Defense Daily articles from September 2005

Defense Daily archives from September 2005

Defense IG Schmitz Leaves For Senior Post With Blackwater.(Inspector General Joseph Schmitz)
September 1, 2005... By George Cahlink Defense Department Inspector General Joseph Schmitz will leave his post next month as the Pentagon's top watchdog for a job with a fast-growing private military company. Schmitz wrote in an e-mail Tuesday afternoon...

IG Report: Support To Reserve, Guard Troops 'Adequate'.(Inspector General)
September 1, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The Defense Department Inspector General has concluded that there was "no systemic disparity" between the support given to active-duty and to reserve- component soldiers, although the report acknowledged the Army faced...

Global Weapons Sales Growth Fueled By Deals With China, Other Nations.
September 1, 2005... By George Cahlink Global weapon sales increased for the first time in four years in 2004, fueled primarily by billions of dollars being spent by developing nations such as China and India, according to a new analysis by the Congressional...

Northrop Grumman, EADS, Indra, Team To Pursue NATO TBMD Work.(European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co)(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(theater ballistic missile defense)
September 1, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Northrop Grumman [NOC], the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS), and Spain's Indra yesterday announced the formation of an international team to pursue a systems engineering and integration (SE&I) contract...

General Dynamics Wins $8.9 Million Contract For Air Force CSAR Radios.
September 1, 2005... General Dynamics' [GD] C4 Systems unit yesterday announced an $8.9 million delivery order from the Air Force Special Operations Command for 1,402 AN/PRC-112G Combat search and rescue (CSAR) radios. "Warfighters operate in isolated and...

U.S. Satellite Industry Dominates Despite Overcapacity, Study Says.
September 1, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The market for commercial communications satellites is expected to be worth $25.4 billion over the next 10 years, according to Forecast International's recently completed study. "Commercial Communications Satellites:...

Hurricane Katrina Interrupts Production of Key Armored Vehicle.(Textron developing armored car )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... By Nathan Hodge Hurricane Katrina has brought production of the M117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle to a halt, Defense Daily has learned. The ASV, a robust armored car made by Textron [TXT], is highly sought after for...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2005... Defense Daily incorrectly reported Aug. 30 that the T-50 was the first supersonic trainer jet. The first supersonic trainer jet was Northrop Grumman's [NOC] T-38, which was delivered to the Air Force in 1961. [Copyright 2005 Access...

SAIC Announces Plans To Go Public Early Next Year.(Science Applications International Corp.)
September 2, 2005... Calvin Biesecker SAIC, the nation's largest employee-owned company and a top 10 federal and defense contractor with $7.2 billion in sales, yesterday said it plans to issue stock to the public early next year to better deploy its cash for...

L-3 Acquires Engineering Services Firm.(Joseph Sheairs Associates)(L-3 Communications Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... L-3 Communications [LLL] yesterday said it has acquired Joseph Sheairs Associates (JSA), a multi-disciplined systems and software engineering firm specializing in Air Traffic Control Systems, complementing its Aviation Products business. ...

NRO Director Says Spy Satellites Supporting Relief Operations.(National Reconnaissance Office)(Donald Kerr)
September 2, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The agency that operates the nation's spy satellites has focused assets to support relief operations along the hurricane-stricken Gulf Coast, the director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) said yesterday. ...

QinetiQ Acquires Belgian Space Systems Integrator.(Verhaert Design and Development NV)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... Britain's QinetiQ yesterday said it has acquired a 90 percent stake in Belgium's Verhaert Design and Development NV, creating what the companies say is a leading European mid-tier space company that can bridge the gap between the biggest...

ATK Protests General Dynamics' Second Source Ammo Award.
September 2, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Alliant Techsystems [ATK] said late Wednesday it is protesting the Army's Aug. 24 second source small caliber ammunition award to General Dynamics [GD]. ATK is the primary U.S. producer of small-caliber ammunition and...

