MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE
LOCATIONS
21 May 08. RAF Aerobatic Team (RAFAT): Change of Base. The Armed Forces’ Minister announced (21 May 08) that the RAFAT, better known as the Red Arrows, will operate from RAF Waddington while continuing to use the airspace above RAF Scampton for rehearsals. The Team’s move from Scampton to Waddington is to be complete by 31 Jul 11. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS Issue 08/22, 2 Jun 08)
02 Jun 08. CAE has opened a field office in Hampton Roads, Virginia.The Hampton Roads area, part of the mid-Atlantic region in the United States, is home to the United States Joint Forces Command, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command, Navy Fleet Forces Command, and other Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security organizations. In addition, Old Dominion University’s (ODU) Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC) is based in the area. VMASC is supported by more than one-hundred industry, government, and academic members.
28 May 08. The U.S. Army activated the first battery of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System, developed by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and produced by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], in a ceremony at Fort Bliss, TX. Alpha Battery/4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air & Missile Defense Command will receive 24 THAAD interceptors, three THAAD launchers, a THAAD Fire Control and a THAAD radar as part of the initial fielding. In addition, the battery will have logistics support assets, such as the Battery Support Center and Integrated Contractor Support System, as well as the necessary spares for a fielded unit.
28 May 08. SGL Group – The Carbon Company – inaugurated its new Technology & Innovation Center (T&I Center) in Meitingen. With this new opening, the Company’s dispersive global research and development activities are combined under one roof in SGL Group’s largest site worldwide. The new central R&D Center offers space for up to 150 scientific jobs, out of which 15 new jobs are to be created for experts from external research institutes within joint projects. Total investment cost amounts to over €10m.
02 Jun 08. Ocean upgrade ahead of schedule. HMS Ocean, undergoing a multi-million pound upgrade and maintenance programme by through-life defence support specialist Babcock Marine at Devonport, undocked on Friday (30 May), following flood-up a significant 13 days ahead of schedule, and has achieved all milestones so far on-time or ahead of schedule. The docking phase of this large and complex second docking period (DP2) contract, which is valued in excess of £30m, has lasted just over six months. The original work package, including more than 40 alterations and additions (A&As), has increased considerably in size, and substantial savings of some £2.5 million have been achieved by planning the project for maximum cost-efficiency, as part of the through-life maintenance strategy for the ship developed by the Joint Project Team (JPT).
31 May 08. Airbus has selected Diehl/Thales as preferred bidder for its Laupheim site. Teams on both sides will now enter into negotiations on remaining details and take the next steps including confirmatory due diligence to achieve a final agreement as soon as possible. The Airbus plant in Laupheim employs a total of 1,100 employees. It produces cabin linings, compartments and air ducts for all Airbus products (A320 Family, A330/A340 Family and A380). The selection today also includes A350 XWB cabin work-packages for Laupheim. This will reinforce Diehl / Thales as a strong tier 1 supplier who will share workload, investments and risks with Airbus and will provide Laupheim the opportunity to develop new business opportunities.
29 May 08. Centre for Defence Enterprise: Open for business. A brand new centre fostering new technologies for the frontline officially opened its doors. The