Defense Daily International articles from May 2003

Defense Daily International archives from May 2003

NATO Response Force Key To Alliance Transformation.
May 2, 2003... By Hunter Keeter The development of a "NATO Response Force" (NRF) will be the focal point for modernization and transformation of the alliance's capabilities, including new organizational structures and streamlined command and control,...

Israel Remains Vulnerable To Missile Threats, Former MoD Official Warns.(Uzi Rubin warns of missile threats)
May 2, 2003... By Kerry Gildea Despite the outcome of the war in Iraq, the region remains a high threat area in which Israel must continue to defend itself against ballistic missile attack far out into the foreseeable future, according to Uzi Rubin, a...

From Estonian Delivery, Lockheed Martin High On TPS-117, Including Italian Job.(firm is developing new additions to its mobile tactical radar line)
May 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Lockheed Martin [LMT], having recently completed the delivery of TPS-117 mobile tactical radars for Estonia, believes the product line has room in the existing market and has a number of projects ongoing for the...

Latest F-16 Upgrade Allows Lockheed Martin To Add New Weapons, Data Links.(Brief Article)
May 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The Air Force's recent $125.6 million contract award to Lockheed Martin [LMT] to perform M4/M4+ operational flight program (OFP) upgrades to F-16 fighters operated by the United States and European customers allows the...

EADS North America Aims At Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions To Grow.
May 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.'s (EADS) [EAD] newly reconstituted EADS North America branch plans to use its experience from partnerships in the United States to expand and utilize the mergers and...

BAE, EADS, Thales Call For European Acquisition Agency, More R&D Funding.
May 2, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L], the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) [EAD] and France's Thales [TCFP.PA] on Monday joined the call for a unified European armament acquisition and research and development agency and increased...

L-3 Communications-ADG Team Wins Stryker Gun System Ammo Contract.(L-3 Communications Corp., Allied Defense Group)
May 2, 2003... A team formed by L-3 Communications [LLL] and Allied Defense Group [ADG] on Monday beat traditional U.S. ammunition suppliers Alliant Techsystems [ATK] and General Dynamics [GD] and Canada's SNC [SNC.TO] for a $28 million contract to supply the...

Raytheon Signs $242 Million Contract For Greece's ASPIS II.(firm will provide Advanced Self-Protection Integrated Suite II countermeasures system )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] this week signed a $242 million contract with Greece to provide its Advanced Self-Protection Integrated Suite II (ASPIS II) countermeasures system for that country's new F-16C/D Block 52+ fighters built by Lockheed Martin [LMT]....

Lockheed Martin Delivers Six SPAS-8B Systems For Spain's LAMPS Helicopters.(Brief Article)
May 2, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] said on Monday it has delivered six SPAS-8B acoustic signal processors to the Navy for use onboard Spain's SH-60B Mk III Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) SH-60B helicopters built by Sikorsky [UTX]. The...

Coast Guard Undecided Over Probable Delays of Deepwater Elements.
May 2, 2003... By Hunter Keeter Some elements of the Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System are likely to be delayed for want of funding, but service program executives have not committed to which parts will be held back. An industry team...

Tanker Transport Services Group Prepares Final Costed Bid For RAF Tanker Requirement.(Royal Air Force considers bids for Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contract)
May 2, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes The Tanker Transport Services Company (TTSC) team consisting of Boeing [BA] and Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L], Serco [SRP.L] and Spectrum Capital submitted their final "costed bid" on Wednesday to Britain's Ministry of...

Pentagon Allows Aircraft Displays at Paris Airshow, Bars Officials From Attending.
May 2, 2003... The Pentagon has approved a scaled down display of military aircraft at the Paris Airshow in June, but will not have any general officer or other highranking civilian officials in attendance, according to a memo sent last week to the Aerospace...

Britain Delays Cargo Support Vehicle Award Until Spring 2004.
May 2, 2003... A British program to purchase about $1.5 billion worth of military trucks has been delayed until next spring pending a review of lessons learned from the war in Iraq, one of the companies competing on the project said last week. Selection...

EADS Rolls Out First Modernized CL-289 Configuration.(Brief Article)
May 2, 2003... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) [EAD] rolled out its first modernized CL-289 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) yesterday during a ceremony at Friedrichshafen, Germany. "The delivery of the first modernized series UAVs is a...

Lockheed Martin Awarded $161 Million Contract For Japanese F-2 Components.(from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] said last week it has been awarded a $161 million contract from Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) on March 31 to provide components for eight additional F-2 multi-role fighter aircraft. "Lockheed Martin's F-2...

