Industry News
Raytheon Awarded US$752 Million U.S. Air Force Contract for Taiwan Early Warning Radar
Raytheon Company has been awarded a not-to-exceed $752 million contract by the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Material Command, Electronic Systems Center (ESC), Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., to provide Taiwan with an Early Warning Surveillance Radar System.
This system will enable the Taiwan Air Force to detect and track long- and short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, air breathing targets and surface ships with "no doubt" reliability. Contract fulfillment will take place in Sudbury and Andover, Mass., Huntsville, Ala., and other teammate locations.
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Raytheon's Revolutionary APG-79 AESA Radar Is Awarded A US$580 Million Multi- Year Procurement Contract By The Boeing Company
Raytheon Company's latest netcentric enabled radar system, APG-79 AESA, has been awarded a significant multi-year procurement contract worth US$580 million by The Boeing Company.
This five year production contract for the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) APG-79 system successfully concludes negotiations for 190 radars from low rate initial production lot 3 and 4 (LRIP3/4) through full rate production lot 1-3 (FRP1-3).
The first low rate initial production APG-79 AESA radar designed for the F/A-18E/F was delivered to Boeing IDS (Integrated Defense Systems) in January 2005. Following successful installation and testing Boeing will deliver the first AESA-equipped F/A-18F to the U.S. Navy in April.
The APG-79 AESA radar offers radically enhanced performance including increased air-to-air tracking at very long detection ranges, higher resolution SAR (synthetic aperture radar) maps at longer ranges, almost simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-surface mode capability, while delivering greater situational awareness than pilots had before.
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EDS Signs $102 Million in U.S. Federal Government Contracts
Representatives of EDS announced the award of three federal contracts with a combined value of approximately US$102 million if all extension options are exercised.
Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) User Support is a one-year base contract with four one-year options with a potential value of up to US$61 million if all extension years are exercised. EDS will implement a tier one call center solution in Alexandria, Va., that includes 24x7 support and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) capability. The contract also includes support for the worldwide Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS), Common Access Card (CAC), and the OCONUS Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) implementations. DMDC maintains the largest archive of personnel, manpower, training and financial data within the Department of Defense (DoD) through a database of more than 27 million records for members of the seven uniformed services, retirees and family members.
EDS was awarded the recompete of its work supporting the FAA's mission critical systems that manage aeronautical information such as weather, flight plans and “notice to airmen” data. The one-year, US$6.4 million base contract contains four one-year options with a total potential value of up to US$36 million if all options are exercised. EDS has been supporting NAIMES since 1992. The program consists of a number of complex custom applications and services that ensure air traffic controllers, flight service station specialists, military base operations specialists, and commercial and general aviation pilots can receive accurate and timely aeronautical information. As a direct result of NAIMES, the FAA has improved information flow and efficiency within the organization and other government agencies and has increased flight safety.
The U.S. Army Headquarters Installation Management Agency Europe (IMA-E) awarded EDS a one-year base contract with three option years to support its information technology services. The contract has a potential value of up to US$5.2 million if all extensions are exercised. In addition to supporting the IT service desk in Heidelberg, Germany, which provides telephone support to a significant number of users throughout Europe, EDS will also support the standard Army Integrated Facilities System used by Department of Public Works offices throughout U.S. Army Europe. EDS will also provide communications engineers to operate and maintain IMA-E's local area network/wide area network infrastructure, information assurance specialists to oversee all aspects of IMA-E's IT security, and a Geospatial Information System (GIS) master planner who will help build the GIS solution for all Installations throughout Europe. EDS has provided support services for IMA-E for the past five years.
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General Dynamics Awarded US$30 Million Contract to Integrate Up to 500 Land Warrior Systems into Stryker Battalion
General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been awarded a US$30 million contract by the U.S. Army to integrate as many as 500 Land Warrior ensembles and Stryker Integration Kits into a Stryker experimental battalion. The system will provide improved situational awareness and communications between dismounted soldiers and Stryker vehicles, as well as enable commanders to see soldiers on maps and communicate with them using voice and data.
