Military and intelligence officials are keeping an eye on Mexico and not just because the violence of its warring narcotics cartels is slopping over the border. Officials at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command have added Mexico to potential trouble spots that could pose national security problems between 2014-25. The drug violence, population growth and proximity to the U.S. could prompt massive migration north with accompanying instability, Col. Steve Zotti tells visiting reporters and editors from the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism.
Carbon-fiber main rotor blades are being developed and flight tested by Olympia, Wash.,-based Northwest Helicopters for the Bell UH-1H, 205 and 212. The blades, made up of a Nomex honeycomb core, carbon-fiber reinforced composite spar and a stainless steel leading edge abrasion strip, weigh 185 lb. each, 30 lb. less than the existing metal blades, and have a swept tip for lower drag. The units are designed to improve hot-and-high performance as well as to provide greater endurance, and are expected to be approved for military and commercial use on the UH-1H in July.
French engine maker Turbomeca made a record 1,313 turboshafts in 2008 and topped the billion Euro revenue mark for the first time, hitting €1.103 ($1.39 billion). Although girding itself for challenges in 2009, it remains committed to spending up to 9% of sales on research and development for long-term development. Plans remain firm to double staff to 180 by 2011-12 at the new manufacturing site in Monroe, N.C., where it makes Arriel engines for the U.S. Army and commercial customers.
The Obama White House has opted to retain another senior political appointee at the Pentagon, along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates who was held over from the Bush days. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley will stay on board overseeing the service, which is beset with acquisition problems and nuclear weapon management issues.
Funding for the second phase of a broad-ranging U.K. research program into operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in nonrestricted airspace is now expected to come online in April, several months later than originally planned.
Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport is handling barely half the freight volumes of a few years ago, as the economic crisis accelerates Taiwan’s decline as a manufacturing exporter. In January, the airport handled only 72,213 metric tons of freight, compared with the average of 142,000 tons a month in 2005. The lunar new year holiday in January contributed to the fall, but monthly throughput has been well below 100,000 tons in recent months. Taiwanese manufacturing has steadily moved to China during this decade.
Rockwell Collins and L-3 Integrated Systems have handed over the first modernized Block 1 E-6B Mercury. The upgrade corrects deficiencies identified during operational testing of the E-6B, a modification of the Navy’s Boeing E-6A submarine-communications aircraft to take on the Air Force’s airborne command post mission. Block 1 addresses operator workload sharing and mission system obsolescence while providing an open systems architecture and multi-level network security.
Where the Joint Strike Fighter is headed remains to be seen. This Lockheed Martin photo of BF-1, a test aircraft for the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant, was taken while the aircraft was in conventional flight—without the Stovl lift system engaged. Whether the massive fighter program achieves true Stovl capability will become clearer in coming months, as will many other issues in the complicated JSF world (coverage begins on p. 42).
Canada’s Field Aviation has received a follow-on contract from the Japan Coast Guard for three more Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 maritime surveillance aircraft, taking the total to eight, to be delivered by January 2011. Toronto-based Field modifies the Q300 with search radar, electro-optical sensor, mission avionics, observation windows and air-operable rear cargo door and fuselage drop hatch.
The U.S. Army plans a quick demonstration of multiple small munitions on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed scout helicopter, with flight tests planned by September. The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate plans discussions with Alliant Techsystems for GATR, BAE Systems for APKWS and Lockheed Martin for DAGR—all laser-guided 2.75-in. rockets—as well as Raytheon for the Griffin mini-missile and Textron for Sharp Shooter.
The future of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter hinges on decisions to be made in the course of the next several months. Debates are raging over budget, purchasing, capability and technology. Some nations are looking to become new customers while a few existing partners are reconsidering their approach. Testing progresses, although significant milestones have yet to be achieved, while the impact of leadership changes in Washington is too new to be fully understood.
