Defense Daily articles from May 2005

Defense Daily archives from May 2005

Defense Watch.
May 2, 2005... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense DD(X) Delayed. The Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) postponed Friday's scheduled review of whether the DD(X) national team led by Northrop Grumman was prepared to enter...

Air Force Agrees To GAO Recommendations For C-130AMP, SDB.(Government Accountability Office, Avionics Modernization Program, Small Diameter Bomb)
May 2, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The Air Force has agreed to follow the recommendations of the Government Accountability Office in two key weapon programs that were deemed tainted by the involvement of a former service official now serving time in...

MDA Will Continue To Add Countermeasure Complexity To Tests.(Missile Defense Agency)
May 2, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Realistic testing will include targets with increasingly complex countermeasures, as the Missile Defense Agency (MDA)'s multi-layered ballistic missile defense system adds elements and gains confidence in the system, the...

Cost of Future Navy Fleet Billions More Than Navy Estimates, Report Finds.
May 2, 2005... By Geoff Fein The cost to implement a 260- or 325-ship naval fleet by 2035 could be billions more than the Navy anticipates and would require the Navy to purchase nearly 10 ships per year by 2035 to achieve a 325-ship fleet, according to...

Supplemental Stalls In Conference.(military operations finance bill)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger With negotiations continuing over non-defense related issues, the $82 billion supplemental bill to fund ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will have to wait until the Senate resumes work next week....

Team Effort Leads Lockheed Martin LCS Design.(Lockheed Martin Corp.)(Littoral Combat Ship)
May 2, 2005... By Geoff Fein When Lockheed Martin [LMT] decided to compete to build the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), company officials knew they needed to hook up with shipbuilders. For all of the defense work Lockheed Martin does, it doesn't build...

Lockheed Martin, Boeing Announce Plans For EELV Joint Venture.(United Launch Alliance for Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle )
May 3, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The two rivals for the Air Force's next generation launch vehicle have decided to join forces in a single company and end acrimonious civil action, which involved accusations of stolen proprietary information. ...

Army Analyzing Future Cruise Missile Defense Gaps.
May 3, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The Army is examining its cruise missile defense (CMD) capabilities to identify any gaps that might exist in the future, a senior officer said. "We had an initial effort, got initial capability that's funded in the...

Spanish Defense Minister: 'No Offensive Weapons' In Venezuela Sale.
May 3, 2005... By Nathan Hodge On the eve of a visit with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Spain's defense minister said "no offensive weapons" would be included in his country's proposed sale of patrol boats and military transport aircraft to...

Army, U.S. Joint Forces Command War Game Kicks Off.
May 3, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt CARLISLE BARRACKS, Pa.--The third annual Army-U.S. Joint Forces Command war game Unified Quest 05 (UQ05) is under way at the Army War College here. The game, which runs May 1-6, has no winners or losers, but explores...

Market For Aircraft Targeting Pods Remains Strong, Analyst Says.
May 3, 2005... By Geoff Fein A number of large U.S. Air Force and Navy procurements along with a growing international effort by countries such as India and Turkey to upgrade their fighter aircraft is making for a lucrative targeting pod market,...

Navy Industry Day For Laser Ordnance Neutralization System.(Brief Article)
May 3, 2005... The Navy is looking for a modular laser system, capable of neutralizing ordnance and improvised explosive devices that will integrate on to a High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle, robotic systems or Cougar, a medium- sized blast...

Foreign Participation Helps Drive Down Cost For Lockheed Martin's LCS.(Lockheed Martin Corp.)(Littoral Combat Ship)
May 3, 2005... By Geoff Fein Lockheed Martin [LMT] has reached out to international companies for off- the-shelf systems that lowered the cost and risk and improved capability for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a company official said. The Navy...

Defense Brief.(defense contracts)(Brief Article)
May 3, 2005... The Navy awarded Titan [TTN] a $29.1 million contract for a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for five of the Navy's Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) fleet, according to a company statement. The LCACs will receive repairs or...

