PreCheck Expansion. The Transportation Security Administration plans to expand its expedited passenger security screening program to 60 more airports by the end of 2013, bringing to 100 the number of airports where pre-approved travelers can participate in the PreCheck program. The program is currently open to select passengers flying on seven airlines with two additional air carriers in the process of establishing the capabilities to participate. Travelers using PreCheck lanes get to leave on their shoes, light outerwear and belt, and keep their laptop in its case and their 3-1-1 compliant liquids in a carry-on bag. The agency this year also plans to introduce a new application program to enable more United States citizens to voluntarily apply to enroll in PreCheck.
Predator over Yosemite. The California Air National Guard and Federal Aviation Administration in August worked together to fly a General Atomics-built MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system over the Yosemite Rim fire in California to help firefighters gain better situational awareness of where and how quickly the fire was moving. The FAA says that once the Air National Guard sent a request to fly the Predator over the fire, it was able to issue an emergency Certificate of Authorization in just a few hours approving the operation. The Predator was used to send real-time images to enable firefighters to slow the advance of the fire.
Mid East Cyber Defense Center. McAfee has launched a new cyber defense center in Dubai, its first in the Middle East. The center was established to combat a wave of advance persistent cyber threats that hit the information technology systems of organizations in the region beginning more than a year ago. McAfee, a subsidiary of Intel Corp., says the new center shows its commitment and support to the Middle East region.
Sub Commissioning. The Navy was to commission the newest Virginia-class (SSN-774) attack submarine during a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. The event will mark the entry of the USS Minnesota (SSN-783) into the Navy’s fleet. The Minnesota, built by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding, is the 10th ship in the Virginia-class. The ship’s sponsor is Ellen Roughead, a native of Minnesota and wife of retired admiral Gary Roughead, the former chief of naval operations. “Minnesota and the success of our Virginia-class submarine program prove that acquisition excellence is a key element of building the future fleet,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus says. The sub is the third ship to be named for the state.
Guiding Bombs. Lockheed Martin laser-guided bomb kits have been have been successfully tested in development exercises at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, Nev. During a two-day period and four missions, the Paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb (DMLGB) was employed on 36 GBU-12F/B bombs and dropped from F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets on fixed targets, the company says. The DMLGBs are designed for precision strike on stationary and moving targets and can operate in laser mode, internal navigation/GPS or both, the company says.
No To VXX Prototypes. The GAO released a report Friday largely upholding the Navy’s decision to waive the competitive prototyping process for the VXX presidential helicopter program. A waiver is required under a 2009 law stipulating the need for competitive prototyping. The GAO report says the Navy adequately analyzed its options in seeking the waiver. One key aspect of it is the Navy’s requirement for the defense industry to use an existing airframe with mature technologies to minimize risk. However, it doesn’t appear there will be much of a competition for the VXX program. Industry was required to submit bids by Aug.1, and only Sikorsky, a division of United Technologies, did so. Boeing and AgustaWestland, a unit of Italy’s Finmeccanica, decided against submitting proposals. Both firms suggested the requirements overly favor Sikorsky.
Raytheon GPS OCX. Raytheon receives interim authorization to test (IATT) security certification from the Air Force for the Global Positioning System (GPS) Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) Launch and Checkout System four months ahead of schedule, according to a company statement. Raytheon receives a one-year certification with no liens, meaning the government does not require any changes. IATT certification enables Raytheon to move to the next stage of testing the Launch and Checkout System in preparation for the first launch of the first GPS III satellite, which is developed by Lockheed Martin.
F-35 Munitions Load. The Air Force performs the first munitions load verification on the service’s F-35A variant Aug. 27 at Eglin AFB, Fla., according to an Air Force statement. The verification means Air Force crews are accurate and effective in loading and unloading laser-guided and Global Positioning System- (GPS) enabled bombs and air-to-air missiles into the weapons bays of the aircraft and ensuring instructions are correct. It also marks the F-35 as one step closer to initial warfighting capability. The F-35 is developed by Lockheed Martin with subcontractors BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman.
Additional A-10 Wings. The Air Force awards Boeing a $212 million follow-on order for 56 replacement A-10 wings, according to a company statement. Boeing is on contract to build up to 242 wings, including these, at its plant in Macon, Ga. As part of this latest agreement, the Air Force has ordered 173 wings. The efforts of Boeing, its suppliers and the Air Force will allow the A-10 fleet to operate into 2035. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is a twin-engine jet designed for close air support of ground forces.
Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic successfully completes the second rocket-powered, supersonic flight of its passenger-carrying reusable space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo (SS2), according to a company statement. In addition to achieving the highest altitude and greatest speed to date, the test flight demonstrates the vehicle’s full technical mission profile in a single flight for the first time, including a high altitude deployment of the unique wing “feathering” re-entry mechanism. All of the test objectives were successfully completed. The flight took place on Sept. 5.
Yearlong Effort. NORAD and the Russian Federation Air Force say their third cooperative live-fire air defense exercise Vigilant Eagle on Aug. 28 was a success. It took a year to plan and set it up. In the exercise scenario, a foreign flagged commercial air carrier on an international flight was seized by terrorists and did not respond to communications. Both RFAF and NORAD launched or diverted fighter aircraft to investigate and follow the commercial carrier. The exercise also focused on a visual hand-off of the aircraft within the same airspace by the participating nations. Maj. Gen. André Viens, NORAD director of Operations, says at an Aug. 29 press conference that the exercise was “successful in achieving all established exercise objectives.” Through an interpreter, Russian Federation Air Force Gen. Maj. Dmitry Viktorovich Gomenkov, commander, Aerospace Defense Brigade, says: “Even though the headquarters are located thousands of kilometers away (from each other). All tasks were performed successfully.”
New Boss. Army Cyber Command hosts its first change of command Sept. 2 at Fort Belvoir, Va. Lt. Gen. Edward Cardon assumed command from Lt. Gen. Rhett Hernandez. Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno thanked Hernandez for his work as the first Cyber Commander. “When the Army first established Army Cyber Command in 2010, we knew that it would need a leader that was capable of shaping this critical force for the challenges that lie ahead. Rhett stood up the command from scratch to the current force of more than 18,000 Soldiers and civilians assigned or operationally controlled by the command. His efforts have set our Army up for long-term success in this critical endeavor.”
First Time. For the first time in the 236 years, the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, or JAG, will be led by a woman: Brig. Gen. Flora Darpino. In a ceremony Sept. 4, she was sworn in by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno. The Army JAG Corps was founded by George Washington, July 29, 1775. The corps was initially composed of Army officers who were lawyers and could provide legal services to the Army at all levels of command. Currently, the corps consists of judge advocates, legal administrators, paralegal non-commissioned officers and junior enlisted personnel and civilian employees.
New Computers For Harrier II Jet Fleet. General Dynamics says that it has been awarded a $6.1 million 18-month contract to update the computer systems on the Navy’s AV-8B Harrier II Jet Fleet. The upgrades support the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) standard set by the Department of Defense in 2010 to promote better interoperability and application use across the military. Under the contract, GD will implement “a common operating environment that supports faster, less expensive integration of common applications,” according to a company release. The company will outfit the aircraft’s mission system computers with a new processor that will reduce lifecycle costs and make adapting new applications simpler.
SAIC DTRA Contract. SAIC says that it will provide logistics services to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) under a $100 million contract. The contract will have a base period of three years with two one-year options. The contract’s services include procurement, shipping, warehousing, international travel support and worldwide operational support. DTRA is the Defense Department’s agency responsible for combating weapons of mass destruction.