Defense Daily articles from December 2003

Defense Daily archives from December 2003

Defense Watch.(multiple articles)
December 1, 2003... The Latest Word on Trends and Developments in Aerospace and Defense Tanker Imbroglio. Congress left town last week, leaving the Pentagon to sort out the Air Force tanker mess, which is now under internal review after it was learned that a...

As Milestone Review Nears, Navy Looks For Additional MMA Money.(Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft)
December 1, 2003... By Amy Butler The Navy is working to resolve a funding shortfall in the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) program in preparation for a Milestone B, or system development and demonstration, decision expected early next year, according...

Lapse In Defense Production Act Leaves Contractors Hanging.
December 1, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger As the authorities provided by the Defense Production Act remain lapsed for a second month, U.S. defense contractors are left without legal protection when bumping commercial orders in favor of Pentagon contracts, and...

U.K. Reviews Defense Industrial Policy.
December 1, 2003... Progress is being made but more needs to be done, is the consensus of the first annual review of the U.K. Defence Industrial Policy. Launched in October 2002 by Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon and Secretary of State for Trade and...

Army Publishes Plan Online To Accelerate Change.(The Way Ahead)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Army Nov. 26 published online "The Way Ahead," its plan to increase wartime relevance and readiness while institutionalizing the mindset reflecting the service is part of the joint fight with the other services. "We are accelerating...

Australia Proposes Future Soldier Equipment.
December 1, 2003... Australia will fund proposals for a miniature personal power generation system and small-helmet-mounted sensors under a $14.8 million program to improve the capability of soldiers of the future, the defense minister said. Defense Minister...

Defense Brief.(John Warner hearings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... SASC Chairman John Warner (R-Va.) last week informed Defense Secretary Rumsfeld that his committee "will hold thorough and comprehensive hearings on [the 767 tanker lease] in the new year." The announcement of the hearings follows Boeing's [BA]...

Stonecipher Takes Over At Boeing As Condit Resigns To Help Lift Ethics Cloud.(Harry Stonecipher, Phil Condit)
December 2, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker Capping a rough week for its leadership team, Boeing [BA] yesterday announced the resignation of Chairman and CEO Phil Condit who said he is leaving the company to help the world's largest aerospace firm get past the...

Aerospace Commissioners See Little Fallout From Boeing Shakeup.
December 2, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger Boeing's [BA] increasingly high-profile ethics problems will not likely have a long-term impact on the government-to-industry hiring practices or, ultimately, on the Air Force's plans to acquire tankers from the...

Czech MoD Recommends Gripen Procurement For Fighter Requirement.
December 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The Czech Republic's commission evaluating multiple offers for its future fighter requirement recommended the government acquire the JAS-39 Gripen produced by Sweden's Saab and Britain's BAE SYSTEMS, renewing the Czech...

Team US101 Selects General Electric Engine Over Rolls-Royce For VXX Bid.(helicopter)
December 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The Lockheed Martin [LMT]-Agusta Westland-Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] team bidding the US101 helicopter for the Marine Corps' presidential transport requirement (VXX) said yesterday it had selected General Electric [GE]...

GPS Spacecraft Lasting Longer Than Expected, Prompting Possible IIF Delay.(Global Positioning System)
December 2, 2003... By Amy Butler Pentagon officials are considering whether to delay the buy and launch of additional Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites built by Boeing [BA] because existing spacecraft are lasting longer than expected. Delaying...

Deals Announced For Two Defense/Aerospace Firms.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2003... The private equity firm The Cypress Group yesterday said it has agreed to acquire Communications & Power Industries (CPI), a small supplier of electronic equipment to the aerospace, defense and commercial markets for about $300 million from...

Northrop Grumman Awarded $816.6 Million LPD-21 Contract.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2003... The Navy last week awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a $816.6 million contract for the detailed design and construction of the USS New York (LPD-21). The New York is part of the LPD-17 San Antonio-class amphibious combat ships. The...

