DTN News: US Offers F 35 Joint Strike Fighter To India

DTN News: US Offers F 35 Joint Strike Fighter To India *Related story ~ DTN News: US Offers Its Latest Fighter To India dated Monday, January 18, 2010 (Click....here for link) *Source: India Strategic By Gulshan R Luthra (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - January 21, 2010: India-US defence cooperation seems to be steadily growing with Washington now offering its latest Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 Lightning-II aircraft to India. But in the long run, there could be limitations over issues of Transfer of Technology (ToT) that India mandates now for major arms deals. Representatives of Lockheed Martin, which is developing the aircraft, have indicated in the past that the aircraft could be available to India if the Indian Air Force (IAF) opted for the F-16 Super Viper in its quest for some 200 Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCAs) but recently, the company made a presentation to the Indian Navy without this condition. Lockheed Martin’s Vice President for Business Development Orville Prins told India Strategic defence magazine that a presentation about the aircraft was made to the Indian Navy recently after it expressed interest in the newer generation of aircraft for its future carrier-based aircraft requirements. The Indian Navy is buying 45 Mig 29Ks for the Gorshkov, or INS Vikramaditya, which it will get from Russia in 2012 and its first indigenous aircraft carrier. But for its second indigenous carrier, and possibly more in the future, the Navy is looking for a newer generation of aircraft. Although the best of the weapon systems in the US are developed by private companies, the funding for their research and development is provided by the Government which exercises full control on the resultant products and their sale to any foreign country. ToT is a serious issue and in most cases, technology, particularly source codes, is not shared even with Washington’s best allies in the West or East. Lockheed Martin apparently made the presentation to India after authorization by the US Department of Defense (DOD), but Prins pointed out that the F 35 could be sold only after clearance from the US State Department, for which bilateral negotiations between New Delhi and Washington would need to be held once India expressed interest. The US is steadily emerging as a new supplier of sophisticated arms to India, which urgently needs to replace and augment its mostly outdated Soviet-vintage systems with high technology weapons of the 21st century. Beginning 2002, when an agreement for the sale of 12 Raytheon’s artillery and short-range missile tracker system, the AN/TPQ 37 Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) was signed, the US has supplied systems worth nearly $ four billion. But over the last few weeks, the Indian Ministry of Defence has sent firm orders, or Letter of Request (LoR) for 10 C 17 Globemaster III strategic lift aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and 145 Bofors M 777 ultra light howitzers the Indian Army badly needs for its mountain operations. The competing gun from Singapore Technologies lost out as the company was mired in allegations of corruption in an Indian Ordnance Factory Board scam. Originally a Swedish company, Bofors was purchased by the US United Defense in 2000, and later acquired by the US arm of BAE Systems. In fact, as the US Administration had imposed restrictions on the sale of military equipment to India after the 1998 nuclear tests, President Bill Clinton went out of the way to allow United Defense- Bofors an exception to sell its guns to India if the Indian Army opted for them. The Indian Army is badly in need of various types of artillery guns, and keeping in mind the developments in the neighbourhood, the Indian government recently cleared the acquisition of this ultra light howitzer in a government-to-government deal under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The gun has been deployed with excellent results in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. Made with titanium alloys, the M 777 is about 40 per cent lighter than a standard gun and can be easily transported under-slung by a helicopter. Originally a Swedish company, Bofors has been much maligned in India due to the allegations of corruption in the sale of its 155 mm FH 77B guns in the mid-1980s. Operationally however, these guns played a significant role in India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War to evict Pakistani intruders from the Himalayan heights on the Indian side of the border. India has also deployed the gun at the highest battlefield in the world at Siachin. Ferrying them to those daunting heights in parts and then assembling them has been a terrific job by itself for the Army. LORs for both the C 17 and M 777 have been issued only in the past couple of weeks. India has less than 20 IL 76 Soviet-supplied Il-76 aircraft, which will mark 25 years of their induction in April 2010. Although a fuel-guzzler, the IL 76 has served the IAF well and still has a residual life of 10 to 15 years with some periodic modifications as the IAF has utilized it carefully. Manufactured in Uzbekistan, which was a part of the Soviet Union, the IL 76 is now out of production and most of its existing serviceable units have been acquired by China. There is no matching aircraft to replace the IL 76, the closest being the C 17, although bigger aircraft are available from both the US and Russia. The C 17 has nearly double the capacity of an IL 76, but according to Air Marshal Goel, a veteran of IAF’s transport fleet, full load on an aircraft is never really carried as it hinders its range and fuel capacity. Unlike the IL 76 though, the C 17 can be refueled midair for much longer flights, and needs only two pilots and one loadmaster for operations, that is half the crew of what the IL 76 requires. Despite its massive size, the C 17 can take off and land on unpaved grassy fields like a football ground at very steep angles, an important capability in battle conditions. Notably, IAF had also placed an order for six C 130J Special Operations aircraft with an option for six more in 2008 with the US Lockheed Martin. A smaller aircraft than the C 17, it is also very capable and can operate from small grassy fields to quickly get away after loading or unloading. Lockheed Martin has offered to transfer the manufacturing facility to India if 40 or 50 aircraft are ordered for military and civil use, particularly in the mountainous north-east