The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Bird’s Eye View. The Navy’s intellience shop is working a new slate of tactics, techniques and procedures on the MQ-8 Fire Scout focusing on counterpiracy operations, says the one-star admiral in charge of that directorate. Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in the Navy’s information dominance shop (N2/N6), says Fire Scouts stationed in Bahrain with 5th Fleet have already conducted a number of ISR missions in support of coalition-led counterpiracy operations. “The coalition folks working counterpiracy have been very pleased with the ability for this [system],” Klunder says. “When you have that [UAS] sitting on top of whatever ship it is and the pirates do not know it is there, and you find out exactly where they are going, that can greatly assist in rescue operations.”
Going The Distance. The new early-warning capability from the E2-D Advanced Hawkeye, combined with advanced fire support from Navy warships, were two “pretty significant” factors in the Navy’s decision to drop the 25 nautical mile requirement down to 12 on its new Amphibious Combat Vehicle program, says Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead. The mine warfare and anti-submarine assets that the Littoral Combat Ship brings, once fully deployed, will also allow Marines to deploy closer to shore, the CNO says. “The capabilities we have been working on over the past couple of years give us the ability to move that battlespace in, where and when we have to,” he adds.
Ramping Up. A prototype of the Navy’s next-generation unmanned aircraft completed its second test flight this week, with the first phase of testing to wrap up no later than today says the Navy’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance chief. Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, head of the ISR division in the Navy’s information dominance shop (N2/N6), says the UCAS-D test plane finished the second of three scheduled flights last Tuesday at Edwards AFB, Calif. Once that first phase is done, Navy officials will do some final maintenance work and ship the plane to Naval Air Station Patuxet River, Md. “We have had no issues right now [and] everything has been in a nice, normal range,” Klunder says. The UCAS-D’s first test flight was on Feb. 5. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor on the program.
Netwarriors. Students at the 39th Information Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., this month began the first intermediate network warfare training, the Air Force says. The 42-day course features a syllabus geared to the needs of cyberoperators in the field, says 1st Lt. Michelle Buchholtz, the instructor. “Students learn advanced cyberoperations fundamentals including policy, doctrine, employment, executing organizations and missions, operational functions, and law and ethics,” says Buchholtz. The course is designed to provide network-warfare-operations initial qualification training for cyberoperators to become cyberspace basic-mission qualified.
Sitting Pretty. BAE Systems has received an $8.4 million Air Force contract to provide crashworthy seats for C-130 aircraft. The specially designed seats will help protect crewmembers in the event of mishaps or hard landings. The company will develop, test and install as many as 88 seat systems to enhance the survivability of the crew during normal, emergency and combat operations. The contract was awarded by the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins AFB, Ga. The work will be conducted at BAE operations in Crestview, Fla.; Mojave, Calif.; and Phoenix, Ariz.
C-17 Ops Down Under. The Australian Defence Materiel Organisation has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to provide integrated airfield and asset protection solutions for the Royal Australian Air Force C-17 fleet. The company is to deliver its Expeditionary Tactical Automated Security System (ExTASS) for the protection of the Australian C-17s while at home air stations and during expeditionary operations. ExTASS is an implementation of the Tactical Automated Security System (TASS), deployed at more than 100 sites worldwide by the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. The system provides for real-time detection and assessment of intrusions, thus allowing immediate coordination of appropriate response.
Plug and Play. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says that one characteristic of any proposal it receives for its new border security technology plan in Arizona that will be “highly valued” is technology that is “plug and play.” The agency is trying to be clear up front about its open systems architecture with the technology plan following difficulties with the virtual fence portion of the Secure Border Initiative, where “plug and play” never lived up to the expectations created by industry. According to a briefing slide from CBP’s Industry Day last month on the Southwest Border Technology plan, the working definition of plug and play is: “provides adequate interface definition to enable swapout of major system components (hardware and software), assuming they meet the interface requirements, without any effort or involvement by the original contractor or any other integrator.”
…Ready to Go. CBP says that while the technologies it buys for the Arizona border security program don’t have to be commercial off the shelf or government off the shelf, they at least “almost” have to be. “If it’s not ready, we won’t buy it,” says one of the Industry Day briefing slides. Again, the agency is trying to be loud and clear about what it expects vendors to offer and deliver. The contracting type will be fixed price and “If you don’t know the price, we won’t buy it,” CBP says. “Industry has assured us the systems we desire already exist and are available. We’ll give industry the chance to prove it. We will be ready, willing, and able to ‘Terminate for Default’ if necessary.”
…Team. CBP also says that in its review of different systems and technologies that it has seen “interesting pieces and parts that could make high-performing ‘wholes.'” So “consider partnerships,” the agency tells industry. The systems and technologies that CBP is interested in under its new plan include integrated Fixed Towers, Remote Video Surveillance Systems, Mobile Surveillance Systems, Mobile Video Surveillance Systems, unattended ground sensors, thermal imaging devices and agent portable surveillance systems.
New Info. The Army says Lt. Gen. Susan Lawrence is the new Chief Information Officer/G-6 and will oversee a $10 billion IT annual budget. “Right now, the network is the Army’s number one modernization effort,” says Lawrence. “We want a network that can provide Soldiers and civilians information of all categories and forms, as well as a means to collaborate in real-time, at the exact moment required, in any environment, under all circumstances.” Lawrence recently served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Signal Command (Army), Ft. Huachuca, Ariz.
