Defense Daily articles from July 2006

Defense Daily archives from July 2006

Defense Watch.
July 5, 2006... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense CSAR-X Marks the Spot. The Air Force has identified the proposed locations for basing its future combat search-and-rescue helicopter, which it calls CSAR-X. The operating...

EADS Team Prevails In Army Light Utility Helicopter Competition.(European Aeronautic Defence & Space)
July 5, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt European Aeronautic Defence & Space (EADS) North America, teamed with Sikorsky [UTX] and WestWind Technologies, on Friday won the Army's potential $2 billion Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program, beating out four other...

Meeting Demands of GWOT Still A Challenge, SOF Official Says.(global war on terrorism)(special operations forces)
July 5, 2006... By Michael Sirak KEYSTONE, Colo.--The U.S. military continues to grapple with how best to defeat worldwide terrorist networks, focusing still too much on applying military muscle rather than waging a global information war, an Army...

DHS Releases National Infrastructure Protection Plan.(Department of Homeland Security)
July 5, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday released the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), which provides the framework for how all levels of government and the private sector will manage the...

Lockheed Martin Awarded $85 Million For Aegis Weapon System For Australia.
July 5, 2006... Lockheed Martin [LMT] on Friday was awarded an $85.3 million contract for long-lead material items and critical work center efforts to support the production of three Aegis Weapon Systems (AWS) for the Commonwealth of Australia (CoA) Air...

EADS Acquires Electronics Repair And Maintenance Firm.(European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co)(EADS acquires Get Electronique)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) on Friday said it has acquired Get Electronique, a small company that specializes in electronics repair, maintenance and sustainability. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Get...

UAVs Could Have Potential Electronic Attack Role For Marine Corps.(unmanned aerial vehicle)
July 6, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Marine Corps is exploring using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for electronic attack (EA) as the service recognizes it will need an asset to replace the EA-6B Prowler in the future, a top Marine Corps official said. ...

Automation Will Change The Picture of Warfare, Navy Official Says.
July 6, 2006... By Geoff Fein As the Navy moves toward downsizing its number of personnel to enable the service to save costs, it is working to provide more automated systems to help with the efforts, according to a top Navy official. Automation...

General Dynamics Gets $20 Million DARPA Contract For Sub Propulsion Effort.
July 6, 2006... General Dynamics [GD] made the cut for a Phase II $20 million 18-month Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a shaftless propulsion system for submarines. DRS [DRS], the lone competitor, was eliminated after...

Pakistan Seeking 36 F-16 C/D Aircraft, Weapons, Upgrades, And Modifications.
July 6, 2006... Pakistan is seeking to purchase 36 Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft along with associated equipment and services for a potential value of $3 billion if all options are exercised, according to the Defense Security...

High-Speed Cruise Missile With Numerous Payloads Will Benefit Warfighter.
July 6, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Lockheed Martin [LMT] last week conducted a high supersonic submunition dispense test of the Revolutionary Approach To Time critical Long Range Strike (RATTLRS), an effort to develop a...

Concerns Rife Despite North Korean ICBM Failure.(intercontinental ballistic missile)
July 6, 2006... By Dave Ahearn The failure of a long-range North Korean missile is no cause for relief, according to observers. While the long-range missile failed shortly into its first-stage burn, North Korea also launched a substantial number of...

DoD Proposes Redirecting Funds; Stryker, LCS, LUH Gain.
July 6, 2006... By Dave Ahearn The Department of Defense proposed redirecting funds within its FY '06 budget, including gains in funding for the Army Stryker armored combat vehicle and Light Utility Helicopter, and the Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)...

Raytheon Acquires Small Command and Control, Modeling and Simulation Firm.(Raytheon Aircraft Co acquires Virtual Technology Corp)
July 6, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker Raytheon [RTN] yesterday said it has acquired Virtual Technology Corp. (VTC), a small 125-employee firm specializing in command and control and modeling and simulation systems (M&S) and support. Terms of the deal...