regions. The Border Security Force (BSF) is also considering to buy one or two C 130Js, albeit without some specialized systems that the IAF needs. The JSF is a fifth generation aircraft, to be used by the US Air Force, Navy and Marines, and perhaps will be the last manned aircraft by that country before unmanned, high-powered long-range drones and helicopters fully take over the skies by the middle of this century. The USAF is already conducting joint manned and unmanned combat operations in Afghanistan, clearly indicating the gradual transition underway. The unmanned systems, controlled from airbases in the US itself on the other side of the globe, are both reconnaissance and armed, and their use has increased in the recent years to neutralize terrorists in the troubled mountainous region on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border. F 35 is a single-engine, single-seat stealth aircraft, being developed with several foreign partners to help reduce development and production costs, and is still being tested for its varied capabilities. It will be available in conventional takeoff and landing mode as well as in short-take-off-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) for carrier landings. Thanks to the numbers, it could cost as low as $ 50 million only per unit, or the price of a modern Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) despite its highly advanced features. The JSF 35B conducted its first STOVL propulsion test in flight for the first time on Jan 7 last week at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, and it will be some time before it goes into production. Its programme partner countries include Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway, Denmark , Singapore and Israel, all of whom would possibly supply some components, and investments. Whether India joins the production programme or not is an open question, depending upon the numbers required. The Indian Navy cannot have a large requirement and the Indian Air Force is already committed to buying the similar but perhaps more expensive Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) to be jointly produced by Russia’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KNAPPO) – which produces SU 30 jets – and India’s HAL. The Russians have done substantial work in this regard, and hope to fly its single seat version by 2015-16 while the IAF hopes to induct its two-seat version by 2017. IAF wants the second seat “missionised” for weapon operations for the co-pilot, a practice that the Israelis have also opted for in their F-16 aircraft. China, which has been accused of stealing technology by Russia, is also trying to develop a 5th generation fighter. In any case, it’s a question of time when the environment in the strategic Indian Ocean region, and around India, is filled by the likes of stealth and futuristic aircraft. The Americans had proved to be unreliable in the 1960s when they made several promises for equipment after the Chinese aggression on India and did not fulfill them. The geopolitical realities have perhaps changed and they are willing to offer some of their best technologies. The US is steadily opening its stable of sophisticated weapons to India. After the sale of Raytheon’s WLRs, which was actually the first combat system under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) received from the US after India’s nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998, the US has also sold eight highly advanced Boeing P8-I Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) to the Indian Navy to patrol the Indian Ocean. The aircraft is still under development, and significantly, will be available to the Indian Navy nearly at the same time as to the US Navy, which has paid for its development. This was preceded by the transfer of an old amphibious ship, USS Trenton, renamed INS Jalashwa, and its six onboard Sikorsky utility helicopters at nominal costs for the Indian Navy. The P8-I is the most hi-tech system yet to be acquired by India, and according to Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems India Head, Dr Vivek Lall, “its sale is unprecedented” in terms of US transfer of technology. In August last year, another US arms major, Northrop Grumman, also offered its futuristic Hawkeye 2-D combat management aircraft to the Indian Navy. This aircraft is also under development and it India opts to buy it, then this system will also be available to the Indian Navy nearly at the same time as the US Navy. The P8-I deal is the biggest yet at $ 2.1 billion, while the other major deal for C 130Js has been placed at nearly $ one billion. The deal for the 10 C 17s, which was formally announced by Boeing from Long Beach. California on Jan 8, could be bigger than that of the P8-Is, depending upon the configuration and requirements of the Indian Air Force. No details are available. Notably, Boeing and Lockheed Martin have also fielded their respective F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-16 Super Viper combat jets to India in the six-cornered MRCA competition, but the US is also adding other sophisticated systems like the Lockheed Martin’s Aegis shipboard anti-missile system, which had been used two years ago to shoot down a satellite in space with precision as part of an apparent technology demonstration. Orville Prins said that presentation on the Aegis system had also been made to the Indian Navy and the Ministry of Defence. On offer are also some of the best precision missiles and engagement systems from Raytheon, which does not make any platforms but builds onboard capabilities. Sources say that it is also offering its latest Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR), which is perhaps the latest in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, to India. The system has been fielded in Afghanistan by the British forces only llast year. Notably, most of the combat systems with the Indian Armed Forces are either old or outdated. For instance, except for the Su 30MKI combat aircraft, all the fighter and transport aircraft with the Indian Air Force are at least 20 years old. Onboard precision engagement technology is the key to modern warfare and defence. The US has that. But how far India goes in buying the US systems will largely depend not only on the technology and price offered, but also on the Transfer of Technology (ToT) that most major deals now warrant as a policy.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Achieves Key Integration Milestones On First Mobile User Objective System Satellite