Last Florida Titan Delivers NRO Satellite.(National Reconnaissance Office)
May 3, 2005... The Air Force and Lockheed Martin [LMT] wrote the final chapter in a five-decade history at Cape Canaveral Friday with the final launch of a Titan IV B heavy-lift rocket carrying a critical national security payload for the National...

LPD-17 Returns From Three-Day Sea Trials in Gulf of Mexico.(Brief Article)
May 3, 2005... Three days after heading out to sea, the San Antonio (LPD-17), the Navy's newest amphibious ship, returned to Pascagoula, Miss., after undergoing builder's at-sea testing, according to a Northrop Grumman [NOC] spokesman. LPD-17 took to...

EELV Joint Venture Could Operate By Year's End.(Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co.'s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle could be up and running by the end of the year)
May 4, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger If all the regulatory hurdles are cleared, the newly formed joint venture for military launch business could be up and running by the end of the year, according to an official from one of the companies involved. ...

New Report Highlights Concerns On FCS Cost And Direction.(Future Combat Systems)
May 4, 2005... By Nathan Hodge As costs escalate and technical challenges mount, Congress may need to a take a close look at the overall viability of the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, according to a newly released report from the...

Israeli Aerospace Firms Join Forces To Compete Abroad.(Elbit Systems Ltd., Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd., and RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd. jointly formed Aeronautics and Space Industries of Israel )
May 4, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), Elbit Systems [ESLT] and RAFAEL yesterday said they jointly formed an organization to promote the country's aerospace industries and better compete for European market...

UAV Sensor Market Strong, But Systems Must Be Smarter, Analyst Says.(unmanned aerial vehicle)
May 4, 2005... By Geoff Fein The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sensor market is showing strong growth, especially now that UAVs are being used in urban operations, but the market will continue to remain smaller than that for manned systems, according...

Special Operations Forces To Test High-Speed Composite Vessel This Year.
May 4, 2005... By Geoff Fein Stiletto, an 80-foot long high-speed vessel made of composite materials, will not only get Special Operations Forces (SOF) to their missions quicker, but could increase crew safety and potentially create a new market for...

Defense Gains Continue At Oshkosh.(financial reports of Oshkosh Truck Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker Oshkosh Truck Corp. [OSK] yesterday reported strong sales and earnings in the second quarter, paced by its government defense, and fire and emergency markets. The Defense segment outperformed expectations as parts...

First Live Track For Lockheed Martin's SPY-1F Radar.(Lockheed Martin Corp. Maritime Systems & Sensors)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2005... Lockheed Martin's [LMT] SPY-1F multifunction phased array radar system completed its first live shipboard tracking exercise last week aboard the Norwegian frigate Fridtjof Nansen (F-310), the company reported. The Aegis-based system...

House, Senate Resolve Differences On FY '05 War Supplemental.(financial year)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2005... By Nathan Hodge House and Senate conferees resolved their differences over the FY '05 emergency spending bill, agreeing yesterday on a $82.04 billion measure to support ongoing military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the...

ILS Adds Atlas V NRO Payload Launch For 2007.(International Launch Services, National Reconnaissance Office)(Brief Article)
May 4, 2005... International Launch Services (ILS) yesterday said it signed an agreement with the Air Force to launch a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on a Lockheed Martin [LMT] Atlas V vehicle in 2007 from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. ...

New Plans Emerge For Army's High Energy Laser.
May 5, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger Plans to develop a tactical high-energy laser system for the Army have shifted to building a new, compact weapon that could potentially be deployed overseas, according to an industry official involved in the program....

New Army AMD Composite Battalions Forming At Ft. Bliss.(air and missile defense)
May 5, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt A new composite air and missile defense battalion to bring more capability to the modular Army is taking shape at Ft. Bliss, Texas, home of the Air Defense Artillery Branch, senior officer said. "That's going well; it...

