Defense Daily International articles from September 2006

Defense Daily International archives from September 2006

Navy Wants To Start Small UAV Program In FY'08.(unmanned aerial vehicle)
September 1, 2006... ORLANDO, Fla.--The Navy wants to field a small-sized unmanned aircraft before the end of the decade to provide its ships with an organic means of detecting, classifying and tracking objects within a small area, a senior service official said...

Lehman Bros. Takes Stake In Carlyle's Firth Rixson.
September 1, 2006... The Carlyle Group said yesterday that Lehman Brothers has agreed to acquire a 36 percent interest in one of Carlyle's portfolio companies, Firth Rixson, which is a provider of highly engineered forged, cast and other specialty metal products...

Committee Chairmen Vow Additional $20 billion For Army, Marine Readiness Shortfalls.
September 1, 2006... House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Rep. Duncan Hunter (R- Calif.) vows to raise the FY '07 National Defense Authorization Act emergency bridge fund by $20 billion to $70 billion to address Army and Marine funding shortfalls....

Report: Marines Should Buy Sikorsky Helos As Stopgap Until V-22s Ready.(Marine Corps buys MH-60 Knight Hawk and H-92 Super Hawk from Sikorsky Aircraft)
September 1, 2006... The Marine Corps should weigh procuring MH-60 Knight Hawk and H-92 Super Hawk helicopters made by Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies [UTX], a report by two think tanks says. As well, the report suggests that the Marines may...

Krieg Reaffirms Imperative For Coalition Interoperability, But Says Process Will Take Time.
September 8, 2006... Interoperability between the U.S. military and its allies and coalition partners is an imperative for future operations, but will take time to realize, the Pentagon' acquisition czar said earlier this week. "Our collective futures depend...

Lockheed Martin Outlines SBInet Solution, Names Teammates.
September 8, 2006... Lockheed Martin [LMT] this week announced its team members for its bid for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secure Border Initiative (SBInet) program, saying each brings critical program management and systems engineering expertise...

Germany Requests CRI Patriot PAC-3 Missiles.(Brief article)
September 8, 2006... The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress earlier this week that Germany would like to spend as much as $298 million in a possible Foreign Military Sale to Germany of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Cost...

Senate Strikes Down Cluster Bomb Amendment In Appropriations Bill Action.
September 8, 2006... The Senate earlier this week defeated an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 defense appropriations bill that would have restricted the purchase, use and sale of cluster bombs by a vote of 70-30. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Dianne...

Successful Intercept Test For Army's PAC-3 Missile Systems.
September 8, 2006... The Army last week conducted a successful intercept test flight of Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., according to the service. The Aug. 31 test involved an engagement...

MEADS Team Looks For New Radio To Anchor Plug-'n'-Fight Architecture.
September 15, 2006... By Michael Sirak ORLANDO, Fla.--The international industry team designing the next- generation mobile air defense system for Germany, Italy and the United States must soon pick an alternative software-defined radio to underpin its...

Lockheed Martin Expects More International JASSM Sales, Official Says.(Joint Air-to- Surface Standoff Missiles)
September 15, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin [LMT] expects more international AGM-158 Joint Air-to- Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) sales now that Australia has signed on to buy an undisclosed number for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18...

Israel's Plasan Sasa Acquires Vermont Composites Firm.(Plasan Sasa)
September 15, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel's international ballistic armor provider Plasan Sasa has acquired the automotive composites business of Bennington-based Vermont Composites, dubbing the operation Plasan USA in a move aimed at...

Spain Explores F-35 As Potential Harrier Replacement.
September 15, 2006... Michael Sirak Spain is considering the short-takeoff version of the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 Lightning II stealth multirole fighter aircraft as a possible replacement to its AV-8B Harrier jump jets, and is working with the F-35 program...

Lockheed Martin To Sell Stake In Russian Joint Venture.
September 15, 2006... Lockheed Martin [LMT] recently said it plans to sell its stake in two joint ventures it has with Russian companies related to the marketing and sale of launch services to Space Transport Inc. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The...

Rheinmetall To Develop Its Future Soldier System For German Army.(Rheinmetall Defence)
September 15, 2006... Rheinmetall Defence will develop an expanded version of its "Future Soldier System" under a multi-million Euro development contract. The Sept. 1 force modernization contract from the German Bundeswehr is expected to lead to large-volume...

NATO Selects TEAM SAIC For Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Work.
September 22, 2006... NATO said this week in London that a SAIC-Raytheon [RTN] team has been selected over two competitors for a six-year, $95 million command and control missile defense system as well as an integrated test bed for the security of all 26 member...