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Achieves Key Integration Milestones On First Mobile User Objective System Satellite *Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) SUNNYVALE, Calif., - January 21, 2010: Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced on Jan. 20., that it has successfully mated the first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite's high-performance communications system module with the propulsion core at its facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. Supporting ultra-high frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM), MUOS will provide assured communications, including simultaneous voice, video and data, for mobile warfighters. The MUOS system module, developed and tested at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Newtown, Pa., includes a legacy UHF payload provided by Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS), El Segundo, Calif., that is compatible with more than 10,000 deployed UHF SATCOM terminals that will transition to MUOS as existing UHF Follow-on (UFO) satellites reach the end of their on-orbit life. It also features a Lockheed Martin-built wideband code division multiple access payload that incorporates advanced technology to provide a 16-fold increase over legacy UHF SATCOM in the number and capacity of satellite links. These technologies will support new mobile satellite terminals that are under development within the Joint Tactical Radio System. The propulsion core contains the integrated propulsion system and serves as the structural backbone of the satellite. Developed and tested at Lockheed Martin's Mississippi Space & Technology Center, the propulsion subsystem is essential for maneuvering the MUOS satellite during transfer orbit to its final location as well as conducting on-orbit repositioning maneuvers throughout its mission life. "The successful mate of the system module with the spacecraft's propulsion core is another major milestone for the team and a critical step forward in our objective to successfully deploy MUOS for the warfighter," said Mark Pasquale, Lockheed Martin's MUOS program manager and vice president. "We look forward to executing the critical integration and test work at hand and achieving operational excellence and mission success for our customer." The successful mate allows the MUOS team to begin environmental testing of the fully integrated satellite. The first MUOS satellite, along with the associated ground system provided by General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., are scheduled for on-orbit hand-over to the Navy in 2011. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the MUOS prime contractor and system integrator. The Navy’s Program Executive Office for Space Systems, Chantilly, Va., and its Communications Satellite Program Office, San Diego, Calif., are responsible for the MUOS program. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

DTN News: Raytheon Demonstrates Air-To-Ground Target Verification Capability At Bold Quest Exercise

