The next round of discussions about how to prevent across-the-board cuts from falling on the Defense Department is now beginning, just after President Obama signed into law an act that delays them until March. Members of the armed services committees, particularly on the Republican side, will be trying to reduce the deficit while sparing the Pentagon. But an industry analyst envisions the eventual cut to defense would be about half of the $55 billion annual reduction recommended by sequestration.
LONDON — Germany has begun the process of re-aligning its helicopter forces as part of the on-going reorganization of the country’s armed forces. The changes, which are due to be completed in January, sees German Army Aviation taking on the tactical airlift role from the air force.
LONDON — After success in Denmark, Sikorsky’s MH-60R Seahawk seems set for another export order from South Korea. Reports from the country suggest the Seahawk has come out on top in a South Korea navy competition for a new fleet of shipborne maritime helicopters, beating back competition from incumbent AgustaWestland and its new AW159 Wildcat. Navy officials said that following evaluations in September the Seahawk “earned higher marks for its loading capacity and power output.”
Jan. 2 may feel a lot like Groundhog Day, but aerospace analysts foresee congressional action on sequestration as the first step toward truly reversing the budget penalty. The American Taxpayer Relief Act, approved by Congress on Jan. 1, extends tax cuts for the majority of Americans and delays government-wide budget cuts until March 1.
Australia has removed the Wedgetail Boeing 737-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) program from its Projects of Concern list following delivery of all six aircraft and achievement in November of initial operational capability (IOC). The A$3.2 billion ($3.3 billion) Wedgetail program was added to the Projects of Concern list in January 2008 because of schedule delays and system performance issues. A remediation plan was agreed with Boeing in 2011, resetting IOC for 2012.
The Texas-based Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office received contract modifications at the end of December worth about $1.5 billion for V-22 Osprey work. One modification, worth about $1.4 billion, was for the V-22 lot 17 advance acquisition contract for 17 fiscal 2013 Ospreys for the U.S. Marine Corps and four fiscal 2013 CV-22 aircraft for the Air Force.
SAN DIEGO — There is little doubt about the U.S. Navy’s intentions to improve the looks and operations of its first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) USS Freedom – and the ship’s rising cost is reflecting that push. The Navy estimates the cost of the post-shakedown availability (PSA) overhaul at about $42 million, which includes the replacement or modification of piping, compressor and other vital systems on the ship as a result of lessons learned during trials and other mission-related operations.
LONDON — Airbus Military has begun flight tests of new winglets for its C295 twin-engine transport aircraft. According to the company, the winglets are just one in a series of developments under way on the aircraft and are designed to improve takeoff, climb and cruise performance.
NEW DELHI — The much-awaited test launch of the air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has been further delayed and now India hopes to undertake the drop trials by December 2013. India had planned to conduct the test launch by December 2012. The development of the missile is already over three years behind schedule.
The Philadelphia-based U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (Navsup WSS) site needs to better track and document its sole-source procurement, a recent Department of Defense Inspector General (IG) report says. Because of some issues with the sole-source contracting at Navsup WSS, “improper sole-source awards could occur,” the IG says in its December report. “Personnel could not make informed decisions that the proposed contractors were the sole source. Also, interested sources were not aware of future contracting opportunities.”
STATUS QUO: Republican leadership of House Appropriations subcommittees will remain unchanged when it comes to aerospace and defense panels, according to Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.). Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), the current chairman of the defense subcommittee, received a waiver to continue in that capacity. Young has led the party on the committee since 2005 and had a previous run as chairman from 1995-1998. He also served as chairman of the full House Appropriations Committee from 1999-2004. Rep.
Engine manufacturers will be busy in 2013 as testing accelerates on the latest commercial turbofans and work advances on the next generation of military powerplants. Production will rise, but more significantly on the commercial side than the military. The pace is highest at CFM and Pratt & Whitney as they battle for the single-aisle airliner market with the Leap-1 and PW1000G, respectively. While the 2011 and 2012 order levels are unlikely to be sustained in 2013, it will see vital tests for both engines.
Key gains by NATO allies in the increasingly important military discipline of close air support (CAS) may be at risk, because equipment and budgetary decisions at national levels contradict alliance standards for training forward air controllers (FACs).
Active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radars have transformed military aviation, providing significantly greater multi-mode capability and reliability. Now the technology is moving into the land and sea domains. Thales's APAR active phased-array radar is already operational on frigates with three European navies, and the DDG-1000, the U.S. Navy's first AESA-equipped warship, will launch in 2013 fitted with Raytheon's SPY-3 radar.
The Transportation Security Administration is commissioning a study about whether the X-ray body scanners used to screen passengers at airports emit too much radiation. The study also will evaluate whether the design and maintenance of machines that use X-ray technology could prevent over-exposure to harmful radiation. The safety of X-ray screening machines was called into question in a 2011 report by ProPublica, a non-profit investigative news group, which suggested that up to 100 U.S. airline passengers per year could contract cancer from airport screenings.
