03 Jan 13. Northrop Grumman Corp will not participate in the 2013 international air show in Paris to save money, but could beef up its presence at air shows in Australia and the Middle East. Northrop Grumman and other companies that it has acquired have participated in the Paris air show for many decades, said Northrop spokesman Randy Belote. One of those companies built the “Spirit of St. Louis,” the plane that Charles Lindbergh flew to Paris for the first non-stop transatlantic flight in May 1927. The plane now hangs in Washington’s National Air and Space Museum.
“In full alignment with its affordability and cost reduction goals, Northrop Grumman will not be exhibiting or offering a business center at the 2013 Paris Air Show,” Belote told Reuters when asked about the company’s plans.
Northrop’s move is part of its overall drive to reduce costs as the U.S. defense industry girds for tighter budgets after a decade of sharp growth. (Source: Reuters)
03 Jan 13. Sea-Air-Space Exposition to focus on Asia-Pacific. The Navy League of the United States, a strategic partner of DSEI exhibition, has announced that the overall theme of Sea-Air-Space 2013 Exposition will be the US Department of Defense’s strategic shift to the Asia-Pacific region — a critical maritime crossroads — and on execution of that strategy in 2013. The announcement follows the news that the United States has avoided falling over the ‘fiscal cliff’ that would have had a severe impact on the country’s defense budget. For the Navy and Marine Corps Team, the theme focuses on their overall reorientation to the Pacific theater and places the highest emphasis on war fighting and expeditionary forces. “Strategies for Action” also should focus industry representatives on delivering to the Navy-Marine Corps Team technologies and innovative solutions in areas such as weapons, information dominance, C4ISR, mobility and versatility of the warfighter, troop transport and unmanned systems. The Coast Guard also is at a Maritime Crossroads, focusing on recapitalizing its fleet to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. From drug interdiction operations in the Caribbean, search-and-rescue missions off the Alaskan coastline and port and waterway security to the ever-more accessible Arctic, the Coast Guard is acquiring the tools to achieve new levels of success. The National Security Cutter and the Fast Response Cutter are just two examples of the service’s increased capabilities. The Sea-Air-Space Exposition is held annually at the Gaylord Convention Center at National Harbor, Maryland. Sea-Air-Space had more than 11,500 registrants in 2012 and 170 industry exhibitors. The 2013 show dates are April 8–10.