LOCATIONS
LAND
12 May 25. SciTec, Inc., a leader in advanced scientific and engineering solutions for national security, has executed significant expansion of its physical footprint, adding new office space across all its operating locations: Boulder, CO; Dayton, OH; Huntsville, AL; El Segundo, CA; and its headquarters in Princeton, NJ. This year SciTec added a second building at its “Boulder South” location and secured a second building adjacent to its Princeton headquarters. In addition, SciTec will move to a new location in El Segundo this summer, doubling office space there. The expanded facilities allow SciTec to accommodate its growing workforce, enhance collaboration with key government and industry partners, and accelerate development in areas critical to U.S. defense and space operations.
“We are seeing unprecedented growth in the sectors we support, and expanding our physical plant is critical to delivering timely, mission-driven solutions,” said John Scavone, SciTec’s Executive Director of Business Operations. “This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering national security solutions and supporting the talented teams that make our work possible.”
While each location plays a unique role in access to customers and employees, they are interconnected at various security levels to optimize contract execution, leverage expertise across the company, and support employee quality of life. SciTec plans to continue hiring across all locations, with an emphasis on software engineering, physics, data science, and systems engineering. We routinely hire recent graduates from colleges and universities across the United States. (Source: PR Newswire)
12 May 25. Saab grows in Gothenburg and establishes new facility. As a result of the increased demand for radar and sensor systems and a high recruitment rate, Saab is expanding its operations in the Gothenburg region in Sweden with another facility in Mölnlycke, Härryda municipality. This enables Saab to continue to grow and increase its delivery capacity in the region. Saab in Gothenburg develops and produces airborne and ground-based radar- and sensor systems such as the GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft and the Giraffe radar family. Saab has already expanded its production capacity for radar and sensors by establishing new facilities at a number of sites, including in Halmstad in Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom. In order to meet the high demand for our world-leading capabilities, we are expanding our operations in the Gothenburg region with additional office space and production capacity. Gothenburg has a strong cluster of microwave competence as well as universities and other industry. We look forward to continuing to grow and create jobs in the region,” says Carl-Johan Bergholm, Head of Saab’s business area Surveillance. Saab will keep its existing Gothenburg site in Kallebäck and will add another multifunctional facility with capacity for around 500 work stations in Mölnlycke. Saab currently has around 3,200 employees in Gothenburg.
MARITIME
09 May 25. Indian Navy receives first anti-submarine vessel from GRSE. The Arnala-class ASW SWC will replace the existing Abhay-class corvettes currently in service. The Indian Navy has received ‘Arnala’, the first of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWCs), at L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu. The vessel has been designed and built indigenously by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) under a collaborative public-private initiative with L&T Shipyard. The delivery marks a key development in the Indian Navy’s efforts toward self-reliance in defence production. Over 80% of the ship’s components are sourced domestically. The Indian Ministry of Defence signed contracts with GRSE and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in April 2019 to construct eight ASW SWC ships each. They are part of Make in India initiative. The GRSE constructed vessels are designated as Arnala-class and ones built by CSL are designated as Mahe-class vessels. The ASW SWC are set to replace the existing Abhay-class corvettes currently in service. The Abhay-class corvettes entered service with the Indian Navy in 1989. (Source: naval-technology.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
14 May 25. Capita-led consortium welcomes more than 170 colleagues to fulfil Royal Navy Marine engineering training. Capita plc (‘Capita’) has gone live with its expanded training contract with the Royal Navy to deliver marine engineering training, which was announced in February this year. The Capita-led consortium – including Raytheon UK, Elbit Systems UK, Fujitsu, the University of Lincoln and several smaller British suppliers – will welcome more than 170 additional personnel to fulfil training services for Marine Engineering at HMS Sultan, home of the Royal Navy’s Marine Engineering Training Group and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School. The new colleagues joined the Capita and Raytheon businesses on 1 May. Under the contract expansion, the Capita-led consortium will deliver training delivery and support services designed to enhance the Royal Navy’s operational capabilities and ensure the highest standards of training for its personnel. Services to be fulfilled by Capita and its partners include training design and media, quality assurance and equipment management.
Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE, MP for Gosport, said: “HMS Sultan plays a vital role in the heart of Gosport, supporting the Royal Navy’s training capability, and I’m delighted to see this significant expansion of marine engineering training being delivered here. I welcome the 170 new jobs in Gosport through the Capita-led consortium which strengthens not only our local economy but also the Navy’s operational readiness. I’m particularly pleased having led the successful campaign to keep HMS Sultan’s marine engineering training in Gosport and I look forward to seeing this partnership continue to enhance the world-class training that HMS Sultan is renowned for”.Capita will leverage its extensive experience in training delivery to integrate the new services into its wider Royal Navy partnership, share best practices, and explore opportunities to extend training transformation programmes into Marine Engineering.
