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TopEngineer.com Job Of the Week!
Job – Senior Software Integration Engineer in Halifax Regional Municipality
Location: Halifax Regional Municipality, NS, Canada
Salary: £66363 – £75412.50 Per year
Job type: Permanent
Category: Defence Engineering
Job Reference: EMP428045
Posted on: 21 Dec 2018
About the Role:
This position will be responsible for the effective management of the software interfaces to the Integrated Cyber Defence and Data Collection Systems on the project. Working as part of the Combat Team under Information Warfare, the role will work with the company, Canada and subcontractors during development, production, integration, set to work and testing of the following elements:
* Overall software Architecture;
* Integration with the Cyber Defence System;
* Integration with the ship-wide data collection system;
* Integration with platform systems;
* Integration with combat systems;
* Integration with the DND DWAN and CSNI networks;
* Integration with shore-based services at home and abroad.
The Senior Software Integration Specialist will collaborate with the Command Support Systems, Mission Systems Integration and Platform Systems teams to develop a comprehensive, holistic solution for the project. The Senior Software Integration Specialist will participate in the Integration Integrated Product Team (IPT) and oversee subordinate CS IPT’s in the development of the combat and platform systems interfaces into the Information Warfare architecture. This role will report to the Team Lead, Naval Information Systems and Services (NavISS).
Responsibilities:
* Work with Canada and sub-contractors to integrate and manage the software interfaces
* Develop plans, processes and procedures as required in support of program requirements
* Coordinate the scheduling, planning and conduct of assigned integration activities in support of program milestones
* Define the requirements for, and plan the development of, a land-based NavISS systems integration and testing environment
* Provide accurate status reports on assigned integration activities to the management team
* Establish and maintain strong working relationships with internal (Shipyard Production, Program personnel) and external stakeholders (subcontractors and government representatives)
* Ensure all NavISS Elements are identified, defined and approved
* Provide support in evaluating engineering change presented by the subcontractors to ensure impacts to integration activities are understood and recorded
* Support a culture of teamwork, enthusiasm and a proactive nature within the Combat Systems Engineering team
* Be a role model for professional behaviour
* Work with Canada and sub-contractors to integrate and managed the CSC software interfaces
* Develop plans, processes and procedures as required in support of program requirements
* Coordinate the scheduling, planning and conduct of assigned integration activities in support of program milestones
* Define the requirements for, and plan the development of, a land-based NavISS systems integration and testing environment
* Establish and maintain strong working relationships with internal (Shipyard Production, CSC Program personnel) and external stakeholders (subcontractors and Canadian government representatives)
* Ensure all NavISS Elements are identified, defined and approved
Qualifications & Experience:
* Previous experience on military systems managing complex system interfaces
* Software design and development experience with Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
* Experience writing, managing and understanding complex Interface Control Documents (ICDs)
* Project Management qualification or equivalent experience
* Experience with developing requirements for complex systems
Experience in the following fields:
* Designing complex software interfaces for data collection
* managing software development on a large project/program;
* Understanding of relational databases (MS SQL, Oracle, MySQL)
* Knowledge of Naval Combat System technology
* Excellent written and oral communication skills
* Experience in the installation and integration of hardware and software systems aboard Naval Platforms
All successful applicants must meet requirements for Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP), Canadian Government Security clearance, and U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Matchtech acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers and is part of Gattaca Plc.
Gattaca Plc provides support services to Matchtech and may assist with processing your application.
LOCATIONS
MARITIME
31 Dec 18. China launches seventh Type 071 LPD. China’s Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard has launched the seventh Yuzhao-class (Type 071) landing platform dock (LPD) vessel on order for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The LPD took to the water on 28 December, as derived from information in a notice to mariners released by Shanghai’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) agency. The notice described the launch of a vessel that measures 210m in length and 28m in breadth. The Type 071 LPD has an overall length of 210m, an overall beam of 28 m, and a hull draught of 8m. The platform has a top speed of 25kt and can accommodate a crew complement of 156 including 23 officers. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Dec 18. HHIC launches three more PKX-B-class patrol craft. South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) has launched three more Patrol Killer Experimental-B (PKX-B)-class fast attack craft for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN), the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 21 December. The three new vessels of the class, which is also known as Patrol-boat Killer Medium Rocket (PKMR), entered the water in a ceremony held that same day at HHIC’s facilities in Busan. The patrol vessels, which have been given pennant numbers 212, 213, and 215, respectively, are expected to be delivered to the RoKN by the end of 2019 as part of a contract signed with HHIC in October 2016. The first craft of the class, which was given pennant number 211, was delivered to the navy in October 2017. The class, which has a full-load displacement of 300 tonnes, has an overall length of 44 m, an overall beam of 7 m, and can accommodate a crew of 20. Powered by General Electric’s 6,000 shp LM 500 gas-turbine engines and Caterpillar Marine’s Cat C32 diesel engines in a combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAG) configuration, and propelled by waterjets, the platforms have a top speed of 40 kt. The armament on these vessels includes an aft-mounted, 12-barrelled multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) for 130mm rockets, a 76mm naval gun in the primary position, and two remote-controlled 12.7 mm machine guns. HHIC announced in November that the company has so far been contracted to build 12 of an expected first batch of 16 of these vessels. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 Dec 18. Thailand receives another five M21 boats from local shipbuilder. Key Points:
