Defense Daily back issues from April 2008:
Key Meeting On BAMS Expected Next Week, Followed By Contract Award This Month.
Apr 01, 2008 ... By Emelie Rutherford The Navy is expected to award a contract for a system of persistent unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft in the coming weeks, and the program manager predicted a pre-award Pentagon meeting won't be pushed off again, after recent delays. On ...
Lord: Air Force Cyberspace Command Needs Faster Acquisition Process.
Apr 01, 2008; ... By Emelie Rutherford The Air Force will need a much more flexible acquisition process to ensure its burgeoning Cyberspace Command is properly equipped to counter adversaries using complex technologies to try to disrupt warfighters' computing environments, the command's leader ...
Raytheon Sees Its STUAS Bid As 'Killer' Solution, Draft RFP Expected This Month.
Apr 01, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein In the coming weeks, the Navy is expected to issue a draft request for proposal (RFP) for its Small Tactical Unmanned Air System (STUAS) to fill a critical gap identified by the Marine Corps for an organic tactical system to enhance situational awareness. ...
Raytheon's JLENS Successful In Preliminary Design Review.
Apr 01, 2008 ... By Ann Roosevelt Raytheon [RTN] yesterday said the Joint Land attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) successfully completed Orbit preliminary design review (PDR), a key milestone for the Army program expected to provide cruise missile defense. ...
Robonic Delivers Third Generation Launcher To Finnish Defense Forces.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Robonic Ltd of Tampere, Finland, said it has delivered an MC2555LLR launcher to the Finnish Defense Forces. The system will be dual role, supporting the launch of aerial targets for the Finnish air force as well as launching the Finnish army's Ranger TUAV- system. Robonic has ...
Kehler: TSAT Study To Go To Lawmakers In Spring.
Apr 02, 2008 ... By Emelie Rutherford The Air Force plans to deliver a study to Congress this spring on whether to rework Transformational Satellite (TSAT) program, a review spurred by plans to add a fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite, a top service official said. ...
Northrop Grumman Awards Bath Iron Works Construction Work On LPD-24.
Apr 02, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein Northrop Grumman [NOC] is outsourcing construction of modules for the USS Arlington (LPD-24) to General Dynamics' [GD] Bath Iron Works to meet shipbuilding schedule commitments and help stabilize the shipbuilding industrial base, according to a Northrop Grumman ...
Obering: Next Budget May Bolster Sea-Based, Land-Mobile Missile Interceptors.
Apr 02, 2008 ... By Dave Ahearn The next Missile Defense Agency budget may switch from a focus on items such as providing more Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptors to "robust" other systems such as sea-based missile defense and land-mobile interceptors. That was the ...
BAE Systems To Produce More M777A2 Howitzers.
Apr 02, 2008 ... BAE Systems has received a $176 million order from the Defense Department for 87 additional M777A2 155mm towed howitzers. The order adds to the 589 M777A2 howitzers already on order for the U.S. armed forces, of which more than 300 have been delivered. The 155mm ...
General Dynamics, Part of Lockheed Martin JTRS AMF Team, Plans Work.
Apr 02, 2008 ... General Dynamics [GD], part of the winning Lockheed Martin [LMT] team selected for the $766 million work on the Joint Tactical Radio System for Airborne, Maritime and Fixed Stations, yesterday announced its portion of the work. JTRS is a family of advanced communication ...
USSOCOM Plans Industry Conference Next Month.
Apr 02, 2008; ... By Ann Roosevelt U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is planning a Special Operations Forces (SOF) industry conference next month in Tampa, Fla. The Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce is hosting the May 20-22 conference at the Tampa Convention Center. ...
NNSA Calls On Corps of Engineers To Manage Big Plutonium Project.
Apr 02, 2008 ... By George Lobsenz The National Nuclear Security Administration, under fire for design, cost and management problems on several major projects, has signed an agreement to have the Army Corps of Engineers serve as construction manager for the Pit Disassembly and Conversion ...
DHS Still Needs To Get S&T Priorities Right, Langevin Says.(Department of Homeland Security)(Science and Technology )
Apr 02, 2008; ... By Calvin Biesecker Attempts by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) office to develop a strategic plan based on budgets and overall priorities is still lacking although the "foundation" of the directorate has been strengthened in the last ...
