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LOCATIONS
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05 Mar 20. SAIC Expands Innovation Factory Presence to Include the University of Massachusetts. SAIC becomes the lead partner and founding member of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Research Institute Northstar Campus — A technology incubator focused on critical issues facing the U.S. Air Force and other military branches.
Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC), has entered into a strategic partnership with the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) Research Institute to become the lead partner with the university in the development of the Northstar Campus near Hanscom Air Force Base. The partnership expands SAIC’s Innovation Factory presence to include a new geographic area in the northeast, leveraging the talent and creativity offered by one of the nation’s leading academic institutions. SAIC’s Innovation Factory is a forward-thinking environment that equips teams with highly automated, cloud-hosted toolsets and DevSecOps practices to rapidly build, test, and deploy solutions that can be improved as customer mission needs evolve. Northstar Campus establishes an aerospace and defense ecosystem that supports initiatives in advanced technology development and innovation in support of national defense.
“Partnering with UMass Lowell opens doors for our professionals to seamlessly work beside the leading minds in academia and government to address emerging challenges in national defense,” said Michael LaRouche, executive vice president and general manager of SAIC’s National Security Group. “The small business engagement and opportunities for innovation offer an exciting chance to spark new thinking and novel solutions for the Air Force and all of our customers.”
“We are very excited to have SAIC as our Northstar Campus launch partner at the UMass Lowell Research Institute outside the gates of Hanscom Air Force Base. The defense industry experience that SAIC brings to the campus will be instrumental in strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem, developing the future defense industry workforce, and accelerating technologies that support our customers’ missions,” said UMass Lowell Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Joseph Hartman.
Northstar Campus serves as an economic development engine, providing an infrastructure platform and 19,000 square foot physical environment for public-private collaboration and business growth activities. The Campus will act as a spark for innovation—hosting pitch competitions, small business mentoring and networking events, and opportunities to partner on the DOD’s hyper-creative OTA R&D opportunities. These factor areas intersect with SAIC’s investments in IT modernization, engineering, and development.
SAIC’s Innovation Factory is located in Reston, Virginia; Catalyst Campus, Colorado Springs, Colorado; and the Capital Factory in Austin, Texas.
“Northstar Campus and SAIC’s investment in it are in direct response to demands from defense customers for flexible, focused, next generation solutions,” said Josh Jackson, executive vice president and general manager of SAIC’s Solutions and Technology Group. “The Campus joins SAIC’s expanding map of Innovation Factory locations. These geo-targeted incubators give us access to unparalleled concentrations of talent pools focused on key technology areas.” (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
02 Mar 20. RAF Lossiemouth control tower could be a ‘world first.’ Defence contractor Saab UK Ltd is building an experimental digital control tower at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray. The technology would be similar to that used for some civilian airports, such as London City where air traffic is controlled from a centre 80 miles away. Lossiemouth currently has a traditional staffed control tower. The station’s demonstration project could lead to the tower, one of the oldest buildings on the site, being replaced. Under the plan for digital capability, air traffic controllers would remain at RAF Lossiemouth but they would have access to a series of wide and zoom lens cameras.
The cameras would give the controllers a 360 degree view of the airfield, allowing them to monitor the whole airfield through a series of communication links. The demonstration project could be working later this year. The first phase of its construction is due to start in April.
The UK’s most northerly air station is to be the base for a new fleet of nine P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
The first of the Poseidons arrived at Kinloss Barracks, a former RAF station in Moray, last month.
Typhoon jets at Lossiemouth are also used in a Quick Reaction Alert role with crews “shadowing” Russian military aircraft as they passed close to UK airspace.
A spokesman for the RAF said digital tower project was in the “very early stages”.
He said: “This sort of digital technology has only been implemented at civilian airfields.
“If built at RAF Lossiemouth, this would be the first military airfield with a digital air traffic control capability.” (Source: News Now/BBC)
28 Feb 20. HAL opens Light Combat Helicopter facility ahead of anticipated orders. India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has inaugurated facilities to support the production of its new Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). The new hanger – based within HAL’s complex in Bangalore – will “augment capacity to reach the peak production of 30 helicopters per year”, said HAL chairman and managing director R Madhavan in an Indian defence ministry statement. The 5.5-tonne LCH made its first flight in 2010 and was granted initial operational clearance (IOC) in August 2017. The Indian Army has outlined a requirement for 114 LCH units while the Indian Air Force (IAF) aims to receive 65. (Source: Jane’s)
MARITIME
05 Mar 20. GD BIW begins construction on Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (GD BIW) has started construction on the US Navy’s Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The future USS Louis H Wilson Jr (DDG 126) is the first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer being built at GD BIW’s structural fabrication facility in Brunswick, Maine.
Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships DDG 51 class programme manager, Captain Seth Miller said: “This is a tremendous occasion as we mark the start of construction on BIW’s first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
“General Wilson embodied the spirit of our nation in his will to protect his fellow Marines and countrymen. What better way to honour him than to build a highly capable warship that advances our navy’s ability to protect and defend our nation.”
