Defense Daily International articles from March 2003

Defense Daily International archives from March 2003

Industry Foresees Alvis Vickers, BAE Leading Roles For Britain's FRES Program.(Future Rapid Effects Systems )
March 7, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Britain's Alvis Vickers [ALV.L] and BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] are expected to be given leading roles for the country's potentially $14 billion Future Rapid Effects Systems (FRES) program, akin to the lead systems integrator...

XVIII Airborne Corps Asks Army To Study Caesar Truck-Mounted Howitzer.
March 7, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The Army's XVIII Airborne Corps at Ft. Bragg, N.C., last month submitted an Operational Needs Statement (ONS) to Forces Command (FORSCOM) asking the command to study the Caesar truck-mounted 155mm self-propelled...

GD Looking To Gain Stryker Efficiencies From GM Defense Acquisition.
March 7, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.-- General Dynamics [GD] hopes to bring greater efficiency to the production of Stryker family of light armored vehicles by merging the management of the program through its acquisition of General...

GD's Polish Partner Protests Poland's Selection of Patria's Armored Modular Vehicle.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... General Dynamics' [GD] Polish partner, Huta Stalowa Wola, has filed a protest against Poland's selection of the wheeled Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) built by Finland's Patria Industries for the country's $1 billion armored personnel carrier...

Boeing, Hughes Reach $32 Million Settlement With State Over Export Violations.
March 7, 2003... Boeing [BA] and Hughes Electronics Corp. [GMH] have agreed to strengthen their arms export compliance programs and make cash payments to the U.S. government in a deal with the State Department that settles charges the companies illegally aided...

Defense Sales, Operating Profits Up At Rolls-Royce.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Britain's Rolls-Royce [RR.L] said on Tuesday its preliminary results for last year included $2.2 billion in revenues from its defense group and $289 million in pre-tax income, up 2 percent and 5 percent respectively from 2001. The company...

BAE SYSTEMS Tests JTRS Radio Prototypes At Ft. Huachuca.(Joint Tactical Radio System)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] said on Tuesday it recently operated and tested a network set of engineering development model versions of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) prototypes during a three-week exercise at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. ...

California Supreme Court Orders Lockheed Martin To Trial Over 1996 Radar Sale.
March 7, 2003... The California Supreme Court on Monday ordered Lockheed Martin [LMT] to trial over a 1996 sale of synthetic aperture radars (SAR) to South Korea, finding that Korea Supply Co. (KSC), which alleges that then-Loral bribed South Korean officials...

GKN Reports Flat Aerospace Sales In 2002; Helicopter Unit Sales Up.(AgustaWestland)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... British aerospace and automotive company GKN [GKN.L] on Monday said sales in its Aerospace segment remained level in 2002 at $2.4 billion as increased military sales in its helicopter joint venture offset weaker demand for civil aircraft. ...

QinetiQ In Long-Range Range Services Agreement With MoD For $9 Billion.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Britain's QinetiQ on Monday said it has signed a long-term partnering agreement with the Ministry of Defense that covers the ministry's 22 principal test ranges and is worth up to $8.8 billion over 25 years. The new contract, which goes...

New Australian Defense Update Calls For More Flexible, Mobile Force.
March 7, 2003... Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill last week launched a new update of the country's 2000 Defence White Paper, calling for a "rebalancing of capabilities and priorities" to take into account the new threat of terrorism, with a specific look...

Raytheon To Pay $25 Million Penalty Over Export Violation.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] last week said it has agreed to a pay a $25 million civil penalty over a 1994 contract to sell a communications system to the government of Pakistan without seeking from the U.S. State Department a determination over whether the...

Bell's Murphey Rails Against Rotorcraft R&D Spending Levels, Eurocopter.
March 14, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The United States is spending far too little on rotorcraft research and development (R&D), allowing for the Eurocopter subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) [EAD] to make significant inroads...

BAE SYSTEMS North America Refocuses Acquisition Strategy, Ronald Says.(Mark Ronald)
March 14, 2003... By Calvin Biesecker ROCKVILLE, Md.--After losing out in its bid for the defense operations of TRW last summer, the North American division of Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] is scaling back its targets of opportunity to the "mid-tier" of the...

Lockheed Martin Makes Progress On International Deal For Missile Defense.
March 14, 2003... By Kerry Gildea Lockheed Martin [LMT] is moving closer to finalizing a deal on international cooperation for ballistic missile defense, according to industry officials. Company officials declined to provide any more details on the...