NATO Transformation Leaders Build Common Understanding.
September 22, 2006... By Ann Roosevelt A two-day conference in Virginia helped transformation leaders from NATO's alliance members build a common understanding of how to make their developing national capabilities more effective and better support the...

Raytheon Awarded $369 Million Contract For Phalanx CWIS Work.
September 22, 2006... By Geoff Fein The Navy recently awarded Raytheon [RTN] a $369 million contract for overhaul and upgrade of 50 Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems (CWIS) to the Block 1B configuration as well as upgrades for land-based systems, and for both...

Canada To Spend $1.3 Billion For Four Boeing C-17 Globemasters.
September 22, 2006... Canada is looking to spend upward of $1.3 billion in support of a Direct Commercial Sale for four Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). The proposed sale includes 18 Pratt &...

Elbit Reshuffles Elisra Subsidiary.(Elbit Systems Ltd.'s Elisra Group)
September 22, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Elbit Systems [ESLT] Monday said that plans have been initiated to reorganize the corporate structure of Elisra Group, its 70 percent subsidiary comprised of Elisra Electronic Systems, Tadiran Electronic...

Raytheon-EADS CASA Sign Logistics Partnership With Army Depot.(European Aeronautic Defense and Space )(Brief article)
September 22, 2006... The partnership of Raytheon [RTN] and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS) CASA, teamed on the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA), this week the signing of a public-private partnership agreement with Letterkenny Army Depot, Pa., to work...

Italian, Greek Firms Expand Cooperation To Include C-130J.(contracts)
September 22, 2006... There is new cooperation between Finmeccanica's Alenia Aeronautica and Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) following a new contract signed last week in Rome by the two firms on the manufacturing and assembly of structural panels of the new...

Iraq Spending $750 Million On Helicopter, Vehicles and Weapons.
September 22, 2006... Iraq is looking to spend upwards of $500 million on helicopters, vehicles, weapons and support as well as associated equipment and services, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). Iraq is also planning to spend $250...

Russia Concerned U.S. May Create BMD System In Space, Officials Say.(ballistic missile defense system)
September 22, 2006... By Dave Ahearn Russian leaders would be greatly concerned by any U.S. move to place laser or other ballistic missile defense systems in space, analysts said at a symposium. Depending on how great the U.S. threat in space was...

European Union To Work For Strong Defense Technological And Industrial Base.
September 29, 2006... Defense industries face future pressures and European Union governments agreed on the kind of Defense Technical and Industrial (DTIB) base the EU should have and actions to identify key technologies and core industrial capabilities Europe...

Israel Navy Cruising Toward Patrol Boat Modernization Phase Two.
September 29, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Phase one of the Israel navy's patrol craft modernization program ended Monday with the ceremonious delivery of three more "new" boats and phase two is already reflecting the navy's decision for a common...

UAE To Spend $752 Million For Missiles, Rockets And Support.(contract between United Arab Emirates, Lockheed Martin Corp and Stewart and Stevenson Services Inc. (Houston, Texas))
September 29, 2006... The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is looking to spend upward of $752 million for 20 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launchers as well as associated equipment and service, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency...

Netherlands To Spend $150 Million For F-16 Support, Systems.(contract between Netherlands, United Technologies Corp and Lockheed Martin Corp)(Brief article)
September 29, 2006... The Netherlands is looking to spend upward of $150 million on logistics support for F-16 aircraft and related systems as well as associated equipment and services, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The purchase would...

Air Force Issues Tanker RFP, Wants Contractor Input On Trade Issue.
September 29, 2006... By Michael Sirak The Air Force this week issued the draft request for proposals (RFP) for its next generation tanker aircraft and has asked the bidding industry teams to offer input on how best to deal with the lingering trade issue...

IAF Gets First AEW Gulfstream.(Israel Air Force, Airborne Early Warning )
September 29, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--A General Dynamics [GD] Gulfstream G550 aircraft was received by the Israel Air Force (IAF) near here last week and is being turned over to Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) ELTA systems for the...

Israeli Subsidiary Helping Boeing's Border Project.(Elbit Systems' Kollsman subsidiary)
September 29, 2006... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel-- Elbit Systems [ESLT] said its Kollsman subsidiary in the United States will be contributing to the potential multi-billion dollar U.S. Strategic Border Initiative Project (SBInet) that was awarded to a...

Weldon: Defense Budgets Constrained In Time of Increasing Global Threat.
September 29, 2006... By Jen DiMascio Despite significant global challenges, it is doubtful that Congress will be able to increase the overall size of the defense budget, Rep. Curt Weldon, (R-Pa.) told the Association of the U.S. Air Force earlier this week....