- Marsun has delivered another five M21 patrol boats to the Royal Thai Navy
- The vessels will take on duties with the service’s coastguard squadron
Thai shipbuilder Marsun Company Limited has delivered another five M21-class patrol boats on order for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). The vessels, which bear pennant numbers 270 to 274, were delivered in late November at the Sattahip Naval Base, a spokesperson from the company confirmed with Jane’s on 21 December. The vessels were launched in July 2018. The M21 patrol boat has an overall length of 21.4m, an overall beam of 5.56m, and a hull draught of 1.05m. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 Dec 18. China begins work on Pakistan’s second Type 054A frigate. China held a steel-cutting ceremony for the second Type 054A frigate for the Pakistan Navy (PN) on 19 December, marking the beginning of construction of the vessel at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. The contract for two Type 054A frigates for the PN is believed to have been signed in 2017 and a further contract for two more ships was announced in June 2018, when it was also indicated that delivery of all four ships was expected to be complete by 2021. The Type 054A has become the general-purpose workhorse of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), with a class of 30 ships either commissioned or under construction. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
20 Dec 18. Indian Navy commissions fifth Mk IV landing craft. The Indian Navy (IN) has commissioned its fifth Mk IV landing craft utility (LCU) platform built by state-owned shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). Named IN LCU L55, the 62.8 m vessel entered service in a ceremony held on 19 December at Port Blair, the capital of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands and headquarters of the IN-headed tri-service command. The platform, which is part of an INR21bn (USD310m) contract for eight LCUs signed between GRSE and the Indian government in September 2011, was launched at GRSE’s facility in Kolkata in December 2015, and now joins four other vessels of the class – L51, L52, L53, L54 – which entered service in March 2017, August 2017, April 2018, and May 2018 respectively. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
AIR
02 Jan 19. Colombia receives Dauphin helicopters. The Colombian Navy is set to receive two recently purchased Airbus AS365N3 Dauphin helicopters. The Dauphins have already been assembled at Guaymaral civil airport in Bogotá, painted in Colombian colours with serial numbers ARC 251 and 252, and are expected to be delivered on 7 January to the Grupo Aeronaval del Caribe (the Colombian Navy’s Caribbean Naval Air Group). The helicopters will operate from Barranquilla Naval Aviation Base, but their main mission will be to operate from the Colombian Navy’s ARC 20 de Julio-class offshore patrol vessels. Both helicopters were purchased in Portugal but had operated in Brazil, where ARC 251 was serialled PR-HJR and ARC 252 was at first PR-HJS and later CS-HIP. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
31 Dec 18. Brazilian Navy receives last H225M CSAR helo. Airbus Helicopters’ Brazilian subsidiary, Helibras, delivered the last of three H225M helicopters configured for combat search and rescue (CSAR) to the Brazilian Navy on 27 December. The first two helicopters, which are designated UH-15A Super Cougar in national service, were delivered to Squadron HU-2 of São Pedro da Aldeia naval airbase in June and July 2017 respectively. Besides the CSAR role, they can be used for search and rescue (SAR) and can operate from NDM Bahia (G40) and PHM Atlantico (A140) ships. The helicopters are equipped with Saab’s RWS-300 radar warning receiver, LWS-310 laser warning receiver, MAW-300 missile warning receiver and BOP-L chaff and flare dispensers; Spectrolab SX-16 Nightsun searchlight; FLIR Systems’ Star SAFIRE III electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payload; Cubic AN/ARS-6 (V12) personnel locator system; Goodrich Rescue Systems’ rescue hoist system; communications by Rockwell Collins and Rohde & Schwarz; and Telephonics’ RDR-1600 weather radar. Provisions are made for installation of two side-mounted FN Herstal’s light weapon mounts armed with the company’s MAG58M 7.62 × 51mm machine gun. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Dec 18. French naval fighter squadron completes transition to Rafale M. French naval fighter squadron Flottille 17F, which formerly operated the Super Étendard Modernisé (SEM) aircraft, has completed its transition to the Dassault Aviation Rafale M. The transition, which began in 2016 soon after the SEM was withdrawn from service, means that Flottille 17F has now officially joined the French Navy’s two other fighter squadrons, 11F and 12F, in operating the aircraft type. The Rafale M has been tasked with carrying out a wide range of operations for the squadrons, including fleet air defence, close air support, anti-ship strikes, and air-to-air refuelling. As part of efforts to hone the squadron’s lethality, Flotille 17F will in the next few months conduct test-firings of the MBDA AM39 Block 2 Mod 2 Exocet anti-ship missile on its sorties from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Dec 18. Jordan receives second Mi-26 heavy-lift helo. The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) has received into service the second of four