Textron, KMW Looking To Offer Dingo 2 To Army, Marine Corps.(Krauss-Maffei Wegmann )
March 14, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--Having signed a letter of intent to produce and market the Dingo 2 mine-protected vehicle in the United States, Textron [TXT] and Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) plan to offer the vehicle to...

Army Positions SADARM Rounds In Kuwait.
March 14, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The Army in the last several months has positioned in Kuwait more than 300 Northrop Grumman [NOC] M898 Sense and Destroy Armor (SADARM) smart artillery rounds, which could be used to destroy Iraqi artillery batteries,...

Thales Beats BAE For Britain's $3 Billion Future Soldier Technology Program.
March 14, 2003... Britain's Ministry of Defence on Wednesday selected France's Thales [TCFP.PA] over Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] for $32 million contract to conduct the assessment phase of the country's Future Infantry Soldier Technology (FIST) program, which...

General Dynamics Wins Prophet Block II/III Effort.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... Defeating three other bidders, General Dynamics [GD] on Monday was awarded a $19.9 million contract to develop the Block II/III versions of the Army's Prophet signals intelligence (SIGINT) system, which is expected to worth up to $150 million....

Army Looking To Mature Lockheed Martin, Raytheon FSCS Sensor Packages.
March 14, 2003... The Army wants to award contracts to Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Raytheon [RTN] to mature the sensor packages the two companies developed for the former Future Scout Cavalry System (FSCS) program for possible use with the Army's Future Combat...

Engineered Support Receives Contract For F-5 Radar Upgrades.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... Engineered Support [EASI] said Monday it was awarded a multi-million dollar contract from DERCO Aerospace, a subsidiary of Sikorsky [UTX], to repair and upgrade 14 APQ-159 (V) 5 radars for Northrop Grumman [NOC] F-5 fighters operated by an air...

ADI's Bushmaster Vehicle Passes First Stage of New Reliability Tests.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... The Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicles made by Australia's ADI has successfully passed the first stage of new reliability testing, Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill said last week. "I am encouraged by the result," Hill said in a...

BAE SYSTEMS Completes Tests On JCAD System, Anticipates Acceleration of LRIP.(Joint Chemical Agent Detector, low-rate initial production)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] said last week it has completed testing on the Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) handheld system, part of the overall contractor validation test (CVT) process, which could lead to the...

Messier-Bugatti-Tracer To Provide Landing Gear Overhaul For C-17.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... Messier-Bugatti-Tracer said on Wednesday it will serve as the wheel and brake repair overhaul provider for the Air Force's Boeing [BA] C-17 military transport aircraft. The work on the C-17 will be provided by MBT's repair stations in...

Turkish, U.S. Officials Hopeful of Conclusion To Attack Helicopter, AEW&C Deals.(airborne early warning and control aircraft)
March 21, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Turkish and U.S. officials are hopeful of a completion of negotiations in the near future for the sale of Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] AH-1Z King Cobra attack helicopters and Boeing [BA] 737 airborne early warning and...

Hudson: Funding Cuts To Delay JSF Engine Competition Two Years.(Joint Strike Fighter)
March 21, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner As a result of recent funding cuts that total more than $1 billion over the Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP), the planned competition between the current Pratt & Whitney [UTX] F135 engine and the alternative F136 engine...

AgustaWestland Upbeat About American Market, Cites Work With Domestic Producers.
March 21, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The AgustaWestland joint venture between Britain's GKN [GKN.L] and Italy's Finmeccanica [SIFI.MI] is optimistic about the viability about its offerings in the American market despite recent sharp criticism of European...

Lockheed Martin Sees Foreign Sales of Pantera To Total Between 500 and 1,000 Units.
March 21, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes With Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Sniper Extended Range (XR) targeting pod due to enter service with the Air Force later this year, the company also sees the potential for the sale of 500 to 1,000 units of the Pantera export...

Weldon Proposing 'International Center For Rotorcraft Innovation'.(Curt Weldon)
March 21, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), the vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), last week said he is "proposing a major new initiative" to provide more focus on the rotorcraft industry, a move that includes the...

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Signs Contract To Supply Leopard 2 Tanks To Greece.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) on Thursday signed a contract, worth an unspecified amount, with Greece's Ministry of Defense for the sale of 170 new Leopard 2 tanks. Greece decided last March to purchase KMW's Leopard 2 over the...