Defense Briefs.(includes news from Lockheed Martin Corp., Kongsberg)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] on Sunday said it has reached a new labor agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union at its Aeronautics Company facility in Fort Worth, Texas, ending a two-week strike involving...

Czech Republic In Talks With Britain, United States For Interim Fighter Leases.
May 9, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The Czech Republic is in discussions with Britain and is preparing to start talks with the United States for feasibility studies on the lease of 14 fighter aircraft that would be used on an interim basis to replace the...

Program Manager: X-31 VECTOR Testing Accomplishes ESTOL Goals.
May 9, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Testing of the X-31 experimental thrust-vectoring aircraft as part of the joint U.S. Navy-German Vectoring, ESTOL, Tailless Operation Research (VECTOR) program, which came to an end last week with a fully-automated,...

Welch Report Recommends Army Consider Swiss 120mm Gun for FCS.(the Army should consider the 120mm Compact Tank Gun developed by Switzerland's RUAG)
May 9, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The Army should consider the 120mm Compact Tank Gun developed by Switzerland's RUAG as a potential alternative to its development of a Lightweight 120mm (LW120) cannon for the Future Combat Systems' mounted combat...

Australian Defense Minister Hints At 'Strategic Partner' For New Destroyers.(Australia may add a "strategic partner" to work with Australia's naval shipbuilding industry on new anti-air warfare destroyers)
May 9, 2003... Australia could bring on a foreign "strategic partner" that would work with the Australian naval shipbuilding industry and get a head start on the construction of new anti-air warfare destroyers, as the country has already done with the U.S....

EADS Selects EuroProp International Over Pratt & Whitney For A400M Engine.(the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. selects the TP400-D6 offered by the EuroProp International consortium)
May 9, 2003... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) [EAD] on Tuesday selected the TP400-D6 offered by the EuroProp International (EPI) consortium over the PW800 made by the Canadian subsidiary of Pratt & Whitney [UTX] to power the A400M...

Raytheon Successfully Conducts Guided Test of Excalibur Artillery Round.(Raytheon demonstrates the capabilities for its XM982 Excalibur 155mm precision artillery round)
May 9, 2003... Raytheon [RTN] on March 27 successfully demonstrated the guidance capabilities of its XM982 Excalibur 155mm precision artillery round during a series of tests at the Army's Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. "The integrated product teams are...

Australia Increases Defense Spending by $776 Million in New Budget.
May 16, 2003... The Australian government on Tuesday presented a $11.7 billion 2002-03 defense budget, a $776 million increase over last year's final expenditure as a part of a $1.4 billion increase over the next five years, with $2.8 billion earmarked for...

Sikorsky Touts Engine Power of S-92, Company History For Presidential Transport.(Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.)
May 16, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes QUANTICO, Va.-- Sikorsky [UTX], currently marketing its S-92 helicopter for the Marine Corps' Presidential transport requirement, is emphasizing the company's history of providing helicopters for the role and the power of...

C4I, Soldier Gear, An-70s, APCs, New Trucks Among Czech Republic Priorities.
May 16, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The acquisition of C4I and soldier equipment, An-70 transport aircraft made by Ukraine's Antonov, and new wheeled armored personnel carriers (APC) and trucks are among the top requirements for the Czech Republic's...

Australia Considering Loan of Land Warrior Systems For Testing.
May 16, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Australia is considering borrowing about 12 Land Warrior soldier modernization systems for testing as part of the country's Land 125 soldier combat system program, also known as project Wundarra, while reliability...

Army Converging On Approaches, Tackling Weight For FCS Manned Vehicles.(Future Combat Systems program)
May 16, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner As a part of the Army's preparation for the entry of its Future Combat Systems (FCS) program into system development and demonstration, scheduled to be reviewed on Wednesday during a Milestone B Defense Acquisition...

MD Helicopters Hoping MD Explorer Evaluation Could Lead To LUH Buy.(light utility helicopter)
May 16, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner The MD Helicopters (MDH) subsidiary of the Netherlands' RDM Technologies is hoping that the adjutant generals of state National Guards will soon approve an 18-month evaluation program for the company's MD Explorer...

BAE SYSTEMS Looks Ahead To Initial Review For APKWS Seeker.(Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System program)(Brief Article)
May 16, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes As the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) program heads towards its initial review next month, Britain's BAE SYSTEMS, the APKWS seeker designer, is optimistic about the technology it is developing for the...

Coast Guard Awards $130 Million For EADS HC-235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.(to Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 16, 2003... The Coast Guard last week said it has awarded a $130 million contract to the Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) joint venture between Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] for the acquisition of the first two HC-235-300M maritime...