Boeing Gets $82 Million Navy Contract For EA-18G Electronic Attack Kits.
July 6, 2006... The Navy last week awarded Boeing [BA] an $82.36 million contract for the first production representative lot of airborne electronic attack (AEA) kits for the EA-18G aircraft, according to the Pentagon. This modification provides for the...

Ceradyne Reaps Potential $611.7 Million Body Armor Contract.
July 6, 2006... Ceradyne [CRDN] received a 60-month maximum value $611.7indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for Enhanced Side Ballistic Inserts (ESBI). Simultaneously, Ceradyne received an initial delivery order for $59.8 million to be...

Air Force Envisions Mid-Term, Prompt Global Strike Missile.
July 7, 2006... By Michael Sirak KEYSTONE, Colo.--The Air Force is drafting the design of a long-range strike missile that would eventually succeed the conventionally armed Trident D- 5 submarine-launched missiles that the Department of Defense would...

EADS NA Plans To Move On LUH, Competitors Await Debriefs.(European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company North America)(light utility helicopter)
July 7, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt EADS North America is preparing to expand facilities to produce the Army's new Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) after winning the potential $2 billion contract, while rivals consider their options. The Army June 30...

Air Force Lets $553 Million Contract For Lot 6 Production of F-22 Raptor.
July 7, 2006... By Michael Sirak The Air Force earlier this week awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] $553 million toward the next production lot of the F-22 Raptor stealth multirole fighter aircraft. The firm-fixed-price contract, announced on July 5,...

Air Force Lays Out Post 2020 Modernization Priorities For ICBMs.(intercontinental ballistic missile)
July 7, 2006... By Michael Sirak KEYSTONE, Colo.--Having determined that it intends to operate the nation's Minuteman III nuclear-tipped ICBM fleet beyond 2020, the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) has laid out the modernization priorities needed to...

Army Prepares For Stryker ICV-FSEP--Former OFT Project Sheriff.(infantry carrier vehicle )(full spectrum effects platform)(office of force transformation )
July 7, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt The Army now has a program of record for the Office of Force Transformation's (OFT) Full Spectrum Effects Platform (FSEP), popularly known as Project Sheriff, aiming to deploy initial vehicles next year, and potentially...

OMB Says Initial Products, Services Ready For HSPD-12 Implementation.(office of management and budget)(homeland security presidential directive)
July 7, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) this week announced the availability of government-approved products and services that can be purchased and used by federal agencies beginning this fall for...

Aerospace Industry Sees Fixed-Price Contracts Often Unworkable.
July 7, 2006... By Dave Ahearn Congressional moves to impose fixed-price contracts and strict domestic- content rules on the defense industry could prove unworkable, an industry spokesman said. If such changes are enacted, they could have the...

Defense Watch.(Air Force Special Operations Command received 12 newly modified MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft)(Space Exploration Technologies, Elon Musk)(Israel Aircraft Industries, Elbit Systems collaborate development of an unmanned patrol vehicle )
July 10, 2006... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Talon Delivery. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has received the first of 12 newly modified MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft being acquired to replace combat...

First JSF Rolled Out; Maiden Flight In October.(Joint Strike Fighter)
July 10, 2006... By Geoff Fein FORT WORTH, Texas--Industry and Pentagon leaders on Friday unveiled the first production F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) by Lockheed Martin [LMT], officially renaming the plane the Lightning II, and pledging to conduct the...

FCS Independent Cost Estimate: $300 Billion.(Future Combat System)
July 10, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt The Army's Future Combat System (FCS) life cycle costs are projected to be about $300 billion, a 70 percent increase since May 2003, an independent Cost Analysis Improvement Group (CAIG) cost estimate provided to...

DHS Announces $400 Million In Infrastructure Protection Grants.(Department of Homeland Security)
July 10, 2006... The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week announced that $398.5 million in FY '06 grants will be made available through its Infrastructure Protection Program, with the bulk of the money to be distributed through Transit Security...

Senators Aim To Block Boeing Tax Deductibility On Settlement.
July 10, 2006... By Dave Ahearn Several senators are aiming to block Boeing [BA] from deducting the cost of a $615 million settlement with the government from its taxable income. However, Boeing said it is clear that part of the settlement is not...

