The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Electric Grid Protection. The Bipartisan Policy Center is launching a new project to develop recommendations for how multiple government agencies and private companies can protect the North American electric grid from cyber attacks. The Electric Grid Cyber Security Initiative will consider how to allocate responsibility for cyber attack prevention and response, facilitate the sharing of cyber threat intelligence and vulnerabilities with electric power companies, and ensure privacy protections for customer data. The effort will be led by former CIA Director Michael Hayden, Curt Hebert, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Susan Tierney, former policy chief at the Department of Energy.
Cash Strategy Statement. J.P. Morgan aerospace and defense analyst Joseph Nadol says that Northrop Grumman’s announcement to authorize an additional $4 billion to reduce its share count by 25 percent by the end of 2015 marks a “clear statement about its strategy over the next three years–it intends to return essentially all cash to shareholders and further shrink its equity.” Northrop Grumman’s announcement to boost its share repurchase program came a day after the company announced a double-digit increase in its quarterly dividend payment. Nadol says that among large defense contractors, Lockheed Martin is the only other company with a clear multi-year strategy on cash deployment. He notes that Lockheed Martin has a nearly 50 percent payout ratio to shareholders.
Coast Guard Budget Breaker? The cost for a new icebreaker is estimated at between $800 million and $1 billion, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp tells a Senate Appropriations panel. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), chairman of the Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, noting that the Coast Guard’s FY ’14 budget request for acquisition projects is $951 million, says that eventually squeezing in the purchase of an icebreaker “would eliminate all other capital projects.” The service has two active icebreakers at the moment, the medium breaker Healy and the heavy breaker Polar Star, which just reentered service. The Coast Guard is currently working the interagency process to develop preliminary requirements for a new icebreaker. Landrieu asked Papp to provide the subcommittee with a complete list of options for acquiring an icebreaker, including new construction, a parent craft design, leasing, and any others.
MLP delivered. The first of the Navy’s Mobile Landing Platforms, the USNS Monford Point, has been delivered to the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command says. The Navy took delivery of the ship from General Dynamics-NASSC0 May 14. The MLPs are designed to be flexible platforms for large scale logistics operations to lessen the Navy need for using foreign ports. “MLP 1 has gone from concept to delivery in under five years, a remarkable feat reflecting the diligent work of the Navy and shipbuilding team from design through testing and trials,” says Capt. Henry Stevens, PEO Ships’ program manager for strategic and theater sealift. “With its open, reconfigurable mission deck, USNS Montford Point will deliver innovation and exceptional flexibility to future Fleet operations.” The ship will now undergo test and trials period to install and incorporate the ship’s Core Capabilities Set in Portland, Ore, NAVSEA says.
JHSV #2. The USNS Choctaw County, the Navy’s second Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV 2), completed acceptance trails May 3 in Mobile, Ala., home to the ship’s builder, Austal USA. The trials evaluated the ship’s major systems and equipment to include a full power run and demonstrations of main propulsion engineering and ship control systems, anchoring, food service and crew support systems. The ship reached speeds of over 40 knots during the trials in the Gulf of Mexico. The first JHSV, the USNS Spearhead, delivered to MSC in December and is currently undergoing post-delivery testing and trials in Little Creek, Va. These trials include extensive ramp interface testing, refueling at sea, and additional crew training before the ship’s first deployment. The vessels are designed to transport troops and equipment in theater.
LCS contract. Austal USA, the builder of the Independence variant of the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), has provided General Dynamics a contract for the systems engineering agent for the 14th and 16th LCSs, General Dynamics says. They are the fifth and sixth of the LCS being procured by the Navy under the 10-ship block buy contract awarded in December 2010. General Dynamics is responsible for the design, integration and testing of the ships’ electronic systems including the combat system, networks and seaframe control. General Dynamics says its open architecture computing infrastructure will be the “technology backbone for the core mission system.”
WGS-5 Launch. The Air Force prepares to launch its fifth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS-5) satellite Wednesday night between 8:26 and 8:58 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch will take place on one of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Delta IV rockets and will be the fifth ULA launch this year. WGS provides flexible, high-capacity communication for warfighters through high data rate and long-haul communications.