Boeing Delivers First Upgraded F/A-18 To Canada.
May 16, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Boeing [BA] on Wednesday delivered the first production aircraft for Canada's F/A-18 modernization project during a ceremony at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa. "The Canadian F/A-18s were some of the...

Boeing's Australian Group Simulates AGM-142E Launch.(Brief Article)
May 16, 2003... Boeing [BA] said last week its Boeing Australia Limited group had successfully simulated the launch and operation of an AGM-142E Have Nap standoff air-to-surface missile utilizing hardware and software at its systems engineering laboratory at...

First Italian F-16 For Peace Caesar Program Rolled Out.(Brief Article)
May 16, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT], the Air Force and Italian air force officials last week participated in the rollout of the first Italian F-16 aircraft at Hill AFB, Utah, the first of 34 fighters to be provided under the Peace Caesar program. Two...

Boeing: Iraqi Freedom Performance May Buoy C-17's International Prospects.(transport aircraft)
May 23, 2003... By Hunter Keeter With lessons learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom already celebrating the successes of allied strategic lift performance, Boeing [BA] hopes to capture momentum in its C-17 jet transport program. Currently, Britain's...

Bell Helicopter Textron Joins Lockheed Martin, AgustaWestland For US101.(helicopter program)
May 23, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes DULLES, Va.-- Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] is joining the US101 helicopter program with Lockheed Martin [LMT] and the AgustaWestland joint venture formed by Britain's GKN [GKN.L] and Italy's Finmeccanica [SIFI.MI] as the...

American Decisions, Bilateral Relations Leads To Change In Canadian BMD Position.(ballistic missile defense)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... American willingness to deploy defenses against ballistic missiles and bilateral considerations are factors driving change in Canada's traditional opposition to ballistic missile defense (BMD) initiatives to a more flexible stance, according to...

German Budget Committee Approves Funding For A400M Buy.(military transport aircraft )
May 23, 2003... The German parliament's budget committee on Wednesday approved funding for the country's planned order of 60 A400M military transport aircraft being developed by Airbus Military, clearing the way for the formal launch of the program in the next...

Brimstone Missile Fielding Delayed.(anti-armor missile )
May 23, 2003... The fielding of the Brimstone anti-armor missile being developed for Britain's Royal Air Force by the European missile consortium MBDA and Boeing [BA] has been delayed indefinitely due to "technical factors" that have emerged during development...

Lockheed Martin Picks Up $279.9 Million For Chilean F-16 Program.(contract)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... By Lorenzo Cortes Lockheed Martin [LMT] on Tuesday was awarded a $279.9 million contract by the Air Force for the sale of 10 F-16C/D Block 50 aircraft with accompanying equipment for Chile's air force. Henry Gomez, Lockheed Martin's...

T-50 Trainer Makes 100th Flight.(advanced jet trainer developed by Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries )(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... The T-50 advanced jet trainer developed by Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) made its 100th test flight on April 28. "The T-50 development program continues right on track, and we are beginning to accelerate our...

Elbit Reports Higher First Quarter Earnings, Sales.(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... Israel's Elbit [ESLT] yesterday said first quarter sales and income were higher due to strong global demand for the company's products in the areas of command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C3ISR). ...

ThalesRaytheonSystems Picks Up $22.3 Million For Spiral 1 of Air Force BCS.(Battle Control System )(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... ThalesRaytheonSystems, a joint venture between Raytheon [RTN] and France's Thales [TCFP.PA], said on Tuesday it was awarded a $22.3 million contract to provide the initial spiral of the Air Force's Battle Control System (BCS). The BCS is...

Thales Gets First Export Order For Starstreak Air Defense System.(from South Africa)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... France's Thales [TCFP.PA] on Tuesday said it has received its first export order for the Starstreak air defense missile, made by its Thales Air Defence Limited subsidiary in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a multi-million dollar order from...

BAE SYSTEMS Completes Wedgetail EWSP, ESM Critical Design Reviews.(electronic warfare selfprotection and electronic support measures)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... The Australian subsidiary of Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] last month completed the critical design reviews (CDR) for the electronic warfare selfprotection (EWSP) and electronic support measures (ESM) subsystems for the Boeing [BA] 737 airborne...

Paraguay, EADS Sign Contract For C-212 Refurbishment and Purchase.(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... Paraguay's air force and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) [EAD] on Monday said they have signed a contract for the purchase of a single C-212-400 military transport and a logistical agreement to refurbish three earlier...

Lockheed Martin, IZAR Formalize Partnership For Littoral Combat Ship.
May 23, 2003... Lockheed Martin [LMT] last week formally added Spain's Izar to its team competing for the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) acquisition, according to a Lockheed Martin statement. "Spanish shipbuilder Izar will bring its mission development...