High Costs, Operational Challenges Among Lessons Learned In Secure Freight Initiative.
Apr 03, 2008 ... By Calvin Biesecker Initial lessons from a nearly six-month old pilot program at several overseas seaports to test the feasibility of scanning 100 percent of all cargo bound for the United States include substantial costs and a slew of operational and personnel challenges to ...
Navy To Seek Industry Input In Maturing Technology For Carrier Drone Program.
Apr 03, 2008 ... By Emelie Rutherford The Navy plans to reach out to industry this year for ideas on tackling the technology-maturation segment of its effort to develop unmanned strike aircraft that operate off aircraft carriers, a service official said. The technology-maturing ...
Third VH-71 Helicopter Preps For Final Assembly And Mission Systems Integration.
Apr 03, 2008 ... Test Vehicle 3 (TV-3), the third VH-71 helicopter built for the presidential helicopter program, is undergoing final assembly and mission systems integration to enable the helicopter to be used as a command and control platform by the White House, according to Lockheed Martin [LMT]. ...
Osprey Engine Durability Issue Leading Navy To Explore Options.
Apr 03, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein Concerns with the long-term durability of Rolls-Royce's V-22 engine has led the Navy to examine options running the gamut from modifying the current system to looking at a new engine, according to a program spokesman. Additionally, the Navy earlier ...
Lockheed Martin Signs $198 Million U.K. Situational Awareness Contract.
Apr 03, 2008 ... Lockheed Martin [LMT] U.K.-led Team Athena has signed a $198 million contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) situation awareness program. LEAPP is expected to give ground commanders decision-quality data in near ...
GAO Says Airborne Laser Costs Up, But Obering Says They Stabilized Recently.
Apr 03, 2008 ... By Dave Ahearn While the Government Accountability Office (GAO) told members of Congress that costs of the Airborne Laser (ABL) missile defense system jumped from $1 billion to $5 billion, that occurred in early days of developing the airborne shield, with costs stable and ...
Boeing Files Updated Tanker Protests, Denies It Has Narrowed Its Filing.
Apr 04, 2008 ... By Emelie Rutherford Boeing [BA] yesterday denied it narrowed its protest of the Air Force's tanker award to Northrop Grumman [NOC], saying it has filed updated protests after seeing materials allegedly supporting its appeal that deal with issues including the boom of the ...
New Technologies Will Make DDG-1000 Tough To Find, Tough To Fight.
Apr 04, 2008; ... By Geoff Fein While much of the focus on DDG-1000 has been on the program's cost, not to be overlooked are the number of new systems and technologies that will be brought into the fleet, a Navy official said. When it hits the fleet in the coming decade, DDG-1000 ...
NATO Considering Link Between Alliance, U.S. Missile Defense Systems.
Apr 04, 2008 ... By Ann Roosevelt NATO is examining ways to link its current missile defense efforts to a European-based U.S. missile defense from concerns that the proliferation of ballistic missiles poses an increasing threat to alliance forces, territory and populations, leaders said at a ...
Czech Republic Agrees To Host U.S. Ground-based Midcourse Defense Radar.
Apr 04, 2008 ... The Czech Republic agreed to provide the site for a U.S. Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) radar installation to guard against missiles launched by nations such as Iran, the Czechs said yesterday. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg announced a deal was reached ...
DoD IG Raps Army Paper Trail In Body Armor Contracts.
Apr 04, 2008 ... By Ann Roosevelt The Defense Department Inspector General (DoD IG) finds that contract documentation between January 2004 and December 2006 Army body armor procurement was not adequately maintained, according to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements. ...
AAAE, Airports Form Consortium To Help Ease Biometrics Into Employee Security Solution.
Apr 04, 2008 ... By Calvin Biesecker The trade group representing the nation's airports and operators from a dozen airports have established a new working group aimed at building on the expertise of the airport community in worker credentialing and access control to bring biometric-based ...
Terrorist Intent To Develop Nuclear Weapons Remains But Capabilities Unclear, DHS' Allen Says.
