The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Supplemental Success. The House and Senate may vote this week on the final compromise version of the FY ’09 supplemental war-funding bill. The $106 billion bill agreed to last Thursday night by a House-Senate conference committee funds eight C-17 cargo planes, the same amount in a previous House-passed bill, and seven C-130 transport aircraft, fewer than the House wanted. The final supplemental includes $313 million for Stryker vehicles, which is $200 million more than the administration’s request but not as generous as the previous House plan. The bill does not specify which varieties of Strykers the Army should buy. The original $113 million request was for six Stryker combat vehicles. The legislation also includes $4.5 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain vehicles, up from the $2.69 billion the White House requested but less than the House previously sought. As expected, the supplemental funds the final four F-22 fighter jets requested by the Pentagon. The bill faces congressional opposition because of matters beyond war funding.
Inouye’s Navy. SAC Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) lists the Navy’s plan to reduce its DDG-1000 destroyer buy to three ships among the defense-program changes that concern him. “We have in Hawaii, for example, a great naval base, and so it is not unanticipated for me to be chatting with admirals and commanders and captains that tell me what a great ship the DDG-1000 is,” he tells reporters after a June 9 hearing of the SAC-D, which he also chairs. Asked if there’s a possibility the DDG-1000 line could be extended beyond the three ships now planned, Inouye says, “Who knows.”
…Message to the Pentagon. Inouye’s comments follow his message to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen during the hearing: “Your decision to terminate the acquisition of the C-17s, the F-22s, the DDG-1000, and the Future Combat Systems vehicles, we have concerns that it may send the wrong signal to our friends and our potential aggressors, that we’re reducing our capability. It may also have a long-term impact on our defense industrial base. It may diminish our capacity to provide deterrence, and reduce our strength that we provide to our allies. We hope that this is not the consequence, but some of us are concerned.”
TSAT Terminations. The Air Force last week announced that it is terminating its Transformational Satellite Communications System Mission Operations System (TMOS) contract with Lockheed Martin. TMOS would have been the ground support infrastructure for the new TSAT communications architecture. The contract was worth over $2 billion. The service also announced termination of a contract for engineering support and integration with Booz Allen Hamilton worth about $20.8 million. Meanwhile, the Air Force plans to allow the competitive risk reduction contracts with Lockheed Martin and Boeing for the satellite segment to run out, which will occur July 7. To date, the Pentagon has spent about $733 million with each company for the work.
Sniping. Lockheed Martin and the Air Force have successfully completed Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) A-10C site activations at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Ariz., and Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, according to a company press statement. Coordinated with the Air Force Precision Attack Systems Project Office and Air Combat Command, Sniper ATP site activation efforts ensure maintainers are prepared to fully support the system in theater and that aircrews are proficient with pod operations and capabilities. “The Sniper ATP represents a significant improvement in combat capability,” says Lt. Col. Michael Millen, commander of the 354th Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan. “With the addition of the Sniper ATP, the A-10C has realized a quantum leap in its ability to locate, identify, track and ultimately defeat targets across the modern battlefield. The A-10C with Sniper ATP is an incredibly lethal combination.” The Sniper ATP provides critical long-range, positive identification of both moving and stationary air and ground targets. It also possesses a video downlink equipped with the widely used Rover ground receiver to relay high-resolution streaming video to forward-deployed forces for non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and rapid target coordination.
SCIF’d. The Bertholf (WMSL-750), the lead ship of the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter (NSC)-class, has the space and weight reserved and the compartment built for a SCIF, Rear Adm. Gary Blore tells Defense Daily. “It started to be outfitted for its brackets, shelving and cabling…but the equipment for the SCIF has not been installed,” he says. “It’s been our intent for the last several years that we were going to work with the Navy on a final SCIF design.” The SCIF, along with TEMPEST testing, has been a point of contention between the Coast Guard and critics of the service’s efforts on Deepwater acquisitions. Blore adds that because the SCIF equipment is really at the leading edge of design, and because of the rapid pace of technology change, the Coast Guard wanted to install the SCIF last. “We haven’t had a SCIF before. The cutter can be fully operational for Coast Guard missions without the SCIF capability, so it made perfectly good sense for us to do the SCIF as an add on…after we start getting the cutter out there on patrols.”
…No Issues. Blore notes the Bertholf can be certified without having the SCIF, a small secured room off the Bertholf’s bridge, operational. The Bertholf has been granted Authority to Operate for its C4ISR systems. “It does have TEMPEST certification and does have authority to operate,” Blore says. “Nothing in the SCIF is operating. If it does have a piece of equipment in there, it has not been energized.” Blore says there is also some confusion that somehow the Bertholf‘s other equipment can’t work without the SCIF. “That’s not true. All the anti-missile defense, fire control radar, regular surface and air search radar, the main weapon, all the communications…Inmarsat, all works without the SCIF.” The SCIF will be fully outfitted next summer during an availability period for the Bertholf, he adds.
