Defense Daily articles from September 2006

Defense Daily archives from September 2006

United Kingdom Wants To Field Predator B To Support Afghan Operations.
September 1, 2006... Michael Sirak ORLANDO, Fla.--The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) is working with the U.S. government to secure the acquisition of two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Predator B unmanned aircraft by mid-2007 to support its...

DHS Preparing to Resume Predator B Operations.(Department of Homeland Security)
September 1, 2006... Michael Sirak ORLANDO, Fla.--The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expects soon to resume surveillance of the U.S.-Mexico border with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator B unmanned aircraft, a senior official with the...

Lockheed Martin Beats Northrop-Boeing Team For NASA Orion CEV Contract.
September 1, 2006... NASA yesterday awarded its estimated $3.9 billion Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) contract to Lockheed Martin [LMT] over a Northrop Grumman [NOC]- Boeing [BA] team. Lockheed Martin will be responsible for the design, development,...

Finding Ways To Tackle Obsolescence Issue In Naval Aviation.(Bob Ernst, head of Navy's aging aircraft office)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Navy is trying to find ways to counter the problem of losing aircraft parts vendors as well as the financial impact obsolescence is having on naval aviation, according to the head of the Navy's aging aircraft office....

BioGuard Offers Cutting Edge Fingerprint Access Control Systems.(introduced new fingerprint identification and security solutions)
September 1, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--BioGuard, an Israeli biometric technology firm, has introduced a new line of fingerprint identification and security solutions featuring "one to many" subject-database matching, sensor-level encryption...

Defense Watch.
September 5, 2006... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense A Change In Plan? While the Navy's Program Objective Memorandum (POM) '08 is predecisional, it appears the service is looking to move procurement of platforms around to...

Office of Force Transformation Taking New Shape Inside DoD.(Department of Defense)(Interview)
September 5, 2006... By Geoff Fein After five years the Office of Force Transformation (OFT) is itself transforming as the Pentagon has decided to align parts of the organization within the Defense Department, according to the acting director of OFT. No...

MDA, Boeing Report Successful GMD Intercept Test.(Ground-based Midcourse Defense system)
September 5, 2006... The Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system successfully completed an intercept test on Sept. 1, the Pentagon and prime contractor Boeing [BA] said last week. "I am pleased that today's test of our ballistic missile defense system...

Successful Intercept Test For Army's PAC-3 Missile Systems.
September 5, 2006... The Army last week conducted a successful intercept test flight of Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., according to the service. The Aug. 31 test involved an engagement...

Lockheed Martin Explores Extreme-Range Cruise Missile.
September 6, 2006... Michael Sirak ORLANDO, Fla.-- Lockheed Martin [LMT] is designing a very long-range cruise missile that can reach deep into enemy territory with a large warhead to destroy hardened underground facilities and cave and bunker complexes,...

Titanium Nitride Coating Extending The Life of Marine Corps' CH-53 Engines.
September 6, 2006... By Geoff Fein A revolutionary technique to protect CH-53E engine airfoils is enabling the Marine Corps to extend flight hours of its heavy-lift aircraft and reduce the cost of overhauling the Super Stallion, according to a Naval Aviation...

SAIC Posts Income, Sales Gains In Fiscal 2007 Second Quarter.(Science Applications International Corp)(Brief article)
September 6, 2006... SAIC yesterday reported higher earnings and sales in its fiscal year second quarter and the company said that revenue growth has slowed due to funding delays at its customers. "Our revenue growth has slowed as many of our customers have...

Lockheed Martin To Upgrade Sonar Systems For U.K. Vanguard Submarines.
September 6, 2006... Lockheed Martin's [LMT] U.K. unit has been awarded a seven-year contract to provide combat system upgrades to the sonar systems aboard four Royal Navy Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines. More than 70 percent of the work will be...

Five Companies Chosen For ONR JLTV Trade Study.(Office of Naval Research, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program)(Brief article)
September 6, 2006... Five companies have been selected by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to perform a trade study and build a mock-up for use in defining a common set of requirements for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. To date, General...