Delivery of the assessment versions of the Land Warrior ensembles and integration kits is scheduled for March through May of 2006. General Dynamics received the award after successful completion of nearly four months of Land Warrior field testing at Ft. Benning, Ga. in 2004.
Land Warrior is an integrated, modular fighting system that uses technology to enhance individual soldiers’ close-combat tactical awareness, lethality and survivability. It includes weapon-mounted sensors, an integrated helmet assembly, a communications-navigation computer system and software for friendly-force tracking and command/control programs. The total program value under contract is $258 million.
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Boeing Board Elects W. James McNerney, Jr. Chairman, President and CEO
Representatives of the Boeing Company announced that its board of directors has elected W. James McNerney, Jr. chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, effective July 1. James A. Bell, who has served as president and chief executive officer on an interim basis, will remain chief financial officer, and Lewis E. Platt will become lead director.
McNerney has served as chairman and chief executive officer of 3M since January 2001. Before joining 3M, he held top executive positions at the General Electric Company, including president and CEO of GE Aircraft Engines and GE Lighting; president of GE Asia-Pacific; and president and CEO of GE Electrical Distribution and Control. In addition, he served as executive vice president of GE Capital, which plays an important role in the commercial aviation industry as a provider of airplane leasing and financing services. He has been a director of Boeing for three-and-a-half years and is a director of the Procter & Gamble Co.
McNerney holds a B.A. from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard University.
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Harry J. Pearce Becomes Nortel Chairman of the Board
Representatives of Nortel Networks Corporation announced the appointment of Harry J. Pearce as its non-executive chairman of the board. Mr. Pearce replaces Lynton R. (Red) Wilson, who has served as chairman since November 2001.
Pearce has been a director of the Company since January 11, 2005 and a director of Nortel Networks Limited since January 18, 2005. Pearce was Chairman of the Board of Hughes Electronics Corporation (now The DIRECTV Group, Inc.), a company engaged in digital television entertainment, broadband satellite and network services as well as global video and data broadcasting, from June 2001 to January 2004. He was a director and Vice-Chairman of General Motors Corporation from January 1996 to June 2001. Pearce is also a director of Marriott International, Inc. and MDU Resources Group, Inc.
In addition, the following new nominees were elected to the board of directors of the Company: Jalynn Bennett of Toronto, Ontario; The Hon. James B. Hunt, Jr. of Raleigh, North Carolina; John MacNaughton of Toronto, Ontario; and Ronald Osborne of Toronto, Ontario.
Previously serving directors re-elected to the board today are: Dr. Manfred Bischoff, Robert Brown, John Cleghorn, Robert Ingram, The Hon. John Manley, Richard McCormick, William A. Owens and Harry J. Pearce.
In addition to Wilson, previously serving directors The Hon. James Johnston Blanchard, L. Yves Fortier, Guylaine Saucier, and Sherwood Hubbard Smith, Jr. did not stand for re-election to the Company’s board.
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Lockheed Martin Announces Executive Moves at Its Missiles and Fire Control Business Unit
Representatives of Lockheed Martin announced that Stan Arthur, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando, is retiring effective June 30. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in 1995, Arthur served in the U.S. Navy for 38 years of distinguished service, retiring as an Admiral in the position of Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
Ron Abbott, currently vice president - Tactical Missiles and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Dallas, will move to Orlando and become executive vice president - Mission Assurance, effective July 1. Abbott will be responsible for the day-to-day general management of the Orlando site, and will provide guidance across the enterprise in the role of Mission Assurance executive.
Stan Arthur received his commission from Naval ROTC at Miami of Ohio University in 1957, after earning his bachelor’s degree in aeronautics. During his career, he served aboard the USS Bennington, and commanded the USS San Jose and the carrier the Coral Sea. During the Vietnam War, he flew more than 500 combat missions as an A-4 pilot, earning the Legion of Merit with combat ‘V’, 11 Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals for Individuals Action, 47 Strike/Flight Air Medals and a Navy Commendation Medal with combat ‘V’. During the Persian Gulf War, he commanded the U.S. 7th Fleet, directing the combat operations of more than 96,000 Marine and Navy personnel and more than 130 U.S. and allied warships.
