SINGAPORE — Eurocopter has delivered the first two of 12 EC725 helicopters ordered by the Malaysian air force. The pair of aircraft were presented during a Dec. 3 ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Eurocopter says, adding that “Malaysia is to receive a total of 12 EC725s through 2014.” The country’s air force plans to use the helicopters for search and rescue and utility missions, Eurocopter says.
FIXING PRICES: Alan Chvotkin, vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council, says contractors under fixed-price awards may ironically fare better than contractors under cost-plus and other types if the budget penalty known as sequestration kicks in next year. “Agencies know that changes to fixed-price contracts actually cost them more in the long run,” said Chvotkin at Deltek’s recent FedFocus 2013 conference in McLean, Va.
HAIFA, Israel — Some of Israel’s missile designers say their new advanced missile defense systems — like Iron Dome and David’s Sling — are so sophisticated that they may likely mark the end of an era as the last large, kinetic missiles to be developed. They may well parallel the F-35’s Joint Strike Fighter’s role as the last stealthy, manned, strike fighter.
Bell Helicopter and AAI, both owned by Textron Systems, are kicking off demonstrations in a new, company-funded laboratory facility intended to improve the manned/unmanned interface for the U.S. Army as it struggles with reduced budgets.
NEW DELHI — India plans to buy 28 Dornier Do228 twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft for its navy and air force from state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL). “There is a proposal to procure 14 Dornier aircraft from HAL for the purpose of training pilots of the Indian air force [IAF],” Defense Minister A.K. Antony says. “Additionally, there is also a proposal to procure two more Dornier aircraft, modified to calibrate navigational aids at IAF airfields. Besides, [the] Indian navy has a plan to purchase 12 Dornier aircraft.”
Pierre Chao, a longtime aerospace and defense (A&D) industry sage and managing partner at Renaissance Strategic Advisors, succinctly sums up what the outcome of the budget impasse in Washington between Republicans and Democrats should be. “Your taxes are going to go up, your benefits are going to go down, and spending is going to go down,” he said in a post-election address to Aviation Week’s A&D Programs conference. “My six-year-old daughter knows this.”
PARIS — Europe’s stealthy Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) completed its first flight Dec. 1 from the Istres test center in southern France, marking a major milestone for the technology demonstration project and paving the way for flight test campaigns in Italy, Sweden and France.
LONDON — The Spanish government has announced it will send a trio of Eurocopter EC665 Tiger attack helicopters to Afghanistan. The decision, which comes days after the German government gave the green light for the operational use of its own Tigers, was announced by the Spanish army’s Chief of Staff, Gen. Jaime Domínguez Buj. Three of the army’s fleet of six Tigers will be deployed to Herat in Afghanistan’s western region, where 1,500 Spanish personnel are currently serving.
BUYOUT APPROVED: Shareholders of commercial satellite imagery provider GeoEye approved a proposed buyout Dec. 3 that will leave the company’s chief U.S. competitor, DigitalGlobe of Longmont, Colo., operating the world’s largest fleet of high-resolution Earth imaging satellites. Under the terms of the merger, GeoEye shareholders can opt to take 1.137 shares of common stock and $4.10 per share in cash, a 100% cash payment totaling $20.27 per share, or 100% in stock, with each GeoEye share worth 1.425 shares of DigitalGlobe stock.
AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, (FA2103-13-C-0006) is being awarded a $178,575,114 cost-plus-incentive fee contract for Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase 1 of the B61-12 Tailkit Assembly. This contract also includes a priced option for (EMD) Phase 2 and price goals for the production phase. The location of the performance is St. Louis. The work is expected to be completed by October 2015. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/EBBC, Eglin AFB, Fla.
Contractors selling professional services and information technology to the federal government — particularly the Pentagon — should get used to meeting lowest-price, technically acceptable (LPTA) requirements, contracting consultants at Deltek say.
Cyberwarfare, long-range strike and undersea systems all fared well in a recent budget exercise performed by a group of experts tasked with sketching a path forward for the Pentagon under a reduced top line. Organized by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, the exercise assumed a replacement for sequestration that changed the implementation but not the goal. In making cuts, the participants could set priorities, and change the implementation slope, but had to reach the same spending target.
French missile maker MBDA acquired the ramjet integration and testing activities of Roxel France on Dec. 1 following the signing of an agreement with propulsion company Herakles, a subsidiary of Safran and an equal shareholder with MBDA of the Roxel group. Specializing in tactical propulsion technology in France and the U.K., Roxel will continue to produce solid-rocket motors for MBDA missiles as well as other system suppliers, giving MBDA a leading position in ramjet technology in Europe.
AgustaWestland-built AH-64 Apache attack helicopters have performed exceedingly well for the U.K. in Afghanistan and elsewhere, but they need upgrading to maintain that record. Options for the Attack Helicopter Capability Sustainment Program (AH CSP)—understood to be worth around £1 billion ($1.59 billion) for the winning bidder—are currently being assessed by the U.K. Defense Ministry, which is expected to reach a final decision in the spring.
