Aviation Readiness Hearing. Four military service representatives are slated to testify before the House Armed Services Committee Nov. 9 on the state of aviation readiness. The witnesses will be Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations; Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval Air Forces, Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation; and Maj. Gen. William Gayler, commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker.
Defense Nomination Hearings. The Senate Armed Services Committee plans to hold a Nov. 7 hearing on several nominations, including Robert Behler to be the Pentagon’s director of operational test and evaluation, Thomas Modly to be Navy undersecretary and James Geurts to be assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. The committee intends to hear from several more nominees Nov. 9, including Robert McMahon to be assistant secretary of defense for logistics and materiel readiness and Bruce Jette to be assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology.
Bridenstine Vote. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee plans to vote Nov. 8 on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Rep. Jim Bridentsine (R-Okla.) to be NASA administrator. The committee held a hearing on the nomination Nov. 1, during which Democrats voiced concern about having a politician lead what is supposed to be an apolitical agency.
Rep. Smith Retiring. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), 69, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, says he will not seek re-election in 2018, partly because his six-year term at the committee helm will end next year. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), a senior member of the committee, is expected to be among those seeking to replace him as chairman.
Space Exploration Hearing. William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations, is scheduled to testify Nov. 9 before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee’s space panel on the status of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion crew vehicle. NASA is developing SLS and Orion for deep-space exploration.
Mattis In Europe. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis embarks on Sunday, Nov. 5 to re-affirm key partnerships and alliances in Europe. Mattis begins his engagements with a meeting with the Northern Group, a multilateral forum of 12 countries, including the five Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway), the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and the U.K. from Nov. 6 to 7. From Nov. 8 to 9, Mattis will attend a NATO Defense Ministerial and, separately, host a meeting of ministers from nations participating in the coalition fighting ISIS. The trip underscores the commitment of the United States to our NATO alliance and to defeating ISIS, the Pentagon says. Mattis concludes his trip Nov. 10 with a visit to London where he meets with new U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson.
L3 on XLUUV. L3 Technologies was chosen to design next-generation communications, mission planning, autonomy, navigation, cybersecurity, and anti-tamper capabilities for the Boeing Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) team. L3 will integrate the capabilities throughout the vehicle and system, including a fixed ashore command center, a mobile command center, and forward operating base support systems.
Raytheon Contract. Raytheon netted a $2.9 billion hybrid (cost, fixed-price-award-fee, time-and-materials, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-fee) contract for performance-based services supporting the Army, combatant commanders, and other Department of Defense customers by providing integrated, life-cycle contractor support and services for training aids, devices, simulators and simulations, representing a consolidated solution for the live, virtual, and constructive training domains. Raytheon is the only company that bid for the work. Work is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2019.
Tax Reform. The Aerospace Industries Association “strongly supports,” permanent and comprehensive tax reform. The landmark revision enables U. S. economic expansion and job growth while helping the manufacturing sector improve its global competitiveness,” AIA says in a statement backing a new initiative by House Republicans. “The principles we set forth in our communications to Congress and the administration include a more competitive corporate tax rate, creation of a territorial tax system and repatriation of accrued overseas income,” the group says. The “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (H. R. 1) is introduced this week by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady. Many of the bill’s provisions would provide positive and significant relief to U. S. aerospace manufacturers and their workers, including a nationwide supply chain comprising thousands of small businesses, AIA says.
Intel Budget. The Department of Defense released the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) appropriated top line budget for fiscal year 2017. The total MIP budget, which includes both the base budget and overseas contingency operations appropriations, is $18.4 billion. DoD says that releasing this top line figure does not jeopardize any classified activities within the MIP. No other MIP budget figures or program details will be released, as they remain classified for national security reasons.
DDG-119. The U.S. Navy will christen the 69th and latest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the future USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), during a ceremony on Nov. 4 at the Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding facility in Pascagoula, Miss. The destroyer is named after the first master chief petty officer of the Navy. DDG-119 will be a Flight IIA destroyer and feature the Aegis Combat System used for ballistic missile defense purposes.
Support for Esper. House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), supports the confirmation of Mark Esper to serve as Secretary of the Army. Esper testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week and is likely to be confirmed soon by the full Senate. “Mark is an excellent choice to lead the Army having distinguished himself as a soldier, public servant, and senior executive,” Thornberry says in a statement. “Throughout his career, Mark has proven himself to be a solid leader, someone who is smart, does his homework, and is engaged. His experience and expertise in national defense will serve him well as the next Secretary of the Army.”
