Defense Daily articles from September 2003

Defense Daily archives from September 2003

Defense Watch.
September 2, 2003... The Latest Word on Trends and Developments in Aerospace and Defense ... JSF Solo. Air Force acquisition chief Marvin Sambur says the joint nature of the Joint Strike Fighter program precluded it from being placed under the new PEO Aircraft...

Boeing Tops Lockheed Martin For $2.5 Billion SDB Contract, Plans Flights Soon.(Small Diameter Bomb)
September 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Boeing [BA] last week beat out Lockheed Martin [LMT] for the prime contract to produce the future 250-pound Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) for the Air Force, winning an initial three-year systems development and demonstration...

Austal/DMS Wins Over Tenix To Build, Support, Australian Patrol Boats.
September 2, 2003... Australia's Austal and the Defence Martime Services (DMS) beat out Tenix, another Australian company, to win the competition to replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) Fremantle-class patrol boats with larger, faster, boats, the country's...

Northrop Grumman Sees Sonic Boom Shaping Tech As Having Strike Applicability.
September 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Northrop Grumman [NOC], leading a team on the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD), has also recently completed sonic boom shaping technology flight tests in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Quiet...

GAO: Air Force Needs Improved Controls To Prevent Unauthorized Transfers.(General Accounting Office)
September 2, 2003... A new GAO report released last week said that the improved controls on classified and controlled spare parts could prevent them from being sent to foreign countries. "The Air Force's internal controls for its foreign military sales program...

AIA Supplier Members Urge Senate Panel To Oppose Buy American Legislation.(Aerospace Industries Association)
September 2, 2003... Executives from a group of suppliers that are part of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), a lobbying force for the U.S. aerospace industry, last week urged a Senate arms panel to oppose laws proposed by the House aimed at increasing the...

Northrop Grumman Using Fire Scout Technology As Basis For FCS Class IV UAV.(unmanned aerial vehicle)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2003... Northrop Grumman [NOC] said last week that the Class IV brigade-level unmanned aerial vehicle it is providing for the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) modernization program would be based on the four-bladed B-model version of the Fire Scout...

Wald: Europeans Not Addressing Strategic Lift Deficit With A400M.(Charles Wald)
September 3, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The A400M military transport aircraft designed by the European consortium Airbus Military will not address European countries' deficiencies in strategic lift, according to European Command deputy chief Air Force Gen....

Army Bandwidth Shortfalls To Continue Past 2010: CBO Report.(Congressional Budget Office)
September 3, 2003... The Army plans to spend about $20 billion on communications equipment between 2003 and 2009, but by the end of the decade will still be unable to supply enough bandwidth to meet operational network demands, according to a government study. ...

NH Industries Says Greece Signs $714 Million Contract For NH90.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... NH Industries (NHI) said Monday that the Greek government had signed a contract worth $714 million for the acquisition of 20 NH90 maritime helicopters, with an extra 14 in an option package, becoming the ninth European customer for the...

Greece Signs For A Dozen Apache Longbows, Boeing Says.(AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters )(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Boeing [BA] said yesterday that Greece's defense ministry had signed a commercial contract to purchase 12 AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters with an option to purchase four more. "The entire Apache team is very pleased that this...

Australia Unveils New ISR Testbed System.(Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Australia's Ministry of Defence Monday said it conducted trials of a new Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Testbed system aboard a Raytheon [RTN] Beech 1900C aircraft to develop concepts that will improve intelligence...

DoD Exercise Demonstrates 'Smart Pull' Capability For War Fighters.
September 3, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker The ability to collect data from various sensors on the battlefield, make it available throughout the battlespace on demand, thus more quickly improving situational awareness and speeding decision making at the "point...

Northrop Grumman Unit Gets RC-135 Radar Upgrade Contract.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Northrop Grumman [NOC] said last week that its Sperry Marine business in Charlottesville, Va., has received $4.2 million in contracts from Sierra Nevada Corp. to supply additional new APN-242 color weather and navigation radar spares and...

