The U.S. Navy is undertaking its post-Cold War military transformation in a haphazard way, according to a new report from the General Accounting Office. The GAO report says the Navy is conducting a variety of transformation activities, including experimenting with new technologies and introducing its network-centric warfare concept, which calls for building a data network of advanced communications and computer technologies to link widely dispersed forces.
Some military analysts are skeptical that any real changes will be seen in the Pentagon's upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review, due Sept. 30, although Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the U.S. needs to move from a threat-based force to one based on capabilities. "The strategy, as you know, that we've approached is less of a threat-based strategy," Rumsfeld told reporters Aug. 3.
Several aerospace analysts say it's more likely that European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. - not its subsidiary Airbus Industrie - will establish any kind of large-scale aircraft facilities in the United States. Christopher Lombardi, manager of international affairs for the Aerospace Industries Association, said EADS officials understand that to sell in the U.S., they must have a U.S. presence.
Smaller aerospace suppliers looking to sell overseas can turn to the U.S. Department of Commerce for help, but many don't know the department has an office ready to assist them. The department's Commercial Service section provides small and mid-size aerospace exporters with a variety of services to market and sell their products overseas.
Representatives of the U.S. aerospace industry and organized labor disagreed Aug. 2 about the effects of offset manufacturing agreements. Speaking before a congressional committee examining U.S.-China trade relations, Robert Thayer, general vice-president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, testified that offsets are one reason the U.S. aerospace industry has declined in recent years.
JUMPER CONFIRMED: The Senate Aug. 3 confirmed Gen. John P. Jumper to be Air Force chief of staff and John P. Stenbit to be assistant secretary of defense for command, control, communications and intelligence. Ronald Sega received Senate confirmation to be director of defense research and engineering.
SHAPE SHIFTING: LeBouvier says the final appearance of the Navy's Vertical Takeoff and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) could change considerably before development is over. "It looks like a helicopter today, but we don't know what it's going to look like tomorrow." He says the eventual goal of the program is simply to produce an "'objective air vehicle' based on the objective requirements in the ORD [operational requirements document]," and the Navy is not wedded to a particular airframe.
PANAMSAT CORP. and Japan's JSAT Corp. have formed a joint venture to expand digital satellite services in North America. The companies have invested $100 million each in the venture, named "Horizons." The companies have bought a Boeing 601 HP satellite from Boeing Satellite Systems, which is scheduled for launch in late 2002. The satellite will operate under dual licenses - its C-band payload will be licensed by the U.S.
ABM BILL: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is drafting a bill to limit missile defense funding if the Bush Administration moves to unilaterally withdraw from or violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. "The idea behind it would be to not permit an abrogation of the ABM Treaty," according to Feinstein, who would prefer that the Administration negotiate changes to the treaty if it wants to lessen restrictions on missile defense. The Administration has insisted that it won't violate the treaty but that it will withdraw from it if Russia doesn't agree to amend it.
The Thai government ordered two Super Lynx 300 naval helicopters Aug. 1, a deal worth $35 million for Westland Helicopters. The contract obligates the company to include counter-trade offsets for Thai products amounting to half the contract price. The Super Lynx 300 was launched by Westland Helicopters in 1998 with a company-funded demonstrator prototype, powered by new and more powerful CTS800-4N turboshaft engines jointly developed by Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, and an all-new integrated glass cockpit.
DENNIS D. FITZGERALD was selected Aug. 3 as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office by Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet, with the agreement of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Fitzgerald is replacing David A. Kier, who is retiring. Fitzgerald is returning to the NRO from the Central Intelligence Agency, where he was the associate deputy director of the directorate of science and technology.
B-2 REPORT: The House Armed Services Committee believes procurement of additional B-2s "may become necessary" due to the Air Force's heavy dependence on the stealth bomber fleet, according to a summary of the fiscal 2002 defense authorization bill that the panel approved Aug. 1. The bill directs the Air Force to report to Congress on the number and type of aircraft needed for the service's future Global Strike Task Force concept of operations and an acquisition strategy for buying them.
EXPORT CONTROLS: Although the House has approved a temporary extension of the Export Administration Act, which expires Aug. 20, the Senate doesn't plan to consider a similar measure, even though Congress will be out of town for most of August. That's because Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) says the Bush Administration has told him that the short-term bill isn't necessary, since President Bush has the authority to temporarily impose comparable export control restrictions.
Tow tests of the Air Force Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) prototype have recently been completed at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. and the system is on track for a first flight in late fall of this year, according to program manager Col. Michael Leahy. "We're on the path now to complete a second set of engine runs with our vectoring nozzle, [and] we're getting ready to do combined system tests," said Leahy, speaking at an unmanned vehicle symposium here.
FRENCH CONNECTION: Russian firms seeking a larger foothold in the aerospace market are finding fast friends in France. Following French President Jacques Chirac's visit to Moscow in July, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) announced plans to expand cooperation with Rosaviakosmos, the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. France is hoping that Russia will purchase 36 Airbus aircraft, and Russian aerospace firms in return will get supply contracts to produce parts for EADS' jumbo Airbus A380 and its military transport aircraft, the A400M.
BOEING SATELLITE SYSTEMS of El Segundo, Calif., was awarded a $130.8 million contract by the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Integrated Program Office for two Conical Microwave Imager Sounder weather instruments. The contract includes options for up to four additional weather instruments, which would increase the contract value to $298 million.
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY will launch the Expedition Three crew, along with supplies and experiment racks, to the International Space Station Aug. 9, NASA announced Aug. 2. Discovery's launch for the 12-day STS-105 mission has been set for 5:38 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
SPACEHAB, INC. announced its Astrotech Space Operations unit has sold the assets of its Oriole sounding rocket program, and related property, to DTI Associates Inc., of Arlington, Va. The sale, effective July 26, turns over all physical and intellectual property assets of Astrotech's sounding rocket program, including the design of the Oriole rocket, except for those required for Astrotech to fulfill the terms of an agreement with an existing customer.
THE BOEING CO. plans to relocate 1,100 jobs, with most of them moving from Southern California to Florida and Texas. The transferred jobs are related to the company's work on the space shuttle and the International Space Station, and the workers will be moving closer to NASA operations at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., and the Johnson Space Center, Texas.
IMAGESAT INTERNATIONAL of Cyprus and Bank Leumi of Israel signed an agreement for Bank Leumi to provide ImageSat with a credit line of up to $70 million to continue development of the Eros imaging satellite program, which is manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries.
First launch of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) from a B-2 bomber took place July 31 over the China Lake, Calif., test range, prime contractor Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control reported. "The separation test vehicle demonstrated successful operation of JASSM during captive carry, launch and flight," the company said. "The test met all objectives and achieved a stable and controlled flight."
MORE THAN LETHAL: The Navy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle will have to do more than fight if it is to be truly integrated into carrier operations, according to Capt. Rand LeBouvier, who oversees UAV programs for the Navy. "Due to limited space, it's going to have to earn its place aboard the aircraft carrier, which means it's going to have to perform a daily role," says LeBouvier. "And that daily role will have to be something other than just carrying a bomb.
SUKHOI DREAMS: Frustrated with the continuing U.S-imposed arms embargo against it, Indonesia says it is now interested in acquiring the Sukhoi Su-30, Russia's latest model fighter. Indonesian Air Force Chief Hananfie Asnan announced the military would be interested in buying up to 16 aircraft from the Russians. But at a price tag of $35 million each for the Su-30, Indonesia may be better off waiting for the U.S. to lift the embargo. "Indonesia doesn't have the money for this purchase," according to an analyst.