Mil Mi-26 ‘Halo’ heavy-lift helicopters from Russia, the service announced on 26 December. An image of the Mi-26T was posted on the RJAF’s official website some 11 months after the first was delivered to Amman in January. Jordan ordered four of the current production-standard Mi-26T helicopters in September 2016, with two more under option. Deliveries are to run from 2018 through to the end of 2019, with the platforms to be operated jointly between the military and civil services. While the first helicopter was shown at the SOFEX 2018 defence exhibition finished in the RJAF’s current multi-tonal camouflage colour scheme, this second aircraft has been delivered in a low-visibility grey and is devoid of national markings. It is unclear if the different schemes denote the different military or civil roles. The Mi-26Ts will join the RJAF’s current helicopter fleet of MD Helicopters Inc MD 500/530Fs; Bell AH-1F Cobras; Sikorsky UH-60L/M and S-70A Black Hawks; Airbus Helicopters EC 635T1s, AS 332s, and AS 350s; AgustaWestland AW139s; and Robinson R44s. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Dec 18. Kazakhstan receives four more Su-30SM fighter aircraft. The Kazakhstan Air Defence Forces (KADF) have received a new batch of Sukhoi Su-30SM ‘Flanker-H’ multirole fighter aircraft from Russia, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Astana announced in a statement on 25 December. A source from the Kazakh military told Jane’s that the service’s 604th Air Base in Taldykorgan, Almaty Region, took delivery of four more of the fighters, bringing to 12 the total number of Su-30SMs received by the KADF. In 2014 Kazakhstan signed a contract worth approximately RUB5bn (USD76.9m) for four Su-30SMs, all of which were delivered by April 2015. In December 2015 a second contract for eight of these platforms was signed, with the first two fighters arriving in Kazakhstan in December 2016 and two more in December 2017. According to the source, the recently delivered aircraft are the remaining four Su-30SMs ordered under this second contract. In a framework agreement signed in August 2017 Astana signalled its intention to buy 12 more Su-30SMs from Moscow. Astana placed an order for eight of these aircraft during the KADEX defence show held in May 2018. Delivery of these eight platforms is expected to be completed in 2020. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Dec 18. Prototype of Japan’s UH-X helicopter conducts maiden flight. Japan’s Subaru Corporation conducted the first flight of a prototype of the new UH-X multirole medium helicopter on order for the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) on 25 December. The company said that the prototype, which is based on the Subaru Bell 412EPX commercial helicopter, flew for 55 minutes after taking off from its Aerospace Company Utsunomiya Plant in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture. Company officials told Jane’s that the prototype rotorcraft will be delivered to the MoD by the end of March 2019 after completing a series of flight tests. Subaru plans to establish a new production line both for the new helicopter and the Subaru Bell 412EPX at its Utsunomiya Plant to expand its defence business as well as its commercial helicopter sales both in Japan and in international markets. The MoD plans to replace the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s (JGSDF’s) fleet of 127 UH-1Js with about 150 UH-Xs in the next two decades. It plans to acquire 34 UH-Xs under the country’s 2019–23 Mid-Term Defence Program（MTDP), which was approved on 18 December. The JGSDF has secured JPY11bn (USD99.1m) to acquire six UH-X helicopters for fiscal year 2019. Defence officials have told Jane’s that the first UH-Xs are expected to be deployed by the JGSDF by March 2022. The MoD is expecting the UH-X to be used by the JGSDF for a range of missions, especially for the defence of the country’s remote islands as well as for transporting goods and personnel in the event of natural disasters. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Dec 18. South Korea completes preliminary design for second batch of KSS-III submarines. South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has completed the preliminary design phase for the second batch of KSS-III (also written as KSS-3) diesel-electric submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN), the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 26 December. The shipbuilder began working on the boat’s design in July 2016, and is expected to begin building the first of these submarines, which are expected to feature enhanced capabilities for underwater operations, in the second half of 2019, said DAPA. The new submarines are set to be equipped with locally developed lithium batteries, which store considerably more energy than lead-acid batteries, as well as with advanced sonar and weapon systems designed to enhance the boats’ target detection capabilities and overall survivability. DAPA did not mention how many boats will be part of the second batch, but the first batch features three submarines, the first of which – Dosan Ahn Chang-ho – was launched by DSME on 14 September. It is therefore likely that the second batch will also consist of three boats. DAPA said that 80% of the components expected to feature in the second batch will be made by South Korean companies, whereas only 76% of the components used for the first batch came from local firms. No further details were revealed about the approved preliminary design for the second batch. The KSS-III programme is part of a wider push by the South Korean government to improve the RoKN’s subsurface warfare capabilities. The platforms will represent a significant improvement in terms of range, endurance, and firepower compared with the smaller Chang Bogo-class submarines that they will progressively replace. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Dec 18. South Korea approves plan to develop KDDX destroyers. South Korea has approved a basic plan to locally develop a new class of destroyers under the Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) project to enhance the Republic of Korea Navy’s (RoKN’s) capability to protect the country’s maritime interests, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 26 December.
