Defense Daily International articles from April 2005

Defense Daily International archives from April 2005

Contracting With Foreign Firms Offers Benefits, Risks, Young Says.
April 1, 2005... By Geoff Fein The Marine Corps is encouraging foreign defense firms to open up manufacturing plants in the United States or to partner with their American counterparts to prevent the possibility of not being able to access foreign...

United Defense, Rafael, Teaming To Sell Navy on 'Protector' Unmanned RIB.(United Defense Industries Inc.)(RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd.)
April 1, 2005... By Geoff Fein United Defense Industries [UDI] and Israeli defense contractor Rafael are looking to garner interest from the U.S. Navy in an unmanned rigid inflatable boat (RIB) that could be used for a number of different missions...

Elbit Completes Acquisition of IMI's Aircraft Systems.(Elbit Systems Ltd., Israel Military Industries)
April 1, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Elbit Systems [ESLT] said its wholly-owned Cyclone Aviation Products subsidiary completed Sunday the acquisition of the assets of Israel Military Industries' (IMI) Aircraft Systems division for a price...

U.K. Selects AgustaWestland Future Lynx For Helicopter Requirement.(United Kingdom. Ministry of Defence)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... AgustaWestland, part of Italy's Finmeccanica Group company, was selected by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence to move forward with the Future Lynx program for the potential $1.8 billion land and maritime helicopter requirements, the...

RAFAEL's 'Video Bullet' Prototypes By Year's End.(RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd.)
April 1, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--RAFAEL is developing a miniature rifle-launched image- gathering projectile, temporarily dubbed FIREFLY, and prototypes for the small unit tactical intelligence system should be ready for demonstration by...

Elisra Group Jammers Aimed At Remote Activated Explosive Devices.
April 1, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Elisra Group recently unveiled a suitcase-sized electronic jamming system specifically designed against improvised explosive devices (IED) that could be remotely activated by cellular telephone. The...

Israeli Industries Team For Extra Long Range Artillery Rockets.(Israel Military Industries team up with Israel Aircraft Industries)
April 1, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--By teaming with Israel Military Industries (IMI), Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is entering a new field of artillery ammunition, collaborating with IMI on the development of XTRA, one of the longest...

South Asia F-16 Order Could Keep Line Open.
April 1, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The administration's announcement that it will consider selling F-16 aircraft to Pakistan and India could spell relief for Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Fort Worth-based aircraft line, which is facing a production gap if a...

Lockheed Martin Chief Visits With Middle East Partners.(Robert Stevens)
April 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Robert Stevens, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin [LMT], was here recently to meet with industry partners and defense establishment officials as part of his first international trip as the head of...

Overseas Is Big Business For Israeli Rivals.
April 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--The international defense market is by far the biggest source of business for Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), and while their competition is more broadly assumed and...

U.S. and U.K. Forces in Iraq Benefiting From Network Centric Operations.
April 8, 2005... By Geoff Fein The first in a series of case studies examining network centric operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) found that deployment of Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below/Blue Force Tracker (FBCB2/BFT) enhanced...

Controp Tries To 'STAMP' Out Competition With Stabilized Small UAV Payload.(B.C. Kessner)
April 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Since the recent unveiling of its new D-STAMP, or Daylight STAbilized Miniature Payload for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), Israel's Controp has seen interest in the system rise as dramatically as...

AAI Corp. Acquires British EW Systems Firm.(electronic warfare)(ESL Defense Ltd)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... United Industrial Corp. [UIC] recently said its defense segment, AAI Corp., has acquired Britain's ESL Defense Ltd., which specializes in electronic warfare (EW) testing, training and development. The purchase, the first for UIC since...

Rheinmetall Creates Homeland Security Division.(Rheinmetall Landsysteme)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... German defense company Rheinmetall recently said it has established a new homeland security unit under its defense division that will draw on existing products to be marketed at home and abroad. "The current threat situation is making it...