Boeing, Polish Partner Team To Study Missile Defense Architecture.(Przemyslowy Instytut Telekomunikacji )(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... Boeing [BA] and Poland's Przemyslowy Instytut Telekomunikacji (PIT) of last week announced plans to jointly study a missile defense architecture. A memorandum of understanding signed by PIT and Boeing calls for the companies to jointly...

Army Plans To Buy Almost 2,000 Artillery Rounds From Denel For Testing.
May 23, 2003... The Army plans to award a sole-source contract to General Dynamics [GD] for the production of 1,960 105mm and 155mm artillery rounds made by South Africa's Denel for testing to support the non line-of-sight (NLOS) requirements for the service's...

Defense Brief.(Kongsberg contract for Advanced Multi-Role Weapon System)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2003... Norway's Kongsberg [KOG.OL] last week said it has been awarded a $11.5 million modification to the contract it was awarded in 2001 for the supply of its Advanced Multi-Role Weapon System (AMRWS) for the U.S. Army's Stryker family of light...

A400M Program Launched With New Contract Signature.(the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. formally launches its development of the A400M military transport aircraft)
May 30, 2003... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) [EAD], the largest partner in Airbus Military, on Tuesday said it has formally launched the development of the A400M military transport aircraft after Europe's Joint Organization for...

$16 Billion Air Force Tanker Lease Approved.(the Pentagon reaches a deal for a $16 billion lease of 100 commercially-derived KC-767A Air Force tanker aircraft)
May 30, 2003... By Hunter Keeter Pentagon acquisition chief Pete Aldridge on Friday said DoD and the White House have agreed with Boeing [BA] to a $16 billion lease of 100 commerciallyderived KC-767A Air Force tanker aircraft, with options for hundreds...

Challenges For U.S. Air and Trade Show Include Support, Venue.(several challenges exist for organizing major U.S. air and trade shows in the US)
May 30, 2003... By Neil Baumgardner Several challenges exist to organizing a major U.S. air and trade show in the United States on the level of the Paris or Farnborough Airshows, as proposed by Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) in a provision of the House version...

Bush, Japanese Prime Minister Discuss Expanded Missile Defense Work.(President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agree to accelerate cooperation on ballistic missile defense)
May 30, 2003... By Kerry Gildea President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi last week agreed to accelerate cooperation on ballistic missile defense. Bush, meeting with reporters on Friday, said the two countries also are determined to...

Czech Defense Minister Resigns Over Budget Cuts.
May 30, 2003... Czech Minister of Defense Jaroslav Tvrdik yesterday presented his resignation to the Czech government, protesting a budget agreement that would cut $1.4 billion from the country's planned defense reform efforts through 2008, according to the...

Canadian Legislator Decries Maritime Helicopter Project, Calls For EH101.
May 30, 2003... An influential Liberal Party member of the Canadian parliament earlier this month criticized the current bid process for the country's $2.2 billion Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP) and called for the acquisition the EH101 helicopter offered by...

Cobham To Acquire Northrop Grumman Life Support Unit For $73 Million.(Brief Article)
May 30, 2003... Britain's Cobham [COB.L] on Wednesday said it plans to acquire the Life Support unit from Northrop Grumman [NOC], subject to regulatory approvals, for $73 million in cash in a deal aimed at growing Cobham's presence in the growing air...

Britain To Buy FN Herstal Light Machine Guns For $12.3 Million.
May 30, 2003... British Defence Procurement Minister Lord Bach on Wednesday said Britain's Ministry of Defence will award a $12.3 million contract later this summer to Belgium's FN Herstal for the acquisition of the company's Minimi series of 5.56mm light...

BAE SYSTEMS In Strategic Partnership With eSpatial For Advanced Imagery.(Brief Article)
May 30, 2003... Britain's BAE SYSTEMS [BA.L] and Ireland's eSpatial on Tuesday said they have formed a strategic partnership to develop and supply four-dimensional secure imagery solutions based on eSpatial's commercial off-the-shelf technologies. "Under...

Senate Authorization Bill Contains Funds For Arrow Co-Production.(US, Israel to develop missile)(Brief Article)
May 30, 2003... The Senate, passing its FY '04 Defense Authorization Bill, last week adopted an amendment directing funding for continued joint production of the U.S.-Israeli Arrow missile. The amendment, offered by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) provides...

Saab Signs $54.6 Million Contract To Supply Air Defense Systems To Australia.(Brief Article)
May 30, 2003... The Australian subsidiary of Sweden's Saab [SAABb.ST] last week signed a $54.6 million contract to supply its RBS-70 man-portable air defense systems to the Australian army, with Lockheed Martin [LMT] tasked to provide its portable search and...