Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Germany says A400M nations agree to continue talks

Defense News ~ BERLIN, Jan 27 (Reuters) - European nations involved in the A400M military transporter plane project have agreed to continue talks on Europe's costliest defence project, a German Defence Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
The A400M has been plagued by cost overruns that could affect thousands of jobs.
The spokesman said that the countries wanted to find a solution as soon as possible. Talks between the plane's manufacturer, Airbus, and officials from seven purchasing NATO nations adjourned on Tuesday evening without any result.
(Writing by Paul Carrel)

CPI Aero Announces Release of C-5 TOP Order Valued at $1.6 Million

Defense News ~ EDGEWOOD, N.Y.--January 27, 2010, (BUSINESS WIRE)--CPI Aerostructures, Inc. (“CPI Aero®”) (NYSE AMEX: CVU) today announced that the U.S. Air Force has released a new order under CPI Aero’s C-5 TOP contract for a variety of spoilers valued at approximately $1.6 million. Orders under this program, including this $1.6 million order, have totaled $32.4 million since the inception of the contract.
About CPI Aero
CPI Aero is engaged in the contract production of structural aircraft parts for leading prime defense contractors, the U.S. Air Force and other branches of the armed forces. In conjunction with its assembly operations, CPI Aero provides engineering, technical and program management services. Among the key programs that CPI Aero supplies are the A-10 Thunderbolt attack jet, the UH-60 BLACK HAWK helicopter, the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, the MH-60S mine countermeasure helicopter, the Gulfstream G650, C-5A Galaxy cargo jet, the T-38 Talon jet trainer, and the E-3 Sentry AWACS jet. CPI Aero is included in the Russell Microcap® Index.

The above statements include forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which are described from time to time in CPI Aero’s SEC reports, including CPI Aero’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2009, June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2009.
CPI Aero® is a registered trademark of CPI Aerostructures, Inc.
Contact:
CPI Aero
Vincent Palazzolo, 631-586-5200
Chief Financial Officer
or
Investor Relations Counsel
The Equity Group Inc.
Lena Cati, 212-836-9611
Linda Latman, 212-836-9609

First U.K. Service Pilot Flies the Lockheed Martin F-35

Defense News ~ PATUXENT RIVER, Md., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A Royal Air Force officer on Tuesday became the first active-duty service pilot from the United Kingdom to take to the skies in a Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
RAF Squadron Leader Steve Long piloted BF-2, the second short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B, over Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., logging the aircraft's 18th mission. Long departed at 9:55 a.m. EST and flew the aircraft to 20,000 feet, before landing 1.3 hours later. Both the RAF and the Royal Navy plan to operate the F-35B.
"Flying the F-35 was exactly like the simulators that I've been flying for over 18 months now, which gives you a lot of confidence in all the modeling and simulation work that has been done in all the other areas of the flight envelope," Long said, adding that it was a "privilege" to fly the F-35. "What this aircraft really gives the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy is a quantum leap in airborne capability because of the sensor suite it carries. An F-35 pilot will have an unprecedented level of situational awareness about what's going on in the airspace around him or her, and also on the battlefield or ocean below. Not only that, but the F-35 will plug into coalition battlefield networks and be able to pass that picture on to all other players in the network."
With the capability to operate from a variety of ships or austere runways, the F-35B can deploy closer to shore or near front lines, shrinking distance and time to the target, increasing sortie rates and greatly reducing the need for support assets. The Lightning II's sensor suite is the most powerful and comprehensive of any fighter in history, and will combine with an unprecedented networking capability to give unparalleled situational awareness.
U.K. Joint Combat Aircraft Project Team Leader, Air Commodore Graham Farnell, has stated that the U.K. has been closely involved in JSF since its inception. "It is therefore an honour to witness an RAF pilot flying BF-2 during this important phase of the F-35B flight test, and further demonstrates the closeness and mutual trust between our respective nations and their armed forces," Farnell said. "Squadron Leader Long has been preparing for this opportunity since his arrival in the U.S. well over a year ago, and this occasion is a testament not only to the work undertaken in the Integrated Test Force, to which the U.K. provides considerable expertise, but also to the wider JSF community in both government and industry.
"We look forward to the JSF flight test program meeting its targets in 2010, with today being one of many such occasions in the next year of JSF. The U.K. is now preparing pilots and maintainers for initial training at Eglin so that we can begin operating our aircraft in 2011 alongside our colleagues from the United States Marine Corps," he said.
Squadron Leader Long is the third active-duty service member to fly the F-35. (The jet also has been flown by U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps pilots.) Long has more than 2,200 hours of flight time and currently flies the F-18A-D with the U.S. Marines. He joined the RAF in 1995, and his operational experience has included more than 100 sorties over Kosovo and Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Iraq, including three months of embarked time aboard H.M.S. Illustrious, and seven months on the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard.
The U.K. has invested $2 billion in the F-35's development – the largest contribution among the program's eight partner nations. The Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) program announced in December that the United Kingdom received financial approval to purchase its third F-35B operational test aircraft, reinforcing the U.K.'s continued commitment to the JSF program's upcoming Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) phase.
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment, and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.
For additional information, visit our website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Presagis solutions delivered on four Boeing F-15C Eagle Simulators

