The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Conference Outlook. The chairmen of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees said last week they intend to wrap up a conference on the defense-spending bill for fiscal year 2008 by Nov. 1. The defense authorization bill is moving on a slower track. The conference committee’s target date for completion is Nov. 16. The panel reconciling differences in the bill’s general provisions plans to meet Oct. 31.
Weather Report? Twenty-nine members of the House of Representatives are pressing for the creation of a National Intelligence Estimate on the geopolitical effects of climate change. The lawmakers, led by Democratic Rep. Edward Markey (Mass.) and Republican Roscoe Bartlett (Md.), urged the conference committee considering the intelligence authorization bill to retain a provision in the House bill calling for that report which would consider the national security effects such as “droughts, food shortages, population movements and rising sea levels.” According to the letter, the director of national intelligence backs the idea, and it survived a challenge on the House floor by a vote of 185 to 230.
McCain Offensive. As presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) prepared for an Oct. 26 speech in Iowa about foreign policy and the Middle East, his campaign lined up former prisoners of war and national security bigwigs to speak on his behalf. Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, an adviser to the McCain campaign, issued a statement as a run-up to the address: “While many candidates can talk about having national security credentials, John has actually lived the consequences of American national security decisions. His years of experience in dealing with complex security issues are reflected in his speech today, in which John articulates a clear vision and plan for securing a more stable and peaceful Middle East.”
Unobtainium. “Unobtainium” is not a newly discovered element on the periodic table, says Air Force Acquisition Executive Sue Payton, but rather the frustrated state of Air Force acquisition that she intends to overcome via measures such as the newly announced “One Material Enterprise” between her office and Air Force Material Command (AFMC). The new approach will tie the organizations more closely for the development, acquisition and life-cycle management of new weapons systems, she says. It will help to ensure that the requirements for new systems are realistic and obtainable and that the weapons can be procured and maintained affordably, the Air Force says. As part of the changes being instituted under the new enterprise, the AFMC commander will now have a seat on the Air Force’s Integrated Lifecycle Management Executive Forum and AFMC will be included in policy-making decisions that affect whether the Air Force will accept all the requirements proposed for weapon systems. “We have to streamline, to make long-term focused decisions that allow us to be more flexible,” says AFMC Commander Gen. Bruce Carlson.
Blending In. The Air Force has begun flight tests of a C-17 transport aircraft burning a fuel blend of traditional JP-8 jet fuel and natural gas. On Oct. 22, the C-17 flew a four-hour mission from Edwards AFB, Calif., using the synthetic fuel mix, which is known as Fischer-Tropsch fuel, in all four of its F117 engines, the Air Force says. No discernable difference was noted in the aircraft’s performance with the new fuel, the service says. During an earlier flight on Oct. 19, the C-17 used the fuel blend in only one engine. Certification of the C-17 fleet to use the synthetic fuel is planned in the first quarter of 2008, the Air Force says. B-52H bomber aircraft are already cleared to operate with it. The Air Force wants all of its aircraft certified by 2011 to use the Fischer-Tropsch fuel as a means of lessening U.S. dependence on foreign sources of energy. The C-17 fleet is the biggest consumer of jet fuel in the Air Force due to its high rate of operations.
Getting Hyper. Aerojet says it has demonstrated its Advanced Combined Cycle Integrated Inlet (ACCII) in more than three weeks of wind tunnel tests. The inlet is designed for turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion systems that integrate gas-powered, low-speed turbine engines with supersonic combustion ramjets to enable an aircraft to take off from a runway like a traditional fixed-wing platform but then reach hypersonic speeds up to Mach 7 or more using conventional jet fuels. “The ACCII inlet provides a true ‘combined cycle’ approach, allowing smooth transition from low- to high-speed operation through the mission, as if the aircraft had one engine system,” says Dick Bregard, Aerojet’s vice president of Defense Programs. The tests were performed at NASA’s wind tunnel in Langley, Va., with the support of the Air Force Research Laboratory. “We have obtained a wealth of data from this program that will help us confidently develop future combined-cycle propulsion applications for the DoD and NASA,” says David Davis, chief engineer of Aerojet’s inlet team.
CV-22 Milestone. Earlier this month, an Air Force CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft participated for the first time ever in a search-and-recovery mission, the service says. An Osprey assigned to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M., on Oct. 4 flew, along with a pair of HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, and a MC-130P Combat Shadow fixed-wing aircraft, to the site of a downed medical aircraft that crashed in the mountains of southern Colorado. “We knew our piece of this was to get up there as quickly as we could and find the crash site,” says Capt. Scott Gwin, who piloted the CV-22. The Osprey helped to pinpoint the crash site, make visual contact to determine if there was evidence of survivors and then passed the crash coordinates to the HH-60Gs for the recovery. The crash claimed the lives of a nurse, paramedic and pilot of the fallen aircraft. Kirtland has four CV-22s, with plans to add two more by FY ’10. The Air Force is considering accelerating the aircraft’s introduction into Middle East/Near East theater.
