Malaysia has too few military aircraft, but the shortage of military pilots poses an even greater threat to the country's defense capability. The shortfall has been exacerbated by the fact that some air force pilots, particularly those who operate helicopters, have been assigned to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the country's fire services. Overall, there is a general shortage of helicopter pilots throughout Malaysia, largely as a result of the nation's booming oil and gas industry, which uses helicopters to serve offshore rigs.
An interesting quid-pro-quo military equipment deal between Israel and Italy may jeopardize Israel's future contracts with South Korea, but it has also solidified Jerusalem's relationship with Rome. Israel is opting for the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 advanced jet trainer over Korea Aerospace Industries' T-50 in an estimated $1 billion deal that will cover 25-30 aircraft plus ground-based training systems. This month, the director general of Israel's defense ministry, Maj. Gen. Udi Shani, recommended his government authorize the order.
The U.K. Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR) was supposed to clarify the country's military plans and industrial agenda. But the reform agenda has turned into a form of Chinese water torture for industry, with an unending trickle of decisions, reports and strategies that so far have failed to spell out a clear path forward. In turn, industry has been left trying to guess what capacities it needs to maintain and where it can rationalize its businesses, with indications now that the bottom line is being hit.
WASHINGTON – With a raft of recent reports warning about increasing Arctic security and commercial issues due to global climate changes, the U.S. Coast Guard is making the development of a new ice breaker a budget priority. But noticeably absent is any stated Pentagon budgetary focus on Arctic assets, despite a recent U.S. Navy-sponsored report warning of a need for more U.S. military-dedicated equipment for the region.
The deadline of Sept. 30, 2015, for integration of unmanned aircraft systems into U.S. civil airspace, set in the new FAA reauthorization bill, is expected to be met using ground-based sense-and-avoid (GBSAA), a Pentagon official says. Using ground radars, GBSAA will allow “routine access” to airspace for unmanned aircraft transiting between their bases and restricted areas used for training, says Steven Pennington, U.S. Air Force director of bases, ranges and airspace.
Singapore – Boeing is busy ensuring its international customers in need can secure U.S. Export Import Bank support, while also keeping an eye on the global economic situation and U.S. defense cuts. The CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Jim Albaugh, says there is no doubt that the European banks have less liquidity than they once had, but he adds that the Asian banks are coming in to help fill the void.
Special Operations Forces (SOF) could shoulder additional burdens due to the Defense Department’s new global strategies, a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report says. The Pentagon’s 2013 budget proposal makes SOF funding a bigger priority, and those forces can use the extra financial attention, according to the CRS report released earlier this month.
Anatoly Perminov, the former director general of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, has downplayed the prospect that Russia will have manned space missions to the Moon.
PARIS – Following a rough year in 2010, France remained the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter last year, behind the U.S., U.K. and Russia, reporting a 25% boost – from €5.1 billion to €6.5 billion – at the end of 2011. The French armaments agency DGA estimates the world’s top four arms exporters account for 90% of the global military export market, although anemic U.S. and European budgets are helping to stimulate the market entry of new players, including China and South Korea.
BUDGET BALANCE: Widely followed federal contracting analysts at Deltek near Washington think the 2013 fiscal year will be another flat-to-declining budget for most government contractors, with budget cancellations, additions and trims throughout. But they see “promising” growth in demand for contract services, as well as good news for contractors on the turning of the tide over insourcing, the practice of moving full-time positions onto government payrolls. Said Deltek, “This budget carries forward the themes of the last two ...
Washington – A Lockheed Martin-developed advanced foliage-penetration radar has been deployed operationally to South America, as the company expands the sensor’s ability to track moving ground vehicles and people on foot. Mounted under a U.S. Army Hawker Beechcraft C-12, the Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-concealment-Enabled Radar (Tracer) is being used by Southern Command (SouthCom) to support anti-terrorism and other operations.
AeroVironment has secured another order for its Switchblade loitering munition as it works to expand its small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) business in the face of slowing U.S. orders for its workhorse RQ-11 Raven.
LONDON – The U.K. defense establishment may not be adequately recognizing the threat from space weather or weapons-induced electronic magnetic pulse (EMP), a new parliamentary report suggests. “An appearance is given that the [defense ministry] is unwilling to take these threats seriously,” Parliament’s defense committee says in a report entitled “Developing Threats: Electro-Magnetic Pulses.”
A multinational missile defense program scored two recent votes of confidence from the Pentagon, but Capitol Hill is likely to remain a thorn in the program’s side. Lockheed Martin’s Medium Extended Air Defense System (Meads), being developed by the U.S., Germany and Italy, scored $400.9 million for the program in the Pentagon’s fiscal 2013 budget request. And Defense Secretary Leon Panetta acknowledged the U.S. commitment to invest in another year of developing the system.
LONDON – To bolster Norwegian industry content on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the Oslo government has set up a funding pool to help companies secure production workshare. The funding program will run from 2012 to 2015 and has a budget of around 50 million Norwegian kronor, or $8.8 million. The Norwegian defense ministry notes that other governments, notably those of Canada and Australia, have created similar funding support mechanisms.
Washington – The U.S. Air Force has scrapped its plan to buy a new helicopter for nuclear missile field support and executive airlift in favor of a cheaper option to use old Marine Corps UH-1N helicopters for the mission. The so-called Common Vertical Lift Support Helicopter (CVLSP) is among the many projects deferred by the Air Force in its fiscal 2013 budget proposal sent to Congress this month amid pressure for the Pentagon to cut spending by $487 billion over the next 10 years.
Bad blood still reins between nuclear scientists and other Energy Department researchers at national laboratories and their Washington bosses, according to a new National Research Council report.
Washington – Avionics and communications specialist Rockwell Collins is expanding its presence in Canada as it bids for an increased role in the country’s defense programs, including the $33 billion National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) to re-equip the navy and coast guard. “We have some presence with the Department of National Defense [DND] on almost every platform, but we are looking to grow our business,” says Lee Obst, newly appoint managing director for Rockwell Collins in Canada.