Air Force, Navy Award Portion of Multiyear Package For C-130Js To Lockheed Martin.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2003... The Air Force and Navy last week exercised $451.7 million of an overall $4.1 billion multiyear procurement (MYP) C-130J contract with Lockheed Martin [LMT]. The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin $409.1 million of an FY '04 buy of four...

Raytheon Awarded $54.7 Million Sidewinder FMS Award.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] recently was awarded a $54.7 million contract modification by the Navy to produce 596 AIM-9M-2 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles for Taiwan and Egypt. According to a DoD statement, Egypt will acquire 414 missiles for...

Defense Brief.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2003... Rockwell Collins [COL] yesterday said it has closed its $125 million cash deal for NLX LLC, a training and simulation company that gives Rockwell Collins a new niche in the simulation area. "This acquisition strengthens our service and support...

Australia Approves $230 Million Structural Upgrade For F/A-18s.
December 2, 2003... Australia's Defense Minister Sen. Robert Hill said last week he had approved a $230 million structural upgrade to improve the quality of its Boeing [BA] F/A-18 aircraft fleet. "The Hornet fleet is the mainstay of Australia's air defense...

Australian Navy To Increase Satellite Communications Capability.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2003... The Australian Defence Force signed a $72 million contract with BAE SYSTEMS Australia to provide a high bandwidth maritime communications system. Under a separate five-year $4.6 million contract, BAE will also provide initial support for...

Australian Firms Awarded JSF Contracts.(Joint Strike Fighter)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2003... Australia's Ministry of Defence said last week three Australian contractors were chosen for work by industry participants in the multi-national Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program led by Lockheed Martin [LMT]. Brisbane-based Micreo, an...

Army Reviews FCS Contract Before Signing With LSI.(Future Combat System)(lead system integrator)
December 3, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt Concerns over following the correct congressional language on the Future Combat System (FCS) have led the Army to hold off signing the potential $14.9 billion contract for system development and demonstration (SDD) with...

Wolfowitz Orders Pause In Tanker Acquisition Plan, DoD Will Consider Lease of 20.(Paul Wolfowitz)
December 3, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes With the Air Force's planned lease of 100 Boeing [BA] 767 tankers not approved and facing severe criticism, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz has ordered a pause in the contracting process and notified the...

Defense Drives Solid Year At Cubic; Growth Expected To Moderate In FY '04.
December 3, 2003... Cubic [CUB] yesterday reported a solid fiscal year, led by strong sales and earnings gains in its defense business and solid gains in its transportation sector, but the company said growth in its current fiscal year is expected to moderate...

Rumsfeld's New War Rooms: Overhauling Command and Control At Pentagon.(Donald Rumsfeld)
December 3, 2003... By Amy Butler Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld--in keeping with a stubborn style for which he has become known--is brushing aside skepticism from onlookers, especially when it comes to transforming the military to suit his vision of a...

A Year Later, Aerospace Commissioners Report Mixed Results.(United States aerospace industry)(Industry Overview)
December 3, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger At the one year anniversary of the final report on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry, commissioners involved in the work say there have been some mixed results in following up on recommendations, and...

IAI Chief Says Israeli Defense Cuts Hurting Export Potential.(Israel Aircraft Industries)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2003... Continued weakness in the commercial aerospace market combined with cuts in Israeli defense spending left Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) with lower sales and profits for the third straight quarter this year and the company's chief said the...

Curtiss-Wright Acquires Small Data Communications Products Company.(Systran)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2003... Curtiss-Wright [CW] yesterday said it had acquired Systran, a designer and producer of highly specialized data communications products for real-time systems, for about $18 million, adding to its current embedded systems products. Systran's...

ILS Launches Atlas IIAS With NRO Package.(International Launch Services)(Atlas)(National Reconnaissance Office)
December 3, 2003... The International Launch Services joint venture that includes Lockheed Martin [LMT] said yesterday it launched an Atlas IIAS rocket equipped with a National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) payload from the Complex 3E launch facility at Vandenberg...

