Defense Daily articles from June 2009

Defense Daily archives from June 2009

Defense Watch.
June 1, 2009... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Back To The Hill. When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week after the Memorial Day recess, they're expected to pass the fiscal year 2009 war- funding supplemental...

Army Chief Sees New Combat Vehicle As 'Full Spectrum' Bradley Replacement.
June 1, 2009... By Marina Malenic The first hints of what a new Army combat vehicle might look like emerged last week when the service's chief of staff said he expects a medium-weight platform versatile enough to be employed in both irregular and...

DHS To Review Services Contracts Above $1 Million.(Department of Homeland Security)
June 1, 2009... As part of an ongoing Efficiency Review launched by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last Thursday said it will begin reviewing all of its professional services contracts that exceed $1...

Acquisition Reform Wish Lists: Mentoring, Financial Management, Stability.
June 1, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford Weapon-systems experts outside the Pentagon and Congress have their own wish lists of defense-acquisition reforms that are not included in a high- profile new law. Signed by President Obama on May 22, the Weapon...

President Highlights Public-Private Effort During Cyber Review Roll Out.
June 1, 2009... By Geoff Fein and Calvin Biesecker Citing the economic and national security challenges the nation faces from cyber threats, President Obama Friday rolled out the long-awaited 60-day review of the government's efforts to defend the...

Army FCS Technical Tests Leading To Soldier Testing.
June 2, 2009... By Ann Roosevelt WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M.--Technical Field Tests (TFT) are under way for the Army's most mature Future Combat System (FCS) equipment leading to limited soldier testing in late summer. "We're trying to weed out...

Overwatch Aircraft Capability Top SOCOM Unfunded Priority.
June 2, 2009... By Ann Roosevelt Modifications to four additional MC-130W Combat Spear aircraft at a cost of $85 million are U.S. Special Operations Command's (SOCOM) top unfunded priority in a list submitted to Congress for the fiscal year 2010 budget....

Mattis Predicts Pentagon Spending Shift From Materiel To Training.
June 2, 2009... By Marina Malenic The Defense Department is likely to see further shrinkage of its weapons procurement accounts as the need to allocate more resources to educating and training military personnel grows in the coming years, a top general...

Northrop Grumman Sees Opportunities To Protect Nation's Networks.
June 2, 2009... By Geoff Fein The president's plan to begin an all-out effort to protect the nation's critical network infrastructure from cyber attacks should result in significant opportunities for defense contractors, according to a Northrop Grumman...

DoD Moving Forward On Protecting Networks, Official Says.
June 2, 2009... By Geoff Fein The Department of Defense (DoD) has made great strides in protecting its networks from prowling eyes and has done a good job of stressing that the approach to cyber security cannot be a service specific approach, according...

Guard Bureau Chief Keeps Close Tabs On JCA Talks Amid Sherpa Concerns.
June 2, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford The head of the National Guard Bureau said yesterday he is eager to learn how new plans being hashed out for the C-27J Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) will impact his needs for equipment including a new small-transport...

DHS Announces Cyber Security Appointments.
June 2, 2009... Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano yesterday said that Phillip Reitinger, deputy under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate at DHS, will also serve as the director of the National Cybersecurity Center to...

McHugh Tapped For Army Sec; Thornberry, Others Eye HASC RM Spot.
June 3, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) is emerging as a frontrunner to take over the spot of House Armed Services Committee (HASC) ranking member from John McHugh (R-N.Y.), whom President Obama said yesterday he will nominate...

Different Border Areas Drive Surveillance Tech Needs, DHS Official Says.
June 3, 2009... By Calvin Biesecker The wide range of differences along the Northern and Southern borders of the United States requires different technology solutions to meet the country's border surveillance needs, according to a program official...

USJFCOM Taps Companies For Concept And Experimentation Support.
June 3, 2009... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin [LMT], SAIC [SAI], General Dynamics [GD] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] will support U.S. Joint Forces Command's (JFCOM) joint concept development and experimentation directorate under two contracts, each...

Rockwell Collins Completes Purchase of DataPath.
June 3, 2009... Rockwell Collins [COL] on Monday said it has completed its acquisition of satellite communications systems provider DataPath, Inc., giving it a position in the commercial satellite network communications market. The $130 million deal...

Members of Augustine Committee Reviewing NASA Programs Are Named.
June 3, 2009... NASA today announced the members of the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee that will review NASA programs, including the Constellation Program to develop the next-generation U.S. spaceship, and recommend whether those programs...

Heinz: DoD Should Consider Ops Risk In F-35 Alternate Engine Debate.
June 3, 2009... By Marina Malenic The Defense Department may be giving too much weight to cost concerns, neglecting operational risk in its analysis of the need to continue developing an alternate engine for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter,...

Conway: Marine Corps May Buy Limited Number of M-ATVs.
June 3, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford While the Marine Corps is proceeding with a project to modify existing mine-resistant vehicles to prepare them for use in Afghanistan, the service also will likely buy some next-generation mine-deflecting vehicle...

Court Rules Against A-12 Contractors Again; Boeing, GD Will Appeal Again.
June 3, 2009... By Calvin Biesecker A federal appeals court yesterday again upheld a 1991 decision by the Navy to terminate for default a contract that required teammates General Dynamics [GD] and McDonnell Douglas, which is now a subsidiary of Boeing...

Tanker Source-Selection Authority Remains With SecDef's Office.
June 4, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford The Pentagon still has control of the aerial-refueling tanker replacement effort and a decision on whether to transfer source-selection authority back to the Air Force does not need to be made before aircraft's...

