The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Fixing Contracts. As pressure increases in Washington for the government to enter into more fixed-price deals with defense firms, Shay Assad, Pentagon director of defense procurement and acquisition policy, tells lawmakers about benefits of slightly different arrangements: fixed-price-incentive contracts that are redeterminable. “When we get fixed-price contracts, we need more audit assistance because at that point once we decide on what the price is, there is no more recourse for the taxpayers,” Assad says Oct. 15. “We’re going to pay that price. And if there is a disparity between what we’ve agreed to and the value we’re getting, the taxpayer has no recourse.”
…Redeterminable Route. Assad adds: “In redeterminable type of contract, on the other hand, if there is some incentive for the contractor to actually under-run the contract, yes, it does require post-contract award administration. But, in fact, the taxpayer is going to get a little of that money back.” While there is “certainly a desire for the (Defense) Department to move to fixed-price contracting when we can,” he adds, “in those instances where we’re not satisfied that the fixed price is going to, in fact, provide value to the taxpayers, we’re going to revert to a fixed-price-incentive contract where it’s redeterminable. It says, look, we’re just not happy that we’re getting a good deal for the taxpayers. So we’re going to establish a ceiling price. And then underneath that price we’re going to share in it.”
Bound For Islamabad. Lockheed Martin unveiled the first of 18 new F-16s being produced for Pakistan in ceremonies last week at its Fort Worth, Texas, facility. Air Chief Marshal Rao Quamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, accepted the first F-16 Block 52 aircraft. Also present were Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, and other senior officials. The U.S. government was represented by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. The delivery raises the total number of F-16s received by Pakistan to 54. The Pakistan Air Force received its first F-16, in the Block 15 F-16A/B configuration, in 1982. The Peace Drive I order is for 12 F-16Cs and six F- 16Ds, all powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine. The first aircraft–a two-seat F-16D model–will be delivered in December, with the remainder following in 2010.
WGS To Launch. Boeing announced last week that the third Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite built for the Air Force was shipped on Sept. 28 to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., where it will be tested and prepared for a November launch. WGS-3 completes the initial constellation of three WGS satellites, which will provide high-capacity X- band and Ka-band communications to U.S. forces and allies. WGS-1 has been in operation over the Pacific since April 2008, and WGS-2 has been operating over the Middle East since August 2009. WGS-3 was flown on an Air Force C-5 transport from Boeing’s Satellite Development Center in El Segundo to Cape Canaveral last month. Before being shipped, WGS-3 completed mission assurance reviews and factory tests that simulated the stress of the satellite’s mission. The satellite successfully completed vibration tests and thermal vacuum tests. The vibration tests replicated the stresses of launch. Thermal vacuum tests were conducted in an airless chamber, with the satellite operating at full power, and subjected to extremes of heat and cold to simulate the working conditions it will experience in space, according to a company statement. At Cape Canaveral, WGS-3 will undergo about six weeks of prelaunch testing and processing, including fueling, encapsulation inside the launch vehicle fairing, and integration with the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV launch vehicle. Boeing built two previous WGS satellites and is currently building three more for the Air Force. WGS-3 is the final satellite in the Block I series. Three Block II satellites are planned for launch in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Humming Along. The Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned helicopter successfully completed 20 test flights from Aug. 31 to Oct. 8 with the Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER). The tests, conducted at Fort Stewart, Ga., validated the radar-carrying A160T’s flight characteristics with more than 50 hours of flying time. FORESTER is being developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Army to provide enhanced coverage of moving vehicles and dismounted troops under foliage, filling the current surveillance gap. The Fort Stewart tests were conducted under a contract with DARPA. The 53 flight hours at Fort Stewart pushed the total flight hours for the A160T past the 220-hour mark. The A160T is a turbine-powered unmanned helicopter that can perform numerous missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications, and precision resupply. It holds the world record for endurance for its class (more than 18 hours unrefueled), can hover at 20,000 feet and can carry up to 2,500 pounds of cargo, according to the company. The Hummingbird was also one of the aircraft selected to participate in the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory’s Immediate Cargo Unmanned Aerial System Demonstration Program.
Piling The Savings On. Initial testing of NAVSEA’s Combustion Trim Loop initiative concluded Oct. 9 aboard the USS Peleliu (LHA-5) in San Diego. The initiative improves boiler efficiencies used to propel the ship by automatically controlling trim air, NAVSEA says. The successful testing is part of NAVSEA’s Fleet Readiness Research & Development Program (FRR&DP) and is expected to realize more than $3.6 million in annual cost avoidance. The ship will undergo follow-on testing and an evaluation period that will continue through the third quarter of FY ’10. Fuel savings validation data will be compiled from the evaluation period and presented to sponsors for possible fleet implementation shortly thereafter, NAVSEA adds. The savings translate into a projected fuel avoidance of 3,066 barrels of fuel per year/ship, it says.