Lockheed Martin And Elbit Team Up For Work On Central European Helos.(helicopter modification)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Lockheed Martin [LMT] said yesterday it had teamed up with Israel's Elbit [ESLT] to pursue helicopter modernization work in Buglaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Elbit is the prime contractor on...

GD Awarded $10.4 Million For Sub Work.(General Dynamics Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2003... General Dynamics [GD] on Monday said its Electric Boat division was awarded a $10.4 million contract modification for nuclear-submarine work. According to a GD statement, GD will provide design, engineering, material and logistics support...

Defense Briefs.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] said yesterday it had delivered the first Aegis combat system with SPY-1F radar to the Norwegian navy with a "pull-the-plug" ceremony at its Moorestown, N.J., facility. According to a Lockheed Martin statement, the Aegis...

In Search of Cash, Army Pushed To Delay Fix To Deadly Mortar Deficiency.
December 4, 2003... By Amy Butler The Pentagon comptroller's office has denied an Army proposal to delay by one year an $11 million fix for a deficiency in the service's 120-millimeter mortar system that killed three soldiers in 2002, according to a draft...

Pentagon Works To Redefine 'Deterrence' With Smaller Nukes, Bigger Bombs.
December 4, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger As the Pentagon approaches the two-year mark since completing its last Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), senior military officials are preparing to assess the progress made to date, particularly in redefining how the...

U.S., Canada Mull 'NORAD' For Maritime and Land Defense.
December 4, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger The final results of the U.S-Canadian Binational Planning Group (BNG) could be a recommendation to extend joint command authorities currently in place for North American aerospace to land, maritime and civil forces,...

Stewart & Stevenson Swings To Loss In Third Quarter; Truck Sales, Profits Down.
December 4, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker Multi-industrial company Stewart & Stevenson [SVC] yesterday reported a loss in the third quarter on slightly lower sales across its product lines with only the company's military truck business recording a profit,...

DoD's Industrial Base Chief Sees Large M&A Deals Slowing.(Suzanne Patrick)
December 4, 2003... The pace of large-scale acquisitions by the heavyweights in the U.S. defense industry, which has been slowing, is likely to slacken further as buyers grapple with depressed earnings because they are being hit with restructuring charges related...

MDA Selects Northrop-Raytheon Team For Kinetic Energy Interceptor Program.(Missile Defense Agency)(Kinetic Energy Interceptor)
December 4, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) yesterday selected a Northrop Grumman [NOC] Raytheon [RTN] team over a Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA] team as prime contractor for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI) program. ...

New Mariner UAV Will Compete For Navy BAMS.(unmanned aerial vehicle)(Broad Area Maritime Surveillance)
December 4, 2003... By B.C. Kessner Officials from Lockheed Martin [LMT] and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) yesterday outlined specifications for the Mariner unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which will compete for the Navy's $1.6 billion Broad...

Allied Defense Group To Enter U.S. Ammo, Pyrotechnic Markets.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Taking a huge leap, Allied Defense Group [ADG], a small Northern Virginia-based defense company with a premier European ammunition making subsidiary, yesterday said it plans to enter the U.S. defense market of ammunition and pyrotechnic...

General Dynamics Elects Lester Lyles As A Director.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... The General Dynamics [GD] board of directors yesterday elected retired Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles as a director of the corporation. Lyles retired Oct. 1 as commander of the Air Force Material Command (AFMC) at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio....

ACS Competitors Look To Dec. 8 Release Of Formal Request For Proposal.(Aerial Common Sensor)
December 5, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes DENVER--Industry teams led by Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] competing for the $670 million systems development and demonstration (SDD) prime contract for the Army's Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program...

CBO Assesses Impact of Tanker Deal; Predicts Up to $18 Billion Spending Increase.(Congressional Budget Office)
December 5, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger If the Air Force proceeds with plans to acquire 100 KC-767 tankers from Boeing [BA] under a single contract, the Pentagon will have to increase direct spending by almost $18 billion over the next decade to cover the...

