LYNN LEAVING: The Pentagon’s No. 2 official, William Lynn III, will leave office as soon as a successor chosen by new Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in place this fall, the Defense Department announced July 7. According to the Pentagon, Lynn, a Raytheon executive before taking office, will continue living in the Washington area but has not yet announced future plans. The position of deputy defense secretary, which has to be confirmed by the Senate, is sometimes referred to as the Pentagon’s “mayor,” or chief operating officer.
Surrogate flight tests of the software and systems for the Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat aircraft system demonstrator (UCAS-D) have resulted in “hands-free” landings of an F/A-18 Hornet on a U.S. Navy carrier. Controlled by the avionics and software from the X-47B, the F/A-18 conducted 58 coupled approaches to the USS Eisenhower on July 2, including 16 intentional touch-and-gos and six arrested landings, program officials say.
HOUSTON — A majority of Americans – even in the midst of a battered economy – believe it is essential for the nation to stand at the summit of space exploration, according to a new Pew Research Center poll. The survey, released three days before the scheduled July 8 launch of NASA’s final space shuttle mission, suggests that support largely cuts across economic and educational boundaries as well as political affiliation.
EXTENDED TORNADO: The U.K. Ministry of Defense is working on a fatigue life extension for its Tornado GR4 fleet to allow the aircraft to keep flying until its planned retirement date of 2021. A ministry official says that fatigue testing now under way should allow some of the Tornado GR4s to reach 8,000 flight hours. The bulk of the fleet currently has a service life of 7,000 hr., with a few of the aircraft cleared to 7,500 hr.
LONDON — The U.K. government’s decision to change its approach on buying aircraft carriers and Joint Strike Fighters has added risks to the long-term program that are still not fully understood months after those changes were spelled out in the Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR), the National Audit Office warns.
Telenor Satellite Broadcasting of Norway has selected Arianespace to launch its Thor 7 Ku/Ka-band telecommunications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit atop an Ariane 5 rocket in late 2013, the Oslo-based company announced July 5. European commercial launch consortium Arianespace edged out International Launch Services of Reston, Va., Sea Launch of Long Beach, Calif., and Space Exploration Technologies of Hawthorne, Calif., to win the competitive award.
U.S. Air Force officials are preparing to launch the second Boeing GPS IIF satellite on July 14. The launch window opens at 2:49 a.m. EDT at Cape Canaveral, says Col. Christopher Warack, space systems program manager at the Space and Missile Systems Center near Los Angeles.
LONDON — Pakistan will receive advanced radio frequency protection equipment for its latest F-16s under a $49 million U.S. foreign military sales contract with ITT Systems. The contract covers delivery of 18 ALQ-211(v)9 pods and other equipment for the Pakistani air force, the Pentagon says. The initial foreign military sales request was for up to 21 systems.
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A House panel recommends killing the Northrop Grumman-built James Webb Space Telescope, calling the Hubble successor “billions of dollars over budget and plagued by poor management.”
PARIS — The biennial Paris air show in June highlighted numerous innovations in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which are adding diverse capabilities to increase their tactical and strategic value. Israeli manufacturers unveiled a number of new UAVs at Paris, including several electrically powered systems. This fast-growing class increasingly combines ease of handling and economy with extended range, advanced-technology payloads and efficient propulsion systems.
GENOA, Italy — Mexico has chosen the Alenia Aeronautica C-27J Spartan as its new tactical airlifter. Under a package deal worth $200 million, the Mexican air force is to receive four C-27Js, the first slated for delivery in September with more following by the end of 2012.
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter deliveries continue to lag, though training continues ahead of pace for the stealthy fighter this year. Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore, deputy JSF program manager, said last month at the Paris air show that the first F-35s would be delivered to Eglin AFB, Fla., in June. They have not yet been ferried over owing to delays in the paperwork needed for the flights, says Joe Dellavedova, the Pentagon’s JSF spokesman.
Airlines, MRO, Aircraft & Engine Lessors – The Tricky Triangle September 14-15, 2011 Dublin, Ireland This must-attend event was designed to provide airlines with critical knowledge on maintenance obligations prior to leasing an aircraft. Attend and learn what you need to know in order to avoid costly penalties or expensive last minute maintenance prior to lease return! Learn more and register today at www.aviationweek.com/eventsy
SINGAPORE — Japan has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of F-15s following an accident Tuesday in which an F-15 on a training mission crashed off the country’s southern island of Okinawa. The aircraft’s pilot is missing. Since it is unclear whether the crash occurred because of pilot error or an aircraft malfunction, the F-15 fleet has been temporarily grounded nationwide, according to local news reports, quoting officials from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Jasdf) and Japan’s Ministry of Defense.
LONDON — There is worry in the U.K. defense and aerospace sector that the British government’s effort to improve its acquisition practices could have unintended consequences that harm industry. “The concern is that in trying to achieve better value for money, we have detected that [the Defense Ministry’s] attitude to industry seems to be moving back to an arm’s-length approach based on buying off the shelf,” says Ian Godden, chairman of the Aerospace, Defense and Security industry trade group.
HOUSTON — U.S. and Russian spacewalk activity is expected to decline from an average of 12 to between one and three excursions annually as the assembly and outfitting of the International Space Station’s U.S. operating segment draws to a close with the final space shuttle flight.
LONDON — The Eurofighter consortium is taking steps to prepare integration of the AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation (HARM) missile on the Typhoon fighter. The preliminary work will help support Typhoon’s export campaign in India, which has expressed interest in the suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) weapon. Typhoon is competing against the Dassault Aviation Rafale to win India’s Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft program.
Leading Pentagon Logistic Support Services Contractors In 2010 No. Contractor Number Of Contracts Or Modifications Total Amount Obligated For Transactions Amount Per Transaction 1 Kellogg Brown And Root Services 328
AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded a $195,700,000 firm-fixed-price delivery order against the basic C-17 production contract to procure one C-17 aircraft. This effort supports 100% foreign military sales to the government of Australia. The location of performance is Long Beach. ASC/WLMK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-06-D-2006 DO 0008).