Since 2021, Capita has led the consortium of world-class defence and technology companies to transform shore-based training for Royal Navy personnel across fourteen sites as part of a 12-year, £1.3bn contract.
David Hook, managing director for Capita Defence and National Preparedness, said: “I am hugely proud to welcome a significant number of new colleagues as part of our expanded partnership with the Royal Navy as we bring the Maritime Engineering Training Group into our delivery contract. This marks the 10th service transition managed under the Royal Navy Selborne training contract, originally awarded to Capita in 2021. The work we fulfil for the Royal Navy – in delivering over 80% of shore-based training and a modern and interactive teaching environment for personnel – is an example of Capita’s national preparedness capabilities.”
Gillian Dowds, head of Training Transformation at Raytheon UK, said: “World-class training is at the heart of our partnership with the Royal Navy as part of a consortium of leading defence and technology businesses. We look forward to continuing to equip Marine Engineering personnel with the critical training and support services they need to fulfil their roles”.
Commodore Jo Deakin, Deputy Director, People Training, said: “As a former Commanding Officer, HMS SULTAN will always be very special to me. The inclusion of Marine Engineering Training within this expanded contract represents an exciting opportunity to work with our consortium partners to modernise training throughout the Royal Navy. I look forward to working with the new personnel”.
08 May 25. US Army names newly combined futures and training command. Then-Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and then-Army Futures Command Chief Gen. John Murray tour the Robotics Center of Excellence at the University of Texas on Oct. 2, 2020. (UT Austin) The U.S. Army will consolidate its Futures Command with its Training and Doctrine Command under a new command called the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said during a House Appropriations defense subcommittee posture hearing Wednesday. The naming comes a week after the service announced sweeping changes to its command structure and formations, with the intention to transform the force while scrapping programs that don’t meet current threats or its vision of overmatching those threats in the future. The new command’s headquarters will be in Austin, Texas, George said, which is where Army Futures Command is headquartered now. AFC, a four-star command, was established during President Donald Trump’s first administration under then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump has sought to disgrace since returning to office, including by having Milley’s joint chiefs chairman portrait removed from the Pentagon hallway where it originally hung. Milley proposed the four-star command he dubbed Army Futures Command as a new way forward, breaking free of the bureaucracy and silos that had hampered the Army’s previous major modernization efforts. Working with other top service officials, Milley shifted bns of dollars into modernization programs, including the top priority — long-range precision fires — and based the new command in Austin, an area known for its innovative, technology-focused workforce. AFC was formed to help wrangle a neglected requirements development process. Prior to its formation, the requirements development process lived within TRADOC, where it competed for attention alongside training, recruitment and professional military education. The more focused organization was built to enable the Army to move faster. The consolidation of the two commands, in a way, nests the requirements development process back together with TRADOC. But this time, “TRADOC is going to merge into AFC,” George said during a press briefing last week.
“That way we have one headquarters that can oversee the design, build, doctrine and training. We know we have to advance in how we’re going to train individual soldiers right now on the tactical change, how we’re doing things.”
While AFC was intended to solve a broken requirements process and help provide a more rapid and efficient bridge over the valley of death between development and actual procurement, it evolved over the last four years from a command with control over investment decisions and a focus on near-term programs to an advisory body focused more on emerging technology and what the force would look like several decades down the road. Even so, AFC’s contributions include seeing some successful programs in development through to fielding from missile defense capabilities to new aircraft and long-range precision fires. And its leaders helped to develop a more flexible requirements process, choosing to forego lengthy and rigid requirements documents with simple one-page statements outlining a specific capability need the service wants industry to help fill. Yet Army leadership now views that the two commands should come together again, arguing that separately, there is too much bureaucracy.
“The advantage is we’re going to put majors, sergeant first class, you know, different NCOs and officers back into our formation, which is what we need to do and green up some other areas,” George said of the consolidation last week.
Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll noted during Wednesday’s posture hearing that there are 35,000 people in its acquisitions. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
15 May 25. Defence Secretary John Healey has confirmed that His Majesty The King has approved the new appointment of First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins KCB OBE RM is to be appointed as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, and Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty.
14 May 25. Mr Qudsi Rasheed OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to The State of Kuwait in succession to Ms Belinda Lewis who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Rasheed will take up his appointment during September 2025.
09 May 25. Mrs Sarah Hulton OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines and His Majesty’s non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Palau in succession to Ms Laure Beaufils. Mrs Hulton will take up her appointment during September 2025.
13 May 25. Dame Melinda Simmons DCMG has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Poland in succession to Ms Anna Clunes CMG OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Dame Melinda will take up her appointment during August 2025.
