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21 Aug 09. Defence Estates launches 10-year vision for military accommodation. The MOD has said today that it aims to have all UK service families living in the highest standard of accommodation by 2020. The aim is revealed in the Defence Estates (DE) 10 Year Accommodation Management Strategy which sets out plans for improving housing for both Service Families Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA) over the next decade. Defence Estates will now target its major upgrade programme on improving 4,000 houses in the worst condition (Standard 3 and 4) every year for the next three years. By March 2013 very few, if any, families should be living in houses that don’t meet the top two condition standards. By the same date, 50 percent of single living accommodation should also be at the top grade. The MOD has made major investments in Single Living Accommodation over the past seven years, providing 35,000 trained military personnel with accommodation of the highest modern standard. By 2020, Defence Estates aims to provide 70 percent of SLA at the top level (Grade 1) and the remainder at Grade 2. Key features of the strategy include: better communication of upgrade plans to military personnel and their families and tough action to reduce the proportion of accommodation that is lying empty. Over the next 10 years the MOD plans to spend over £3bn on new-build, upgraded and improved living accommodation for the Armed Forces. I. Within the last two years major upgrade and new build projects have included:
Single Living Accommodation: Catterick Garrison, Yorkshire; Alexander Barracks, Surrey; Bovington Camp, Dorset; RM Lympstone, Devon; Portsmouth Naval Base; Northolt, North London; RAF Leeming, Yorkshire; Ballykinlar Barracks, Thiepval Barracks and Kinnegar Logistic Base, Northern Ireland; Faslane Naval Base, Clyde; Germany; and Gibraltar. Service Family Accommodation (SFA) projects have included: Aldershot, Hampshire; Dale Barracks, Chester; Invicta Park Barracks, Kent; Blandford Garison, Dorset ; Larkhill, Wiltshire; RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire; Scotland; Germany; and Gibraltar.
27 Aug 09. A battle is looming between Tamworth in NSW and Sale in Victoria over the location of a new defence force pilot training facility to prepare pilots to fly the new Joint Strike Fighter in a $1.5bn program. The Australian understands Defence would like to see basic training confined to a military and not a civilian base. Industry sources said estimates of the cost of upgrading Sale to handle basic flying training would be at least $200 million for fuel, hangar and maintenance facilities. The Brumby government is understandably keen on Sale, given the millions of dollars the training facility would generate in terms of sub-contracting and local employment opportunities. But Tamworth’s supporters counter that local weather conditions are vastly superior to those at Sale — an important consideration for student pilots flying multi-million dollar equipment. Known as Project Air 5428, the new pilot training system will prepare air crew for the huge technological advances in military aviation in recent years, and the generational change of aircraft and helicopters coming into service over the next decade. (Source: Google/ The Australian)
25 Aug 09. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., a division of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp., said Tuesday that it has established a new missile defense systems operating unit based in Huntsville, Ala. The new unit includes program management, engineering and production facilities in Huntsville and Courtland, Ala., as well as program operations in Denver and Sunnyvale, Calif. Ret. Army Major General John W. Holly was named vice president for missile defense systems and will lead the new operating unit, the company. Holly joined Lockheed Martin in January 2008 and most recently served as its vice president of Huntsville operations. His military ca