PARIS — NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says he hopes the tripartite German-French-Russian summit that started Oct. 18 in Deauville, France, will help convince the Russians to join with NATO in establishing a ballistic missile defense (BMD) initiative. He also suggests that other nations, including China, should be brought into the security partnership dialogue.
LONDON — Even before the British government unveiled the findings of its Strategic Defense and Security Review, Qinetiq says a major training program is being scrapped. Qinetiq is a stakeholder in the Metrix consortium that was named preferred bidder in 2007. It says that with the cancellation, it now faces a ₤37 million ($59 million) charge on costs already incurred. The Defense Training Review Package 1 program was to create a single vocational training center for all three armed services and run the facility over 30 years.
HOUSTON — The seals on a leaky fuel line flange in Discovery’s Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) will be replaced, without an immediate affect on the scheduled Nov. 1 liftoff, NASA managers decided Oct. 19. The small leak of toxic hydrazine stopped during an overnight torque test of a half-dozen bolts in the cross-feed flange area within the orbiter’s aft fuselage.
LONDON — The full impact on industry of Britain’s Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR) and the associated 8% budget reduction may take some time to emerge, although industry appears at least to be relieved the long period of uncertainty is over.
BENGALURU, India – American defense buyers, suppliers in India and aerospace companies will rub shoulders at a high-level, one-day meeting in Bangalore on Oct. 20. Hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM), the meeting will discuss various challenges that suppliers and buyers are facing in the wake of opening up the defense and aerospace sectors in India.
The U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft fleet is going to shrink significantly, well-connected observers say, but exactly how much they do not know. The details are, roughly, that the first group of 179 new KC-Xs will not be reinforced with KC-Y and KC-Z for 15-20 years and the larger KC-10 replacement will not show up for 30 years, says the former commander of the 12th Air Force and a key Washington-based airpower analyst in a briefing for reporters Oct. 19
HAWKS UP: The Royal Australian Air Force has cleared its BAE Hawk trainers to resume operational flying, officials said Oct. 19. On Oct. 11 they said they had suspended all Hawk operations after one of the aircraft experienced a technical fault while taxiing prior to takeoff from RAAF Base Pearce, Western Australia. “Following an investigation into that incident, the Hawk fleet has been cleared to resume flying, with each aircraft to receive a detailed technical inspection prior to flight,” according to officials.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Workers at Kennedy Space Center plan to drain the fuel from shuttle Discovery’s Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) tanks and lines to fix a suspected leak in the crossfeed flange area.
NEW DELHI — Airbus Military and Boeing remain undecided about participating in India’s program to buy six midair refuelers, which has a proposal deadline of Dec. 15. “On the basis of our [past] experience, we are thoroughly analyzing and reviewing the situation,” says Barbara Kracht, vice president of communications at Airbus Military.
Bangalore, india — India has flown the homegrown Rustom-1 unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time. Developed by the Defense Research Development Organization’s (DRDO) Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the 30-min. flight took place Oct. 16 from a Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd. airfield at Housr, near Bangalore.
GUARD ACT: The new U.S. Coast Guard authorization law enacted Oct. 15 by President Barack Obama allows the president to designate up to four positions of importance and responsibility to be held by vice admirals, in addition to the existing vice commandant. It also removes language linking the rank of these vice admirals to specific positions, “creating more flexibility in how senior leadership is organized within the service,” according to a service statement.
LONDON — Despite looming budget cuts, the U.K.’s new national security strategy reiterates the need to remain engaged globally and puts a new level of attention on areas such as defending against cyberattack, terrorism and natural disasters. Those defense areas are mentioned, alongside more traditional threats of becoming embroiled in military crises, in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government’s 39-page “National Security Strategy: A Strong Britain in an Age of Uncertainty.”
BEIJING — Chinese manufacturer Casic will set up a factory to manufacture composite parts, including some for the C919 airliner, underlining the ambitions of the space and missile specialist to build up a civil aeronautics business. The factory, to be built at Zhejiang in eastern China, will focus on the development and manufacturing of composites, international aeronautics subcontracting, and military-civil dual-use production, says the local government.
TEL AVIV and LONDON — Long-range ballistic missiles are a new threat to Europe, but Israeli defense planners are more concerned about the rapid growth in lower-end rocket threats.
PARIS — The U.K. has awarded a £770,000-($1.2-million) contract to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to define a new orbiting technology demonstrator. The award will enable planners to identify innovative payloads that could be demonstrated on the small satellite, dubbed TechDemoSat-1, and define the mission.
Pratt & Whitney has completed tests of the durability and robustness of the F135 short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (Stovl) propulsion system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and is preparing for final performance and operability testing to qualify the engine.
LUTON, England — Having already sold some preproduction versions of its new Sage electronic support measures (ESM) system, Selex Galileo expects full production to begin soon.
ARMY GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Sept. 29 a $73,452,747 firm-fixed-price contract action. Will call up an additional quantity of 45 Stryker vehicles. Work is to be performed in London, Canada (50%), and Anniston, Ala. (50%), with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2012. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM, CCTA-AIP, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07 -D-M112).
