The launch of six Globalstar satellites aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan scheduled for July 11 has been postponed due to an equipment malfunction that occurred on the launch pad during countdown.
HOUSTON — The Atlantis astronauts began a vigorous, week-long cargo exchange on July 11 by temporarily transferring the 21-ft.-long Raffaello Multi-purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) from the shuttle’s payload bay to the U.S. Harmony compartment of the International Space Station. Atlantis docked with the orbiting science laboratory on July 10, two days after lifting off on the 12-day STS-135 mission, NASA’s final shuttle program flight.
NEW DELHI — The U.S. has suspended $800 million in military aid to Pakistan, much to Pakistan’s chagrin and to the relief of neighboring nuclear rival India. President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, William Daley, confirmed in a television interview on July 10 that the U.S. had decided to withhold almost a third of its annual $2.7 billion security assistance to Pakistan.
The Netherlands has decided to delay and stretch out its acquisition of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. In a July 1 letter to parliament, Defense Minister Hans Hillen says that a revised plan, reflecting the most recent schedule changes, “starts the flow of production aircraft in 2019, and lasts until 2027.”
GO ABROAD: A crisis in defense spending is “imminent,” says former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), and Congress ought to encourage export control reform and look to boost foreign military sales to support the domestic defense industrial base. “We can carry that industrial base if we add more military sales,” Talent, now an analyst at a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, told the House Budget Committee last week. Still, Rep.
NEW DELHI — Britain has outlined its strong support for the Eurofighter Typhoon’s bid for the Indian air force’s $11 billion Medium-Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, as the U.K. seeks to advance its defense industrial cooperation with the country.
big GREEN: The U.S. Army is looking to award multiple $50 million — $900 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts beginning in 2013 focused on alternative energy solutions for its installations. The planned $5 billion worth of contracts could extend up to 30 years in duration, according to a service solicitation.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) JULY 13 - 14 — Military Airlift Asia Pacific, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. For more information go to http://www.smi-online.co.uk/militaryairliftasiapac58.asp JULY 21 - 22 — Practical Aeronautics Short Courses: “Introduction to Jet Engines—A Practical Perspective,” Ohio Aerospace Institute, Cleveland, Ohio. For more information call 970-887-3155 or go to www.practicalaero.com
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Liftoff of the space shuttle Atlantis on the final mission of the retiring fleet July 8 has left this historic NASA field center open for transformation into a “multi-use launch complex,” with paying commercial customers already looking for ways to adapt unique spaceflight facilities for their own use.
GENOA, Italy — A new main battle tank (MBT), wheeled armored fighting vehicles (AFV) and a mine-resistant vehicle are the latest additions to the growing range of Turkish armor. The Altay MBT was shown, albeit as a mock-up, at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEF) here in May. A joint effort of Turkish companies Otokar, Aselsan and Roketsan, and international technology partner Hyundai Rotem of South Korea, it will be the mainstay of the Turkish armored force.
LONDON — Making sense of a counterinsurgency battlespace is never easy, but new technology is bringing tools to help frontline troops and commanders understand the distribution and nature of potential threats in areas of operation.
LONDON — In addition to the Taranis unmanned combat air system demonstrator, the U.K. Defense Ministry is funding work on a second UCAS concept. The unnamed second program involves BAE Systems — which is also leading the work on Taranis — Rolls-Royce and Selex. Peter Luff, minister for defense equipment, support and technology, tells Parliament the work “will help inform new concept designs for a future operational UCAS.”
The U.S House overwhelmingly passed the $649 billion defense appropriations bill for fiscal 2012 on July 8, fending off amendments that would have cut off funding for U.S. involvement in Libya as well as another that would have kept the defense budget level with last year. Lawmakers did approve a provision that would block the Defense Department from helping rebels in Libya but again stopped short of curtailing funding for U.S. assistance of the NATO mission there.
SBIRS WORKING: The U.S. Air Force’s first Space-Based Infrared System (Sbirs) satellite, designed for ballistic missile warning, has been activated. The satellite carries staring and scanning infrared sensors. The payload will now undergo calibration tests. Known as SBIRS GEO-1, the spacecraft is the first of a series of satellites designed to replace the Defense Support System spacecraft in orbit. In addition to providing missile warning, Sbirs’ unblinking infrared view will contribute to a growing body of intelligence.
NEW DELHI — India’s Western Air Command (WAC) seeks to evolve “into a much more potent fighting force” with the rapid introduction of modern aircraft, weapons and support systems. “As a part of the ongoing modernization process, Western Air Command has taken rapid strides in operationalization of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft as well as induction of critical components essential for network-centric warfare,” says WAC Chief Air Marshal D.C. Kumaria. “There is a need to rapidly absorb new inductions over the next few years.”
LONDON — The U.K. Defense Ministry estimates it will need to spend up to £140 million ($225 million) to restock ammunition expended as part of its contribution to NATO operations against Libya. The cost estimate is based on current consumption rates, Nick Harvey, minister of state for the armed forces, tells Parliament.
SINGAPORE — Vietnamese authorities have expressed an interest in purchasing P-3 Orion aircraft so the Southeast Asian nation can boost its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability with an eye toward China, according to sources familiar with the situation. But for a deal to occur, the U.S. and Vietnam will need to further develop defense relations, the sources add.
LONDON — The German government’s new budget plan for next year has reduced the level of defense cuts that will be required and is increasing the budget for defense and space expenditures. The defense ministry was expected to generate €8.3 billion ($12 billion) in savings through 2015, but that has been reduced to €4.3 billion. The German government is still debating its restructuring plans for the armed forces, including what modernization programs to trim. A new modernization plan is expected before year’s end.
TOUGH SELL: Freshman Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) is one of many Republicans willing to put defense “on the table” for budget cuts, but he is one of the few who are ready to actually start snipping. Mulvaney offered an amendment to the 2012 defense appropriations bill that would cut the topline by $17 billion, freezing defense at 2011 levels. The amendment was likely destined for failure, according to Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who opposed it, comparing it with two other unsuccessful amendments that sought to ax war funding.
After achieving a Milestone C decision on June 17, the Joint Tactical Radio System’s (JTRS) Rifleman radio and Manpack radio program is ready to move on. General Dynamics C4 Systems announced July 7 that it had received an order from the Department of Defense for a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) order of $56.4 million for 6,250 Rifleman and 100 Manpack radios.
LONDON — As the German air force maps out its future unmanned aircraft plans, it is looking to acquire up to four high-altitude unmanned aircraft for wide-area surveillance. The acquisition is not yet budgeted and is likely to emerge only toward the end of the decade, air force officials say. The systems would be a national capability to augment NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance program, which currently is projected to field six Global Hawk unmanned aircraft and 15 ground stations.