Lockheed Martin Plans Bid On APKWS II Program.(United States Army contracts)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin [LMT] said yesterday it had notified the Army it plans to bid on the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) program. The APKWS II is a 2.75-inch air-to-ground precision-guided rocket...

Air Force Announces Another Successful Flight Test For JASSM.(Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile )(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... The Air Force announced yesterday that it successfully concluded two tests of the Lockheed Martin [LMT] Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. In a statement, an Air Force public affairs official...

Congress Returns Early From Recess To Pass $10.5 Billion Hurricane Aid Package.
September 2, 2005... By George Cahlink Congress returned earlier than expected from its summer recess late last night and today to quickly approve a $10.5 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Katrina. It was not immediately clear if any of those...

Defense Watch.(helping Hurricane Katrina victims)(defense industry and security services)
September 6, 2005... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Air Fragmentation. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Robert Bonner last month decided to hand permanent tactical control of most of the agency's air assets to the...

Defense Department Gets $500 Million For Hurricane Katrina Relief Operations.
September 6, 2005... By George Cahlink The Defense Department will receive $500 million of the $10.5 billion lawmakers approved last week in Hurricane Katrina aid, but none of that money will go toward defense contractors hit by the storm. "Normally, you...

China Caucus Chairman Warns About Emerging China.(Randy Forbes)
September 6, 2005... By George Cahlink Lawmakers will focus increased attention this fall on threats poised by the Chinese military, according to Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), a House Armed Services Committee (HASC) member who also heads the Congressional China...

BTERM On Track For Extended Range Munition Program, ATK Says.(Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition)(Alliant Techsystems Inc.)
September 6, 2005... By Geoff Fein Alliant Techsystems [ATK] officials said they are pleased with last week's successful Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition (BTERM) test flight and they are confident that the 5-inch Extended Range Munition (ERM) is...

Lockheed Martin, Thales Win U.K. FRES Work.(from Atkins Systems House)
September 6, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The U.K. units of Lockheed Martin [LMT] and France's Thales have won contracts from systems house Atkins for the Future Rapid Effect System Electronic Architecture (EA) Technology Demonstrator Program (TDP). ...

DHS Orders Predator B For Customs And Border Work.(Department of Homeland Security granted contract to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.)
September 6, 2005... Nearly two years after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began working with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Predator B reconnaissance drone, it has awarded the company a contract for the first Customs and Border...

Air Force Revisits Requirements For Search-And-Rescue Aircraft.
September 7, 2005... Nathan Hodge The Air Force is taking a fresh look at its plans to build a new fleet of search and rescue aircraft, Defense Daily has learned. According to industry and military sources, Kenneth Krieg, the Pentagon's top acquisition...

Snowe Continues Opposition To England's Bid For Pentagon's No. 2 Post.
September 7, 2005... By George Cahlink Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) has no immediate plans to drop her opposition to the nomination of Navy Secretary Gordon England to be the deputy defense secretary, despite a recent favorable recommendation by the...

Boeing Announces 'Alliance Shield' Team To Compete For NATO TBMD Work.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(Theater Missile Defense)
September 7, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Boeing [BA] has formed an international team called "Alliance Shield" to compete on a future NATO Theater Missile Defense (TMD) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) contract. The team consists of the U.K.'s BAE...

IAI Elta Backlog Reaches $2.4 Billion.(Israel Aircraft Industries)
September 7, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Sunday said its Elta Systems subsidiary reached a record backlog $2.4 billion while the company posted yearly first half financial results that showed increased sales and...

Aerospace Foreign Trade Surplus Growing.
September 7, 2005... The U.S. foreign trade surplus in the aerospace industry continues to be strong and is on a pace to exceed last year's surplus, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) said yesterday. Through the first half of 2005 the surplus stands...

JCM Instrumental Measurement Vehicle Integrated Onto Apache Helicopter.
September 7, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] has successfully integrated and flown its Joint Common Missile (JCM) instrumented measurement vehicles (IMV) on Boeing's [BA] AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter, according to Lockheed Martin. The integration...

