Raytheon To Pursue GOES-R Ground Segment Work

Raytheon Co. [RTN] will head a team of companies and universities to pursue a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R series known as the GOES-R ground segment.

The GOES program provides the nation with continuous severe weather sentinels in space.

GOES-R satellites will provide critical weather observations for severe weather events such as hurricanes, and enhance observational capabilities for climate, oceans and coasts, and the space environment.

GOES-R also will advance environmental data collection and analysis.

Raytheon GOES-R team members include Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT], Arctic Slope Regional Corp., Omitron, Orbital Network Engineering, Silicon Graphics Inc., STC-METSAT, SM Resources Corp., RT Logic, and Photon Research Associates, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon.

"As the prime contractor, Raytheon will lead this team of foremost experts in the fields of ground segment technology and system integration," said Michael D. Keebaugh, president of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems (IIS). "Together, these trusted partners bring more than 60 years of experience in providing environmental processing systems."

The team also includes the University of Oklahoma and The University of California — Los Angeles, in the areas of data mining, training, development, modeling and simulation, scene generation, and data verification and validation.

Raytheon Gains Overseas Paveway Precision Munitions Contracts

Raytheon Co. [RTN] is gaining orders overseas for Paveway precision guided munitions, the company announced.

In one pact, a Raytheon unit in the United Kingdom will support integration and flight trials of the Paveway IV dual mode precision guided bomb onto the U.K. Royal Air Force Tornado GR4/4A.

The contract is valued at GBP8.5 million, or about US$16.6 million.

Raytheon Systems Ltd. (RSL) is now under contract to integrate Paveway IV on all U.K. strike platforms including the Harrier GR9/9A (successfully completed last August), F-35B Lightening II (Joint Combat Aircraft), and Eurofighter Typhoon.

Integration on the Tornado GR4 is scheduled for completion in 2010. The program will focus on providing weapon system performance documentation, advice to the development of the aircraft stores management systems, and flight clearance of the weapon onto the aircraft. In support of the flight trials and certification program, RSL will provide BAE Systems with the required trials hardware and weapon system simulators.

RSL’s partner in the United States, Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Ariz., will supply the enhanced computer control group, telemetry sub-systems, instrumentation, test equipment and associated support.

Incorporating an enhanced Mk82 500-pound warhead and an all-electronic fuze, Paveway IV utilizes second-generation GPS-aided inertial navigation with anti-spoofing and anti- jamming technology for accuracy in all operational scenarios.

In a separate deal, Raytheon was awarded more than $100 million worth of contracts in the first two months this year by countries in the Asia-Pacific region for Paveway munitions.

This comes on the heels of a record-setting $300 million worth of bookings for Paveway last year.

Enhanced Paveway II is an affordable, all-weather, dual mode GPS/laser-guided precision munition that has been used in combat by the U.K. Royal Air Force during Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Boeing Gains $49 Million Contract For Laser R&D, Testing

The Air Force gave The Boeing Co. [BA] a $49 million contract for laser technology development.

The Laser Application Support and In-house Research and Development (LASIR) contract calls for Boeing to support research, design, development and testing at the Air Force Research Laboratory sites at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M.

Specific efforts will include:

 

• Working to advance gas, hybrid electric-gas and chemical laser systems, as well as technologies related to high-power fiber lasers, fiber laser pumps, non-linear optics, solid-state lasers and diode-pump lasers

 

 

• Coordinating, preparing and executing tests of laser effects

 

 

• Rapid prototyping of directed energy technology, including semiconductor lasers, thin-disk lasers, ultra-short lasers, laser-based infrared countermeasures, and mid- wave and long-wave infrared lasers

 

 

• Supporting the Laser Center of Excellence, a joint Department of Defense/academic program that partners the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Research Lab, Air Force Institute of Technology, University of New Mexico and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. The Center’s efforts include gas, hybrid electric-gas and chemical laser systems.

 

"This Air Force program represents an important opportunity for Boeing in continuing to help develop the next generation of laser weapon technologies," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "The various laser technologies being developed represent potential solutions to equip the warfighter with ultra- precision engagement capability."

Boeing leads directed energy research and development for various military applications, including the Airborne Laser, Advanced Tactical Laser, High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator and Tactical Relay Mirror System.

The Airborne Laser involves a heavily-modified 747 jumbo jet contributed by Boeing, the prime contractor; a high-powered laser contributed by Northrop Grumman Corp. [NOC] mounted inside the plane, and a beam control/fire control system contributed by Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT].

ABL will be tested next year to see whether it can kill a target weapon resembling an enemy ballistic missile. The ABL system annihilates enemy missiles in their most vulnerable phase, the boost phase just after launch, before the enemy weapon has time to eject confusing chaff, decoys, or multiple warheads.

Firms Gain Navy Contract For Satellite Communications Terminals

Seven firms received a Navy order for satellite communications terminals totaling $75.8 million, which can climb as high as $491.2 million, the Pentagon announced.

The firms that will compete for this work are:

• CVG, Inc., Chantilly, Va.

 

• RSI Maryland, Inc., Duluth, Ga.

 

 

• Globecomm Systems, Inc. (GSI), Hauppauge, N.Y.

 

 

• L-3 Communications Corp. — Communications Systems West, Salt Lake City, Utah

 

 

• L-3 Communications Corp. – Narda Microwave-East, Hauppauge N.Y.

 

 

• ND Satcom, Inc., Richardson, Texas

 

 

• Swe-Dish Satellite Systems, Inc., Reston, Va.

 

The firms received a multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed price, performance-based contract for portable satellite communications terminals.

Each contractor will be awarded a minimum guarantee per lot awarded to the offeror.

These contracts include a one-year base period and four one-year option periods, making the total potential period of performance five years.

When combined, the aggregate value of all delivery orders awarded over the life of these seven contracts will be approximately $491.2 million.

The contractors may compete for the delivery orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract.

Work will be performed in Chantilly, Va.; Duluth, Ga.; Hauppauge, N.Y.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Richardson, Texas and Reston, Va., and be completed by next February, or by February 2013 with all options exercised.

The multiple award contracts were competitively procured under full and open competition via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Business Opportunity Page, e-Commerce website, and the Federal Business Opportunities site, with seven offers received.

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center at Charleston, S.C., handles the contracts.