“The KDDX is a project to procure destroyers for the purpose of safeguarding maritime interests and responding to potential disputes at sea,” said DAPA in a statement following a meeting by the Defense Project Promotion Committee presided over by Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo.
The agency said that the ships will need to be built and equipped with the latest technology and weapon systems, given the long time it takes to build them. Although no further details were provided about the vessels in the statement, the Yonhap News Agency quoted DAPA as saying that same day that South Korea will develop the KDDX destroyers by the late 2020s with a budget of around KRW1.8trn (USD1.59bn), adding that Seoul plans to deploy six of these ships by the mid or late 2030s. The agency quoted unnamed “observers” as saying that the total cost of developing and producing the six vessels, which are expected to feature significant air-defence, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, is expected to top KRW7trn.
At the Indodefence 2014 exhibition in Jakarta, South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) had revealed details of its proposal for the RoKN’s KDDX destroyer programme.
At the time, the company touted a platform known as the DSME 8000 as a cost-effective solution to the RoKN’s search for a class that could fill the gap between the KDX-II destroyers and the larger Aegis-equipped KDX-III ships. The DSME 8000 is expected to measure 155m in length and 18.8m in beam, and have a standard displacement of about 8,000 tonnes. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
26 Dec 18. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), and Boeing (NYSE: BA) provided the first look at the SB>1 DEFIANT™ helicopter the companies have developed for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role technology demonstrator program. The SB>1 DEFIANT™ is designed to fly at twice the speed and range of today’s conventional helicopters and offers advanced agility and maneuverability. It will help inform the next generation of military helicopters as part of the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift program. The helicopter is participating in the Army’s Joint Multi-Role-Medium Technology Demonstrator program. Data from SB>1 DEFIANT™ will help the Army develop requirements for new utility helicopters expected to enter service in the early 2030s.
24 Dec 18. US Navy establishes first CMV-22B squadron. The US Navy (USN) has begun the transition from the C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft to a modified variant of the Bell-Boeing MV-22 tiltrotor with the commissioning of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron 30 (VRM 30) as its first CMV-22B squadron. The USN in 2015 selected the CMV-22B tiltrotor to meet its Airborne Resupply/Logistics for Seabasing (AR/LSB) requirement, eschewing the alternative option of a life extension for the legacy C-2A Greyhound COD aircraft. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded the Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office a USD151m contract in March 2016 for nonrecurring engineering associated with CMV-22B development/engineering change proposal (ECP) embodiment.
According to the navy, the CMV-22B acquisition approach is based on the re-use of a mature platform – in the shape of the MV-22B Block C aircraft – adapted with ECP modification to integrate a series of navy-specific subsystems/requirements: the ECP will add extended range capability with aft/forward external conformal fuel tanks on wings and sponsons, a public address system for use while transporting passengers, fuel jettison capability, cargo bay and loading ramp lighting, and secure beyond-line-of-sight communications with a high frequency (HF) radio.
The main driver for the CMV-22B is to transport the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine – the powerplant for the US Marines Corps’ (USMC’s) F-35B and the USN’s F-35C variants – direct from shore bases to carrier decks. Being able to put the F135 power module inside the tiltrotor is significant because the capability to transport the load internally extends range out to 1,000n miles. In addition, the CMV-22B will enable direct delivery to amphibious ships as well as carriers. VRM 30 was formally established on 14 December in a ceremony at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California. The first CMV-22B aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to the squadron in fiscal year 2020 (FY 2020). (Source: IHS Jane’s)
22 Dec 18. The new Czech L-39NG made its first flight performing first development tests. The first pre-serial L-39NG trainer and light attack aircraft with serial number 7001 made its first flight on 22nd December, at Aero Vodochody Airport. The new generation of the Czech jet trainer was piloted by Aero’s test pilots David Jahoda and Vladimír Továrek. At 10:38am, the aircraft took off from the runway, climbed up to 5,000 ft. and after 26 minutes successfully landed at Aero Vodochody. The maturity of the platform allowed the execution of some development tests during the flight. Two months after the introduction of the latest jet trainer at the rollout ceremony on October 12, the first L-39NG proved its readiness to flight and to start certification tests. The aircraft has flown in a configuration that is representative of serial aircraft including final upgraded wet wing and air inlets. This step forward consolidate even much further Aero goal to achieve type certification by the end of 2019.
“This pre-series first flight represents a significant milestone sending an important message to our customers: We can fully fulfil our commitments and we will be ready to deliver the first aircraft in the first quarter of 2020,” said Giuseppe Giordo, President & CEO of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE. The program is running according to the plan showing its full maturity thanks to a great commitment of Aero, Czech institutions and partners of the project.
