The U.S. Department of Labor on June 2 announced a $15 million grant to help space shuttle workers in Brevard County, Fla., launch new careers. Half the funds under the National Emergency Grants program will be released immediately to the Brevard Workforce Development Board, which is spearheading efforts to mitigate economic effects from the planned shutdown of the space shuttle program later this year. “We know we have a tremendous challenge here,” Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said at a press conference at Kennedy Space Center.
As the U.S. Army resets its stalwart Bradley fleet, the service also is shifting into higher gear for the development of its next generation of ground combat vehicles. The Army recently awarded BAE Systems a $145.1 million contract to revamp 551 Bradley Fighting Vehicles — including a low-rate reset for about 300 of the Bradleys with a major overhaul for the remaining vehicles, basically stripping them down and rebuilding from the frame up.
Pentagon acquisition czar Ashton Carter recertified the embattled Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter program to move forward after a major cost increase, but defense officials are now saying the total acquisition price of the multinational, triservice aircraft has increased by yet another $54.2 billion.
Congress remains worried about logistical support contracting for its war zones and could use some of the issues there as a springboard to iron out general Pentagon contracting problems, according to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
The caretaker government in the Netherlands has formally deferred action on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, stopping in its tracks an effort by opponents of the program to cancel participation in the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) phase.
September 29-30, 2010 ExCeL • London, UK Learn to maintain military assets longer; sustain aircraft beyond forecast; recover from budget cuts, delays and program cancellations, and develop new strategies required to deliver and support equipment. Learn more at www.aviationweek.com/events
SEVILLE and MADRID, Spain — Airbus Military is discussing with Indonesian Aerospace, its partner on the C-212, “re-engineering” the light twin-turboprop transport to reduce its cost. The Indonesian firm has produced the C-212-100 and 200 series aircraft under license, and the talks are now focusing on the newer 300 and 400 variants. It also produces the CN-235.
WIND TUNNELS: Two of the busiest wind tunnels at NASA’s Langley Research Center, Va., are getting a technological facelift this summer, according to the center. About $14 million in upgrades will improve the capabilities of the 14x22 Subsonic Wind Tunnel and the National Transonic Facility. Both tunnels will be used in research to develop more efficient “green” aircraft, Langley says.
The first radar-equipped balloon designed to help counter cruise missiles is being prepared for flight tests at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The first of two tethered aerostats for the U.S. Army’s Raytheon-developed Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor (JLENS) system has been flown at Dugway, and components for the surveillance radar are arriving for integration, Army Program Director Dean Barten says.
AIR FORCE Alion Science and Technology Corp., Chicago, Ill., was awarded a $24,251,273 contract which will provide research and engineering integration of Department of Defense manned and unmanned ground vehicle systems. At this time, $4,405,506 has been obligated. 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (N61339-03-D-0300, Delivery Order 0248). NAVY
Delivery of the first of six C-130J airlifters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) will occur later this year, Lockheed Martin says. The IAF also has identified a group of pilots to receive training at Lockheed Martin facilities before the delivery.
The U.S. Navy has launched development of an airborne computing environment designed to allow new software applications to be fielded quickly across multiple aircraft types. The Army has joined the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) program, which aims to break away from the costly and time-consuming process of introducing new capabilities only through regular, scheduled updates of individual platforms’ operational flight programs (OFPs).
NEW DELHI — The joint development of an Airborne Early Warning system by Embraer and India’s Defense Research Development Organization for the Indian air force is on track. The first flight of the modified EMB-145 will take place in December or early next year, Orlando Jose Ferreira Neto, executive vice president for defense systems, told Aerospace DAILY. The first fuselage was joined for India’s early warning aircraft in March for the first of three EMB-145s to be fitted with the Indian-designed antenna.
PARIS — Daher plans to introduce a multimission version of the Socata TBM 850 by year’s end as part of a plan to reinforce the company’s position as a small aircraft systems integrator.
ARMY Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Mass., was awarded on May 21 a $92,472,706 firm-fixed-price contract for AN/TSC-154A advanced extremely high frequency Secure Mobile Anti-jam Reliable Tactical Terminals. The work is to be performed in Marlborough, with an estimated completion date of March 21, 2018. One sole-source bid was solicited with one bid received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-07-D-L405).
Telesat will be the latest satellite operator to deploy a hosted payload for government and military use. The X-band payload will be installed on Anik G1, which is being built by sister company Space Systems/Loral. International Launch Services will perform the launch, set for the second half of 2012. To be located at 107.3 deg. W. Long., G1 also will carry 16 extended Ku-band transponders to be operated by Shaw Direct, as well as 12 Ku- and 24 C-band transponders to serve for the hot South American market.
Initial data from last week’s partially successful X-51A Waverider hypersonic demonstrator reveals the scramjet engine was still running normally when the vehicle began experiencing control difficulties prior to flight termination.
AIR FORCE Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $7,996,064 contract which will provide systems engineering warfare/radio frequency survivability and vulnerability analysis. At this time, $267,857 has been obligated. 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380).
ARIANE LAUNCH: Arianespace has set June 23 for the next flight of its Ariane 5 heavy-lift rocket. The flight will carry South Korea’s multipurpose COMS satellite and the Arabsat 5A telecom satellite. The mission, the company’s second of the year, follows the Ariane 5’s successful return to flight on May 21 after a grounding to investigate a helium pressurization system malfunction. Engineers will have to perform six flights over the second half of the year — a rate of one a month — to meet Arianespace’s objective of seven missions for 2010.
Deutsche Post DHL will finalize on June 2 the transfer to local Ohio authorities some 1,500 acres of the Wilmington, Ohio, Air Park, which is under consideration by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory as a test site for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
PARIS — Thales Alenia Space (TAS) has concluded a compromise deal that will enable it to proceed with the supply of two Yamal 400 satellites for Russia’s Gazprom Space Systems. To be deployed to 90 deg. E. Long., Yamal 401 will be equipped with 36 Ku- and 17 C-band transponders and will be intended to reinforce coverage in Russia and polar regions. Yamal 402 will carry 46 Ku-band transponders and will be positioned at 55 deg. E., where it will serve Russia, Europe, Africa and the polar regions. Yamal 402 will also provide mobile coverage.
