The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Happy to be in Homeland. The budget crunch and the possibility of a sequestration measure kicking in that would drastically hit Pentagon funding makes the Coast Guard happy it lives in the Department of Homeland Security. “For years people have said, ‘don’t you wish you were in the Department of Defense budget?’ This is one year where I say definitely not,” jokes Adm. Robert Papp, the Coast Guard commandant, at a Navy League gathering Friday. But things aren’t all that rosy. Papp says the White House’s Office of Budget Management recently outlined what the service’s budget may look like in fiscal 2013. Without going into details, Papp says, “It’s not terrible. That’s about the best compliment I can give it.”
NAVSEA extends work on CEC. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has given Raytheon a $67.4-million contract modification for design and engineering of the Cooperative Engagement Capabilities program. CEC fuses sensors aboard a host of platforms to present a real time data picture of the battle space to improve firing capability. CEC is designed to enhance situational awareness to enable longer range and layered engagement tactics.
Option on ScanEagle UAV. The Navy last week awarded Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, an $11.9 million contract for operational and maintenance services for ScanEagle, an unmanned aerial vehicle that provides electro-optical/infrared and mid-wave infrared imagery reconnaissance for Marines in Afghanistan. The work is expected to be completed by January.
Iraqi Ship Repair facility. The Navy has completed work on an Iraqi ship repair facility in Umm Qasr in an effort to help the country build and sustain naval readiness, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) says. The facility opened on Thursday and will be managed and staffed by the Iraqi Navy with assistance from its American counterparts, NAVSEA says. NAVSEA began work on repair center in 2010.
Ship Self-Defense Extended. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has awarded Raytheon a $7.2 million contract extension for fiscal 2012 for engineering work on the Ship Self Defense System (SSDS). SSDS is a combat system that integrates and coordinates sensors and weapon systems onboard ships.
New Helos. Bell Helicopter delivers two Bell 412s to the Sri Lankan air force during ceremonies at its Piney Flats, Tenn., plant. “We’ve had a strong partnership with the Sri Lanka Air Force for more than 40 years,” says Larry Roberts, senior vice president for Bell Helicopter’s Commercial Business. “This is a great day for Bell Helicopter as we continue to celebrate this relationship,” he says. Attending the Dec.1 ceremony and accepting the keys to the new Bell 412s was Air Marshall H.D. Abeywickrema representing the Sri Lanka Air Force. The Sri Lanka military operates a large fleet of helicopters in Sri Lanka with the majority of them being Bell Helicopter products.
Governors Approve. The nation’s governors applaud passage of the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2012. It includes two top priorities for governors: codifying the role of a Dual Status Commander during an emergency response to a natural disaster and giving the National Guard a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Nothing is more important to governors than protecting the people of our states,” says Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), co-chair of the Council of Governors (COG). “We have worked closely with federal officials to ensure that in times of need, governors can respond quickly, effectively and in coordination to ensure immediate response. A Dual Status Commander is key to this effort.” Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D), co-chair of the COG, says: “Ensuring unity of effort during complex emergency responses is imperative to ensuring a rapid and effective disaster response.” The legislation also gives the National Guard Chief a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, giving civilian leaders direct access to information on the Guard’s domestic-response capabilities and expertise.
Survivability Focus. There’s a strong focus on saving lives at Oshkosh Defense, says Executive Vice President and President John Urias in an interview. The company gets letters almost every day from a family member, saying they just want the company to know that “their son or daughter or relative was driving in one of your M-ATVs and encountered an IED and walked away from the explosion because of the tremendous expertise that went into developing, producing and fielding of the vehicle and its survivability factors,” he says. “The workforce understands without any doubt, that what they do every day directly impacts, positively impacts the survivability of the warfighter that’s in harm’s way. There’s great pride here in supporting the warfighter directly.”
…Tight Focus. The squeeze on defense budget means even more tightly focused research and development, Urias says, “I think we will still have a robust R&D program in Oshkosh (Defense), but we’re going to be very focused and very deliberate in what we do. It all depends on our ability to ascertain what the government really needs and where the government is going from a requirements standpoint. That’s a challenge for industry at large.”