“As the strategic partner of the project we are very confident, that this important step will further strengthen trust of the whole aerospace community in the new aircraft and will help to make this great project very successful,” added Jiří Podpěra, President of OMNIPOL.
The L-39NG is a single-engine two-seater with staggered seating and an advanced cockpit design that includes full glass cockpit, a sophisticated on board virtual training system and a Helmet Mounted Display. The L-39NG is a key component of an innovative training concept developed by Aero that includes state-of-the-art ground-based training facilities, new learning methods and environment and extensive use of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence technologies. The L-39NG has been designed as a maintenance-friendly aircraft for many decades of reliable service.
Those capabilities enable the L-39NG to be the only available platform on the market capable of performing basic, advanced and LIFT/OCU training at the cost of a turboprop. „The L-39NG performed extremely well and fully met our expectations in terms of stability and controllability. We could even perform some tests like configuration changes, acceleration up to 200 knots, turns to 30, 45, and 60 degrees and slow down to approach speed. All installed systems worked perfectly and outlook outside the cockpit was excellent. The L-39NG is a completely new aircraft and I believe, it has great potential to become a perfect trainer for the 4th and 5th generation fighters as well as a light attack platform,” said David Jahoda, Aero Test Pilot.
During the 2018, Aero announced agreements with the first customers. The first customer the Republic of Senegal was announced in April and was followed by Portuguese private company SkyTech and American private company RSW announced at Farnborough Air Show in July. Orders from those customers will secure the production of 38 aircraft. Currently, Aero is also finalizing agreement also with domestic customer LOM Praha, the Czech state military company and pilot training provider, and carrying out promising negotiations with other potential customers. The L-39NG project is also supported by Czech state financial institutions Czech Export Bank and export insurance company EGAP.
21 Dec 18. Russia to begin receiving Mi-38T upgraded helos in 2019. The Russian armed forces are to receive the first Mil Mi-38T transport helicopters next year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 20 December. Russian Deputy Minister of Defence Alexei Krivoruchko said during a demonstration of the Mi-38T at Kazan production plant that deliveries of the first two helicopters to operational units will commence in the third quarter of 2019. The Mi-38T is the latest derivative of the Mi-8/17 ‘Hip’ helicopter. It features all the enhancements of the baseline Mi-38, plus some additional improvements. The Mi-38 enhancements comprise fly-by-wire controls, a ‘glass’ cockpit, weather/navigation radar, autopilot, autohover and automatic landing, automatic navigation system, composite main and rotor blades, and Klimov TV7-117 turboshaft engines. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
20 Dec 18. Ukrainian Ministry of Interior takes delivery of its first H225s. Kick-starting the modernisation of Ukraine’s helicopter fleet, Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first two H225s, out of an order for 21 aircraft, to the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior. One aircraft is destined for search and rescue missions and the other one will be operated by the National Guard for law enforcement missions. The H225 helicopters were repurposed to suit these public service missions in just over three months. Another two H225s will join the fleet in the coming weeks.
“Further to the Intergovernmental Agreement signed between Ukraine and France earlier this year, we are pleased to be celebrating the first deliveries. This Agreement for 55 helicopters enables Ukraine to provide its population with a complete range of helicopter services from search and rescue, emergency medical services, firefighting to law enforcement missions,” said Arsen Avakov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. “Thanks to the excellent operational cooperation with Airbus, we will also set up a local training and maintenance centre in Ukraine to support our new modernized fleet of helicopters” he added.
“We are pleased that these two H225s have landed in Ukraine in a record amount of time. Now that the pilots have completed their H225 certification training in France, Ukraine can immediately take advantage of the excellent payload and range that the multi-purpose H225 offers along with the aircraft’s state-of-the-art autopilot that provides precision while reducing crew workload in the most demanding mission conditions,” said Matthieu Louvot, Executive Vice President for Support and Services at Airbus Helicopters who attended the delivery ceremony in Kiev. “One of the next steps is to accompany the Ministry of Interior in setting-up a dedicated training and maintenance centre for the helicopters in Ukraine,” he added.
The first deliveries have taken place in the frame of the Intergovernmental Agreement contract signed in July 2018 for 55 aircraft – 21 repurposed H225s, 10 brand new H145s, and 24 H125s, all aimed for search and rescue (SAR), EMS and other public service missions.
The 11-tonne-category twin-turbine H225 is recognised as a reference in SAR operations and is relied on by organisations worldwide including the Japan Coast Guard, the Spanish Coast Guard and the Argentine Coast Guard. Benefits for these demanding missions include a takeoff sequence of less than five minutes, its all-weather capability including in full icing conditions, its SAR modes and renowned autopilot precision.
The H225 offers outstanding endurance and fast cruise speed, and can be fitted with a wide range of mission equipment to suit any role. The H225 family has accumulated over 640,000 flight hours to date.
