LOFTY GOALS: The Obama administration has announced its goals ahead of the 2010 review conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Before then, the United States will promote U.S. policy objectives by presenting working papers and statements addressing various aspects of the treaty. According to the State Department, U.S.
Boeing has reduced its job count by nearly 4,000 positions across most of its employment units since the first of the year, achieving nearly 40 percent of the total it expects to shed in 2009.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In an attempt to be responsive to U.S. Army needs, Boeing is changing its earlier sales pitch for an Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) replacement to push a manned-optional configuration. “We’ve been paying attention to what the Army’s needs are,” Mike Burke, Boeing’s director of Army rotorcraft business development, told reporters here May 4. But the Army’s needs regarding a replacement ARH — a program it canceled in October 2008 — won’t be clear until an analysis of alternatives (AOA) is developed. That process could take two years.
A NASA-supervised mission carrying a satellite with a prototype sensor technology for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) was put into a low-Earth polar orbit May 5 one hour after liftoff by a United Launch Alliance Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The $400 million Space Tracking and Surveillance System Advanced Technology Risk Reduction (STSS-ATRR) mission, originally called the Block 2010 Risk Reduction, was launched at 1:24 p.m. PDT and achieved orbit at 2:22 p.m. from a two-stage Delta II 7920-10L.
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Raytheon announced that its KillerBee unmanned aircraft system demonstrated it can be recovered from a net on a moving platform in an exercise that simulated an at-sea recovery. The KillerBee is bidding to win the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS)/Tier II program, which calls for a UAS that can be launched and recovered aboard a ship.
2009 Boeing Employment(as of April 30) 2009 Boeing Employment(as of April 30) Boeing Employment by Group Divisions Jan. 31, 2009 Feb. 28, 2009 Mar. 31, 2009 Apr.
If U.S. Air Force and Pentagon leadership decides not to recapitalize Air National Guard (ANG) units with fifth-generation tactical aircraft, then the Guard will look to upgrade its fourth-generation fleet — if not to “4.5” versions then at least with more modern capabilities, according to Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt III, ANG director.
GATES GOOD: According to a Harris Poll of the U.S. public conducted online, Defense Secretary Robert Gates received even more positive ratings than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (68 percent vs. 62 percent) — among those who are familiar with him, at least. Harris asserts the finding reflects well on President Barack Obama’s political judgment in asking Gates to stay on to lead the Pentagon. Still, many of the 2,401 adults polled in mid-April also had little familiarity with Gates and other Cabinet members.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Despite its success in Iraq, the VUIT-2 system will not be fielded on the Apache Longbow in Afghanistan yet, according to the service’s Apache program manager. VUIT-2, a system that enables Apache aircrews to stream video and metadata directly from unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has proven tremendously popular with the battalion operating it now.
A&D Programs Conference November 2-4, 2009 Phoenix, AZ A&D Finance Conference December 2-3, 2009 New York, NY Defense Technology & Requirements Conference February 17-18, 2010 Washington, DC AVIATION WEEK Laureates Awards March 17, 2010 Washington, DC
TYING UP: Federal prosecutors in Washington announced the 11th plea agreement from an investigation into the military restraints industry. The Justice Department said May 1 that Thomas J. DeGirolamo pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Islip, N.Y., to one count of participating in a conspiracy to direct a Navy contract for straps from March 2004 until November 2007. The department said DeGirolamo was charged with allocating a contract in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $1 million for individuals.
Business Aviation Security June 4th, 2009 The DOME Theater Arlington, VA Get the latest updates on TSA and DHA policies/regulations- including LASP. Register now www.aviationweek.com/events Click here to view the pdf
Jacobs Technology will take over from Lockheed Martin as support and facilities operations contractor at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, marking a major change as the space agency moves toward the post-shuttle era. Lockheed Martin had held the contract along with the prime contract to build the space shuttle external tanks in the government-owned facility. But with the shuttle program coming to an end, NASA won’t be buying more of the big aluminum-lithium tanks.
A BETTER DESIGN: U.S. defense procurement rule-writers are looking to permit contracting officers to use their judgment regarding the amount of contract payment withheld under fixed-price architecture-engineer deals, according to a May 5 notice in the Federal Register. Concerned officials say the current withholding provision — 10 percent of revenue — crimps the cash flow of architect-engineer contractors, many of them smaller firms, and may even result in withholding amounts that exceed what is reasonably needed to make sure the work has been completed satisfactorily.
AIR FORCE The Air Force is modifying a firm fixed price contract with Lockheed Martin Corp., of Marietta, Ga., for an amount not to exceed $292,800,000. The contract will provide four C-130J aircraft for the Iraq government. At this time, $6,920,907 has been obligated. 657 AESS, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-06-C-6456,P00080). NAVY
AIR FORCE The Air Force is awarding a cost plus fixed fee letter contract to the Utah State University Research Foundation of Logan, Utah, for $48,000,000. The action will provide algorithm generation, implementation test and assessment for the Third Generation Infrared System program as well as the testing, characterization, and calibration of the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload program. At this time, $1,148,050 has been obligated. SMC/XRC of El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity. (FA8814-09-D-0001)
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Air Force is studying the potential involvement of U.S. commercial space industry and potentially even foreign launch providers in its future Operationally Responsive Space mission portfolio.
The Royal Australian Navy will become heavily oriented toward underwater combat under a new policy that proposes doubling the fleet’s submarine arm. A historic realignment and expansion of naval force is outlined in the country’s latest defense white paper (Aerospace DAILY, May 4), which also endorses a purchase of about 100 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightnings, giving the Royal Australian Air Force close to one-for-one replacement of its current combat jet arsenal. The program will begin with an order for at least 72.
SPRINGING REVENUE: U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command has awarded General Dynamics’ Armament and Technical Products unit about $150 million to produce Hydra-70 rockets, warheads and motors. Deliveries are expected to begin in September 2010. This order was awarded under a five-year contract originally signed in 2005. The Hydra-70 family of unguided rockets entails multiple warhead configurations and can be fired from Army Apache and Marine Corps Cobra attack helicopters, as well as Air Force F-16s.
AIR FORCE The Air Force is modifying a contract with McDonnell Douglas Corp., of Long Beach, Calif., for an increase of $16,000,000. The contract modification is for the C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership contract to increase funding for FY09 material improvement projects for the USAF. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 16 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8814-04-C-2004). NAVY
Raytheon is studying options to upgrade the BGM-109 Tomahawk ship-launched cruise missile, including the addition of a sophisticated radar sensor. The active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar would be added to the nose of the weapon for improved engagement of ship targets, according to Everett Tackett, business development director at Raytheon for the Tomahawk weapon. The U.S. Navy is suffering from a lack of options to engage ships, especially in littoral areas.
Mark your calendar for AVIATION WEEK’S MRO events! MRO Europe Conference & Exhibition September 22-24, 2009 Hamburg, Germany MRO Asia Conference & Exhibition December 8-10, 2009 Hong Kong MRO Middle East Conference & Exhibition Feb. 28 - March 1, 2010 Dubai, UAE
