Rome Research Corp., a Rome, NY-based subsidiary of PAR Technology Corp., received a 5-year contract worth up to $43.1 million to provide operator level personnel to the 21st Signal Brigade for its work operating and maintaining US Army Global Information Grid (GIG) facilities within the continental United States.

The US Department of Defense’s GIG represents a globally interconnected, end-to-end set of information capabilities and processes for collecting, processing, and managing information for US troops, policymakers, and support personnel. Each US military service operates a segment of the GIG…

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WGS-2 Launches
from Cape Canaveral
(click to view full)

ITT Corp.’s Systems Division in Cape Canaveral, FL received a $7 million task order to support the US Air Force’s Eastern and Western missile ranges.

The task order was issued as part of a 10-year, $1.3 billion contract awarded to ITT by the USAF.

The contract calls for ITT to modernize the USAF Spacelift Range System (SLRS). This work includes support for spacecraft launch, as well as ballistic missile and aeronautical testing.

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Galileo concept
(click to view full)

The European Union is cooperating with a number of outside investors to replace the USA’s free Global Positioning System service with an alternative under their own control. In addition to civilian GPS (the Open Service), services to be offered include a paid Commercial Service (with accuracy greater than 1 meter), and a Public Regulated Service (PRS)/ Safety of Life Service (SoL) for use by security authorities (police, military, etc.) and safety-critical transport applications (air-traffic control, automated aircraft landing, etc.). PRS/SoL aims to offer Open Service quality, with added robustness against jamming and the reliable detection of problems within 10 seconds.

Organizational issues and shortfalls in expected progress pushed the “Galileo” project back from its originally intended operational date of 2007 to 2013-14 – and doubts persist in several quarters about its economic model, even as security issues arise regarding China’s COMPASS project. After a public-private partnership model failed to agree among themselves or with the EU’s desired terms, the organization gained initial-stage approval for its plan to finance the program with tax dollars instead of the expected private investments. Political issues were overcome, albeit with some protest, by raiding other EU accounts for over EUR 3 billion (about $5.35 billion) in funds, rather than asking for more money from member states.

The latest set of updates cover developments in Galileo, and in related programs like GIOVE and EGNOS. While the project’s base funding is now more secure, its ability to remain within budget faces issues, as does the expected launch timetable. Recent events may even lead to a smaller Galileo constellation…

• Galileo: Goals, Structure & Costs
• “Eppur, Si Bloccare”: Trials & Tribulations [updated]
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Appendix A: The EU Proposal – Going Forward (2007)
• Appendix B: Additional Readings [updated]
• Appendix C: Additional Readings – The Security Dimension
  
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Big, Hairy, and Audacious
(click to view larger)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants to take research on nitride-based electronic devices and integrated circuits – used in tactical radio systems, phased array radar, and satellite communication – to the next level. Or should we say the NEXT level?

That is the name of their research effort: the Nitride Electronic Next Generation Technology (NEXT) Program. The NEXT program is designed to enable revolutionary advances in nitride electronic devices and integrated circuits resulting in their ability to operate at very high frequencies while maintaining extremely favorable voltage breakdown characteristics.

There’ll be no tweaking of existing technology. On its NEXT Web site, DARPA declares: “Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.” In other words, only Big, Hairy, Audacious Research need apply…

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AEHF concept
(click to view full)

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This article offers a look at the AEHF system’s rationale and capabilities, while offering insight into some of the program’s problems, and an updated timeline covering over $5 billion worth of contracts since the program’s inception.

The USA’s new Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites will support twice as many tactical networks, while providing 10-12 times the capacity and 6 times higher data rate transfer than that of the current Milstar II satellites. With the cancellation of the higher-capacity TSAT program, AEHF will form the secure, hardened backbone of the Pentagon’s future Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) architecture. Its companion Family of Advanced Beyond-line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) program will give the US military modern capabilities, and more flexibility on the receiving end. The program has international components, and partners include Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

This article has been updated with a recent contract for Boeing to provide engineering development models for the FAB-T, and a $50+ million order from Canada…

• The AEHF Program (i.e. “Continue reading…”)
• FAB-T Terminals and Ground Control
• FAB-T: Contracts and Key Events, full history [updated]
• The AEHF Satellites
• The AEHF Satellites: Contracts & Key Events, full history
• Additional Readings
  
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Boeing Delta IV Heavy
(click to view full)

The EELV program was designed to reduce the cost of government space launches through greater contractor competition, and modifiable rocket families whose system requirements emphasized simplicity, commonality, standardization, new applications of existing technology, streamlined manufacturing capabilities, and more efficient launch-site processing. Result: the Delta IV (Boeing) and Atlas V (Lockheed Martin) heavy rockets.

