GEN. WESLEY K. CLARK (U.S. Army-ret.), former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, joined the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies as a senior advisor. Clark held the SACEUR post from July 10, 1997 until May 3, 2000. He commanded Operation Allied Force, NATO's first major combat operation.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded on June 30, 2000 a $137,748,001 (not-to-exceed) firm-fixed-price contract to provide for integrated logistics support for fifty F-16 aircraft. This effort supports foreign military sales to Israel. Expected contract completion date is July 2006. Negotiation completion date was June 29, 2000. Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-00-C-2056).
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. delivered the first of six revamped F-16Cs in the fiscal year 1997 contract to the U.S. Air Force. New features include a Raytheon modular mission computer (MMC), Honeywell commercial color multifunction displays, a Teac color programmable display generator, a Lockheed Martin Fairchild Systems color cockpit TV sensor and a Litton on-board oxygen generating system (OBOGS). "Incorporation of these upgrades in production will minimize retrofit costs," said Donald W. Jones, vice president of F-16 Programs.
TRW said its "ultraminiature" radio component, designed to improve messaging capability of communications satellite payloads, will be used in Astrolink payloads. "Our unit is about the size of a matchbook and weighs little more than an ounce, yet it contains extensive built-in redundancy for high reliability," said Paul Borzcik, VP and program manager of TRW's Astrolink program.
Honeywell International, announcing its expects to deliver disappointing second quarter results last month, said it is going on a diet and taking a second quarter charge of $75 million to $100 million. "We are implementing a series of aggressive cost-cutting initiatives across the company to address the shortfalls in our business performance," said Michael R. Bonsignore, chairman and CEO.
Litton Systems Inc., Guidance&Control Systems, Woodland Hills, Calif., is being awarded a firm-fixed-price contract (an appropriation number and dollar value will be issued with each delivery order) with a cumulative total of $7,647,240 for test, evaluation, overhaul and repair services for the Heading Attitude Reference System AN/ASN/143. Foreign military sales will be announced on individual delivery orders. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2003. This is a sole source contract initiated on Jan. 10, 2000.
Primex Technologies Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla., signed a deal with Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) to market and sell the IMI 105mm Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel (APAM) tank round to the U.S. Army's Brigade Combat Team. This is IMI's second munition co-production deal with a U.S. contractor in the last three weeks. At the end June, IMI announced a similar teaming arrangement with Alliant Techsystems for the M971 120mm Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) mortar cargo ammunition (DAILY, June 21).
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas, received a $90 million contract for 39 upgraded Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270A1 launchers. The contract marks the company's third and largest low rate initial production MLRS contract. The launcher, unveiled in a ceremony at the company's Camden, Ark., facility, incorporates several enhancements.
Northrop Grumman Corp., Melbourne, Fla., was awarded on June 30, 2000 a $6,731,580 modification to a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract which extends by two months the pre-engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Radar Technology Insertion Program supporting the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. Expected contract completion date is Aug. 31, 2000. Negotiation completion date was June 22, 2000. Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-99-C-0011-P00018).
Smiths Industries Leland Electrosystems, Vandalia, Ohio, is being awarded a $6,602,955 firm-fixed-price order under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for modification/repair of 462 electric engine starters and for procurement of 65 new spares used on AH-1W Cobra helicopters. Work will be performed in Vandalia, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by July 2003. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured.
A new sounding rocket developed by the Astrotech Space Operations subsidiary of Spacehab Inc. made its first flight early Friday, lifting off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Va., with instrumentation designed to collect information on the vehicle's performance and payload environment during the powered portion of its flight. The flight achieved its objectives, according to a Spacehab spokesperson. As planned, the vehicle was not recovered.
Boeing Company, Seal Beach, Calif., was awarded on June 30, 2000 a $34,500,000 (not-to-exceed) modification to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for adjustment of the Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIF Satellite Operational Control Segment (OCS) development to align it with developmental changes in the GPS OCS support contract and with the change of the OCS support program from two contractors to a single prime contractor. This effort also provides for critical FY2000 OCS operational and maintenance effort. Expected contract completion date is Sept. 30, 2001.
