Defense Daily International articles from July 2003

Defense Daily International archives from July 2003

Industry Sources: FRES Strategy Approval Unlikely Until September.(Future Rapid Effects Systems )
July 11, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner With the summer recess of Britain's parliament slated to begin on July 17, it appears increasingly unlikely that the Ministry of Defence will be able to get government approval until September of its strategy for the...

Lockheed Martin Picks Embraer Over GD, Bombardier For ACS Platform.
July 11, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Lockheed Martin [LMT] selected Brazil's Embraer [ERJ] over bids from General Dynamics [GD] and Canada's Bombardier [BBDa.TO] to provide the ERJ-145 regional business jet for its bid for the Army's $2 billion Aerial Common...

Carlyle Group, Finmeccanica Agree To $1.7 Billion Purchase of FiatAvio.
July 11, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker The private equity firm the Carlyle Group and Italy's Finmeccanica [SIFI.MI] last week said they have agreed to purchase the FiatAvio aerospace business of Italy's Fiat Group [FIA.MI] for $1.7 billion through a...

BAE, Finmeccanica Sign Deal To Form Eurosystems Defense Electronics House.
July 11, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] and Italy's Finmeccanica [SIFI.MI] last week signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the formation of a new defense electronics partnership to be called Eurosystems that will oversee joint ventures in the...

Air Force Leadership Approves Remedy Plan For Lockheed Martin's Sniper XR Pod.
July 11, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The Air Force has cleared the plan to fix discrepancies in Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Sniper Extended Range (XR) targeting pod three months after it issued a cure notice seeking increased oversight by the company's senior...

General Atomics Pitching Predator B Variant For Australia's Coastwatch.
July 11, 2003... By B.C. Kessner SAN DIEGO--General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is hoping to secure a role for its Predator B-ER unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an upcoming recompetition to equip Australia's Coastwatch service with customs maritime...

Northrop Grumman's Euro Hawk Demonstrator Online This Month.
July 11, 2003... By B.C. Kessner RANCHO BERNARDO, Calif.-- Northrop Grumman's [NOC] AV-1 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been refurbished and will be online in the second or third week of July in preparation for an important German...

AIA's Douglass Blasts House Panel's Buy American Provisions.(Aerospace Industries Association )
July 11, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker Legislation passed by the House in May aimed at protecting critical portions of the U.S. defense industry are largely misguided and will ultimately drive up the costs for U.S. weapons programs, according to John...

MECAR Looks To Build On Ammo Production Flexibility For Future Orders.
July 11, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner PETIT ROEULX LEZ NIVELLES, Belgium--Building on its ability to produce small quantities of ammunition with very short turnaround timelines, the MECAR subsidiary of Allied Defense [ADG] is seeking to expand its presence...

Czech Government Approves Plan For Interim Lease of Fighters.
July 11, 2003... The Czech government on Wednesday approved a plan to proceed with the lease of up to 14 fighter aircraft, expected to cost between $160 million and $270 million, until a new fighter is selected through a formal competition to replace the...

Pentagon Recommends Veto of Defense Bill If Buy America Legislation Included.
July 11, 2003... Legislation approved by the House seeking to lessen the dependence of U.S. weapons systems on foreign-made products "will have a debilitating impact on the [DoD's] ability to meet its national security missions" and Defense Secretary Donald...

Royal Air Force Dropped More Than 400 Enhanced Paveway Bombs During OIF.(Operation Iraqi Freedom)
July 11, 2003... Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) dropped more than 400 Raytheon [RTN] Enhanced Paveway II 1,000-pound and Enhanced Paveway III 2,000-pound GPS-guided bombs during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), according to a report released by the Ministry of...

Austria Signs $2.3 Billion Contract For 18 Eurofighter Typhoons.
July 11, 2003... Austria last week signed a $2.3 billion contract with the Eurofighter consortium for the purchase of 18 Typhoon fighters, becoming the first export customer for the aircraft just one day after it entered service with the air forces of Britain,...

Eurofighter Enters Service With Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain.
July 11, 2003... The Eurofighter was formally accepted into service last week by the air forces of Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain, some 15 years after formal development of the aircraft began. "Type Acceptance is a major milestone in any military project...

Patria Signs Agreements For Armored Vehicle Sale To Poland.
July 11, 2003... Finland's Patria Industries last week said it has signed agreements with Poland's Ministry of National Defense for the $1.4 billion sale of 690 Armored Modular Vehicles (AMV) to the country. "The negotiations have been thorough," Jorma...

