In Brief

Elma introduces enclosure for PICMG or custom backplanesOfficials of Elma Electronic Inc. in Fremont, Calif., are introducing their Type 12, high-availability switched-fabric enclosure for PICMG 2.16, 2.17, and custom backplanes with 21 slots at 0.8-inch pitch. The enclosure is 12U high, 84 HP wide, and 16 inches deep. The Type 12 chassis holds 6U-by-160 millimeter cards. The high-reliability rugged enclosure has push-pull airflow, dual-redundant plug-in fan trays that exert 350 cubic feet per minute of forced air per tray. The Type 12 enclosure has a front 1,200-watt plug-in 48-volt PSU input supply located at the bottom 1U of the chassis. An optional system monitor and I2C serial status output from the power supply is also available. The unit is IEEE compliant for front and rear card cages and NEBS compliant for shielding. For more information contact Elma Electronic by phone at 510-656-3400, by fax at 510-656-3783, by post at 44350 Grimmer Blvd., Fremont, Calif. 94538, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.elma.com.U.S. Army to use DRS infrared detector cooler assembliesOfficials at the U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) chose more than 400 long-life one-watt linear cooler assemblies from DRS Infrared Technologies in Dallas for use in the Army's Horizontal Technology Integration (HTI) program. The cooler assemblies are critical components of the DRS's Standard Advanced Dewar Assembly Type II (SADA II), DRS officials say. SADA II is used in the B-Kit Thermal Imaging Systems, which support HTI. The B-Kit provides infrared imaging capabilities for several ground-based military platforms, including the M1A2 Abrams and M2A3 Bradley vehicles, company officials say. The $2.6 million order was the result of the exercise of options on an existing multiple-year contract, DRS officials say. This award extends product deliveries through July 2003. For more information about DRS cooler assemblies contact the company by phone at 973-898-1500, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.drs.com.U.S. Army selects Northrop Grumman team for next phase of aerial common sensor programOfficials at the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors at Fort Monmouth, N.J., selected a team led by Northrop Grumman Corp. in Baltimore that includes TRW in Redondo Beach, Calif., to participate in the next phase of the Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program. The ACS program is the Army's next-generation, multi-intelligence airborne collection system. It will combine signals intelligence (SIGINT) and imagery intelligence collection capabilities with a ground station that delivers information to battlefield commanders. Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector is the prime contractor for the company's ACS program. The Integrated Systems sector's Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management Systems facility in Melbourne, Fla., is responsible for air platform system integration and integrated logistics support, while the Information Technology sector's Defense Mission Systems facility in Manassas, Va., will perform modeling and simulation activities.GE uses Green Hills Software tool to build aircraft enginesOfficials at GE Aircraft Engines, a division of General Electric Co., are using MULTI development tools from Green Hills Software in Santa Barbara, Calif., to build the jet aircraft engines. MULTI and its optimizing C compiler will help develop engine-control software for the GE90-115B engine, which is rated to produce an unprecedented 115,000 pounds of thrust, Green Hills officials say. The GE90-115B will power Boeing's long-range 777-200LR and 777-300ER twin-engine aircraft, company officials say. MULTI and the PowerPC optimizing C compiler were used to develop the engine-control software, which runs on a PowerPC processor in the Full-Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). The FADEC controls the temperature, speed, airflow and fuel flow of the engine, among other things, company officials say. MULTI, together with Green Hills' family of optimizing C, C++, EC++, and Ada95 compilers, automates all aspects of embedded software development. Featuring a window-oriented editor, source-level debugger, graphical program builder, and run-time error checker, MULTI also includes a version-control system, instruction set simulator, performance profiler, and real-time EventAnalyzer. For more information on MULTI contact Green Hills by phone at 805-965-6044, by email at sales@ghs. com, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.ghs.com.Mercury to supply Northrop Grumman with surveillance radar computersOfficials at Northrop Grumman Corp. recently chose eight PowerStream 510 systems from Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. in Chelmsford, Mass., for use in their Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar. Boeing in Seattle will integrate the MESA system into its 737 Airborne Warning & Control (AEW&C) system, which it is developing for Australia's Project Wedgetail. The MESA radar represents the next generation of airborne surveillance radar, providing a commanding outlook of the battlefield by conveying a 360-degree view and enabling users to focus on separate areas for constant scanning, Mercury officials say. The radar's aerodynamic "top hat" design enables it to be mounted parallel to the aircraft's fuselage, enhancing maneuverability, company officials say. Australia is the launch customer for the 737 AEW&C system. Mercury's PowerStream 510 systems are designed to be deployable, Mercury officials claim. The systems include the power, cooling, reliability, availability, and serviceability features required for high-end applications in confined and rugged environments such as airborne applications, company officials say. For more information contact Mercury on the World Wide Web at http://www.mc.com.Northrop Grumman expands 'Silencer' line of quiet and rugged brushless DC motorsAn expanded line of high-performance Silencer