Defense Daily International articles from July 2005

Defense Daily International archives from July 2005

Elbit Pondering Direct Elisra Purchase From Koor.(Elbit Systems Ltd., Koor Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Recently in the wake of local media and market speculation Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] acknowledged that it is considering the acquisition of Koor Industries' holdings in Elisra Electronic Systems. ...

Raytheon Awarded $725 Million For Taiwan Early Warning Radar.(Raytheon Aircraft Co.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Air Force recently awarded Raytheon [RTN] a $752 million cost-plus award-fee, firm fixed price contract to provide Taiwan with an early warning Surveillance Radar System. This system will enable the Taiwan Air Force to detect and...

Israel Air Force Accepts First SEMA G5.(Special Electronic Mission Aircraft, Gulfstream G5)
July 1, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--The first General Dynamics [GD] Gulfstream G5, converted to the Special Electronic Mission Aircraft (SEMA) configuration by Gulfstream and Lockheed Martin [LMT]in conjunction with Israel Aircraft...

Steel Cut On First New Zealand Inshore Patrol Vessel.
July 1, 2005... Steel was cut on the first of New Zealand's four Inshore Patrol Vessels by Defence Minister this week. The project is expected to benefit the New Zealand economy by more than $120.4 million, Burton said in a speech. "This [$354.3...

Australia To Upgrade Defense Logistics System.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Australian technology company MINCOM will help Australia upgrade its logistics information system, the defense minister said last week. The government plans an initial $10.3 million to develop and refine options and costs for the upgrade...

U.S. FCS Moves Toward Exchanges With U.K. FRES.(Future Combat System to sign a specific project agreement with United Kingdom's Future Rapid Effects System)
July 1, 2005... By Ann Roosevelt Efforts are moving forward to define a specific project agreement between the U.S. Future Combat System (FCS) and U.K. Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) on command, control, communications, computers, intelligence...

Egypt Requests Potential $199 Million In Military Equipment.
July 1, 2005... Egypt wants to buy as much as $199 million in military equipment from Boeing [BA], ITT [ITT] and Honeywell [HON], the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Monday. In two separate notifications to Congress, DSCA said Egypt...

U.S., Canada And Mexico To Work Trusted Traveler Program.(tourism policy)
July 1, 2005... Top government officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico agreed this week to basic goals of a new Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) announced by the leaders of the three countries in March, among them an integrated trusted...

Israel Air Force Receives New Breed of Pilots.
July 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner HAZERIM, Israel--Israelis revere their air force (IAF) pilots perhaps more than any other popular figures, and while citizens and officials here last week honored graduating pilots much the same way as they always...

House Rejects Proposal To Cut U.S. Aid For Egyptian Military Programs.(Congress)
July 8, 2005... By George Cahlink The House overwhelmingly rejected a proposal last week that would have cut more than half of U.S. aid to Egyptian military programs in FY '06 because of concerns about the nation's human rights record. Rep. Joseph...

Royal Air Force's EH101 Proving Its Value In Operation Iraqi Freedom.
July 8, 2005... By Geoff Fein The Royal Air Force's (RAF) Merlin HC Mk3 is proving to be a work horse in Iraq, not only because of its ability to transition to different missions while in the air, but also because of its lack of additional maintenance...

Arrival of Gulfstream Brings New Life To IAF Squadron.(Israel air force brings G5 variants)
July 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--An Israel air force (IAF) squadron focused primarily on training and transport missions for most of its 35-year history has been completely transformed to receive and operate new General Dynamics [GD]...

Japan Requests Missiles For Initial Maritime BMD Capability.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Japan has requested an estimated $387 million sale of Standard Missiles, ballistic missile defense (BMD) upgrades to an Aegis Weapon System and launch canisters, equipment and services to provide its maritime self-defense ships with initial...

Finmeccanica Gets $1.5 Billion For Eurofighter EW Suite.
July 8, 2005... Italy's Finmeccanica Friday said its SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems subsidiary has secured a $1.5 billion contract to manufacture the EuroDASS Electronic Warfare suite for the second production batch of the Eurofighter Typhoon program....

Elbit Wins $25 Million Romanian Helo Upgrade Contracts.
July 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] Sunday said it won a pair of contracts worth $25 million to upgrade Romanian air force and navy helicopters. "The upgrade program for the Romanian air force is...

