The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Multiyear Wait. Navy acquisition chief Sean Stackley says March 3 his service is still evaluating a Boeing proposal for a multiyear buy of F/A-18 fighter jets, which the company says would yield the Pentagon the 10 percent savings it wants before entering into such contracts for more than one year. “We do not have a priced proposal from Boeing that we can state with clarity that’s 10 percent savings,” Stackley tells the HASC Seapower subcommittee. “What we have is a letter of commitment for a not-to-exceed value that we will use to commence negotiations with the contractor.” He adds Defense Secretary Robert Gates “is supporting us going forward with this, because there is promise here.”
…To-Do List. The Pentagon’s Cost Assessment Program Evaluation (CAPE) office is analyzing whether the Boeing offer would indeed yield savings of at least 10 percent, and at the same time military and company officials are negotiating the contract, Stackley says. He adds there is a “lot of momentum” with these efforts. “We’re working at an aggressive timeline, but we’re giving it our full emphasis and putting the first team on this,” he says. The Pentagon missed a congressional reporting deadline of March 1 on the possible multiyear deal, Stackley says, because it received Boeing’s letter of commitment on Feb. 22 and the CAPE officials need time to analyze it.
Courting LCS. Northrop Grumman may bid on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program as a shipyard that would build already designed vessels, say Mike Petters, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin have designed the two LCS variants and are competing for a 10-ship contract; a follow-on effort will select a shipyard to build five more ships based on the chosen design. “We are interested, we are looking at both programs and we will be doing evaluations about our fit” on the programs for the follow-on effort, Petters tells the HASC Seapower subcommittee March 3.
Reform Check Up. SASC Ranking Member John McCain (R-Ariz.) wants to gauge the impact of the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, which he helped craft and President Barack Obama signed into law last May. Lamenting problems with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program on March 4, McCain says “it’s disappointing to all of us in these very difficult economic times when we see these kinds of delays and cost overruns, and hopefully the legislation we passed will help remedy some of these problems.” He says the SASC, in six months or a year, “ought to look at the effect of the legislation.” That’s because, he adds, “there are still significant problems with the consolidation of defense industry which has led to lack of competition, and lack of real breaks on cost overruns in acquisition of our weapons systems large and small.”
Reform Price Tag. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn says current acquisition-reform efforts aren’t saving money yet. “We think we are taking the right steps on acquisition reform, in terms of independent costing, in terms of trying to fix the requirements at the outset, and in terms of trying to bring the appropriate expertise into the government,” he tells the House Budget Committee March 3. “I think over time that should restrain acquisition costs. But in some instances, particularly in the near years, that may increase your budget.” That’s because using independent cost estimates often raises programs’ initial price tags, he says, as is the case with the recently increased F-35 cost that is based on such estimates. “The independent cost estimates tend to be more accurate,” he adds. “If you program it right up front, in the long run, that will save the government money.”
Hutchison’s NASA. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) has introduced legislation, the Human Space Flight Capability Assurance and Enhancement Act of 2009, to tweak President Barack Obama’s proposed changes to NASA’s human-spaceflight program. She wants to accelerate a government-owned human space flight capability to as close to 2015 as possible, and to “provide for the near-term evaluation of heavy-lift rocket launcher design options, including shuttle-derived options, to enable the expansion beyond low-earth orbit and accelerate the start of vehicle design activity,” according to a summary. Hutchison, who last week lost a bid for the Republican nomination for Texas governor, is the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee.
Smart Bombs For Pakistan. The Defense Department is preparing to sell laser-guided-bomb kits to Pakistan, a top U.S. Air Force official says. “This is sort of a short-term discussion, but it’s one that’s important to them because they’re involved in current operations right now,” Air Force Secretary Michael Donley tells the Defense Writers Group. “They’ve been trying to improve their capabilities in the short term while they wait for” newer model F-16 aircraft and surveillance drones, set for delivery later this year. The new equipment is expected to augment Pakistan’s offensive into the insurgent stronghold of South Waziristan. Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Jeffry Glenn says Pakistan will receive 700 kits for converting 500-pound traditional bombs into laser-guided munitions and another 300 for use on 2,000-pound bombs. The precision weapons should help Pakistan minimize civilian casualties in the country’s tribal regions.
