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24 Jun 10. Esterline Defense Technologies have unveiled Project Vulcan, the world’s newest dedicated facility for the production of infrared countermeasures (IRCM) flares in Middle Wallop, UK. Once fully operational, the Vulcan project will be able to produce up to 450,000 aerial flares a year, more than doubling current production capacity at the Craydown Lane site. (Source: Shephard)
23 June 10. Lockheed Martin has completed construction of a new systems integration and demonstration center for its Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P) solution. This center immerses visitors in an audiovisual battlefield simulation, demonstrating the overall JBC-P command and control vision. Located in Orlando, FL, the JBC-P demonstration center presents a whole-system approach to exchanging integrated digital battle command information between aerial platforms, ground platforms, dismounted Warfighters and Commanders in the Tactical Operations Center, resulting in a force multiplying effect. Utilizing an open architecture hardware approach, the center showcases seamless distribution of situational awareness and command and control data to a variety of joint users.
21 Jun 10. General Dynamics Electric Boat has reached a preliminary agreement with Pfizer, Inc., to purchase Pfizer’s office complex in downtown New London, Conn. Under an early occupancy lease agreement, design and engineering employees will move into a portion of the three office towers in July. The transaction is contingent on the completion of a due diligence process to rule out any conditions that could prevent a sale and will accommodate growth in Electric Boat’s engineering workforce.
22 Jun 10. Sargent Aerospace & Defense, a leading supplier of precision engineered components and aftermarket services, and an operating company within Dover Corporation’s Industrial Products Segment, announced today that it has chosen the Tucson region to expand and upgrade its operations in support of current and projected business growth. The company, headquartered in Marana, Arizona, part of the greater Tucson region, since 1990 and currently employing approximately 250 people locally, will expand its current 60,000 square foot facility at 5675 West Burlingame in Marana. Sargent has purchased four acres within the Peppertree Ranch Business Park (south of its current headquarters) and will build a projected 70,000 square-foot facility adjacent to the existing plant. With the new campus, Sargent will implement an engineering design and qualification lab center of excellence, while incorporating operational improvements and environmentally responsible building elements. The increased capacity is required to support the growth of key programs such as the VIRGINIA class submarine, the new Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 commercial aircraft, and Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Sargent anticipates this growth, coupled with new development activity, will add new jobs in the areas of specialty aerospace design, manufacturing, test engineering, program management, and highly-skilled manufacturing such as computed numerically controlled (CNC) machine programmers, operators, and test technicians.
21 Jun 10. BEML Ltd, the public sector mining & construction, rail & metro and defence equipment maker, today announced plans to invest Rs 680 crore in the next two to three years for expansion and diversification. The investment plan includes second phase construction at Palakkad, where it has set up a new plant for defence equipment and setting up of a new manufacturing plant for aerospace components at Bangalore aerospace Special Economic Zone. (Source: Google)
21 Jun 10. The Department of the Air Force released its basing decision for the MQ-1 and MQ-9 ground control stations. The final bases approved by the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force are: Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. “The Air Force uses a deliberate,