Presagis provided technical services and COTS image generation tools for high-fidelity training scenarios
Defense News ~ MONTREAL--January 27, 2010, (BUSINESS WIRE)--Presagis™, a leading provider of commercial-off-the shelf (COTS) modeling, simulation and embedded display graphics software, today announced that Lyra along with other Presagis tools were delivered as part of a Boeing-developed solution for the United States Air Force F-15C Eagle tactical fighter training program. In November 2009, Boeing fielded the four F-15C Visual Systems Trainers.
Presagis Lyra and Lyra Sensors COTS Visual Runtime software were integrated into the training system to provide realistic out-the-window, infrared sensor, and night vision goggle views for the fighter jet scenarios. The Presagis Technical Services team also supported the development of the simulator’s Visual Database.
Depicting visual cues — exactly the way a pilot would see it if they were looking at the landscape through night vision goggles or from the cockpit — is critical to a positive training experience and success in the actual aircraft. With Presagis tools, Boeing can efficiently create the immersive and high-fidelity scenarios the Air Force needs to train their personnel.
Presagis Lyra, a multichannel visualization system delivering 60-hertz image generation out-of-the box, provides out-the-window scenes with complex weather and environmental special effects. Lyra Sensors provides simulated views from the aircraft’s infrared sensors as well as accurately replicating the pilot’s night vision goggles system. The solution operates on multiple hardware and operating system platforms, and utilizes two host simulation interfaces, CIGI and FlightICD, to maximize compatibility with existing simulators.
“Presagis is proud to work with the Boeing team to deliver a customized image generation solution for simulations reflecting the latest military innovations,” said Nick Giannias, Vice President, Research & Technology and Product Management, Presagis. “Our Lyra and Lyra Sensors solutions helped to create complex scenarios that include lava fields, light point halos, and sensor signatures, resulting in a premium training environment for U.S. Air Force pilots.”
Both Lyra and Lyra Sensors incorporate a broad range of functionality for a diverse range of interactive 3D visual applications, allowing for maximum flexibility in simulation development. To ensure rapid implementation, Lyra and Lyra Sensors include a sample database to validate installation and system performance, as well as utility tools such as a CIGI packet logger to record and play back scenarios.
The F-15C Eagle is a single-seat, all-weather tactical fighter designed for air-to-air combat. The aircraft’s pulse-Doppler radar system can detect and track aircraft and small high-speed targets at distances beyond visual range down to close range, and at altitudes down to treetop level.
About Presagis
Presagis is a global leader providing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) modeling, simulation and embedded display solutions to the aerospace and defense markets and is the only developer to deliver a unified COTS software portfolio based on open-standards. Presagis combines cutting-edge technology with innovative services to help customers streamline workflow, reduce project risks, create detailed models and complex simulations, in addition to developing DO-178B certifiable applications. The company services more than 1,000 active customers worldwide, including many of the world's most respected organizations such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, BAE Systems and CAE. For more information, visit www.presagis.com.
© 2010 Presagis Canada Inc. and/or Presagis USA Inc. All rights reserved.Presagis means Presagis Canada Inc., Presagis USA Inc. and/or Presagis Europe SA. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact:
Presagis
Tracey Ades, (514) 341-3874 ext. 282
Director, Marketing Programs

