The drawn-out reviews of the proposed United Launch Alliance between Boeing and Lockheed Martin may be at an end. The Wall Street Journal, which quotes industry and government officials as saying the proposed merger will save enough money that Pentagon acquisition guru Ken Krieg plans to sign off on the deal. According to the Dow Jones Newswires, there is still at least one disgruntled voice, that of Northrop Grumman. Northrop officials fear the ULA could spill over into other space areas than launch services and could pose a problem since Lockheed and Boeing also build satellites. Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Tracy O’Grady-Walsh tells us that the deal is still “pre-decisional” and that nothing has been finalized. Anyway, the Federal Trade Commission has the last word.
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.