Lawmakers Need To Iron Out Cyber Jurisdictional Issues, Staffer Says.
June 4, 2009... By Geoff Fein While congress is looking to take more of a leadership role in developing cyber security legislation, issues remain about which committees have jurisdiction over protecting the nation's networks, according to a Hill...

Boeing Says Lockheed Partnership Strong Despite Next Gen Bomber Review.
June 4, 2009... By Marina Malenic Boeing [BA] has no intention of splitting from its arrangement with Lockheed Martin [LMT] to pursue a potential Air Force long-range bomber aircraft contract, even if the Pentagon decides to develop an unmanned platform...

Army Testing Networking For FCS Equipment.
June 4, 2009... By Ann Roosevelt WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M.--The ability to connect Future Combat Systems (FCS) equipment to a network and pass imagery and data among small unit soldiers and on to higher command is being tested even as the Defense...

Boeing Submits CANES C4I Proposal to US Navy.
June 4, 2009... Boeing [BA] earlier this week submitted its proposal to develop the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) program for the Navy, the company reported. Responses to the request for proposals (RFP), which went out April...

AeroVironment To Build Third Aircraft For JCTD.
June 4, 2009... AeroVironment (AV) (AVAV) yesterday announced cumulative program funding of more than $120 million with the government exercise of an option to build a third Global Observer aircraft for the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD)...

Spectrum San Diego Sees DoD As Customer For Vehicle Inspection System.
June 4, 2009... By Calvin Biesecker STAFFORD, Va.--The Defense Department is likely to provide the best near- term opportunity for sales of Spectrum San Diego's new CarSCAN vehicle inspection system for use at checkpoints in war zones, a company official...

SAIC Opens FY '10 With Strong Financial Results.(Science Applications International Corp.)(fiscal year)(Financial report)
June 4, 2009... SAIC [SAI] yesterday reported strong first quarter earnings and sales and maintained its guidance for the rest of its fiscal year despite the Army's plans to restructure one of its marquis programs, the Future Combat System (FCS). The...

Cobham Synthetic Vision Cockpit Approved By FAA.(Federal Aviation Administration)
June 4, 2009... Cobham last week said its synthetic vision glass cockpit has been approved for single-pilot IFR operation of the Bell 412 helicopter by the Federal Aviation Administration with the granting of a supplemental type certificate to Arrow...

Air Force Says Tanker Split Buy Would Nearly Double Program Cost.
June 5, 2009... By Marina Malenic The Air Force has projected that splitting a procurement contract for new tanker aircraft between industry rivals Boeing [BA] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] would nearly double the program's $35 billion price tag, the...

Navy To Take Littoral Ship Cost-Cap Concerns To Hill.
June 5, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford The Navy will meet with all of the defense-oversight committees about possibly modifying a $460 million-per-vessel cost cap on the next batch of Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs), the service's top officer said yesterday....

GD Agrees To Acquire Axsys Technologies, Expanding Sensor Offerings.
June 5, 2009... By Calvin Biesecker General Dynamics [GD] yesterday said it has agreed to acquired Axsys Technologies [AXYS] for $54 per share in a cash deal that would expand the company's offerings in sensors and imaging systems by adding...

Rep. Bartlett Says VH-71 Contractor Wants To Build 14 Aircraft Under Fixed Price Contract.
June 5, 2009... By Geoff Fein and Emelie Rutherford Just days after the Navy officially ended Lockheed Martin's [LMT] VH-71 helicopter program, one lawmaker is hoping to salvage the effort with a proposal to build 14 of the Increment I aircraft under a...

DHS Plans To Further Boost Program Oversight In 2010, Duke Says.(Department of Homeland Security)(Elaine Duke)
June 5, 2009... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to bolster its oversight of acquisition programs in FY '10 by reviewing more programs at the headquarters level and prompting more independent analysis of programs, the...

Veritas Acquires Kroll Government Services.
June 5, 2009... Veritas Capital this week said it has acquired Kroll Government Services, Inc., a provider of security clearance background investigations and employment screening services to U.S. Government agencies. Terms of the deal were not...

Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin And BAE Systems Submit Bids For CANES.
June 5, 2009... By Geoff Fein Northrop Grumman [NOC], Lockheed Martin [LMT] and BAE Systems have submitted bids to develop the Navy's Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) system, the companies said yesterday. CANES is a...

Delayed Supp Includes All C-17s, Some C-130Js And Strykers House Wanted.
June 5, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford Though House-Senate negotiations on the supplemental war-funding bill have slowed, the two sides have agreed to including funding for eight C-17 cargo planes and some but not all of the C-130J transport aircraft and...

Defense Watch.
June 8, 2009... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense HASC Honcho. HASC Republicans should know by day's end tomorrow whom their next ranking member will be. Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Calf.), and...

SOCOM: Precision Fire Need Fuels Modified Gunship Plan.
June 8, 2009... By Emelie Rutherford U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is seeking funding to quickly convert up to a dozen MC-130W Combat Spear support-and-tanker planes to gunships partly because of the need for more precision firepower in...

USJFCOM Wargame Stresses Future Joint Force Operational Concepts.
June 8, 2009... By Ann Roosevelt U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) Friday wrapped up a weeklong seminar wargame examining how the future joint force would operate in a complex and unpredictable 2020 environment, and what capabilities and capacities they...

GATR Flight Tests Successful In Israel.
June 8, 2009... ATK [ATK] and Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] June 1 said they have successfully conducted flight tests in Israel of the Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket (GATR). "In a recent demonstration, conducted in Israel, GATR was deployed from a...

Air Force Sees Nine-Month Slip To Global Hawk Testing; DAB Review Solid.
June 8, 2009... By Marina Malenic The Air Force's RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft is now projected to experience a nine-month delay in a major testing and certification milestone, but a Defense Department review of the program has given...