15 Apr 09. Vizada and Inmarsat announced that they have concluded final
negotiation for Vizada’s distribution of Inmarsat services over the next
five years. These include “existing & evolved services” (Fleet, GAN,
Swift, etc.), new generation IP-based broadband services including BGAN,
FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband, as well as leased services. The new
agreement ensures a continuation of the long-standing relationship that
Vizada and Inmarsat have shared as partners for over three decades
02 Apr 09. Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica and Northrop Grumman are discussing a possible role for the American giant on the $2 billion program to furnish the U.S. Army and Air Force with C-27J tactical transports, according to sources at the two companies. It remains unclear whether Northrop would step into the role vacated by Boeing, which pulled out of the C-27J program in February. (Source: Defense News)
15 Apr 09. Rheinmetall and BAE Systems to cooperate in ARED airspace
surveillance project. Rheinmetall AG of Düsseldorf and Britain’s BAE Systems have agreed to cooperate on an advanced radar system for Germany’s ARED project, specifically designed for extensive airspace coverage. Starting in 2012, the German government plans to install a total of six radar systems, which will eventually cover the entire country from the Alps to the sea. It issued a request for tenders at the beginning of February 2009; the contract volume, spread over five years, comes to over €100m. Set to supersede the country’s current outdated technology, the system will substantially improve air safety throughout German airspace as well as integrating a special friend/foe recognition capability.
08 Apr 09. Innovative mini-satellite study begins. Lockheed Martin has teamed with the University of Florida to develop and orbit five miniature satellites. The programme aims to gather information on the technological possibilities of cheaply launching tiny satellites, called CubeSats, which could lead to advances in communications, GPS or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Researchers will consider how they can shrink such capabilities to use them not just on one satellite, but perhaps on a constellation of CubeSats, James Burke, principal systems engineer and Lockheed Martin’s head of the programme, told Jane’s. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)
16 Apr 09. Raytheon Company and Narus have formed a partnership in which Raytheon will embed NarusInsight(TM) to monitor Internet Protocol (IP) traffic and provide critical knowledge to help manage and protect sensitive government networks. “With this partnership, Raytheon and Narus will provide the best possible solution to ensure our government’s sensitive networks remain protected, while also providing capabilities to identify attackers,” said Steve Hawkins, vice president of Raytheon Information Security Solutions. “This is the most comprehensive and robust dynamic defense solution available for government networks.” Narus is the leader in real-time traffic intelligence for the protection and management of large IP networks. Raytheon selected NarusInsight after a comprehensive review of competing solutions. The company’s real-time traffic intelligence technology allows for total visibility into IP traffic, from the network layer through services. Used by the world’s service providers and governments, Narus has developed and patented state-of-the art algorithms to detect network anomalies and zero-day attacks, and manage unwanted IP traffic.