Navy Signs CVN-21 Specifications, Contract Award Next Up.
September 6, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Navy yesterday signed off on the specifications for CVN-21, the next generation aircraft carrier, paving the way for the service to begin working with Northrop Grumman [NOC] Newport News to build the ship. "The...

Raytheon Wins Contract To Develop Alternative Space-Based Warning Sensor.
September 6, 2006... Michael Sirak The Air Force has awarded Raytheon [RTN] a $54.4 million contract to build a prototype space sensor that could be adopted to complement or replace the nation's next-generation missile warning satellites, the service said...

Boeing Names New CEO For Commercial Airplanes As Mulally Takes Helm At Ford.(Scott Carson, Alan Mulally)
September 6, 2006... Boeing [BA] yesterday named Scott Carson, its former head of commercial aircraft sales, to be president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, succeeding Alan Mulally, who was named CEO of Ford Motor Co. [F]. The announcements are a...

Krieg Reaffirms Imperative For Coalition Interoperability, But Says Process Will Take Time.
September 7, 2006... By Michael Sirak Interoperability between the U.S. military and its allies and coalition partners is an imperative for future operations, but will take time to realize, the Pentagon' acquisition czar said yesterday. "Our collective...

Lockheed Martin Hellfire Missiles A Combined Arms Multiplier During Tall 'Afar, Official Says.(Maj. Butch Whiting)(Product/service evaluation)
September 7, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Hellfire missile helped to shape last year's battle of Tall 'Afar in Operation Restoring Rights in Iraq and became a force multiplier in helping to oust insurgents, according to an Army official...

TSA Selects Eight Companies To Compete For TWIC.(Transportation Security Administration, Transportation Worker Identity Credential program)
September 7, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) yesterday said it has selected eight companies to compete for the systems integrator role of the Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC) program, which...

Turning NAVSEA Into An Agile, Responsive Organization.(Naval Sea Systems Command, Vice Adm. Paul Sullivan)(Interview)
September 7, 2006... By Geoff Fein Increasing workloads coupled with decreasing budgets has led officials at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to realign the way it does business, examining how it best serves the five naval warfighter enterprises. ...

Lockheed Martin Outlines SBInet Solution, Names Teammates.(Secure Border Initiative program)(Interview)
September 7, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker Lockheed Martin [LMT] this week announced its team members for its bid for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secure Border Initiative (SBInet) program, saying each brings critical program management and...

Verified ID Signs Up British Airways For Clear Launch At JFK.
September 7, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker Verified Identity Pass last week said it has agreed with British Airways to launch the Clear Registered Traveler (RT) program at the airline's Terminal 7 at John F. Kennedy International Airport this fall, marking the...

Germany Requests CRI Patriot PAC-3 Missiles.
September 7, 2006... The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress yesterday that Germany would like to spend as much as $298 million in a possible Foreign Military Sale to Germany of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Cost Reduction...

Senate Strikes Down Cluster Bomb Amendment In Appropriations Bill Action.
September 7, 2006... By Jen DiMascio The Senate yesterday defeated an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 defense appropriations bill that would have restricted the purchase, use and sale of cluster bombs by a vote of 70-30. The amendment, sponsored by Sen....

Spain Explores F-35 As Potential Harrier Replacement.
September 8, 2006... Michael Sirak Spain is considering the short-takeoff version of the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 Lightning II stealth multirole fighter aircraft as a possible replacement to its AV-8B Harrier jump jets, and is working with the F-35 program...

Walker: Practice of Overselling Weapons Systems Drives Up Acquisition Costs.(David Walker of the Government Accountability Office)
September 8, 2006... By Jen DiMascio Defense acquisition officials have a tendency to "overpromise" how much major weapons systems can deliver to get "buy in" from Pentagon leaders and congressional lawmakers to get the program off the ground, the nation's...

Navy Establishing Standards For Unmanned Underwater And Surface Vehicles.
September 8, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Navy is working with the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) to develop standards for unmanned undersea and surface vehicles (UUV, USV) to help industry focus more on developing modular payloads and move away...