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, RDM Deliver First Fennek Reconnaissance Vehicle.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and the Netherlands' RDM Holding last week delivered the first of 612 Fennek 4x4 reconnaissance vehicles to the German and Dutch armies with the hand-over of a vehicle to the Dutch army during a ceremony at...

Thales Contract For Turkish Maritime Patrol Systems Comes Into Effect.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... France's Thales [TCFP.PA] yesterday said its contract, originally signed in September, to supply 19 Airborne Maritime Situation and Control (AMASCOS) surveillance systems under Turkey's MELTEM maritime patrol and maritime surveillance aircraft...

General Dynamics Awarded $30 Million Piranha Order By Denmark.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... General Dynamics [GD] on Monday said its MOWAG subsidiary in Switzerland has been awarded a $30 million contract to supply 22 Piranha IIIC 8x8 light armored vehicles for the Danish army. "This contract is a further sign of our customer's...

BAE Tops ITT For $80 Million Contract For Jammers On Special Operations C-130s.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] last week beat out ITT Industries [ITT] to provide ALQ-196 low band jammers under an $80 million contract for Lockheed Martin [LMT] MC-130H Combat Talon II multipurpose special operations aircraft and AC-130U...

GD Awarded Contract To Provide Bowman Connectivity For Apache Helicopters.(General Dynamics)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... General Dynamics [GD] recently said it has been awarded a contract worth about $42 million to provide ground-to-air data connectivity with Britain's Bowman battlefield digitization program for the British army's new AH1 Apache Longbow attack...

Lockheed Martin Awarded $30 Million Contract To Begin GMLRS LRIP.(Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, low-rate initial production )(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] last week was awarded a $30 million contract to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets for the Army. "Guided MLRS is a priority for the U.S. Army and we are...

BAE SYSTEMS Awarded $17.3 Million Contract For QF-4 Aerial Targets.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS on Tuesday said it has been awarded a $17.3 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to produce 24 QF-4 aerial targets. The QF-4 aerial targets are full-scale drones of the F-4 fighter aircraft. The military uses the...

Australia Signs $15.2 Million Contract For Submarine Sonar Processing System.
July 11, 2003... Australia's Department of Defence last week said it has signed a $15.2 million contract with the Australian subsidiary of Europe's STN Atlas to provide a new sonar data processing system as part of the replacement of the combat system for the...

Twin Disc Receives $14.8 Million Order For Israeli Truck Transmissions.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Racine, Wis.-based Twin Disc [TDI] recently said it has received a $14.8 million order to supply its TD61-1180-series transmissions for medium tactical trucks being ordered by the Israel Defense Force from American Truck Co. (ATC). ATC in...

Saab Awarded $11 Million Contract To Supply Anti-Ship Missiles For Corvettes.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Sweden's Saab [SAABb.ST] on Monday said it has been awarded an $11 million contract to supply its RBS15 anti-ship missile for the Swedish navy's Visby-class stealth corvettes. "The integration of the Saab RBS 15 on the Visby-class...

Elbit Acquires European Electro-Optics Maker.(Optronics Instruments & Products )(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Israel's Elbit [ESLT] last week said it has expanded its presence in Europe with the acquisition of Optronics Instruments & Products (OIP), a unit of the Netherlands' Delft Instruments. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a separate...

GD Awarded Contract To Supply Denel Artillery Rounds For Testing.(General Dynamics )
July 11, 2003... General Dynamics [GD] recently said it has been awarded a sole-source contract, initially worth $1.5 million, to supply 105mm and 155mm artillery rounds made by South Africa's Denel for testing for the Army's Advanced Cannon Artillery...

Turkey Formally Accepts Vessel Traffic System From Lockheed Martin.
July 11, 2003... Turkey formally accepted Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) during a recent ceremony at the Istanbul Control Center after an original contract was signed in April 2000. "Before this system was...

Britain Selects Alvis Vickers For FCLV Contract, Withdraws From MRAV.(Future Command and Liaison Vehicle; Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle )
July 18, 2003... Britain's Ministry of Defence yesterday selected Alvis Vickers [ALV.L] to develop and build the British army's Future Command and Liaison Vehicle (FCLV) and formally withdrew from the cooperative Boxer Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle (MRAV) program...

