The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin an $82 million contract to begin work on GEO-5 and GEO-6, the fifth and sixth Space Based Infrared System missile warning satellites, announced the company. This initial contract covers “complete non-recurring engineering activities” and procurement of select “long-lead spacecraft parts,” states the company’s Oct. 25 release. It “will sustain a steady production rate,” said Jeff Smith, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Overhead Persistent Infrared mission area. He added, “By the Air Force acquiring satellites in bulk, rather than one at a time, we can significantly reduce costs by achieving economies of scale.” The Air Force is procuring these two satellites under a fixed-price contract structure. Already, GEO-1, the first SBIRS geosynchronous satellite, is in space. GEO-2 is scheduled for launch in March 2013, according to Lockheed Martin. GEO-3 and GEO-4 are in various stages of fabrication.
The U.S. thwarted a drone attack on U.S. forces at Al Asad air base in western Iraq on April 22, marking the first time that American troops have been targeted since February, U.S. officials said. “We can confirm it was an attack on Al Asad,” a defense official told Air & Space…