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Satellite Industry Landscape Changes
Seeking operational synergies and economies of scale, Alcatel, Paris, and Finmeccanica, Rome, have agreed to merge their space activities and form an alliance in the space sector by creating two sister companies. One company, to be known as Alcatel Alenia Space, will combine Alcatel Space’s and Alenia Spazio’s industrial activities and concentrate on design, development and manufacturing of space systems, satellites, equipment, instruments, payload and associated ground systems. The second company will combine Telespazio and Alcatel Space’s operations and services for satellite systems. Alcatel will hold approximately 67 percent and Finmeccanica approximately 33 percent of Alcatel Alenia Space. Finmeccanica will hold approximately 67 percent and Alcatel approximately 33 percent of the operations and services company.
 
Night Vision Contract
A compact and lightweight night driving aid will be fitted to the British Army’s Future Command and Liaison Vehicle, a light armored vehicle. Thales will provide 400 driver vision enhancer systems for the U.K. vehicle fleet. This is the first large-scale introduction of uncooled thermal imaging driver sights into that fleet and is part of an overall plan to improve the effectiveness of the vehicles. The system is expected to significantly enhance situational awareness and safety. The first of the night driving aids will enter service in 2007. Thales is headquartered in Paris.
 
Equipping Modern Security Forces
A 150 soldier contingent of the German army’s international security assistance force in Afghanistan will be equipped with the future soldier system known as Infanterist der Zukunft. The system includes a state-of-the-art bullet-proof vest made of modern materials for atomic, biological and chemical protection; night vision equipment; a digital navigation and communication device with global positioning system technology; tactical speech and data communications; and improved weapons. EADS Defence Electronics, Hammelburg, Germany, is providing the system under a 10 million euro contract.
 
UAVs for Border Control
The first operational use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for border patrol in the United States will be done through a lease agreement with Elbit Systems Limited, Haifa, Israel. Part of the Arizona border control initiative, the lease includes Hermes 450 UAVs that are equipped with electro-optic sensors and communications payloads to deliver day and night imagery to customs and border protection agents. In addition, the company will provide ground control stations, operational crews and support personnel. The initial pilot program, which will begin this summer, is aimed at illegal immigration and drug smuggling on the U.S./Mexico border; however, the effort may be expanded to include the U.S./Canadian border.
 
Testing U.K. Air Defense Options
The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) has opted for a new acquisition model with the award of a contract for a synthetic environment integrator to challenge systems proposed by competing contractors. The project involves integrating the country’s existing high velocity missile and Rapier weapon systems into an overarching air defense command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (ADC⁴I) system. QinetiQ, Farnborough, U.K., will design, develop and deliver a synthetic environment that includes a range of future battlefield scenarios in which the two competing ADC⁴I solutions will be assessed. During this process, QinetiQ will manage a complex group of stakeholders, including the ADC⁴I developers, the existing weapon system design authorities, the shared data environment supplier and various MOD customers. The synthetic environment will be set up for independent experimentation at the company’s Malvern site in the United Kingdom, and for further integration with live trials at the QinetiQ Hebrides range. The two teams competing for the final ADC⁴I contract award are Team Athena, a consortium led by Lockheed Martin, and Team Caracal, a partnership of EADS and MBDA.


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