…WGS-6 Arrives. The Air Force’s sixth WGS satellite (WGS-6) arrives in Titusville, Fla., for preliminary testing, fueling and integration, according to prime contractor Boeing. The spacecraft will also undergo final processing, encapsulation and transport to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral before launch later this year. Through a cooperative agreement with the Air Force on WGS-6, the Australian Defence Force will have global access to the WGS on-orbit constellation. WGS is the only military satellite communications system that can support simultaneous X- and Ka-band communications, according to the Air Force.
Google App for Gov’t. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) launches a pilot of Google Apps for Government (GAfG) that allows users to utilize their common access cards (CAC) for authentication, eliminating the need for less secure password-based login, according to DISA. Pilot users will evaluate the use of common cloud-based services like GAfG in a typical Defense Department unclassified office environment. DISA’s office of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) launched the GAfG pilot in order to demonstrate the utility of a proof-of-concept Authentication Gateway Service (AGS) that allows for secure translation between DoD public key infrastructure (PKI) CAC authentication and Google-provided cloud services using a standards-based protocol known as the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). DISA and Google in February signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to explore innovative ways for DoD users to securely authenticate to commercial cloud service providers.
DISA Apple iOS 6. DISA approves the Apple iOS 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG), meaning government-issued iOS 6 mobile devices can now be used when connecting to DoD networks within current mobility pilots or the future mobile device management framework, according to DISA. The agency is responsible for establishment of the Mobility Device Management (MDM) system, which is currently in source selection and could be awarded in “early summer.” The release of the Apple iOS 6 STIG is a major stride in building a multi-vendor environment. STIGs for BlackBerry and Samsung Knox operating systems (OS) were recently approved as well.
Boeing ViaSat-2. ViaSat announces Boeing will build its ViaSat-2 satellite, which ViaSat says is expected to be the world’s highest-capacity satellite at time of expected launch in mid-2016. ViaSat-2 will be based on ViaSat’s next generation, Ka-band satellite technology and architecture. ViaSat-2 is expected to significantly improve the speed and availability of broadband services over a greatly-expanded coverage area that includes North America, Central America, the Caribbean, a small portion of northern South America as well as primary aeronautical and maritime routes across the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe. ViaSat-2 will be based on Boeing’s 702MP satellite bus. The two companies also agree to jointly market and sell satellite systems based on ViaSat-2 technology.
Minuteman III Test Launch. The Air Force will test launch a Minuteman III ICBM Tuesday, service spokeswoman Michele Tasista says in an email. Tasista did not specify when or where Tuesday the launch will take place. DoD in April postponed a Minuteman III test launch over tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The Air Force in November successfully launched a Minuteman III with a simulate re-entry vehicle, or warhead, from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The missile traveled approximately 4,8000 miles in 30 minutes from Vandenberg to the Ronald Reagan Test Site in Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.
Dream Chaser. Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) Space System’s Dream Chaser flight vehicle arrives at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., to begin tests of its flight and runway landing systems, according to a NASA statement. Tests at Dryden include tow, captive-carry and free-flight tests. A truck will tow the spacecraft down a runway to validate performance of the nose strut, brakes and tires. The captive-carry flights will further examine the loads it will encounter during flight as it is carried by an Erickson Skycrane helicopter. The free flight later this year will test Dream Chaser’s aerodynamics through landing. The tests at Dryden are part of pre-negotiated, paid-for-performance milestones with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), which has an overall goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective U.S. human access to the International Space Station (ISS) and low-Earth orbit (LEO).
ATK and GPS IIF-4. ATK provides a 10-foot diameter composite heat shield on Wednesday’s successful launch of the fourth Global Positioning System IIF-4 (GPS IIF-4) satellite on a ULA Atlas V rocket, according to a company statement. GPS IIF-4 is part of a total of 12 satellites to be built by prime contractor Boeing as part of the GPS IIF constellation. Boeing will complete three more this year while five others are ready for call-up and launch as needed, according to Boeing.
Breedlove NATO. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove takes over command of NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) from Navy Adm. James Stavridis during a May 13 handover ceremony in Belgium, according to a NATO statement. Breedlove will be responsible for the overall command of all NATO missions and operations, including in the Balkans, over the Baltic Sea, in the Mediterranean Sea and off the Horn of Africa. Breedlove is also the head of U.S. European Command (EUCOM). NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says during the ceremony NATO needs to enhance its ability to defend against threats such as missile proliferation, terrorism and cyber-attacks amid tough economic times.