Boost Phase Missile-Defense Interceptor To Fly By 2008.(Kinetic Energy Interceptor )
December 5, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt The Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI), the boost-phase interceptor layer of the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) multi-layer ballistic-missile defense system, should take its first flights in 2008, members of the Northrop...

Curtiss-Wright Acquiring Two More Aerospace/Defense Firms.
December 5, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker Curtiss-Wright [CW] this week positioned itself to take the top spot in the embedded computing market for aerospace and defense, having completed one acquisition and agreeing to acquire the current market leader, Dy 4...

OSD Eyes E-10A As Possible Billpayer For Attack Drone Program.(Office of the Secretary of Defense)
December 5, 2003... By Amy Butler The Office of the Secretary of Defense has directed the Air Force to explore pulling funds from an ambitious program to build a next-generation, multipurpose intelligence gathering aircraft to fully fund the Pentagon's plans...

Completion of Service Life Extension of Coast Guard Cutter Slips To '04.
December 5, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker Completion of a service life extension on the first ship of the Coast Guard's extensive modernization program called Deepwater has slipped from the fourth quarter of this year until the first quarter of next year...

Defense Brief.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2003... Armor Holdings [AH] last week said it has completed the sale of its security service division, ArmorGroup, for $33.7 million in cash to a group of private investors led by Granville Baird Partners of London and the division's management. Armor...

Defense Watch.(briefs)
December 8, 2003... The Latest Word on Trends and Developments in Aerospace and Defense No Surge Concerns. Worries that the U.S. defense industrial base is unable to surge production of critical military items is misguided for a variety of reasons, according...

NGA To Fly Predator B To Improve Mapping, Targeting For Military.(National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)
December 8, 2003... By Amy Butler The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) plans within one year to begin flying Predator B unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to improve the accuracy of maps of hotspots around the world, according to Robert Zitz, a...

Army Acquisition Dovetails Into Joint Operations Concepts, Acquisition Chief Says.(Claude Bolton)
December 8, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt The Army acquisition process is already on a path to provide land force capabilities for the future joint force described in the Joint Operations Concepts (JOpsC), according to the service's top acquisition official. ...

Lockheed Martin Sees Big Developments In '04 For SBIRS-High Program.(Space-Based Infrared System)
December 8, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes DENVER--Having just delivered two major components of the Space-Based Infrared System-High (SBIRS-High) program, a top Lockheed Martin [LMT] official still sees big developments and challenges upcoming in 2004 for the...

Logistics In Iraq Show Signs of Transformation, Experts Agree.
December 8, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt The U.S. military logistics system needs fixing, but has begun to show the transformational characteristics of a future, networked system, experts said. The logistics system broke down in Iraq, according to James...

ADG Looking To Start Small With New U.S. Operation.(Allied Defense Group)
December 8, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker Allied Defense Group [ADG] last week announced it is entering the U.S. market for military ammunition and pyrotechnics, but the company isn't looking to make an immediate big splash. Instead, it will be seeking the...

Engineered Support Acquires Canadian Power Supply Firm.(Pivotal Power)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Engineered Support Systems [EASI] on Friday said it has acquired Pivotal Power, a Canadian firm that supplies ruggedized and full military-specification static power conversion equipment to the worldwide defense market, for about $10 million in...

Defense Brief.(Walter Massenburg assumes command of Naval Air Systems Command)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Vice Adm. Walter Massenburg assumed command of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) last week. He has previously served as deputy program manager for the P-3 Anti-Surface Warfare Improvement Program and headed the Maritime Surveillance Aircraft...

Lockheed Martin Promoting CHARC Concept For Use As LCS Complementary System.(Covert High-speed Attack andReconnaissance Craft)(Littoral Combat Ship)
December 9, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes BALTIMORE--By combining attack helicopter fuselage elements with advanced hull technologies, Lockheed Martin [LMT] hopes to market its company-funded Covert High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft (CHARC) to multiple...

