An Orbital Sciences/Raytheon team is to provide the US Navy with its Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target (SSST), to test shipboard defences against the Russian Raduga 3M-80 (SS-N-22 Sunburn) anti-ship missile.
Also competing for the target work, worth around $100 million, were Boeing and Honeywell.
The Orbital Sciences/Raytheon team will create the SSSTs by adding Terrier boosters to surplus SRAM missiles.
The $34 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract covers six SSST engineering development models, flight testing and test support. Work is to be completed by May 2003. It is unclear how many SSSTs will be procured but service entry is set for 2003/4.
• Orbital Sciences (OSC) has ceased all Orbcomm operations and is cutting 100 of the division's 520 workforce after failing to attract new investors for the orbital satellite data messaging service.
OSC says it remains committed to Orbcomm and hopes to restart operations with its 36-satellite fleet when further capital is received for the project.
Source: Flight International