ICGS To Host Industry Days For Potential Suppliers.(Integrated Coast Guard Systems)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS), which is the industry team managing the Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program, yesterday issued a Broad Industry Announcement seeking suppliers that may have technologies and products to support...

Axsys Technologies Completes Purchase of Diversified Optical.(Diversified Optical Products Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Axsys Technologies [AXYS] this week said it has completed its $60 million acquisition of Diversified Optical Products, Inc. (DiOP), giving it a full system capability for thermal surveillance cameras and a distribution network for direct...

Elbit's C2, Blue/Red Force Tracking System Operational Thru Disengagement.(Elbit Systems Ltd., command and control system)
May 5, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Elements of Elbit Systems' [ESLT] TORC2H Command and Control (C2) system with Blue- and Red-force tracking capabilities are already operational and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will have the latest...

House Appropriations Panel Guts Deepwater.
May 5, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker Firing a shot across the bow of the Coast Guard for being unresponsive to congressional requests for information, the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee yesterday slashed $466 million from the Bush...

Navy Wraps-Up Initial Tests of Lockheed Martin's Millennium Gun.
May 5, 2005... By Geoff Fein Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Millennium Gun for fleet self-protection completed its initial testing and plans are underway with the Navy to begin at- sea trials in spring 2006, according to a company official. Lockheed...

BAE SYSTEMS To Provide More Army Helo Refueling Systems.(BAE SYSTEMS North America)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... BAE SYSTEMS Tuesday said the Army has placed an $8 million order for 32 portable combat helicopter-refueling systems as part of a multiyear contract expected to be worth more than $100 million. "We are pleased to partner with BAE SYSTEMS...

General Dynamics Awarded $13 Million For Armor For Bradley Vehicles.(General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products contracts with Army)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The Army has awarded General Dynamics [GD] Armament and Technical Products a $13.8 million modification for the purchase of enhanced capability reactive armor for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System, according to a statement from the company....

ATK To Continue Manufacturing Rocket Motors For TOW Missiles.(Alliant Techsystems Inc., Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided anti-tank missile)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Alliant Techsystems [ATK] received a new contract from Raytheon [RTN] to continue manufacturing rocket motors for the Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided (TOW) anti-tank missile. The contract is worth approximately $20 million if...

EADS Accelerates Process For Choosing U.S. Site.(EADS North America Inc.)
May 6, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger EADS North America said yesterday that it has selected four finalists for the company's U.S.-based site for future work on aerial refueling tankers, and at the same time, is accelerating the schedule for picking the...

Legislators Demand More Progress On Countering IEDs.(improvised explosive devices)
May 6, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The Army and Marine Corps are rushing to field more technology to thwart improvised explosive devices (IED), but not quickly enough to satisfy some legislators. In a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee...

Coast Guard Upset With Proposed Deepwater Cut.
May 6, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker A House panel's proposal to nearly halve the Coast Guard's budget request for its Deepwater modernization program isn't sitting well with the service. "To say the Coast Guard is disappointed in the subcommittee's...

Partial Stop Work Order On General Dynamics JTRS Cluster 5.(Joint Tactical Radio System)
May 6, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt A partial stop-work order is in effect on the General Dynamics [GD]-led work on the advanced Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Cluster 5 effort, officials said. The April 13 order to GD came after the Boeing [BA]...

Earnings Off, Sales Up For ATK In Fourth Quarter, Year-End.(Alliant Techsystems Inc.)
May 6, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker As expected Alliant Techsystems [ATK] reported lower earnings for its fourth quarter and fiscal year despite increased sales due to a tough comparison from a year ago when it benefited from a substantial tax benefit...

Army Poised To Field Counter-RAM Capability.(rockets, artillery and mortars)
May 6, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The Army's Counter Strike Task Force is pushing hard to complete and field a system that would counter the rockets, artillery and mortars that are the No. 2 killer of soldiers in Iraq, according to a senior officer. ...

