The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Sequester Stats. The federal budget resolution the Senate Budget Committee approves March 14 proposes ending “sequestration” cuts and giving the Pentagon more funding than under sequestration for all but one year in the next decade–in FY ’23–according to Byron Callan, director of Capital Alpha Partners LLC in Washington. Callan compares “050” defense funding in the Senate plan to currently planned spending with sequestration factored in. The Senate plan calls for replacing the $500 billion in longterm sequestration cuts to defense with $240 billion in other reductions. Thus, Callan says defense funding under the Senate plan would be: $560 billion in FY ’14 (compared to $506 billion under sequestration); $568 billion in FY ’15 (vs. $520 billion); $575 billion in FY ’16 (vs. $531 billion); $583 billion in FY ’17 (vs. $534 billion); $590 billion in FY ’18 (vs. $557 billion); $599 billion in FY ’19 (vs. $571 billion); $607 billion in FY ’20 (vs. $585 billion); $616 billion in FY ’21 (vs. $599 billion); $626 billion in ’22 (vs. $615 billion); and $636 billion in ’23 (vs. $640 billion). The Senate panel, still, would not be as generous to the Pentagon as the House Budget Committee would be in its version of the budget resolution, which it also OKs March 14.
CR Rift. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) say they found pork-barrel projects and hundreds of millions in unauthorized funding in the “continuing resolution” (CR) currently before the Senate. That FY ’13 budget measure includes the same defense appropriations bill that is in the House-passed CR. “Every dollar we waste through pork barrel spending today is a dollar not spent to support our troops and preserve our nation’s security,” McCain says March 12. He and Coburn decry CR provisions including $154 million for Army, Navy and Air Force alternative-energy research; a prohibition on retiring the C-23 Sherpa aircraft; and direction for the Pentagon to “overpay” contacts by an additional 5 percent to contractors that are Native Hawaiian-owned companies. The two senators temporarily delay Senate consideration of the CR on March 12, to review the massive bill, before allowing debate to proceed.
JHSV 2. Austal USA recently completed ship builder’s trials of the second Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV-2), Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) says. The future USNS Choctaw County underwent testing of the propulsion plant, communication and navigation systems, ride control systems and other elements of the vessel during the March 7-8 trials. Austal USA is due to make corrections based on the testing ahead of acceptance trails in the coming weeks and eventual delivery to the Navy this summer. The JHSVs are designed to ferry troops, military vehicles, and equipment in theater operations. The Navy plans to build 10 of the vessels. The first JHSV was delivered in December.
F/A-18 Computers. The Navy has awarded General Dynamics a $19.3 million contract to produce Type-3 advanced mission computers for the F/A-18E/F variant Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers. The company advanced information systems unit will perform the work for the Boeing-built aircraft. The advanced mission computers are designed to be the “nerve center” for the fighter jets for situational awareness and combat systems control. General Dynamics saiys it is using commercially available technology and an open architecture design to allow for rapid technology upgrades.
Carriers. The long standing debate over aircraft carriers resumed last week when the Center for a New American Security, a progressive think tank, released a report saying the role of aircraft carriers in national defense should be re-examined. The report by retired Navy captain Henry Hendrix says aircraft carriers come at a huge cost and, given the advances of adversarial technologies, are increasingly vulnerable, reprising many arguments that have been previously made. The report goes on to say that aircraft carriers may not be as relevant as they were in the past. “The queen of the American fleet, and the centerpiece of the most powerful Navy the world has ever seen, the aircraft carrier is in danger of becoming like the battleships it was originally designed to support: big, expensive, vulnerable, and surprisingly irrelevant to the conflicts of the time,” Hendrix says.
