12 Aug 03. BAE Systems has agreed with Dy 4 Systems to jointly market systems for safety-critical use.The two companies have agreed to collaborate to provide the CsLEOSv real-time operating system from BAE for applications using Dy 4 PowerPC single-board computers. The combination provides a solution for customers whose products must meet rigid safety standards, the company said. Dy 4,s embedded computing products are already deployed in military avionics applications.
09 Aug 03. The Department of Defense announced that the United States has decided it will not be able to participate in this year’s Bright Star exercise scheduled for next month. The decision was made in view of continued operations in the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere by the United States and other nations. The Bright Star exercise will not be held this year.
13 Aug 03. Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (Embraer), posted a second-quarter net profit of 21.4m reais, down from 166.5m reais a year earlier. Under U.S. GAAP accounting rules, second-quarter net profit slumped to $4.9m from $36.9m a year earlier. The result was sharply worse than market expectations. On an operating level, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, fell 25 percent to 322m reais although revenues climbed 6 percent to 1.65bn reais.
11 Aug 03. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) Integrated Systems sector has demonstrated, through a series of test flights, that a synthetic aperture radar/moving target indicator (SAR/MTI) system can be integrated and operated successfully on the company’s RQ-8A Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system. The company-funded flight tests verified SAR/MTI operation in combination with Fire Scout’s existing payload of electro-optical and infrared sensors and a laser designator/rangefinder. The tests also ensured that the SAR/MTI payload is compatible with the increased vibration of a rotary wing UAV compared to a fixed wing UAV.
05 Aug 03. Raytheon Co. agreed to work with International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM – News) to design and market custom semiconductors and systems for aerospace and defense applications. The contract’s estimated worth to IBM is up to $100m over five years. Raytheon said the companies are creating a project office to oversee potential joint projects and contractual engagements.
31 Jul 03. War Against Terrorism: Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) Report
The FAC published a third Report on Foreign Policy Aspects of the War Against Terrorism; the earlier Reports having been published in June and December 2002. The present Report covers the period from January to June 2003 and suggests ways for taking forward the ‘war against terrorism’. Among its 48 conclusions and recommendations, the Committee believes that “al Qaeda continues to pose a substantial threat to British citizens in the United Kingdom and abroad”.
Comment: The Report is a useful record, which calls into question the rationale for the invasion of Iraq. The FCO issued (31 Jul 03) an immediate rebuttal, disagreeing with the Committee’s analysis of those events which led to military action. A copy of the FCO Press Release is available to subscribers, on request. The FAC Report is available from TSO and from The Parliamentary Bookshop (Tel: 020 7219 3890), as HC 405, for £18:00. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS Issue 03/31, 4 Aug 03)