May Flight Tests Planned For Lockheed Martin's Joint Common Missile.(Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Div.)
May 6, 2005... Aerojet [GY] completed a series of successful tests of its rocket motor for Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Joint Common Missile (JCM) in preparation for controlled test vehicle (CTV) flight tests later this month, according to a statement from...

Lockheed Picked By General Atomics For DARPA Liquid Laser Integration.(Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] yesterday said General Atomics had selected it as weapon system integrator for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS). "Both the innovation and...

GD Awarded $900 Million Hydra Rocket Deal.(General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products contracts with Army Aviation and Missile Command )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... General Dynamics [GD] yesterday said its Armament and Technical Products unit was awarded a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract worth about $900 million from the Army Aviation and Missile Command for the production of...

Defense Brief.(Senate passes emergency-spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The $82 billion emergency-spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan passed yesterday in the House by a vote of 368 to 58. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill when it returns to town on May 9. Democrats have attacked the administration's...

Elisra Group Providing SAR Systems To Brazil.(search and rescue system)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Israel's Elisra Group yesterday at the LAAD 2005 Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro said that Tadiran Spectralink has concluded a contract to supply its state-of-the-art combat ASARS-G Airborne Search and Rescue System to the Brazilian air force....

Defense Watch.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense CEO Meeting. The CEO's of companies involved in the Army's Future Combat System met Friday, sources say. The meeting of the CEO Council was apparently to talk to Army...

Air Force Takes On Stryker Vehicles.
May 9, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The Air Force now has its own General Dynamics' [GD]-built Stryker vehicles to transport Tactical Attack Control Party (TACP) personnel with the Army's Stryker brigades. Five Strykers were handed over at ceremonies...

ManTech To Acquire IT Firm In Homeland Security And Defense Markets.(ManTech International Corp., Gray Hawk Systems Inc.)
May 9, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker ManTech International [MANT] last week said it has agreed to acquire Gray Hawk Systems, Inc., a provider of information technology and systems engineering capabilities to the homeland security and defense markets, for...

Indian Fighter RFP Expected Soon, Industry Official Says.(Request for Proposals)
May 9, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger India is expected over the next few months to issue its formal request for proposals to modernize its fighter fleet, according to a U.S. industry official. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency "has...

Lockheed Martin Tests Dual Mode Guided Bombs.
May 9, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] last week said it successfully tested two Dual Mode Guided Bombs (DMGB) at the Navy's China Lake test range. The new DMGB is designed to give warfighters the versatility of selecting the ideal guidance mode for...

New Mooring Lines Made With Spectra Fiber Will Improve Sailor Safety.
May 9, 2005... By Geoff Fein The Navy is going to be using mooring lines made with Honeywell's [HON] Spectra, a high-performance fiber, stronger than steel, and used in helmets, SAPI plates and body armor to stop high velocity rounds, according to a...

Pentagon Notifies Congress of Two Missile Sales To Pakistan.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The Pentagon last week notified Congress of two potential missile sales to Pakistan, deals that could be worth almost $230 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which manages the Pentagon's foreign military sales...

General Dynamics Awarded Follow-on Contract for LPD Turrets.(General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Northrop Grumman Corp, Ship Systems Sector)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... General Dynamics Land Systems [GD] last month was awarded $18.9 million in a firm-fixed price contract from Northrop Grumman Ship Systems [NOC] to provide MK 46 Weapon Station turrets, remote consoles and associated engineering support for...

Navy Awards Northrop Grumman $48 Million Aerial Target Contract.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Northrop Grumman's [NOC] Integrated Systems will provide 60 BQM-74E aerial target systems to the Navy next year for $48.2 million with an option for 60 additional targets in 2007, the company said last month. "This award builds upon...