Navy Awards EDO Explosive Ordnance Disposal Contract.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... EDO [EDO] said yesterday it was awarded a contract that could be worth $17.5 million over the next five years by the Navy to support the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Program Management Office (PMS-EOD). "This new contract includes an...

Armor Holdings Firms Up Plans To Acquire Simula.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Solidifying a letter agreement reached in July to acquire armor maker Simula [SMU], Armor Holdings [AH] yesterday said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the company, paving the way for the proposed transaction to receive...

GAO Offers Multiple Recommendations To Improve Spares Aboard Ships.
September 3, 2003... A recent GAO report recommends the Navy implement a series of changes to improve the quality and availability of spare parts available aboard deployed ships. The report, titled Opportunities Exist To Improve Spare Parts Aboard Deployed...

Rockwell Collins, Sandia In Technology Sharing Agreement.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2003... Rockwell Collins [COL] yesterday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sandia Corp. to explore the application of new technologies in the defense and aerospace sector. "We believe this relationship has the potential to...

DAB To Review $640 Million Shortfall In Cobra Judy Radar Program.(Defense Acquisition Board)
September 4, 2003... By Amy Butler Pentagon and intelligence community officials are pooling their resources and exploring options for closing a $640 million shortfall in an effort to replace an aging ship used to track and collect intelligence data on U.S....

Balisle Highlights Adaptability and Modularity of DD(X) and LCS Programs.(Phillip Balisle)
September 4, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) chief Vice Adm. Phillip Balisle believes that major transformational features will be incorporated into the DD(X) future surface combatant and the service's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)...

Lockheed Martin Develops S-Band Antenna For Trident Tracking.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] said yesterday it had developed the S-Band Mobile Array Telemetry (SMART) antenna system to track test flights of the Navy's D-5 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). "The antenna's architecture and...

Tadiran Communications Growth Reaches Eighth Consecutive Quarter.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Tadiran Communications Tuesday reported a sharp surge in sales and earnings during the second quarter and said that over the past eight quarters the company has doubled its quarterly sales with a 9 percent average quarterly growth. "Our...

Titan Garners Potential $229 Million Military Personnel IT Award.(information technology)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Titan [TTN] yesterday said it has won a five-year contract worth up to $229 million to provide an enterprise wide information technology (IT) system to help military personnel and their families obtain family assistance services through the...

Cubic Defense Looking To Expand In Central And Eastern Europe.
September 4, 2003... Hoping to use its experience serving NATO countries in Western Europe, Cubic [CUB] said this week it plans to expand into defense markets in Central and Eastern Europe as countries in these regions seek to improve their militaries within the...

SAIC Awarded STRATCOM Support Contract.(Science Applications International Corp.)(Strategic Command)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) said yesterday it was one of a number of contractors awarded contract awards totaling $100 million to support Strategic Command (STRATCOM) activities. "Our successful relationship with...

Lockheed Martin Adds Raytheon, ITT, GD To GPS III Team.
September 4, 2003... By Amy Butler Lockheed Martin [LMT] yesterday announced the addition of Raytheon [RTN], ITT [ITT] and General Dynamics [GD] to its team to compete for the multibillion contract to build the Pentagon's next-generation precision timing and...

IG Launches Investigation Into Boeing Tanker Lease.(Inspector General)
September 4, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger The Defense Department's Inspector General is investigating whether proprietary information on an Airbus tanker proposal was passed improperly to the Boeing [BA], according to a Pentagon official. Both Boeing and...

Aeroflex Completes Purchase of Microelectronics Company.(MCE Technologies)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Aeroflex [ARXX] yesterday said it has completed its acquisition of MCE Technologies, a deal it expects will help create more outsourcing opportunities in the aerospace, defense and commercial telecommunications markets. The acquisition is...

Defense Brief.(Mike Hoeffler appointment)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] said Tuesday that it has appointed Mike Hoeffler, the leading strategic planner for its Integrated Defense Systems group, to serve as the company's vice president for the DD(X) future surface combatant program. Hoeffler replaces...