…Setting The Record Straight. There is little, if anything, common between the software on the 123-foot Island-class cutters and the software on the NSC, Blore adds. “That’s another urban myth that is out there, that somehow the NSC software and secure communications is just a big 123. That’s not a correct assertion at all,” Blore says. In May 2007, the Coast Guard revoked its earlier acceptance of the eight 123-foot patrol boats previously upgraded and delivered under the Deepwater modernization program, saying the cutters could not meet their performance requirements.
Nothing To See Here. One of the things pointed out in the president’s 60-day cyber review, released on June 1, was the issue of protecting privacy and civil liberties, Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.) tells Defense Daily. “The administration does not want to get into reviewing people’s personal information, so we are going to make sure protecting privacy is a priority.” Additionally, the study called for a partnership between the public and private sectors. During his May 29 speech announcing the study’s roll- out, President Obama made it clear his administration will not dictate security standards for private companies. “One of the things we did in the CSIS report on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency was that we set up and recommended mechanisms by which we would allow the private sector to interact at the highest levels of government…CEO level with the president or cyber security coordinator, there would be chat rooms in a protected environment… anonymous environment,” says Langevin who was a co-chair of the CSIS report. That environment would enable the government and the private sector to talk about various threats so everyone knew what they were, he adds. “They do recognize the importance of working more closely with the private sector, particularly in protecting critical infrastructure and doing it in a collaborative way.”
…Quick Action. The CSIS study also called for an operational component that in the event of a cyber attack the government could move quickly to protect identified critical vulnerabilities, Langevin notes. “There would be a mechanism for allowing that vulnerability to be addressed quickly. I hope that’s the model the administration will use.”
Tow Service. The Marine Corps has awarded Boeing a $5.2 million contract to provide a solution for recovering disabled MRAPs from hostile areas. Boeing and teammate AES will build four Joint Recovery and Distribution System MRAP-Recovery Trailer Systems (JRaDS MRAP-RTS) for functional testing and operational certification. Upon successful completion of the tests, the contract is expected to transition to production, Boeing says. AES designed the trailer’s chassis and suspension system, and will build the initial four trailers at its facility in Houghton, Mich. The trailers are scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2009 for two months of testing before transitioning to the U.S. Army under the JRaDS Joint Capability Technology Demonstration program. The Army will conduct technical demonstrations and operational utility assessments in transportation, recovery and evacuation, and logistics distribution.
In The Spotlight. NSWC Crane’s Strategic Missions Center completed development May 15 of a new testing capability for Continuous Wave Illuminator (CWI) Traveling Wave Tubes (TWT), the Navy reports. The new testing capability at Crane will make CWI TWT testing for the Aegis Weapons System more efficient and manageable. CWI TWTs provide terminal- phase missile guidance for the Aegis Weapons System, primarily for the MK 99 Fire Control System (FCS). The MK 99 FCS loads, launches and guides ship-launched missiles using CWI TWTs to direct and illuminate a missile’s path to its target. As a result, the test capability could expand beyond the Aegis Weapons System to all CWI TWTs supported by Crane, the Navy says.
Preparing To Launch. Delta One, Northrop Grumman’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, arrived last month at NAS Pax River to begin the next phase of testing in preparation for IOT&E, NAVAIR says. Delta One made its maiden flight August 2007 and has spent the last 21 months executing initial flight testing at Northrop Grumman’s St. Augustine, Fla., Manufacturing Center. The E-2D will undergo shore-based carrier suitability testing to evaluate the systems’ handling of catapult shots and arrested landings, and the interoperability between the aircraft and the carrier. Tests will be conducted at the shore-based TC-7 catapult and the MK-7 arresting gear facilities at Pax River, NAVAIR adds.
Jammin’. The Air Force and Raytheon have completed preliminary design review of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer. The MALD-J(TM) adds radar-jamming capability to the basic MALD platform, the company says. “I’ve cleared the MALD-J team to proceed with final design activities and prepare for a critical design review by early 2010,” says Ken Watson, the Air Force’s MALD program manager. MALD is a state-of-the-art, low-cost flight vehicle that is modular, air-launched and programmable. It weighs less than 300 pounds and has a range of approximately 500 nautical miles (about 575 statute miles). MALD-J recently completed captive carry testing. Raytheon is scheduled to conduct a MALD-J free- flight demonstration by late 2009 and begin engineering manufacturing development in 2010. A Milestone C decision–the decision to go into production–is expected in early 2011, the company adds.