Alternative Fleet Architecture Driven By Technologies and Budget, Report Says.
September 7, 2005... By Geoff Fein A new study proposes an alternative fleet architecture design for the Navy, that runs the gamut from increased intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to building ships that will make it harder for...

Raytheon, MBDA To Be Invited To Bid On Estonian Air Defense System.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2005... The government of Estonia last week decided to begin an air defense system procurement and invite Raytheon [RTN] and European missile consortium MBDA to bid on the project. The goal is to provide Estonia with modern and flexible air...

Australia Wants Contractor Help To Plan Logistics For Military Operations.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2005... Australia's Ministry of Defense has issued an Invitation to Register for a commercial logistics-planning partner to improve reaction time and efficiency. The contractor would provide commercial expertise and advice on capabilities for a...

Ceradyne Opens New Facility For Armor Production.
September 7, 2005... Ceradyne [CRDN] recently celebrated the opening of a new 115,000 square foot production facility in Lexington, Ky., that will make ceramic armor for soldiers and ceramic components for diesel engines. The increase in manufacturing...

Congress To Launch Katrina Investigations.
September 7, 2005... By George Cahlink Congress has begun what will likely be the first of several investigations into what has widely been seen as the federal government's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental...

Northrop Grumman Teams With EADS On Air Force Tanker Program.(European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co.)
September 8, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker As expected Northrop Grumman [NOC] and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) yesterday announced that they have teamed to compete for the Air Force's next-generation aircraft tanker program, setting up...

President Nominates Former Pentagon Official To Replace Young.(Dolores Etter appointed as Navy's acquisition chief)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... By Geoff Fein President Bush has nominated Dolores Etter, currently a Naval Academy professor and former deputy undersecretary of defense for science and technology, to replace John Young as the Navy's acquisition chief. From June...

Singapore Selects Boeing's F-15T In Fighter Competition.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... By Geoff Fein Singapore has selected Boeing [BA] to supply the country with up to 20 new fighter aircraft, the details of which are currently being worked out, according to the Singapore Ministry of Defense (MINDEF). Boeing's F-15T,...

Warner Still Expects Defense Authorization Bill For 2006.
September 8, 2005... By George Cahlink Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman (SASC) John Warner (R-Va.) believes Congress will pass a defense authorization bill for fiscal 2006, despite a legislative agenda now dominated by the Hurricane Katrina disaster....

Air Force Plans To 'Grow Capability' of Predator, Global Hawk Fleet.
September 8, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The Air Force is building infrastructure that will allow it to ramp up the number of missions flown by its high-end unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, military deputy to the office of the...

PAC-3 Intercept Test Expected At White Sands Missile Range.(Patriot Advanced Capability missile system developed by Lockheed Martin Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The Army this morning plans an intercept flight test for the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missile system at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built PAC-3 is a high-velocity hit-to-kill...

Jury Rules Against GD In $130 Million Lawsuit, But Judge Has Final Say.
September 8, 2005... A federal jury on Tuesday ruled that General Dynamics [GD] owes another firm $130 million as part of two-year old lawsuit Final Analysis Communications Services (FACS) has pending against GD alleging breach of contract, but the judge in the...

Global Defense Cooperation More Vital Than Ever, Krieg Says.
September 8, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt More and better defense cooperation is required to meet the number one challenge: providing forces the capability they need in this era of transformation and globalization, the Defense Department's top acquisition...

Defense Technology Officials See 'Serious' Energy Problem.(energy efficieny in military )
September 8, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The recent surge in energy prices has become a "serious problem," according to the director of a major Pentagon effort to develop sophisticated pilotless aircraft for penetrating enemy air defenses. Michael Francis,...

GAO Warns DoD To Come Up With Missile Defense Support Costs Plan.(Government Accountability Office)(Department of Defense)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... By George Cahlink The Defense Department must quickly decide how it will cover the costs of operating and sustaining its missile defense systems or it risks having to scale back the effort or cut other programs, according to a new...

