The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Dem Love. While an array of Republicans blast the Pentagon’s new strategic guidance released Jan. 5, some Democrats, not surprisingly, hail the document that lays the foundation for $487 billion in Pentagon cuts. HASC Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) says the results of the strategic review come at an important time, as Congress has weighed how to make defense spending reductions required by the Budget Control Act of 2011. “I have consistently said that we can rationally evaluate our national security strategy, our defense expenditures, and the current set of missions we ask the military to undertake and come up with a strategy that requires less funding and strengthens national security,” Smith says. “I believe this review provides a framework to achieve that goal.” Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), a HASC member and co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group, says the document released Jan. 5 “appropriately realigns our national security strategy to focus on the critically important Asia-Pacific region.” Such an increased emphasis on that region would help northwest Washington, which is home to Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Sequester Stance. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) uses the announcement of the strategy review to emphasize his desire to prevent $600 billion in additional “sequestration” defense budget cuts triggered by a congressional panel’s failure to agree on a deficit-reduction plan. He is working with GOP senators including Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and John McCain (Ariz.) on legislation to do just that. He details in a statement Jan. 5 what he dubs “areas to explore” for future defense savings, including reforms to weapons procurement. “Cost-plus contracts should be scuttled when it comes to major weapons systems,” he says. “It’s a system only the government would love–the longer it takes, the more it costs, the more the contractor makes. This unsustainable system isn’t fair to the taxpayers and demands congressional reform.” He also calls for reforms to personnel costs and the contractor force. McCain, meanwhile, calls during this time of budget deliberations for tackling the “the waste, inefficiency, and ineffective programs that result from an overly consolidated military-industrial-congressional complex.” He cites cost overruns with weapons programs, congressional earmarks, and pork-barrel spending, and also calls for identifying greater efficiencies.
British Invasion. British Defense Secretary Phillip Hammond talks to U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Jan. 5 about the defense strategy. The British also are under tight budget constraints, and plan to cut 8 percent of their $59 billion annual defense budget over the next four years, according to the American Forces Press Service. Hammond and Panetta signed a “Statement of Intent on Carrier Cooperation and Maritime Power Projection” that is intended to serve as a framework for increased cooperation with and interoperability of aircraft carriers. The plan also calls for the U.S. Navy to assist the Royal Navy in developing its next aircraft carriers, Pentagon spokesman George Little says. Britain is building two carriers slated for 2016 and 2018 entries into the service.
Chinese Reax. China’s official news agency, Xinhua, warns against U.S. “warmongering” in an opinion piece published Jan. 6, in response to President Barack Obama’s unveiling of the new Pentagon strategy. “With the strategy sure to considerably reshape the U.S. defense structure, the United States is welcome to make more contribution to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, but its possible militarism will cause a lot of ill will and meet with strong opposition in the world’s most dynamic region,” the opinion article by Yu Zhixiao says. It says the U.S. role “if fulfilled with a positive attitude and free from a Cold War-style zero-sum mentality, will not only be conducive to regional stability and prosperity, but be good for China, which needs a peaceful environment to continue its economic development.” Yet it warns the United States, as it boosts its military presence in the Asia Pacific, against “flexing its muscles,” which it says “won’t help solve regional disputes.”
Orion On. The Orion crew capsule passes its final water-landing test, NASA and contractor Lockheed Martin say Jan. 6. The testing to certify the spacecraft for water landings began in July 2011, and since then engineers conducted tests at different angles, heights, and pitches to simulate different conditions the capsule could encounter landing in the Pacific Ocean. Last week’s final event was a high-impact test with the capsule traveling at roughly 50 miles per hour before splashing into a basin. “While this type of landing scenario is not likely to occur during actual vehicle operation, the test (is intended to) validate models of how the spacecraft would respond,” NASA says.
Shrinking U.S. presence in Europe? As the Obama administration continues to emphasize a stronger security posture in the Asia-Pacific region, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta suggests that the American footprint in Europe could face further reductions. “The U.S. military’s force posture in Europe will, of necessity, continue to adapt and evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities, particularly in light of the security needs of the continent relative to the emerging strategic priorities that we face elsewhere,” Panetta says, as he rolled out the Pentagon strategic review that accounts for diminished defense spending in the years to come. Panetta emphasized, however, that an altered U.S. deployment will not weaken NATO or Washington’s commitment to the alliance. “We will invest in the shared capabilities and responsibilities of NATO, our most effective military alliance,” he says. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the United States will be in dialogue with NATO about what the new posture means. ”This is not a separation in any way from NATO,” he says.
NATO reacts. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen released a statement shortly after President Obama and Panetta outlined the new security posture. Rasmussen applauds Washington’s continued commitment to the alliance, despite the shifting U.S. focus to the Asia-Pacific region. “In an unpredictable world, the United States’ affirmation that our transatlantic partnership remains indispensable to the security of all allies is key,” he says.
USS Missouri Hits Milestones. The USS Missouri attack submarine reached two key milestones by completing its post-shakedown availability (PSA) sea trials and its extended modernization, the Navy says. The service says the tasks were completed one month ahead of schedule. The General Dynamics Electric Boat-built submarine is expected to move quickly into operations.
Delivering Protection. BAE Systems Land & Armaments says it will provide RG31 and RG32M vehicles to the UAE and Sweden under two contracts valued at more than $150 million. “These awards mark a significant success in our Land business,” says Chris Chambers, vice president and general manager of Tactical Wheeled Vehicles for BAE. “The RG31 and RG32M have consistently delivered superior levels of protection from mines, improvised explosive devices and other threats to many customers world-wide and mark a standard of operational effectiveness.” RG31 is a combat proven mine-protected armored personnel carrier with more than 2,166 delivered. The RG32M in wide use with the Swedish Armed Forces has military and non-military applications.
Affordability Issues. The Army put industry on notice the JLTV engineering and manufacturing development solicitation will be out around Jan 20, and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says there are issues Congress should review. For example, the affordability of JLTV in relation to the Humvee and in the “overall context of an anticipated ‘challenging economic environment.’” Another issue is that while the Army and Marines have dropped some requirements to reduce costs, requirements could be added in future, driving up cost. CRS also points out Congress could consider the new lower JLTV per-vehicle cost target might be close to that of recapitalized Humvees, which brings into question if it is better and more cost effective to procure ‘new’ JLTVs versus ‘old’ recapitalized Humvees.
See Clearly. The Saudi Arabia National Guard is buying AH-64D Apache modernized target acquisition designation sight/pilot’s night vision sensor systems and spares from Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. The company was awarded a $66.6 million contract for the work that will be completed around March 31, 2015.
Building Capacity. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says part of the new strategic guidance is an emphasis on building partner and ally capacity “to more effectively defend their own territory, their own interests, through a better use of diplomacy, development, and security force assistance.” Secreatary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton says Defense and State will continue to work side by side. “As the new strategy notes, meeting our challenges cannot be the work of our military alone. Diplomacy and development are equal partners with defense in our smart power approach to promoting American interests and values abroad, building up our economic prosperity, and protecting our national security,” Clinton said after the president unveiled the new strategy at the Pentagon Thursday.
JSF ‘Slippage.’ U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Philip Hammond says that although he is concerned about “slippage” in the Joint Strike Fighter program causing “impacts on availability and unit costs,” the U.K. remains “committed” to the carrier variant of the F-35. “We are committed to purchasing the carrier variant and the regeneration of the carrier strike force is at the heart of our defense strategy,” Hammond tells the Atlantic Council last week. With tight budgets, Hammond says the British will be “watching very closely” for any movement in unit costs.