The 2010 defense budget crafted by the recently elected Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is being scrutinized carefully by a waste-cutting panel chaired by Yukio Hatoyama, the new prime minister. Especially vulnerable is the Patriot PAC-3 ballistic missile interceptor, for which ¥94 billion ($1 billion) is requested. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and the Social Democratic Party, a pacifist coalition partner of the DPJ, oppose it, while the People’s New Party, another coalition partner, supports it.
Tel Aviv — Israel has approved another 1.5 billion shekels ($397 million) for defense to address the threat from Iran, on top of a historically high 2010 defense budget of 53.2 billion shekels. Israel will need every shekel to fund procurement needs and commitments, as it faces hostile neighbors and saber rattling from Iran. Some projects have been pending for more than two years and will require decisions. Defense also must compete with pressing social issues, which could become political flashpoints.
RAVEN UPGRADE: The U.S. Army and Marine Corps awarded AeroVironment a $23.9 million contract modification for Raven UAV upgrade kits. The contract covers an upgrade for existing analog Raven systems to a digital data link. Full funding for the contract modification was provided by a DOD supplemental funding bill and has a potential value of $66.6 million. Of that, $42.7 million has not been funded yet, but has been added to the maximum potential value of the contract supporting this program.
A new direction for missile defense will continue to evolve in 2010, as what was once regarded as the stuff of fantasy becomes accepted as an essential component of defense and security.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Jan. 4 - 7, 2010 — 48th Annual American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Including the New Horizons Forums and Aerospace Exposition, World Center Marriott, Orlando, Fla. For more information go to www.aiaa.org
TIGHTER REINS: U.S. federal agencies have identified more than $19 billion of “savings” in Fiscal 2010 and are on track to meet a $40 billion target outlined by President Barack Obama, the White House has asserted. In addition to their savings plans, agencies also have identified ways to cut 10 percent of contracting spending by slashing new non-competitive, cost-reimbursement, or time-and-materials/labor-hour contracts. Moreover, each agency has identified at least one pilot initiative where potential overreliance on contractors may be affecting performance.
PARIS — In its second flight Dec. 22, the A400M cleared its normal flight envelope and also wrapped up flight test activity for 2009. The flight, from the EADS facility in Seville, Spain, was delayed several days by weather, and that in turn delayed plans to shift flight operations to Toulouse, France. The aircraft reached 30,000 feet in its 3-hour-10-minute flight. Having now reached maximum operating speed of 330 knots and 0.72 Mach, its maximum Mach number.
High transportation costs to space and inadequate funding on the ground may prevent NASA from using its expensive orbiting microgravity laboratory — the International Space Station — to the full extent, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
NATO GAZING: With NATO rethinking its future for the first time since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rand Corp. analysts say the Cold War alliance could move toward contemporary security issues like cyberthreats and piracy, and strengthen its commitment to failed states like Afghanistan — or not, at its peril. “The alliance is in a fight for its existence and will have to combine various roles to stay relevant to both Europe and the United States, but it must also be cautious not to overextend itself,” says Christopher Chivvis, international security policy analyst.
AF-PAK FIRST: The Pentagon says Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy leads the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s guidance for 2010. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen signed the military guidance, which goes to members of the Joint Staff and informs the joint force, recently after a trip to U.S. Central Command hotspots. Al-Qaeda and similar terrorist groups remain the biggest threat to the United States, the admiral wrote. “The threat is still real,” he said. Defeating those groups will take more than military power, and the chairman called on the U.S.
The U.S. Navy has committed to an Arctic roadmap that will carry the service through to the next Quadrennial Defense Review in 2014. The roadmap is an offshoot of the Task Force for Climate Change (TFCC), established at the direction of Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, in May 2009. “Because the Arctic is primarily a maritime environment, the Navy must consider the changing Arctic in developing future policy, strategy, force structure and investment,” wrote Adm. J.W. Greenert in his introduction to the roadmap.
A concerted effort at all levels of the U.S. Marine Corps is resulting in a slow climb in readiness numbers for its V-22 Osprey as aircraft operations ramp up in Afghanistan. “I’d say Block B [MV-22s] are at 65 percent across the fleet,” said Lt. Gen. George Trautman, deputy commandant for Marine Corps aviation. “We can trend up into the 70s by aggressive sparing.”
LETTER LOBBY: Boeing on Dec. 18 praised 125 members of Congress who released a letter urging the Obama administration to “ensure European compliance with a ruling against massive illegal subsidies provided to Airbus.” Boeing praised the lawmakers in supporting its side in the World Trade Organization dispute and claimed Airbus was still continuing “illegal” subsidies for its new aircraft, the A350. Some lawmakers have also expressed similar desire for official action in favor of Boeing in the U.S. Air Force’s aerial refueling tanker battle with Airbus.
The U.S. Air Force appears to have halted the forthcoming competition to build C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits, a sign that this program could be terminating in the coming budget request for 2011. On Dec. 16, the Air Force program office overseeing the C-130 AMP program issued a statement noting that the “government is finalizing the way forward on the C-130 AMP program” and the solicitation is “cancelled.” The statement adds that “the government will readdress the [issue] once a way forward for the AMP program has been determined.”
THIRD F-35B: Ahead of a formal commitment to purchase Joint Strike Fighters, the U.K. defense ministry has received financial approval to buy a third F-35B operational test aircraft. The first two U.K. F-35Bs were included in the 17-aircraft third low-rate initial production batch ordered in June. The third aircraft will be purchased in LRIP 4. Testing of the short takeoff and vertical landing (Stovl) F-35B continues to slide, meanwhile.
NEW DELHI — India’s defense ministry has approved Singapore Technologies (ST) Kinetics to go ahead with the trials for 39 155mm caliber ultra-light howitzers that were postponed from June. The delay in trials followed ST Kinetics being implicated in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s probe of the ministry’s former Ordnance Factory Board chairman. The investigation resulted in a temporary ban on procurements from ST and six other companies (Aerospace DAILY, June 23, 29).
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil has postponed a decision on buying 36 jet fighters from any of the three rival bidders until early spring 2010 at the very earliest in a move analysts interpret as part of a strategy to extract maximum advantage over Brazil’s long-term plan for extensive technology transfer.
PARIS — The European Space Agency (ESA) has contracted with EADS Astrium for definition of a higher-power, more versatile variant of the Ariane 5 heavy-lift booster. The new version, known as the Ariane 5 ME (Midlife Evolution), will feature a new upper stage, a re-ignitable Vinci upper stage engine and enhanced avionics and flight software.
U.S. Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA) expects a three-fold increase in engagement activities with countries in the region during Fiscal 2010, Vice Commander Brig Gen Michael Callan says. Stood up in Oct. 2008, AFAFRICA conducted 30 engagements with 22 African nations in Fiscal 2009 with the aim of building relationships, improving safety and increasing capability. This is expected to grow to at least 90 in 2010 and to around 120 in 2011, Callan says.
In observance of the year-end holiday season, Aerospace Daily & Defense Report will not publish issues dated Dec. 24 through Jan. 3, resuming publication on Jan. 4. During the interim, log in to the Aviation Week Intelligence Network website at www.aviationweek.com/awin for news updates.
CYBER CENTER: The White House on Dec. 22 announced President Barack Obama’s new Cybersecurity Coordinator: Howard A. Schmidt, a former chief security officer at eBay and Microsoft. In the spring, Obama declared cybersecurity to be a major U.S. priority (Aerospace DAILY, June 1).
