LOCATIONS
LAND
08 Jun 10. A|D|S, the UK’s AeroSpace, Defence and Security trade organisation today (Tuesday) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Middle East Aerospace Consortium (MEAC) and the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC) to further expand its international footprint in support of its member companies by establishing a business development and representative presence in the Middle East. The offices will be in Dubai and Jeddah with the intention to open two more in Bahrain and Qatar in the next twelve months. A|D|S, FAC and MEAC have agreed to work together to provide opportunities for A|D|S and FAC members to enter or expand their Middle East operations. The Middle East economy continues to expand robustly with GDP still growing at around 5 per cent per year. In addition the geographic position of the region as a hub has been enhanced enormously over the past five years by general aviation liberalisation allowing Middle Eastern countries to act as hubs, along with the introduction of ultra long-haul aircraft offering virtually non-stop service to and from almost any point in the world. This has resulted in ten leading Middle East airports investing some $37bn in new capacity by 2012, increasing passenger throughput to just less than 400m per year. The Middle East is predicted to be the fastest growing region for international traffic between 2007- 2012 with 6.9 per cent average annual growth according to IATA forecasts. Additionally both Boeing and Airbus expect the market to grow by 5.5 per cent per year until 2025.
27 May 10. ARINC Engineering Services, LLC today announced its Interoperability Test Engineering group at Fort Huachuca, Arizona has expanded its range of activities and taken additional office space in nearby Sierra Vista. ARINC will formally open the new office on Wednesday June 9 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The new location is at 500 East Fry Boulevard, Suite L-9, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635. ARINC’s Advanced Systems Integration and Engineering Division has maintained an on-base presence at Fort Huachuca since 1992.
03 Jun 10. General Dynamics C4 Systems announced plans to open an office inside Aberdeen Proving Ground to support critical Aberdeen Proving Ground-based military technology programs that connect U.S. Army soldiers to one another and to the information they need to safely and effectively execute their missions. The company is relocating a core team from
Fort Monmouth, N.J., to a new office building within The Government and
Technology Enterprise (The GATE) project at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
04 Jun 10. SCHOTT Electronic Packaging (EP) is seeking to strengthen its position in Europe in order to better serve its customers from within Europe as well as the United States. Thus, the manufacturing line for High Temperature Cofired Ceramics (HTCC) has been transferred from Japan to Landshut in Germany. This is also the location of one of the company’s development and manufacturing centers for hermetic feedthroughs and housings based on glass-to-metal sealing technology. In addition, SCHOTT will be expanding its product line in the area of Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics (LTCC). To this end, a long-term agreement on cooperation was reached with VIA electronic.
MARITIME
03 Jun 10. HMS DAUNTLESS: Commissioned. HMS DAUNTLESS, the second Type 45 destroyer, was commissioned into the Royal Navy (3 Jun 10) in Portsmouth. The ceremony was conducted by the Chaplain of the Fleet, the Venerable J Green. The principle guests were Lady Mary Burnell-Nugent, the destroyer’s sponsor, and the Commander-in-Chief Fleet.
Comment: HMS DAUNTLESS follows First of Class HMS DARING and should enter RN service in 2011. DIAMOND and DRAGON are due to follow in 2012 and then DEFENDER in 2013 and DUNCAN in 2014. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 09/22, 07 June 09)
28 May 10. Mine Countermeasures Vessels: Gulf Deployment. HMS ATHERSTONE returned to Portsmou