Js for Ramstein. Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander, 3rd Air Force, last week accepted the 11th of 14 C-130Js to be based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. “The delivery of this aircraft marks one more step toward fully replacing the older models of the C-130 the 86th Airlift Wing has been flying,” Gorenc said. “The increased cargo capacity and the longer legs of the J-model will be extremely valuable for the Ramstein wing as it continues to support the important intratheater missions for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command.” Lockheed Martin will deliver four C-130Js to Ramstein this year. Ten C-130Js were delivered to the base in 2009. These 14 new aircraft will support the Ramstein-based 37th Airlift Squadron (a unit of the 86th Airlift Wing) that has been flying C-130Es. The new aircraft are the longer C-130J-30 configuration, which is now the standard for recapitalizing the Air Force and many other air forces around the world. C-130Js are engaged in high-tempo operations in multiple combat theaters and are routinely deployed in support of both peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
Js For Tunisia. Tunisia has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for the purchase of two C-130Js with an initial three years of logistics support. The country’s new C-130Js, scheduled for delivery in 2013 and 2014, will be the longer fuselage or “stretched” variant of the C-130J. Tunisia currently operates a fleet of C-130Hs and C-130Bs, first purchased in the mid-1980s. The new C-130Js will support Tunisian operations across the mission spectrum, including relief efforts around the world, firefighting and traditional airlift sorties, according to a Lockheed Martin press release. Other nations that are operating, or have ordered, the C-130J include Australia, Canada, Denmark, India, Iraq, Italy, Norway, Oman, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Cs and Ds For Egypt. The Pentagon has awarded an initial $213 million to Lockheed Martin for long-lead tasks for the production of 20 new Advanced Block 52 F-16 aircraft for Egypt. This marks the 53rd follow-on buy of F-16s by 14 repeat customers. The aircraft for Egypt will join the fleet of more than 4,400 F-16s representing 25 nations. The new aircraft order includes 16 F-16Cs and four F-16Ds, and will supplement the Egyptian Air Force’s (EAF) existing fleet of F-16s and contribute to the modernization of the EAF. The final Egyptian F-16 under this contract will be delivered in 2013. Egypt was the first Arab country to purchase F-16s through a Foreign Military Sales program called Peace Vector. The Egyptian Air Force received a total of 42 F-16s in its first order in 1980 and since then has purchased five more lots of aircraft, for a total of 240 F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Joint STARS Align. The Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $223.6 million contract for two E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) Propulsion Pod System (PPS) shipsets and FAA certification. Each shipset contains four Pratt and Whitney JT8D-219 engines, pylon assemblies and associated aircraft system interconnections. Deliveries are expected to start in 2011 pending the final military certifications of the engines on “T-3,” the Joint STARS test bed aircraft. “This critical award moves us a step closer to re-engining the Joint STARS fleet,” Tom Vice, sector vice president of the company’s Battle Management and Engagement Systems Division, says in a press statement. The increased power and fuel economy from the new engines, which are widely used in commercial airline fleets, enables the E-8 to fly higher and maintain longer time on station, providing a better view of the battlespace. “With JT8D engines, Joint STARS will be able to take off from shorter runways, increasing basing options and reducing the transit time to get on station,” says Vice. The administration’s fiscal 2011 budget, currently under consideration by Congress, includes procurement funding for additional shipsets of engines.
Tanker Talk. A second A330 Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) for the U.K. Royal Air Force has finalized structural modifications in its conversion to a multi-role tanker transport (MRTT). Changes to bring the aircraft to its full A330 FSTA configuration included installation of fuel system plumbing and electrical wiring for the aircraft’s three- point refueling system, which will consist of two hose and drogue refueling pods located under the wings, plus an under-fuselage centerline hose and drogue refueling unit. The centerline unit gives the A330 FSTA air-to-air transfer capability for the largest receiver aircraft capable of being refueled by hose-and-drogue, according to an EADS press release circulated last week. To date, 28 A330 MRTT family aircraft have been ordered, with 14 being acquired for the U.K.’s Royal Air Force, five by Australia, six for Saudi Arabia, and three for the United Arab Emirates. A330 MRTT deliveries will begin later this year, with the Royal Australian Air Force receiving the initial aircraft. The aircraft is similar in configuration to the KC-45 Tanker proposed by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Air Force’s aerial refueling fleet modernization.
Acquisition Ace. Northrop Grumman has named David Drabkin director of acquisition policy for the company. In his new role, Drabkin will be responsible for coordinating the company’s efforts related to pending and upcoming acquisition regulations and policy at the Department of Defense and other government agencies. He will lead internal coordination of congressional relations activities related to acquisition policy and reform and represent the company at numerous acquisition and related professional associations, according to a company press release. Before joining Northrop Grumman, Drabkin served as the acting chief acquisition office/deputy chief acquisition officer and senior procurement executive for the General Services Administration. In those two positions, he led several acquisition-based initiatives such as the Federal Acquisition Institute, Federal Procurement Data Center, Catalog of Domestic Federal Assistance and the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council. He also served as procurement counsel to the Minority Staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
The Most Popular Program In The Room. The submarine program is widely recognized as the model program, Mike Petters, president Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, tells Defense Daily at last week’s Submarine Industrial Base Council breakfast on Capitol Hill. “Everybody in this room has their own view as to why it’s good.” Petters’ view was that at the very beginning of the program the Navy and industry “were very tight on what the requirements were going to be. We really worked hard on what were the requirements,” he says. Additionally, the Navy and industry worked on the business arrangement, whether it was going to be a competition or a partnership to build the Virginia-class submarines. “We sorted that out very early on.” Once that was behind them, the Navy and industry then began looking at how they could efficiently execute the program. “Then what we did, industry, the Navy, Congress, we all started thinking about this program not as one ship at a time but we thought of it as a class. We thought of it as a class of 30 ships, maybe more,” Petters notes. “But at least you start thinking about a class of 30 ships, where you are going to have stable, consistent demand that then can attract investment in both the shipyards and supply chain. It will attract talent to the business…folks will come to the business because there is a future here for awhile. It attracts capital, and then it will attract technology too.”
