U.K. CHALLENGE: The British Defense Ministry was due to begin the finals of its “grand challenge” August 16 to select a winner from the teams competing to develop unmanned systems for use in urban warfare environments. Eleven teams made it through to the final, from an initial 23 that had expressed interest in the competition. Out of the remaining teams at least two were not in a position to compete using the ministry’s Copehill Down “village” on Salisbury Plain because of technical problems with their unmanned vehicles.
UNMANNED TRAINING: Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., is the “preferred potential location” for an additional Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Formal Training Unit (FTU), U.S. Air Force Gen. John Corley, chief of Air Combat Command, announced Aug. 18. According to the Air Force, this could lead to the initial stand-up of FTU operations for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper combat operators, estimated to begin in 2009. Currently, Creech Air Force Base, Nev., is the only Predator/Reaper FTU location.
The recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report on private contractor costs in Iraq certainly grabbed some headlines by citing that those expenses account for a fifth of overall war funding there. But as parts of the CBO report show – and as an Aerospace DAILY analysis of Pentagon contracts and modifications reveals – contractor expenses represent a much larger chunk of war funding than even the agency found – billions of dollars more, in fact.
The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee is calling for the creation a corps of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to patrol the turbulent Afghanistan-Pakistan border and provide a “curtain of persistent tactical surveillance.” With the announced resignation of President Pervez Musharraf, “the future of the U.S.-Pakistan partnership against terrorism may now be in doubt,” Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) said Aug. 18. Hunter said the new Pakistani government “may or may not be as reliable an ally” as Musharraf in the war on terrorism.
VISIBLE FORCES: Special operations forces’ vehicles will soon be equipped with BAE Systems’ thermal imaging systems to enhance forward and rear visibility. The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center awarded the company a $50 million contract for the Driver’s Ground Mobility Visual Augmentation System (DR-GMVAS). The technology fuses visible-light and infrared imagery to provide the driver the best possible view in daylight, darkness and all weather conditions. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2008 and conclude in 2013.
B-2 COCKPIT: A new digital cockpit for the B-2 is being designed and built by Northrop Grumman and Rockwell Collins. A prototype has been tested as the first step in fielding a smarter, higher-resolution display to support future bomber modernization. The idea is to ease pilot workload, increase mission effectiveness and ensure the aircraft remains survivable against improving air defense threats. Survivability ensures the ability to penetrate and attack through heavily defended airspace.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Pentagon should begin to explore purchasing a sixth and possibly seventh Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite from Boeing, says U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell, who oversees the service’s Space and Missile Defense Command.
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) is calling on the next Congress and presidential administration to make quick decisions about the leadership of NASA when they take office next year. “The ASAP continues to offer its counsel to NASA, but at this significant point in national affairs, the Panel will also seek to convey several views to the incoming Presidential administration and Congress,” the group says in its 2007 annual report.
THAW OVER: U.S. and Polish leaders declare their newly signed missile defense-based deal has nothing to do with Russia, but Russian leaders are making strident comments to the contrary. A key Russian lawmaker was quoted as saying the move worsens ties between the Cold War adversaries, and a general said the deal “cannot go unpunished.” The long-awaited agreement, unveiled Aug. 14, occurred as tensions continue to smolder between Russia and U.S.-allied nations over the Georgian conflict.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicated new calendar listing.) Aug. 18 - 22 — 41st Annual Rotary Wing Technology, “A Comprehensive Short Course in Rotary Wing Technology,” Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Penn. For more information www.outreach.psu.edu/conference/rotarywing
NEW DELHI — The first Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainer built by Indian government-owned defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) made its first flight in Bangalore Aug. 14. The aircraft is the first of 42 Hawk aircraft being built under license by HAL, and is the 15th Hawk advanced jet trainer handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) following 14 that have been delivered from BAE Systems in the U.K.
CIVIL CONTROL: Aerospace Industries Association chief executive Marion Blakey says a State Department action finalizing a proposed rule will make it clear to U.S. companies what export licenses, if any, are required to sell civil aircraft items overseas and whether they can be used in civil aviation. State issued the final rule Aug. 14 on implementation of section 17(c) of the Export Administration Act.