Pete Nanos Resigns As Director of Los Alamos National Lab.(Los Alamos National Laboratory)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Former commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, Pete Nanos, resigned Friday as director of Los Alamos National Lab, to take a new job with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). He had served as director of the lab since January 2003,...

Army Aviation Ready, Relevant and Transforming, Branch Chief Says.
May 10, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.--The Army's aviation branch has flown in excess of 647,000 hours in Iraq and Afghanistan, with operational readiness rates of more than 80 percent, while moving forward on transformation, according to the...

United Industrial Posts Solid First Quarter Results.(earnings)
May 10, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker United Industrial Corp. [UIC] yesterday reported solid operating results and said net earnings nearly tripled with the help of a one-time gain on the sale of property. The company's results were driven primarily...

AEDC Tasked To Reopen Aerodynamics Complex.(Arnold Engineering Development Center, National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.--The Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) will announce today it has been tasked to re-open the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) at NASA's Ames Research Center near San...

Alion Acquires Stake In U.K. Emergency Services Firm.(Alion Science and Technology Corp., VectorCommand)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... Alion Science and Technology yesterday said it has purchased a 12 percent stake in Britain's VectorCommand Ltd., a developer of stimulation and training systems and software for command operations for emergency service providers, giving it...

Navy Underestimated Cost To Buyout Leases On MSC Ships, Source Says.(military sealift command)
May 10, 2005... By Geoff Fein The Navy may have underestimated the cost to buyout leases on 13 military sealift command (MSC) vessels by at least $500 million, according to an industry source familiar with the details. Both the service and at least...

Raytheon Awarded $162 Million For ESSM Production.(Raytheon Aircraft Co., Evolved SeaSparrow Missile)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... The Navy and five allied nations have awarded Raytheon [RTN] a $162.7 million contract for production of the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM), according to a company statement. The contract calls for production of 251 missiles, 38...

Brazil Awards Lockheed Martin A-4 Aircraft Maintenance Contract.(Lockheed Martin Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] has been awarded a $6.5 million contract from the Brazilian government to provide comprehensive logistics support services for six navy A-4 aircraft and 10 J52-P408 engines, the company said. It will provide...

Raytheon Resumes TOW ITAS Production.(Raytheon Aircraft Co., Improved Target Acquisition Systems, )(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... Raytheon [RTN] will produce and deliver to the Army Improved Target Acquisition Systems (ITAS) under a $32.3 million contract from the Army Aviation and Missile Command. From 1999 through 2003, the Army bought 709 ITAS units. The order...

General Dynamics Receives $25 Million Contract For Abrams Upgrades.(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... The Army has awarded General Dynamics [GD] a $25.2 million contract to service M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) tanks returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to a company statement. General Dynamics will service, repair and...

General Dynamics Robotics Systems Achieves SEI CMM Level 3.(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... General Dynamics' [GD] Robotics Systems announced it achieved Software Capability Maturity Model (CMM) Level 3, placing it in the top 30 percent of all surveyed U.S. companies, the company said. The business unit and KAMO Consultancy...

Despite New Rules, Military Contractors Overseas Still In 'Gray Area'.
May 10, 2005... By Nathan Hodge Recent revisions to Defense Department regulations covering private contractors who support the U.S. military overseas have raised fresh questions over the legal status of contractor personnel. Among other things,...

Air Force Awards Orbital Contract For Raptor Launch Vehicles.(Orbital Sciences Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 10, 2005... The Air Force has awarded Orbital Sciences Corp. [ORB] a launch services contract for two new small launch vehicles to serve the U.S. military's need for responsive space launch capabilities, under a $100 million indefinite...

Raytheon, EADS Form Strategic Partnership For Army Future Cargo Aircraft.(Raytheon Aircraft Co., EADS N.V.)
May 11, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.-- Raytheon [RTN] and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) CASA North America announced a strategic partnership yesterday to pursue the Army's potential $1 billion Future Cargo Aircraft...

