SUPERCOMPUTING: Rice University, partnered with IBM, is looking to a May start-up for a P-series Blue Gene supercomputer for collaborative research in the engineering disciplines, including aerospace, astronomy, particle physics, climate modeling, geophysics and medicine. “We are open to collaborations with government, industry and academia,” says Jade Boyd, a Rice spokesperson.
The U.S. Defense Department plans to kick-start the domestic production of drop-in biofuels by co-funding the establishment of at least one regional supply chain using Defense Production Act Title III money. Title III, usually wielded to create or protect industrial capabilities critical to U.S. security, will be used to fund the construction or retrofit of one or more integrated biorefineries capable of producing at least 10 million gal. of fuel annually from domestic feedstocks.
LONDON — The Australian government is moving forward with plans to upgrade its F/A-18E/F fleet with Growler electronic-attack equipment. The military already has taken 12 of its 24 aircraft wired for the electronic-attack system and now is laying the groundwork to equip them for the EA-18G role, although the final decision to do so will not come until later this year, says Defense Minister Stephen Smith.
SWEDISH SCANDAL: Swedish Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors has resigned over a Defense Research Agency program to build a weapons plant in Saudi Arabia. The secrecy of the deal has been highly controversial in Sweden since the effort became known.
APOLLO 11 SALVAGE: Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos may try to recover one or more of the F-1 rocket engines that powered Apollo 11 on its historic mission to the Moon in 1969. The engines were located with advanced sonar 14,000 ft. down in the Atlantic, where they fell with the Saturn V first stage that they powered, and Bezos hopes to raise them for restoration and display in a museum.
KOUROU, French Guiana — With three of the Automated Transfer Vehicle’s (ATV) five missions to the International Space Station (ISS) now behind it, the European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for an opportunity to advance the already cutting-edge platform—along with a means to pay for it.
Three robotic probes are returning a wealth of data on impact craters for scientists, who are studying the craters in the same way that biologists study tree rings – for clues to the history of the objects they’re investigating.
CLASSIFIED SCRUB: The U.S. Air Force has delayed the launch of the latest classified surveillance satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office to allow engineers more time to investigate an issue with the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket’s upper stage that was discovered during closeout inspections. Liftoff for NROL-25 is now set for April 2 at 4:04 p.m. PDT from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The launch originally was scheduled for March 29.
LONDON — The four core Eurofighter countries have awarded large support contracts to their respective national industrial champions to sustain the fighter aircraft for a further five years. The governments have put significant pressure on industry to bring down the cost of supporting the fighter aircraft as each looks for savings in its defense budget. The complexity of finding those savings led to some difficult negotiations before the deal was finalized.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Apr. 2 - 3 — Aviation Week Engine MRO Forum, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Tex. For more information go to www.aviationweek.com/events Apr. 4 - 5 — Aviation Week MRO Military, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Tex. For more information go to www.aviationweek.com/events
KILLING MEADS: The government has argued that the cost of ending the U.S. commitment to Lockheed Martin’s Medium Extended Air Defense System (Meads) was equal or nearly equal to paying to complete development of the missile through the end of fiscal 2013. But a group of senators who are trying to persuade the Pentagon to shift funding for the tri-national Meads program to the Raytheon Patriot system are casting doubt on the government’s position.
NASA is claiming a breakthrough in the design of supersonic aircraft, with wind-tunnel tests proving it is possible to design configurations that combine low sonic boom with low cruise drag, characteristics once thought to be mutually exclusive.
Thales is preparing for a three-month flight-test program of its RBE2 radar on Rafale with delivery of the first production version to Dassault. The French military expects to begin fielding the active, electronically scanned array radar next year. Flight testing will involve Rafale C137; the radar is being installed at Dassault’s Merignac facility in southern France. The flight-test campaign will take place at the Istres flight-test center.
Conventional wisdom holds that the U.S. is facing a critical shortage of engineers—in aerospace and other industries—and that not enough students are studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields to offset this coming shortfall. A corollary to this belief is that U.S. high-school test scores in these critical subjects are low, hampering the country’s future competitiveness. But according to some academics, this conventional wisdom is a fallacy that industry repeats for its own ends.
LIFE-CYCLE SOLUTIONS: Expect to see Rockwell Collins announce renewal of its $17.2 million life-cycle support contract with the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The company says it has a 100% availability rate for helicopter cockpit replacement parts for its common avionics architecture system. Also expect Rockwell Collins to introduce a tailored life-cycle service solution called FlexForce for military and government agencies. The FlexForce program is designed to provide transparent repair and supply-chain visibility on a performance basis.
TRAINING PARTNERS: German glider manufacturer Grob Aircraft will supply its G 120TP computer-based training system for Argentina’s Fadea IA-63 Pampa II lead-in fighter/trainer. State-owned Fadea has completed flight tests of the Pampa, which has been re-engined with the Honeywell TFE 731-40 geared turbofan engine.
SANTIAGO, Chile — Growing concern over cyberattacks against its radar and air command and control systems has prompted ThalesRaytheonSystems to launch a program to protect its systems from being spoofed.
The cost of the Pentagon’s largest weapon system continues to grow, as a Pentagon official contends that the increases are being brought under control.
SANTIAGO, Chile — Elbit is targeting Brazil for its latest laser-guided rocket project, hoping to convince the government to change its preferred rocket and add a precision-guidance system. The goal of the self-funded effort is to begin the first demonstration firings of the new laser-guided rocket by year’s end, to help generate interest within the Brazilian military, an industry official says. The weapon is slated for use on Panther and other helicopters, as well as the A-29 Super Tucano.
NEW DELHI — India’s defense minister says the country’s defense expenditures will continue to increase as the modernization of its armed forces remains a top priority. “Our armed forces need to have access to [the] latest defense technologies, equipped with the state-of-the-art platforms, equipment and systems. With the projected growth of the Indian economy expected at a trajectory of 8-10% for the next two decades, expenditures on defense in absolute terms is bound to increase,” Defense Minister A.K. Antony said in inaugurating DefExpo 2012 here.
The defense industry has been on edge since last summer about a potential $1 trillion reduction in military spending over the next decade, but it’s not an issue that registers with the voting public. To make the military’s angst known, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) is planning a “Defend Our Defenders” road show. The multistop tour aims to bring in retired military brass, members of Congress and industry to build the public’s interest in defense spending so it can be an issue on the campaign stump before November.
