LOCATIONS
LAND
10 Mar 15. The UK MoD has made part of its surplus estate available to small businesses and social enterprises, for free, as part of the Government’s Space for Growth programme. For the first time, the move will see disused military engineering workshops in Aldershot, Hampshire, made available as a makerspace to support start-up businesses by veterans and their families. The scheme is being pioneered by X-Forces and Solv Ltd, both signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, who are working in partnership to provide veterans with the support they need – from creating a product through to launch their own business X-Forces is a social enterprise, and delivery partner of the Government’s Start Up Loans programme. They have already helped launch over 300 small firms as well as delivering over £3.2m of Start Up Loan funding. Figures show that businesses set up with the help of X-Forces by veterans have a default rate two thirds lower than the average for start up businesses. (Source: U.K. MoD)
10 Mar 15. Tacprogear, a leading manufacturer of tactical equipment used by professionals around the globe, has chosen the Kingdom of Bahrain as its Middle East headquarters. Dan Lounsbury, CEO of TPG, made the announcement during IDEX.
09 Mar 15. Raytheon will expand its Indianapolis facility and add approximately 250 jobs to support its work in depot and modernization services. The facility, which already employs 1,000 people, also develops leading-edge soldier-worn computers, provides weapons system sustainment, supply chain management and systems engineering among other services to commercial and military customers. Governor Mike Pence and Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Adam Collins joined Raytheon officials for the announcement and viewed several of the innovative solutions that Raytheon develops for its military customers. The facility has a storied history as the Indianapolis Naval Ordnance plant prior to its acquisition by Raytheon. The announcement represents a twenty-five percent increase in the number of Raytheon employees at the Indianapolis facility and the largest expansion of the workforce since Raytheon took over the site in 1998. Work at the facility will focus on areas of depot support such as modernizing and upgrading the capabilities of military platforms, systems engineering and systems installation as well as depot support services for the full life-cycle support of products and systems.
MARITIME
09 Mar 15. Continuing a time-honored shipbuilding tradition, on Saturday, March 7, Ship Sponsor Annie Mabus laid the keel of the submarine Colorado, marking the ceremonial start of construction for the 15th ship of the Virginia Class. The event was hosted by General Dynamics Electric Boat at its Quonset Point facility and attended by local and Congressional dignitaries, Navy officials and more than 1,000 employees and family members. Mabus, the daughter of Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, chalked her initials on a steel plate to be affixed in the submarine. Electric Boat employee John Alves then welded Mabus’ initials onto the plate. Along with the other ships of the Virginia Class, Colorado represents a revolution in submarine design, construction and mission capability. Its contract delivery date to the Navy is August 2017. Virginia-class submarines have been delivered on-budget and ahead-of-schedule, and displace 7,800 tons, with a hull length of 377 feet and a diameter of 34 feet. They are capable of speeds in excess of 25 knots and can dive to a depth greater than 800 feet, while carrying Mark 48 advanced capability torpedoes, Tomahawk land-attack missiles and unmanned underwater vehicles. In April 2014, the Navy awarded a $17.6bn contract – the largest in Navy shipbuilding history – to build 10 additional vessels. Serving as the backdrop for the ceremony was the 100-foot, 1,600-ton module that will contain Colorado’s engine room.
AIR
10 Mar 15. Airbus Defence and Space has formally delive