Lockheed Martin has delivered to Northrop Grumman a pointing and control assembly system for the second geosynchronous orbit satellite in the Space-Based Infrared System constellation, according to a company release. Northrop, which now can begin integrating the PCA into the GEO-2 payload, also is working on assembly of GEO-1. Lockheed expects Northrop to deliver GEO-1 in mid-2007, whereupon Lockheed will perform final assembly and checkout in preparation for launch in late 2008.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.