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The US Dept of Defense will award a contract for its new AIM-9X infrared air-to-air missile on Dec 13, 1996. The military is expected to buy as many as 10,000 of the missiles, and there is the potential for substantial foreign sales.

The UK is mulling replacements for the BL775 cluster bomb system and is considering three alternatives: a missile, a submunition dispensing system and a hybrid of both. High priority is being placed on the number of weapons necessary to achieve a minimum kill probability. The air-launched antiarmor weapon must be able to destroy multiple targets per pass and be lethal from a number of directions. It will see service on Harrier, Tornado and Eurofighter jets.

Seven of the West's leading missile makers are vying to build the UK's Conventionally Armed Stand-Off Missile (CASOM). The contract award will have a significant impact on the industry. Losing it could reduce European missile makers to niche players in the business because Britain might subsequently work more closely with the US for its weapons needs. CASOM is to be an air-launched missile that can strike hardened, point targets from a distance of 350 km.

Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin Corp. is ready to begin the test phase for its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. The cruise missile, which has been cleared for the test phase by the U.S. Air Force, successfully passed test flights after it was launched from an F-16.

The British Defense Ministry and European missile maker, MBDA, are trying to learn procurement lessons from a disagreement which has significantly delayed a 875-million-pound ($1.25 billion) next-generation air-to-air missile program.

This article reports on the negotiations for military transport aircraft and missiles by several European countries. France, Italy, Germany and Portugal are committed to obtaining the A400M Transport from Airbus Military Co. France, the United Kingdom and Sweden have signed an agreement to develop the Meteor missile.

All five tests of the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense system's flight interceptors have failed, and the Defense Dept in considering a two-year delay for the program. The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, meanwhile, is warning that rising costs could prevent it from continuing all of its antimissile efforts.

The Dept of Defense awarded Hughes a $169.2 million engineering and development contract for the AIM-9X advanced air-to-air missiles missile. Hughes won the contract due to offering a lower cost lifecycle. The contract could translate into $5 billion in sales.

Lockheed Martin Corp. received a $110.9 million cost plus fixed fee contract, and McDonnell Douglas Corp. received a $126.5 million contract as they were named as finalists for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) program.

McDonnell Douglas Corp. may have gained an inside track in the politically charged competition to be selected as the contractor for the United Kingdom's Conventionally Armed Stand-Off Missile when it was selected as one of two finalists for the United States' Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.

The adverse logjam that has hindered the consolidation of the European aerospace industry is expected to be resolved by the dramatic decision by British Aerospace and Matra Defense to combine their missile businesses into a new $1.5 billion company. The new company, to be known as Matra BAe Dynamics, also is expected to bring the rest of Europe and the United Kingdom closer in the development of future weapons.

France's self-modulating ramjet, a black budget, air-to-air weapons program, was tested at Landes Test Center in Feb 1994. CELERG designed ramjet's innovative solid-propellant rocket gas generator for Matra, the project's principal contractor.

The French Ministry of Defense will develop two new cruise missiles based on the Matra Apache missile. The cruise missiles will be used by the French air force as long-range air-launched precision strike weapons. Development and production costs are expected to be about $1.5 billion.

McDonnell Douglas (MD) officials claim that Hughes Missile Systems Co, which was awarded the Navy's Tomahawk missile contract, submitted a below-cost bid to ensure victory in the competition. The loss of the Tomahawk contract leaves MD with only the Stand-off Land Attack and Harpoon missile contracts.

Hughes Missile Systems Co, which recently bought General Dynamics' missile operations, has won its competition with McDonnell Douglas for the Navy's single-source million Tomahawk contract, valued at an estimated $2 billion. General Dynamics was the original primary contractor on the Tomahawk.

The UK will soon take proposals on its conventionally armed standoff missile (CASOM) program, and France will be accepting bids for its armed precision ground attack missile (APTGP) contract. Matra and Aerospatiale hope to submit proposals for the contracts, but politics could preclude this.

The Air Force will shortly begin accepting proposals for the airborne boost-phase interceptor (BPI) contract, now that the Defense Dept has settled on a plan for the antimissile weapon. The Air Force, under pressure from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), agreed to open the contract to several bidders.

A modified version of Raphael's Have Nap missile, known as Popeye 2, may replace the proposed TSSAM on such tactical aircraft as the F-16. The Air Force is already set to take delivery on several modified Have Nap missiles for use with its fleet of B-52 bombers.

Congressional action will delay the issuing of a request for proposals on the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile program until at least FY 1995. Navy, Air Force, and defense industry officials are all anxious to beginning the bidding process on the AIM-9X contract.

The US Navy chose McDonnell Douglas to develop various expanded response modifications that will increase the performance and lethality of the SLAM. The Navy will use the upgraded SLAMs to complement its inventory of TSSAMs.

General Dynamics officials are lobbying the Air Force to fund a single-engine Centaur rocket that would replace the twin-engine Centaurs now in use as launch vehicles. Development costs for the upgraded rocket are estimated at $105 million.

Lockheed will develop the Theater High Altitude Area Defense weapon system, which can intercept missiles that are up to 120 miles away and 90 miles in altitude. The system is the first real application of the Strategic Defense Initiative, and it will be able to defend an area as large as 1,800 miles.

The Army has awarded six-month study contracts to six groups of aerospace firms to develop proposals for the next generation of ground-based air defense systems. Corps SAM system is intended to replace the Army's Raytheon Hawk. Evaluation of the proposals will begin in Feb 1993.

The stealthy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile program has been approved by the US Department of Defense for low-rate production despite a recent test failure. The system is seen as being a means to counter improvements to long-range anti-aircraft systems.

Boeing Co.'s agreement with MBDA on development of the Joint Direct Attack Munition through Alenia Marconi Systems is discussed. The precision-guided bomb for the United Kingdom is the basis for the agreement, which also covers marketing worldwide in the future.

Boeing Co has joined the European missile-makers of the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile team, posing a new challenge to competitor Raytheon in the US market. Meteor and Raytheon are already competing fiercely to supply missiles to Eurofighter aircraft. Boeing's addition to the Meteor team also works to counteract US pressure on European governments to adopt an Amraam-based solution for future BVRAAM needs. In the beginning, Boeing will not have a hardware role in the Meteor program, and Boeing's addition will not affect the existing workshare split between the European partners.

UK defense officials have launched a proposal to missile manufacturers for a contract to build a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile. The contract for missile development will be awarded in 1999. Various missile companies' new product development programs are analyzed.

An unidentified US company has bought two S-300V air defense missile complexes from Antey Corp. through the Defense Intelligence Agency. The S-300V, known under its NATO designation as the SA-12A/B Gladiator/Giant, has successfully hit more than 60 ballistic missiles in tests.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, in Mar 1996, will deliver the first two of 11 F-2 close air support fighters approved for the Japanese air force in FY 1996. The first production aircraft will be stationed at Misawa air base in northeast Japan, where the 3rd Air Wing is located. Eight aircraft are likely to be approved for FY 1997. In 1996, Japan's military is also slated to receive the the XAAM-4 missile.

McDonnell Douglas is negotiating with the Russian missile producer Vympel over acquiring the firm's AA-11 air-to-air missiles for its F-15 and F/A-18 fighter aircraft. McDonnell Douglas has asked Vympel's general designer to equip AA-11s on the two aircraft, but such action would require the consent of the US Congress. Vympel displayed its missiles at the Moscow Air Show, and some experts claim it outperforms the US military's side-winder missile.

Hughes Aircraft and its international team of 20 partners have won a $154 million contract to develop the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. Raytheon and its own team of international partners are the losing bidders of the program.