DDG 126 is set to be named in honour of General Louis H Wilson Jr, the 26th commandant of the US Marine Corps and a World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are being designed to conduct anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defence missions. These multi-mission surface combatants will be equipped with enhanced capability and capacity to support Integrated Air and Missile Defense missions.
The ships will also engage in global maritime security, air, undersea, surface, and strike operations, as well as anti-submarine warfare, command and control, and anti-surface warfare. The company is also building other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, including Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), Carl M Levin (DDG 120) and John Basilone (DDG 122), Harvey C Barnum Jr (DDG 124), Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) and Zumwalt class destroyer Lyndon B Johnson (DDG 1002). (Source: naval-technology.com)
04 Mar 20. Thyssenkrupp-led consortium hands over second F125 frigate. ARGE F125 has handed over the second F125 frigate to the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw). Nordrhein-Westfalen has been built by the ARGE F125, a consortium led by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, and includes Bremen-based Lürssen shipyard. Under the contract, thyssenkrupp will build a total of four F125 frigates for the German Navy. The first ship of the F125 series, Baden-Württemberg, was delivered in In April 2019. The ship entered service with the navy in June the same year. The third ship is expected to be delivered this year, and the fourth unit next year.
Following the delivery of the vessel, the navy will take over the responsibility of providing ‘complete prerequisites for the operability of the ship’, including offering operability and the training to its crew.
thyssenkrupp Marine Systems CEO Rolf Wirtz said: “The F125 is the most modern frigate in Germany and one of the most modern frigates in the world. Here we are implementing the concept of intensive use for the first time.
“This is unique worldwide. We are proud to make a significant contribution to the operational capability of our navy and the defence of our country with these ships.”
Equipped with 28,000 sensors, the F125 vessels have the capability to maintain a presence in the operational area for up to two years. The ships have been designed to conduct crisis management, conflict prevention, intervention and stabilisation operations. The 149m-long vessel has an approximate displacement capacity of 7,200t and can cruise at a maximum speed of more than 26k. It can accommodate a maximum of 190 people, including 126 regular crew. As part of the consortium, Lürssen produces pre-fitted bow sections at its shipyards in Bremen and Wolgast. The Blohm+Voss shipyard is responsible for building stern sections and joining the vessel’s two halves, as well as fitting-out, commissioning and testing. (Source: naval-technology.com)
04 Mar 20. USS San Antonio LPD begins sea trials after extensive maintenance. The US Navy’s amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17) has started sea trials after undergoing an extensive maintenance period. The amphibious transport vessel’s sea trials follow the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) maintenance availability for three years. The last voyage of USS San Antonio was carried out in February 2017.
USS San Antonio commanding officer captain Brent Gaut said: “I am so incredibly proud of our sailors. Our men and women are the heart and soul of our warship. They have given, time and again, everything they have to put our warship back to sea, where she belongs.
“Today starts the next phase of our journey, where we shape ourselves into a battle-minded crew, breathing life into a combat-ready ship ready to win the fight.”
During testing, the USS San Antonio will be put through a series of training scenarios. Each situation has been designed to evaluate the performance and efficiency of the ship.
Operations Specialist Seaman Gayvin Ford said: “I’m anxious to get out to sea. I’ve been studying and training to get a better understanding of what I’m supposed to do while at sea and now I have the opportunity to apply what I’ve been learning.”
This vessel is the first ship to be named after San Antonio in Texas. It is also the first amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio-class. The US Navy’s San Antonio-class vessels are able to conduct a wide range of amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions. (Source: naval-technology.com)
03 Mar 20. Japan, Vietnam sign naval shipbuilding deal. Vietnam and Japan have agreed to expand collaboration in naval shipbuilding projects, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said. The new agreement – an extension of a defence industrial accord signed in 2018 – was announced following bilateral defence talks held in Hanoi on 2 March.
The MND said Vietnam and Japan have agreed to “implement a co-operation project in the field of shipbuilding [and] technology transfers in military shipbuilding”. It added that the new agreement also facilitates Japanese support to Vietnam in “defence industrial technical training” as well as sharing defence industry “expertise and experiences”.
Other elements of the agreement support Japan’s provision of scholarships for Vietnamese students in military engineering and “high technologies”; joint training activities between the two countries military-technical academies; and language courses for each side’s technicians and engineers. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Mar 20. Colombia-manufactured vessels utilised for anti-narcotics maritime operation. Several vessels constructed by a Colombian state-run company were utilised for the recent multinational counter-narcotics ‘Operation Orion IV’, an officer from the Colombian Navy’s counter-narcotics directorate (Dirección contra las Drogas: DICOD) told Jane’s. Offshore Patrol Vessels ARC 7 de Agosto (PZE-47) and ARC 20 de Julio (PZE-46), were built by the Colombian state-run company Corporación de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo de la Industria Naval (COTECMAR), while coastal patrol vessel ARC Punta Ardita was designed by COTECMAR but built by the South Korean shipyard STX Shipbuilding. The preference by the Colombian navy for domestically-manufactured naval platforms is part of a growing trend among other South American navies that are also acquiring vessels and submarines constructed by local shipyards, like the PROSUB programme in Brazil. (Source: Jane’s)
02 Mar 20. US Navy receives America-class LHA Tripoli from HII. Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered the newest America-class amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA 7) to the US Navy. Following its commissioning later this year, the assault ship will head to its homeport of San Diego in California, US.