DTN News: Raytheon Demonstrates Air-To-Ground Target Verification Capability At Bold Quest Exercise *Source: DTN News / Raytheon (NSI News Source Info) MCKINNEY, Texas, - January 21, 2010: Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) recently demonstrated its proven Target Verification System (TVS) capability to provide air-to-ground combat identification for U.S. and coalition partners during Operation Bold Quest. Preliminary Bold Quest results show Raytheon TVS performed well in the air-to-ground role and under battlefield conditions of poor weather, obscured visibility and urban environments. Raytheon had integrated the U.S. Army's Battlefield Target Identification Device (BTID), which incorporates TVS technology, on a Shared Reconnaissance Pod that was mounted on a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet. Multiple sorties were flown against ground targets located among numerous stationary and moving BTID-identified friendly forces. "Raytheon's BTID was seamlessly integrated with the aircraft's target acquisition system and provided clearly defined combat ID information on the pilot's multifunction display," said Glynn Raymer, vice president, Raytheon Network Centric Systems Combat Systems. "For air-to-ground purposes, the device is configured the same as ground-to-ground applications and employs Raytheon's proven TVS technology." Raytheon's participation in Bold Quest was funded by a $5.5 million U.S. Navy contract initiated by the Marine Corps. Military evaluation of BTID's airborne performance during the exercise is ongoing. "The initial feedback from pilots has been extremely positive about this new and needed airborne combat ID capability. BTID has already proved highly effective in ground-to-ground applications, and Bold Quest demonstrated equal effectiveness in air-to-ground applications," said Brad Hollenberg, a senior director with NCS Combat Systems. "The technology is easy to use, designed to provide constant and independent verification of friendly forces' relative location while on ingress to intended targets. This significantly speeds up firing decisions and helps to minimize the potential for fratricide." Raytheon's TVS is an electronic "question and answer" Ka radio technology. Highly directional, it uses low power and is encrypted for covert full-spectrum contingency operations. The technology is also designed for ease of integration with modern surveillance and targeting systems and can reliably identify equipped friendly forces in less than one second at long ranges and well within the normal target engagement cycle. Raytheon Company, with 2008 sales of $23.2 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 87 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon, with headquarters in Waltham, MA, employs 73,000 people worldwide.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated January 20, 2010