Spain Seeking 94 SM-1 Block VIB Tactical Standard Missiles.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... The Pentagon Tuesday notified Congress of an impending sale of 94 Raytheon [RTN] SM-1 Block VIB Tactical Standard missiles, 94 Aerojet [GY] SM-1 MK 56 Dual Thrust Rocket Motors and other associated equipment and services to Spain for its...

Turkey Spending $35 Million On JSOW For F-16 Modernization Effort.(Joint Standoff Weapon)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... The Pentagon notified Congress this week of a potential $35 million major defense equipment (MDE) sale of Raytheon's [RTN] Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) to Turkey for modification of that country's F-16 fighter aircraft. Turkey has...

General Outlines Marine Corps Vision For Humvee Replacement.
September 9, 2005... By Nathan Hodge A top Marine Corps general yesterday outlined his service's vision of a replacement for the Humvee, the all-purpose utility vehicle that has somewhat unexpectedly become a major fighting platform for troops in Iraq and...

Northrop Grumman Shipyards Could Soon Resume Limited Operations.
September 9, 2005... By George Cahlink Northrop Grumman [NOC] will likely begin limited operations next week at two of its three shipyards along the Gulf Coast that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina, according to a company spokesman. Brian Cullin said...

Lockheed Martin Wins $308 Million Government Records Contract.
September 9, 2005... The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) yesterday awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] a $308 million contract to develop and create a permanent electronic archives system for the federal government. Lockheed Martin defeated a...

PAC-3 Software Changes Successful In Intercept Test.(Patriot Advanced Capability-3)(Brief Article)
September 9, 2005... The Army yesterday announced a successful intercept flight test of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile system with software changes and improvements at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. "We continue to mature our system's...

Lockheed Martin To Acquire Laser Radar Firm.
September 9, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] yesterday said it has agreed to acquire Coherent Technologies, Inc., a developer and supplier of laser-based remote sensing systems, a deal aimed at strengthening its core competencies. Terms of the deal were not...

Lockheed Martin, Northrop Form Teams For $20 Billion Army IT Program.(information technology)(Brief Article)
September 9, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] have formed teams to compete on a potential $20 billion Army information technology project aimed at providing more support for soldiers throughout the Army. The Information Technology...

Goodrich To Buy Short Wave Infrared Tech Firm.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2005... Goodrich [GR] said last week that it has agreed to acquire Sensors Unlimited, Inc., a designer and producer of Short Wave Infrared technology based on Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) imaging technology, for $60 million in cash. Sensors...

Turkey To Spend $175 Million On Munitions And Components For Its F-16s.
September 9, 2005... Turkey is looking to spend upward of $175 million on munitions and aircraft components for its F-16 fighter aircraft, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). The DSCA has notified Congress that Turkey is looking to...

HAC-D Chairman Young Says Lawmakers Kept From Hurricane Region.
September 9, 2005... By George Cahlink Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), the House's top Defense appropriator, blasted the White House and congressional leaders yesterday for not allowing him to lead a congressional delegation to assess damage at military...

Acquisition Reform Will Require Discipline, Service Officials Say.
September 9, 2005... By Geoff Fein For the services to carry out successful acquisition reform, they will need to get better control over requirements discipline, control over how many systems they want to buy, and maintain a stable cash flow, according to a...

Navy High Speed Vessel Makes Second Disaster Relief Effort.
September 9, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The Navy's High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift is hard at work on its second disaster relief mission this year off the hurricane-ravaged Gulf coast. The Incat Australia-built 98-meter wave-piercing catamaran HSV 2 Swift...

BVR Systems Wins F-16 Simulator Contract For IAF.
September 9, 2005... BVR Systems Tuesday said it was awarded a $2.15 million sub-contract from Elbit Systems [ESLT] for the supply of workshare in a new F-16I simulator for the Israel air force (IAF). "We believe that we are well-positioned to capture...