Boeing Wins Contract To Explore Design of New Polar Satellite.
July 10, 2006... By Michael Sirak The Air Force last week tasked Boeing [BA] to define the payload for the next-generation polar-orbiting communications satellite that the service envisions to augment its space-based communications systems already in...

GD Closes Chamberlain Acquisition.(General Dynamics Corp.)(Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp)(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... General Dynamics [GD] on Friday said it had completed its acquisition of a division of Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp. that produces forged bodies for 105mm artillery, 120mm mortars and 155mm artillery. The division is based in Scranton,...

Argon ST Acquires San Diego Research Center.(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... Argon ST [STST] last week said it has closed its $41 million cash acquisition of San Diego Research Center, Inc. (SDRC), a provider of wireless communications systems for military uses. SDRC has expertise in advanced modems, networking and...

GD Gaining $20 Million From Connecticut For Electric Boat Upgrade.(General Dynamics Corp.)
July 10, 2006... By Dave Ahearn The Connecticut state government will give $20 million to General Dynamics [GD] to upgrade its Electric Boat submarine construction and maintenance yards in Groton, Gov. Jodi Rell (R) said last week. That $20 million...

Plasan Sasa Providing Ballistic Protection Kits For RAF Chinooks.(United Kingdom. Royal Air Force, Permali Gloucester)(Chinook Helicopters)
July 10, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Plasan Sasa said recently it received a follow-on contract worth several million dollars from Britain's Permali Gloucester to supply ballistic protection upgrade kits for Royal Air Force (RAF) Boeing [BA]...

Marine Corps Looks To Improve UAS Platforms, Capabilities In Coming Year.(unmanned aerial systems)
July 11, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Marine Corps will begin a number of efforts in the coming year to procure unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to provide persistence and greater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for ground...

ATK, BAE SYSTEMS Compete On Artillery Precision Guidance Kits.
July 11, 2006... The Army has selected ATK [ATK] and BAE SYSTEMS to demonstrate precision guidance kits for artillery ammunition. "Our PGK solution, featuring a highly effective fixed canard guidance approach, gun-hardened electronics, self-generated...

Israeli UAV Tech Partners Hope Local, European Success Lands In U.S.(Bental Industries, Teleflight Technologies)(Bental Inc.(Joint venture))
July 11, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Bental Industries and Teleflight Technologies, two growing Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems firms, hope that recent European sales of their collaborative products can be mirrored in the...

Elbit's CoMPASS Points To Multiple Orders Abroad.(Elbit Systems' El-Op subsidiary )
July 11, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] yesterday said its El-Op subsidiary was awarded several new contracts from new and returning international customers worth about $15 million to supply advanced CoMPASS...

Sweden Buys BAE SYSTEMS AMOS Mortar.(Swedish Defense Materiel Administration,BAE SYSTEMS' Hagglunds AB)(armored advanced mortar systems)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) has awarded an approximately $70 million contract to BAE SYSTEMS' Hagglunds AB for the development and production of two prototype armored advanced mortar systems (AMOS). The two...

General Dynamics Electric Boat Lays Off 440 Workers Due To Reduced Workload.(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... General Dynamics [GD] yesterday notified 440 employees at its Electric Boat operations that they will be laid off due to reduced workload. "Most of the layoffs will occur at the Groton shipyard, where 368 hourly production and...

Changes Needed As Cheyenne Mountain Warning Systems Risks Rise, GAO Says.(Government Accountability Office)
July 11, 2006... Cheyenne Mountain's attack warning system modernization is "over cost, behind schedule and some capabilities have been deferred indefinitely," a recent government report says, recommending management and oversight changes. The most...

Army Examines Weapons For Unmanned Surface Vehicles.(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... The Army is looking for sources for remote weapons stations (RWS) to use on unmanned vehicles (USV) that travel on top of the water performing reconnaissance, surveillance, bottom-mapping and target engagement in support of service...

