Unmanned-aircraft avionics maker Procerus Technologies was acquired by Lockheed Martin in January, launched development of a vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) UAS in March and flew the small quadcopter daily at the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's show here.
Israeli military and defense officials are boasting that their new trainer-and-sensor aircraft agreement with Italy provides the Middle Eastern country with a high-grade capability and, just as important, opens up Italy and possibly other European markets for Israeli foreign military sales.
HOUSTON — NASA plans a two-phase strategy for the safety certification of its emerging commercial crew space transportation service providers, starting with the competitive award of up to four 15-month Certification Products Contracts (CPCs) in early 2013. The effort would lead to at least one Design Reference Mission test flight, with the goal of initiating regular, commercially flown crew transportation missions to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2017.
SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil — Indonesia’s air force still plans to take delivery of Grob Aircraft G120TP primary trainers, contrary to rumors that the service might have canceled the deal. The rumors had been sparked among industry executives, because little has been said publicly since Grob announced in a statement last September that the Indonesian air force (IAF) had chosen to buy G120TPs. The Grob statement said deliveries would begin in 2012.
The companies that will likely face the biggest financial hurdles due to sequestration concerns are the second-level defense industry suppliers – such as those for the nation’s largest shipbuilders – says Michael Petters, CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).
The Pentagon’s estimates for fuel and transportation costs nearly doubled in the six months between the 2013 budget submission and Senate appropriators’ recent markup. The Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) covered the tab, adding $965 million in its bill, approved Aug. 2. But since the increase was in the wartime budget, officially known as “Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), procurement programs did not have to be cut, so the military could keep its planes and trucks moving and get soldiers and supplies from base to deployment.
The nation’s continued reliance on aircraft carrier operations is putting even more emphasis on getting the new Ford-class ships into the fleet, says Michael Petters, CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). The U.S. Navy is operating 10 carriers right now, Petters noted Aug. 8 during a conference call with financial investment analysts to discuss the company’s second-quarter earnings. The service is used to operating with 11 ships.
NEW DELHI — India is attempting to verify whether counterfeit spare parts made in China were used in defense equipment being sold by U.S. firms to India. “There have been media reports in this regard, which are being verified,” Defense Minister A.K. Antony said in parliament in response to a question by a lawmaker concerning the issue.
HEALTHY SEPARATION: The Joint Strike Fighter program achieved a milestone Aug. 8 when a short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing F-35 became the first of the developmental, stealthy fighters to release a weapon during a test over the Atlantic Ocean. The inert, 1,000-lb. Joint Direct Attack Munition also was the first airborne weapon separation from the F-35 internal weapon bay. The event kicks off a lengthy weapons testing campaign for the F-35.
LOS ANGELES — Boeing’s X-48C blended wing body (BWB) unmanned research aircraft flew for the first time from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., on Aug. 7.
The U.S. Navy wants to design better destroyer bows to make the ships more hydrodynamic. The efforts are meant, among other things, to reduce operational life-cycle costs for the ships, which are becoming the main component of the service’s — and nation’s — ballistic missile defense (BMD) strategy, especially in the international arena. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) researchers recently completed two weeks of hydrodynamics testing to optimize the size and shape of bow bulbs aboard DDG 51-class ships.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has made progress improving its materiel distribution processes, though there is still room for improvement, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO had previously identified Defense Department supply chain management as a “high-risk area, with materiel distribution as one focus area for improvement.” The congressional auditors have recommended improvements for decades, particularly when it comes to the distribution of materiel to personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.
BE PATIENT: India says it is still negotiating with France’s Dassault on the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program. “The proposal will be considered further after the Contract Negotiations Committee concludes its deliberations and submits its report,” Defense Minister A.K. Antony said in parliament Aug. 8. Dassault is expected to sign the Indian air force’s biggest-ever contract, worth more than $15 billion, to supply 126 Rafale fighters. India intends to induct the first squadron of 18 MMRCAs into its air force by 2016.
LAS VEGAS — Northrop Grumman has completed close-formation flight tests with two RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft as it moves closer to an autonomous high-altitude aerial refueling demonstration for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) under the KQ-X program. Two NASA-owned Global Hawks completed the flights on June 30, with the receiver ahead of the tanker in a reversal of normal hose-and-drogue aerial refueling.
LAS VEGAS — After flying an unmanned aircraft in a wind tunnel for more than 48 hr. by beaming laser power to the vehicle, Lockheed Martin has conducted outdoor flights to test the concept in an operational environment. The power-beaming system developed by LaserMotive was used with a Stalker hand-launched, electrically powered small UAV produced by Lockheed’s Skunk Works for use by special operations forces. The power system uses a ground-based laser transmitter, lightweight photovoltaic receiver and onboard power management hardware on the UAV.
LAS VEGAS — Boeing is to demonstrate advanced flight controls for the AH-64D Apache and CH-47F Chinook under Phase 2 of the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate’s advanced vehicle management system (AVMS) program. Boeing was selected over AVMS Phase 1 competitor Sikorsky for the $18 million contract, which will cover more than 100 hr. of flight testing in a modified H-6 helicopter as well as the AH-64 and CH-47.
SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil — Indonesia’s government aims to pass a law this year outlining offset and industrial cooperation requirements for foreign defense companies selling equipment to Indonesia. The country’s secretary general of defense, Air Marshal Eris Herryanto, says defense ministry policy already requires that foreign companies provide offsets. However, “we will put it into a bill.” He says the legislation is due to pass parliament this year.
SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil — Indonesia’s defense ministry is impressed with the capabilities of the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, but is concerned about the price. The secretary defense of Indonesia, Air Marshal Eris Herryanto, says the ministry is evaluating the merits of ordering the Boeing Apache versus the Eurocopter Tiger. He says the Apache has great capability and is very technologically advanced, but cost is an issue.
The Senate’s defense spending bill takes an $8 billion wartime budget request for procurement and raises it $2.2 billion, using half of that increase to buy more aircraft for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. The rest is for Guard and Reserve equipment. The fiscal 2013 request in the Overseas and Contingency Operations (OCO) budget for Guard equipment was zero, and House appropriators left it there.
SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil — Indonesia’s ministry of defense expects that South Korea will buy Indonesian-built CN-235 military transports to satisfy offset requirements relating to Indonesia’s decision to buy T-50 jet trainers from Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI). Indonesia has ordered 16 T-50s, and the first will be delivered next year, according to the Indonesian secretary general of defense, Air Marshal Eris Herryanto.