Who’s At The Controls? It’s been a busy June for Boeing’s UAV business. The company has submitted its A160T Hummingbird for the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab’s Immediate Cargo Unmanned UAS Demonstration program. Additionally, Boeing is submitting a larger variation of its ScanEagle UAV for the Navy’s STUAS Tier II effort. Boeing submitted its proposal for the unmanned cargo aircraft demo last week and anticipates a decision some time in late July. The demo is designed to show the unmanned cargo aircraft can deliver 2,500 pounds of cargo per day from one simulated forward-operating base to another in fewer than six hours per day for three consecutive days. The demonstration program could lead to future business opportunities, the company says in a statement. Boeing also proposed a 130-pound variant of its ScanEagle UAV for the Navy’s STUAS Tier II. The Navy and Marine Corps are currently using ScanEagle in theater. The original version of the UAS has a takeoff weight of 38 pounds. Even though Boeing is beefing up ScanEagle by almost 100 pounds, a company spokesman says there will be no need to change the launch and recovery system. Boeing and its partner The Insitu Group developed ScanEagle. The Insitu group declined to comment on the heavier version of ScanEagle.
New NRO Director. Retired Air Force Gen. Bruce Carlson has been picked as the 17th director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Carlson served as commander, Air Force Materiel Command, before retiring from active duty on Jan. 1, 2009. His prior assignments include commander, 8th Air Force, and Joint Functional Component Commander for Space and Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command.
Intercept Anniversary. Lockheed Martin celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first successful intercept by the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. On June 10, 1999, a THAAD interceptor successfully hit a missile target over White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Tom McGrath, program manager and vice president for THAAD at Lockheed Martin, says: “Since that time, our mission success continues to speak loudly, as we have seen success-after-success on the THAAD program. I am very excited for our Soldiers, who will take delivery of this incredible missile defense system later this year.”
…HOE Hit. The 25th anniversary of the first hit-to-kill intercept of a ballistic missile target outside the Earth’s atmosphere also came June 10. The Lockheed Martin- developed Homing Overlay Experiment vehicle destroyed a target missile June 10, 1984. The company developed HOE for the Army. “Although it still seems relatively new, Lockheed Martin has been proving that hit-to-kill technology works for decades,” Mike Trotsky, vice president of Air & Missile Defense at Lockheed Martin, says. “And it remains true that pure kinetic energy interceptors, such as THAAD and PAC-3, are the only proven way to defeat today’s most challenging threats facing the Warfighter.”
Successful First Test. Brownells begins delivering on 30-Round magazine contract, just completing the first successful, live fire test of their military contract, M4/M16 magazine with the latest follower design. “The new follower is quite a bit different than the green follower that has been around for many years,” CEO Frank Brownell says. “I’m delighted, and not at all surprised, that our magazine team was able to make a major change and build a mag that ran properly the first time out.” The government’s new follower was designed to increase weapon reliability for the guys and gals who put their lives on the line, everyday, to protect us,” he says. After the test, Brownells delivered the first lot of 60,000 magazines as part of the contract for 1.4 million magazines awarded in March.
Still Flying High. The Air Force’s Defense Support Program Flight 14, built by Northrop Grumman, celebrates its 20th year of on-orbit operations. DSP Flight 14 was launched on June 14, 1989, on a Titan IV launch vehicle. SP Flight 14 is the first of the current generation of highly reliable DSP satellites. The satellites have demonstrated exceptional reliability, providing an extra 178 years of service on-orbit to date. “DSP has provided the nation with robust and reliable early warning and auxiliary mission capabilities for nearly 40 years,” said Fred Ricker, vice president of Military Systems for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems sector. Joseph Ensor, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman’s Space and ISR Systems Div., says the infrared sensor on Flight 14 continues to effectively and reliably support DSP’s primary mission of missile warning after 20 years.
Product Licensing. Textron’s Overwatch Tactical Operations says the Army has purchased an enterprise license for its Analysis and eXploration of Information Sources Professional (AXIS PRO) product. AXIS PRO, a program choice for Forces Command and a cornerstone of the company’s software product line, allows warfighters to fuse complex and diverse data into timely, actionable intelligence in support of current missions worldwide. AXIS PRO 4.1 represents more than four years of development work and provides the Army and Marine Corps stable, dynamic and capable intelligence analysis software. AXIS PRO is in use currently by numerous Army units in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Buying Time. FLIR Systems Inc. says it has acquired the stock of Salvador Imaging Inc., a leading provider of high-performance visible and low light imaging systems, for $13 million cash. Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., Salvador Imaging has a world-wide reputation for supplying innovative low light cameras for many applications. “The acquisition of Salvador Imaging expands FLIR’s capabilities into a market closely related to our core infrared business,” Earl Lewis, president and CEO of FLIR, says. “Salvador’s technology can be integrated into many of our multi-sensor systems for government applications, and has significant potential for standalone applications.”