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated January 20, 2010

*Source: DoD issued January 20, 2010

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - January 20, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued January 20, 2010 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE ~Lockheed Martin Corp., of Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $245,000,000 contract which will provide for lot 8 production contract for approximately 160 missiles comprised of both baseline and extended range missiles to support the Air Force and Foreign Military Sales customers. 308 ARSG/PK is the contracting activity (FA8682-10-C-0016). ~The Boeing Co., was awarded a $6, 449,135 contract which will incorporate AN/AAR-47AV(2) (Missile Warning System) changes to the C-130 Avionic Modernization Program. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. 656 AESS, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (F33657-01-C-0047, P00173). NAVY ~Milkor USA, Inc., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $42,200,000 indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity contract for the production, delivery, and associated support of the Marine Corps’ Multi-Shot Grenade Launcher (MSGL). The MSGL is a lightweight, shoulder fired grenade launcher capable of being carried and employed by one operator over rough terrain or in urban environments. It was specifically designed to meet the requirement for an area fire weapon with a high rate of fire and a maximum range of 400m. It can also be employed with greater accuracy at ranges up to 150m. All elements of the system are suitable for transportation by land, sea, and air. The weapons system is not a replacement for the 1960s era M203 grenade launcher. Rather, the MSGL will be an additive capability to the receiving units. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and work is expected to be completed Jan. 19, 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured, with three offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-10-D-1038). ~Optics 1 Inc., Manchester, N.H., is being awarded a $37,836,616 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite/quantity contract for a minimum of 10 each, maximum of 6600 each, Clip on Thermal Imager (COTI) systems, non-warranty repairs, spares and associated data. The COTI clips onto the AN/PVS-15A (night vision goggle) to give our special operation forces an optically fused device providing a thermal image into either the right or left side of the PVS-15A goggle. Work will be performed in Manchester, N.H., and is expected to be completed by January 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via federal business opportunities, with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-10-D-JQ48). ~Forward Slope Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $18,018,847 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for command and control (C2) technologies, capabilities, and C2-related capabilities in the areas of research, systems engineering, architecture, design, development, integration, test, experimentation, and implementation. Work will support C2 Net-Centric Operations, information management and decision support operations dealing with Joint, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force efforts and their interfacing with civil and non-Government components and capabilities. This contract is one of three contracts awarded: all awardees will compete for task orders during the ordering period. This five-year contract does not include any options. Work will be performed at government and contractor sites in the San Diego area, and work is expected to be Jan. 19, 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and posting to the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website, with three offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) is the contracting activity (N66001-10-D-0014). ~G2 Software Systems Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $16,551,496 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for command and control (C2) technologies, capabilities, and C2-related capabilities in the areas of research, systems engineering, architecture, design, development, integration, test, experimentation, and implementation. Work will support C2 Net-Centric Operations, information management and decision support operations dealing with Joint, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force efforts and their interfacing with civil and non-Government components and capabilities. This contract is one of three contracts awarded: all awardees will compete for task orders during the ordering period. This five-year contract does not include any options. Work will be performed at government and contractor sites in the San Diego area. The period of performance of the contract is from Jan. 20, 2010 through Jan. 19, 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and posting to the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website, with three offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) is the contracting activity (N66001-10-D-0015). ~Techflow Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $16,366,410 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for command and control (C2) technologies, capabilities, and C2-related capabilities in the areas of research, systems engineering, architecture, design, development, integration, test, experimentation, and implementation. Work will support C2 Net-Centric Operations, information management and decision support operations dealing with Joint, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force efforts and their interfacing with civil and non-Government components and capabilities. This contract is one of three contracts awarded: all awardees will compete for task orders during the ordering period. This five-year contract does not include any options. Work will be performed at government and contractor sites in the San Diego area. The period of performance of the contract is from Jan. 20, 2010 through Jan. 19, 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and posting to the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website, with three offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) is the contracting activity (N66001-10-D-0016). ~Db Control*, Fremont, Calif., is being awarded a $13,184,508 firm-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of up to 300 500 watt and 2 watt amplifiers, including one lot of engineering, technical and repair support services. The amplifiers are integrated with other countermeasures modules to complete required system configurations for airborne threats. The amplifiers are installed in systems that are used to evaluate U.S. weapons systems and train fleet operators. These systems are used throughout a weapons systems life cycle, from rack units to use in laboratories and hardware in the loop facilities during development, to airborne pods for use on manned aircraft, or ground based applications, and for testing and fleet training. Work will be performed in Fremont, Calif., and is expected to be completed in January 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set aside; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-10-D-0010). ~Juno Technologies,* Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is being awarded a $10,048,864 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N65236-09-D-5822) for Integrated Shipboard Network Systems and Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System support services. The contract includes four one-year options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $30,245,402. Work will be performed in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and is expected to be completed by March 2010. If all options are exercised, work could continue until March 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively awarded. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity. ~Merkel & Associates, Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $10,000,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity services contract for marine habitat services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for eelgrass surveying, mapping, transplanting, and monitoring; aerial photography; general in-water survey and mapping; and exotic marine vegetation and alga surveys for NAVFAC Southwest and its customer commands. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to, Calif. (85 percent), Hawaii (5 percent), Wash. (5 percent), Alaska (2 percent), Guam, (2 percent), and Ore. (1 percent). The contract is expected to be completed by January 2015. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-10-D-0805). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY ~Union Distributing Co., of Tucson, Phoenix, Ariz.*, is being awarded a minimum $11,145,763 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract regular unleaded gasohol. Other locations of performance are throughout Arizona. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Federal Civilian Agencies. The original proposal was Web solicited with 48 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is September 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-10-D-4521). ~Patten Energy, Phoenix, Ariz.**, is being awarded a minimum $5,463,128 fixed price with economic price adjustment, total set aside contract for regular unleaded gasoline and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. Other locations of performance are throughout California. Using services are Federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 31, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-10-D-4518). *Small Business **Small Disadvantaged Business

DTN News: NASA Global Hawk Continues Flight Expansion In Preparation For Environmental Research Missions As Part Of The 2010 GloPac Campaign

