WHO’S UP FIRST: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is pleading for consideration of the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill. McCain and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) had hoped the Senate would take up the legislation before the August recess. But then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would first consider a cybersecurity bill on which Democrats and Republicans remain divided.
EADS North America is considering proposing Eurocopter ’s X3 high-speed helicopter for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi Role advanced rotorcraft technology demonstration
About 13% of the $6.7 billion the Pentagon is slated to spend between fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2017 for fighting improvised explosive devices is still up for grabs
NEW DELHI — India’s third indigenously developed warship, the INS Sahyadri, has been inducted into the country’s naval forces. The warship, named after the mountain range along the western side of India, is equipped with an array of surface, sub-surface and air defense weapons for maritime security and anti-submarine warfare missions. It was commissioned in Mumbai by Defense Minister A.K. Antony on July 21.
With greater focus being directed on ship security in recent years, the U.S. Navy has developed technology that enables sailors and Marines to use their own cell phones as an early warning system.
After months of hopefuls sharpening their bids and building teams, a U.S.-wide competition to find sites to test UAV technologies in civilian airspace is about to begin. Officials expect the FAA’s request by the end of July or early August, with awards by the end of the year. Recent legislation requires the FAA to integrate UAVs into the civilian airspace by Sept. 30, 2015, and the six test sites are a key step toward that goal.
AIR FORCE Canadian Commercial Corp., Ontario, Canada (FA8252-12-D-0005) is being awarded a $71,259,135 firm fixed price, cost-reimbursable, no-fee contract to provide KC-135 and C-130 landing gear repair/overhaul items. The location of the performance is Heroux-Devtek Inc., Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. The work is to be completed by Oct. 12, 2016. The contracting activity is Air Force Global Logistics Supply Chain, Hill AFB Force Base, Utah.
When it comes to efforts to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the U.S. Army spends about two and half times more than the Navy and Marine Corps, while Air Force and overall Pentagon-wide programs account for only a minor portion of expenses for those programs, according to an analysis based on data provided by Avascent050, an online market analysis toolkit for global defense programs.
The House passed a bill July 19 to provide $518 billion in Pentagon spending for fiscal 2013 that also blocks the U.S. from buying equipment from the Russian arms export firm Rosoboronexport.
SIM SLAM: The U.S. Air Force still does not have an enterprise-wide grasp on its virtual training and simulation efforts, congressional auditors say. The armed service has reorganized offices and undertaken various initiatives to enhance existing virtual training capabilities, but it has not designated an entity to integrate these efforts or developed an overarching strategy to align efforts and establish investment priorities, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The delegation of U.S. politicians at the Farnborough International Airshow was so large they could scarcely fit on the same stage. “Don't push me over the edge, Cornyn,” Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) quipped to fellow Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) at an event marking the start of the week-long gathering.
Sikorsky plans to launch a second Entrepreneurial Challenge at this week’s AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wis., citing the success of its first online competition to identify small, innovative companies that it can help incubate. The winner of the first challenge is Pankl Aerospace Innovations, a California-based company set up by Austrian automotive and aerospace manufacturer Pankl Racing Systems.
Following a hostile, acrimonious procurement effort, the Indian navy now appears set to decide on a winner in its delayed multirole helicopter (MRH) competition. Commercial bids by the two contenders, NHIndustries and Sikorsky, are expected to be opened in the next two weeks by the Indian defense ministry, with a roughly $1 billion contract to follow for 16 of either the NH90 or the S-70B Seahawk.
As Europe’s Seventh Framework research program enters its closing stages, the European Commission (EC) is looking for advanced air transport concepts as part of its sixth and final call for proposals. The EC also is seeking proposals for a high-speed aircraft flight-test program as well joint aeronautics research with Russia. The call closes in November.
Budget and political decisions made in Berlin, Brussels and Washington will help shape the global aerospace industry. So it was not surprising that an undercurrent of anxiety ran through the recent Farnborough air show (see p. 43). Uncertainty from a financial crisis in Europe, potentially hefty cuts to U.S. defense spending, and slower economic growth in Asia and Latin America have put buyers and suppliers on edge.
An article on Spain's S-80 submarine program (July 2, p. DT24) misidentified the legacy platform that was supposed to rationalize Europe's shipyards. It was the Scorpene sub.