Zakheim: DoD Plans To Seek More Discretionary Funds For FY '04.(US Department of Defense Comptroller Dov Zakheim )
September 5, 2003... By Amy Butler Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim yesterday said the Pentagon intends to ask Congress for a discretionary spending account for FY '04 to pay for war costs similar to that included in the massive FY '03 supplemental passed in...

DoD Study Underscores Need For More Funds, Better Management For Space.
September 5, 2003... By Amy Butler Emphasis in the 1990s on keeping costs down was a key factor to virtually derailing the Pentagon's national security space program, and a recent DoD study found that the Air Force must refocus on mission success, accurate...

Hagee Touts Benefits of Sea-Basing Capabilities In Difficult Operating Environments.(Michael Hagee)
September 5, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Should American forces lack basing rights in countries, the naval forces of the United States could still execute missions in a sea-basing structure, according to Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee. "The...

GD Completes IMCO Purchase, Notching Fifth Acquisition of Year.(General Dynamics completed its purchase of Datron, Inc.'s Intercontinental Manufacturing Co. )
September 5, 2003... General Dynamics [GD] yesterday said it has completed its purchase of Datron, Inc.'s Intercontinental Manufacturing Co. (IMCO), a business unit that makes aircraft bomb bodies for most current series 500-, 1,000- and 2,000-pound bombs. ...

Pentagon Notifies Congress of Potential $132 Million Javelin Deal With Canada.(anti-armor missile system)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... The Pentagon notified Congress Wednesday of a potential $132 million deal with Canada via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process for Javelin anti-armor missile systems produced by Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Raytheon [RTN]. "The Government...

American Truck Company Slated To Provide Israel With Medium Tactical Trucks.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... The Pentagon notified Congress yesterday Israel wants to spend as much as $65 million to buy American Truck Company (ATC) medium tactical trucks. Under the potential Foreign Military Sale, Israel wants to buy 256 ATC 6 x 6 High Mobility...

ONR Helps Make Sea Power 21 A Reality.(US Office of Naval Research)
September 5, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt The Office of Naval Research is developing the innovative concepts and technologies that will make the transformation of naval sea power "real," according to Rear Adm. Jay Cohen, Chief of Naval Research. Weapons such...

Pentagon Notifies Congress of $423 Million In Sales of Nemesis IRCM To Mideast States.(infrared countermeasures )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... The Pentagon Wednesday notified Congress of $423 million in potential sales of the AAQ-24(V) Nemesis laser directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) systems produced by Northrop Grumman [NOC] to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan. ...

Orbital Gets Task Order Under Suborbital Program To Test Earth Penetrator.(Orbital Sciences)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Orbital Sciences [ORB] yesterday said it has received a $3.1 million task order, with options up to $7.5 million, for the design, testing and procurement of long-lead hardware in support of an earth penetrating missile technology demonstration....

Warner Proposes to Cut Air Force Tanker Lease to 25.(John Warner)
September 5, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger In a surprise move yesterday, the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) suggested that he may push to cut the Air Force's proposed tanker lease to 25 aircraft from the currently proposed 100 and have the...

Defense Brief.(acting US Defense Department acquisition chief Michael Wynne nominated for permanent position)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Michael Wynne, the Pentagon's acting acquisition chief, late Wednesday was nominated by the White House to serve in the job in a permanent role. Wynne has been the deputy acquisition chief since July 2001. He was named acting acquisition chief...

Defense Watch.(briefs)
September 8, 2003... The Latest Word on Trends and Developments in Aerospace and Defense Say What? Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee recounts that Marine forces operating in southwest Asia discovered during the preparation process for Operation Iraqi...

Spain Opts For EADS' Tiger Attack Helo, Boeing Says There Was No Head-To-Head.(attack helicopter contract award)
September 8, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Spain's Ministry of Defense (MoD) said last week that the Spanish cabinet had approved the acquisition of 24 Tiger attack helicopters produced by the Eurocopter subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co....

General Dynamics To Provide Stryker Vehicles With RPG Protection.(rocket propelled grenades)
September 8, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt Slat armor developed by General Dynamics [GD] under a $7 million contract will protect Stryker vehicles from rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack if they deploy to Iraq next month, according to Army and industry...