DTN News: NASA Global Hawk Continues Flight Expansion In Preparation For Environmental Research Missions As Part Of The 2010 GloPac Campaign *Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman (NSI News Source Info) SAN DIEGO, - January 20, 2010: Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) announced on Jan 18., that the NASA Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has completed 10.4 hours for pilot training and flight characterization in preparation for the Global Hawk Pacific (GloPac) Campaign set to start this spring. Five flawless flights have been completed since the first flight of Air Vehicle Six (AV-6) on 23 October. Prior to this, the aircraft had not flown in more than 6 1/2 years. Currently, AV-6 is being modified to carry eleven different earth science sensors in preparation for the GloPac Campaign. Missions will be based from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base and be conducted over remote areas of the Pacific and Arctic. Initial flights to test these sensors will begin in March. AV-6 is one of two Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration Global Hawk aircraft that were transferred from the U.S. Air Force to NASA Dryden. Both are being operated under the Space Act Agreement signed in 2008 that allows NASA and Northrop Grumman to share the aircraft for various operations. NOAA is also partnered with NASA to provide appropriate payloads for environmental science missions. The second aircraft, AV-1, is being readied for flight later this year. As part of the program, Northrop Grumman designed a new UAS mission control center that is married to a payload station and housed in the Global Hawk Operations Center (GHOC) located at Edwards Air Force Base. A distributed set of workstations are configured with specific functionality to initiate, monitor and track aircraft operations, as well as to collect and distribute data from various onboard sensors. The payload workstations are configured to manage numerous scientific payloads simultaneously which will be vital during the GloPac Campaign. The GloPac Campaign provides a unique opportunity to extend operator evaluation of the control system, which is at the heart of the GHOC. Analyzing the multi-function architecture during operations will further the understanding and development of mission management and control systems for various heterogeneous UAS. Lessons learned on training and mission execution will be considered for inclusion in future programs where government customers are looking for interoperability and commonality to meet mission management requirements. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Invests In Cyber Security Talent and Workforce Development

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Invests In Cyber Security Talent and Workforce Development *Academic relationships with cyber institutions provide pipeline while internal efforts strengthen bench

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) Gaithersburg, Md., - January 20, 2010: Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Jan 18., announced evolving talent and workforce development initiatives designed to fill the critical need for a certified and trained cyber security workforce. Lockheed Martin’s commitment to this field includes implementation of a Cyber University; university recruiting; cyber career paths; mentoring; knowledge transfer and competitive compensation. In addition, new academic graduate scholarships have recently been awarded to students at Carnegie Melon University, Purdue University and the University of Maryland. “Cyber Security is embedded in everything Lockheed Martin delivers and our people are critical to ensuring mission resilience for our customers. The company recognizes the significance of its cyber workforce and has invested more than $1 million in university recruiting, scholarships and training,” said Rick Johnson, vice president and chief technology officer, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services. Lockheed Martin has a clearly defined talent management strategy to support cyber security workforce demands. The cyber profession begins with talent sourcing and recruitment and continues with certification, training, and mentoring, to move professionals along an established career track. The Lockheed Martin Cyber University facilitates the training and certification using a blended delivery approach from instructional-led training to professional study groups, lunch-time seminars, and communities of practice. Current and new employees are able to leverage cyber security training and education to include CISSP certification, Security +, and technology training from Lockheed Martin Cyber Security Alliance Partners Cisco and McAfee. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion. Media Contact: Mary Phillips, 240-252-9425 mary.phillips@lmco.com

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Introduces IronClad - Secure Computing On A USB Flash Drive

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Introduces IronClad - Secure Computing On A USB Flash Drive *“PC on a Stick” Secures Desktop and Data for Telecommuters, On-the-Go Workforce