On The Move. The Navy demonstrates the transfer of vehicles between a surrogate Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) ship and a Large Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) ship last month during at-sea exercises. The test, led by the Strategic Theater Sealift Office within the PEO Ships, is part of risk-reduction efforts for the DoD Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future) when transferring military vehicles between ships at sea, NAVSEA says. The goal of the testing and the program is to provide the capability to the U.S. military for large-scale logistics movements from sea to shore without dependency on foreign ports, NAVSEA adds. The test demonstrated a self-deploying ramp system installed on the surrogate MLP, M/V Mighty Servant 3, and a new self-deploying sideport platform installed on USNS Soderman, an LMSR ship. Personnel and vehicles were successfully transferred between the ships in high sea state three and low sea state four during multiple days of testing in the Gulf of Mexico, NAVSEA adds.
Pulsed. The Navy EMP Assessment Group is currently evaluating fleet mission critical systems and developing a strategy to mitigate the effects of high-altitude EMP–a radiated electromagnetic field associated with a nuclear detonation, the Navy reports. The group of scientists and engineers provide Navy leadership with information crucial to assessing the fleet’s posture with regard to EMP. They also advise Navy leadership about strategies and safety measures to mitigate EMP damage in the unlikely event a nuclear weapon detonates at an altitude in excess of 40 miles, generating a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse, the service adds. The Navy EMP Assessment Group actively engages other DoD services and entities, sharing resources and information in an effort to develop new standards and methods for assessing future systems that are both effective and affordable, the service says. The Navy EMP program supports the functions of the NAVSEA electromagnetic environmental effects technical warrant holder by providing guidance to Navy acquisition programs relative to military standards, requirements and design practices, the service adds.
Helo Concept Award. DARPA awards the Sikorsky Innovations group a contract to develop active rotor technologies that will allow aircraft to adapt to a changing environment and dynamically enhance performance. Once the DARPA contract is finalized, the project will have three phases starting with a $5.9 million contract for Phase I. This phase will take 16 months and focus on a robust design of the mission-adaptive rotor system, enabling technology development and assessment of the benefits. Phases II and III will be competitively awarded by DARPA at the conclusion of Phase I. Phase II calls for a validation of the design and ground test, while Phase III will entail flight testing. The program will create new options for the next generation of aircraft and retrofit possibilities for the existing fleet.
March Madness. The IRM College, National Defense University, is holding its second Cyber Security Challenge on March 12. Participants will test their cyber skills against peers from across the government. The competition consists of a maximum of 24 participants, divided into teams of two. Agencies can also compete as a team, says NDU. Teams are assigned two computers, with necessary software available, in which they will be required to complete numerous tasks against fellow participants and other targets, while simultaneously defending their machines from attack. The group which successfully completes the most tasks in a four-hour time frame wins. Specific tasks to be performed will be covered on game- day but will include capturing the ‘flag’ and other files from remote machines, defending your machine against external attacks, and completing other network operations tasks, NDU adds.
Crisis Management. NATO wraps up its regular Crisis Management Exercise (CMX) March 10, after opening events March 4. The event was delayed from earlier in 2009. The exercise is designed to practice alliance crisis management procedures at the strategic political level and will involve civilian and military staffs in national capitals, at NATO Headquarters, and in both Strategic Commands. No forces are actually deployed, and the fictitious scenario features a security situation beyond the Euro-Atlantic area that is progressively deteriorating, with an ongoing NATO-led multi-national crisis response operation, a humanitarian crisis and terrorism.
New Face. Javier Solana, former NATO secretary general and European Union Foreign Policy chief, joins Brookings as a distinguished nonresident senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program. His years as Europe’s leading diplomat will be a tremendous asset to Brookings’s work on global policy issues, and his long history as major player on the world stage will help broaden and deepen Brookings’s international networks, the think tank says.
M-ATV Work. The ability of the M-ATV to go off road enables troops to avoid IEDs, Kenneth Juergens, vice president Joint Programs at Oshkosh Defense M-ATV, says, speaking to Defense Daily at a conference last month. Typically, vehicles that have to stay on the roads can become predictable. But, for the M-ATVs that have been hit by IEDS, “we’ve had no killed in action,” he says.
GD Changes. General Dynamics announces executive changes: Charles Hall, executive vice president and group executive of the company’s Combat Systems group, will retire May 1. Hall has been executive vice president since 2005, before which he was president of the company’s General Dynamics Land Systems subsidiary. David Heebner will succeed him. Heebner is executive vice president and group executive of the company’s Marine Systems group. Phebe Novakovic, senior vice president-planning and development, will succeed Heebner as executive vice president and group executive of the company’s Marine Systems group. No successor has been named for Novakovic. Heebner and Novakovic will continue to report to Jay Johnson, president and CEO. The appointments are effective May 1.