20 Dec 18. NATO completes Super Puma deliveries to Spain. The final helicopter joined the previous three that have been handed over to 802 Squadron of the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire Español: EdAE), which is based on the island of Gran Canaria. These helicopters are equipped primarily for maritime search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. The H215 is the legacy AS332 C1e/L1e Super Puma that was relaunched by Airbus Helicopters in November 2015 under its new designation. The EdAE already fields a number of Super Puma variants (designated ‘HD/HT.21’ in national service), the earliest of which date back to 1983, as well as Pumas [HD.19] from 1973 and Cougars [HD.27] from 2004. As such, the service already has extensive knowledge and experience of operating this type of helicopter. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
20 Dec 18. Lesotho commissions H125 helicopter. The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Air Wing commissioned a new Airbus Helicopters H125 on 17 December, the government announced. The helicopter joins two H125s that entered service in 2017 and, according to Deputy Prime Minister Monyane Moleleki, replaces an EC135 that crashed in April 2017. The H125 is to be used for law enforcement, transporting government officials, and search and rescue, Moleleki added. The LDF Air Wing also operates an AB206, several Bell 412s, and a pair of Airbus C212 transport aeroplanes. It may still have a single GA8 Airvan, although this aircraft’s exact status is unknown. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
31 Dec 18. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White to step down. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White stepped down from her role in the Trump administration on Monday, capping just over a year and a half in the top communications role.
“I appreciate the opportunity afforded to me by this administration to serve alongside Secretary Mattis, our Service members and all the civilians who support them. It has been my honor and privilege,” White wrote on Twitter Monday afternoon. “Stay safe and God bless.”
White’s announced exit comes on the heels of the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis, whose last day is Monday.
White will also serve her final day in the Pentagon on Monday, a Defense Department spokesman confirmed. Charles Summers, her deputy, will assume the role in an acting capacity on Tuesday.
White had at times been a source of controversy in the department. Reports surfaced in August that she was being investigated by the Pentagon inspector general for allegedly misusing staff by directing them to run personal errands for her and later retaliating against them.
White’s abrupt departure is the latest sign of turnover in the Trump administration.
Mattis announced on Dec. 20 that he would resign, citing policy differences with President Trump. The news came the day after Trump announced his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, for which he has received broad criticism. Mattis initially planned to leave in late February, though Trump later announced that Patrick Shanahan, Mattis’s deputy, would serve as acting Defense secretary beginning in January.
White was tapped as spokesperson for the Defense Department in April 2017, replacing Peter Cook, who had left the role in January before Trump’s inauguration. Before that, White founded and served as CEO of a Washington, D.C., strategic communications firm, 1055 Grady LLC. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/thehill.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
02 Jan 19. With Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan now serving as the acting secretary of defense, the Pentagon’s top financial official will take over as the acting deputy. David Norquist, who has served as Pentagon comptroller since May 2017, has been tapped to help handle the responsibilities Shanahan is leaving behind, a defense official told reporters Wednesday. Norquist and Shanahan appear to have a good working relationship, with the comptroller frequently appearing alongside the then-deputy during public appearances in the last few months. The two have worked closely on the fiscal 2020 budget submission, which Shanahan has repeatedly pledged will be a “masterpiece” that puts the National Defense Strategy into motion. (Source: Defense News)
26 Dec 18. Rear Adm. Robert Sharp will become the next director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in February, according to a Dec. 26 news release from the organization. He will take over for Robert Cardillo, who has served as head of the agency since 2014. Sharp currently leads the Office of Naval Intelligence and serves as director of the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office. On Nov. 29, the White House nominated Sharp for his third star and the Senate approved the nomination Dec. 22. In a Dec. 26 press release, the NGA formally announced the change in leadership. Politico had reported that Cardillo might be retiring and that a uniformed officer might be chosen to take his place. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
21 Dec 18. MG Patrick W. Burden, deputy commander, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Afghanistan, to deputy commanding general, acquisition and systems management, U.S. Army Futures Command, Austin, Texas.
21 Dec 18. MG Jody J. Daniels, U.S. Army Reserve, to commanding general, Troop Program Unit, 88th Readiness Division, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. She most recently served as deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
21 Dec 18. MG Arlan M. Deblieck, U.S. Army Reserve, to deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He most recently served as deputy commanding general (individual mobilization augmentee), Eighth Army, Republic of Korea.
21 Dec 18. MG Brian E. Winski, chief, legislative liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Army, Washington, District of Columbia, to commanding general, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
21 Dec 18. BG Ellen S. Clark, U.S. Army Reserve, director, Army Reserve Engagement Cell (individual mobilization augmentee)/deputy commanding general, mobilization and reserve affairs, U.S. Army Europe, Germany. She most recently served as director, Army Reserve Engagement Cell (individual mobilization augmentee)/deputy commanding general, U.S. Army South, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
21 Dec 18. BG James J. Gallivan, deputy commanding general (operations), 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas to chief of staff, U.S. Army Futures Command, Austin, Texas.
