MCLEAN, Va. — U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus introduced sweeping changes to the service’s energy policy at the Office of Naval Research’s Naval Energy Forum here Oct. 14. Citing the United States’ propensity for “bold steps,” Mabus listed five so-called energy targets he proposes the Navy meet in the next decade. He put some of the onus for reform on industry, noting the Navy and Marine Corps will change the way contracts are awarded.
DAEJEON, South Korea — Early data from Japan’s “Ibuki” Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite already show the highest concentrations of carbon dioxide over China and the East Coast of North America, at least in April when the calibration measurements were taken.
United Technologies Corp. (UTC) Chairman George David will retire at the end of 2009, completing a lengthy leadership transition that has been under way for nearly four years at the parent company of Pratt & Whitney, Hamilton Sundstrand and Sikorsky Helicopter.
Boeing has shipped the third Wideband Global Satcom (WGS-3) satellite for the U.S. Air Force’s military communications network to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., in anticipation of a planned Nov. 18 launch on a Delta IV. The launch will be the second of the year for the constellation — WGS-2 was orbited by an Atlas V in April — and will virtually complete the original global network. WGS-3 is to be positioned over the Atlantic Ocean at a classified location so that the network has complete coverage except for a portion of the U.S. Midwest.
The third NATO owned-and-operated C-17 has now deployed to Papa Air Base in Hungary, completing the fleet the alliance is fielding. The first C-17 has already commenced operations after its July 27 handover, flying the first combat support missions to Kosovo and Afghanistan in September. The second C-17 was delivered last month and the third arrived in Hungary on Oct. 12. Ten NATO members, plus Finland and Sweden, are part of the consortium that has signed up for hours to use and operate the C-17s.
MCLEAN, Va. — Gen. James Conway said Oct. 14 he will spend the last year of his post as U.S. Marine Corps Commandant making energy efficiency one of his top priorities for the service.
The U.S. Navy has decided to deploy the USS Freedom, the first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), in early 2010, prior to its previously scheduled 2012 inaugural deployment.
RECRUITMENT DRIVE: U.S. Army leaders are trumpeting career opportunities for civilians at the armed service as it tries to boost its non-uniformed workforce by 100,000 during the next several years, as well as in-source thousands of acquisition jobs, most of which were previously filled by outside contractors. Karl Schneider, assistant deputy chief of staff G-1, says civilian workers have moved beyond the largely “administrative and blue-collar” jobs of the past and are now filling a larger percentage of the Army’s leadership cadre.
UNMANNED PRESENCE: Northrop Grumman has formally opened its expanded U.K. manufacturing facility in Coventry, though delivery of a key program associated with the site has slipped by around 12 months. The extended site is being used for the development and manufacture of unmanned ground vehicles such as the Cutlass, selected by the British Defense Ministry in 2006 for the explosive ordnance disposal role. Delivery of what was originally an 80-vehicle order was due to begin in the final quarter of this year, with the bulk of the systems to follow in 2010.
Defense industry consultants are predicting the market for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will easily reach the upper teens in billions of dollars worth of procurement through 2018, with related research and development possibly doubling the amount. U.S. consultancy Forecast International predicts the market for UAV procurement will be worth $18 billion or more worldwide over the next 10 years. Similarly, an IQPC research paper said it will be at least $16 billion.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has allocated the X-Plane designation X-55 to Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) proof-of-concept demonstrator. The X-55 is expected to resume flight tests in Palmdale, Calif, around January 2010, and following a 15-20 flight series lasting around six months, could be handed on to either the Air Force or NASA as a technology testbed.
Following 15 months of delays since the June 2008 rollout of its A400M military transport, Airbus Military is “reinforcing” its management team with four new appointments. Effective immediately, Rafael Acedo becomes the new Head of Strategy, while Miguel Angel Morell succeeds Acedo as the new Head of Engineering and Technology. Antonio Caramazana becomes Head of all Airbus military derivatives, having been previously in charge of the U.K. FSTA Tanker aircraft program, and Jaime Perez-Guerra is appointed Head of Communications.
DAEJEON, South Korea — Government customers and long-lead planning has protected the global space industry from the worst effects of the ongoing economic crisis, but industry and government representatives at the International Astronautical Congress here worry there may be a downturn in a few years as those same government customers begin paying off the debt they incurred stimulating an economic recovery.
TESTING INTELLIGENCE: “Even with decisive actions and successful policies abroad, it could take many years to defeat the likes of al Qa’ida,” according to President Barack Obama’s nominee to be principal deputy director of national intelligence. David Gompert, who testified Oct. 13 in front of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, further said this is both a critical and a formative time for U.S. intelligence, from integrating and harnessing a disparate government community to adapting to a changing world. “China could become a global partner, a rival or both.
DESTROYER PROGRESS: The Australian minister for defense personnel, materiel and science declared Oct. 13 that the country’s $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer was progressing “well” and would start hull construction in the “next few months.” Greg Combet said work has begun on a pilot block at shipbuilder ASC’s Adelaide shipyard. This followed the successful testing of the steel-plate cutting capabilities of a south Australian company, Ferrocut.
PARIS — The French government has given the go-ahead to several defense spending initiatives, including launching design studies for new supply ships to be fielded around 2020. The defense investment committee, headed by minister Herve Morin, on Oct. 12 approved concept work for what is being billed as four multi-purpose supply vessels to support amphibious battlegroups and the country’s carrier force. There is still no word on whether there will be one or two carrier battlegroups — that decision will not be made for another two years.
The Norwegian government plans to spend 34.9 billion Norwegian kroner ($6.2 billion) on defense next year, a 1.47 billion kroner increase, or 395 million in real growth. Oslo notes that priorities in the new budget will be on protection of the northern regions — where Norway has become increasingly concerned its strategic interests may clash with Russia — international peace operations and veterans.
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DAEJEON, South Korea — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is planning a lunar lander as a follow-on to its highly successful Selene-1 lunar orbiter, which mapped the moon’s surface in unprecedented detail and dazzled viewers with high-definition television views of Earth rising over the cratered lunar terrain.