Iranian Missile Threat Rising, So U.S. Missile Shield Needed: Expert.(Uzi Rubin)
July 11, 2006... By Dave Ahearn Iran is procuring missiles with steadily longer ranges capable of delivering weapons, so it is vital for the United States to develop a ballistic missile shield capable of defending U.S. and allied interests, a Middle...

Lockheed Martin Officials Stress Need To Keep F-35 Program On Track.
July 11, 2006... By Geoff Fein FORT WORTH, Texas--Amid the ceremony, the speeches and the unveiling of Lockheed Martin's [LMT] F-35 Lightening II, company and service officials recognize the advanced strike fighter still has hurdles to overcome,...

Armor Holdings Acquires Maker of Ballistic Fiber Technology.(Integrated Textile Systems)
July 11, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker Armor Holdings [AH] yesterday said it has acquired Integrated Textile Systems, an early-stage developer of a high-strength ballistic fiber technology, in a deal that gives it control over a core ballistic base...

Engine Problem Forces V-22 To Make 'Precautionary Landing' In Iceland.(Osprey tiltrotor aircraft)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... A Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT ]-Boeing [BA] V-22 Osprey, on its way to the Farnborough air show, yesterday made what is being called a "precautionary landing" in Iceland after experiencing right engine compressor stalls, according to the...

Navy Needs Stability In Ship Plan And A New Maritime Strategy, CNO Says.(Chief of Naval Operations)
July 12, 2006... By Geoff Fein As Congress moves closer to finalizing the FY '07 defense bills, Navy officials are keeping a close tab on how the numbers will impact the service's shipbuilding plan. The plan, submitted to Congress in February by...

Air Force Wants White Papers On SBIRS Alternative By End of July.(Space Based Infrared System)
July 12, 2006... By Michael Sirak The Air Force has asked for industry input to begin defining the alternative payloads that the service may pursue in place of buying a full complement of Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) High missile launch warning...

SAIC Acquires Software Firm.(Science Applications International Corp.)(GeoViz.com)
July 12, 2006... SAIC yesterday said it has acquired privately-held GeoViz.com, a developer of software that enables two and three-dimensional viewing of geospatial data through a Web browser interface for C4ISR, joint test & evaluation, modeling and...

DoD Acquisition Chief Green Lights Apache Block III SDD.(United States. Department of Defense)(system development and demonstration)
July 12, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt The future iteration of the Army's premier attack helicopter, the Boeing [BA]- produced AH-64 Apache Block III, was given the green light Monday to move into system development and demonstration (SDD). The Army has...

MDA Prepares For Second THAAD Flight Test--Potential Intercept.(Missile Defense agency)(Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)
July 12, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) today is prepared for a potential target interception during the second integrated developmental test for the Lockheed Martin [LMT] Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system at...

General Dynamics To Build GMLRS Unitary Warheads.(Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System)
July 12, 2006... Lockheed Martin [LMT] and the Army have selected General Dynamics [GD] over a European competitor to manufacture the unitary warhead for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). The unitary warhead program is currently in system...

Army To Evaluate Thermal Beacon Alternative IFF Technology.(identification friend or foe systems)(Product/service evaluation)
July 12, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Thermal Beacon, an Israeli company specializing in innovative thermal Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) emitters, is preparing for an Army evaluation of its technology in the United States. "As we...

Coast Guard Activates Rescue 21 In Gulf States.(Brief article)
July 12, 2006... The Coast Guard started at the end of June using the new General Dynamics [GD] Rescue 21 command control and communications system along the Gulf Coast, the company said last week. The new system, which is now being used in Alabama,...

Navy Continues To Explore Removing Ship Capabilities To Reduce Costs.
July 13, 2006... By Geoff Fein For the Navy to afford the fleet it wants for the future, service officials may find they have to live with less. "We've had bad habits of putting too many bells and whistles on just about every major program we are...

Laser JDAM Hits Moving Target, Moves Closer To Maturity, Says Boeing.(Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition)(Product/service evaluation)
July 13, 2006... By Michael Sirak Boeing's Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM), a variant of the company's combat-proven GPS-guidance-aided bomb, hit a moving target in a recent test, the company announced earlier this week. The successful...