21 Dec 18. BG John H. Phillips, U.S. Army Reserve, G-6, U.S. Army Europe, Germany. He most recently served as commanding general, Troop Program Unit, 335th Signal Command (Theater) Operational Command Post (Forward), Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
21 Dec 18. BG Tracy L. Smith, U.S. Army Reserve, to commander, 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support), Fort Shafter, Hawaii. She most recently served as deputy commander for Professional Services, Troop Program Unit, 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support), Saint Charles, Missouri.
21 Dec 18. BG Irene M. Zoppi, U.S. Army Reserve, director, Army Reserve Engagement Cell (individual mobilization augmentee)/deputy commanding general, U.S. Army South, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She most recently served as deputy commanding general, Troop Program Unit, 200th Military Police Command, Fort Meade, Maryland.
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
27 Dec 18. Kazakh President reshuffles government, appoints new ministers of foreign affairs, defence and aerospace industries, and industry and infrastructure development. In a reshuffle aimed at strengthening the investment attraction and export promotion efforts of the Kazakh government, President Nursultan Nazarbayev reorganised three ministries and appointed new ministers through a string of presidential decrees Dec. 26.
Nazarbayev significantly strengthened the economic diplomacy credentials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by giving it oversight over the work on attracting foreign investment and promoting Kazakh exports abroad, taking away these responsibilities from the reformed Ministry for Investment and Development.
He appointed Beibut Atamkulov as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Askar Zhumagaliyev as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry and Zhenis Kassymbek as Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development.
Nazarbayev relieved former Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov of his responsibilities due to his transfer to another job, as yet unannounced. The new Minister of Foreign Affairs Atamkulov was transferred from his former position as the Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry.
Kassymbek was appointed to lead a newly revamped Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development, into which the Ministry for Investment and Development was transformed. Some of the former ministry’s functions were transferred to the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Atamkulov was born in the Alma-Ata region in 1964.
From 2012 to 2014, Atamkulov was the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, after which he was at the same position in the Investment and Development Ministry. Since August 2015, he has been the South Kazakhstan region’s Akim (governor). His last position was the Defence and Aerospace Industry Minister, which he led from 2016.
The new Defence and Aerospace Industry Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Zhumagaliev was born in 1972 in the Orenburg region, Russia. He graduated from the Sverdlovsk Suvorov Military School and studied at the Kharkov Higher Military Command Engineering School of Rocket Forces. In 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, he transferred to the Kazakh National Technical University in Almaty, graduating with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting and television. He received a second bachelor degree in jurisprudence from the Kazakh Humanitarian Law University and a master’s degree in e-government from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne.
From 2006 to 2010, he was the chair of the board of Kazakhtelecom national telecommunications company, when he worked on the introduction of new communication technologies and the barrier-free customer service principle. From 2010 to 2012, he worked as the Minister for Communications and Information. During his work, he launched 3G services, digital satellite and terrestrial television. He also developed the e-government portal and large-scale modernisation and automation of the Public Service Centres (PSC).
The new Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development Kassymbek was born in 1975 in the Zhambyl region. He graduated from the Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Almaty with a degree in architecture and design. He also studied at the Gumilyov Eurasian National University in Astana graduating with a degree in economy and earning the Candidate of Economic Sciences degree. Since August 2014, he became the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Investment and Development. Before being appointed to his new position, Kassymbek served as the Minister for Investment and Development since 2016. (Source: Google/https://astanatimes.com)
INDUSTRY
21 Dec 18. Navantia agrees industrial strategy with unions. Spanish naval shipbuilder Navantia announced on 20 December that its 2018-2020 strategic plan had received the approval of its boards of directors, its parent company Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI), and the unions representing its workforce. The new strategy aims to ensure the continuity of operations at all of Navantia’s facilities and pursue the modernisation of the company. To achieve this, it sets out three separate objectives: an operational plan to provide sufficient workload to each of its sites, a goal of increasing efficiency through technological transformation, and a commitment to the hiring and training of 1,658 new staff. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
PERSONNEL
27 Dec 18. BAE Systems has announced plans to recruit nearly 700 apprentices across its UK business in 2019, a 30 per cent increase on the previous year. The new recruits will join the Air, Land and Maritime businesses in September 2019 and will embark on one of 25 training programmes, which provide the opportunity to combine full time employment with studying for a recognised qualification. The Air sector is recruiting almost half of the company’s UK apprentices at its sites in Samlesbury and Warton, where they will have the opportunity to work on a unique range of exciting projects including Typhoon and F-35 – the world’s largest defence programme – and play a key role in developing emerging technologies for future combat air systems, supporting the UK’s world-leading combat air capability for decades to come.
Prime Minister, Theresa May, said: “I’m delighted that BAE Systems is taking on even more apprentices in 2019, with 700 young people being given the opportunity to kick-start their careers in this world-class firm. Britain’s businesses have a hugely important role to play in training the next generation and themselves benefit by attracting diverse talent and improving their skills base. Through our modern Industrial Strategy we will encourage even more partnerships to create high-quality jobs across the UK.”
Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems, said: “We are proud to be one of the UK’s largest employers of apprentices and our plan to recruit nearly 700 apprentices next year reflects our ongoing commitment to nurturing talent and developing high end skills for the future. With technology becoming ever more advanced and integrated in the workplace, it is crucial that we train the next generation of engineers and business leaders to develop the necessary skills which will be needed to drive innovation, solve complex challenges and build on our position as one of the UK’s most innovative and productive companies.”
Ahmed Munshi, 22, from Samlesbury, Lancashire, is in his penultimate year of a Project Management Apprenticeship. Ahmed said: “When I finished school, I was encouraged to follow a route into university however I wanted to gain a practical, hands-on experience while earning and studying for a degree. My apprenticeship experience has been at full speed from the beginning and really pushes me to exceed – both in my work placements and during my studies towards my degree. I would absolutely recommend an apprenticeship with BAE Systems to anyone who wants to gain practical work experience, while working towards a career with real long-term prospects.”
BAE Systems invests approximately £90m per year in education, skills and early careers activities in the UK and has around 2,000 apprentices in training across its UK businesses at any given time, with circa 95% securing permanent roles each year.
The majority of BAE Systems’ apprentices train for engineering related roles and undergo a three to four-year training programme, with many progressing to study Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. The business also offers direct entry onto new degree apprenticeships. BAE Systems currently employs over 34,000 people in the UK and is one of the country’s largest employers of engineers, with around 64 percent of its staff employed in engineering or engineering-related roles. The Company makes considerable investment in employee training, capital and R&D to support innovation and its high levels of productivity, both within its own businesses and among companies in its supply chain. The productivity of the BAE Systems’ workforce, as measured by gross value added per FTE worker, was almost 80 percent higher than the national average in 2016, at £128,000 per FTE employee. BAE Systems was recently named #1 employer of apprentices in the UK on review website Rate My Apprenticeship and won the Macro Employer of the Year Award and the Recruitment Excellence Award at the 2018 National Apprenticeship Awards, recognising the business’ dedication to delivering high-quality apprenticeships. Applications to join the 2019 intake can be made via www.baesystems.com/apprentices. The closing date is 28 February 2019.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
17 Dec 18. Aerospace Creates V.P. and Chief Technology Officer Position to Ensure this Man is on Their Team. Realizing this man’s special expertise The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) created a position, vice president and chief technology officer (CTO), to ensure he is now part of their team. “David’s passion for new space, innovation, and experience with our most senior customers are critical as we work to outpace the threats in space.”
This is a newly created position that the company established for Dr. David W. Miller who will report directly to Aerospace’s CEO. Aerospace based in El Segundo, California, is “committing to continue to define and harness the rapidly changing technology landscape across the space enterprise.”
Dr. Miller makes the move from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he most recently held the position of director of the Space Systems Laboratory and the Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, to his new appointment. At MIT, Miller’s work focused on developing ideas for spacecraft that can repair and upgrade satellites with multi-mission functions through space operations and docking using standard interfaces. He also helped develop a technique to control satellite movement, without propellant, using high temperature super-conducting electromagnets. Earlier in his career, Miller served five years — two as vice chair — on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, a federal advisory committee that provides independent counsel on science and technology matters relating to the Air Force’s mission. He also served two-and-a-half years as NASA’s Chief Technologist at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Miller has been involved with and chaired several key panels and committees to include the James Webb Space Telescope Product Integrity Team and Exoplanet Technology Assessment Committee. He is an AIAA Fellow and formerly a distinguished visiting scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Miller earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from MIT, and has been a member of its faculty since 1997. (Source: Satnews)
20 Dec 18. J.F. Lehman & Company, a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors, is pleased to announce the promotions of Glenn M. Shor to Partner and David F. Thomas to Principal. Mr. Shor has been actively involved in sourcing, evaluating and executing numerous investments as well as working with portfolio company management teams on post-acquisition value-creation strategies. In recent years, he has been a key part of the team which established the firm’s Environmental & Technical Services franchise. He currently serves as a director of API Technologies, NorthStar, NRC Group and Waste Control Specialists. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Shor was a member of the Private Equity Group at D.E. Shaw & Co. where he focused on private equity investments in the energy and media industries. His prior experience also includes private equity investing at Providence Equity Partners and investment banking at Morgan Stanley. A native of New York, Mr. Shor received his B.S. magna cum laude in Finance and International Business form the Stern School of Business at New York University.
David Thomas joined the firm in 2010, and this is his fourth promotion. He currently serves as a director of Trident Maritime Systems, Lake Shore Systems, NorthStar and Waste Control Specialists. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Thomas was an investment banking analyst with Credit Suisse in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group, where he supported a wide range of transactions. A native of New York, Mr. Thomas earned a B.A. in Economics from Yale University.
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