CVN BUSH: Northrop Grumman Corp. said May 12 it finished installing the propellers on the 10th and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). The new propellers also will go on the planned CVN 21 class, as well as the USS Carl Vinson, now in the Newport News, Va., shipyard undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul. The ship's keel was laid Sept. 6, 2003. The christening will occur in October, with delivery to the Navy in late 2008.
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command announced May 10 that two successful shots of the thermobaric shaped-trajectory Hellfire missile were completed at the Navair land test ranges in China Lake, Calif. Both air launches, 30 minutes apart, were executed from an AH-1W test squadron helicopter based there. Navair said the successes mean the new Hellfire missile's product team is closer to fielding the technology.
The U.S. and Canada on May 12 took the final step toward extending and expanding the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), exchanging diplomatic notes that renew the long-standing defense agreement, make the command permanent, and expand its purview to the seas. The new agreement adds maritime warning and surveillance to the command, which currently covers aerospace; it also makes NORAD permanent, subject only to a review every four years. Plans to add a maritime component to NORAD had been under discussion for several years.
NIP AND TUCK: Pentagon bean counters already are looking for places to nip and tuck in preparation for the fiscal 2008 budget proposal, which isn't due to Congress until next February. Officials in each service and the major commands are drawing their battle lines. Some programs already in the crosshairs are the Special Operations MH-60 multimission helicopter; the Navy's EA-18G Growler, which is being developed for electronic attack; and the Navy's E-2D Hawkeye aircraft. Although these are early budget deliberations, they portend a rough road ahead for the Pentagon.
Albert E. Smith has been named to the board of directors. Smith is currently chairman of Tetra Tech Inc., a Pasadena, Calif., resource management company.
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) bid goodbye to members of the Washington space community at a Space Transportation Association breakfast on Capitol Hill May 11, as he prepares to depart Congress next month. "One of the things I'm going to miss most about serving in the House, I think, is the opportunity to represent so many members of the American space community," said DeLay, whose district includes Johnson Space Center in Houston.
AEHF CCS-C: Integral Systems Inc. announced May 10 that the U.S. Air Force awarded it a $21.5 million contract modification for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program's Command and Control System-Consolidated (CCS-C) effort. This consolidates all C2 for AEHF Satellite Vehicles 1, 2, and 3 as a cost saving measure and accommodates the current AEHF launch schedule, the company said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the tri-agency committee charged with overseeing the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) were not hands-on enough and ignored signs that the program was spiraling out of control, according to the Commerce Department's inspector general.
Thomas E. Ferguson has been named president of the Hydraulic Institute for 2006-2007. He will also serve on the board of directors. Ferguson is a vice president of Flowserve Corp. and president of Flowserve Pumps.
With India's skies getting crowded as its aviation sector continues to grow - more than 12 percent over the past year - efforts are under way to integrate and synergize the resources available for civil and military airspace. "We need higher technology in CNS-ATM (communication, navigation, surveillance-air traffic management) to cater to the increasing frequencies of flights," says Ajay Prasad, civil aviation secretary.
FAMILY OF VEHICLES: Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems L.P. of Sealy, Texas, has been awarded a $295.9 million contract modification to provide the U.S. Army with a family of medium tactical trucks and trailers, the Defense Department said May 11. The work will be performed in Sealy and is set to be finished by Nov. 15, 2008. The contract was awarded by the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich.
BAE Systems and VT Group on May 10 dropped plans to jointly bid for Babcock International Group. The two companies have been looking at a joint offer for Babcock since March. With a May 18 deadline looming on whether to submit a bid, BAE and VT have decided not to pursue an offer.
John M. Deutch has been named chair of the board of director's governance and nominating committee. Thomas E. Everhart has retired from the board. Warren B. Rudman has retired from the board. Michael C. Ruettgers has been named the board's lead director. Ronald L. Skates will continue to chair the audit committee. Paul Snyder has been named president of the customer services division. William R. Spivey has been appointed chair of the board's management development and compensation committee.
The House chose May 11 to authorize $5 million for the U.S. Air Force's High Altitude Airship (HAA) Program, offset by an equal amount taken from the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS), as well as require a comprehensive analysis of future airlift and sealift mobility requirements as part of the Defense Department's 2006 update to the Mobility Capability Study.
Senior Defense Department leaders and executives from the aerospace and defense industry have reached an "agreement in principal" on changes to the Berry Amendment that would "protect" specialty metals producers and "thousands" of small businesses, the Aerospace Industries Association has announced.
