The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Stimulating. The proposed $825 billion economic-recovery bill the House Appropriations Committee (HAC) released last week includes no funds for Pentagon weapon systems, which was no surprise on Capitol Hill. The legislation also lacks monies for a Coast Guard icebreaker and commercial-shipbuilding loans, both of which some transportation-minded lawmakers wanted added. The package does call for spending more than $8.4 billion on Department of Defense facilities and $1 billion on Veterans Administration facilities, as well as $350 million for defense research into using renewable energy for weapons and bases. The bill, a combination of $550 billion in spending and $275 billion in tax cuts, is due to be marked up today (Jan. 21) by the HAC.
MDA Remake. The new president’s pick for deputy defense secretary suggested last week he’d support making the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) budgetary, acquisition, testing, and policy processes more open and akin to the military services’. “I think that all our military programs should be managed through those regular” processes, William Lynn said in response to a question from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.). “That would include missile defense. I would think any exceptions should be rare and fully justified.” Lawmakers including Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), head of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, predict such MDA changes will be made in the new administration.
Mayport Muckraking. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) says the Navy’s decision last week to locate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Mayport, Fla., instead of Norfolk, Va., at a cost he pegs at $1 billion, is fiscally unwise considering the service’s procurement needs. “The United States Navy, right now, has put forth a budget that has $4.6 billion in unfunded priorities,” he told nominees for four top Pentagon posts last week. “They have a shipbuilding program that is behind schedule….They have, in my view, a lamentable record over the past several years in terms of their aircraft procurement programs.” The former Navy secretary argues he has not seen a clear strategic justification for the carrier change. Lynn and Michele Flournoy, the nominee for under secretary of defense for policy, told Webb the decision will be reviewed at the senior Pentagon level.
Kerry At Sea. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says ratifying the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty will be a priority of the panel this session. And Hillary Clinton, at her confirmation hearing for the secretary of state post, said entering the United States into the agreement is “long overdue.” “I’ve spoken with some of our naval leaders and they consider themselves to be somewhat disadvantaged by our not having become a party to the Law of the Sea,” she said last week. “Our industrial interests, particularly with seabed mining…there’s nothing that they can do because there’s no protocol that that gives them the opportunity to pursue commercial interests….And I mention it in conjunction with the Arctic because I think they go hand-in-hand, we’ve got to figure out where our boundaries are.”
Maintaining The Organization. Homeland Security Secretary nominee Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-Ariz.) tells a Senate panel that she doesn’t plan on making any major organizational changes to the Department of Homeland Security if confirmed. “My key focus is to make the organization that we have work even better,” she says. In the nearly six- year history of DHS there have already been several reorganizations. Napolitano says these just “interrupt [and] cause delay.” Napolitano appears to believe that at least for now, FEMA should remain within DHS. Some in Congress are calling for FEMA to be pulled from DHS to ensure its mission of aiding localities in the response and recovery from natural disasters doesn’t get overlooked in the department’s focus on securing the nation from potential terrorist attacks. Much of that criticism stems from FEMA’s and the Bush administration’s slow and disorganized response to Hurricane Katrina but Napolitano says that while there is work to be done, FEMA has already made changes. The agency “plays a key role in homeland security,” she adds.
The Need. Producing quality ships on cost and on schedule is a need, CNO Adm. Gary Roughead tells attendees at last weeks SNA symposium. “DDG-1000…[I] did not see that same level of need.” Roughead says it is a matter of questioning what does the warfighter need. “The world has changed markedly,” he adds. Roughead pointed to Hezbollah’s ability to launch anti-ship missiles in its 2006 conflict with Israel. “DDG-1000 did not address these challenges.”
…Going Unmanned. While Roughead notes that the Navy’s LCS is the right capability for the time, he emphasizes the ship’s ability to harness unmanned systems. But, he adds, the Navy needs to overcome some challenges and be clear on requirements for those technologies. “The obstacles to fielding [unmanned systems]…are cultural, not technical. We must get over that.” And unmanned systems must remain as true to their name as possible. “There will be no new design carriers in the UAV program,” he adds.
…Hungry For Fuel. The Navy has been examining operating costs of what it is buying today and 20 years from now, Roughead says. “It scares the heck out of me.” The service created a task force for energy looking at ashore use and tactical use. “We’ve got to get our arms around energy,” Roughead adds.
Marines For LCS. Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway tells attendees at the annual SNA symposium that he likes the large flight deck and big bays on LCS. “We could add 700 Marines or more on one variant [of LCS],” he says. “We think we can rig comfortable arrangements for Marines.” Conway acknowledges he has only seen the General Dynamics variant of LCS. But he cautioned Marine Corps officials that as they look at potential uses for the ship, they shouldn’t “do anything that will add to the cost of LCS.” LCS’ ability to get in close to shore could also provide the Marines with needed surface fire support, Conway notes. “Can we lash rocket pods [onto LCS] to provide interim fires? Quantico is looking at rocket designs.” He adds the Marine Corps continues to search for solutions for naval surface fire support. “[We are doing it] in parallel with the development of LCS.”
