The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Kennedy’s Ship. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), chair of the SASC Seapower subcommittee, is lauding Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ proposal last week to build a third DDG-1000, instead of fully funding only two of the destroyers. “I’m especially glad to see that the secretary has made the decision to continue production of the third DDG-1000,” Kennedy says in a statement. “We’ve already invested $11 billion in this program, and the secretary’s decision will certainly benefit the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding plan.” Kennedy–along with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and nine House members–asked Gates in a March 20 letter to fully fund the third DDG-1000. They also requested “a thorough and transparent review and evaluation of the Navy’s proposal to truncate the DDG-1000 program and restart DDG-51 production” and said they “await an in-depth comparative analysis” of the two ships.
Pres Helo Help. New York lawmakers including Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are fighting Gates’ plan to completely cancel the program for the troubled VH-71 presidential helicopter, developed by Lockheed Martin in Owego, N.Y. “Some of the concerns, I understand, are quite valid; but let’s address them, and let’s move on towards manufacturing,” Gillibrand said, according to WENY-TV News. The Press & Sun-Bulletin in greater Binghamton, N.Y., reports Schumer has told New Yorkers he will try to persuade Gates to continue the VH-71 program. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), a HAC-D member, says in a statement he is “extremely troubled” by Gates’ “misguided” VH-71 recommendation that he argues would put the president at risk, waste the $3 billion already spent, and cost jobs in his district. Hinchey says he “will work very aggressively to continue funding this program.” Other lawmakers are applauding Gates’ VH-71 move, including Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I/D-Conn.), chairman of the SASC Airland subcommittee and supporter of incumbent presidential chopper maker Sikorsky.
Bombers Away. Defense Secretary Gates, after unveiling his proposed FY ’10 spending plan, last week also announced that he will defer certain major weapon program decisions until after the completion of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR)–among them plans for a follow-on bomber for the Air Force’s aging fleet. “We’ll look at that after the QDR, after the Nuclear [Posture] Review and…in the context of…post-START arms control negotiations,” Gates says during an April 7 roundtable with reporters at the Pentagon.
Workforce Expansion. The Pentagon wants to expand the number of buyers on its payroll by 16 percent–moving from 127,000 to about 147,000 workers–over the next five years. The department’s procurement workforce has been stretched thin as its budget and sheer volume of procurement activity have grown, Shay Assad, the director of defense procurement and acquisition policy, says last week following an initial announcement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. “We’ve had the same size workforce, but the workload has gone up three times,” Assad says. Getting to 147,000 workers would bring the acquisition workforce to 1998 levels, he adds.
New Job. Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel joins the National Interest Security Company LLC, (NISC) board of directors. NISC is a leading provider of innovative information technology, information management and management technology consulting in support of national interest and security initiatives. Hagel joins other board members including retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, retired Marine Gen. Michael Hagee and retired Adm. Steven Loftus. Andrew Maner, NISC CEO says, “We look forward to working with him [Hagel] as NISC increases its presence in the Intelligence/Defense, Homeland Security, Energy, and Federal Health sectors.”
New Commander. Spanish navy Cmdr. Juan Garat is the new European Union Force Commander of Operation EU NAVFOR Somalia/Operation ATALANTA. Command changed April 6 for the EU’s anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. Garat replaces Commodore Antonios Papaioa of Greece, who led the first naval operation ever conducted under the European Security and Defence Policy. It is the first naval operation launched by the E.U. U.K. Rear Adm. Philip Jones is EU Operation Commander, and the operational headquarters is located at Northwood.
On The Move. Force Protection Inc. names Randy Hutcherson as Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development, a new position within the company’s management structure. Hutcherson, who will have responsibility for global sales, program and contract management, communications and legislative activities for Force Protection, will be based in Ladson, S.C. He comes to Force Protection from EADS North America where he held the position of vice president of Tanker Programs and, before that, vice president, Rotorcraft Programs. Hutcherson, retired as a colonel after serving 26 years in the Marine Corps.
Quick Trip. Australia’s Minister for Defence Joel Fitzgibbon meets with U.S. Central Commander Gen. David Petraeus in Washington, D.C., with Afghanistan on the agenda. “The strength of our alliance is illustrated by the excellent cooperation between the Australian Defence Force and CENTCOM,” Fitzgibbon says. “I spoke with General Petraeus about the range of concerns and interests we share in his area of operations, throughout the Middle East and Central Asia.” Australian Defence Force personnel are embedded as members of Petraeus’ staff at CENTCOM Headquarters, while Australian forces deployed in southern Afghanistan are working closely with their U.S. and NATO partners to defeat the insurgency. “I took the opportunity to reaffirm to General Petraeus the Australian Government’s full commitment to winning the war against insurgents in Afghanistan, and welcomed President Obama’s decision to increase U.S. forces in southern Afghanistan,” Fitzgibbon says. On his U.S. trip, Fitzgibbon and Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith jointly lead the Australian delegation. Also attending are the Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, and Secretary of Defence Nick Warner.
Almost Open. The Navy last month awarded Management Services Group Inc., (doing business as Global Technical Systems), Virginia Beach, Va., a $95 million IDIQ contract for the Navy’s new Common Processing System (CPS). The celebration, however, was short lived as a number of companies filed an agency protest with the Navy. The service is in the midst of reviewing the protest and expects to render its decision within the next 15 to 20 days, a source says. The contract provides for the design, development, qualification, and production of a COTS-based, Grade A shock-qualified, processing system in support of Navy platforms. Efforts may include development of logistics support products, spares, and support services. The CPS equipment procurement provides a processing system that supports the Navy’s planned implementation of Open Architecture (OA) for Navy combat systems. The CPS will be designed around commercially available hardware and software and will provide computer processing and memory, data storage and extraction and I/O interfaces to support host software applications of Navy combat systems. The CPS will meet the computing requirements of other programs of record, including Aegis modernization.
On Its Way. The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) successfully completed acceptance sea trials April 7-9 off the Virginia Capes and is in final preparation for delivery, the Navy says. Acceptance trials are the final test of the ship’s readiness to begin fleet service. Navy representatives from the INSURV tested and evaluated the ship’s systems and performance. Acceptance trials will formally conclude April 10, the Navy adds.
Welcome Aboard. The newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Stockdale, will be commissioned April 18 in Port Hueneme, Calif. Designated DDG- 106, the new destroyer honors Medal of Honor recipient Vice Adm. James Stockdale, the legendary leader of American prisoners of war (POWs) during the Vietnam War, the Navy reports. Stockdale is the 56th of 62 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Cmdr. Frederick W. Kacher, of Oakton, Va., will become the first commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Stockdale was built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.
TWIC Deadline. Workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s ports must have their Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) by April 15, the date when enforcement of TWIC goes nationwide. While the national deadline for TWIC compliance is this week, in actuality the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard have been phasing in compliance since last year at various ports, with the vast majority of workers already having to comply with TWIC regulations. Several Coast Guard Captain of the Port Zones, including Los Angeles/Long Beach and Houston/Galveston (Texas), have until May 13 to comply with TWIC regulations following a recent decision made with the help of House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) to add more enrollment centers to better support workers applying for TWIC cards.
…Credential Enforcement. For now Coast Guard and port security personnel will enforce worker compliance with TWIC in typical fashion, meaning a visual inspection of the card and cardholder. The Coast Guard in two port locations is using handheld readers in a pilot project to randomly verify the validity of a person’s TWIC card and that the person is the rightful cardholder. Separately, TSA is in the initial stages of a pilot program that involves testing fixed and portable TWIC card readers at a small number of ports and vessel operators.