MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE
LOCATIONS
LAND
28 May 09 . AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the opening of its new T129 facility in Cascina Costa, Italy. The official opening ceremony was attended by delegates from the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM), Turkish Land Force Command and Turkish General Staff as well as industry representatives from Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI) and Aselsan. The T129 programme is on schedule and on budget, and has already successfully completed a System Requirements Review in January 2009 while the Preliminary Design Review is ongoing. The new dedicated facility, staffed by more than 70 Turkish and AgustaWestland integrated team technicians, comprises an assembly area for the T129 prototypes as well as office space for the T129 team members. The entire facility has been designed to bring together the integrated team into a single location to enable all industry partners to work together in a highly efficient manner.
23 May 09. Williamtown will be the site of a world-class aviation maintenance and contractor business precinct if approval is given to a development application lodged by Hunter Land yesterday. The plan, if approved by Port Stephens Council, would result in 2000 direct jobs
and capital expenditure on the site exceeding $500m over its proposed
15-year period of construction. Depending on tenants, it could sustain 2500 permanent employees after completion. Major projects director for land owner Hunter Land James Garvey said the precinct would allow large international defence industry tenants to establish themselves next to Australia’s premier RAAF base. (Source: Google)
MARITIME
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
21 May 09. Defence Storage and Distribution Agency: Disciplinary Proceedings
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Chief Operating Officer and Financial Director of Defence Storage and Distribution Agency has been suspended.
Mr. Kevan Jones: The Defence Fraud Analysis Unit has conducted an investigation into commercial activities at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency. While fraud has not been identified, the report raises potentially serious issues and an internal investigation has therefore been commissioned. The chief executive and former finance director, now director corporate services, have been suspended on full pay pending the outcome of this investigation.
19 May 09. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is laying off 219 employees in Dallas, according to two letters filed with the Texas Workforce Commission. Gulfstream, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), said in the letters it will be laying off 211 employees at its aircraft completion and refurbishment facility located at 7440 Aviation Place in Dallas and eight employees at its Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. service facility located on the 8500 block of Lemmon Ave. According to the letters, the layoff at the facilities is expected to occur over a 14-day period beginning on July 13. (Source: Yahoo!)
27 May 09. Nepal army sacking ‘was mistaken’. Nepal’s new Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal says his predecessor’s move to sack the army chief was a mistake. Mr Nepal was speaking to the BBC in his first interview since taking office. The general was sacked by the previous government but the move was blocked by the president, prompting Maoist leader Prachanda to resign as prime minister. Mr Nepal has the support of 22 of the 24 parties in parliament. The Maoists remain the largest party, with 40% of seats following last year’s elections.
PERSONNEL
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
28 May 09. Commodore D J R Dickens OBE Royal Navy to be Naval Assistant to Naval Secretary in succession to Commodore P H Robinson Royal Navy with effect from July 2009.
28 May 09. Captain J M Slawson Royal Navy to be promoted Commodore and to be Director Customer Support Team Fleet withi