The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Checking Gates’ List. Defense Secretary Robert Gates tells reporters lawmakers have only acted on two items on his list of FY ’10 Pentagon budget proposals he doesn’t want Congress to change: buying more F-22 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin and continuing to fund a General Electric-Rolls Royce-built second engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. “I’ve indicated to some of the chairmen and the ranking (members) of the committees…issues that I think would be a problem,” Gates says June 30. “I’m not going to detail what that list is but I’ll give you one more example:…(canceling) the vehicle program for Future Combat Systems.” So far, he says, with the House passing the defense authorization bill and the SASC approving its version, “the F-22 and the second engine for the F-35 seem to be about the only main issues where they have gone anywhere different than what we put forward.” He adds he’s a “little” surprised there hasn’t been more Hill opposition to his proposed program cuts.
F-22: Naming Names. The 13 SASC members who support buying seven more F-22s are Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Joseph Lieberman (I/D-Conn.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), David Vitter (R-La.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine). That’s according to the 13-11 rollcall vote in favor of the F-22 purchase held two weeks ago during the committee markup of the FY ’10 defense authorization bill. SASC members who oppose buying the stealth fighters the Pentagon did not request are: Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member John McCain (R-Ariz.), with Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Jim Webb (D-Va.), Claire McCaskill (D- Mo.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.).
Policy Picks. The Defense Policy Board has 11 new members Gates says. They are: Richard Danzig, former Navy secretary and Obama campaign adviser; Chuck Hagel, former GOP Nebraska senator; Robert Kaplan, journalist and Center for a New American Security fellow; Andrew Krepinevich, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments president; Rudy deLeon, former deputy secretary of defense; John Nagl, Center for a New American Security fellow; Sarah Sewall, Harvard University faculty member; Larry Welch, former Air Force chief of staff; Stephen Biddle, Council on Foreign Relations fellow; Robert Gallucci, former assistant secretary of state; and Wendy Sherman, former special advisor to President Clinton. The board gives policy advice to the defense secretary, deputy secretary and under secretary for policy.
The Empire Ship. The future USS New York (LPD-21) put to sea for the first time June 27, transiting down the Mississippi River to conduct builder’s trials, the Navy says. During the four-day trial, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding conducted comprehensive tests intended to demonstrate the performance of the combat and communication systems, propulsion plant, ship handling, damage control capabilities, and auxiliary systems. Major events included full-power demonstrations during ahead and astern maneuvers, main ballasting, steering drills and combat system evolutions–all of which were successful. The ship is expected to conduct acceptance trials in July, followed by delivery to the Navy later this summer. The New York is scheduled for commissioning in November 2009, and her homeport will be Norfolk, Va.
Going Strong. NAVSEA recognized the 1,000th Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (VLA) (ASROC) missile produced June 30 during a ceremony at Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, Inc., in Akron, Ohio, the Navy says. The ASROC VLA is a missile designed to deliver either a Mk46 Mod 5A(SW) or a new MK 54 torpedo to an entry point in the water. It is carried by Navy Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers.
Warning Signs. Alion Science and Technology engineers have developed a visual warning system dubbed the Extended Range Unambiguous Warning System that works at sea or on land. The technology lets security forces project a billboard-sized, warning sign 100 feet off the bow of an oncoming vessel or 100 feet away from an approaching vehicle, Alion says. Alion engineers developed the system under contract to the Coast Guard. The patent-pending technology can clearly project any graphical image in the air, from a stop sign to a written word, the company adds. To warn approaching vessels, a security force can fire a shell containing super-fine salt dust that serves as a rear projection screen. A super- bright projector using a custom lens and mirror system then displays a highly visible image on the dust. To keep the graphical warning visible longer, multiple shells can be fired. The salt dust falls harmlessly into the ocean or on the ground. At night, the effect of the signage is heightened. The technology relies on existing military launchers and shells, which saves the Coast Guard on costs and is quick to deploy and maintain.
New BAE Cyber VP. BAE Systems names John Osterholz vice president to lead its integrated cyberwarfare and cybersecurity business in the U.S. Osterholz will lead the development of solutions to defend infrastructure and government operations from attack over the Internet and to mount cyber counterattacks, the company says. Osterholz previously was BAE’s vice president of advanced network systems. He currently serves as Technical Council chair for the Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to forming an industry-wide technical infrastructure to enable network-centric operations.
New NATO Agency Director. On July 1, Georges D’hollander of Belgium took up the post of General Manager at the NATO Consultation, Command and Control (NC3A) Agency. D’hollander retires as a Belgian army major general to succeed Norway’s Dag Wilhelmsen. NATO’s NC3A is responsible for scientific support and acquisition of consultation, command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. In 2008, the agency procured some $400 million worth of capabilities on behalf of NATO. The Agency also is responsible for developing standards and solutions that allow national systems to interoperate, as well as countering new threats such as improvised explosive devices, missile and cyber defense. D’hollander has experience in both NATO and the C4ISR environments. Between 2002 and 2004 he was chairman of the NATO Army Armaments Group and subsequently director of the NATO Headquarters C3 Staff.
New Directors. CACI International, an information-technology company that does a significant amount of business with the Defense Department, says retired Gen. William Scott Wallace and former Virginia Governor James Gilmore are new members of its board of directors. Wallace retired last year after 39 years in the Army. Gilmore, with a military intelligence background, was Virginia’s governor from 1998 to 2002. CACI’s Chairman J.P. London praises both men’s leadership capabilities and familiarity with such areas as defense, intelligence, homeland security and IT modernization. “We look forward to their contributions in continuing CACI’s growth and success,” London said.
New DARPA Director. The DoD appoints Regina Dugan as the 19th director of DARPA. Prior to this appointment, Dugan held several key positions in industry, most recently as president and chief executive officer of RedXDefense, LLC, which she co-founded in 2005, a company that develops defense against explosive threats. She has also served in senior executive positions in several additional companies in roles ranging from global sales and marketing to research and product development. During her first tour at DARPA from January 1996 to May 2000, Dugan received the program manager of the year award for her leadership of the “Dog’s Nose Program,” which was focused on the development of an advanced, field-portable system for detecting the explosive content of land mines. She is also the recipient of the deFleury Medal, the office of the secretary of defense award for exceptional service, and the award for outstanding achievement.