Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) has sent an unsolicited proposal to United Launch Alliance (ULA) that would cut the price of RL10 rocket engines by 25%, and by almost half from the levels reached in summer 2010.
LONDON — After some delay, Oman’s long-anticipated purchase of Eurofighter Typhoons has taken an important step forward. The Omani government has now submitted a request for proposals to BAE Systems for both procurement and, importantly, support of the strike fighter. The initial deal is expected to be for around 12 aircraft. Contract award is expected later in the year, with delivery likely to come 36 months later.
Michael McCord, the U.S. Defense Department’s comptroller, warns of dire consequences if more than $1 trillion in approved cuts to military spending over 10 years are allowed to take effect. The result would be the lowest number of ships since World War I, the smallest ground force since 1940 and the smallest Air Force ever, he recently told investors.
ARMY General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., was awarded a $30,342,272 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract. The award will provide for the modification of an existing contract in support of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system quick reaction capability. The work will be performed in Poway, Calif., with an estimated completion date of May 7, 2012. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0153).
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is due to release a report Jan. 24 that analyzes the U.S. Navy’s decision to restart the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer production line. GAO is seeking to determine the underlying basis for the Navy’s decision to select the DDG-51 as the “best hullform” for future surface combatants. Requested by the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, GAO’s report and congressional reaction to it could force the Navy to revise its strategy for destroyers and combat systems.
BEIJING — The Royal Australian Navy, moving ahead with the general installation of an anti-ship missile defense (ASMD) upgrade, plans to hand over an Anzac-class frigate for enhancement by BAE Systems in September. Seven ships will be heavily modified in the program, whose key feature is a CEA Technologies radar suite with active, electronically scanned arrays. The eighth member of the class, HMAS Perth, already has the system and proved its effectiveness in trials last year.
AAI Corp. is proposing a new vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) design for the U.S. Navy’s medium-range maritime unmanned aerial system (MRMUAS) requirement. The Shadow Knight is based on the slowed-rotor/compound (SR/C) concept licensed from Carter Aviation Technologies, but with changes to enable a true hover capability for operation from ships.
Strike weapons is the only segment of the world missile-systems market expected to see significant increases in value and production through 2016, with the lightweight missile subsegment projected to experience rapid growth. The world missile market is forecast to see a slight increase in value from a low of $11.18 billion in 2012 to a high of $11.81 billion in 2016, but production is expected to drop, reflecting the high price of some systems. Annual purchases of lightweight missiles is currently low, but will reach $60 million in 2016.
LONDON — In a sign that European defense companies may be stepping up activities to rationalize their product portfolio, Rheinmetall and EADS’s Cassidian unit have agreed to a joint venture (JV) covering tactical and medium-altitude unmanned aircraft and cargo loading systems. Cassidian will control 51% of the JV, although Rheinmetall appears to be providing the bulk of the technology content. In return, Rheinmetall is due to receive an undisclosed cash consideration once the deal closes, which is expected mid-year pending anti-trust authorization.
Export sales will become increasing important as manufacturers try to sustain production levels built up over recent years. For the U.S., that means securing foreign military sales for Bell, Boeing and Sikorsky helicopters while European manufacturers market armed scout and support rotorcraft to the U.S.
Significant defense orders, strong government subsidies and growing demand for domestically produced commercial aircraft have provided optimism regarding the Russian aircraft industry.
A new opportunity is on the horizon for companies hoping to sell unmanned aircraft to support the missile defense mission in the U.S. This is welcome news for companies seeking to break into this space or expand this type of work because late last year the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) selected incumbent Boeing to manage the massive Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system for another seven years.
BLACK HAWKS DOWN: The Australian Army temporarily suspended Black Hawk helicopter flight operations Jan. 19 after finding “a number of fractured bolts during a routine maintenance check,” the Australian defense ministry says. “The precautionary suspension will remain in place to allow an investigation into the cause of the fracture to be completed,” says Col. Stephen Evans, acting director of general aviation. Navy Seahawk helicopters, which have a different design in the affected area, were not grounded.
Douglas Royce/Forecast International/www.forecastinternational.com
Production of military transports is forecast to rise sharply during the next decade, especially in the latter half due mostly to the introduction of the Airbus Military A400M and Embraer KC-390.
Michael J. McCord, the U.S. Defense Department's comptroller, warns of dire consequences if more than $1 trillion in approved cuts to military spending over 10 years are allowed to take effect. The result would be the lowest number of ships since World War I, the smallest ground force since 1940 and the smallest Air Force ever, he recently told investors.
This time it was supposed to be different for the Franco-German aerospace giant—a smooth transition of power, with a new management team building on the foundation put in place by its predecessor.
LONDON — The European Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrator was rolled out on Jan. 19 in what is shaping up to be a critical year for UCAVs in Europe. Prime contractor Dassault says the software integration for Neuron is in its final stages, and ground and engine tests will start soon. First flight of Neuron is planned for mid-2012 at the Istres flight test center in France, where the air vehicle has been assembled and was rolled out.
Engine upgrades are a key element of product-line revamps underway at helicopter manufacturers as they work to stimulate a recovery in a commercial market where new-centerline powerplants for rotorcraft are rare events.
Few times in aerospace history can have been as difficult for forecasters as recent months. Things are changing, that is certain, but there are so many conflicting signs that the direction of the industry is almost impossible to project. Debt crises, oil prices, climate change, competition for resources and many other factors inject unprecedented unpredictability into the equation.
U.S. military officials are keen on saying they never intend to fight the last war. This is their way of indicating a focus on future conflicts, not on the past. Apparently, this sentiment does not apply to the interservice skirmishes at the Pentagon. The U.S. Army and Air Force are in the final throes of hashing out an updated agreement on the time-sensitive, direct-support airlift mission, the latest chapter in a years-long saga over how to ship supplies to remote soldiers despite two wars and one stunted buy of Alenia's C-27J.