Czech Republic Seeking To Hold Conference On Fighter Lease Plans Next Week.
July 18, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The Czech Republic expects to receive information by the end of this week and hold a conference next week of countries interested in leasing fighter aircraft as an interim solution to replace the country's aging...

Air Force Report Defends 767 Tanker Lease; Service Could Compete Future Procurement.
July 18, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes An Air Force report to the congressional defense committees defends the proposed $17 billion lease of 100 Boeing [BA] KC-767A tankers given the reduced cost compared to an outright purchase and the shortened time frame...

BAE Selected For FCS Communications Contract Worth More Than $200 Million.
July 18, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The selection of the North American subsidiary of Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] for a contract to integrate both the ground and air communications systems for the Army's Future Combat Systems is potentially worth more...

Army Awards $260 Million To Lockheed Martin For PAC-3 Enhancement Effort.
July 18, 2003... By Kerry Gildea Lockheed Martin [LMT] last week said it has received a $260 million contract from the Army's Aviation and Missile Command for a Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) program to upgrade the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)...

Butler: Taiwan Submarine Program Appears Delayed Until 2006.(Rear Adm. John Butler, the U.S. Navy's program executive officer for submarines)
July 18, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner With the Taiwanese government unable to obligate funds until FY '06, it appears that the start of the competition for the construction of eight diesel attack submarines for the country has been delayed for three years,...

BAE SYSTEMS Awarded BROACH LRIP Contract By Navy.(Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmenting Charge warheads low-rate production)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] on Wednesday said it has been awarded a $4.2 million contract to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) of 42 Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmenting Charge (BROACH) warheads for the unitary AGM-154C version of the...

MEADS Program To Proceed Into Design and Development.(Medium Extended Air Defense System )(Brief Article)
July 18, 2003... MEADS International on Wednesday said it has submitted its business management proposal to begin the design and development (D&D) phase of the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). Submitted to the NATO MEADS Management Agency...

Finmeccanica Awarded $51 Million Contract To Supply Radios To Sweden.(Brief Article)
July 18, 2003... Italy's Finmeccanica [SIFI.MI] on Monday said its Marconi Selenia Communications subsidiary has been awarded a $51 million contract to supply its HF2000 automated high-frequency radio system to the Swedish armed forces. "Our success in...

Canadian Defense Wireless Firm Hires Bank To Pursue Strategic Alternatives.(Spectrum Signal Processing Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2003... Strapped for resources, a small Canadian wireless company on Monday said it has hired investment bank CIBC World Markets to help it pursue strategic alternatives for its two groups, one defense and the other commercial. Spectrum Signal...

EDO Completes Trials For Norwegian Coast Guards.( trials of its Command, Control and Information System on board three Norwegian Coast Guard vessels)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2003... EDO Corporation [EDO] said last week that it has completed sea-acceptance trials of its Command, Control and Information System (CCIS) on board three Norwegian Coast Guard vessels. "Our success with Piranha I clearly demonstrates EDO's...

SNPE, Saab, Patria Form EURENCO Propellants and Explosives JV.(Brief Article)
July 18, 2003... France's SNPE, Sweden's Saab [SAABb.ST] and Finland's Patria Industries last week said they signed a binding agreement to merge their propellants and explosives activities into a new joint venture to be known as the European Energetics Corp....

Lockheed Martin Receives Test Aircraft For US101 Configurations.(EH101 Merlin helicopter from AgustaWestland to develop variant configurations)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] said last week that it has received an EH101 Merlin helicopter from AgustaWestland to demonstrate to the U.S. government how the US101 variant can be configured for different missions. "The availability of this...

Czech Republic Set To Hold Conference On Fighter Lease Plans.
July 25, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The Czech Republic is set to hold a conference today with representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Turkey, all of which have expressed interest in...

Army Considering Sensor-Fuzed Munition Options In Wake of SADARM Use.(Sense and Destroy Armor artillery)
July 25, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Following the successful use of Northrop Grumman's [NOC] M898 Sense and Destroy Armor (SADARM) 155mm smart artillery munition during Operating Iraqi Freedom, the Army plans to conduct certification testing for the SMArt...

HASC Chairman Sees 767 Tanker Lease As Leading To Acquisition.(House Armed Services Committee )
July 25, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) believes that the proposed $17 billion lease of 100 Boeing [BA] KC-767 tankers will eventually lead to an outright acquisition of the aircraft after...

House Government Reform Panel Scrutinizes Plans For Foreign Cost On JSF.
July 25, 2003... By Kerry Gildea Members of the House Government Reform Committee on Monday raised concerns about the management of the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program as the General Accounting Office reported the program...