Freedom Takes Her Shots. The first LCS Surface Warfare (SUW) Gun Mission Module structural test firing on USS Freedom (LCS-1) was successfully conducted Sept. 22-25, the Navy reports. During this same period, NSWC Dahlgren engineers worked closely with sailors in Freedom‘s SUW detachment to complete a gun mission module end-to-end test event. Both tests were conducted during at-sea operations off of the Virginia coast, the Navy says. The structural test firing validated both the gun mission module and the ship’s ability to withstand the intense stresses caused by repeated firing of the 30mm gun system, the service adds. The end-to-end test validated the ability to coordinate gun targeting with LCS seaframe combat system. Sailors assigned to the LCS class squadron’s SUW mission package detachment operated and maintained the 30mm gun modules during the test period. The SUW mission package detachment sailors conducted SUW gun missions; validated operational and maintenance procedures; and collected technical performance measure data. Another major component of the SUW mission package, the NLOS-LS medium range surface-to-surface missile module, is scheduled to begin at-sea testing in 2012, the Navy says.
In The Water. The Partial Air Cushion Supported CATamaran (PACSCAT) Innovative Solution Demonstrator Craft (ISDC) entered the water near Southhampton, U.K., for the first time and will shortly commence rigorous sea trials. QinetiQ was awarded the contract to manage the design and build of the vessel and then conduct a series of evaluation trials in September 2007, the company says. The high speed, all aluminium PACSCAT ISDC vessel is propelled by twin waterjets, driven by MTU Diesel engines and is designed to test at full scale the hydrodynamics of the PACSCAT hullform and to investigate its feasibility to deliver significantly faster speeds than traditional landing craft, QinetiQ adds. The original fast landing craft design requirement was to accommodate up to five Viking armored fighting vehicles. It is intended to off-load front line vehicles and troops from Royal Navy amphibious ships to the beach and is in response to the MoD’s requirement to launch rapid and effective amphibious operations from over the horizon.
…Contract Management. QinetiQ is contracted by the MoD’s Defence Technology Innovation Centre to manage the procurement of the demonstrator vessel, act as the design authority and to manage the all important safety process and trials program. QinetiQ then invited competitive bids from companies in the shipbuilding sector to bring a broad mix of experience to the project. Griffon Hoverwork Ltd, the world leader in hovercraft construction, led the construction team and are also fitting out the vessel. They joined with Aluminium Shipbuilders Ltd. for the hull construction; BMT Nigel Gee Ltd. provided the detailed design; and BMT Marine Projects Ltd. undertook project management support for Griffon Hoverwork Ltd.
LCS Lead Ship Costs. Rear Adm. William Landay, PEO Ships, tells reporters this month that the price for Lockheed Martin’s USS Freedom (LCS-1) is right around $637 million. The Navy has taken delivery of the ship and is planning to deploy it in 2010, two years ahead of schedule. The FY ’10 budget documents show General Dynamics’ Independence (LCS-2) with a price tag of $704 million. “It’s a pretty reasonable number for it,” Landay says. “$704 million is the estimate of completion. Right now, we think our numbers are pretty solid.” The Navy plans to release cost figures for LCS-3 and -4 within the next two to three weeks, Landay added.
…Follow-On Ships Price Tag. LCS-3 and -4 were a convoluted process, Landay says. “There was the cost of the ship…there was GFE and stuff we called government furnished property. Remember, we were putting into LCS-3 and -4 things we brought from the first LCS-3 and -4,” he notes. “So when you look at how you address the answer…what is the cost of that ship is going to be, you have to be able to lay that out in such a way that I make it clear…what was the contract price, what part of that contract price was the recurring cost of the ship, without doing it in such a way that I release information that is still sensitive to the companies.” So the Navy is vetting all the data to ensure no sensitive or proprietary information is released, Landay adds.
Just When You Got It. The way the government describes its across the board effort to tackle tough challenges has been called the “whole of government” approach. Now that you’ve got a handle on what that means, it’s time for a change. U.S. Joint Forces Command Rear Adm. Dan Davenport, J-9 director, says it’s no longer adequate. The new phrase is “whole of nation” approach. This allows you “to incorporate academia, industry and other elements,” he says in a recent briefing.