Northrop Grumman Awarded $335 Million Base Operations Contract

Defense News ~ HERNDON, Va., Jan. 27, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. Air Forces in Europe has awarded the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - News) and Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc (KBR) 50/50 joint venture Vinnell, Brown & Root LLC (VBR) a contract to provide base operations support services for locations in Turkey and Spain. The Turkey-Spain Base Maintenance Contract is a fixed-price-incentive contract with cost reimbursable line items with a potential value of $335 million over four and a half years. VBR will provide program management, civil engineering, base services, logistics support, air terminal and ground handling, postal services and communications, occupational health/industrial hygiene and ambulance services.
“VBR has a proven track record for providing world-class base operations support services at multiple sites in Turkey supporting the U.S. Air Force’s mission," said Jeff Prewitt, VBR program manager for the contract. “We have been in Turkey for more than 20 years, and we’re proud to be able to expand our services into Spain.”
“We continue to work shoulder-to-shoulder with our nation’s service members at forward deployed locations around the world,” said Bill Carty, vice president and general manager of the Systems Support Group for Northrop Grumman's Technical Services sector. “Northrop Grumman has the proven capability, flexibility and adaptability to meet all challenges faced by today’s warfighter.”
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Contact:
Jeff Lacap

Northrop Grumman Technical Services
(410) 931-6641
jeff.lacap@ngc.com
Ken Beedle
Northrop Grumman Corporation
+44 207 747 1910
+44 7787 174092
Ken.beedle@euro.ngc.com

PTC Wins Strategic Windchill Contract with One of the World's Largest Producers of Commercial Vehicles

Volvo Group completes exhaustive validation of their directional decision to confirm PTC and is set to further advance its world-class PLM infrastructure
Defense News ~ NEEDHAM, Mass.--January 27, 2010, (BUSINESS WIRE)--PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC - News), The Product Development Company®, today announced that Volvo Group has signed an agreement moving PTC from a directional decision to a firm strategic decision to use Windchill®, PTC’s PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software, for Volvo Group’s strategic VPDM (Virtual Product Data Management) program. This firm decision is the result of an exhaustive final validation that clearly demonstrated the value of the Windchill software and PTC´s capability to execute as an organization.
Volvo Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, and aerospace components and services.
“We are excited to begin the next phase of what we expect will be a multi-year relationship with Volvo Group,” said James E. Heppelmann, president and chief operating officer PTC. “Volvo has very sophisticated product development requirements: they operate in a fast-paced, global environment; they work with multiple, heterogeneous sources of data; they develop complex products, which are in many cases highly customized and have significant life cycles.”
About PTC Solutions for the Automotive Industry
PTC’s automotive design software tools enable effective automobile design and development in a heterogeneous environment and facilitate design and part reuse. Our automotive design software and collaboration tools make it easy to bring geographically dispersed design teams and production facilities together to dramatically reduce cycle times. Additionally, our dynamic publishing tools automate the technical publication creation process - shrinking costs and speeding up publishing times.
About PTC
PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC - News) provides discrete manufacturers with software and services to meet the globalization, time-to-market and operational efficiency objectives of product development. Using the company’s PLM and CAD solutions, organizations in the Industrial, High-Tech, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Retail & Consumer and Life Sciences industries are able to support key business objectives and create innovative products that meet customer needs and comply with industry regulations. For more information on PTC, please visit http://www.ptc.com.

The announcement of any particular selection of PTC products is not necessarily indicative of the timing of recognition of revenue therefrom or the level of revenue for any particular period. In addition, in many cases PTC’s software must be successfully implemented and deployed to enable the customer to achieve its business objectives. The announcement of a customer’s selection of PTC software does not indicate that applicable implementation and deployment activities are complete.
PTC and its logo, The Product Development Company, and Windchill are trademarks or registered trademarks of Parametric Technology Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries.

Contact:
PTC
Kristian Talvitie, 781-370-6151
Corporate Communications
or
For PTC
Weber Shandwick
Amanda Keane, 617-520-7260

Saab Signs Contract for Air Defence System RBS 70 to Finland

Defense News ~ STOCKHOLM-- January 27, 2010, (BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
Defence and security company Saab (STO:SAABB) has signed a contract on further deliveries of the RBS 70 ground based air defence system to the Finnish Army. The order has a value of MSEK 260.
First deliveries of materiel are scheduled for 2011.
“This is very positive and it further proves the capability of the RBS 70 system which until now has been exported to 18 countries located on all five continents,” says Tomas Samuelsson, Head of Business Area Dynamics.
Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents and constantly develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers’ changing needs.
www.saabgroup.com
For streaming and broadcast-standard video, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/saab . If you are a first-time user, please take a moment to register. In case you have any questions, please e-mail journalisthelp@thenewsmarket.com.
The information is that which Saab AB is required to declare by the Securities Business Act and/or the Financial instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication on January 27 at 13.15.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com