U.S. Buying New Israeli Vehicle Inspection Systems.(TI-2500- S, TI-4000-S)
July 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--An order by a United States government agency is on the table at Israeli Security Academy's (ISA) Security Technology Integration (STI) group for 11 advanced vehicle inspection systems designed to detect...

Moog To Acquire Dutch Aerospace, Automotive Simulation Equipment Firm.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Moog Inc. [MOG.A] recently said it has agreed to acquire Amsterdam-based FCS Control Systems, a provider of high-fidelity electromechanical and electro- hydraulic flight and vehicle simulation equipment, expanding its market reach beyond...

Elbit Acquires Elisra, President To Chair Tadiran Board.
July 8, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--As speculated here about two weeks ago, Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] recently said it signed an agreement with Koor Industries [KOR] to acquire Koor's entire 70 percent stake in Elisra, while another...

India-U.S. Defense Cooperation Could Lead To P-3, PAC-3 Sales.
July 8, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The United States and India recently signed a new agreement to broaden defense cooperation and expand the two countries' strategic relationship, which may include plans to export advanced U.S. weapons like maritime...

Panther Helicopters Delivered To Mexican Navy.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Eurocopter, a division of the European Aeronautic Defense And Space Company, recently said it delivered two Panther helicopters to the Mexican Navy. The delivery was fulfilling a contract signed in 2003, which includes an option for eight...

First Wedgetail Aircraft Achieves Major Flight Testing Milestone.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Boeing [BA] successfully completed the aircraft performance and flight handling test program with the first 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for Australia's Project Wedgetail, the company said recently. "The plane...

Canada Initiates First Regional Headquarters For Canada Command.(Joint Task Force Atlantic)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Joint Task Force Atlantic July 1 began the transition to a regional command structure under Canada Command. Comprised of co-located maritime, land and air units, JTF Atlantic near Halifax is the first of a planned six regional commands...

Lockheed Martin Flies First Chilean F-16.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] flew the first F-16 produced for the Chilean Air Force on June 23, according to the company. Two flights were successfully accomplished at Fort Worth, Texas. June Shrewsbury, vice president of F-16 programs, said the...

Europeans Debate Proposals For Single Defense Market.(European Defence Agency)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... The European Commission and the European Defense Agency this week discussed new options for creating a single defense market in what would be another step toward consolidating what some still regard as an overly fragmented industrial base....

GE Acquires Video Networking Firm.(General Electric Co., VisioWave)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Adding to its security line of business, General Electric [GE] last month said it acquired Switzerland-based VisioWave, a developer and manufacturer of digital video networking software and hardware for large and complex applications. ...

Lawmaker Wants Update On DoD Review of Accenture Contract.(Department of Defense)
July 15, 2005... By Calvin Biesecker Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a critic of federal contractors that are based in countries considered to be tax havens, yesterday asked the Pentagon's Inspector General (IG) for an update on his office's review of...

BAE Chief: Export Controls May Stymie JSF, Data Fusion.(Joint Strike Fighter, Dick Olver of BAE SYSTEMS PLC)
July 15, 2005... By Nathan Hodge The U.S. export control regime threatens to stymie progress on the multinational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, according to the chairman of the U.K.'s leading defense contractor. In a speech at the Wilson...

First NHIndustries Hellenic Army NH90 Takes To The Skies.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... NHIndustries announced yesterday the first Hellenic Army NH90 flew at the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) Eurocopter Marignane facility in France. Eurocopter, AgustaWestland-Italy and the Netherlands' Stork Fokker own...

Defense Brief.(International Traffic in Arms Regulations)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... The International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which governs the export of defense goods and services, has been modified to raise the threshold levels that trigger congressional notification. For NATO countries, Australia, Japan and New...

First NHIndustries Hellenic Army NH90 Takes To The Skies.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2005... NHIndustries announced recently the first Hellenic Army NH90 flew at the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) Eurocopter Marignane facility in France. Eurocopter, AgustaWestland-Italy and the Netherlands' Stork Fokker own...

Dual-Caliber Israeli Tavor In Final Stages Before Production.(Israel Weapon Industries.)
July 22, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--An official from Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) said the company would start production by the end of the year on a new Tavor-based 5.56mm assault rifle that can be rapidly converted into a 9mm...

House Nixes Bid To Tighten Trade Rules On Countries Selling Arms To China.
July 22, 2005... By George Cahlink Last-minute lobbying convinced House lawmakers to reject legislation that would have put tighter restrictions on foreign countries that allowed the sale of military technology to China. The legislation, known as the...

