SD DEFENSE
Screen-Printed Sensors Can Pinpoint Fentanyl
U.S. Defense Department funds helped a research team at UC San Diego develop an inexpensive way to test for fentanyl, the headline-grabbing opioid that can be 50 times stronger than morphine — or even stronger.
GA-ASI to Build Aircraft for Spain in $34M Deal
The MQ-9 model is known as the Predator B, Reaper or Guardian.
Belgium Moves Closer to $600 Million Reaper Deal
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. is getting attention from a NATO ally and the aviation community at large.
Vista Welcoming New Apartment Projects
BUILDING: High-End Is Focus, Class B, C Lackin
Bulldozers are rumbling across central Vista as the inland North County city of 103,000 experiences a wave of construction of new, high-end apartment buildings, that will complement the city’s multimillion-dollar, decades-long quest to revitalize its downtown core.
Northrop Grumman Gets $245M Order for Roadside Bomb Jammers
The U.S. Navy said March 22 that it exercised an option worth $245 million to buy more signal jammers known as JCREW. Northrop Grumman Corp. builds the electronics, which U.S. troops use to foil roadside bombs.
GA Tests System That Could Propel Underwater Vehicles
General Atomics’ Electromagnetic Systems unit reported in early March that it successfully demonstrated an aluminum power system for an unmanned underwater vehicle.
SD 500: Robert “Brick” Nelson
SD 500 recap: Brick Nelson is Northrop Grumman’s senior executive for the San Diego region, representing all business activities and the primary company interface with peer industry partners and business leaders in the region.
VA Signs $148M Lease on Kearny Mesa Property
The Department of Veterans Affairs signed a 20-year, $148 million lease on an approximately 100,000-square-foot building in Kearny Mesa, which it will convert into a VA outpatient clinic — billed as the only clinic of its kind in Southern California.
Engine Co. Acquisition Adds Key Component to Kratos UAV Program
AEROSPACE: Kratos Buying 80.1% of Co. With Option to Buy the Rest
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc. continues to develop its unmanned aircraft business, as shown by its recent acquisition of a company that makes small jet engines in February, and the first flight of a drone in March.
SD 500: Eric M. DeMarco
SD 500 recap: Eric DeMarco has helped transform a once-struggling wireless company into a highly competitive player in the national defense industry.
Viasat Prices $600M Senior Secured Notes
FINANCE: Proceeds to Pay Off Credit Facility Debt, And for General Purposes
Viasat Inc. is selling $600 million in senior secured notes due 2027 to institutional buyers, after originally planning for a $500 million bond issue, the company said March 21.
Military Construction May Wait for Border Wall
San Diego County has its share of military construction projects that might take a back seat to construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
‘Navy Mayor’ Takes Command Friday
The U.S. Navy has named Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar as commander, Navy Region Southwest. In her role she will oversee shore bases in California and five Western states. Bolivar will relieve Rear Adm. Yancy Lindsey in ceremonies March 22 at Naval Base Coronado.
Global Hawk Makes Rare Landing Before Public
At 13 hours and 3,075 nautical miles, it was a relatively short flight for a U.S. Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft.
Some Military Construction May Wait for Border Wall
San Diego County has its share of military construction projects that might take a back seat to construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.