AgustaWestland contends the Danish government’s decision to buy Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters will cost taxpayers 1 billion kroner ($173 million) more than if Denmark had chosen the AW159 Lynx Wildcat.
WEAPONS POLICY: The Pentagon has issued a new policy that “establishes guidelines designed to minimize the probability and consequences of failures in autonomous and semi-autonomous weapon systems that could lead to unintended engagements.” The Nov. 21 policy, Directive 3000.09, also assigns responsibilities for development and use of autonomous and semi-autonomous functions in weapon systems, including unmanned platforms.
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.
Fiscal 2014—not 2013—will be the worst year for federal contractors, including defense companies, if the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration take effect in January 2013, says Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council. That is because sequestration will not cause a sharp drop-off in contracting opportunities until then. Federal contract spending will return to growth thereafter, but under lower top-line budgets outlined by the 2011 law known as the Budget Control Act.
The leaders of the House Privacy Caucus blasted a response from the FAA about how privacy protections for UAVs in civilian airspace should be handled, amid conflicting pressures on the agency as to how quickly it should select six test sites and whether it should be considering privacy issues at all.
Submarines are among the most secretive and secure strategic assets any nation deploys. So it is good news for U.K. and NATO defense planners that London is not backing away from its commitment to develop new nuclear boats, despite ongoing budget pressures and a projected total cost of £15-20 billion ($24-32 billion) at 2006-07 prices. In late October, the U.K.
The Russian air force has taken delivery of its first two Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters, domestic variants of the export best-seller Su-30MKI. Thirty aircraft were ordered in March 2012. Deliveries are scheduled to continue through 2015.
TIMING THE PAIN: Fiscal 2014 — not 2013 — will be the worst year for federal contractors, including defense companies, if the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration take effect in January 2013, says Alan Chvotkin, vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council. That is because the sharp drop-off in federal spending under sequestration, the second part of the Budget Control Act preoccupying policymakers in Washington right now, will not be felt via contracting opportunities until then.
A significant part of Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense against Hamas in Gaza takes place overhead and well out of sight. Israel is doubtless using the observation capabilities of its satellites to detect and monitor activities by the terrorist group, which for years has fired rockets into southern Israel, lately increasing their range and potential lethality. During the hostilities last month, Hamas deployed Fajr 5 rockets with 45-mi. range, long enough to hit Tel Aviv.
Limiting congressional terms brings in fresh blood, but that also means a change in direction. House Republicans are capping leadership terms at six years, which means that Rep. John Mica (Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will hand over his gavel next year. Mica may have rubbed colleagues the wrong way with his continued war against the Transportation Security Administration. But he was a strong advocate for the FAA's NextGen air traffic modernization system who came up through the aviation subcommittee.
The Senate did not close out action on the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill in three days as had been anticipated, instead shooting for an agreement to wrap up work early this week. As floor work continues, senators are already looking toward resolving the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Here’s a look at some of the outstanding issues:
Do not expect a let-up in the worldwide hunt for Al Qaeda, says U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Indeed, do not be surprised to see or hear reports of U.S. UAVs and Special Operations Forces in North Africa, Yemen and Somalia, he all-but-said-explicitly in a speech to the left-leaning Center for New American Security last month.
Northrop Grumman's X-47B unmanned combat aircraft system demonstrator was hoisted aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Truman at NAS Norfolk, Va., on Nov. 26 ,to begin several weeks of deck handling trials, both in port and underway. The trials with Air Vehicle 2 (AV-2) are a precursor to autonomous carrier takeoffs and landings planned for 2013.
The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin have settled on a price of roughly $3.8 billion for the next batch of F-35 fighters, after more than a year of negotiations, according to program sources. A few details remain to be worked out on low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 5 for the Joint Strike Fighter program, though the contract is likely to be signed in days.
Interoperability is an important factor driving the modification of three aircraft for electronic intelligence. The Royal Air Force is scheduled to take delivery of the first RC-135W Airseeker aircraft in December 2013, following its conversion for the mission by prime contractor L-3 Communications in a U.K. program overseen by the U.S. Air Force. The Airseeker aircraft are Boeing KC-135 tankers that were flown by the U.S. Air Force but are being converted to the USAF Rivet Joint surveillance configuration (see photo).
As the U.S. struggles with deficit-reduction demands, sequestration—the automatic budget cuts of the Budget Control Act of 2011—will take effect Jan. 2, 2013, if Washington does not enact a new law before then. But no matter how this develops, the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and their organizing office will probably wind up with less money in 2013 and beyond, if this year is any an indication. On Oct. 30, the Defense Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) said intelligence spending in fiscal 2012 (ended Sept.
Engineers do not expect three small cracks that appeared in the Orion multipurpose crew vehicle pressure vessel to delay the planned first flight of NASA's next human spacecraft in 2014. The cracks in three adjacent radial ribs machined into the aft bulkhead did not go all the way through, and the vessel continued to hold pressure after the cracks appeared when pressure reached 21.6 psi, according to a NASA spokeswoman. Orion's normal operating pressure is 14.7 psi.
Cost-effective readiness training for fifth-generation fighter aircraft is driving new simulation technologies that will change the way military pilots are trained within five years.