DHS S&T Reorganizes To Be More Customer Focused.
September 8, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday announced a major restructuring of its Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate, emphasizing the need for better customer access and accountability, and accelerating...

Lockheed Martin To Sell Stake In Russian Joint Venture.
September 8, 2006... Lockheed Martin [LMT] yesterday said it plans to sell its stake in two joint ventures it has with Russian companies related to the marketing and sale of launch services to Space Transport Inc. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. ...

Rheinmetall To Develop Its Future Soldier System For German Army.
September 8, 2006... Rheinmetall Defence will develop an expanded version of its "Future Soldier System" under a multi-million Euro development contract. The Sept. 1 force modernization contract from the German Bundeswehr is expected to lead to large-volume...

Lockheed Martin Unveils 'Little AL' Unmanned Aircraft for Special Operations Roles.
September 8, 2006... Michael Sirak ORLANDO, Fla.-- Lockheed Martin [LMT] is designing an affordable, small- sized unmanned sensor aircraft to accompany commandos on missions and serve as their eyes in the sky to monitor targets from close in, a company...

BAE To Purchase Small Electro-Optic Sensor Firm.(BAE SYSTEMS, National Sensor Systems)(Brief article)
September 8, 2006... BAE SYSTEMS yesterday said it has agreed to acquire National Sensor Systems (NSS), a small company that develops electro-optical sensor systems for aerospace and defense applications, for $8.7 million in cash. Based in Massachusetts, NSS...

Senate Approves Adding $65.4 Million To Buy Six Predators For Special Operations.
September 8, 2006... By Jen DiMascio The Senate yesterday approved an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 emergency "bridge" supplemental that adds $65.4 million to buy six Predator unmanned aerial vehicles. The Predator, made by General Atomics...

Defense Watch.(Australian Defence Material Organisation and Lockheed Martin signs deal over acquisation of AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles)
September 11, 2006... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense A G'day For Lockheed Martin. The Australian Defence Material Organisation (DMO) has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for the acquisition of an undisclosed number of...

Warner Urges Navy To Establish Panel To Explore Open Architecture For Ships.(Sen. John Warner )
September 11, 2006... By Geoff Fein The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is encouraging the Navy to commission a panel to determine how the service can move toward implementing open architecture for surface ships, similar to the effort used by...

CNO Looks To Speed Up Pace of 'Disappointing' Move To Open Architecture.(Chief of naval operations Adm. Mike Mullen )(Interview)
September 11, 2006... By Geoff Fein Although the Navy has made considerable investments in open architecture over the past several years, the overall effort of moving toward an open architecture process has been disappointing, according to a recent memo from...

ATK Ups Earnings Guidance, Repurchases Shares.(Alliant Techsystems Inc.)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Alliant Techsystems [ATK] last week increased its earnings guidance for its current fiscal year and announced a new $300 million round of financing to help fund its pension plan and complete a stock repurchase. ATK raised its earnings...

Army Defends Decision To Bypass Trophy Active Protection System.
September 11, 2006... By Jen DiMascio The Army refuted assertions that is not pursuing the best available a mini anti-ballistic missile system designed to defeat rocket propelled grenades, a general said last week. The service is very committed to...

Rockwell Collins Acquires Communications Firm.(IP Unwired)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Rockwell Collins [COL] last week said it has acquired IP Unwired, a privately owned developer of high data rate HF/VHF/UHF modem and networking products and services for U.S. and international military customers. Terms of the sale were...

MEADS Team Looks For New Radio To Anchor Plug-'n'-Fight Architecture.
September 12, 2006... By Michael Sirak ORLANDO, Fla.--The international industry team designing the next- generation mobile air defense system for Germany, Italy and the United States must soon pick an alternative software-defined radio to underpin its...

Lockheed Martin Expects More International JASSM Sales, Official Says.
September 12, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin [LMT] expects more international AGM-158 Joint Air-to- Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) sales now that Australia has signed on to buy an undisclosed number for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18...