Elbit's Remote Weapon Turrets Turn APCs Into Fighting Vehicles.(armored personnel carrier)
April 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Elbit Systems [ESLT] said its two recently unveiled remote-controlled weapon systems could transform every armored personnel carrier (APC) into an armored fighting vehicle, representing a breakthrough in...

New Elisra Products Enhance PAWS Missile Warning System.
April 15, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel's Elisra Group recently unveiled new panoramic night vision and small arms detection solutions that the company said will add built-in capabilities to its PAWS passive missile approach warning...

GAO Criticizes State For Export Control Problems.(Government Accountability Office)
April 15, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The State Department has failed to adequately address problems in the defense export control system, according to the Government Accountability Office. "The State Department has not made significant changes to...

Stewart & Stevenson Buys U.K. Firm That Makes Light Trucks.(Stewart and Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems L.P.)(Automotive Technik Holdings Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker U.S. military truck maker Stewart & Stevenson [SVC] recently said it has acquired a British firm that makes light utility vehicles mainly for the defense market in a deal that expands the company's customer and...

IAI Unmanned Security Vehicles To Patrol Sensitive U.S. Sites.(Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd.)
April 15, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--M-Guard is an autonomous ground unmanned security vehicle (USV) that maker Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) said will soon deploy to the United States to help fill the gap between intruder detection and...

Stewart & Stevenson Says ATL Deal Will Boost Earnings.(Automotive Technic Holdings Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker Stewart & Stevenson's [SVC] $47 million acquisition of a British light truck developer and manufacturer will be accretive to earnings this year and is expected to produce returns at or above current goals, company...

Early Work Begins on South Asia Aircraft Sales.
April 15, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger After an initial slew of publicity surrounding the potential export of advanced fighter aircraft to Pakistan and India, the U.S. government is now beginning the very initial work involved in negotiating those sales,...

Israel Accepts First AH-64D Apache Longbows.(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Israel recently accepted the first three Boeing [BA] AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters from the Pentagon. The Israel air force is modernizing its fleet through a combination of AH-64A helicopter upgrades and newly built Apache Longbow...

Lawmakers Urge End To Airbus Subsidies.(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The Senate agreed unanimously to condemn European launch aid for Airbus aircraft, urging the U.S. administration to file a complaint in the World Trade Organization if the issue is not resolved. In a 96-0 vote,...

EADS To Supply German Army C2 System To Improve Netcentric Operations.(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) said recently it will supply the Germany army with software valued at approximately $29.7 million for a modern army command and control information system, called FuInfoSys Heer. The...

Another Step Forward Toward Launching Soyuz From French Guiana.(Arianespace and Roscosmos alliance)
April 15, 2005... The leaders of Arianespace and Russian space agency Roscosmos April 11 signed a partnership contract in Moscow for the infrastructure needed to launch Soyuz from the Guiana Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana. Arianespace has already...

New Design Trimaran Ferry Accepted, Basis For GD/Austal LCS Proposal.(Austal Ships' Benchijigua Express, General Dynamics Corp.'s Littoral Combat Ship contract)
April 22, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Australia's Austal said recently the world's largest--127 meters long-- Benchijigua Express exceeded the company's technical expectations in sea trials and has been accepted by Norwegian ferry operator Fred Olsen, S.A....

Sikorsky Inaugurates New Canadian Maritime Helicopter Project Office.(Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... United Technologies' [UTX] subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft and Canadian government officials April 12 formally inaugurated a new Canadian Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP) office in the company's Stratford, Conn., main manufacturing facility....

Northrop Grumman Delivers Countermeasures Systems For Korean F-15 Aircraft.(Boeing Co.'s contract)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Northrop Grumman [NOC] recently said it delivered the first five ALQ-135 internal electronic countermeasures system production units to Boeing [BA] for use aboard South Korea's F-15K, the latest version of the fighter aircraft that began...

FCS May Become A 'Multinational' Program, Wynne Says.(Michael Wynne, Future Combat Systems (Defense program))
April 22, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) may be going the way of the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, according to the Pentagon's top acquisition executive. Michael Wynne, the undersecretary of...