Lawmakers Criticize Northrop Grumman-EADS Alliance for Tanker Competition.
September 9, 2005... By George Cahlink House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) sharply criticized Northrop Grumman's [NOC] plans to team with the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) to compete against Boeing [BA] for a...

Defense Watch.
September 12, 2005... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Not Budging. Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Appropriations homeland security subcommittee, is praising the Coast Guard's rescue and recovery efforts in...

Armor Holdings Displays Latest In Commercial Vehicle IED Protection.(improvised explosive devices)
September 12, 2005... By Geoff Fein Armor Holdings [AH] last week displayed its latest entry into the armor vehicle market with a commercial product aimed at protecting vehicles from improvised explosive devices (IED). Company officials also announced...

Airbus, Electronics, Military Programs Drive BAE's First Half Sales, Earnings.
September 12, 2005... BAE SYSTEMS last week reported strong first half-year financial results driven mainly by growth in sales and profits at its commercial aerospace, electronics and military programs businesses. The British-based company, which bills itself...

On Relief Ops, Air Force Helo Commander Sees 'Aggressive' Flying.
September 12, 2005... By Nathan Hodge An Air Force helicopter squadron is doing some heavy flying to support Gulf Coast relief operations, according to the unit's commander. In a telephone interview last week with Defense Daily, Lt. Col. Gary Bontly, the...

Reps Jockey With Leaders Set To Pick Homeland Committee Chair This Week.
September 12, 2005... By George Cahlink House Republicans will decide this week who will take over the chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, a job that became vacant this summer when Rep. Chris Cox (R-Calif.) left Congress to head the Securities and...

Navy Not Satisfied With Latest ATK BTERM Test Flight.(Alliant Techsystems Inc. Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition )
September 12, 2005... By Geoff Fein One week after Alliant Techsystems [ATK] said its Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition (BTERM) was on track following its latest test flight, the Navy said the results of the latest Extended Range Munition (ERM)...

NAVSEA Begins Comprehensive Study of Its Operations, Commander Says.(Naval Sea Systems Command, Paul Sullivan)
September 13, 2005... By Geoff Fein The commander of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is conducting several "significant studies" examining the partnership between NAVSEA and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the alignment of NAVSEA and its affiliated...

MDA Advanced Systems Works On Next-Generation THAAD.(Missile Defense Agency, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)
September 13, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Advanced Systems is working on next- generation seekers, radars, algorithms and electronics technology for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system produced by Lockheed...

MQ-5B Hunter UAV Prepares For Fielding.(unmanned aerial vehicle)
September 13, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Northrop Grumman [NOC] is preparing to begin fielding its multi-role tactical MQ-5B Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the Army this fall, an official said. The 5B is a modern version of the MQ-5A , addressing...

GAO Finds Local DHS Units Coordinating Air And Marine Assets.(Government Accountability Office, Department of Homeland Security )
September 13, 2005... Components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the local level are making progress in sharing their respective air and marine assets but clarification of their homeland security roles and responsibilities would improve the...

Boeing, BAE Team For Air Force B-52 Standoff Jammer.(BAE SYSTEMS PLC)
September 13, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Boeing [BA] and BAE SYSTEMS have teamed for the Air Force B-52 Stand-Off Jammer (SOJ) program, combining Boeing's aircraft expertise with BAE's electronic warfare capabilities. "BAE SYSTEMS is the [electronic...

IAI To Supply First Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAS To IAF.(Israel--Israel Aircraft Industries, unmanned aircraft system, Israel Air Force )
September 13, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Sunday said it was recently awarded a contract worth more than $50 million to supply the Heron medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to the...

Services Seek New Applications For Viper Strike Glide Bomb.(unmanned aerial vehicles to be enhanced)
September 13, 2005... By Nathan Hodge Northrop Grumman [NOC] has held "preliminary" talks with the Air Force and Marine Corps on outfitting fixed-wing tactical aircraft with the Viper Strike precision glide bomb. The Army has already equipped its Hunter...