LOCKHEED MARTIN said its Consolidated Space Operations Contract (CSOC) has been recommended ISO 9001 certification. CSOC, with about 3,000 employees at more than 10 locations around the world, provides mission and data services to NASA and non-NASA customers.
NASA managers yesterday continued discussions with Russian counterparts on Russian analysis of data from an engine anomaly in last week's launch of a Proton rocket. Another Proton carrying the International Space Station's Zevzda Service Module is on its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and Russia is planning to launch at 12:46 a.m. EDT Wednesday morning.
Team SBL IFX, El Segundo, Calif., was awarded on June 29, 2000 a $10,157,979 modification to a cost-plus-award-fee contract to incorporate additional effort into the Space Based Laser (SBL) Integrated Flight Experiment (IFX) program and extend delivery of the Systems Readiness Review from Oct. 31, 2000 to Dec. 5, 2000. This additional effort includes functional testing of the Beam Profile Generator, high power testing of the Capistrano Test Sight, Beam Control element test support, and incorporation of the high Altitude Balloon Experiment into the IFX contract.
The Defense Dept. is warning congressional appropriators that proposed cuts in President Clinton's fiscal 2001 budget request could delay, degrade or kill a host of aerospace programs.
Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems Corp., Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $14,427,522 option to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for low rate initial production of 3,027 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) Tail Kits. These kits correct for the effects of wind on dispenser type cluster munitions (e.g., Sensor Fuzed Weapon, Gator and Combined Effect Munitions). Expected contract completion date is April 2002. Solicitation issue date was May 19, 2000. Negotiation completion date was June 22, 2000.
Raytheon Systems Co., Raytheon Technical Service Co., Indianapolis, Ind., is being awarded a time and materials contract (an appropriation number and dollar value will be issued with each delivery order), with an estimated cumulative total of $10,000,000. The contractor will provide depot maintenance support services for fielded Firefinder radar assemblies and radars to include AN/TPQ-36(V), AN/TPQ-37(V), AN/MPQ-84 and AN/TPQ-84; and technical services such as engineering and field technical support services as required on a time and material basis for U.S.
Raytheon Company, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $46,472,259 cost-plus-award-fee contract to provide engineering and management efforts to develop and test the Land Attack Standard Missile through the engineering and management development phase. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (86.2%) and El Segundo, Calif. (13.8%), and is expected to be completed by December 2003. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured.
Pentagon officials yesterday continued to review the failed July 8 national missile defense test, but initially blamed an electrical component for failing to send a signal to the kill vehicle that would have told it to separate from the second stage of Lockheed Martin's Payload Launch Vehicle. The failure wasn't even on a list of potential problems. Lt. Gen.
Bombardier Aerospace and the Canadian Dept. of Defense on July 6 kicked off the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. "Today marks the start of a new way to train tomorrow's military pilots, and I believe many more countries will soon recognize the benefits NFTC offers and join the program," said Jacques Auger, president of Bombardier's Defense Services.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Company, Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on June 30, 2000 a $5,337,583 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for contractor logistics support from July through September 2000 for the Predator unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles. Expected contract completion date is Sept. 30, 2000. Solicitation issue date was Nov. 19, 1999. Negotiation completion date was June 27, 2000. Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-00-C-4010).
The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co.'s initial public offering received a tepid response in its first day of trading yesterday as investors grappled with the financial risks of the A3XX project. Investors who bought in at the IPO for 19 euros ($18), may initially rue their purchase. The shares, which trade on exchanges in Frankfurt, Paris and Madrid, closed down at 17.25 euros ($16.35). The price was, in fact, already discounted from original targets to draw in private and institutional investor.
BAE Systems is tapping the Internet to improve its management of human resources services and help other companies get a better grip on HR needs as well. The British defense giant is teaming up with Xchanging, a provider of e-enabled business-to-business (B2B) administration, to form an Internet-based HR company. The two have signed a letter of intent defining the scope of the 50-50 joint venture.
