CNC West Dec jan 2019

8 www.CNC-West.com CNC WEST December 2018/January 2019 EXEC H TLINE Continued on page 88....... Pomona, CA. Based GA-ASI to Build Aircraft for Australia General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. announced it has reached a deal to provide its MQ-9 unmanned aircraft to Australia. The agreement was announced on Nov. 15 in San Di- ego and simultaneously Nov. 16 in Adelaide, Australia. GA-ASI builds its Predator family of air- craft in Poway, CA. Financial terms of the deal were not dis- closed, and it was unclear how many aircraft the Poway company will build for Australia. IAI, the Israel-based unmanned aircraft maker, was reportedly trying to get the same deal. SolarReserve Received $2 Million Grant For R&D Santa Monica,, CA. solar thermal power de- veloper SolarReserve announced Oct. 25 that it has received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for further research and development of its solar thermal power technology. SolarReserve’s large-scale solar power proj- ects use mirror arrays to concentrate through reflection the sun’s rays onto a central re- ceiver to heat molten salt inside the tower which, in turn, is used to generate power. The grant from the DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office will be used to develop a next-generation system that is more efficient in storing heat and transferring heat to the power generators. SolarReserve will partner on the project with Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. to leverage their inno- vations and testing facilities. Northridge, CA. Missile Facility Secures $171 Million Contract Northrop Grumman has received a $171 mil- lion contract from the U.S. Navy to continue production on its advanced anti-radiation guided missile system. Produced at the Northridge facility of the Falls Church, Va.-based defense and aerospace firm, the guided missile is a supersonic, air- launched weapon that can rapidly engage tra- ditional and advanced land- and sea-launched threats. It is used on the Navy’s Hornet, Super Hornet and Growler aircraft and the Italian Air Force’s Tornado aircraft. The missile system had previously been made by Orbital ATK Inc., which Northrop acquired earlier this year. Cubic Adds Jobs in San Diego to Support Transportation Projects Cubic Corp. said that it is in the process of hiring 150 people in San Diego for new po- sitions in its transportation business. The moves come on the heels of $2 billion in recent contract wins for mass-transit fare collection equipment in New York; Boston; Brisbane, Australia; Sydney and the San Fran- cisco Bay Area. In an Oct. 4 announcement, Cubic also said it is working with San Diego city hall to upgrade its headquarters in Kearny Mesa to accommodate company growth. Cubic plans to finish construction in 2021. Some of Cubic’s most advanced mass-transit technology has been developed in London. In the recent announcement, Cubic transportation chief Matt Cole said he expects the company to upgrade San Diego’s mass-transit system with advanced features seen in London’s mass- transit system. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is a longtime Cubic customer. Cubic, with roughly $1.5 billion in annual sales, also has a defense electronics busi- ness. NASSCO Tapped for 6th Expedi- tionary Sea Base Ship The U.S. Navy issued a preliminary contract that will let General Dynamics NASSCO build a sixth in a series of ships for expedition- ary warfare. The Expeditionary Sea Base ship is 775 feet long and includes a raised flight deck that can accommodate four helicopters or tiltrotor aircraft. The ship has berthing for 250 troops.