Boeing Conducts First Unmanned Little Bird Flight.
July 13, 2006... Boeing's [BA] Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) technology demonstrator achieved a major milestone last month when the platform flew unmanned for the first time, the company reported. ULB demonstrated the capability June 30 at the Yuma Proving...

Boeing Begins ScanEagle Training At New UAV Site In New Mexico.(unmanned aerial vehicle)
July 13, 2006... Boeing [BA] began ScanEagle training earlier this week at its new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) training site in Clovis, N.M., the company said. The site was selected to help meet the increasing demand from U.S. military forces for the...

IAI Unveils New Radar Receiver With Threat Location Indication.(Israel Aircraft Industries)
July 13, 2006... Israel Aircraft Industries' (IAI) Elta Systems last week launched what it called a new generation of airborne radar warning receivers with the EL/L- 8265RWL that features a high-accuracy location system for indicated radars. "Elta's...

THAAD Missile Intercepts Target In Integrated Flight Test.(Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)
July 13, 2006... The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced a successful integrated flight test yesterday for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Lockheed Martin [LMT] is the prime contractor...

MK48 Mod 7 Heavyweight Torpedo Approved For Full-Rate Production.
July 13, 2006... The Program Executive Office for Submarines last month approved the MK 48 Mod 7 Advanced Capability Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (ADCAP CBASS) heavyweight torpedo for full-rate production, according to the Navy. The torpedo is...

IAI Tech Lead For EU R&D Project.(Israel Aircraft Industries)(European Union)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) recently said it was awarded $1.7 million research and development grant and will be the technical leader of the Speculative and Exploratory Design in Systems Engineering (SPEEDS) Integrated Project under the...

General Dynamics Awarded Contract For MK47 Striker.
July 13, 2006... General Dynamics [GD] was awarded a $23.5 million contract from the Army to produce the MK47 MOD 0 Weapons System, the company said yesterday. The MK47, also known as STRIKER, is a lightweight 40mm grenade launcher that is capable of...

SASC Fixed-Price Contract Plan Would Likely Lead To Higher Costs, Official Says.(Senate Armed Services Committee)(John Young)
July 14, 2006... By Geoff Fein A Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) plan to impose fixed-price contracts could have some merit for controlling costs but would likely have the opposite effect, a Pentagon official said yesterday. "My experience, on...

Northrop Grumman Unveils Skyguard Laser Defense System.
July 14, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt Northrop Grumman [NOC] this week unveiled Skyguard, the next generation laser-based air defense system that could provide speed-of-light defense for deployed forces, military installations, critical civilian airports,...

Hunter To Seek Increased BMD Funds After North Korea Missile Launches.
July 14, 2006... By Dave Ahearn Congress should place ballistic missile defense (BMD) on a fiscal fast track, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), said on Tuesday, vowing to seek more funding for some...

Key Senate Panel Adds $1 Billion To NASA Budget Bill.
July 14, 2006... By Dave Ahearn The Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) approved an amendment adding $1 billion to the NASA appropriations bill for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. That extra funding passed over opposition from some senators...

DHS Testing Body Scanning Machines In Rail Demonstration.(Department of Homeland Security)
July 14, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday began a demonstration project using two different millimeter wave imaging systems to scan passengers for explosives at a busy commuter rail station in New Jersey....

Lockheed Martin To Launch Mars Science Lab in 2009.
July 14, 2006... NASA selected Lockheed Martin [LMT] to provide an Atlas V rocket to launch the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in 2009. The Atlas V 541 will lift off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., for the half- year voyage. That Atlas V 541 is similar to...

Standards For UAS In National Air Space Several Years Away, FAA Official Says.(Unmanned Aircraft Systems)(United States. Federal Aviation Administration)
July 14, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker The development of standards necessary for the widespread operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the nation's airspace is at least three to four years away, the head of safety at the Federal Aviation...

Defense Watch.
July 17, 2006... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Advancing AESA. "There is a potential for us to do a lot of things with AESA technology, but first and foremost [let's make sure we] do a great job detecting targets,...