Teets: Boeing Suspension Must Be Lifted For EELV Buy Three.(Air Force undersecretary Peter Teets, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles)
September 8, 2003... By Amy Butler Peter Teets, the undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), said last week the three Boeing [BA] space sectors suspended from eligibility for DoD contracts are expected to...

No Approval for Tanker Lease; SASC Demands DoD Study Alternatives.(Senate Armed Services Committee)
September 8, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger Rather than provide the final approval needed for the Air Force to proceed with its controversial plans to lease 100 KC-767 tankers, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) is now demanding that the Pentagon review...

Navy OKs Raytheon's ATFLIR After OPEVAL.(Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared, operational evaluation)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... The Navy said last week it had completed the operational evaluation (OPEVAL) for the ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pod produced by Raytheon [RTN] and that fleet testers from Commander Operational Test And Evaluation Force (COMOPTEVFOR) determined...

Moog Discloses It Will Pay $158 Million For Northrop Grumman Division.(Poly-Scientific Division)
September 8, 2003... Moog [MOG.A] said last week it would pay $158 million in cash and assume $11 million in liabilities related to its planned purchase of the Poly-Scientific Division from Northrop Grumman [NOC] announced last month. The deal is still...

PA&E Outlines 'Issues' For FY '05 Budget Process.(Program Analysis and Evaluation)
September 9, 2003... By Amy Butler As Congress reacts to President Bush's announcement this week that he will seek an $87 billion supplemental to pay for ongoing occupation of Iraq in coming fiscal year, Pentagon analysts are building the budget for FY '05 and...

Army Spent More Than $3 Billion To Speed Up Fielding of Systems.
September 9, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt The Army spent $3.2 billion in the past two years moving equipment such as Blue Force Tracking and thermal sights out of development or buying it outright to equip soldiers in the war on terrorism, Army officials said. ...

United Defense Demos Defeat of Missile Threats From Moving Vehicle.
September 9, 2003... United Defense [UDI] said yesterday it had demonstrated the capability for a ground vehicle to defeat incoming missile threats under the Integrated Army Active Protection Science and Technology Objective project managed by the Army's...

Boeing Signs Northrop Grumman To $160 Million Deal For MESA Packages To Turkey.(Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radars )(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... Northrop Grumman [NOC] said yesterday that it had signed a $160 million contract with Boeing [BA] to deliver four Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radars for the "Peace Eagle" airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) 737...

United Defense Fires First Round From NLOS-C Demonstrator.(Non-Line of Sight Cannon )
September 9, 2003... United Defense [UDI] said yesterday it had fired the first round from its 155mm Non-Line of Sight Cannon (NLOS-C) demonstrator it is using for the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) modernization program at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. ...

Senate Appropriators Restore Funding For Small Manufacturers.
September 9, 2003... The Senate Appropriations Committee last Thursday voted unanimously to restore funding next fiscal year for a Commerce Department program that helps small manufacturers through extension centers in each state, a program the Bush administration...

Esterline Reports Third Quarter Earnings, Sales Gains.(Esterline Technologies )(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... Driven by acquisitions and foreign currency gains, Esterline Technologies [ESL] last week said sales rose 25 percent and net income swung to a profit in the third quarter after discontinued operations a year ago dampened earnings. The...

Navy Looks Ahead to Moving Target Engagement Capability For SDB.(Small Diameter Bomb )(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The Navy is looking ahead to the Spiral 2 technological solution for the future 250-pound Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) that will be produced by Boeing [BA] for its strike aircraft because that phase will likely introduce...

Pentagon Appeals Cuts In FY '04 Appropriations Bill.
September 9, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger The Defense Department is appealing Congress to reverse reductions to a number of high-priority procurement programs in the Senate and House versions of the 2003 Appropriations Bill, including cuts missile defense and...

Air Force Mortgages Global Hawk Buys To Pay For MILCON, O&M.(military construction, operations and maintenance)
September 10, 2003... By Amy Butler The Air Force is expected to cut funding for three new Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and some of the UAV's sensors to pay for the rising cost of building a home for the nascent fleet in California and maintaining...