Air Force Expresses Interest In Canard Rotor-Wing For Crew Rescue.
December 9, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger The Boeing [BA] canard rotor-wing aircraft, which took its first flight just last week, could be of interest to the Air Force as a future crew recovery platform, according to the head of the Defense Advanced Research...

Navy Awards Northrop Grumman Contract To Upgrade Firebee Targets.
December 9, 2003... By B.C Kessner Northrop Grumman [NOC] yesterday said it was awarded a $2.5 million contract to demonstrate new avionics and an upgraded command and control architecture for its BQM-34 Firebee target unmanned aircraft by the spring of 2005....

Lockheed Martin Sees Bright Future For Battle Management Systems Technology.(Operational Battle Management System, Mission BMS solutions)
December 9, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-- Lockheed Martin [LMT] sees a promising future for improved battle management and situational awareness at both the operational and tactical levels of warfare through the use of Operational Battle...

Lockheed Martin, Titan Deal Clears Hart-Scott-Rodino Waiting Period.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2003... Lockheed Martin's [LMT] pending $1.8 billion acquisition of Titan [TTN], a defense information technology (IT) and services firm, moved a step closer by clearing the mandatory waiting period required by the government's Hart-Scott-Rodino...

Pentagon Still Withholding Tanker Documents.(KC-767 lease)
December 9, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger Even with the Air Force's tanker deal on hold pending an internal review, the Pentagon is still not releasing to Congress internal communications related to the original plan to lease 100 KC-767 tankers from Boeing...

Parker-Hannifin To Acquire British Hydraulics Firm Denison.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2003... Parker Hannifin [PH] yesterday said it has agreed to acquire Britain's Denison International [DENHY], a supplier of industrial hydraulics, for about $239 million in cash, $24 per share, a deal aimed at enhancing its ability to provide total...

L-3 Closes Vertex Acquisition; Strengthens Role In Military Aircraft Upgrades.(L-3 Communications, Vertex Aerospace)(AeroTech L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2003... L-3 Communications [LLL] last week said it completed its $650 million cash acquisition of Vertex Aerospace from the private equity firm Veritas Capital, strengthening its position in the market for modernizing and upgrading military aircraft....

Australia To Take Part In U.S. Missile Defense Program.
December 9, 2003... Australia will participate in the U.S. missile-defense program, Defence Minister Robert Hill said last week. What form the participation will take, consistent with Australian strategic defense interests and in providing maximum opportunity...

Textron Systems To Develop Unattended Ground Systems For Army FCS.(Future Combat Systems)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2003... Textron Systems [TXT] yesterday announced it finalized a $38 million contract to develop Unattended Ground Sensor Systems (UGS) for the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. "We are pleased that our technology and systems development...

National Technical Systems To Buy Naval Test Service Firm.(DTI Holdings)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2003... National Technical Systems [NTSC] yesterday said it has signed a letter of intent to acquire most of the assets of privately held DTI Holdings, a provider of high technology shock and vibration testing services for the Navy and other U.S. and...

EADS Gets $24 Million UAE Contract For Radar Upgrades.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2003... The European Aeronautic Space and Defense Co. (EADS) yesterday said it has received a $24.4 million order from the United Arab Emirates to upgrade air surveillance radars that have been in service since 1989. EADS said UAE opted against...

Lockheed Martin Seeks Increased Share of Ground Launcher Market, Other Systems.
December 10, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes BALTIMORE--Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Marine Systems group here, part of the larger Maritime Systems and Sensors (MS2) division, is expanding its base from offering solely the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) package to...

Acquisitions, Internal Growth Propel Engineered Support To Record Year.(Engineered Support Systems)
December 10, 2003... Engineered Support Systems [EASI] yesterday reported record fourth quarter financial results led by acquisitions and solid organic growth and company officials rejected investor concerns that its performance and rosy outlook are tied strictly...

MDA Plans For Test of Sea-Based Missile Defense Tomorrow.(Missile Defense Agency, Missile Midcourse Defense system)
December 10, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to conduct the third test of the Sea-based Missile Midcourse Defense (SMD) system this week, according to Pentagon officials. The test, designated Flight Mission-6 (FM-6), is...