BAE Cuts Nimrod Workforce Following Restructuring.(BAE Systems)
March 21, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] on Tuesday said it plans to layoff more than 1,000 employees in its aircraft-related business, including more than 700 as the result of the recent restructuring of the MRA4 upgrade program for the Royal Air Force's...

Pentagon Notifies Congress of Swiss F/A-18 Upgrades, UH-60s For Thailand.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... The Pentagon on Tuesday notified Congress of the possible sale of upgrades for Switzerland's fleet of 34 Boeing [BA] F/A-18 strike fighters under the Upgrade 21 program for $110 million and two Sikorsky [UTX] UH-60L Black Hawk utility...

Poland Initials Letter of Offer and Acceptance For F-16 Deal.
March 21, 2003... Poland on Saturday initialed the letter of offer and acceptance for the country's acquisition of 48 Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-16C/D Block 52 fighters under a $6 billion deal, marking the conclusion of negotiations regarding technical and...

BAE Shifts Type 45 Destroyer Construction.(to different shipyard)
March 21, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] last week said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved its decision to move construction of Type 45 Daring-class destroyers from its Barrow-in-Furness yard in northwest England to its Scotstoun shipyard in...

Australian Parliament Report Warns of Shortcomings For F/A-18 Deployment.
March 21, 2003... The Australian contingent of 14 Boeing [BA] F/A-18 strike fighters deployed to the Persian Gulf suffer from a series of deficiencies that could limit their involvement in an upcoming conflict with Iraq, according to report released last week by...

Patria Awarded Orders For Armored Modular Vehicle, AMOS Mortar.
March 21, 2003... Finland's Patria Industries last week said it has received orders from the Finnish Defense Forces for 100 of its new Armored Modular Vehicles (AMV) and 24 Advanced Mortar Systems (AMOS). Under the first order, Patria signed a memorandum of...

Thales Reverses Losses In 2002.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... France's Thales [TCFP.PA] last week reported final 2002 financial results that included $120 million in net income compared to a nearly $400 million loss in 2001 due to a $573 million accounting charge for goodwill amortization. Last...

Army Looking For FCS Medium Caliber Cannon Suppliers.
March 21, 2003... The Army last month released a market survey seeking information from potential suppliers of medium caliber cannons for the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. "The U.S. Army TACOM-ARDEC (Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Armament...

T-50 Reaches Supersonic Speed.
March 21, 2003... The T-50 advanced jet trainer being developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin [LMT] last month reached supersonic speed for the first time during a test flight at KAI's Sachon facility. "Achieving supersonic flight...

Defense Brief.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Boeing [BA] on Tuesday was awarded an $11.6 million contract to produce Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits for Denmark, Oman, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Under the contract, Denmark will receive 245 JDAM kits, the UAE...

RAF Fires About 20 Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles Against Iraqi Targets.(Other news items are discussed)
March 28, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Royal Air Force (RAF) GR4 Tornado strike aircraft have so far fired about 20 Storm Shadow cruise missiles, made by the European missile consortium MBDA, against Iraqi targets during Operation Iraqi Freedom in the...

Raytheon Awarded $99 Million For AMRAAM Orders.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] on Tuesday was awarded a $99 million contract to provide 206 AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), exercising an option from a separate contract award. The award calls for the delivery of 130 AMRAAMs for...

Raytheon Awarded $1.3 Million For Phalanx CIWS Upgrade For Chile.(Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) units)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] on Monday said it was awarded a $1.3 million contract from the Chilean navy to provide upgrades and spares support for its Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) units. "Not only does this initiative promote Phalanx in the...

Curtiss-Wright To Acquire Coating Assets From British Firm.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Curtiss-Wright Corp. [CW] last week said it planned to acquire six U.S. facilities of Britain's E/M Coatings for $16.7 million in cash used in applying lubrication, corrosion resistance, and certain cosmetic and dielectric properties to certain...

BAE SYSTEMS To Provide P-3 Autopilot System.(System is for Navy P-3 maritime patrol aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin )(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] last week said it would provide its digital autopilot system for Navy P-3 maritime patrol aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin [LMT]. "We are extremely pleased that our digital autopilot system has been...

Conformal Fuel Tank-Fitted F-16s Make First Flight.(Lockheed Martin)
March 28, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] last week said that it flew a pair of newly produced F-16 fighters fitted with conformal fuel tanks (CFT) for the first time. "The CFTs significantly increase the F-16 mission range and patrol time on station," John...