JASSM Costs Could Go Up 100 Percent If Congressional Cuts Hold, Air Force Says.(Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile)
September 10, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Should cuts in the Lockheed Martin [LMT] Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) made by the defense panels of the congressional appropriations committees hold in conference, the program could suffer both delays and...

Weather Satellite 'Slipped' During Final Tests At Lockheed Plant.(Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite)
September 10, 2003... By Amy Butler A routine testing maneuver went wrong this weekend when a NASA weather satellite at Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Sunnyvale, Calif., satellite factory "fell" from a testing apparatus, causing untold damage, according to government...

Army Initiatives Supply Urgent Soldier Needs.(Rapid Fielding Initiative and the Rapid Equipping Initiative )
September 10, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt Two programs--the Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI) and the Rapid Equipping Initiative (REI)--are supplying soldiers with everything from socks to new carbines so soldiers don't have to spend their own money or go without,...

ASDS.(Advanced SEAL Delivery System small submarine)
September 10, 2003... By Sharon Weinberger The Senate's proposed cut to Northrop Grumman's [NOC] Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) would set back initial production of the small sub by a year, according to a Defense Department appeal letter sent to the Hill...

Navy Awards BAE SYSTEMS Third IDECM Contract For $46 Million.(Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasure system )
September 10, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS said yesterday it received from the Navy a third and final low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract worth about $46 million for the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasure system (IDECM) Radio Frequency...

Navy Awards ASDS Battery Contracts.(Advanced SEAL Delivery System)(lithium-ion prototype batteries)
September 10, 2003... By B.C. Kessner Saft America and Yardney last week each said they were recently awarded $1.5 million contracts by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for a Phase 1 of a two-phased competition to develop a lithium-ion (Li-ion) prototype...

Boeing Delivers First Super Hornet With Redesigned Fuselage.(F/A-18E/F fighter-bomber )(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... Boeing [BA] said last week it had delivered the first F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter-bomber fitted with a redesigned fuselage that improves various features and accommodates technological solutions in the Block II upgrade. "The redesigned...

Defense Brief.(classified satellite launched)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2003... The Air Force yesterday successfully launched a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) aboard a Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built Titan IV B rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the company said. The launch...

Pentagon Rebuffs Senate Cut To 'National Aerospace Initiative'.
September 11, 2003... By Amy Butler A Senate proposal to reduce the Pentagon's account for the National Aerospace Initiative--a science and technology-driven effort to reach Mach 12 by 2012--will "prevent the Department from rapidly delivering a truly...

Lockheed Martin Lays Out Goals For Airborne JTRS Bid.(Joint Tactical Radio System )
September 11, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Lockheed Martin [LMT], leading an industry team bidding for the airborne component of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program, has projected goals for the system that include suitable platform integration,...

SEC Launches Formal Probe Into Accounting Practices At Raytheon's Aircraft Subsidiary.(Securities and Exchange Commission )(Brief Article)
September 11, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] said late Tuesday that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has heightened an ongoing probe into certain accounting practices at its business jet division to a formal investigation, a move that gives the government...

House Orders Halt To Public-Private Competitions Under A-76 Rewrite.
September 11, 2003... By Clavin Biesecker The House late Tuesday night approved an amendment that would stop competitions from being held under new rules governing competitions between the public and private sectors for work currently done by government...

I MEF Commanders Can Draw Multiple Assets For Quick Response Force Duty In Iraq.(US Marine Expeditionary Force)
September 11, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Marine Corps unit commanders within I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) participating in reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Iraq can draw multiple assets from the service's warfighting competencies for quick...

Supplemental To Include $1.9 Billion For Procurement.(US Defense Department spending additions)(Brief Article)
September 11, 2003... The Defense Department's share of the supplemental will include about $1.9 billion for procurement, although basic equipment needed for the military's occupation efforts in Iraq will be among the highest priority purchases. According to a...

