In Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ recent speech at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, there was a phrase that certainly should get the attention of program officials in the Pentagon: “No one should ever neglect the psychological, cultural, political, and human dimensions of war.” In his May 7 remarks, Gates stressed the need to “develop the analysis, doctrine, strategy and tactics needed for success in 21st century conflicts.”
BENGALURU, India — The Indian army’s decision to order 124 additional Arjun main battle tanks and the successful launch of the nuclear-capable Agni-II ballistic missile by Strategic Forces Command (SFC) is seen as a shot in the arm for the country’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony, a staunch campaigner for indigenous military programs, said that the army’s decision to induct more Arjuns was its own, and signals that the tank is finally “coming of age.”
LAUNCH DELAY: Launch of the first Boeing GPS IIF satellite has slipped a day to May 21. The launch window of the Delta IV rocket is 11:25 p.m.-11:43 p.m. EDT, according to officials at the United Launch Alliance. They say that mission managers discovered a faulty piece of ground support equipment that is used to control one of the swing arms on the Fixed Umbilical Tower; they are replacing the equipment. GPS IIF will be the first of 12 satellites for the U.S. Air Force to carry a new safety-of-life signal in L5.
LOS ANGELES — Scaled Composites has successfully pressurized and powered up Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2) from the WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft in flight for the first time. The milestone was achieved on the second captive-carry test flight, which took the vehicle to its planned launch altitude at around 51,000 ft. On its first flight under the wings of WK2 on March 22, the spaceship was carried to an altitude of 45,000 ft., but the vehicle was not pressurized or activated.
Israel wants to acquire two corvettes that would permit missions beyond the Mediterranean and extend its fleet air defense capabilities. The navy was planning to purchase a variant of Lockheed Martin’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), but after an evaluation decided the vessel was too costly.
Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover that spent two years exploring a small crater named Victoria, is beginning a multiyear journey to a much larger feature visible on the horizon. Known as Endeavour, the crater is 13 mi. in diameter, which is 25 times larger than Victoria. Rover drivers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., are not taking any chances getting across the eight miles that Opportunity must traverse to reach Endeavour’s west rim.
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio — Two of the facilities quickly set up to modify KingAir 350ERs into new U.S. Air Force intelligence collectors are finishing the final elements of their MC-12W work, says Col. Daryl Hauck, program executive officer for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) here.
The U.S. Senate version of the latest off-book appropriations bill for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would redirect funds toward four Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statements. They are: Very Low Collateral Damage Weapon Mk 82, SOCCENT ISR Payloads, Marine Corps Unmanned Aerial Systems Resupply, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team equipment.
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio — The U.S. Air Force is planning to conduct a competition to select a competitor to Boeing for $6.3 billion in C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kit installations, but a developmental hurdle remains. Boeing, which was selected to develop the AMP kit, has completed flight testing of the system. But at least one task remains based on findings from those flight tests, according to Col. Kevin Buckley, acting commander of the wing that procures the kits at the Aeronautical Systems Center here.
NEW DELHI — The Indian navy is changing its planning strategy to an emphasis on capabilities rather than focusing on the number of platforms, according to naval chief Adm. Nirmal Verma, and will be a lean, fully networked force by 2022. “There is a change from the old ‘bean-counting’ philosophy to one that concentrates upon ‘capabilities’,” Verma says.
BOOST SESSION: A committee of the National Research Council charged with examining the concepts and systems for boost-phase missile defense and alternatives is hearing from invited advocates and critics in Washington on May 19.
AKATSUKI DELAY: The launch of Japan’s Venus climate orbiter, “Akatsuki,” was postponed five minutes before its scheduled early morning liftoff May 18 due to unfavorable cloudy weather over Tanegashima Space Center. The satellite, also known as “Planet-C,” is designed to investigate the mysteries of the Venusian atmosphere. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket is being emptied of fuel and refueled in time for a May 21 launch attempt at 6:58 a.m. local time. The launch window remains open until June 3.
German researchers are continuing work on advanced thermal protection systems (TPS) for returning spacecraft. At the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology in Gottingen, a scale model of the upcoming Sharp-Edged Flight Experiment (Shefex II) flight article is being subjected to blasts of air at 12,000 km. per sec. (7,456 mph) in a hypersonic wind tunnel. The module uses actively cooled ceramic tiles to dissipate the heat of re-entry.
HOUSTON — Astronauts from the shuttle Atlantis successfully attached the $200 million Russian “Rassvet” mini research and docking module to the International Space Station early May 18, carrying out the task with the unprecedented use of the outpost’s long robot arm as a propulsion device. The 23-foot-long compartment was attached to the station’s 12-year-old cornerstone Zarya module at 8:20 a.m., EDT.
PARIS — Arianespace executives say the Ariane 5 rocket is set to return to service after a month-long delay due to a hiccup in the helium pressurization system. The rocket has been grounded since April 12 when the Paris-based launch provider decided to investigate the reasons for a pressure regulator defect that caused a postponement in the last 2009 Ariane 5 mission, on Dec. 18, and led to repeated delays of the first 2010 mission. The regulator serves to maintain pressure in the hydrogen and oxygen tanks.
The U.S. Army is shifting management responsibilities for system development and acquisition from the old Future Combat Systems (FCS) program — currently aligned under Program Executive Office Integration (PEO I) — to PEOs that already manage similar systems.
LONDON — As NATO works to develop a new strategic framework, a group of experts asked to help inform the deliberations is calling on the alliance to make missile defense and cyber-protection part of its future plan.
A week after the first fully equipped AH-64D Apache Block III helicopter took its first flight, the test aircraft is preparing for an electrical loads demonstration.
HEAD CHECK: The U.S. Army said late May 14 it has initiated a recall of about 44,000 Advanced Combat Helmets produced by ArmorSource LLC (formerly Rabintex USA LLC). “The exact risk to soldiers wearing the recalled helmets is still being determined; however, sample testing from a quarantined inventory revealed that the helmets did not meet Army specifications,” a Pentagon statement said.
