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Daily News
By Gail Helmer

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Wednesday March 20, 2002

PC News
New Screens: Ghost Recon Desert Siege
Ubi Soft has released two new screens from Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege. Desert Siege will ship on March 26th 2002 and will contain 8 new Single-Player missions. The missions will be based in North Africa, focusing on a future conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mission Pack will feature a new environment - the Eritrean desert, new enemies and new desert uniforms for the Ghosts. 5 new Multiplayer spaces will also be included in the Mission Pack. The mission pack will also include an editing toolkit for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon enabling players to create their own levels for the game.




GB Airports for FS2002
Just Flight's latest add-on GB Airports recreated in exacting detail this upgrade for both Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2000 and Flight Simulator 2002 and provides the realistic scenery of Britains airports. Each airport features accurate runways, helipads and taxiways - all with hold lines, CAT and ID signage and night lighting. Off the apron, new buildings abound with accurately placed radar towers, office buildings, car parks and more. All of this with amazing new ground vehicles and even radio-controlled refuelling at the pier. Screenshots



Captain Speaking 2002
Just Flight has announced the imminent release of Captain Speaking 2002 for Microsoft Flight Simualator 2002. Experience airline flying with authentic ATC and a host of other unique features such as flights to and from over 30 worldwide airports. Release is scheduled for March 27th. Screenshots



Military News
Lockheed Martin gets ATACMS Block IA Unitary Missiles Contract
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has received a $17.4 million contract for 24 Army Tactical Missile System (from the US Army. The Army TACMS Block IA Unitary is a US Army initiative developed as a result of Kosovo lessons learned. Lockheed Martin was awarded the contract to develop the Army TACMS Unitary missile in December 2000. The initiative was established as a Quick Reaction Programme to rapidly deploy a tactical capability for the US Army. The government furnished a proven unitary warhead (SLAM/HARPOON WAU-23/B), and Lockheed Martin integrated it into an existing Army TACMS Block IA missile.



Delivery of the first missile for flight test took place four months after contract award. The flight test was conducted in April 2001 and was a complete success. A total of 42 tactical missiles were delivered to the Army by the end of calendar year 2001.

Army TACMS was the first tactical surface-to-surface missile ever fired in combat by the US Army, when it was deployed in Operation Desert Storm. The Army TACMS Block IA Unitary Missile is the latest addition to the current Army TACMS Family of Munitions. The Army TACMS Block IA Unitary Missile is an all weather day/night rapid response missile that provides the Army the capability to attack high-payoff, time sensitive targets with limited collateral damage.

Minuteman III Programme Achieves Initial Operational Capability
The US Air Force has said that the conditions for Initial Operational Capability were met on 30 January when the first Minuteman III 10 missiles equipped with remanufactured solid rocket boosters were placed on alert status at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. These are the first of 607 PRP boosters that will be delivered to replace the propulsion system in the Minuteman III ICBM force over the next six years. The programme is managed by TRW as part of its $5.4 billion ICBM Prime Integration contract.

The PRP is designed to replace ageing solid-rocket motors in the Minuteman III force with new remanufactured motors to maintain alert readiness status through 2020.



TRW is currently operating under a full-rate production contract valued at $215 million to deliver remanufactured Minuteman III stage 1, 2 and 3 solid- rocket motors and ordnance items. The boosters are assembled by the Air Force using the remanufactured stage 1, 2 and 3 solid-rocket motors. The full-rate production contract for the PRP has a potential value of $1.4 billion through Sept. 2008.

Under contract to TRW, ATK Thiokol Propulsion, and Pratt & Whitney Space and Missile Propulsion formed a joint-venture propulsion team to produce the motors. Alliant and Pratt & Whitney are remanufacturing the motors, replacing the propellant and obsolete or environmentally unsafe materials and components.

TRW manages the PRP as part of its role as prime integration contractor for the ICBM force, a contract it won in December 1997. With an overall responsibility of ensuring the readiness of the land-based ICBM force in support of US defence strategies, TRW is also managing replacement of the Minuteman III's guidance system; refurbishment of the post-boost, fourth stage (the liquid propulsion stage) of the missile; and upgrading the launch control communications.

TRW's ICBM prime integration contract reflects major changes in the management of the nation's ICBM program. Formerly, the ICBM System Programme Office (SPO) at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, directed a number of associate contractors that provided various elements of the ICBM system; TRW provided technical support to the SPO. Under the contract awarded in 1997, TRW as the prime contractor manages the total ICBM system and the integrated team of contractors.


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