Exploring Opportunities. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. says it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australian aviation searchlight innovator Trakka Corp., to jointly explore manufacturing opportunities in support of H-60 Seahawk and Black Hawk helicopters. Al Altieri, Sikorsky vice president of supply chain management, says: “The MoU could lead to Sikorsky sourcing Trakka searchlight products as part of our global supply chain for Sikorsky Seahawk and Black Hawk helicopters worldwide.” The agreement was signed during the Avalon 2011 Australian International Airshow. Peter Rudaizky, managing director of Trakka Corp., says: “With our new service facility now up and running in the U.S., we look forward to a long and productive relationship with one of the best-known helicopter manufacturing companies in the world.”
Education Fellowship. Three officers are among the executives to receive fellowships to attend the Broad Superintendents Academy, to prepare to lead urban public school systems. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Oates, who retired Friday after more than 30 years, handing over the reins from his post as JIEDDO director, Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark Brown, comptroller and chief financial officer for the strategic transportation mission at Air Force Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill., and Army Col. Rick Richardson, chief of plans division, European Plans and Operations Center for U.S. European Command. “By participating in The Broad Superintendents Academy, these military officers have made a commitment to continue giving back to their country after their military service is over by taking on a new, critical challenge,” says Marc Terry, recruiting director for The Broad Superintendents Academy.
Global HETs. The Al Jaber Group, a private, multi-faceted group of Abu Dhabi-based companies, chooses Oshkosh Defense to provide the Global Heavy Equipment Transport (HET) vehicle to support United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Oshkosh will fulfill Al Jaber’s initial purchase of Global HETs by early 2012. “Our goal is to provide the UAE with the world’s most powerful military vehicles as part of an overall logistics and fleet management solution,” says Obaid Khaleefa Jaber Al Murri, chairman, Al Jaber Group. “Our focus is on quality and long-term performance, and Oshkosh was the clear choice.” Working closely with the Al Jaber Group, the new Global HET was designed to meet the requirements of the UAE Armed Forces and was rigorously tested and evaluated in extreme desert conditions. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
More Products. Rockwell Collins and DRS Defense Solutions join the growing list of companies with C4ISR products integrated into Lockheed Martin’s Airborne Multi-Intelligence Laboratory, or AML. The AML is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance test bed developed to help customers experiment with and validate how intelligence sensors and systems interact, and how to best apply them in military and non-military markets. “The AML has an architecture that allows us to easily integrate new capabilities,” says Jim Quinn, vice president with Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense. “This gives us the flexibility to exploit multiple intelligence sensor combinations to address the needs of many different customers. One day we can test radar for a military customer; then reconfigure the platform to fly a pipeline survey experiment.” A modified Gulfstream III business jet and the AML’s open, “plug-and-play” architecture allows various sensors and systems to be rapidly integrated into the aircraft with minimal development time.
Crisis Exercise. NATO plans its annual Crisis Management Exercise (CMX) March 23-30. The exercise is designed to practice alliance crisis management procedures at the strategic political level. It will involve civilian and military staff in allied capitals, NATO headquarters and both strategic commands. No forces will actually deploy for the exercise. All 28 NATO allies are involved in the planning of CMX 2011. In addition, because the exercise will be set in the Northern Euro-Atlantic area, Finland and Sweden have been invited to be involved in this exercise, and staffs from the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been asked to observe relevant aspects of the exercise.
Unified Vision. Following a recent historic first meeting between astronaut Buzz Aldrin and astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, the two last week reveal a joint effort “to better mankind’s future in space.” The newly paired world leaders in space science say their collaboration “seeks to define and obtain a Unified Space Vision that will continue the expansion of a human presence in space and ensure the perpetuation of the species. Unfolding this vision,” the joint statement says, “is imperative to man’s best management of our home planet and also to prepare eventual existence on habitats within the solar system. This unified vision will encourage global leadership. As nations approach the endeavor jointly, rather than in the competitive playing field of the past, each nation will contribute its own special strengths and resources.” “Our three-hour encounter was of the most wonderful and unusual kind, with a bit of delving into the mysteries of stars,” Aldrin says.
Hedge Pledge. Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, presses Pentagon officials on March 2 for more information on the Pentagon’s so-called hedging strategy for protecting the homeland under its Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA) to European missile defense, which he thinks may be insufficient. The strategy calls for maintaining a two-stage ground-based interceptor (GBI) in the United State in case Iran develops missiles that can reach the United States before the more- advanced land-based SM-3 interceptors debut in Europe around 2020. “I came away from our PAA hearing last December believing that the department’s hedging strategy was hollow,” Turner says at a subcommittee hearing.
..Response. James Miller, the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, tells Turner the Pentagon is “in the process of finalizing and refining its hedging strategy.” He adds: “I understand that we need to explain in more detail and on a detailed time and that we have the specific role of the two-stage GBI. I can tell you it continues to have a critical role in the hedge. And I would just ask your indulgence for several more weeks to come back and give details in a classified setting.”
NASA Dollars. Lawmakers tell NASA Administrator Charles Bolden they are concerned the agency’s proposed fiscal year 2012 budget does not adequately support a new heavy-lift rocket and crew capsule called for in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. The White House’s FY ’12 NASA proposal would spend $2.8 billion on the rocket and capsule, $1.2 billion less than the $4 billion in the authorization law. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science subcommittee, tells Bolden during a March 3 NASA budget hearing: “Your request has certainly sacrificed progress on the development of the Space Launch System and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. The levels provided in your budget for these activities virtually guarantee that NASA won’t have core launch and crew capabilities in place by 2016.”