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) HERNDON, Va., - January 20, 2010: On Jan. 18th, 2010 mobile workforce can now trade in their laptop for a flash drive, thanks to an innovative new mobile computing technology from Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and IronKey. The new IronClad™ USB drive shrinks a laptop’s hard drive – including the entire operating system, software applications, and files – onto a secure flash drive.Carry Your Computer On A Keychain - With Complete Security. Lockheed Martin introduces IronClad™, a totally secure "PC on a stick" that allows you to house your operating system, applications and data on a secure, trusted, self-contained USB flash drive. The result is a totally secure “PC on a stick.” Users on-the-go can plug the flash drive into just about any computer or laptop in the world, and have instant, secure access to their own personal desktop and files. The IronClad technology runs the operating system directly off of the flash drive, meaning the user’s files never touch the hard drive of the borrowed computer, and the device leaves no trace that it was ever there. Each IronClad device is fully encrypted and delivers hardware-level protection against today’s most insidious malware threats, including nearly undetectable rootkits. “Imagine leaving the office at the end of the day and, instead of slinging a laptop bag on your shoulder, you tuck a flash drive the size of a stick of gum in your pocket,” said Charles Croom, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Cyber Security Solutions. “With IronClad drives, employees who need to work at home or on travel, or field operatives who deploy around the country or around the globe, can carry not just their files but their entire computer on a three-inch USB drive. We’ve built a smart network around each drive, so IT managers have round-the-clock control of and visibility into the status and security of every device.” Steve Ryan, senior vice president at IronKey said, “USB storage devices are rendered relatively useless without the proper authentication and security precautions in place. IronKey is a security company first and foremost, and IronClad drives leverage IronKey’s highly secure architecture design. We are very pleased to be working with Lockheed Martin to deliver this trusted, secure product with hardware-only password checking, secure virtual desktop and remote management capabilities.” IronClad technology works by integrating advanced features at the hardware, software, and network levels: Rugged, Secure Hardware: Built on IronKey’s proven secure USB drives, each IronClad drive includes at least 8GB of 256-bit encrypted storage, wrapped in a rugged, water- and shock-resistant metal casing. Patent-Pending Mobile Computing Software: Custom Lockheed Martin technology lets users run their entire desktop – from the operating system to specific applications and files – directly off of the USB drive. Built-in advanced virus protection lets users plug into any shared or public computer with confidence. Network-Wide Management: Each IronClad drive is a node on a centrally-managed network that lets IT organizations control security policies, keep watch on each drive, and carefully manage the applications that can or cannot be installed on the drive. Croom noted that IronClad technology is envisioned as a key component of an organization’s cyber security strategy. “Data at the ‘edge’ – carried by your mobile employees on laptops and smart phones – is significantly harder to physically protect than the data inside the walls of your building,” he said. “The enterprise management tools built into each IronClad drive make it significantly easier to monitor, control and manage your cyber security profile. We envision this system as a key component of any IT organization’s smart, layered cyber security architecture.” IronClad technology will be featured at the 13th Annual Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Kickoff Technology Policy Exhibition, on January 26, 2010. The Exhibition will highlight some of the key pointed issues that will continue to impact policy-making in the 111th Congress. The event runs from 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Hart Senate Office Building, Room 902. For more information visit www.netcaucus.org/events/2010/kickoff/ IronClad drives and enterprise management software are available directly from Lockheed Martin and will soon be available via Lockheed Martin’s GSA schedule purchasing vehicle. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion. Media Contact: Matt Kramer, (703) 466-2794; matthew.s.kramer@lmco.com For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/products/IronClad

DTN News: First S-70iTM Helicopter Nearing Completion at Sikorsky Facility In Poland

DTN News: First S-70iTM Helicopter Nearing Completion at Sikorsky Facility In Poland *Source: DTN News / Sikorsky (NSI News Source Info) STRATFORD, Connecticut - January 20, 2010: The first S-70iTM BLACK HAWK helicopter, an international variant of the BLACK HAWK helicopter, is nearing completion on the assembly line at PZL Mielec, a Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. company in Poland. The progress of the first international BLACK HAWK variant signals the launch of a new helicopter in the Sikorsky product line. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). Aircraft 0001, the first S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter, was powered on for the first time a few weeks ago. Final assembly officially began on Aug. 17, 2009. “We achieved this key program milestone through the dedication and teamwork of Sikorsky Aircraft employees and our global suppliers,” said Debra A. Zampano, S-70i Program Manager, International Military Programs, Sikorsky Military Systems. “This collaboration has illuminated our company’s commitment to this program and to extending the legacy of innovation in aviation. We are charting toward an historical event for Sikorsky Aircraft – the first international BLACK HAWK helicopter.” To increase its presence in the international marketplace, Sikorsky designated PZL Mielec as a final assembly center for the S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter. A key competitive feature of the Polish-made S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter is that it will provide multi-mission, 10-ton utility lift capability at a price comparable to helicopters in the 6-ton to 8-ton class. “As the first S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter becomes a completed aircraft, the employees of PZL Mielec will share in the excitement in witnessing the first S-70i BLACK HAWK aircraft come off the assembly line. It will be a moment that unites all employees in their pride in building and supporting the newest variant in a remarkable Sikorsky product line,” said Janusz Zakrecki, CEO of PZL Mielec. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., USA, is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., USA, provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries. This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning potential production and sale of helicopters. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans or availability of funding or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