Red Team Advantage. Once again Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners are coming under criticism, this time for a recent failure by security officers at a checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to detect a small fake explosive device concealed on an TSA officer conducting a red team exercise. John Pistole, the TSA Administrator, says that unlike terrorists, the red team officials have the advantage of knowing the various security protocols so that they can better fool the screening personnel. In the Newark test, Pistole says the device, which was barely larger than a deck of playing cards and about half the width, was “artfully concealed” by the Red Team agent, who did not detect it during a pat down. He says that later the security officer that failed to detect the fake bomb was debriefed as to why the device wasn’t found and that Transportation Security Officers nationwide were also notified about how the device was concealed as part of the training process. He says the internal red team testing is one way the agency tries to “push our officers to make sure they can find the most dangerous items.”
…Sequester Impact. On a separate matter, Pistole says that the budget sequestration threatens to delay a new technology program that would consolidate multiple enrollment efforts that require background checks and separate identity credentials. He says that if the sequester isn’t addressed there is the “potential” for the “timing” of the Universal Enrollment System to be affected.
Growing the Cyber Work Force. One way that industry is helping to grow the nation’s future cyber security talent is through competitions, where participation is growing dramatically. This past weekend The Air Force Association (AFA) selected the latest round of winners in the annual CyberPatriot competition, which began five years ago. The winners, in both high school and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp categories, were to be selected on Saturday evening. The completion has grown from just eight teams participating in the first year to 1,225 this year. Last year over 1,000 teams participated.
…Northrop Grumman Support. Northrop Grumman, which became the presenting sponsor for CyberPatriot in 2010, has signed on for three more years, contributing $4.5 million to AFA. The grant will allow the program to expand into middle schools and internationally, the company says. “This age group is operating in a cyber-enabled world so it’s critical that we increase their awareness of cyber safety, cyber defenses and the life skills needed to succeed in this burgeoning career field,” says Diane Miller, Northrop Grumman’s program director for CyberPatriot.
Predator Border Utilization. Customs and Border Protection has four Predator unmanned aircraft systems deployed to Arizona for border security missions yet only has the resources to fly two of them, says Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Even these are only flown five days a week due to a lack of resources, he says. “We can do better than that,” he says. All four aircraft need to be resourced, he adds. He also says the drones can be limited by weather conditions, such as strong winds, and suggests that sensor-equipped aerostats also be used to augment border security. Carper last month visited Arizona’s border region with Mexico.
SpaceX’s Grasshopper. Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s (SpaceX) vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle Grasshopper doubles its highest leap to date, rising 24 stories (262.8 feet) and hovering for approximately 34 seconds before landing safely using closed loop thrust vector and throttle control, according to a company statement. At touchdown, the thrust-to-weight ratio of Grasshopper was greater than one, which the company says proves a key landing algorithm for Falcon 9, which NASA selected for commercial missions to re-supply the International Space Station (ISS). This is Grasshopper’s fourth in a series of test flights, with each test demonstrating increases in altitude. Grasshopper flew to 8.2 feet last September, 17.7 feet in November and 131 feet in December. Grasshopper stands 10 stories tall and consists of a Falcon 9 rocket first stage tank, a Merlin 1D engine, aluminum landing legs with hydraulic dampers and a steel support structure.
PMBSS. Northrop Grumman and ATK complete fabrication of the primary mirror backplate support structure (PMBSS) wing assemblies for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, according to a Northrop Grumman statement. The primary mirror backplane supports the telescope’s beryllium mirrors, instruments and other elements during ground test operations and launch while also holding the 18-segment, 21-foot-diameter primary mirror nearly motionless while the telescope is peering into deep space. The deployable wing sections complete the backplane structure while providing thermal stability. Their unique folding design permits the telescope to fit in the five-meter fairing of the launch vehicle. The Webb Telescope is the world’s next-generation space observatory and successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Cross Match’s Ashley. Cross Match Technologies announces Ross Ashley will serve as adviser to the company’s board of directors. Ashley will provide strategic guidance to the company as it continues to expand its global presence into traditional and emerging markets for identity management solutions. Ashley currently serves as the executive director of the National Fusion Center Association (NFCA), where he represents the interests of Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-recognized fusion centers, which Cross Match Technologies spokesman John Hinmon describes as focal points within the state and local environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering and sharing of threat-related information among federal, state, and local governments and private sector partners. Ashley also serves on the board of advisers to numerous corporate clients advising in the areas of intelligence, homeland security, justice and defense. Ashley was confirmed by the Senate in 2007 before serving as assistant administrator of the DHS Grant Programs Directorate until August 2009. Cross Match Technologies is a provider of biometric identity management solutions.
