The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Bombs Away. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta suggests Feb. 17 the next-generation Air Force bomber, which he dubs a budget priority, will be a manned airplane.”They’re going to look at both manned and unmanned capabilities for that, for that bomber in the future,” he says at a town-hall meeting at Barksdale AFB, La. “But…because of the bomber fleet that we have, because of the planes that we have, the likelihood is…we’re going to be running manned bomber raids for a hell of a long time.” Still, he says the military “should be able to try to look at developing that (unmanned) capability for the future if we need it.” He adds: “I’m a believer that you don’t just lock in on one or the other. We ought to have the flexibility to be able to have both of those capabilities for the future. That’ll make us strong on all fronts, if we need it.”
NASA Numbers. NASA is proposing a $17.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2013 that would be a 0.3 percent drop of $59 million below the current level. The space agency’s funding request now before Congress seeks $3 billion to continue developing the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket and the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle crew capsule. The budget proposal also seeks $830 million to spend on President Barack Obama’s controversial commercial spaceflight program, to help commercial companies develop systems to carry astronauts to the International Space System. “This budget provides the funding needed to bring our human space launches back home to the U.S. and get American companies transporting our astronauts once again,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Feb. 13.
HASC’s Speier. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) is the House Armed Services Committee’s newest member, the panel announces Feb. 17. She fills the seat vacated by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). “We have the best military in the world, but we cannot simply spend our way to strength while cutting critical social safety net programs, education, and infrastructure spending,” says the congresswoman whose district includes San Francisco and San Mateo. “I will work with my committee colleagues to root out military waste and inefficiencies while continuing support for our brave military members, their families and our veterans.”
Roughead Move. Retired Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations from 2007 to 2011, is on Northrop Grumman’s board of directors, the Falls Church, Va., company announced Feb. 16. The firm had to increase the size of its board from 12 to 13 members to accommodate the high-profile addition. “Gary Roughead brings to our board a deep understanding of the global security challenges our nation and its allies are facing,” says Wes Bush, Northrop Grumman’s chairman, CEO, and president. “He possesses outstanding leadership experience and expertise, and is an excellent addition to our board as we continue to advance our performance for our shareholders, customers and employees.”
Biofuels v. Ships. During budget testimony last week, Republican lawmakers chastised Navy Secretary Ray Mabus for his promotion of biofuels, accusing him of prioritizing green energy over sustaining shipbuilding. Among them was Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), who says rather than cutting back on the number of ships to be built over the next five years the Navy should instead shift funding away from alternative fuels. “I look again at your priorities, third top priority you have is to have the Navy lead the nation in sustainable energy. You’re not the secretary of the energy. You’re the secretary of the Navy,” Forbes says. Mabus responds that under his watch shipbuilding has rebounded from the decline before his tenure, and notes there were 36 ships under contract last year. “I have made it the priority of this administration to build a fleet,” he says. Later, under questioning from Rep. Michael Conaway (R-Tex.), Mabus defends his interest in biofuels, saying that less dependence on foreign oil is vital for national security. “We would be irresponsible if we did not reduce our dependence on foreign oil and if we did not reduce the price shocks that come with the global” energy market, he says.
Swiss Affirm Gripen. The Swiss Defense Ministry is standing by its decision last year to select Saab’s Gripen as its next fighter jet to replace its F-5 fleet.The ministry released a statement last week saying the Gripen was an “optimal solution” for the Swiss Air Force after an internal government document was apparently leaked to the media suggesting the Swedish fighter jet may not meet all the requirements. The Swiss government announced in November that it had picked the Gripen over the French firm Dassault’s Rafale and a European consortium that was offering Eurofighter.
Mayport Carrier In Limbo. Congressional lawmakers confirmed the Navy’s fiscal 2013 budget proposal released last week contains no funding to continue construction for basing an aircraft carrier at Naval Station Mayport. The Navy announced in 2009 it would homeport a carrier at the Florida base as part of a security strategy to disperse carriers on the East Coast and keep one less in Norfolk, Va. But budget constraints appear to have put those plans on hold for at least the near future.