Criticizing European Exports To China, Lawmakers Question JSF Cooperation.(Department of Defense's Joint Strike Fighter pogram)
April 22, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger Although the European Union has backed off from plans to lift its long- standing arms embargo against China, U.S. lawmakers recently raised more questions about whether U.S. technology is safe in Europe, voicing...

Lockheed Martin Secures Ninth Japanese F-2 Contract.(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] more than $125 million to manufacture components for five additional F-2 production aircraft, Lockheed Martin said recently. "We appreciate the continued confidence...

Israeli Firms Ink $200 Million UAV Deal With Turkey.(Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. and Elbit Systems Ltd., Unmanned aerial vehicles)
April 22, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and domestic rival Elbit Systems [ESLT] have partnered and won a deal worth at least $200 million to provide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to Turkey, according to...

Pentagon Notified Congress of Sales to Australia.(Boeing Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response and Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Stand off Munition purchased)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... The Pentagon recently notified Congress of two separate missile sales for Australia's fleet of tactical and maritime patrol aircraft fleets. Australia has requested a possible sale of the Boeing [BA] Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded...

Australia To Deploy Bushmaster Vehicles To Iraq.(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... As many as 10 new Bushmaster vehicles, developed by ADI Ltd. and Timoney Technology Ltd, are deploying to southern Iraq with the Al Muthanna Task Group to provide additional transport protection for Australian Defence Force personnel. ...

Australian-Indonesian Maritime Surveillance Exercise Successfully Concluded.(1999, ALBATROS AUSINDO)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Australia's first combined military exercise with Indonesia since 1999, ALBATROS AUSINDO, held on the island of Bali, ended successfully April 16. Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion crews completed a week of maritime surveillance missions...

EADS Prepares For U.S. Tanker Competition.(European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co.)
April 29, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger MADRID, Spain--As part of its continuing effort to position itself for a future competition to replace the U.S. Air Force's fleet of aging tankers, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. is preparing its...

Germany Approves Nine-Year MEADS Design And Development Program.
April 29, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt MEADS International (MI) recently announced Germany has approved entry into the Design and Development (D&D) phase of the tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program joining the United States and...

Legislator: Tanker Alliance Could 'Hurt' Northrop.(alliance consequences warned by air force)
April 29, 2005... By Nathan Hodge A senior member of the House Appropriations Committee recently warned that Northrop Grumman [NOC] would risk serious consequences if it partners with Airbus on aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force. Rep. Norm...

U.K. Accepts Assurances For Proposed Finmeccanica Acquisition of BAE Units.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... U.K. Competition Minister Gerry Sutcliffe announced he is accepting statutory undertakings instead of referring to the Competition Commission the proposed acquisition by Italy's Finmeccanica of parts of BAE SYSTEMS' military communication and...

EADS Weighs Options For Army Aircraft Competition.(European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.)
April 29, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger SEVILLE, Spain--As the Army moves forward with its plan to buy new cargo aircraft, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) is speaking with possible U.S. partners and weighing the possibility of domestic...

New European-Built Aircraft For U.S. Coast Guard Not Funded For FY '06.
April 29, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger SEVILLE, Spain--The European-built aircraft being bought as part of the Coast Guard's long-term modernization program isn't funded in the new U.S. budget request, although it is high up on the service's "wish list,"...

MEADS International Poised For Contract, System Requirements Review.
April 29, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt MEADS International (MI) is preparing to sign a contract for the Design and Development (D&D) phase of the tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) and move forward toward the System Requirements Review...

U.S. Will Remain Dominant Force in RDT&E Investment for UAVs, Analyst Says.(research and development and procurement)(unmanned aerial vehicles)
April 29, 2005... By Geoff Fein The United States should maintain its dominance on spending for research and development and procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over the next 10 years, a defense analyst with the Maryland-based Teal Group Corp.,...