13 May 25. Mr Kanbar Hossein-Bor has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji, non-resident British High Commissioner to the Republic of Kiribati and His Majesty’s non-resident Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, in succession to Dr Brian Jones who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Hossein-Bor will take up his appointment during July 2025.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
13 May 25. The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Troy Meink as the next Air Force secretary in a 74-25 vote, with multiple Democrats breaking ranks to vote for President Donald Trump’s nominee. Meink, who previously served as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, will now take charge of the Air Force and Space Force. He has a deep background in acquisition and technology development specializing in space and also served as NRO’s director of signals intelligence systems acquisition. (Source: Defense News)
08 May 25. The Trump administration has tapped Stephen Winchell to head the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DefenseScoop has learned. DARPA, one of the Pentagon’s premier R&D organizations, aims to create “technological surprise” and game-changing capabilities for the U.S. national security community. It has been credited with aiding major technological breakthroughs, including precision weapons, stealth technology, the internet and GPS, among others. The agency has six technical offices overseeing biological technologies, defense sciences, information innovation, microsystems technology, strategic technology and tactical technology. Winchell is coming to DARPA from the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office, where he served as the AI and autonomy portfolio leader. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense Scoop)
07 May 25. New Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director named by NASA. Dave Gallagher will become the director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California on Sunday, June 1. (Source: Satnews)
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
09 May 25. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and BAE Systems have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their industrial collaboration in support of the defence needs of Norway, the United Kingdom, and allied nations. The agreement was formalised onboard HMS St Albans in Oslo on Friday, 9 May. The move is seen as a strategic step towards bolstering maritime capabilities for both the Norwegian and UK armed forces. Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, described the agreement as an opportunity to build on the longstanding partnership between the two companies.
“This agreement enables us to build on the successful partnerships between KONGSBERG and BAE Systems and between our two nations’ industries. It further strengthens our ability to offer advanced maritime capability to the Norwegian and UK militaries,” Lie said.
Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive of BAE Systems, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the historical ties between the two companies.
“We have worked together with KONGSBERG for more than 80 years, which reflects the strong relationship between the UK and Norway, built over decades of cooperation as close allies and friends. This agreement brings together a number of areas in which our companies are already collaborating and further enhances our ability to deliver advanced defence capabilities for current and future Norwegian and UK armed forces,” he stated.
The agreement is expected to cover long-term cooperation on existing and future joint programmes across various military domains. Key areas identified include the Vanguard vessel system, strategic partnerships for through-life support of the new Norwegian frigates, strike missiles, maritime surveillance, and targeting systems, as well as ship system deliveries for both nations’ frigate fleets. (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
12 May 25. BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) today announced that Robb A. LeMasters has stepped down from his position as executive vice president and chief financial officer. The company has named Mike T. Fitzgerald, current chief accounting officer, as the interim chief financial officer. Mr. Fitzgerald joined BWXT in 2022 as vice president, finance and chief accounting officer, responsible for overseeing and reporting on the company’s day-to-day financial operations. He previously led MorganFranklin, LLC’s aerospace and defense practice as managing director and was an audit senior manager at Deloitte & Touche, LLP. In 2024, his financial leadership at BWXT was recognized with a rising star award from the Northern Virginia Technology Council. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
14 May 25. Cyberlux Corporation (OTC: CYBL), a leading provider of advanced defense technologies and unmanned systems, today announced the appointment of Brigadier General Steven M. Anderson (Ret.) to its Defense Board of Advisors. General Anderson will play a key role in guiding the company’s Global Integrated Services (GIS) strategy, helping shape Cyberlux’s global logistics, sustainment, and infrastructure support capabilities. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
09 May 25. Fairbanks Morse Defense, a leading OEM and aftermarket provider to a large installed base of mission-critical marine technologies, today announced the appointment of Steve Pykett as Chief Executive Officer. Steve brings more than 25 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry. Most recently, he served as President of Investment Castings at Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC), where he drove significant growth across a global operation spanning more than 30 international sites and over 7,000 employees. Prior to PCC, Steve served in senior leadership and engineering roles at L3Harris Technologies, GKN Aerospace, and Rolls-Royce. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
IN MEMORIAM
09 May 25. Simon Mann, who has died aged 72, was an Old Etonian, former SAS officer and soldier of fortune who made millions from providing mercenaries to protect diamond mines and oil refineries in Africa; in 2004, however, he bit off more than he could chew when he became involved in an alleged plot to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. The plot went disastrously wrong when Mann and 67 fellow mercenaries – mostly old sweats from Apartheid-era South Africa’s bush wars – were arrested by Zimbabwean security forces at Harare airport, where they had touched down in order to take on a consignment of arms. Mann claimed that they were on their way to protect diamond interests in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. But they were accused of setting out to overthrow Equatorial Guinea’s tyrannical president Teodoro Obiang Nguema. (Source: Daily Telegraph)
BATTLESPACE Comment: The Editor knew Simon Mann well, he was his Segeant Major in the Eton College CCF.