…EFV. Conway acknowledges the Marine Corps’ EFV has had reliability problems, but the General Dynamics effort will soon be coming “out of the woods and into the clearing.” He adds, “EFV is critical to who we are and to amphibious operations.”
…Stimulus. In response to a question about recapitalization of the force, Conway says lawmakers have expressed an “interest in what programs we have that could be moved to the left to provide economic stimulus.” Conway adds he has provided a list of programs that includes military construction and recapitalization of the force to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa).
Onward And Upward. NASA and Northrop Grumman unveil the first Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system to be used for environmental science research–a new application for the high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft. They will operate this year under a Space Act Agreement signed in May 2008. The two NASA Global Hawks, among the first seven built in the original ACTD program sponsored by DARPA, were transferred to NASA by the Air Force in 2007. NASA announced plans to use them for missions supporting its Science Mission Directorate and the Earth science community that require high-altitude, long-endurance, long-distance airborne capability. The NASA Global Hawk’s initial Earth science mission will consist of six long-duration flights over the Pacific and Arctic regions in the late spring and early summer of this year. Twelve NASA and NOAA scientific instruments integrated into one of the aircraft will collect atmospheric data while flying through the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.
Early Warning. The Air Force awards Northrop Grumman a contract for the Next Generation Missile Warning Systems, the latest upgrade to their Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system (LAIRCM), which protects aircrews and high value aircraft from shoulder-fired, heat seeking missiles. Under the terms of the contract, the company will deliver NexGen MWS sensors to be integrated into the LAIRCM system. The Next Gen MWS is the first two-color infrared missile warning sensor to be fielded by the Air Force. Northrop Grumman also developed and produces the LAIRCM system. The LAIRCM system is now installed on, and scheduled for installation on several hundred military aircraft to protect over 48 different types of platforms from infrared missile threats. The system functions automatically by detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat, and activating a high-intensity laser-based countermeasure system to track and defeat the missile.
On Course. Lockheed Martin announces the first SBIRS geosynchronous orbit (GEO-1) satellite has entered a major test phase with the latest version of flight software designed to provide highly reliable spacecraft command and control operations. The Air Force SBIRS program is designed to provide early warning of missile launches, and simultaneously support other missions including missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness. The test of the GEO-1 spacecraft, known as Baseline Integrated System Test (BIST), is being conducted at Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. The test will characterize the performance of the integrated satellite and establish a performance baseline prior to entering thermal vacuum testing. Delivery of the final flight software block is planned for February to support thermal vacuum testing, which will validate spacecraft performance at temperature extremes greater than those expected during on-orbit operations. The spacecraft is planned for delivery to the Air Force in early fiscal year 2010 in preparation for launch aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle.
Versatility Forward. The Army needs a versatile force for the future, and Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey says part of that will come with Future Combat Systems capabilities. “We’re trying to figure out how to build the most versatility into our force and there are some commonalities in any type of warfare you have to know where you are, you have to know where your buddies are, know where the enemy is you have to be able to shoot at the enemy before he shoots at you, and hit him. Those are all the things the Future Combat Systems gives us and then you have to be able to protect itself.” At a breakfast last week, Casey says, “I believe that where we’re going with this gives us exactly the capabilities we need for the force I described in the 21st century.”
More Spidey Senses. An ATK-Textron joint venture is expected to receive a contract modification for LRIP of 110-125 Spider Units, spares and logistics support. The $68 million activity will cover 30 months. The Army, Army Contracting Command, Joint Munitions and Lethality Contracting Center, Pictinny Arsenal, N.J., is expected to issue the modification for the area denial system that can be used for offense or defense.
Partner Symposium. Today and tomorrow NATO’s annual Partnership for Peace Symposium winds up two days of discussions on such things as the comprehensive approach, energy security and cyber defense, as well as cooperation between NATO and other international organizations. The second day of the conference focuses on future challenges, defense reform and training. Meeting at the NATO School in Germany, the symposium expects some 250 participants from 57 nations.
New Owner. SCHOTT North America Inc. acquires sole ownership in DiamondView Armor Products LLC (DAP) of Boothwyn, Pa. Effective Jan. 16, the company will be called SCHOTT DiamondView Armor Products (SCHOTT DAP). Before becoming sole owner, DAP was a joint-venture of SCHOTT and Dynamic Defense Holdings, LLC (DDH). SCHOTT DAP produces armor systems primarily used in defense applications for protection against blasts and projectiles. The company will continue to develop and manufacture transparent and opaque armor systems for personal, structural, and vehicular protection. “SCHOTT DAP is well positioned to become a market-leader in glass-ceramic armor systems,” Scott Custer, the newly appointed president and CEO of SCHOTT DAP, says.
Staying On. Navy acquisition chief Sean Stackley will stay on when the new administration takes over Jan. 20, says Navy Secretary Donald Winter. Winter issued a memo last week noting which Navy officials were going to remain. Should Stackley decide to depart before a replacement is nominated, James Thomsen, principal civilian deputy ASN and first assistant to ASN RDA, will become acting ASN RDA, Winter notes.