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
IRAQ DEVELOPMENT: A business development firm responsible for an annual Iraq military conference near Washington says the U.S. defense industry could capture up to $50 billion in business under such programs there in the next a few years. But despite obvious advantages in Iraq, U.S. companies must inform Iraqi leaders about their offerings or risk losing out to European and other bidders. “Iraqi officials have a strong affinity for U.S.
Eilene Marie Galloway, who helped draft the legislation that created NASA and went on to become an internationally recognized expert in space law and policy, died May 2 of cancer. She was 102.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – EADS announced May 4 that it will partner with Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division to compete for the U.S. Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) when a new request for proposals is issued. The helicopter, called the Armed Scout, will be based on the yet-to-be-built EC645 airframe. It will be a militarized version of the company’s EC145, currently flying as the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), the Lakota UH-72A.
The U.S. Navy’s developmental MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned rotorcraft has made its first series of landings on the Frigate McInerney. The tests, which wrapped up April 28, included four flights from the ship over three days, Capt. Tim Dunigan, the Navy’s Fire Scout program director, said May 4 during a press briefing at the annual Navy League Sea, Air and Space conference in Washington. “The aircraft is doing everything we want it to do,” he said.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Contractors unveiled their offerings for an Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) with zeal May 4, despite the Army’s announcement that it will head back to the drawing board for an analysis of alternatives (AOA) on its rotary wing fleet that could take up to two years. Boeing took the opportunity to showcase, yet again, its AH-6, with the promise of a prototype flight this summer and fast fielding if it wins a recompetition.
RESTRUCTURING COSTS: The U.S. Army’s preliminary cost estimate for expanding the force to 547,400 by fiscal 2013 was $70.2 billion. That amount would pay not only for personnel, but also operations and maintenance, procurement and military construction costs. But the Army is well ahead of schedule, according to congressional auditors, and is expected to reach its end strength goal by the end of FY ’10 (Sept. 30, 2010). The stumbling economy is responsible, at least in part, for the accelerated numbers, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
DAMAGE CONTROL: Rockwell Collins is to demonstrate damage-tolerant flight control of an operational unmanned aircraft under an extension to a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program during which it previously landed an F/A-18 scale model safely after deliberately blowing off 60 percent of the wing. The program’s 15-month third phase will demonstrate automatic recovery and autonomous landing with increasing damage to the wing and tail, as well as loss of an engine.