Apache Program Prepares For Block III Contract.(AH-64 Apache attack helicopter)
May 11, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.--The Army is preparing to issue a contract in the next few weeks to start Block III of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, produced by Boeing [BA], officials said. "We're...getting ready to award the...

Defense Science Board Finds No Barrier To New Druyun Scandal.(Darleen Druyun)
May 11, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger A senior defense advisory body has concluded there are still no safeguards in the Pentagon's acquisition system to prevent problems similar to those brought on by Darleen Druyun, the former Air Force weapons buyer...

Battelle Buys Bluefin Robotics To Advance Undersea Systems Capabilities.
May 11, 2005... Massachusetts-based Bluefin Robotics, a developer of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), has been acquired by Battelle to advance the company's capabilities in undersea systems development, according to a statement from Battelle. The...

Israeli Aerospace Firms Growing In Sales, Reach.(markets)
May 11, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--The core companies of the new Aeronautics and Space Industries Israel (ASII) are expected to grow 10 percent this year while ASII expands to accept a second tier of national participants and begins...

Army Signs MoA With Bell Helicopter Textron For Bell Fleet.(memorandum of agreement)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.--Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) and Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] yesterday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for sustainment of the Army's Bell-manufactured fleet. The agreement, signed...

First Littoral Combat Ship To Be Called Freedom.(USS Freedom)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2005... The Navy's first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) will be named the USS Freedom, honoring the enduring foundation of the United States and communities across the country that bear the name Freedom, according to a statement from the Navy. ...

Air Force Investigates Recent JASSM Test Failure.(Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile)
May 11, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The Air Force is investigating a failure in a recent test of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), according to a service spokesman. During an April 26 test that involved launching the Lockheed Martin...

Small Equity Firm Acquires Company Making Less-Lethal Munitions.(Point Lookout Capital Partners L.P., Combined Systems Inc. )(Brief Article)
May 11, 2005... Point Lookout Capital Partners, L.P., a small private equity firm based in New York City, yesterday said it has acquired a majority interest in Combined Systems, Inc. (CSI), a developer and manufacturer of less-lethal munitions for the...

L-3 Says EDS Maintenance Contract Valued Up To $250 Million.(L-3 Communications Corp., Explosive Detection Systems)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2005... L-3 Communications [LLL] yesterday said a contract it received in March from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for maintenance on Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) and a small number of X-ray systems produced by the company...

UDI's Shareholders Approve Merger With BAE Systems.(United Defense Industries Inc., BAE SYSTEMS PLC)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2005... United Defense Industries [UDI] yesterday said its stockholders approved BAE SYSTEMS North America's pending $4 billion purchase of the company, clearing one more step toward completing the acquisition. Shareholders of Britain's BAE...

JTRS Restructuring Coming, Bolton Says.(Joint Tactical Radio System, Claude Bolton)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.--The turmoil surrounding the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) could be resolved soon by the Pentagon's acquisition chief, the Army's top acquisition official said yesterday. "We're completely changing...

Army, Navy Consider Weaponizing Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout.
May 12, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.-- Northrop Grumman's [NOC] Fire Scout unmanned rotorcraft aerial vehicle (UAV) for the Future Combat System (FCS) could carry weapons in the future, officials said. "Both the Navy and the Army have...

Border Patrol Plans RFP For Long Endurance UAV.(request for proposal, unmanned aerial vehicle )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency this week said that the Border Patrol plans to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) later this month for a medium-altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that could begin...

House Appropriators Approve $31 Billion Homeland Security Budget.(House Appropriations Committee, Department of Homeland Security )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved a $30.9 billion FY '06 budget bill for the Department of Homeland Security that includes a deep cut to the Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program. Last week the panel's...

Northrop Grumman Prepares For Final ER/MP Proposal.(Extended Range/Multi-Purpose unmanned aerial vehicle)
May 12, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt ORLANDO, Fla.--The call could come in the next few days for a final proposal for the Army's Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program, a Northrop Grumman [NOC] official said. "It...