LOCATIONS
LAND
30 May 24. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), U.S. Department of Defense, state and local officials celebrated the opening of the company’s new $18m engineering facility, labs and demonstration center in Huntsville. The 122,000-square foot facility has space for 500 employees who will advance national security capabilities and drive innovation in North Alabama.
“The crucial work being done here by our customers, our company, and our industry partners has made Alabama a key 21st-century, high-tech defense and deterrence provider that’s ramping up to ensure our troops will stay ahead of accelerating threats across every domain – land, sea, air, space, and cyber,” said Stephanie C. Hill, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems president.
“I am proud to celebrate the opening of Lockheed Martin’s new engineering facility. Alabama is proud to support our military and defense sectors, and Lockheed Martin’s presence in our state plays a crucial role in advancing national security, ensuring that our nation remains at the forefront of technological advancement,” said Kay Ivey, Alabama Governor, “Lockheed Martin’s continued investment in Alabama is a testament to the strength of our workforce and the strategic importance of Huntsville in shaping the future of defense.”
Work performed at this site supports a more than 60-year legacy of Lockheed Martin customer partnerships in Huntsville supporting all domains air, space, land, sea and cyber.With the opening of this facility, Lockheed Martin’s footprint in Alabama expands to 30 work sites in the state employing over 3,300 people.
Teams in this new facility will advance Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security® efforts including:
- Readiness and sustainment for the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, including the current Multi-Year X contract with production, Foreign Military Sales and all upgrades to the aircraft.
o The team is working toward a Multi-Year XI contract opportunity that will result in a modernized Black Hawk featuring more range, payload and networked connectivity to ensure the Black Hawk of tomorrow stays ahead of the threat.
- Missile Defense Agency Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system. C2BMC is a layered missile defense system providing commanders the ability to make synchronized decisions about threats at any range, in any phase of flight, from any location in the world.
- Modeling and Simulation Contract – Framework and Tools program, supporting the modeling and simulation framework for the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
This site will further enhance the company’s 1LMX digital transformation that drives efficiencies, connecting and optimizing engineering tools to enable Lockheed Martin’s workforce to deliver critical capabilities with more agility.
A new Lockheed Martin Rotary Wing Innovation Center, equipped with a modernized Sikorsky Black Hawk mission simulator and next-generation capability simulation tools, will offer the Army an interactive view into the future of the Black Hawk and capabilities for the enduring fleet. The center will be a meeting place for key stakeholders across the military, government, and industry to chart a path forward for Army aviation for decades to come.
MARITIME
29 May 24. India to commission second nuclear submarine by end of 2024. India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) will be commissioned in the next few months, Janes understands. The vessel, which will be in service as INS Arighat once commissioned by end 2024, is going to be formally inducted almost seven years after it was launched. According to Janes data, Arighat was launched in Visakhapatnam in November 2017. It has a length of 111.6m, beam of 11m, draught of 9.5m, and a displacement of 6,000 tonnes. Arighat is one of three SSBNs that have been launched by India. First-of-class INS Arihant was launched in July 2009 and commissioned in August 2016, while a third yet-to-be-named vessel was launched in November 2021. Built at the Indian Navy’s Ship Building Centre (SBC) in Vishakhapatnam, Arighat is powered by an 82.5 MW pressurised light water reactor (LWR) developed with Russian assistance. The submarine can achieve a top speed of 24 kt, and a surfaced speed of 10 kt. The submarine is armed with 12 K-15 Sagarika submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), developed by India’s state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). (Source: Janes)
28 May 24. Italian Navy Launches Tenth FREMM Frigate, the Emilio Bianchi. The first sea going is planned for the last quarter of 2024, with the ship expected to be delivered to the Italian Navy in the third quarter of 2025 after completing outfitting activities. The Italian Navy has successfully launched its tenth FREMM frigate, the Emilio Bianchi, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso on May 25, 2024, ahead of schedule and within expected timeframes. The Emilio Bianchi is an Anti-Submarine Warfare enhanced version of the FREMM frigate. So far, OCCAR-EA has delivered eight FREMM ships to the French Navy and eight of the ten ordered to the Italian Navy. Additionally, OCCAR-EA manages all Warship ISS (In-Service Support) for the entire Italian FREMM fleet. Launched with its combat system and platform equipment already installed and integrated, the frigate will soon be transferred to the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia). The first sea going is planned for the last quarter of 2024, with the ship expected to be delivered to the Italian Navy in the third quarter of 2025 after completing outfitting activities. This launch is a key milestone for the OCCAR FREMM Programme, a collaborative effort between Italy and France managed by OCCAR. The programme, under the supervision of OCCAR-EA FREMM SMs and the Italian Naval Directorate (NAVARM), is progressing swiftly, with both the ninth and tenth frigates scheduled for delivery to the Italian Navy in 2025. The ceremony was hosted by Fincantieri’s Chairman Claudio Graziano and CEO Pierroberto Folgiero, with notable attendees including OCCAR-EA Director Joachim Sucker and Chief of the Italian Navy Admiral Enrico Credendino. The Emilio Bianchi is named in honour of an Italian military frogman who received a military gallantry medal during World War II. His daughter, Mrs. Elisabetta Bianchi, served as the godmother of the ceremony. (Source: naval-technology.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
29 May 24. USAF Col. Gordon R. Meyer for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Meyer is currently serving as chief of Joint Staff and director of Staff-Air, Joint Force Headquarters, Missouri Air National Guard, Missouri.
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
30 May 24. Raytheon Australia is set for a major shake-up as nearly half of its leadership team were confirmed to have left the global prime “effective immediately”. Defence Connect can confirm that four of Raytheon Australia’s nine-person strong executive leadership team are no longer employed by the company “effective immediately”, including long-term managing director, Michael Ward. According to an internal email on May 30, Ward, who had served for the company for 24 years had retired, with Ohad Katz to serve as interim Managing Director. Katz most recently served as Chief of Contracts and Supply Chain. He will work in both roles. The internal staff email also confirmed the departure of four additional staff, including Gerard Foley, chief of growth; Des McNicholas, chief of people & culture; Sarah Valentine, chief of corporate services; and Carly Habils, head of corporate services. Habils did not serve in the executive leadership team. Scott McRae, current general manager – Joint Battlespace Systems Product Line step in as chief of growth. Meanwhile, Peter Daniel, current head of human resources will commence and chief of people & culture. Velentine’s responsibilities are expected to be shared among other members of the leadership team, with Habil’s replacement due to be announced shortly. Defence Connect understands that staff were notified of the changes via email early on 30 May. (Source: Defence Connect)