Boeing, MDA Look to Next Missile Defense Test, After Successful FT-2 Mission.(missile defense agency)
September 12, 2006... By Michael Sirak The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and its industry partners, led by Boeing [BA], are eyeing December as the timeframe for conducting the next major flight test of the system in place to protect the United States from...

SAIC Completes Acquisition of bdSystems.(Science Applications International Corp.)(Brief article)
September 12, 2006... SAIC yesterday said it has completed its purchase of aerospace engineering and information technology services provider bdSystems, which will be operated as a subsidiary associated with SAIC's Space and Geospatial Intelligence Business. ...

Raytheon Stresses Defense-In-Depth Approach For SBInet.(Gene Blackwell, the vice president of Raytheon's Rapid Initiatives Group )(Interview)
September 12, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker Raytheon's[RTN] proposed strategy for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish greater operational control of the nation's borders is a defense-in-depth approach that takes advantage of all available...

Senate and House Authorization Conference Begins Today.
September 12, 2006... By Jen DiMascio Lawmakers are expected to begin today formally reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of the fiscal year 2007 defense authorization bills. Though staff members have been working to iron out...

Wynne Calls For Steady Funding Stream and Requirements For F-35.(Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne views)
September 13, 2006... By Michael Sirak Major perturbations to the funding line or requirements of the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft will lead it down the inevitable spiral of cost growth and schedule delays that have...

Army Details Reset Needs To Armed Services Committees.
September 13, 2006... By Jen DiMascio Before lawmakers returned from their monthlong August recess, Army leaders briefed House and Senate armed services committee staff members on the details behind a $17.1 billion request for additional reset funding that...

Defining Open Architecture For The Surface Fleet.(Anne Sandel, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy research, development and acquisition throws light on Navy induction of open architecture)(Interview)
September 13, 2006... By Geoff Fein As the Navy begins to incorporate open architecture into the surface fleet, a number of challenges loom on the horizon from determining whether it is important to own source codes to determining exactly what constitutes...

Northrop Grumman Wins $500 Million NYC Public Safety Wireless Network Award.
September 13, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker New York City yesterday selected Northrop Grumman [NOC] over Motorola [MOT] for a $500 million contract to build a dedicated, mobile wireless communications system that will provide first responders and other public...

MSA Acquires Small Body Armor Company.
September 13, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker Expanding its military business into new product lines, Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) last week said it has acquired Paraclete Armor and Equipment, Inc., a small designer and producer of tactical body vests and related...

FAA Approves Northrop Grumman's Counter MANPAD System For 747s.(Federal Aviation Administration)
September 13, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified Northrop Grumman's [NOC] Guardian System for installation on a 747 to protect the aircraft from shoulder fired rockets, a company official said. The FAA...

Honeywell Focuses on Customers In Reorganized Military And Civilian Helicopter Unit.(Vicki Panhuise, vice president of the Commercial & Military Helicopters unit)(Interview)
September 13, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt Customer satisfaction is priority number one for the top executive of Honeywell's [HON] Commercial and Military Helicopters unit within Honeywell Defense & Space. Vicki Panhuise, vice president of the Commercial &...

L-1 To Buy Firm That Consults To U.S. Intel Community.(L-1 Identity Solutions acquires SpecTal, LLC)
September 13, 2006... By Calvin Biesecker L-1 Identity Solutions [ID] on Monday said it has agreed to acquired SpecTal, LLC, a provider of consulting services to the U.S. intelligence community, for $100 million in cash. The deal, which is expected to...

Lockheed Martin Chosen As Air Force's AOC weapon system integrator.
September 14, 2006... By Michael Sirak The Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin [LMT] in a hard-fought competition to help the service maintain its global network of air and space operations centers (AOC) and upgrade them from disparate configurations into a...

DHS Awards Contracts For Cargo Automated Radiography System.
September 14, 2006... By Jen DiMascio The Department of Homeland Security recently awarded contracts to three companies to begin a seven-year development project for an advanced cargo scanning system potentially worth $1.35 billion. L-3 Communications...