Apr 04, 2008 ... By Calvin Biesecker Terrorists are still intent on acquiring nuclear weapons but the intelligence community is "uncertain" regarding the capabilities of terrorists to either acquire or develop such devices, the top intelligence official with the Department of Homeland Security ...
Defense Watch.
Apr 07, 2008 ... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense No Protest. Boeing will not contest the $766.1 million government award to Lockheed Martin for the design and development of the military's next generation Airborne Maritime and Fixed Station Joint Tactical ...
Honeywell To Acquire Maker Of Safety, Personal Protective Gear.
Apr 07, 2008 ... Honeywell [HON] on Friday said it has agreed to acquire Norcross Safety Products, LLC, a provider personal protective equipment for the fire service, utility and general industrial markets, for $1.2 billion. Norcross, which is majority owned by Odyssey Investment Partners, ...
Boeing Starts Final Assembly of First P-8A Poseidon Test Aircraft.
Apr 07, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein Boeing [BA] last week began final assembly of the first P-8A Poseidon to provide increased capability in long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for the Navy, the company reported. The ...
Analyst: Obama Would Be A Nightmare For Defense Programs, Firms.
Apr 07, 2008 ... By Dave Ahearn If Sen. Barak Obama of Illinois wins the Democratic presidential nomination and then goes on to be elected to the White House, the defense industry better brace for tough times, according to Heidi Wood, Morgan Stanley defense analyst. While Sen. John ...
Supporting The Army Means Timely And Full Funding, Cody Says.
Apr 07, 2008; ... By Ann Roosevelt Sustaining the all volunteer force in a time of war and an evolving future seen as one of persistent conflict means the Army needs the funding for the FY '08 supplemental request and the FY '09 budget to avoid "substantial impacts" on readiness and unneeded ...
Vought Signs $400 Million Contract For V-22 Tail Parts.
Apr 07, 2008 ... Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. recently signed a $400 million contract with the Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] to manufacture tail parts including the empennage, ramp and ramp door, for the V-22 Osprey, according to Vought. Bell and partner Boeing [BA] build the V-22 tiltrotor ...
Joint Strike Fighter Not Facing Cost Breach For Late 2007 Period.(Joint Strike Fighter )
Apr 08, 2008 ... By Emelie Rutherford The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program's cost decreased slightly over the final months of 2007, and the effort did not experience a significant cost breach during that time requiring congressional involvement, according to a Selected Acquisition ...
Army Stretched, But Not Hollow Or Broken, Casey Says.
Apr 08, 2008; ... By Ann Roosevelt NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.--Six and a half years of war may have stretched the Army, but it's by no means broken, according to the the Chief of Staff. "We're stretched and stressed there's no question about that," Gen. George Casey told the Army Aviation ...
DDG-1000: Bigger Ship, Smaller Crew.
Apr 08, 2008; ... By Geoff Fein While DDG-1000, with its advanced technologies, low radar cross section and modern weapons will provide a new direction for the Navy's surface combatant fleet, the ability to operate all of that with crew of no more than 148 could be the greatest benefit to the ...
Army Expects $500 Million Savings On Chinook Multi-Year Contract.
Apr 08, 2008 ... By Ann Roosevelt NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.---By June, Boeing [BA] expects to have signed on to a five-year contract to support the CH-47 Chinook helicopter expected to save the service $500 million, according to officials. "We've estimated half a billion savings," Col. ...
Coast Guard Takes Delivery of First of 180 New Response Boat Mediums.
Apr 08, 2008; ... By Geoff Fein The Coast Guard yesterday unveiled its new 45-foot Response Boat Medium (RB-M), the eventual replacement for the service's 25-year-old Utility Boat (UT- B) The Coast Guard has 30 of the new RB-Ms under contract with the potential to buy as many as ...
Cause of Predator UAV Accident In Theater Unknown.(unmanned aerial vehicle)(Brief article)
Apr 08, 2008; ... By Emelie Rutherford The Air Force does not yet know if a MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle that ran off a runway in Iraq late last week can be repaired, or what caused the accident, the service said. "Our skilled maintenance craftsmen will evaluate the wreckage ...
