LOCATIONS
LAND
19 Nov 13. Improved command and control at Air Force Space Operations Centers is the goal of a new research project at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The broad area announcement calls for white papers on new technologies to improve C2 as well as space situational awareness at the operations centers. Among the areas that AFRL wants to explore is better effects-based planning that will illuminate outcomes of various courses of action, better assessment of friendly space capabilities in light of weather or manmade anomalies, and a common integrated satellite operations system. “Many C2 challenges exist with the current SATOPS enterprise such as lack of standardization and divergent stovepipe implementations of SATOPS for specific systems,” AFRL noted. “These standalone designs hinder the ability to accomplish cross-mission data fusion, prevent application reuse and sharing, and create the need for manpower-intensive operations.” (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
18 Nov 13. Boeing will partner with Tawazun Precision Industries (TPI), a Tawazun Holding subsidiary, to establish a production aerospace surface treatment facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a joint announcement with Tawazun at the Dubai Airshow, company representatives said this partnership introduces a new aerospace manufacturing capability in the Middle East region. The project, made possible by the Tawazun Economic Council, is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016 in Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi. Expanding on TPI’s existing manufacturing base, Boeing will provide manufacturing and technology expertise as well as program management best practices to support the new facility as it applies for the required aerospace certifications. TPI will provide Boeing and its suppliers with a certified, state-of-the-art facility for commercial and defense aerospace design-specified machined and treated metal parts, and gradual progression to complex subassemblies. As required for aerospace manufacturing, the facility will perform the necessary chemical treatments to metallic components that enhance their performance capability.
18 Nov 13. Vector Aerospace Corporation announced the establishment of a new engine facility at Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park specially built for the PW150A turboprop engine. The new 8,000 sqm engine center housing a 5,200 sqm state-of-the-art facility represents Vector Aerospace’s appointment as a Pratt and Whitney Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) and will be equipped with full engine overhaul and test capability. Vector Aerospace will be investing more than $50m (Singapore) in the construction, tooling and equipping of this facility. By locating in the Asia Pacific region, Vector Aerospace will provide the owners of PW150A engines and operators of Bombardier Q400 a cost effective, viable, easily accessible MRO alternative and significantly strengthens Vector Aerospace’s presence in the region.
15 Nov 13. VectorNav Technologies, LLC, a leading provider of inertial sensing and GPS technology solutions for the industrial and military markets, is relocating offices to 10501 Markison Road, Dallas, TX 75238. VectorNav’s new location in North Dallas will allow for increased production capacity and growth of its engineering, business and administrative workforce as well as the continued expansion of its business operations. Supported by its industry-leading VN-100 Inertial Measurement Unit and Attitude Heading Reference System (IMU/AHRS) and VN-200 GPS-aided Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS), VectorNav is experiencing significant growth as it enables the next generation of inertial sensing and GPS/GNSS technology. To facilitate these developments, the new facility provides for a substantial increase in production capacity as compared to VectorNav’s former headquarters, located just north of Dallas in Richardson, Texas. The new facility also provides for an increased capability to accommodate a rapidly