Israel's Plasan Sasa Acquires Vermont Composites Firm.
September 14, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel's international ballistic armor provider Plasan Sasa has acquired the automotive composites business of Bennington-based Vermont Composites, dubbing the operation Plasan USA in a move aimed at...

BAE SYSTEMS' Counter MANPAD System To Be Tested On Passenger And Cargo Jets.
September 14, 2006... By Geoff Fein BAE SYSTEMS will install its JETEYE system to protect aircraft from shoulder fired rockets on an AVX 767 cargo plane this fall to further test the technology's capabilities, a company spokesman said. JETEYE was put on...

Lockheed Martin Would Build Security Test Bed If It Wins SBInet.(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Lockheed Martin [LMT] said this week that if it wins the multi-billion dollar Secure Border Initiative (SBInet) contract, it plans to invest $16 million over two years to build a demonstration center and land border test bed in the Southwest...

THAAD Test Aborts Due To Target Missile Malfunction.(Missile Defense Agency )
September 14, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt The Missile Defense Agency yesterday halted a planned flight test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system because of a problem with the target missile. MDA is developing a ballistic missile defense...

BAE Posts Solid First Half Financial Results.
September 14, 2006... BAE SYSTEMS yesterday reported strong first half financial results bolstered in part by the purchase of United Defense Industries (UDI) over a year ago but also due to solid performances in its electronics, support, integrated systems and...

Boeing, General Dynamics, Others In $5 Billion Army Satellite Program.
September 14, 2006... The Army Monday awarded Boeing [BA], General Dynamics [GD] and four smaller contractors roles in the $5 billion World Wide Satellite Systems program. The program calls for six satellite terminal types, operating on a variety of military...

Air Force Renames MQ-9 Hunter-Killer UAV The Reaper.
September 14, 2006... Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley yesterday announced that the service's MQ-9 hunter-killer unmanned aircraft has a new name: the Reaper. The armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems...

Bell-Boeing Complete Wind Tunnel Testing of Quad Tiltrotor Model.
September 14, 2006... The team of Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT]-Boeing [BA] yesterday wrapped up wind tunnel testing of a one-fifth scale model of a quad tiltrotor (QTR) at the NASA Langley Research Center Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT), according to a Bell...

Air Force Expects Newest Rivet Joint To Enter Service Before Year's End.
September 15, 2006... By Michael Sirak ANDREWS AFB, Md.--The Air Force's newest and most advanced RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic listening aircraft is expected to be ready for operations around November, service officials said here earlier this week. The...

NATO Transformation Leaders Build Common Understanding.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization conference)
September 15, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt A two-day conference in Virginia helped transformation leaders from NATO's alliance members build a common understanding of how to make their developing national capabilities more effective and better support the...

Raytheon Awarded $369 Million Contract For Phalanx CWIS Work.
September 15, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Navy Wednesday awarded Raytheon [RTN] a $369 million contract for overhaul and upgrade of 50 Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems (CWIS) to the Block 1B configuration as well as upgrades for land-based systems, and for both...

House, Senate Leadership Work To Divert Border Security Amendment.
September 15, 2006... By Jen DiMascio House and Senate leaders are working to transfer an amendment providing $1.8 billion for border security from the defense appropriations bill to the homeland security appropriations bill. Transferring legislative...

Canada To Spend $1.3 Billion For Four Boeing C-17 Globemasters.
September 15, 2006... Canada is looking to spend upward of $1.3 billion in support of a Direct Commercial Sale for four Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). The proposed sale includes 18 Pratt &...

MDA Announces Successful Test of KEI First-Stage Motor.(Brief article)
September 15, 2006... Alliant Techsystems [ATK] successfully conducted a ground test yesterday of the first-stage motor under development for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA)'s Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI) program, according to the agency. The static test...

Defense Watch.
September 18, 2006... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Homegrown Guinea Pigs. Despite the promise of high-powered electronic devices to generate beams of power that can disable other electronic equipment or be used to...