Paradoxically, that very program may have forced the October 2006 merger of Boeing & Lockheed Martin’s rocket divisions. Crosslink Magazine’s Winter 2004 article “EELV: The Next Stage of Space Launch” offers an excellent briefing that covers EELV’s program innovations and results, while a detailed National Taxpayer’s Union letter to Congress takes a much less positive view.

This DID Spotlight article looks at the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, as well as the contracts that have been placed since the merger, which formed United Launch Alliance. The latest news is the successful launch of a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite by an Atlas V rocket…

• Delta IV
• Atlas V
• Military Satellite Payloads
• Contracts & Key Events
• Additional Readings
  
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DSP-16 Deploys
(click to view full)

Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites have been monitoring the skies as America’s early-warning system for ballistic missile launches since their first launch in 1970. The current Satellite Early Warning System (SEWS) consists of 5 DSP satellites; 3 provide frontline operational service, with 2 available as backups should problems emerge with the primary satellites.

The program’s lifetime has seen the launch of 23 DSP satellites, and improvements to DSP via 5 upgrade sets have allowed those satellites to exceed their design lifespan. The USAF’s fact sheet lists the satellites’ unit cost at $400 million, though they do not mention what fiscal year baseline that figure is linked to. While the DSP satellites successfully detected Iraqi SCUD launches during Operation Desert Storm, testimony before Congress has noted that there are some classes of missiles the DSP constellation finds difficult to pick up.

This entry will be DID’s focus article for the DSP program, and will be updated to cover new developments, contracts, et. al. The latest development involves a contract to Northrop Grumman Space Technology to support the DSP spacecraft…

• The DSP Satellites [NEW]
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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GATR Inflatable
Satellite Terminal

GATR Technologies in Huntsville, AL received an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract and 2 task orders from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic to supply inflatable satellite terminals to the US Department of Defense and other agencies.

The term of the contract is 1 year with four 1-year options, with a maximum value of $26 million.

GATR’s inflatable satellite terminal reduces the tactical footprint of large-aperture satellite communications systems and enables portable high-bandwidth communications in remote areas…

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(click to download)

Defense was an issue in the last Australian election. The center-left Labor Party attacked the center-right Liberal Party by citing mismanaged projects, and accusing the Howard government of making poor choices on key defense platforms like the F/A-18F Super Hornet and F-35A Joint Strike fighters. That sniping continued even after Labor won the election, and has been evident in more than a few Defence Ministry releases.

The new government made some program changes, such as canceling the SH-2G Seasprite contract. Yet it has been more notable for the programs it has not changed: problematic upgrades of Australia’s Oliver Hazard Perry frigates were continued, the late purchase of F/A-18F Super Hornets was ratified rather than canceled, and observers waited for the real shoe to drop: the government’s promised 2009 Defence White Paper, which would lay out Australia’s long-term strategic assessments, and procurement plans.

On May 2/09, Australia’s government released “Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030.” DID has reviewed that document, and the reaction to date… including a new ASPI roundup of reactions from around Asia.

• Fast Incoming
• The Highlight Reel
• Additional Readings & Assessments [updated]
  
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The WGS program is actually a set of 13-kilowatt spacecraft based upon Boeing’s model 702 commercial satellite. These satellites will support the USA’s warfighting bandwidth requirements, supporting tactical C4ISR; battle management; and combat support needs. The program name has been changed for some reason from “Wideband Gapfiller Satellite” to “Wideband Global SATCOM,” presumably to avoid the (correct) suggestion that it fills an emerging gap. Readers should be aware that references to either title in documents, archives, or the media denote the same program.

Upon its first launch into geosynchronous orbit, WGS Flight 1 became the U.S. Department of Defense’s highest capacity communication satellite. This is DID’s FOCUS Article covering the WGS program. The most recent developments include storage for WGS F3, as it prepares for launch…

• WGS: Capabilities & Role
• The WGS Program & Schedule [updated]
• WGS Program: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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