Engineering Accolades. Lockheed Martin says it has won two of the five awards bestowed annually by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) on DoD programs for excellence in systems engineering. Lockheed Martin Systems Integration of Owego, N.Y., won for the A-10 Precision Engagement program that modernized the cockpits of A-10 ground- attack aircraft and expanded the platform’s ability to operate with modern precision weapons. Lockheed Martin Mission and Combat Support Solutions of Valley Forge, Pa., was recognized for the Mission Control Segment of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellite program. “We are very pleased to receive two Top 5 DoD Program Awards for the same year,” says Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Bob Stevens. “An award of this magnitude recognizes Lockheed Martin’s commitment to fulfilling the Department of Defense’s most challenging programs. Systems engineering is a core competency of our highly skilled workforce–and it is by their disciplined performance and innovation that our customers define success.” The Air Force was the co-recipient for both awards, which were announced Oct. 24, for the year 2006.
Boxx Retiring. Veteran Lockheed Martin spokesman Dennis Boxx is retiring in April. Boxx held senior communications jobs at Veterans Affairs, DoD, CIA, and NRO before taking the top spokesman job at Lockheed Martin 10 years ago.
On The Prowl. When the Navy began to implement ICAP III onto the EA-6B Prowler, the original plan was to insert it on the entire fleet. But once the decision was made to build the EA-18G Growler, the number of Prowler ICAP III installations fell, Capt. Steve Kochman, Prowler program manger, tells Defense Daily. “We put enough into the system to do the proper risk reduction. Right now we are completing our fifth deployment with ICAP III, so we are learning tremendous lessons. It’s good for the Prowler and good for the Growler.” A total of 15 Prowlers will ultimately get ICAP III, because the Navy is going to take one of the test aircraft and send it out to the fleet, he adds.
…More For The Corps. “Since then, we got supplemental funding in ’07, really to ensure the Marine Corps got what they need. We really wanted to get the Marine Corps to an all ICAP III force as soon as possible,” Kochman says. “So, we got another seven kits that are going on contract and will go out to the Marine Corps.” The Navy expects to receive additional funding in ’08 for another 11 ICAP III kits on top of that, he adds. That will get the Marine Corps up to all of the Prowlers they need, as the Navy transfers its EA-6Bs to the Marine Corps, and the Marine Corps gets planes directly from Northrop Grumman and through the depot, Kochman explains.
Eyes In The Sky. This fall the Navy will deploy Boeing’s ScanEagle UAV for the first time on a cruiser, Vice Adm. David Venlet, Commander, NAVAIR, tells Defense Daily. ScanEagle has been deployed from L-class amphibious ships, Venlet points out. The new deployment will “give that cruiser skipper eyes in the sky over the horizon,” he adds. For example, it will provide a benefit to watching for acts of piracy, Venlet explains. “So instead of having a big expensive L-class ship with a whole air wing and lots of helicopters and Harriers on board, a cruiser will have that capability.”
It’s Official. The Navy, Friday, officially stood up its new PEO Land Systems (PEO LS) at Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va. Delores Etter, ASN RDA, presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony. PEO LS is the Marine Corps’ first PEO and is comprised of eight weapons systems programs. PEO LS is a separate command, reporting directly to the ASN RDA, the Navy says. PEO LS manages a diverse program management portfolio consisting of the Marine Corps’ largest ground modernization program, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle; two command-and-control programs, Common Aviation Command and Control System and Ground-Air Task Oriented Radar; and ground programs such as the Logistics Vehicle System Replacement, Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, Lightweight 155mm Towed Howitzer, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and Light Armored Vehicle Marine Personnel Carrier. The PEO is Col. Bill Taylor. The monetary value of the PEO’s programs across the Future Years Defense Program is about $6.5 billion, the Navy adds.
Fighting Wildfires From Space. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is using its unique expertise to assist in the federal response to the California wildfires. NGA has deployed people to various locations and produced several types of image and map products for use by federal agencies, the agency says. As part of this effort, NGA is using commercial satellite images to produce products that can be given directly to first responders. FEMA asked NGA, the functional manager of GEOINT, to help provide geospatial information that will aid them in supporting the state’s efforts in combating these fires and to assess the scope of damage, NGA adds.
A Lean, Mean Submarine. The Virginia-class program office held a Lean Six Sigma event earlier this month to improve performance and identify, analyze, and eliminate redundancy and waste as the program office moves toward a seven-ship multi-year procurement contract for FY ’09, NAVSEA says. The Rapid Improvement Event (RIE), “Virginia Block III Contracting Process,” was designed to lay out the contracting process for the third procurement of Virginia-class submarines. This process will include designating the steps needed to develop the Procurement Request (PR), the Request for Proposal (RFP) and the requirements for proposal submission, adds NAVSEA. The event provided all parties participating in the Block III submarine procurement a shared understanding of what is needed for a successful and timely contract award.