Most Denial of Service Attacks Targeted U.S. In Late 2007, Symantec Report Say.
Apr 08, 2008 ... More than 50 percent of denial of service attacks were targeted against computers in the United States in the second half of 2007, according to a new report by the computer security firm Symantec [SYMC]. Governments are the top sector for the denial of service attacks, which ...
Rockwell Collins Completes Purchase of Athena Technologies.(Rockwell Collins closed its acquisition with Athena Technologies Inc.,)(Brief article)
Apr 08, 2008 ... Rockwell Collins [COL] yesterday said it had closed its acquisition of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) subsystem supplier Athena Technologies, which will expand its presence in the UAV market. The deal was first announced early last month. Deal terms were not ...
JSF Officials Optimistic On Foreign Partners, Welcome Report On Cost Stability.
Apr 09, 2008 ... By Emelie Rutherford Officials steering the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program said signs are good for Japan joining the aircraft effort, and predicted partner nations Norway and Denmark will not drop their plans. Japan has eyed the JSF program that is ...
Collins Stands Firm Against Altering Navy's DDG-1000 Plans.
Apr 09, 2008; ... By Emelie Rutherford Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said it would be a "disaster" to pass on building future DDG-1000s in favor of another Navy ship, and pledged to remain a strong voice for maintaining the service's plans for the destroyers that House members have proposed ...
Cody: Army Aviation Must Keep Making The Hard Choices.
Apr 09, 2008 ... By Ann Roosevelt NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.--Army aviation must not defer hard decisions to remain agile, lethal and successful, according to the Army Vice Chief of Staff. "The branch since its inception has made the hard choices," Gen. Richard Cody told the Army ...
Raytheon Launches Information Security Practice.
Apr 09, 2008; ... By Calvin Biesecker Building off its legacy capabilities combined with its purchase last October of the cyber security firm Oakley Networks, Raytheon [RTN] said yesterday it has launched an Information Security Solutions practice aimed at the federal market and large ...
BAE Systems Unveils Helmet-Mounted Display Technology.
Apr 09, 2008 ... By Ann Roosevelt NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.--BAE Systems yesterday unveiled its Q-Sight family of helmet displays and tracking products that can bring improved situational awareness to Army pilots, according to officials. "It's a revolutionary means of moving light using ...
Lockheed Martin To Build More Arrowhead Targeting Systems.(contracts)
Apr 09, 2008; ... By Ann Roosevelt NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.-- Lockheed Martin [LMT] April 7 announced the Army awarded it a $172 million follow-on contract for Arrowhead electro-optical systems for AH-64 Apache helicopter crews. The Arrowhead kit upgrades the infrared sensors and ...
Blackhawk and Atlantic Turbines Form Vector-Hawk Aerospace.(Blackhawk Modifications )(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2008 ... Blackhawk Modifications and Atlantic Turbines International have entered a teaming agreement to expand turbine engine capabilities, forming a new company, Vector-Hawk Aerospace, headquartered in Daleville, Ala. The new company will operate separately from the existing ...
Bell Helicopter Teams With Army To Advance CBM Technology.
Apr 09, 2008 ... Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] and the Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) are teaming to advance the state-of-the-art for Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) Technologies. Bell will begin testing various elements of this system later this year with the program ...
Rockwell Collins, OADS LandSafe(tm) System Offers Brownout Solution.
Apr 09, 2008 ... Rockwell Collins [COL] and Optical Air Data Systems, LLC (OADS) have teamed to introduce a new solution called LandSafe(tm) to help helicopters navigate and land safely in degraded visual environments, especially brownout conditions. The LandSafe solution was developed ...
Hoffman: F-22 Shutdown Decision Needed By November.
Apr 10, 2008; ... By Emelie Rutherford An Air Force official told Senate authorizers yesterday that a decision on whether to keep open the F-22 Raptor production line needs to be made by November, saying adding four of the fighter jets to a supplemental spending bill does little for the ...
Army Sky Warrior Makes Its Debut.
Apr 10, 2008; ... By Ann Roosevelt NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.--The Army's Extended Range Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aircraft Weapon System made its debut here April 8 at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual convention. "What a great opportunity to preview our first representative ...