Pentagon Certifies V-22 Osprey As Operationally Fit.(the multi-service tiltrotor aircraft)
September 13, 2005... By Geoff Fein The Pentagon has certified that the V-22 Osprey, the multi-service tiltrotor aircraft is operationally fit, thus allowing for increased production rates above the minimum sustaining rate. As required by law, Kenneth...

International UAS Organization Protests To NASA Over Potential Cut.(unmanned aircraft systems community)
September 13, 2005... By B.C. Kessner The president of UVS International, the world's largest association representing the global unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) community, yesterday delivered a sharp letter of protest to NASA Administrator Michael Griffin...

Northrop Grumman Spells Out Tanker Deal.(air force tanker to be manufactured in United States)
September 13, 2005... By George Cahlink Slightly more than half of Northrop Grumman [NOC] and European Aeronautic Co.'s proposed Air Force tanker would be manufactured in United States, according to company executives. "We expect to be able to grow that...

Air Force Special Ops Commander Sees 'Lessons' From Katrina.(Lt. Gen. Michael Wooley)
September 14, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The head of Air Force special operations said he expects to see "lessons learned" from the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts incorporated into new helicopter buys. Lt. Gen. Michael Wooley, the commander of Air Force...

Pre-Katrina Global Hawk Scenario Uses Category 5 Hurricane, Gulf Coast.(Northrop Grumman Corp.)(applications of Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle)
September 14, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Just two weeks before Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Northrop Grumman [NOC] and the Air Force considered a scenario using the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) featuring a category five hurricane and...

Argon ST To Acquire Signal Processing Firm.(Radix Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2005... Argon ST, Inc. [STST] yesterday said it has agreed to acquire Radix Technologies, a Mountain View, Calif.-based firm that specializes in signal processing systems for military, intelligence and commercial applications. Terms of the deal...

More Raytheon RAIDS Systems To Support U.S., Coalition Forces.(Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment systems)
September 14, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Raytheon [RTN] continues to supply more capable Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) systems, with associated systems engineering and lifecycle support in support of deployed U.S. and coalition forces. RAID...

DHS Awards $142 Million In Port Security Grants.(Department of Homeland Security)
September 14, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded $141.9 million in grants to 36 port areas to fund a variety of security measures, including detection of improvised explosive devices (IED) and underwater surveillance....

Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Successfully Complete AMF JTRS PDRs.(Airborne, Maritime and Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio Systems programs, Preliminary Design Reviews)
September 14, 2005... Teams led by Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA] each announced the successful completion of separate Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) of their competing Airborne, Maritime and Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio Systems (AMF JTRS)...

Tactical Air Services Buys RNZAF Skyhawk and Aermacchi Fleets.(Royal New Zealand Air Force)(Brief Article)
September 14, 2005... Tactical Air Services, Inc., a private U.S. company, has spent about $110 million to buy the New Zealand Air Force fleets of Skyhawk fighters and Aermacchi jet trainer aircraft. New Zealand Defence Minister Mark Burton said, "the money...

McCain Waiting On Tanker AoA Before Evaluating Northrop/EADS Bid.(John McCain,)
September 14, 2005... By George Cahlink Sen. John McCain (R-Mich.) believes House lawmakers should hold off on criticizing Northrop Grumman's [NOC] recently announced joint venture with European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) to compete against...

F/A-22 On Track For Initial Operational Capability By End of 2005.
September 14, 2005... By Geoff Fein Lockheed Martin's [LMT] F/A-22 Raptor strike fighter will go into Initial Operational Capability (IOC) by the end of the year after beginning follow on test and evaluation at the end of August. The F/A-22 will be...

Senate Defense Authorization Bill Could Be Delayed Until President OKs BRAC.
September 14, 2005... By George Cahlink The Senate might wait take to up its version of the 2006 defense authorization bill until the president approves a contentious plan to close and realign military bases later this month. Sen. John Warner (R-Va.),...