Arthur later assumed duties as Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and retired from the Navy in 1995 after completing 38 years of service.
In 1996, Arthur joined Lockheed Martin as vice president for Washington Operations for the former Lockheed Martin Electronics Sector. That same year, he received the Admiral Arleigh A. Burke Leadership Award from the Navy League. In July 1999, he was named to the position of President of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s Orlando operations.
Ron Abbott joined Lockheed Martin in 1998 with over 26 years experience in engineering and program management with General Dynamics and Aerojet Corporations. During his career, he has had technical and management responsibilities with a variety of missile, precision munitions, and rocket programs as well as large scale weapon systems and platform development and production.
Abbott holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from California State Polytechnic University, a master’s degree in engineering (Engineering Executive Program) from UCLA and a master’s degree in thermodynamics and heat transfer from California State University at Fullerton.
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Galileo Gives Eurely & iNavSat Green Light
In a June 27 decision in Brussels, the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) gave the green light to Eurely and iNavSat to pursue their joint approach for the Galileo Concession. The two can now complete the merger of their consortium and proceed towards the final concession contract negotiations which will formalize the Galileo Public Private Partnership by the end of this year. The merger of the consortia will enable them to exploit numerous synergies offered by the combination of respective resources and competencies.
This decision marks a milestone in the development of one of Europe’s largest common programs.
In 2010 with Galileo, Europe will have a global satellite positioning system at its disposal, putting an end to the American GPS monopoly. This giant space project, valued at 3.4 billion euros, will put 30 satellites into orbit which will guarantee positioning services - to within a few meters - over the entire planet.
The basic service will be free and will allow users to receive both Galileo and GPS signals on the same device. For more specialized applications which must be paid for, uninterrupted service will be guaranteed. Galileo will also offer a warning system if the system’s precision should suddenly decline. This is contrary to the American GPS which can be cut off or scrambled at any moment by the US Department of Defense.
The goal of this program is to catch up with the American GPS industry. The European Union predicts that once deployed, the Galileo system will create thousands of jobs in Europe and will generate a commercial market worth 200 billion euros as early as 2013.
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Mercury Computer Systems Teams with IBM to Build Cell Processor-Based Systems
Representatives of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. announced that the company will partner with IBM to integrate the Cell microprocessor technology to build new computer systems for data-intensive applications. The company is the first outside of the gaming industry to use Cell microprocessor technology design services from IBM.
The alliance offers Mercury access to IBM's vast trove of technology capabilities through IBM's Engineering and Technology Services group. Mercury has initial plans to integrate the Cell microprocessor technology into a wide variety of future products, with the aim of dramatically boosting computing performance in Mercury's customer applications. By incorporating Cell technology, Mercury intends to take demanding applications such as radar, sonar, MRI, CT, digital X-ray, and others to a new level of sophistication and performance.
Mercury and engineers from IBM's Engineering and Technology Services unit will collaborate to develop products with dramatically improved performance for graphic-intensive workloads and computationally intensive applications. The optimized Cell-based products will be targeted at current and new applications in medical imaging, industrial inspection, aerospace and defense, seismic processing, and telecommunications. New sensor capabilities in these markets are dramatically increasing the volumes of available data to be processed. For example, applying the processing power of Cell technology in medical imaging can yield significant improvements in image quality - enabling earlier detection of diseases and potentially saving lives.
The Cell processor, developed by IBM, Toshiba and Sony Group, is a breakthrough architectural design featuring eight synergistic processing elements plus a Power Architecture™-based core that provides unmatched performance levels in many computationally intense applications. The Cell processor has peak performance in excess of 200 GFLOPS - which equates to 200 billion floating-point operations per second - as measured during initial hardware testing.
The IBM and Mercury initiative leverages the capabilities of IBM's Engineering and Technology Services organization, providing Mercury unique access to the Cell processor technology to augment Mercury's renowned engineering expertise. As a leading supplier of highly engineered and integrated computing solutions, Mercury remains focused on meeting the demands of its OEM customers with an evolving, comprehensive choice of products and services.
