04 Dec 06. Crown teams up with QinetiQ to resolve challenges of RFID on metal packaging. QinetiQ and Crown Holdings, Inc. have launched a joint development programme to adapt QinetiQ’s Omni-ID Pak™ integrated RFID technology for use on metal packaging. This will enable brand owners to integrate UHF RFID tags into metal packaging for a wide variety of applications at the single item level. Designed to mitigate issues such as signal reflection, detuning and grounding which reduce or negate RFID’s effectiveness on metal packaging or with aqueous-based products, the unique technology leverages several of metal’s inherent properties and shifts the format into an advantageous position.
01 Dec 06. Lockheed Martin Corp. Friday finalized a $1.06bn deal with Boeing Co. to supply the U.S. government with launch services. The Federal Trade Commission reluctantly approved the joint venture last month, saying national security needs expressed by the Pentagon trumped concerns that such a partnership could create a monopoly. Rather than award the contract to one of the two major domestic suppliers of medium and heavy rockets, a 50-50 partnership, dubbed the United Launch Alliance, was proposed in May 2005. The proposal was aimed at ending a long-standing dispute over who would get the contracts. Both defense contractors contend the deal will provide the government with reliable, low-cost launch services. The venture is expected to save the government roughly $150m annually. The venture will consolidate operations, production, engineering and launch tests of the Boeing Delta and Lockheed Martin Atlas rockets expected to be completed in two years. Operations will be headquartered in Denver. Personnel requirements and other consolidation activities are currently under review by the ULA, said Dan Beck, a spokesman for Boeing Co. The two companies have previously been awarded separate Air Force contracts to provide launch satellites. Boeing received a $674m contract in November, while Lockheed Martin received an $815m contract in February. Both contracts will be complete by Sept. 30, 2007. Under the terms of the venture, both of these contracts will be transferred to ULA ownership, said Tom Jurkowsky, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin. Additionally, the Air Force is expected to announce a new contract for launch services in the first part of next year. The terms of the deal does not allow either Lockheed’s Atlas or Boeing’s Delta to compete for government contracts for the first five years, said Jurkowsky.
04 Dec 06. Raytheon Company’s Network Centric Systems (NCS) and VIASPACE Inc. recently signed a teaming agreement that will include collaboration on sensor and data fusion and real-time diagnostic solutions aimed at homeland security and national defense applications. This teaming agreement will enable both companies to jointly pursue new and emerging security applications built around the real-time analysis of advanced sensor technologies with a specific focus on the security arena. “Raytheon NCS has a long history of successfully collaborating with small, innovative technology companies,” said Gene Blackwell, vice president of Raytheon’s NCS Rapid Initiatives Group (RIG). “We are pleased to work with VIASPACE to create new and compelling real-time homeland defense solutions and security systems.” The RIG, a NCS team of engineers, scientists, business development and program management experts, can quickly draw on skills and experience throughout Raytheon in order to provide timely solutions to complex challenges. The RIG’s speed and agility enables Raytheon to streamline development processes, getting critical solutions into the hands of customers faster. “We look forward to partnering with Raytheon on these applications,” said Dr. Carl Kukkonen, CEO of VIASPACE. “We expect our collective experience in developing innovative solutions will bring state-of-the-art products to our customers.”
01 Dec 06. The Department of Defense has recogni