February 26, 2001

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Strikes Hit Old Targets, Reveal New Problems

By DAVID A. FULGHUM,ROBERT WALL,JOHN D. MORROCCO7 min

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Strikes Hit Old Targets, Reveal New Problems

WASHINGTON LONDON The latest raid on Iraq’s air defenses produced mixed results, with U.S. penetrating weapons scoring successes against hardened facilities, but with many of the less battle-tested JSOW glide bombs striking near but not on softer targets with their wide-area submunitions.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM,ROBERT WALL,JOHN D. MORROCCO7 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

WMD Cleanup Funds Sought

WASHINGTON A leading senator hopes to overcome past House opposition and obtain Nunn-Lugar funds to dismantle literally millions of Russian chemical weapons, including Scud missile warheads, that are believed to constitute a grave proliferation threat.

By PAUL MANN4 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Shortfall Threatens ISS Design, Schedule

WASHINGTON PARIS NASA human spaceflight managers trying to stanch a hemorrhage of funds from the International Space Station face the unpleasant task of deciding where to amputate in order to save the patient, looking for the least painful design changes they can find in order to cut costs.

By FRANK MORRING,MICHAEL A. TAVERNA4 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Raytheon Takes Aim At Commercialization

NEW YORK Raytheon Co. last week formally embarked on a program to commercialize defense technologies, with the formation of a new subsidiary dedicated to that challenging but potentially rewarding undertaking. Raytheon Commercial Ventures Inc. (RCVI) will identify and implement opportunities to develop commercial applications for a host of Raytheon core technologies, ranging from infrared sensors and pattern recognition, to wireless and optical communications.

By ANTHONY L. VELOCCI4 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Big 702 Boosts Boeing's Prospects

SAN FRANCISCO Sitting on a $5-billion backlog with more than 40 satellites to be built, Boeing Satellite Services President and CEO Tig H. Krekel predicts a 15% growth in revenue this year, much of it based on marketing huge, lower cost-per-transponder platforms.

By MICHAEL MECHAM4 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Sunnyvale Laser Test Site Opens

SAN FRANCISCO Lockheed Martin Space Systems has opened a 16,000-sq.-ft. test facility for the Beam Control/Fire Control system it is contributing to the $ 1.6-billion U.S. Air Force Airborne Laser (ABL) theater ballistic missile defense system. Tests of the high-energy laser beam, which will be fired through a turret mounted in the nose of a Boeing 747-400 Freighter, will be simulated by Lockheed Martin at its Sunnyvale campus south of here.

By MICHAEL MECHAM3 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

French Armaments Agency Pursues Lower Costs

PARIS In a tight budget environment, the DGA French armaments agency is being rapidly streamlined to raise the overall efficiency of military procurement spending. Its activities are in line with the aerospace/defense industry’s efforts to acquire more export orders so that production runs can be extended and unit costs lowered, according to the agency’s top officials.

By PIERRE SPARACO3 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Russia Offers Missile Shield for Europe

MOSCOW LONDON Russia has renewed its efforts to promote a jointly developed, limited missile defense system for Europe as an alternative to U.S. plans for a National Missile Defense system. President Vladimir Putin made the case for the initiative and Russian defense officials provided more details during meetings in Moscow last week with NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson.

By ALEXEY KOMAROV,JOHN D. MORROCCO3 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

USAF's Unmanned Predator Hits Three Tanks with Three Shots

WASHINGTON Predator, the Pentagon's unmanned reconnaissance workhorse, is expanding its combat portfolio. Air Force researchers have completed three airborne live firings of Army Hellfire antiarmor missiles from the Navy-developed UAV. While the Air Force was using a detachment of RQ-1s to assess battle damage in the aftermath of strikes on Iraqi air defenses, Big Safari officials were shooting missiles from aircraft on the Nevada test ranges.

February 192001

March 52001

February 26, 2001

February 26, 2001

Strikes Hit Old Targets, Reveal New Problems

By DAVID A. FULGHUM,ROBERT WALL,JOHN D. MORROCCO7 min