General Dynamics UK Makes First BOWMAN Export Sale.
July 22, 2005... General Dynamics' [GD] UK Limited subsidiary signed a $113.6 million contract with the Royal Netherlands Navy to supply the New Integrated Marines Communications and Information System (NIMCIS)--the first export contract for the system. ...

Buy America Plan Could Have Negative Impacts On Warfighters.
July 22, 2005... By Geoff Fein On the surface, the 'Buy America' concept may have its appeal, but placing restrictions on Department of Defense foreign procurement to protect and bolster U.S. companies could have a far-reaching impact on U.S. relations...

Firms Integrate Communications, X-Ray Systems.(Michael Stapleton Associates.)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2005... Smiths Detection said it has teamed with Michael Stapleton Associates (MSA) to link an X-ray screening system with a two-way communications system for remote bomb-detection verification, providing support to front line security screeners....

U.K. Green Lights Watchkeeper UAV Program.(Unmanned aerial vehicles.)
July 22, 2005... The U.K. unit of France's Thales will have a contract valued at as much as $1.2 billion with the United Kingdom once negotiations on a contract for demonstration and manufacture conclude on the Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)...

Pentagon's 'China Report' Warns of Consequences of Lifting EU Arms Embargo.
July 22, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The Pentagon's annual report to Congress assessing China's military capabilities strongly emphasizes the impact that would result if the European Union lifts its long-standing arms embargo against the Asian giant....

Australia Successfully Fires New Missile From F-111.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2005... Australia announced the successful firing of an AGM-1420E missile July 13 from an F-111 aircraft. The AGM-142E is produced by Precision Guided Munitions, a joint venture formed by Israel's RAFAEL and Lockheed Martin [LMT] for foreign...

Finmeccanica Acquires Datamat.
July 29, 2005... Italy's Finmeccanica on Wednesday said it purchased more than 14.8 million shares of Datamat for about $181 million representing 52.7 percent of the defense and information technology firm. Finmeccanica has a specific interest in buying...

Elbit Restates Last Two Quarter's Financial Results.(Elbit Systems Ltd.)
July 29, 2005... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] recently said it completed a review of the effect on its financial results of its purchase to date of shares in Tadiran Communications and reduced net income for the last...

Lockheed Martin Awarded $124 Million For Japanese Sea-Based Missile Defense.(Japanese Foreign Military Sales Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Weapon System)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2005... Lockheed Martin [LMT] recently said it was awarded a $124 million, three- year contract for Japanese Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System engineering development. "Our continued work with the...

U.K. Green Lights Watchkeeper UAV Program.(unmanned aerial vehicle)
July 29, 2005... The U.K. unit of France's Thales will have a contract valued at as much as $1.2 billion with the United Kingdom once negotiations on a contract for demonstration and manufacture conclude on the Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)...

Pentagon's 'China Report' Warns of Consequences of Lifting EU Arms Embargo.
July 29, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The Pentagon's annual report to Congress assessing China's military capabilities strongly emphasizes the impact that would result if the European Union lifts its long-standing arms embargo against the Asian giant....

Australia Successfully Fires New Missile From F-111.(AGM-1420E)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2005... Australia announced the successful firing of an AGM-1420E missile July 13 from an F-111 aircraft. The AGM-142E is produced by Precision Guided Munitions, a joint venture formed by Israel's RAFAEL and Lockheed Martin [LMT] for foreign...

India, U.S. Call For Closer Tech Cooperation.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2005... By Sharon Weinberger The United States and India recently took another step toward increasing cooperation in high technology last week with a joint statement that promises to expand work in areas like space and satellite programs. A...

House Panel Cites Emerging Chinese Military As Reason For More Weapons.(House Armed Services Committee)
July 29, 2005... By George Cahlink House Armed Services Committee (HASC) members believe growing concerns about China's military power bolsters their cases for more weapons spending and keeping a submarine base open in Connecticut. The Pentagon last...

New Australian Bushmaster Vehicles Rolling Off ADI Production Line.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2005... Australia's Defence Minister Robert Hill recently visited the ADI production line where the new Australian Defence Force fleet of Bushmaster vehicles is being produced. ADI, owned 50:50 by France's Thales and Australia's Transfield...

Australia Invests In Helicopter Plant Expansion, Opens Opportunities.(Australian Aerospace Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2005... Australia will invest about $18.8 million to expand Australian Aerospace's helicopter production site in Brisbane opening opportunities for regional work, the defence minister said. Australian Aerospace is a subsidiary of the European...