Lawmakers Likely To Keep House Requirements Guiding FCS Program.(Future Combat System)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Jen DiMascio The final version of the FY '07 Defense Authorization Bill is expected to retain a key provision regarding the Future Combat System (FCS) from the House version of the bill that the Army strongly opposed. House and...

Senate Passes Port Security Act Including With Cargo Screening Provision.
September 18, 2006... By Jen DiMascio The Senate last week unanimously passed the Port Security Act, which included an amendment to establish an "integrated screening system" to check cargo arriving at U.S. ports and to identify high-risk cargo leaving the...

Raytheon Offers Less-Than-Lethal Millimeter Wave Protection System.
September 18, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt Raytheon [RTN] is offering a long range directed energy system called Silent Guardian that provides an option between "shouting and shooting," a company official says. "We do believe it could be a key asset in the...

McCain Presses England To Scrap WTO Language In Tanker RFP.(Senator John McCain)(tanker recapitalization program)
September 18, 2006... By Jen DiMascio and Michael Sirak Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is urging Gordon England, the deputy secretary of defense, to keep World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes out of the Air Force's tanker recapitalization program. In a...

NATO Selects TEAM SAIC For Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Work.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization selects Science Applications International Corp and Raytheon Aircraft)
September 19, 2006... NATO said yesterday in London that a SAIC-Raytheon [RTN] team has been selected over two competitors for a six-year, $95 million command and control missile defense system as well as an integrated test bed for the security of all 26 member...

Office of Force Transformation Lining Up Experiments For Stiletto's East Coast Visit.
September 19, 2006... By Geoff Fein Sometime this fall, the Office of Force Transformation (OFT) will bring Stiletto, a high-speed vessel built using composite materials, to the East Coast to begin a series of tests for the Navy, Special Operations Command...

LCS Will Enable Navy To Take Advantage of New Mine Warfare Technologies.(Littoral combat ship)
September 19, 2006... By Geoff Fein When the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is christened later this week it will mark a new era not only in ship design, but in the way the Navy approaches the challenge of detecting and neutralizing sea mines, said a Navy...

Raytheon Inks Deal For Space Situational Awareness Work.(Brief article)
September 19, 2006... The Air Force has awarded Raytheon [RTN] a contract worth nearly $1 million to demonstrate technologies that will improve the United States' ability to monitor objects in space and understand their activities, the company announced yesterday....

Army Calls CBO's FCS Report 'Seriously Flawed'.(Congressional Budget Office's Future Combat Systems report as flawed)
September 19, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt The Army strongly disagrees with an August Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report that says the service's major modernization initiative--the Future Combat Systems (FCS)--is too costly, calling alternative...

Raytheon-BAE SYSTEMS' Excalibur Moves Closer To Fielding.(Raytheon Aircraft)
September 19, 2006... Raytheon [RTN] and BAE SYSTEMS' Bofors unit GPS-guided 155 mm artillery shell Excalibur successfully concluded safety testing last month to move closer to fielding, the company said. Excalibur, a cooperative effort between the United...

McCain Asks England A Second Time For Answers To Questions On Tanker Deal.(Sen. John McCain )
September 20, 2006... By Jen DiMascio Not satisfied with the response provided by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) this week sent a second letter regarding inclusion of an international trade dispute in a competition for the...

Authorization Conferees Agree To Fund Joint Cargo Aircraft--With Strings Attached.
September 20, 2006... By Jen DiMascio Senate and House authorizers have reportedly reached a deal on the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) that funds the initiative and gives control over the fledgling joint Air Force-Army program to the Air Force. Conferees...

Wynne: Phaseout Schedule of F-117 and U-2 Will Be 'More Ramp Than Cliff'.
September 20, 2006... By Michael Sirak The Air Force has revised its schedule to retire its fleets of F-117 Nighthawk stealth ground-attack and U-2 Dragon Lady high-flying surveillance aircraft, slowing down their phaseout to address the concerns of combatant...