Navy Lifts Stop Work Order On GD's CEDS Effort.
Apr 10, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein The Navy has lifted a stop work order on a General Dynamics' [GD] effort to develop a common display system for ships, submarines and aircraft, following a reevaluation of a protest that showed the company's proposal provided advantages in both non-cost factors ...
FLIR Acquires Spanish Sensor Networking Firm.
Apr 10, 2008 ... FLIR Systems [FLIR] on Tuesday said it has acquired Spain's Ifara Tecnologias, a developer and supplier of middleware and client application software used to network sensor systems, for $11.1 million in cash. FLIR, which has been partnering with Ifara for several years, said ...
Lockheed Martin Receives AH-64 Apache PBL Follow-On Contract.(Performance Based Logistics)
Apr 10, 2008 ... Lockheed Martin [LMT] received a follow-on potential $76.6 million contract for 2008 for Performance Based Logistics (PBL) to support the Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS) and Modernized TADS/PNVS (MTADS/PNVS) systems on the AH-64 Apache ...
NRC Expands Radioactive Source Tracking System.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
Apr 10, 2008; ... By George Lobsenz The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), substantially expanding a key anti-terrorism initiative, announced Tuesday a plan to nearly quadruple the number of companies, hospitals and other users of nuclear materials that will have to report into a national ...
Ability To Collaborate On Intel Data Is Vital In GWOT, Official Says.
Apr 10, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein Being able to bring in intelligence data and manipulate it and do it in an interconnected globally collaborative environment without having to hand type information in is vital to the war on terrorism, according to a Navy official. Industry is helping ...
U.K. To Spend $125 Million For 157 Category I MRAPs.
Apr 10, 2008 ... The United Kingdom is looking to spend upward of $125 million for 157 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles as well as associated equipment and services, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) reported yesterday. The sale would be for Category I 4x4 Cougar ...
Turkey To Spend $227 Million For Six MK 41 VLS.
Apr 10, 2008 ... Turkey is looking to buy six Lockheed Martin [LMT] MK 41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) as well as associated equipment and services, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said yesterday. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $227 million, ...
DHS Continues To Struggle With Acquisition Management, GAO Says.(Department of Homeland Security)
Apr 10, 2008; ... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made some progress in how it organizes and manages acquisition activities, but still lacks accountability for how it spends and oversees procurement dollars, an official with the Government Accountability ...
New LCS RFP Extends Build Time To 32 Months.
Apr 10, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein The Navy last month issued its request for proposals (RFP) to teams led by General Dynamics [GD] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] for one Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) in FY '08 and two in FY '09, with the only significant change being a longer build cycle. ...
Correction.
Apr 10, 2008 ... In the April 8 edition of Defense Daily, a story about Symantec's cyber security report should have read that government accounted for 60 percent of the ...
Canada Rebuffs ATK's Attempt To Acquire MDA's Space Business.(Alliant Techsystems Inc. acquired with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates )
Apr 11, 2008; ... By Calvin Biesecker Alliant Techsystems' [ATK] plans to bolster its capabilities and offerings for the space market took a hit this week when Canada rejected the company's pending $1.3 billion acquisition of the space and related information systems business of the Canadian ...
Early Efforts Should Help DDG-1000 Production Avoid Other Programs' Pitfalls.
Apr 11, 2008 ... By Geoff Fein As construction on DDG-1000 gets underway in the coming year, the Navy and the two shipyards heading up the effort will have a design that is significantly further along than any previous surface combatant has ever been, according to a Navy official. ...
Lockheed Martin DAGR Successful In Recent Testing, Company Says.
Apr 11, 2008; ... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin [LMT] said it recently completed another series of successful tests of the Direct Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) semi-active laser guidance kits for 2.75 inch/70mm rockets. The DAGR guidance kit adapts to rockets such as the Hydra 70 and ...
DoD Approves Funds To Start Stryker Product Improvement Program.
Apr 11, 2008 ... By Ann Roosevelt The Defense Department's chief acquisition officer has approved up to $10 million in FY 2008 research, development test and evaluation (RDT&E) funds to initiate a Stryker Product Improvement Program (S-PIP). Stryker vehicles are produced by General ...