DTN News: Information Technology News TODAY January 20, 2010 ~ Microsoft To Patch Hole In Internet Explorer

DTN News: Information Technology News TODAY January 20, 2010 ~ Microsoft To Patch Hole In Internet Explorer *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) HONG KONG - January 20, 2010: Microsoft will patch a hole in its Internet Explorer browser that may have allowed Chinese hackers access to human rights activists' e-mail accounts. The firm normally issues patches at a set time each month but said that the attention the problem had received forced it to move more quickly. It follows the French and German governments decision to advise citizens to use other browsers. The bad publicity has allowed rivals such as Firefox to gain market share. According to web analytics company StatCounter Firefox is now a close second to Internet Explorer (IE) in Europe, with 40% of the market compared to Microsoft's 45% share. In some markets, including Germany and Austria, Firefox has overtaken IE, the firm said. Microsoft said it had now decided to act on the security hole. "Given the significant level of attention this issue has generated, confusion about what customers can do to protect themselves and the escalating threat environment Microsoft will release a security update out-of-band for this vulnerability," said Microsoft's general manager of Microsoft's trustworthy computing security group George Stathakopoulos. "We take the decision to go out-of-band very seriously given the impact to customers, but we believe releasing an update is the right decision at this time," he said. He said that the only successful attacks "to date" were against IE 6. "We continue to recommend customers update to Internet Explorer 8 to benefit from the improved security protection it offers," he said in a security advisory. Following the high profile attacks on Google, Microsoft admitted that IE was a "weak link" in the attacks. It said that the vulnerability could allow hackers to remotely run programs on infected machines. The recent spate of attacks were alleged to have hit more than 30 companies including Google and Adobe. Google threatened to withdraw from the Chinese market following the attacks.

DTN News: U.N. Security Council Sanctions al Qaeda's Yemen Wing

DTN News: U.N. Security Council Sanctions al Qaeda's Yemen Wing *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) SANA'A, Yemen - January 20, 2010: The United Nations security council has added the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to its list of outlawed organisations.

Two of the group's purported leaders, Nasser al-Wahayshi and Qasim al-Raymi, also face new restrictions after the move by the international body's sanctions committee on Tuesday.

Yemeni women wearing traditional veils hold a banner with portraits of their detained relatives accused of belonging to a Shiite rebel group. The banner reads in Arabic " unlawfully detained. " Among the sanctions against the two men, who were among 23 fighters who escaped from a jail in Sanaa in 2006, were worldwide freezes on their assets and travel bans.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claims to have been behind the failed attempt to blow up a Detriot-bound airliner on Christmas Day as well as other attacks inside Yemen and Saudi Arabia. "Today's actions strengthen international efforts to degrade the capabilities of AQAP," Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said.

'Dismantle and defeat'

The UN committee made its decision the day after the US state department added the al-Qaeda group to it list of proscribed organisations. "We are determined to eliminate AQAP's ability to execute violent attacks and to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat their networks," Philip Crowley, a state department spokesman, said.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was formed in January 2009 after the merger of groups in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

It has since set up bases inside Yemen and has been blamed for the suicide attack on South Korean tourists in March 2009 and an attempt to assassinate the Saudi deputy interior minister across the border in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Yemen has bolsetered its troops in three of the country's provinces in an attempt to tackle al-Qaeda and has carried out a number of air raids, which it claims have left dozens of fighters dead.

Al-Raymi was among a number of senior al-Qaeda figures reported to have been killed in a Yemeni attack on two vehicles on Friday.

The government in Sanaa is also battling so-called Houthi rebels in the north and a secessionist movement in the south.