Ferra JDAM ER. Boeing selects Ferra Engineering of Australia to build wing kits that would triple the effective range of the Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER) and allow aircrews to deploy the weapon from beyond the range of an enemy’s air defense system, according to a Boeing statement. Ferra also does work for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jet and Boeing’s commercial aviation services group. Boeing says the Royal Australian Air Force became Boeing’s first JDAM ER customer in 2011. JDAM is a guidance kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurately guided, near-precision “smart” weapons.
SBIRS GEO-2 Launch. The Air Force prepares to launch its second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous satellite (GEO-2) Tuesday between 5:21 and 6:01 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., according to the Air Force. SBIRS GEO-2 will be launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, which will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. SBIRS is the Air Force’s next-generation nuclear-hardened missile warning constellation. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
WGS-5 Arrives. The Air Force’s fifth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite arrives March 9 at NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, according to the Air Force. WGS-5 will undergo final processing and encapsulation at Astrotech Corp. before being transferred to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., where it is scheduled to launch via a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV launch vehicle once the booster is cleared for flight, which is expected to be this year. WGS-5 will join four other Boeing-built WGS satellites providing warfighters with instant, secure, worldwide connectivity. The next WGS satellite to be produced under the Block II contract, WGS-6, has completed testing and is in storage awaiting its scheduled mid-2013 launch. WGS-7 and WGS-8 are in currently in production.
Cryogenic Tanks. Lockheed Martin receives initial orders to manufacture cryogenic tanks for fueling liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels, according to a company statement. Lockheed Martin is taking advantage of its expertise manufacturing Space Shuttle external tanks to meet the growing demand for LNG tanks for storage and transportation. Lockheed Martin will build the tanks in Louisiana. The company will also draw on a variety of capabilities developed for a wide range of other programs, including propellant handling; assembly, test and integration; composites manufacturing and production facility and tooling design.
SDA Meeting. The Space Data Association (SDA) holds its annual public meeting today at the Washington office of Intelsat General, according to an SDA statement. Topics to be discussed include conjunction assessments, launch and early orbit phase (LEOP) operations, automated data source comparisons and EMI/RFI mitigation support. SDA is a formal, non-profit association of satellite operators that supports the controlled, reliable and efficient sharing of data critical to the safety and integrity of satellite operations. SDA was formed in 2009 by Inmarsat, Intelsat General and SES to share data.
Satellite 2013. The four-day Satellite 2013 conference and exhibition begins today at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington. Thousands of communications professionals in the satellite community will explore next generation products and technologies on the exhibit floor and will discuss tomorrow’s solutions for today’s challenges with experts, thought leaders and veterans from the field. Keep tabs at defensedaily.com for convention coverage. Satellite 2013 is produced by Defense Daily’s parent company Access Intelligence LLC.
A Little Rearranging. The Brookings Institution has created a new center: the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence (21CSI). “With the launch of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, Brookings will be at the forefront of research and public debate on the critical security issues of our time,” says Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution. “21CSI will bring together the extraordinary array of scholars already working on defense and security issues at Brookings, along with adding new experts in fields that range from cyber to intelligence policy.” Peter Singer will serve as the center’s founding director.
New Role. Former Rep. Howard Berman joins Covington & Burling’s global public policy and government affairs practice. The addition of the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee comes a week after former Sen. Jon Kyl joined Covington’s public policy and government affairs practice. The two former lawmakers are expected to play a key role in strengthening Covington’s global public policy and government affairs practice, which has been ranked among the top five law and lobby firms by the National Journal for the last several years. Covington’s public policy lawyers advise companies on a wide range of government policies in Washington, Brussels and around the world.