SPACESUIT SCUTTLED: NASA is canceling its contract with Oceaneering International Inc. (OII) to build spacesuits for the Constellation program, following veteran suitmaker Hamilton Sundstrand’s protest of the upset award with the Government Accountability Office. In June, OII beat out Exploration Systems & Technology (EST), a joint venture of Hamilton Sundstrand and ILC Dover, for the $746 million contract (Aerospace DAILY, July 17). NASA says it is reconsidering its procurement decision after deciding that “corrective action” is needed.
TANKER MEETINGS: The Pentagon is having a second round of meetings with the two contractors vying for the redo of the controversial U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker competition. Northrop Grumman/EADS North America, with its A330-200-based tanker and winner of an earlier competition for the work, is now looking at a second round of dueling with Boeing, which protested the loss by its 767-200LRF concept.
PRUNING NASA: NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel continues to worry that the agency isn’t adequately funded for all of the work it has, particularly as it tries to develop the Orion and Ares I crew exploration and launch vehicles to take over after the space shuttle is retired in 2010. One possible area for economizing the ASAP sees is the 10 field centers NASA operates. ASAP members find the space agency’s situation analogous to that of the Pentagon before its Base Realignment and Closure Commission started dumping excess real estate.
The U.S. Marine Corps’ UH-1Y utility helicopter achieved initial operating capability (IOC) Aug. 8, the service announced, in preparation for its first deployment early next year. After more than a year of training, three UH-1Y helicopters with six pilots and six crew chiefs have reported to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in preparation for deployment aboard the USS Boxer in January 2009. It will be the first MEU deployment with a new type/model/series UH-1 since 1972, according to the Marines.
MISSILE DEFENSE: A dispute is brewing in the Pentagon over who will pay for missile defense operations and sustainment once the U.S. Missile Defense Agency hands off to the services. The bill for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system is expected to be higher than the Army can manage, says Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell, chief of the service’s Space and Missile Defense Command. He suggests a “defense-wide” account to pay for the maintenance, which is Pentagon lingo for tapping the Secretary of Defense’s accounts.
A long-awaited, congressionally mandated study by the National Research Council over conventional prompt global strike (PGS) capabilities challenges lawmakers’ resistance to a proposed Conventional Trident Missile (CTM) and calls on Capitol Hill to free up money for PGS research.
ARMY RESEARCH: The U.S. Army will evaluate research proposals submitted under a Broad Area Announcement (BAA) requesting support for its Simulation and Training Technology Center. Programs funded under this BAA will include exploratory and advanced research related to the goals of the Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) as well as technology demonstrations. The Army is encouraging university and industrial company participation. Responses are due by Aug. 1, 2009.
STSS SEQUEL: With the launch of two Northrop Grumman Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) satellites set for early 2009, there are no plans to press ahead with a program to design a follow-on system for global coverage yet. Missile defense officials say concern about space acquisition management has prompted Capitol Hill to take a wait-and-see approach. If the two satellites demonstrate the concept on orbit, a follow-on system could emerge. USAF Lt. Gen.
CHEAP INNOVATION: A $1 fix to the MQ-1 system allows Predator pilots to talk over a secure internet telephone rather than having to rely on text messaging. Staff Sgt. Ray Stetler received a 2 a.m. call to connect headquarters to the mission pilot via Voice Over Secure Internet Protocol. With a soldering iron and six feet of cable, “I terminated a network connection cable inside the headset ...
The U.S. Navy will conduct an Aegis Light-Off (ALO) on the USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), the first ship to receive a complete set of upgrades as part of the Navy’s Cruiser Modernization Program. The light-off ceremony, in which the Aegis combat system will be powered on, will be held at the Washington Navy Yard Aug. 19.
BOEING BID: When the Brazilian Air Force evaluates bids for its F-X2 fighter competition, among the offerings will be a Boeing proposal for its advanced F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Boeing received the Request for Information from the government of Brazil in June and delivered its proposal July 30. The stated initial requirement is for 36 aircraft, with the potential for up to 120. The other likely competitors include the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35, Saab Gripen and Sukhoi Su-35.
NEW DELHI – The U.S. is circulating a draft request among the member nations of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NGS) for a waiver to allow nuclear trade with India. This was revealed by the Arms Control Association (ACA), which describes itself as “an independent, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to practical strategies to reduce and eliminate the threats posed by the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