NG SABR. Northrop Grumman’s Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) demonstrates its autonomous, all-environment precision targeting capability known as Auto Target Cueing (ATC), according to a company statement. ATC uses high-definition synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to locate and prioritize targets of interest and display them to the pilot. SABR’s active electronically-scanned array (AESA) architecture allows it to carry out this function while performing other tasks at the same time. SABR provides longer detection and tracking ranges, high-resolution SAR maps for all-environment precision targeting and interleaved mode operations greater situational awareness and reliability.
Range Networks RAN. Range Networks, a provider of commercial open source cellular systems, announces its Radio Access Networks (RAN) products now integrate into operators’ existing SS7-MAP core networks, according to a company statement. Range Networks’ approach is a way to deploy greenfield networks or extend existing mobile networks, permitting a mixed-generation RAN (2G/3G/4G) to run off of the same SS7-MAP core network. Range Networks says it provides the only commercial open source cellular system and that the company provides connectivity to existing 2G/3G and 4G networks to rural communities, remote outposts and emergency crews.
B-2 AEHF. Northrop Grumman successfully completes a ground demonstration of a communication system that would allow the Air Force’s B-2 stealth bomber to operate with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite network, according to a company statement. The end-to-end tests prove the maturity of the technologies required to begin full-scale development of a new satellite communications system. The April test includes a prototype AESA antenna developed by the company, a government-furnished Navy Multiband Terminal and an AEFH engineering model payload. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the B-2 while Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for AEHF.
Intelsat General Asymmetric. DoD awards commercial satellite operator Intelsat General a contract to provide satellite bandwidth and ground-based connectivity in support of the Pentagon’s Asymmetric Warfare Group’s (AWG) activities abroad, according to an Intelsat General statement. Under the contract, Intelsat General is a subcontractor to By Light Professional IT Services, which Intelsat says was awarded the prime contract. AWG will use multiple Intelsat General teleports, both in the U.S. and abroad, to connect with several of Intelsat’s satellites to meet a global coverage requirement. The contract allows for portability so that, if necessary, the AWG can shift the coverage to a different part of the world requiring different Intelsat spacecraft and ground infrastructure.
New Role. Bell Helicopter says Anthony Moreland will return to Bell Helicopter as managing director, North America and will be responsible for all sales and marketing activities in the United States and Canada. Danny Maldonado, Bell Helicopter’s executive vice president of Sales and Marketing, says, “We are very excited to have Anthony on our team as we continue to expand our commercial business in North America beyond.” Most recently, Moreland led the North America and Global Accounts team at Sikorsky Aircraft. Moreland was an Army Aviator, qualified on the AH-64 Apache and AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters.
Signal Sentry Milestone. ITT Exelis says its Signal Sentry 1000 that detects and locates GPS interference sources in 3-D by using longitude, latitude and altitude successfully completes a significant integration milestone. Formerly known as GPS Interference, Detection and Geolocation, Signal Sentry 1000 has been integrated into a larger sensor network that can help law enforcement collect actionable intelligence, such as tracking high-value targets and protecting critical infrastructure. The proprietary Signal Sentry leverages Global Navigation Satellite System signal domain knowledge. It is based on patented technology developed by Exelis through years of designing and fielding electronic intelligence systems.
Gray Eagle Electronic Attack. Raytheon delivers two electronic attack payloads for the Army’s Networked Electronic Warfare, Remotely Operated (NERO) system. The payloads are part of a 2012 NAVSEA-CRANE contract. NERO is used on the Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS as an airborne electronic attack system capable of jamming enemy communications systems. NERO builds on the success of the Army’s Communications Electronic Attack with Surveillance and Reconnaissance (CEASAR) program. Migrating the same pod system and advanced capability to the Gray Eagle allows NERO to conduct missions two- to three-times longer with lower operating costs compared with the current C-12 based CEASAR system. It also reduces risk to the warfighter by being mounted onto an unmanned platform.
Pacific ScanEagle. Boeing’s Insitu Pacific, the Australian-based subsidiary of Insitu Inc., delivers a ScanEagle UAS to partner Mistubishi Heavy Industries, where it is ready for operational use by the Japan. A contract was signed last year, after the defense forces identified the need for an unmanned aerial system to assess damage and provide vital real-time information for first responders to natural and man-made disasters after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami crisis. Over the next 12 months, Japan will be operationally testing and evaluating the ScanEagle system to prepare for entry into service.