Afghanistan Vehicles. Textron Systems Marine & Land Systems received the first delivery order from the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command to provide 55 Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFVs) to the Afghanistan National Army’s Defense and Security Forces. The first vehicle deliveries are scheduled in 2018. This delivery order is under a $333 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for procurement of up to 255 MSFVs announced on October 18.
SM-6. Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Raytheon a $43.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract to procure long-lead material in support of fiscal year 2017 Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) full-rate production requirements and spares. The Navy obligated $11 million at award time.
…SM-3 IIA Transition. The Missile Defense Agency awarded the company a potential $60 million undefinitized contract modification to provide engineering services, analysis, and material needed to transition the SM-3 Block IIA into production. Raytheon will develop engineering manufacturing readiness level (EMRL) 3 compliance, achieve sustained rate capability of producing two all-up rounds per month, demonstrate EMRL 4 compliance, and achieve tactical configuration readiness. This award raises the contract face value to $634.6 million. Work under both contract actions is slated to be completed by March 2020.
Army Radio Test. The Army’s Network Enterprise Technology Command is calling on Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) operators around the country to participate in a quarterly interoperability communications exercise from Nov. 4 to 6. The exercise simulates a power-outage scenario, and will not affect any public or private communications, officials say. There will be no power outages of communications systems. The exercise is designed to improve readiness, build cooperation and public awareness, and better prepare to defend the nation. MARS, which is part of Netcom, conducts interoperability communications exercises on a regular basis and has been doing so since 2013. Interoperability exercises are designed to test communications links among the Army, the Defense Department and the hundreds of trained volunteers who are MARS members. This community helps to provide redundant communications capability in the event of a large-scale power or communications outage, as well as emergency reporting information about local conditions across the country on a rapid scale, officials say. MARS operators’ primary mission during these quarterly exercises is to serve as liaisons between supported organizations, emergency responders and the amateur radio community, they add.
Cool JLTV. Out of 150 nominated products, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) manufactured by Oshkosh Defense in Oshkosh, Wis., replaces the Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight Engine as the “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.” The JLTV beat out a generator, a snowblower and a joint stick steering system for outboard motorboats in a competition that garnered more than 200,000 votes, 10 times more than when the Harley engine was the coolest. The “Coolest Thing” title for Wisconsin can only be awarded once. JLTVs should start to field in early 2019 with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y.
…Truck Contract. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps awarded Oshkosh a delivery order valued at more than $19 million for an additional 31 P-19R Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicles. Oshkosh began delivering the first P-19Rs in June of 2017 and in total, it has received orders for 160 P-19R vehicles for deliveries through 2019. The P-19R vehicle design is based on the Oshkosh Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) platform and the technologically advanced Striker firefighting systems from Oshkosh Airport Products. “The Marine Corps has been using the legacy Oshkosh-manufactured P-19A ARFF vehicle for over 30 years,” says Pat Williams, vice president and general manager of Army and Marine Corps Programs at Oshkosh Defense. “While the P-19A has proven reliable and effective across those three decades of service, the Marine Corps is now in need of a vehicle replacement with advanced firefighting capabilities and improved off-road mobility. Oshkosh Defense is delivering this capability in the P-19R ARFF vehicle, utilizing our extensive product and engineering expertise from across our Oshkosh Corporation segments.”
Japan-Philippines. Japan will donate five TC-90 Beechcraft naval training aircraft to the Philippines by next March, according to reports in Japanese media. Two TC-90s are already on loan to the Philippines through a Sept. 2016 deal and three more were scheduled to be leased beginning next March. A change in Japanese law is now allowing the country to donate the secondhand aircraft to allied developing countries and these five aircraft will be given to the Philippines. Japan’s Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency reportedly says the Philippines approached Japan to switch from leasing to free donation after the first units are loaned.
Sweden/BAE Ammunition. The Swedish Army ordered 245 additional rounds of Bofors 155mm BONUS ammunition from Britain’s BAE Systems for delivery in 2019. This latest version of the ammunition, developed by BAE and France’s Nexter, is utilized for Archer artillery guns and is capable of detecting and combating heavily armed vehicles within 35 kilometers. “Because each BONUS shell carries two smart munitions, its mission success per round is far greater than with traditional ammunition, providing the Swedish Army with clear advantages,” says Lena Gillström, managing director for BAE Systems’ Weapon Systems business in Sweden, in a statement.
UH-1H Certificate. The Federal Aviation Administration granted Aurora Flight Sciences a flight worthiness certificate for its UH-1H optionally-piloted helicopter. Aurora’s latest UH-1 helicopter utilizes a complete digital flight control system in order to be “autonomy-enabled” with robotically-controlled operations. The certificate permits Aurora to move to rapid development and testing of emerging rotorcraft autonomy technologies.