Nearly 10 years have passed since Raytheon lost a contract to Boeing for the U.S. Air Force's next generation of satcom terminals. Known as FAB-T (Family of Advanced Beyond-line-of-sight Terminals), the program, estimated at $4.7 billion, will facilitate communications between military aircraft and the Pentagon's new Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite constellation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When it comes to the takeoff of the UAV industry in the U.S., lawmakers have a new bogeyman: hackers. At a congressional hearing July 19, a University of Texas professor described how he and a group of his students hijacked an $80,000 Adaptive Flight Hornet Mini, the kind of small rotorcraft a local police force might use. Professor Todd Humphreys had proposed the test as an experiment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was then roundly criticized by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) for not sending someone to testify.
With the threat of sequestration stalking defense program spending, the U.S. Navy is providing a stronger financial anchor for the next-generation aircraft carrier CVN-79 John F. Kennedy with the recent award of a $43.4 million contract modification for additional long-lead-time material for the ship. Some defense analysts have cited the next-generation carrier program as a potential target for budget cutters as the Navy and Pentagon look for more ways to save money to meet federally set limits.
Pratt & Whitney’s president is encouraged that the urgency of sequestration’s effects on business is starting to sink in with lawmakers and the public, but his company has been making plans for some time now. Speaking July 19 at a House Aeronautics Caucus luncheon, David Hess said “Sequester is not worst-case. It is the law.” Accordingly, his company has to plan and to take action based upon that law.
SUPPORTING STATE: The U.S. State Department this week awarded General Dynamics Information Technology a $22 million contract for supply chain management services, with a potential total value of $2.2 billion over five years if all options are exercised.
The U.S. Navy hopes to use its major 2012 Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) exercise as a showcase for its alternative energy programs. Alternative fuels, including nuclear power, will be used in an operational demonstration starting this week, fueling helicopters and jets from the deck of an aircraft carrier, and refueling a cruiser and two destroyers during an underway replenishment. The demonstration also will incorporate prototype energy-efficient technologies designed to enhance the combat capability of Navy warships.
