OSD, Air Force rethink U-2 retirement strategy, may slip '07 phase out

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Air Force are reconsidering the plan reflected in the service's FY '07 budget request to begin retiring the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft starting next year, senior officials of both organizations told a House oversight panel last week.

General: B-52 modernization foreshadows ICBM changes

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

Modernizing the B-52 bomber fleet with additional conventional weapons and systems while cutting the total number of aircraft is the right plan and will foreshadow changes to nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to Air Force Maj. Gen. Roger Burg.

US arms industry eager to gain foothold in India

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. companies are rushing to step up sales of fighter jets and other weapons to India even as the Bush administration struggles to convince Congress to back a landmark civilian nuclear energy deal with India.

Second from the Sun: European Probe Enters Venus Orbit

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

At about 13:30 CEST ground controllers at ESA's European Spacecraft Operations Centre (ESOC) confirmed that the geometry of the initial orbit of Venus Express is matching expectations. The ground team were able to confirm this by analysing the data that the spacecraft has been sendin...

Raytheon Simulation Controls Multiple UAVs and an Unmanned Surface Vehicle

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

FALLS CHURCH, Va., April 10, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company has successfully simulated simultaneous command and control of two unmanned air vehicles (UAV) and an unmanned surface vehicle from a single common control system.

Italian industry hits out at JSF technology transfer

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

With negotiations on participation in production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) entering a critical phase, Italy's government has come under fire from its industry for taking too soft a position on US technology transfer restrictions.

Japan starts hunt for fighter replacement

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

Japan's Air Self-Defence Force has issued a letter of request to France, the UK and the USA to provide information on new fighters to replace the service's planned phased retirement of 91 Mitsubishi/McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ Kais from 2010, writes Seili Hirokawa in Yokohama.

NASA To Crash Impactor into Moon in Water Search

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

NASA will send an impactor spacecraft to the moon with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, scheduled for October 2008. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite will travel independently of the orbiter and crash into the lunar surface to search for water ice.

Northrop Receives $96M for Global Hawk Radar & Operations

Posted at: Tue Apr 11th, 2006

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $89,310,313 cost plus award fee contract modification for the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program includes the design build and test of a family of radars systems employed on the Global Hawk platform.