Contact:
Saab Press Centre

+46 (0)734 180 018

dB Control Awarded $13.2 Million Five-Year Contract by U.S. Navy to Provide TWT Amplifiers for ECM Systems in Airborne and Ground Based Applications

Defense News ~ FREMONT, Calif.--January 27, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE)--dB Control, an established manufacturer known for its reliable, high-power microwave amplifiers, radar transmitters and power supplies, has been awarded a five-year contract worth approximately $13.2 million by the U.S. Navy to produce up to 300 amplifiers to be integrated into Electronic Counter Measure (ECM) systems. The contract includes 500-Watt traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifiers that will be integrated into the entire life cycle of the U.S. Navy’s ECM systems, including rack-mount units used in laboratories and loop facilities during product development, airborne pods onboard manned aircraft, ground-based applications, testing and fleet training systems.
In addition to designing and producing the amplifiers at the company’s secure, 40,000 square-foot facility in Fremont, Calif., dB Control will also provide the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., with ongoing engineering, technical and repair support services. Text of the official contract announcement is available from the U.S. Department of Defense N68936-10-D-0010.
“Detecting potential threats quickly and accurately depends on the reliability of the TWT amplifier powering the ECM systems. As it can be a matter of life or death for our armed forces personnel, reliability is paramount,” said dB Control CEO Joe Hajduk. “When the U.S. Navy evaluated competitive bids, our rugged TWT amplifiers stood out as the best choice to provide exceptional reliability, even in harsh airborne environments.”
About dB Control
Established in 1990, dB Control Inc. (www.dBControl.com) supplies mission-critical, often sole-source, products worldwide to military organizations, as well as to major defense contractors and commercial manufacturers for a wide variety of applications. dB Control has an outstanding record of successfully repairing, refurbishing and replacing tightly packaged high-voltage transformers, assemblies and power supplies and offers specialized contract manufacturing services, including transformer winding and testing, full-vacuum encapsulation, pressure cure and conformal coating laboratory services.
GRAPHICS: For photos, logos and graphics, please contact Mar Junge at mar@c3pr.com.

Contact:
dB Control

Steve Olson, 510-656-2325 ext. 297
Marketing Manager
solson@dbcontrol.com
or
c3PR Public Relations
Mar Junge, 408-730-8506 or 408-219-0101 (cell)
mar@c3pr.com

Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc. Begins Shipping Its Full Body Scanner

Defense News ~ COVINGTON, Ky., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Valley Forge Composite Technologies (OTC Bulletin Board: VLYF) is shipping ODIN™, its full body scanner, this week. ODIN is a state of the art full body scanning system based on Ultra-Low Dose Imaging Technology. It provides an enhanced ability to see most objects including liquids, explosives and other contraband carried on an individual, even when concealed.
The initial system is expected to be installed and operational by the middle of February at which point ODIN will undergo acceptance testing for 30 days before being put into full operation. It is believed that successful testing will result with a larger rollout.
"We have been informed that we were chosen because we are providing very high quality images", stated Lou Brothers, CEO of Valley Forge.
For security reasons, Valley Forge has agreed to not disclose the end user of the product or the location of the initial installation.
For further information on ODIN or Valley Forge's other contraband detection technologies, please visit its web site at www.vlyf.com .
About Valley Forge
Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc. develops, manufactures and distributes next-generation detection systems. Its THOR LVX™ system is designed to detect nuclear material, explosives and contraband hidden in cargo containers and baggage, even through shielding. VLYF is also marketing the ODIN personal screening system for use in airports, high-security buildings and border entry points. More information about Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc. can be found at www.vlyf.com.

Forward-Looking Statement
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a 'safe harbor' for certain forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release that relate to Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc.'s future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events, reports made by others, and the like, including a statement about the assumptions underlying a forward-looking statement, are forward-looking statements protected by the safe harbor. Investors should understand that future events, risks and uncertainties, individually or in the aggregate, are factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. These factors could include changes in economic conditions or government policies that may change the demand for the Company's products and services and could include other factors discussed in the sections of the Company's report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, entitled 'Description of Business' or 'Management's Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation.' This release is comprised of interrelated information that must be interpreted in the context of all of the information provided and care should be exercised not to consider portions of this release out of context. Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc. uses paid services of investor relations organizations to promote the Company to the investment community. Investments in the Company should be considered speculative, and, prior to acquisition, should be thoroughly researched. Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc. does not intend to update these forward-looking statements prior to its reporting of its quarterly or annual results.
Contact
Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc.
Roe Brothers
roe@vfct.com

Tel: (859) 581-5111