Marines Looking For Low Collateral Damage 'Dial-A-Yield' Bomb.
July 17, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Marine Corps is looking for a low-collateral damage, scalable, "dial-a-yield" bomb that could allow for changing the explosive depending upon the mission, according to a Marine Corps official. The service is closely...

Sea TALON System Completes Testing Milestones For Littoral Combat Ship.(Anti-Submarine Warfare )
July 17, 2006... Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Sea TALON (Tactical Littoral Ocean Network) system successfully completed several significant testing milestones in its development as an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission module for the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship...

Australia To Spend $1 Billion For Mk 41 VLS, Mk7 AEGIS Weapon Systems.(Mk 41 Vertical Launch Systems)
July 17, 2006... Australia is looking to buy three of Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Mk 41 Vertical Launch Systems as well as associated equipment and services, worth a total value of $1 billion if all options are exercised, according to the Defense Security...

Canberra, Raytheon, Thermo Electron Score ASP Wins.(Advanced Spectroscopic Portals )
July 17, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday awarded three companies--Canberra Industries, Raytheon [RTN], and Thermo Electron [TMO]--a potentially combined $1.2 billion in contracts for further development and...

Report: China Won't Curb North Korean Missile Program.
July 17, 2006... By Dave Ahearn Even as the United States implores China to use its leverage to restrain North Korean ambitions to develop nuclear-tipped long-range missiles, China has no intention whatever of wielding its influence to that end, a new...

Army asks EADS North America to modify Light Utility Helicopter.(European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.)
July 18, 2006... By Michael Sirak Bath, England--The Army has asked the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) to make a modification to the design of its newly selected UH- 72A Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), while not derailing the aircraft's...

Viisage To Acquire Iris Recognition Software Developer Iridian.(Viisage Technology Inc., Iridian Technologies Inc.)
July 18, 2006... Viisage [VISG] yesterday said it has agreed to acquire Iridian Technologies, Inc., the leader in the market for developing iris recognition software, for $35 million in cash. The deal, which is expected to close next month, would bolster...

Aircraft Reliability, Missions, And Schedule Significant Issues For Marine Corps.
July 18, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Marine Corps is looking closely at several aviation issues including the reliability and availability of its aircraft, how it will conduct electronic warfare in the future as the EA-6B Prowler is retired, and possible...

Boeing Displays Features of New P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
July 18, 2006... By Joshua Zingher Boeing [BA] yesterday demonstrated some of the technology that is going to be present on their new P-8A Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) at the Pentagon. The presentation was conducted by Boeing's P-8A Mobile...

Successful Booster Motor Test For ATK - Lockheed Martin SLIRBM.(Alliant Techsystems Inc.)(Submarine Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Booster System)
July 18, 2006... Alliant Techsystems [ATK] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] successfully test fired a first-stage booster motor under the Submarine Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (SLIRBM) Booster System Demonstration for the Navy, the companies said...

Taiwan Subs Program May Split Design, Construction Work.
July 18, 2006... The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has accepted a Taiwanese proposal to split work of designing diesel submarines for Taipei from the far more expensive task of building the subs. Although splitting the two tasks likely would increase...

Northrop Grumman's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Moves Closer to First Flight.
July 18, 2006... Northrop Grumman [NOC] has mated the major subassemblies of the first E- 2D Advanced Hawkeye test aircraft at its St. Augustine, Fla., manufacturing center into a single fuselage structure, taking the E-2D program another milestone closer to...

SLAMRAM Successfully Completes System Critical Design Review.(Surface Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile)
July 18, 2006... Raytheon's [RTN] Surface Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) in June successfully completing System Critical Design Review (SCDR) last month. "This review establishes that the SLAMRAAM system meets or exceeds our...

Raytheon To Upgrade ATFLIR Video Data Link Capability For Navy.(Advanced Targeting Forward-looking Infrared pod)(Brief article)
July 18, 2006... Raytheon [RTN] is upgrading the video data link capability for its Advanced Targeting Forward-looking Infrared (ATFLIR) pod under a recently announced $10 million award from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the company reported...