SDC International And Tatra Subsidiary Default On Loan From Terex.
July 25, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker SDC International [SDCN] disclosed last week that it and Czech-based truck making subsidiary Tatra are in default of a loan from Terex [TEX]. Terex, which owns minority stakes in SDC and Tatra, has given SDC until...

GD Teams With Oto Melara To Offer Super Rapid 76mm Gun To LCS Teams.(General Dynamics)
July 25, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner After signing a letter of intent to cooperate in the marketing and sale of the Super Rapid 76mm gun and ammunition made by the Oto Melara subsidiary of Italy's Finmeccanica to the U.S. military, General Dynamics [GD]...

Northrop Grumman-IAI Teaming Agreement To Focus On Sensor Payloads For UAVs.(Israeli Aircraft Industries; unmanned aerial vehicles)
July 25, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Northrop Grumman's [NOC] newly announced teaming arrangement with the Tamam division of Israeli Aircraft Industries will focus on the development and production of electro-optical (EO) payloads for unmanned aerial...

Maples: Army Looking at Artillery Options For SBCTs, Future Light Forces.
July 25, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The Army is considering options for a new self-propelled howitzer to equip its Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT), including the Caesar truckmounted 155mm howitzer made by France's GIAT Industries, and a new...

EFW Awarded U.S. Joint UAV Test And Evaluation Contract.
July 25, 2003... By B.C. Kessner BALTIMORE--Elbit [ESLT] last week said its Fort Worth, Texas-based EFW subsidiary was awarded a contract to operate its Hermes 450 tactical long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system in support of the Pentagon's...

OIF Marines Will Get Additional Israeli UAV Man-Pack Receiving Systems.(Operation Iraqi Freedom )
July 25, 2003... By B.C. Kessner BALTIMORE--Israel's Elisra Group will be delivering two new MRS-2000 Man-Pack Receiving Systems to the Marine Corps within the next 30 days that could be sent directly to Operation Iraqi Freedom for support of ongoing...

Navy Tasks Led Raytheon-Lockheed Team To Increase BAE, GD's Role In DCGS 10.2 Bid.
July 25, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes BALTIMORE--The addition of Navy requirements to the Distributed Control Ground System (DCGS) 10.2 upgrade led a team led by Raytheon [RTN] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] to elevate the roles of team members General Dynamics...

SOSTAR Partner Countries Approve Completion of Critical Design Review.(Surveillance Target Acquisition Radar )
July 25, 2003... The partners in the European Standoff Surveillance Target Acquisition Radar (SOSTAR)--France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain--recently approved the completion of the critical design review (CDR) for the SOSTAR-X demonstrator...

Cubic Delivers AWES To British Army.(Area Weapons Effect Simulator)(Brief Article)
July 25, 2003... Cubic [CUB] has officially handed over the new Area Weapons Effect Simulator (AWES) to the British Army Training Unit at Suffield in Alberta, Canada, the company said on Tuesday. "AWES represents a quantum leap for land combat training and...

GKN To Acquire Pilkington Aerospace; Deal Makes It Top Military Aircraft GlassMaker.(Brief Article)
July 25, 2003... Britain's GKN [GKN.L] on Tuesday said it plans to acquire the aerospace business of British glassmaker Pilkington [PILK.L] for $67.5 million in cash in a deal that would make it the top supplier of canopies and windows for military aircraft in...

Pentagon Notifies Congress of Possible ELINT System, Sidewinder Sales to Egypt.(Brief Article)
July 25, 2003... The Pentagon last week notified Congress of the possible sale of two roll-on/roll-off airborne electronic intelligence (ELINT) systems for use with Lockheed Martin [LMT] C-130H transport aircraft and Raytheon [RTN] AIM-9M Sidewinder short-range...

United Defense Awarded $43.7 Million Contract To Refurbish M109s For Egypt.(Brief Article)
July 25, 2003... United Defense [UDI] last week said it has been awarded a $43.7 million contract to refurbish 201 M109A2 and M109A3 self-propelled howitzers for Egypt. Under the contract, United Defense will conduct a comprehensive refurbishment of the...

BAE SYSTEMS Conducts Successful Test of Mongoose Minefield Clearing System.
July 25, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] recently said it last month conducted the third successful flight test of its Mongoose minefield clearing system at an unspecified Army test site. "These tests prove our basic design and constitute a major...