The fate of the Defense Department’s fiscal 2013 budget request is smack in the middle of a debate among Republicans on the House Budget Committee who are developing a spending resolution for the next fiscal year. Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, has “deployed” two subcommittee members, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), to hold the line on defense spending, keeping President Barack Obama’s budget request as a minimum point.
NEW DELHI — A Mirage 2000 fighter crashed in India’s western state of Rajasthan on March 5, prompting the Indian air force to ground the entire fleet. It was the IAF’s third aircraft accident in less than two months. The accident occurred at 12:30 p.m. local time, soon after the twin-seater trainer version of the aircraft took off on a routine sortie from Gwalior air base in Madhya Pradesh in central India. It crashed near Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, according to a defense ministry official.
Three companies qualified to provide unmanned-aircraft intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services to the U.S. Navy are awaiting award of the first task orders under the five-year, $874 million contract vehicle. AAI Corp., Boeing Insitu and Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) have been awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts under which they will bid competitively for individual task orders to provide sea- and land-based ISR services
ATV LAUNCH: The European Space Agency (ESA) has set March 23 as the rescheduled date for the launch of the third Automated Transfer Vehicle, Edoardo Amaldi, on a five-month supply mission to the International Space Station. The liftoff from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, atop an Ariane 5 is scheduled for 12:31 a.m. EDT (4:31 GMT). Preparations leading to a March 9 liftoff were postponed on March 2.
At least some of the 480 or so high-performance SA-24 Grinch anti-aircraft missiles that disappeared during the Libyan uprising have reappeared in the hands of insurgents on the borders of Israel, senior Israeli defense officials say. The advanced weapons were smuggled out of Libya to Iran, according to the sources. From there the supply line split, with some weapons going to Syria and then on to the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Others were smuggled into Egypt and then to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
YEAR AHEAD: The global defense market will see flat or declining growth this year due to anticipated decreases in military spending, principally in the U.S. and Europe, according to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is calling on the U.S. to lead an international effort launching air strikes against the Syrian government. “To be clear: This will require the United States to suppress enemy air defenses in at least part of the country,” McCain said during a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate on March 5. He urged the U.S. to build an alliance with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey and other “willing allies” in the EU and NATO.
XIAN, China — Japan’s space program will employ a new idle-thrust engine mode as a standard method of safely deorbiting second stages in missions of the H-IIB launcher, following a successful first mission last year.
Raytheon intends to develop a system to intercept insurgent rocket attacks under a U.S. Army quick-reaction program that is planned to lead to a demonstration in 18 months, followed by low-rate initial production. The company has received a $79.2 million contract for the Accelerated Improve Intercept Initiative (AI3). The program will combine a Raytheon-developed interceptor with government-furnished launcher, fire-control and command-and-control (C2) systems.
XIAN, China — China’s new medium-heavy space launcher, the Long March 7, should fly late next year, entering service in an initial version capable of lifting 13.5 metric tons (30,000 lb.) to low orbit, making it significantly larger than current Chinese rockets. The Long March 7 will have four boosters, says the principal engineer of manufacturer CALT, Shen Lin, adding that China is also planning new upper stages and launch vehicles, some using solid propellants and others fueled with methane.
NEW DELHI — A day after India successfully test-fired its 290-km-range (180-mi.) BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and put into operation the second tranche of the weapon system, Pakistan on March 5 tested a nuclear-capable short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile. BrahMos has the capability of attacking surface targets by flying as low as 10 meters (33 ft.) above the ground. It can reach a speed of Mach 2.8. On the other side, Pakistan’s Hatf-2 missile can travel up to 180 km and deliver nuclear as well as conventional warheads with high accuracy.
ARMY GE Engine Services Inc., Arkansas City, Kan., was awarded a $242,386,898 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the recapitalization and overhaul services of the T700 and T701D turbine engines. The work will be performed in Winfield, Kan., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 30, 2017. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-12-D-0007).
NASA is missing opportunities to transfer key technologies from its substantial research and development investments to the commercial sector, academia and other government agencies, according to an inspector general’s audit of the agency’s Space Technology Program.
ARMY BRASS: India has named Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh as its next army chief, a government official says. The 59-year old Singh will take charge of the service on May 31 when the incumbent Gen. V.K. Singh retires from service. Bikram Singh joined the 1.3-million force after the 1971 war with Pakistan.
NEW DEHLI — In the wake of a bribery scandal, India has banned six defense firms, including four international vendors, from doing business in the country for the next 10 years, hurting the army’s plans to acquire ultra light howitzers (ULH) for its artillery units.
XIAN, China — China would develop two large new engines, including one sized for a Moon rocket, under an apparently official plan set out by senior engineers associated with the country’s space propulsion industry. The proposed program would include re-engining the Long March 5 heavy launcher, which is still under development.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Mar. 5 — Speednews' Second Annual Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference, Beverly Hills Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, Calif. For more information go to www.speednews.com/conferences Mar. 5 - 7 — 26th Annual Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference, Beverly Hills Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, Calif. For more information go to www.speednews.com/conferences
