There's nothing novel about European firms chasing export deals to offset shrinking domestic defense budgets, but MBDA wants to go a step further by making weapon-design decisions to help enhance its new products for customers beyond the home market. Historically, MBDA—the joint venture comprising BAE Systems, Finmeccanica and EADS—has generated roughly 30% of turnover from exports. But Paul Stanley, market development director, notes that “to sustain the business we will be looking much more to 50%” of exports.
Walter J. Zable, the aerospace industry's oldest and longest-serving CEO and a pioneer in the field of global positioning, died June 23 of natural causes at a San Diego-area hospital. He was 97. Zable founded Cubic Corp. in 1951 in a San Diego storefront. Long before GPS was invented, the company developed a satellite-based technology that identified the location of land masses and enabled the U.S. military to pinpoint targets to improve the accuracy of ballistic missiles. Later, Cubic fielded the world's first instrumented air combat training system.
Boeing has taken another step to strengthen its manufacturing and technology ties in Brazil by allowing Embraer to tap its marketing expertise for the KC-390 medium-lift transport, Brazil's largest defense procurement program and Embraer's most ambitious effort to sell a military aircraft abroad.
A tightly wrapped object the size and shape of a combat aircraft was hauled along Chinese highways in June, sparking speculation that the country was deliberately revealing a new twin-engine fighter from Shenyang Aircraft.
In a major consolidation to address an era of fixed-price contracts and lower defense and civil space spending, Lockheed Martin Space Systems is establishing two basic business lines — military and civil — rather than the separate talent pools devoted to more specific requirements in each of those areas.
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The U.S. plan for its European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) to ballistic missile defense (BMD) took another step closer to proving its viability with a second successful flight intercept test this week. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and crewmembers of the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie conducted the Aegis flight test on June 26. The test is a solid win for the program, which has faced questions over development costs and testing issues.
VETO BAIT: Just as it did for the House version of the defense authorization bill, the White House is threatening to veto the defense spending bill for 2013. The Obama administration has a long list of objections to the bill, but its biggest problem is the fact that the House bill exceeds by more than $5 billion spending caps on the Pentagon established last year by the Budget Control Act (BCA). And even though that amount is offset by reductions in other House spending bills, the shift is a no-go for the administration.
Perhaps more than any other service, the U.S. Navy is facing an identity crisis as it tries to find the funds to support the fleet of ships it says it needs in the coming decades just as the Pentagon and Congress are tightening the budget belt. Navy officials and defense analysts disagree about what exactly the Navy needs to focus its investments on as the service looks to build and rebuild its submarine, destroyer, amphibious and aircraft carrier fleets nearly simultaneously.
GRIPEN OFFSETS: Saab is meeting with Swiss industry this week to help define the details of the offset program associated with Switzerland’s planned purchase of 22 Gripen NGs. The offset contract itself is not expected to be signed until 2013 or 2014, according to the Swiss defense armaments agency, armasuisse. But the meetings, taking place in Bern and unfolding through June 29, are designed to help intensify contacts between Saab and potential offset partners. The talks also involve other Gripen NG industrial stakeholders and Swiss companies.
The U.S. Army is evaluating AgustaWestland’s AW139 medium twin-turbine helicopter as the company prepares to propose the smaller AW169 for the service’s Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) requirement. AgustaWestland North America is the first of five companies expected to provide available helicopters for evaluation in voluntary flight demonstrations as part of the Army’s AAS acquisition strategy.
James Albaugh, the Boeing veteran who has been a management leader in all of the company’s product markets — space, defense and airliners — will retire as president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) on Oct. 1. Boeing Chairman and CEO James McNerney has named another company veteran to succeed Albaugh. Executive Vice President Raymond L. Conner joined Boeing 34 years ago as a mechanic and currently heads its global sales operations.
LOS ANGELES — Rolls-Royce confirms it is throwing its hat into the ring for the U.S. Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Technology Development program (AETD), which aims to demonstrate potential fuel saving features for sixth-generation fighters as well as future bombers and other tactical aircraft. Mark Wilson, chief operating officer of Rolls-Royce’s Liberty Works advanced development organization in Indianapolis, says “We did put in a bid for the adaptive engine technology program, and this is currently in source selection with the Air Force.”
A Bagram-based U.S. Army aviation support unit is slated July 2 to host Afghan helicopter mechanics to share aircraft repair methods and safety standards, marking their second visit after kicking off a joint training partnership earlier this month. If and when U.S. Army aviators — and their support teams — leave Afghanistan, Afghan forces will have to fly and maintain helicopters on their own, and the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade hopes to kick off a collaboration that will lead the Afghans to greater maintenance self-sufficiency.
James Albaugh, a 37-year veteran at Boeing who has been a management leader in all of the company’s product markets—space, defense and airliners—on Oct. 1 will retire as president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). Boeing Chairman and CEO James McNerney has named Raymond Conner, another company veteran, to succeed Albaugh. Conner, who is an executive VP, joined Boeing 34 years ago as a mechanic and currently heads the company’s global sales operations.
LOS ANGELES — Anxious to avoid the problems that bedeviled Boeing’s 787 and other recent development programs, systems supplier Parker Aerospace is funneling extra resources into controlling its supply chain as production ramps up on several key air transport, business jet and engine programs.
FOUL WEATHER: The looming arrival of Tropical Storm Debby has prompted United Launch Alliance and the U.S. Air Force to delay the launch of the National Reconnaissance Office’s latest classified satellite by 24 hr. The launch of NROL-15 is now set for June 29 at 6:13 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral. The protective Mobile Service Tower will remain around the Delta IV launch vehicle and is scheduled to be moved for launch on June 28.
While the House overwhelmingly overturned the U.S. Air Force’s request to end funding for Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk Block 30, the company’s bid to protect the high-altitude UAV faces a much tougher fight in the Senate. The Air Force wants to place 18 of the Block 30s in storage and says it can save $2.5 billion over several years by continuing to operate the manned U-2 spy aircraft. The House Appropriations Committee rejected that, keeping funding to operate the UAVs and adding funding for an additional three.