brushless DC motors for applications that require low audible noise, long life, and high torque is available from Northrop Grumman Corp. The Silencer motors, which include a high-speed version in the 34-frame size (BN34) and a high-energy version in the 23-frame size (BN23), are from designers at the Poly-Scientific business unit of the Northrop Grumman Component Technologies sector in Blacksburg, Va. The high-speed BN34, which offers speeds as fast as 20,000 rpm, is for centrifuge applications and high-speed fans and pumps, company officials say. An aluminum housing protects the unit in severe operating environments. The motor's inside rotor construction allows for quick acceleration and high speeds. For more information contact Northrop Grumman Poly-Scientific by phone at 540-552-3011, by fax at 540-953-1841, by post at 1213 North Main St., Blacksburg, Va. 24060, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.northropgrumman.comDRS to provide deployable flight recorders for Australian navy helicoptersOfficials of the Royal Australian navy are using Emergency Avionics Systems 3000 (EAS3000) deployable flight recorders from DRS Flight Safety and Communications, a unit of DRS Technologies, in Carleton Place, Ontario, for their medium- and heavy-lift helicopter fleets. DRS engineers will provide more than 30 EAS3000 deployable cockpit voice and flight data recording systems for the Royal Australian Navy's Sea King SK-50, -50A and -50B, and Sea Hawk S-70B-2 helicopters, DRS officials say. The systems will include DRS's latest Aircraft Monitoring Unit technology, which constantly monitors the performance and condition of the aircraft's operational systems, including engines, avionics, and dynamic and structural components, company officials say. The award was received from Raytheon Australia Pty. Ltd., a unit of Raytheon, located in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The EAS3000 is a modular, deployable beacon system that uses advanced data storage technology in a single crash-hardened unit developed specifically for use on military and commercial helicopters, DRS officials say. Designed, qualified, and certified to the requirements and standards of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, Transport Canada Airworthiness, Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment, the EAS3000 integrates a cockpit voice and flight data recorder with a crash-survivable emergency locator beacon for fast recovery of flight data and an increased success rate for search and rescue teams. For more information about the DRS EAS3000 deployable flight recorder, contact the company on the World Wide Web at http://www.drs.com.Lockheed Martin Space Systems to study target launch vehicle concepts for missile defenseOfficials at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) recently chose experts at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Sunnyvale, Calif., to study the development of a flexible family of reliable, target launch vehicle concepts under the Missile Defense Agency's Enhanced Target Delivery System (ETDS) program. The ETDS study is in response to the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) need to develop and field a next-generation target system that is capable of launching larger, more massive target vehicles with heavier and more complex payload suites for future ballistic missile defense testing, Lockheed Martin officials say. The new target system must address a variety of engagement scenarios, including launching from remote, unimproved land-based sites, as well as from sea-based and air-based platforms. Other key elements to be addressed by the study are mission flexibility, decreased launch cycle time, and realistic emulation of current and projected threat systems, company officials say. For more information on Lockheed Martin Space Systems contact the company on the World Wide Web at http://www.lockheedmartin.com.Ball Aerospace to build NEXTSat spacecraft for U.S. defense programExperts at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. recently announced that they are building the NEXTSat spacecraft for the U.S. Department of Defense's Orbital Express Advanced Technology demonstration program. Ball Aerospace & Technologies is a member of prime contractor Boeing's team, which was selected for Phase II of the program, Ball Aerospace officials say. The mission is funded through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., company officials say. The Orbital Express Advanced Technology Demonstration Program is to develop autonomous techniques for on-orbit refueling and reconfiguration of satellites, Ball Aerospace officials say. For more information on Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. contact the company on the World Wide Web at http://www.ball.com.Army officials eye silent hybrid-electric version of the venerable HumveeU.S. Army vehicle designers are considering the possibility of building hybrid-electric versions of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) — better known as the Humvee — that are able to operate silently. Officials of the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) in Warren, Mich., are trying to determine which companies may be interested in developing such a vehicle. Hybrid-electric vehicles combine the internal combustion engine of a conventional vehicle with the battery and electric motor of an electric vehicle, which offers extended range, rapid refueling, low emissions, and near-silent operation in electric mode. If TACOM officials decide to go ahead with the project, they say they will provide between four and 12 Humvees for the chosen contractor to convert into hybrid-electric Humvees for government testing. The Army ultimately may order between 1,500 and 20,000 of these vehicles. A hybrid-electric Humvee must reduce fuel consumption by 30 percent, be transportable aboard a C-130 aircraft, provide continuous auxiliary power, not degrade existing Humvee capabilities, and must be able to operate silently.