NORAD Change. Air Force officials last week announced the commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Command Region-1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) will be reassigned to United States Central Command. Maj. Gen. Henry Morrow will serve as the United States Defense Representative, U.S. Liaison Office, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Maj. Gen. Garry Dean will move to the Morrow’s slot. Dean is currently assigned to the Pentagon as Deputy Inspector General. The official change of command ceremony is scheduled to take place Nov. 12.
Raytheon Goes Disney. Raytheon unveils a new Ride at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort. Called Sum of all Thrills, guests custom-design their own thrill ride using math tools, an innovative touch-screen table and a robotic simulator. The ride is Raytheon’s latest effort to help educate and inspire students about the power of math. Guests choose a ride theme, including a roller coaster, bobsled or jet plane. Using multi-touch, object recognition tables with instructions available in six languages, guests then use math and engineering based tools to design and customize their ride by adding corkscrews, inversions or steep hills. Guests learn and apply math and engineering principles to determine how much energy is needed for a jet to take off or for a roller coaster or bobsled to make it up its first climb. When the design is complete, it’s saved on a personal card with a unique code, then used to allow each guest to experience the ride on the robotic KUKA RoboSim 4-D simulator. Raytheon also unveiled a virtual Sum of All Thrills experience on-line at MathMovesU.com. Aimed at middle school students, it combines the three ride elements of the theme park experience into one multidimensional ride.
Army Support. Northrop Grumman will support the Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization (USASATMO) under a five-year, $140 million ceiling value, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity. It is the prime contractor, partnered with System Studies and Simulations, Huntsville, Ala. USASATMO deploys and sustains security assistance teams in support of U.S. foreign policy and national interests. Teams are organized to support mobile training, extended training service and technical assistance. The teams provide technical and training support as well as assistance to foreign military forces using equipment and technology supplied by the United States.
Falcon Radios. The Army awards a $419 million contract to Harris Corp. to supply Falcon III* AN/PRC-117G multiband tactical manpack radios and vehicular power-amplifier adapter systems. The initial delivery order under the contract is valued at $165 million for manpack and vehicular radio systems and support services. Radio systems from this order will be deployed by the Army for missions worldwide to provide next-generation, high-speed tactical satellite and voice-and-data communications.
Speeding Up. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.’s X2 Technology(TM) demonstrator achieves a maximum speed of 106 knots in a recent test flight at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center. The X2 Technology demonstrator combines an integrated suite of technologies intended to advance the state-of-the-art, counter-rotating coaxial rotor helicopter. It is designed to demonstrate that a helicopter can cruise comfortably at 250 knots while retaining such desirable attributes as excellent low-speed handling, efficient hovering, and a seamless and simple transition to high speed. The X2 Technology program began in 2005 when Sikorsky first committed resources and full funding for the program’s development.
Strategic Partners. Flint Hills Solutions (FHS) and Guided Systems Technologies (GST) announce a strategic partnership. Under the partnership, Guided Systems will provide turnkey Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) integrated with the Guided Systems Adaptive Neural Network technology and Flint Hills Solution will provide UAS Advanced Miniaturization Electronics technology, payload integration and emergency response services to the Public Use and Commercial Market. Working together, GS and FHS announce the ability to design, produce, test, deliver, train and support advanced VTOL UAS systems to and emerging $8 billion a year market. Flint Hills Solutions has offices in Augusta, Atlanta and Salina, Kan.; Guided Systems is located near Atlanta, Ga.
SAIC In Acquiring Mode. SAIC’s new CEO Walt Havenstein plans to accelerate the company’s acquisition activity given its $3 billion available to make deals, Stephens Inc. defense and security analyst Tim Quillin says in a note about the company’s recent analyst meeting. Quillin says the acquisition strategy isn’t “clearly defined, but could include product-focused companies and will likely be within seven focus areas (C4, ISR, cyber, CBRNE/homeland security, energy, logistics and health).” He adds that Ken Dahlberg, SAIC’s former CEO who remains chairman, did a good job the past few years making the company a more “unified organization.”
Touching the Bases. Saying all the right things, Erroll Southers, President Obama’s nominee to run the Transportation Security Administration, managed his way through his Senate confirmation hearing last week. Southers, who is in charge of homeland security and intelligence for the Los Angeles World Airports authority, says he understands the challenges of the Transportation Security Officers and sees the “great work” they do every day. He also spoke of his need to work closely with Congress and recognizes the need to improve the security of surface transportation assets while maintaining a focus on aviation security.