week.
McDonnell Douglas yesterday completed structural assembly of the forward fuselage of the F/A-18E/F strike fighter, development of which it said is on schedule and within budget. In May, before joining the forward fuselage and the aircraft's center/aft fuselage, built by Northrop Grumman, the forward section will be painted, and wiring and hydraulic tubing will be installed. First flight of the E/F is slated for December 1995.
Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee chairman Ted Stevens (R- Alaska) said the Clinton Administration will not be sending its $2.6 billion defense supplemental request to Congress "for a couple of weeks," which could cut into the services' readiness training. Stevens told The DAILY Wednesday in an interview following an organizational meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee that he spoke to Pentagon Comptroller John Hamre earlier this week and was informed that "there's going to be a little delay" in sending the supplemental to Congress.
U.S. Special Operations Command is looking for Open Systems Architecture concepts for avionics and sensor packages onboard special operations forces (SOF) aircraft under several projects, including Quiet Knight. In a Jan. 11 Commerce Business Daily notice, SOCOM said that its Acquisition Center's Advanced Technology and Engineering Div. wants information from researchers, developers and manufacturers on designs and concepts that might be suitable for a common open systems architecture.
The Senate Appropriations Committee announced the makeup of its subcommittees with three Republican Senators added to the defense subcommittee-Sens. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Connie Mack (Fla.) and Richard Shelby (Ala.)-for a 9-8 majority. Leaving the subcommittee and the full committee were Sens. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) and Don Nickles (Okla.). The lineup of the defense subcommittee is as follows:
Hexcel Corp. said it expects its plan to emerge from bankruptcy to become effective on or about the end of the month. The California-based developer and manufacturer of honeycomb and advanced composites said the U.S. Bankruptcy Court has confirmed its reorganization plan, and that it has a commitment from Citicorp USA Inc. for exit financing of up to $45 million. The company has been selling off assets, including its Chandler, Ariz., honeycomb facility (DAILY, Jan. 10, page 38).
Senate Armed Services Chairman Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) said the committee will begin defense hearings on Jan. 19 with a look at readiness from the point of view of users in the field. The hearing is one of five planned by the committee before the Clinton Administration sends its fiscal 1996 defense budget to Congress the first week in February. The other planned SASC hearings are as follows: -- Jan. 24, security implications of the nuclear agreement with North Korea.
HOWDEN FLUID SYSTEMS is the name of the company that was formed when FCD Corp., Hamden, Conn., was merged into Pneu Devices Inc. of Santa Barbara, Calif., on Dec. 15, Howden said. FCD made hydraulic cooling units and environmental control systems, as did Pneu Devices. Howden Fluid Systems, also of Santa Barbara, supplies environmental control systems to the defense and aerospace industries. John H. McGrenery, formerly vice president of manufacturing of FCD, has been appointed president of Howden Fluid Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Howden Defense Systems.
HONEYWELL MILITARY AVIONICS, Minneapolis, said it has been chosen to provide upgraded central air data computers (UCADC) for use on Greece's Block 50 F-16 fighters. The company said yesterday that the $1.3 million contract further expands its UCADC presence internationally. The computer has already been selected for use on F-16s in Taiwan, Turkey and Singapore.
Democrats have appointed their 11 members to the House Science Committee's space subcommittee. Rep. Ralph Hall (D-Tex.), the panel's former chairman, will be ranking Democrat. Serving with Hall will be Democrats Jane Harman (D-Calif.), Tim Roemer (D-Ind.), Bud Cramer (D-Ala.), James Barcia (D-Mich.), James Traficant (D-Ohio), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.), Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Mike Ward (D-Ky.), and William Luther (D-Minn.).
The U.S. Navy is soliciting industry for development and production of the Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo, intended to counter threats posed by diesel submarines in shallow water and littoral areas.
RMI TITANIUM CO., Niles, Ohio, said it will serve its expanding list of European customers by establishing a regional office and warehouse near Birmingham, England. It said the new facility will open next month and stock titanium products to meet the growing demand for just-in-time delivery from aerospace and industrial titanium markets. The move was made under a distribution strategy that began with part ownership in RMI's French distributor, Reamet SA, and the formation of the joint venture Permipipe AS of Norway.
Loral, TRW and Westinghouse are teaming to compete for the U.S. Army's Corps SAM next generation air defense system, intended to replace the Hawk missile system. Loral Vought Systems said yesterday that it will serve as the prime contractor and also be responsible for the weapon system module. TRW Data Technologies Div., Carson, Calif., will handle the battle management/command and control module, and Westinghouse Electric Corp.'s Electronic Business Group, Baltimore, will provide the sensor module.