Conferees To Debate 'Buy America' restrictions.(US House of Representatitves on required US-built content in US weapon systems)
September 11, 2003... As conferees meet this week to reconcile differences in the FY '04 Defense Authorization Bill, revisions to the so-called "Buy America" provisions are expected to remain one of the most contentious issues. The House versions of the fiscal...

United Defense To Build Mod Kits So Paladin Can Fire New Munitions.(Brief Article)
September 11, 2003... United Defense Industries [UDI] will build kits under a $7.9 million contract allowing the Army's M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers and M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicles to fire the latest munitions. The company will...

MEADS Lightweight Launcher Completes Acceptance Tests.
September 11, 2003... MEADS International completed a series of demonstrations and tests of its advanced lightweight launcher prototype in Brescia, Italy, the company said Wednesday. The launcher is part of the mobile MEADS system that uses missiles with...

Navy Official: LCS Training Could Create Unique Skill Sets In Navy.(Littoral Combat Ship training)
September 11, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The breadth of missions that the future Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) could be responsible for could result in sailors developing skill sets never before envisioned for the Navy, according to the service's deputy commander...

Defense Brief.(General Dynamics Corp. finalizes acquisition of Digital System Resources)(Brief Article)
September 11, 2003... General Dynamics [GD] yesterday completed its acquisition of Digital System Resources (DSR), a privately-owned firm that supplies surveillance and combat systems for Navy ships and submarines. The acquisition, announced in July, is immediately...

First Army Deployment of Laser EOD System Deemed Successful.(unexploded ordnance disposal)
September 12, 2003... By Ann Roosevelt The Army's first operational deployment of Sparta's Zeus, a Humveemounted laser system to destroy unexploded above ground ordnance, such as mines and bombs is over, and considered successful, an Army official said. ...

GD 'Pausing' On The Acquisition Front To Consolidate Purchases, Chabraja Says.(General Dynamics' CEO)
September 12, 2003... The most active of the major defense contractors this year in terms of acquiring other companies, General Dynamics' [GD] is taking a breather as it integrates its purchases into the company's business units, Nicholas Chabraja, GD's chairman and...

Air Force Official: JASSM Offers Kick-Down Capability For Strike Aircraft.(Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile)
September 12, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes As the Air Force nears the final two test shots of the AGM-158 Joint Airto-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) produced by Lockheed Martin [LMT], the service's director of lethal strike programs praised the kick-down...

Pentagon Appeals House's Cut From DD (X) Line Item In FY '04 Appropriations.(US Navy future surface combatant program)
September 12, 2003... The Pentagon is appealing the House's $135 million cut to the Navy's $1 billion request for the DD (X) future surface combatant program, contesting claims that the program is lagging behind schedule. "The House cited a lack of a definitive...

No Charges Seen From Loss of EELV Launches To Lockheed Martin, Boeing's Albaugh Says.(Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle financial charge unlikely says James Albaugh, president of Boeing's defense business)
September 12, 2003... Counter to predictions from some on Wall Street, a top Boeing [BA] executive said yesterday that his company is unlikely to take any financial charges after losing 10 Air Force rocket launches to competitor Lockheed Martin [LMT] this summer as...

Government, Northrop Grumman Hit Delay In NPOESS Contract Renegotiations.(National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System)
September 12, 2003... By Amy Butler Negotiations have slipped one month between the government and Northrop Grumman [NOC] to retool a $4.5 billion contract to design and build nextgeneration weather satellites for the United States, according to program...

Pentagon Appeals House Cut of LHA(R) In FY '04 Defense Appropriations.(large-deck amphibious assault ship )
September 12, 2003... The Pentagon's appeal of congressional program cuts in the FY '04 Defense Appropriations Bill includes a request to restore a House cut to the nextgeneration LHA(R) large-deck amphibious assault ship project. Earlier this year, the House...

Marines Tap United Defense To Rebuild Hercules Recovery Vehicles.(United Defense Industries)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... United Defense Industries [UDI] will rebuild two Marine Corps M88A2 Hercules tank-recovery vehicles damaged during Operation Iraqi Freedom under a $4.5 million contract. The work will be done under a modification of an existing M88A2...