Take Five. The USNS Robert E. Peary, the fifth ship of an expected class of 14 T-AKE dry cargo-ammunition ships to be built by General Dynamics NASSCO, was launched Saturday at NASSCO’s San Diego shipyard. Although ship launches are usually public events, NASSCO says that due to ongoing fire fighting and necessary recovery efforts in San Diego, the yard and the Navy decided that it is in the best interest to launch the ship without a public christening ceremony. Construction of the Peary began in July 2006. When it is delivered to the Navy next April, the ship’s primary mission will be to deliver more than 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships at sea. It is the fifth ship in Naval service to bear the name of the first man to reach the North Pole, NASSCO adds.
End of An Era. Fabrication of the 28th and last Arleigh Burke Class Aegis Destroyer contracted for Gulf Coast construction began Oct. 18 at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Ingalls Operations shipyard, Pascagoula, Miss., the Navy says. Named for the late Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, DDG-110 is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of FY ’10. DDG-110 will be assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
It’s A….LAV. General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada delivered the first LAV-A2 to the Marine Corps earlier this month, the company reports. The LAV-A2 is an updated version of the Marines’ Light Armored Vehicle. The LAV-A2 is a mobile, agile and survivable system for conducting offensive and defensive operations in support of the Marine Air- Ground Task Force. The eight-wheeled amphibious armored vehicle is equipped with an upgraded suspension, fitted for enhanced armor protection and features an automatic fire suppression system for crew protection, adds GD. In February 2006, General Dynamics was awarded a contract by Marine Corps Systems Command to produce 157 LAV-A2s in six different variants. Variants include LAV-25, anti-tank, command & control, logistics, mortar and NBCRS, GD says.
Fire Control. Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon team completed its 200th live-fire shot last month at the Navy’s Weapons Survivability Laboratory in China Lake, Calif. The live- fire testing enhances aircraft survivability and reduces program risk by providing engineers with reliable data that can be incorporated into the Poseidon’s dry bay fire- protection design, Boeing says. The systems being designed and developed will ensure dry bay fires are automatically detected and suppressed. P-8A fire suppression testing began in April 2005 and will continue through 2009. Full-scale live-fire testing is slated for 2012 using the P-8A static test aircraft, the company adds. The Navy plans to purchase 108 of the long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3C aircraft. The first aircraft will be delivered for flight test in 2009, and IOC is slated for 2013, Boeing notes.
Keep Transforming. NATO Defence Ministers look at ways to ease the growing pressures and the burdens of many missions on allied forces at an Oct. 25 session in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Ministers focused on transformation issues. Force planning procedures, financial arrangements, and reserve forces issues were all debated, the alliance says in a statement. The discussions could be seen at the basis for consultations which will lead to fairer burden sharing. Ministers approve the development of a graduated approach to building up the NATO Response Force (NRF), based on a robust permanent core. They also reaffirm full commitment to the NRF concept and the ability of the NRF to perform the whole spectrum of agreed operational tasks. Ministers also look to the future and exchanged views on modern security issues, the statement says. Missile defence, cyber defence, elements of energy security were identified as issues where important work will be undertaken in preparation for the NATO summit in Bucharest in April next year.
Straight Shot. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) files securities fraud charges against David H. Brooks, former CEO and Chairman of the Board of DHB Industries, Inc., parent of Point Blank body armor–a major supplier to the military and law enforcement. The SEC alleges that Brooks engaged in a pervasive accounting fraud at DHB between 2003 and 2005, violated insider trading laws in 2004, and used millions of dollars in corporate funds to pay personal expenses including luxury cars, jewelry, art, real estate and extravagant vacations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York conducted a parallel investigation and simultaneously announced the filing of charges against Brooks for securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, insider trading, and obstructing the SEC’s investigation, among other charges.
Bulls Eye. Laser Shot Inc. offers a new training capability in partnership with Bohemia Interactive Studio. The partnership has yielded the Personal Weapon Simulation (PWS) version of the Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) software, Laser Shot says in a statement earlier this month. The PWS version is specifically tailored for realistic weapons training simulations–individual or small unit tactical simulations with weapons, or integrated in live-virtual-constructive exercises. PWS provides VBS2 environments with precise laser and live-fire hit detection, multiple shooter hit detection, camera field-of-view vehicle attachments, after action review integration, and more. The VBS2 desktop version has already established a strong reputation as the world’s most fully interactive, commercial-off-the-shelf, three-dimensional training and mission rehearsal software tool. Based on its flexibility and ease of use, enterprise-level VBS2 usage has already been instituted by the U.S. Army Special Forces Command, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Real High Ground. The Army always wants the high ground, and Army Col. Douglas Wheelock is on it. Wheelock is a mission specialist making his first spaceflight aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-120 mission. Wheelock will have boots in space, conducting both of the space walks and robotic-arm operations as part of a 14-day mission to continue building the orbital outpost by adding a U.S. module called Harmony, or Node 2, that will serve as a port for installing more international laboratories. Wheelock is a West Point graduate with a master’s degree from Georgia Tech. He is a dual-rated Master Army Aviator and logged over 2,500 flight hours in 43 different rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. He also is an FAA-rated commercial pilot in single and multi-engine land craft, rotorcraft and gliders.