…Congressional Feud Rekindled. The issue has been behind a long running feud between the Virginia and Florida congressional delegations. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), a former Navy secretary, has been working for years to reverse the Mayport plans and argued the new location for a carrier was not financially sound. “I have never wavered from this position, and the Navy’s homeporting decision affirms the strategic and fiscal logic behind it,” he says. Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), whose district includes Mayport, says the decision to strip funding overlooked the strategic necessity of having a second location. “The only thing that has changed is the budget environment, and I do not believe we should make strategic decisions of this magnitude based purely on budgets,” he says.
Civil UAS In NAS. President Obama last week signed legislation that requires the Transportation Department, in consultation with the aviation industry and federal agencies that “employ” unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), to develop a “comprehensive plan to safely accelerate the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system (NAS).” The plan is due in nine months and is required under an authorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The plan is required to include recommendations on ensuring that civil UAS have a sense and avoid capability, pilot registration and license requirements, standards for operation, a phased-in approach for integrating the UAS into the NAS, and more. The law requires that civil UAS be safely integrated into the NAS by Sept. 30, 2015.
…Pilot Projects. The new law, The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, also requires the FAA administrator to establish pilot projects at six test ranges for integrating UAS into the NAS. The pilot projects, which would be contained as part of a program set up in the next six months, would address civil and public UASs. The test ranges are required to consider different geography and climates and research needs.
…DoD Role. In addition to having a consulting role, the Defense Department plan for integrating civil UAS into the NAS will include a “description and assessment of the progress being made in establishing special use airspace to fill the immediate need of the Department of Defense to develop detection techniques for small unmanned aircraft systems and to validate the sense and avoid capability and operation of unmanned aircraft systems.”
Support More Work. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta makes clear the U.S. is committed to completing the design and development phase of the Medium Extended Air Defense System under development by the U.S., Germany and Italy. MEADS is to provide advanced, mobile, 360 degree, air and missile defense coverage. “We have included in the FY ’13 budget sufficient funds to meet our obligation, and I think that would be far preferable than having us fail and then have to pay a penalty for not fulfilling our commitment,” Panetta says at a press briefing with the German Minister of Defence Thomas de Maiziere. Through an interpreter de Maiziere says, “We both agree on this issue…both our governments agree that unilateral steps to abandon the project would be clearly more expensive than to meet your (U.S.) obligations, obligations that were only made in October of …2011, and maybe there’s an argument that might convince Congress.” Panetta says: “I made clear to the minister that we’re going to do everything possible to work with the Congress to make sure that we are able to get those funds.”
Army Reductions. DoD plans to adjust land forces by 25 percent, or about 30,000, in Europe by 2017. The 170th Brigade Combat Team in Baumholder, Germany will inactivate in October 2012; the 172nd Brigade Combat Team with units in Grafenwoehr, and Schweinfurt, Germany will inactivate by October 2013. As well, about 750 soldiers will be reduced from the V Corps Headquarters structure. Another 2,500 soldiers are expected to be drawn down over the next few years. Since 2006, U.S. Army Europe has closed nearly 100 sites with a replacement value of more than $9 billion, the service says, and in the process of closing another $5 billion worth of infrastructure.
Army Truly ‘Top Brass.’ Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Katkus, Alaskan adjutant general, out-mushes five senior leaders representing all military branches in a three-mile dog sled race to be named “Top brass.” Katkus won the charity sled dog race in Anchorage in a time of 9:28, nearly a minute faster than his competitors, Armed Forces Press Service says. He credits the win to team members Cooper, Eeyore and Lizzy. “This was my first time mushing, but I had a team of veteran dogs in front of me, keeping me on the sled,” he says. ExxonMobil made a $20,000 contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project, as a company “thank you” to the military. The race was part of the 39th annual ExxonMobil Open, honoring Alaska’s official sport, and highlighting institutions that give to the community.
Direct And Secure. ITT Exelis delivers an updated Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Bowman Waveform (JBW) to the JTRS Information Repository as part of a $4.2 million delivery order that also included Soldier Radio–Multifunctional (SR-M) software-defined radios. “This radio-agnostic approach toward waveform development under the JTRS business model provides our government customer greater value and increased competition for radios,” says Ken Peterman, president of the Exelis Communications and Force Protection Systems business area. “At the same time, it also provides greater capability to U.S. and U.K. military forces through interoperability on the battlefield.” The JBW allows U.S. forces to communicate directly and securely with U.K. allies using the Bowman VHF waveform on the battlefield. The SR-M radios delivered to the JTRS PEO will go to the U.K. for JBW assessment and trials.