22 Nov 04. Following the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NATO, the UK, Italy and France for the provision of NATO’s satellite communications services from 2005 until 2019, Paradigm Secure Communications has today signed a contract to provide the UK share of NATO’s Space Segment requirements. The contract is valued at around £100m over the concession. This is the culmination of the competitive procurement and negotiation process following NATO’s announcement in May 2004 of the selection of the UK, Italian and French consortium as the preferred bidder. The proposal was submitted in August 2002. The signature of this contract is another landmark in the development of Paradigm’s military satellite communications business. After signing the £2.5bn UK MOD PFI contract in October 2003, Paradigm has supplied specialist military communications services to a number of countries and now also looks forward to a long-term partnership with NATO. The NATO contract is a further demonstration of the flexibility and opportunity that can be provided within the PFI business model. From the beginning of 2005 Paradigm will be providing the UK share of the military satellite space segment communications capability to NATO and its member states for use when on NATO operations. Paradigm will initially use its existing Skynet 4 constellation and then migrate to new Skynet 5 satellites from 2007. Paradigm is procuring the entire Skynet 5 system including satellites, ground stations, land mobile terminals, shipborne terminals, satellite and network control and management systems from EADS Astrium Ltd. Through the national military satellite communications systems of France, Italy and the UK, NATO will be able to satisfy its ever-increasing milsatcom requirements. The new and highly capable systems now available will ensure coherence with the changing NATO crisis management role and provide a fully deployable communications capability in support of such operations.
18 Nov 04. From now until the end of January, foreigners who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally into Arizona will have to contend with more than just rugged terrain, desert heat and rattlesnakes. They will also have to be on the lookout for Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)-developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) being used by the Department of Homeland Security to
help monitor illegal border traffic as part of the new Arizona Border Control. In early November, two U.S. Army RQ-5 Hunter UAVs equipped with electro optical infrared sensors began making reconnaissance flights along the Arizona border area 90 miles southeast of Tucson.
15 Nov 04. Embraer (NYSE: ERJ – News; Bovespa: EMBR3, EMBR4) registered in 3Q04 net sales of US$936.5m and net income of US$113.7m, equivalent to diluted earnings per ADS of US$0.65. The order backlog as of September 30, 2004 totaled US$29.5bn, including US$11.0 billion in firm orders and US$8.5bn in options.
26 Nov 04. TRL Electronics, the specialist defence electronics group, doubled turnover in the six months to September 30. The group, which floated on Aim in July, moved into profit at the operating level, and raised its order book by 52 per cent to £18.1m. However, pre-tax losses during the period widened from £253,000 to £3.04m. During the period, the group achieved its largest order with a £9.4m Ministry of Defence contract. It also saw strong demand for products for international peace-keeping forces. Turnover increased from £5.1m to £10.2m. TRL shares rose 4½p to 189p yesterday. (Source: FT)
25 Nov 04. Baltimore Technologies, once a darling of the dotcom boom, is to quit the London stock market, putting an end to its chequered history as a listed company. Baltimore said on Thursday it was consolidating its share structure by replacing every 125 shares with one new share in the company. It will also terminate its American Depositary Share programme. It will hold an extraordinary meeting on December 20