The long debate about whether non-U.S. users can modify or replace the classified software that runs the electronic warfare (EW) detection, identification, self-defense and attack systems of the F-35 is over. The answer is “no,” says U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Davis, program executive officer for the Joint Strike Fighter.
The U.S. Air Force estimates an unidentified foreign government has “stolen” 10-20 terabytes of information from unclassified military networks, says Linda Mills, president of Northrop Grumman’s information systems sector. Speaking last month at the 2009 Armed Forces Communications and Electronics West Conference, Mills called for increased government spending and attention for what she termed “cyberintelligence.” In particular, she suggests more development of so-called cyber ranges for testing.
The British government needs to consider whether it could face having to walk away from the Airbus Military A400M airlifter, while one of the project’s export customers also is voicing concern over mounting program delays.
Australia shows no sign of relaxing its specification for Boeing 737 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. “We have made no concessions to Boeing,” says project manager Air Vice Marshall Chris Deeble. “Neither have they sought any concessions to a reduction in the performance.” Boeing says testing in April and May will reveal whether the aircraft meets the contract. The program is running more than three years late.
The British Defense Ministry last week published its Defense Technology Plan (DTP) for the first time, intended to provide industry with a guide to where the ministry plans to focus its future R&T spending. The publicly available—and therefore unclassified—version of the plan includes top level R&D objectives for air platforms and weapons systems, including development of manned and unmanned systems. It also identifies broad interest in research into high-endurance long-range UAVs, and strike UAV concepts.
French accident investigation agency BEA is calling for European aviation safety officials to tighten rules on nonrevenue flights of commercial airliners based on its findings related to a crash off the coast of southern France late last year.
Lockheed Martin has received $797 million for an additional 30 F-16 Block 50+ fighters for Turkey, a follow-on to the $187 million awarded in July 2007 when the foreign military sales contract was signed. The 14 single-seat F-16Cs and 16 two-seat F-16Ds will be assembled by Turkish Aerospace Industries for delivery in 2011-12 to bridge the gap until Turkey’s planned 100 F-35s begin arriving around 2015.
The first major military aircraft project of the Internet-era, the Joint Strike Fighter, faces a new opposition: a global, networked movement comprising independent and think-tank analysts, retired air force leaders and industry professionals and politicians concerned with the JSF’s financial and operational risks. All of them have immediate access to worldwide news, official reports and program briefings to an extent that was inconceivable when the F-22 was at the same stage of development a decade ago.
Recapitalization of Thai Airways International looks assured following the government’s endorsement of a restructuring plan that it demanded as a condition for further financial support. The airline, often criticized for chronic overstaffing, is suggesting how it could improve its operating performance—for example, by cutting costs—in anticipation of replenishing its capital.
Australia is investing an initial $35 million to make half of the 24 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets it seeks into electronic-attack Growler versions. “Wiring 12 of the Super Hornets as Growlers will give us the opportunity to provide taxpayers with better value for money,” explains Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon. “If finally pursued, the relatively small investment will significantly enhance the Super Hornet’s capability, by giving electronic attack capacity and therefore the ability to nullify the systems of opposing aircraft.
President Barack Obama, who once called for putting human space exploration on hold for five years to free funds for public education, will front-load his first NASA budget request with some $900 million more than the agency expects to get this fiscal year to make up for a funding squeeze during the Bush years.
BAA will select a bid for London Gatwick Airport in the coming few weeks from among three or possibly four groups. Now that 3i Group has withdrawn its bid, former supporting banks are searching for a partner to lead a fourth group of investors. The price is expected to be a combination of Gatwick’s government-set base value of £1.683 billion ($2.4 billion) and an unknown premium.
There’s irony in the proposed Senate legislation to cut Pentagon acquisition costs, says a long-time military acquisition official. While emphasizing systems engineering and developmental planning is a good idea, he notes the Senate appropriators killed that same Pentagon capability about 10 years ago. The current plan is being pushed by the chairman and senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Sens. Carl Levin (Mich.) and John McCain (Ariz.) (see p. 24).
