The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
F-35 Bombing Tests. The Marine F-35B variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is inching closer to in-flight releases of weapons following a recent run of tests that involved dropping inert munitions into a pit. The F-35 integrated test team at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., says that last week it completed multiple tests by dropping the weapons from its internal bay into a foam covered concrete pit. “Completion of these weapons ejections into the pit gets us closer to in-flight release of weapons from the F-35,” says Navy Capt. Erik Etz, director of test and evaluation for F-35 naval variants. “It’s another step in expansion of the F-35’s warfighting capabilities.” The pit drops allow for the measuring of stress on the air frame and evaluation of functions of the weapon and suspension equipment function. Among the weapons dropped were inert versions of the GBU-12 laser-guided bomb, the 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) says.
DDG-111 Ready For Battle. The USS Spruance (DDG-111) guided missile destroyer recently completed post-delivery trials and was determined to be ready for sustained combat operations. The trials off the coast of San Diego from Apr. 10-13 included in-port checks and underway operations. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51) completed a full power demonstration, anchoring, and detect-to-engage exercises against air and underwater targets. “DDG-111 proved her operational worth in a rigorous round of sea trial evolutions, so we know she can perform as designed,” Capt. Mark Vandroff, the DDG-51 program manager, says. The Spruance was commissioned at Naval Air Station Key West Oct. 1 and arrived at Naval Station San Diego later that month.
Latest Aegis BMD certified. The Navy has certified the latest version of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system that includes an improved signal processor for target identification and uses open architecture standards to integrate commercial-off-the-shelf technology, manufacturer Lockheed Martin says. Nick Bucci, the company’s director for BMD development, says the upgrade is the first step toward a fully open architecture systems that eases upgrades. “This milestone represents the continuing evolution of Aegis Combat System capabilities and our commitment to advancing the Aegis system to outpace enemy threats,” Bucci says. The first ship to receive the upgrade will be a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, the USS Shiloh (CG-67).
Goodrich DB-110 Pods. The Air Force awards Goodrich an $183 million firm-fixed-price undefinitized contract action/letter contract to procure DB-110 reconnaissance pods, support equipment and contractor logistic support for the Foreign Military Sales F-15 modernization program, according to a Defense Department statement. Work is to be completed by July 31, 2022 and the location of the performance is Westford, Maine, according to a statement. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity, according to a statement.
U.K. F-35 Flight. The United Kingdom’s first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production aircraft flies its inaugural flight April 13, according to a Lockheed Martin company statement. A Lockheed Martin pilot took the short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, called BK-1, through a series of functional flight checks during a “sortie,” or practice run, that lasted 45 minutes, according to a statement. The U.K. Ministry of Defence will use the BK-1 for training and operational tests at Eglin AFB, Fla., beginning later this year, according to the statement. The STOVL variant of the F-35, the F-35B, is the United States Marine Corps’ variant.
Cyber and Industry. The major technology sector trade associations urge the House to approve a new national cyber defense strategy that includes a balanced threat information sharing system, according to an Information Technology Industry Council statement. Two different cyber security bills have been introduced in the House over the last few months. One, the SECURE IT bill, is based on a companion bill introduced in the Senate, which promotes more sharing of cyber threat data between the federal government and the private sector without adding regulation. The other, the proposed Cyber Security Act, is considered to be light on government regulations, but would allow the Department of Homeland Security to set minimum standards for owners and operators of critical infrastructure to meet for securing their computer networks, although the private sector would be allowed to enforce compliance themselves.
Backup Support. General Dynamics says it’s been awarded a one-year contract with one option year with a potential value of $20.2 million to support the Services Directorate Enterprise Data Center Enterprise Backup, Mainframe and Server Services Program at the Pentagon. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) issued the contract for the Army Information Technology Agency (USAITA). “The armed forces, and the federal government as a whole, are facing strict mandates and requirements related to data center operations and management,” says Zannie Smith, senior vice president of the National and Homeland Security Division for General Dynamics Information Technology. “We understand the importance of streamlining data center infrastructures to address these requirements and meet the goal of cost-effectively improving efficiency and performance.” General Dynamics has supported the USAITA at the Pentagon in multiple facets for more than 15 years.
Pack The Cats. Within 30 days, AeroVironment will deliver RQ-20A Puma AE ™ small unmanned aircraft systems for Afghanistan. The company says it received a firm fixed-price order valued at $20.4 million from the Army for the Pumas back on March 27. The Puma AE systems will provide ISR capabilities for security, route clearance operations and overall battle space awareness for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
…Separate Cats. AeroVironment also says it has produced and delivered its 1,000th Puma AE air vehicle, reflecting strong interest in and demand for the capabilities provided by the Puma AE system. In parallel, the Air Force approved the Mission Design Series designation RQ-20A for the Puma AE UAS. This designation establishes the Puma system alongside AeroVironment’s RQ-11B Raven® system as a designated military aircraft.