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Childhood cancer survivors are recommended to have lifelong survivorship care, yet many become disengaged during pediatric to adult care transitions. We implemented a pilot clinic for adult survivors of pediatric or adolescent and young adult (AYA) leukemia transitioning to adult-focused survivorship care. The clinic featured AYA-specific care, bidirectional communication with primary care, and a quality improvement (QI) cycle. During the 1-year QI period, 27 patients were seen and 21 completed postvisit interviews. The clinic was positively received by patients and primary care providers, showed promise for improving self-management and care coordination, and highlighted the need for novel approaches to connect survivors with primary care.

France and Qatar have sealed a defense cooperation agreement that allows France to position advisers and military forces for training in Qatar. The agreement, which was finalized with Qatar receiving 10 surplus French Army AMX-30 main battle tanks, also indicates France's commitment in defending the Gulf Arab state against foreign aggression. The new treaty also stipulates that France must provide the latest equipment and technology to the Qatari military once needed. 'Semi-regular joint exercises' will also be conducted between the two governments' military forces as part of the treaty.

Cubic Defense Systems Inc. of the UK secured a contract valued at $130 million for the delivery of an area weapons-effect simulator (AWES) to the British Army. The system is designed to simulate all indirect area-weapons effects such as artillery, air defence and landmines. Cubic Defense Systems will design, make and supply two field combat training systems involving around 2,500 units of the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System 2000 (MILES 2000). Cubic's AWES project director Gary Shrock said the new training system will be created through a consolidation of MILES 2000 and Saab's BT-46, the existing direct fire weapons-effect simulator of the British Army.

European periscope makers Pilkington Optronics (PO) and Zeiss Eltro-Optronics (ZEO) have agreed to cooperate on their optronic mast programs. The agreement will cover research, development, production and logistics support of optronic masts and marketing and sales strategies. The PO CM010 or its ZEO counterpart, the OMS 100, or an adaptation of either mast will be the focus of any collaborative project between the companies in the future. The joint venture aims to participate in a Greek submarine retrofit project and contracts for contruction of new submarines in Portugal and South Africa. In the long term, according to PO's regional marketing director Jeff Miles, the companies will also produce complementary optronic masts known as the 'Euromast.'

The Wizard consortium has stirred the UK's Airborne STand-Off Radar (ASTOR) program after announcing that its radar offer will be from a UK manufacturer. According to Martin Dandridge, vice president and general manager for Northrop Grumman's Surveillance and Battle Management Systems, Racal and Marconi Electronic Systems (MES) may be involved on the radar work if Wizard, which also involves British Aerospace, lands the ASTOR deal. However, a Racal spokesperson denied that the company is having any negotiation and any future plan which pertains to the radar. MES is also already committed with the Lockheed Martin team on the ASTOR competition, despite talks with Northrop regarding the company's RF capabilities. Wizard's bid for the ASTOR program is a system based on Northrop's Joint STARS on a Gulfstream V business jet platform, instead of on a Boeing 707, with radar being developed under the Radar Technology Insertion Program for Joint STARS.

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is awaiting delivery of the four Elusion Electronic Warfare (EW) Training Systems from GEC-Marconi Simulation and Training. The Elusion, which is comprised of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware operating on Windows '95 or NT, will be operated by the Air Warfare Centre, Operational Doctrine and Training Department (OD&T) at RAF College Cranwell. The Elusion database offers an expandable archive with a wide selection of data relating to emitters, radars, weapons and associated platforms to create an electronic order of battle.

Boeing has received a $104 million contract from the US Army to supply four CH-47D Chinook transport helicopters to the Egyptian Air Force as part of the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The Egyptian Air Force, which already operates fifteen CH-47C Chinook transport helicopters, had been awarded nearly $1.2 billion worth of FMS deliveries in 1998. Egypt also will receive six more Kaman Super Seasprite SH-2G (E) anti-submarine warfare helicopters. Boeing will provide flight training and maintenance for the Egyptian military.

Lockheed Martin ASIC has met the need for efficient training and support for the new Merlin helicopter through the development of the Merlin Training System (MTS). The aircraft, slated to enter service with UK Royal Navy in 1998, is one of the most advanced anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare naval platform in the world. MTS, based at the Royal Naval Air Station in Cornwall, the UK, is currently the largest training system in the world. The system is housed in a specially built 5,000-square-meter facility with aircrew training expected to be fully on line by the end of 1999, while maintenance training element is slated to start in April 1999.

Matra BAe Dynamics has obtained prime contractorship of the UK variant of Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) through a purchase of UKAMS. UKAMS, formerly owned by GEC-Marconi and British Aerospace, is charged with the development and initial production of the UK missile system for the Common New Generation Frigate. Matra programme director Dave Hewitson said a next phase of the programme enables faster decision-making and provide simpler access to specialist technology and resources. PAAMS is a surface-to-air missile system for point, local area and medium-range air defence for the ship and its consorts, with is slated to be in service in 2005 for the US version.

Virtual Prototypes Inc. (VPI) has forged an alliance with TRW for the marketing of advanced simulation systems and visualization technology solutions. The venture is focused on selling to defense and commercial firms. TRW International Defense Simulations vice president Denny D'Alelio said the partners will jointly focus on analysis and simulation programmes at the US domestic market linked to the Joint C4I Battle Center and the Joint Experimentation Center. Under the deal, TRW will be prime contractor and will get software products and services provided by VPI.

Ecole d' Application de l'Arme Blinde' Cavalerie (EAABC) in France placed in service a networked crew trainers for the Leclerc main battle tank (MBT), using distributed interactive simulation protocol. The simulation, the first in four slated for delivery, is the first example of networked collective training in a virtual environment for Leclerc MBT crews and platoon leaders in a tactical combat situation. The Leclerc simulation programme is an alliance between the Delegation Generale pour l'Armemente, the French Army, Thomson & Simulation and Giat.

Russia's Splav Government Scientific Production Concern has redefined the 300mm 9A52 (12-round) Smerch multi-barrel rocket system to improve the weapon's range and performance characteristics. The move extended the rocket's range from 70km to 90km, paved the way for the development of new types of rocket projectiles and enhancement to the launch vehicle's performance characteristics. The company also said that the modified rocket offers 8% to 10% more accuracy at maximum range and exceeds the baseline US Lockheed Martin Vought Systems Multiple Rocket Launch Rocket System in range.