Lockheed Martin Targets Future VLS Compatibility With International Missile Types.(Vertical Launch System)
December 10, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes BALTIMORE--Lockheed Martin's [LMT] future roadmap for the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) includes adding the capacity to fire for international customers new weapons like the Storm Shadow cruise missile and Aster...

Industry Official Sees Demand For Nuclear Event Detector Devices Growing.(Larry Longden)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2003... The market for nuclear event detector systems could double in the next decade as government agencies pay increased attention to the threat of attack from a weapon of mass destruction, according to an industry official. "I see the...

Defense Production Act Clears Final Hurdle.
December 10, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger Congress Monday gave final approval to renew through 2008 legislation that allows the Pentagon to surge production capabilities during national emergencies and military conflicts. After months of delay, the Defense...

Missile Defense Agency Taps Lockheed Martin For Targets, Countermeasures.
December 10, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin [LMT] yesterday won the Missile Defense Agency's Targets and Countermeasures Program (MDA/TC), beating out bids from Northrop Grumman [NOC] and Raytheon [RTN] for the $210 million contract. Proposals...

Although RFP Delayed, DoD Nearing Resolution On JTRS Cost, Management.(Joint Tactical Radio System)
December 10, 2003... By Amy Butler Pentagon officials plan to award in March pre-system design and development (SDD) contracts worth up to $40 million to two separate contractors to begin work on a massive new program to modernize the Air Force and Navy's...

Esterline Acquires Small Software Firm Avista.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2003... Esterline Technologies [ESL] yesterday said it has acquired Avista, Inc., a $10 million developer of embedded software for avionics applications, giving the company new capabilities that its customers are seeking from it. Terms of the deal...

Aerospace Market Expected To Hit Bottom Next Year, AIA Says.(Aerospace Industries Association)
December 11, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker A two-year old decline in aerospace industry sales is expected to turn up slightly next year as continued spending increases by the Defense Department and other federal agencies more than offset softness in the...

Zakheim Approves Air Force Plan Back Out of Joint Standoff Weapon.(Dov Zakheim)
December 11, 2003... By Amy Butler The Pentagon comptroller has approved an Air Force plan to back out of a partnership with the Navy to produce the Raytheon [RTN]-made Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), according to Pentagon sources and documents. To absorb...

Lockheed Moves Out On PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Program.
December 11, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt EL PASO, Texas--Lockheed Martin [LMT] plans its first controlled flight test for the next version of the Patriot PAC-3 called the Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) program, in late 2006, company officials said. "Our...

Money Available For Programs Such As MEADS, Rumsfeld Says.(Medium Extended Air Defense System, Donald Rumsfeld)
December 11, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt EL PASO, Texas--Congress has been good to the Defense Department this year and a ballistic-missile defense program such as the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) is not likely to run into funding problems,...

Next Mobility Requirements Study Would Be Scenario-Based, TRANSCOM Chief Says.(Gen. John Handy)
December 11, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The follow-up to the Mobility Requirements Study-2005 (MRS-05) will likely set metrics based on scenarios instead of a specific time frame to ensure planning is not overtaken by events, according to Transportation Command...

TRANSCOM Prepares For January Implementation of DDOC Concept In CENTCOM.
December 11, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) plans by Jan. 15 to install a new deployment and distribution operations center (DDOC) in Central Command's (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) to better help that regional combatant...

Boeing To Launch 11th 'UFO' Satellite For Navy's SPAWAR.(Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... By B.C. Kessner To help boost the military's global mobile communications capability, Boeing [BA] yesterday said International Launch Services (ILS) will launch the 11th UHF Follow-On (UFO) satellite for the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare...

EADS Delivers First Refueling Tanker To German Air Force.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... In a bid to highlight its entry into the tanker aircraft market, EADS said yesterday the first delivery of an A310 aircraft converted to a tanker configuration for the German air force. The delivery is the first of four converted Multi-Role...