Ingalls Shipbuilding president Brian Cuccias said: “Thousands of shipbuilders worked tirelessly to ensure the successful delivery of this highly capable warship. We are pleased to continue working closely with the navy to deliver exceptional ships using the highest safety and quality standards.”
The ship is designed to support MV-22 tilt-rotor and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. USS Tripoli is also capable of conducting multiple mission operations, including humanitarian, disaster relief, maritime security and antipiracy. Additionally, the ship features an enlarged hangar deck and JP-5 fuel capacity to provide air support. With a displacement of approximately 44,971t, the US Navy’s 844ft-long LHA 7 can cruise at top speeds of more than 20k. It is equipped with a fuel-efficient gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution, and electric auxiliary systems. In October last year, Tripoli concluded its acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico. LHA 7 programme manager Bryan Williams said: “The LHA team is proud to witness the delivery of the 15th large-deck amphibious ship built at Ingalls.
“The completion of the Tripoli is a great complement to our longstanding legacy of building state-of-the-art warships.”
Currently, Bougainville (LHA 8), the guided-missile destroyers Delbert D Black (DDG 119), Frank E Peterson (DDG 121) Lenah H Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H Lucas (DDG 125), and amphibious transport dock ships, Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) and Richard M McCool Jr (LPD 29) are being built at HII’s Pascagoula shipyard.
Last week, HII conducted a second builder’s sea trials of the US Navy’s Delbert D Black (DDG 119) destroyer. (Source: naval-technology.com)
28 Feb 20. US Navy Christened Littoral Combat Ship Cooperstown. The US Navy christened its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Cooperstown (LCS 23), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, Feb. 29, in Marinette, Wisconsin.
Mrs. Alba Tull served as the ship’s sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, Mrs. Tull christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Ms. Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will deliver the christening ceremony’s principal address.
“The christening of the future USS Cooperstown marks an important step toward this great ship’s entry into the fleet,” said Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly. “The dedication and skilled work of everyone involved in the building of this ship has ensured that it will represent the great city of Cooperstown and serve our Navy and Marine Corps team for decades to come.”
LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare (SUW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and mine countermeasures (MCM) missions in the littoral region. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides the U.S. joint force access to critical areas in multiple theaters.
The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom-variant team is led by Lockheed Martin in Marinette, Wisconsin, (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence-variant team is led by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls).
LCS 23 is the 12th Freedom-variant LCS, the 23rd in the class. She is the first ship named in honor of Cooperstown, New York. Cooperstown received its name on July 25, 2015, during a ceremony at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located in Cooperstown. Her name honors the veterans who are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame located in the namesake city. These 64 men served in conflicts ranging from the Civil War through the Korean War. (Source: US DoD)
AIR
04 Mar 20. Australia sells remaining classic Hornets to private contractor. Australia has sold its remaining Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornet fighter aircraft to a private contractor in the United States, a Department of Defence (DoD) spokesperson announced on 5 March. The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) final 46 ‘classic’ Hornets are to be transferred to Illinois-based Air USA, which will use the aircraft for US Air Force (USAF) ‘Red Air’ aggressor training.
As noted by the Australian DoD, the aircraft will be prepared for their new owner and role at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales “over the next three to four years”. No contract value was disclosed.
The sale of these final Hornet fighters follows an earlier sale of 18 aircraft to the Royal Canadian Air Force, and is the latest milestone in the RAAF’s transition from the type over to the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). (Source: Jane’s)
03 Mar 20. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and the F-35 Joint Program Office delivered the 500th F-35. In February, the F-35 enterprise surpassed 250,000 flight hours. The 500th production aircraft is a U.S. Air Force F-35A, to be delivered to the Burlington Air National Guard Base in Vermont. The 500 hundred F-35s include 354 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants, 108 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variants and 38 F-35C carrier (CV) variants for the U.S. and international customers. The 250,000 flight hours include all F-35s in the fleet comprised of developmental test jets, training, operational, U.S. and international aircraft.
“These milestones are a testament to the talent and dedication of the joint government, military and industry teams,” said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin, vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. “The F-35 is delivering an unprecedented 5th Generation combat capability to the warfighter at the cost of a 4th Generation legacy aircraft.”
The F-35 operates from 23 bases worldwide. More than 985 pilots and over 8,890 maintainers are trained. Nine nations use the F-35 from their home soil, eight services have declared Initial Operating Capability and four services have employed F-35s in combat operations.
28 Feb 20. USSOCOM to field ‘highly modified’ Dash-8 support aircraft. The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is to field a “highly modified” De Havilland Canada (DHC) Dash-8 aircraft for special mission support operations. The command disclosed on 27 February that it is to award a sole-source contract to Virginia-based Leidos Inc. for the procurement of a single Dash 8, noting, “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.” No details pertaining to the aircraft’s mission or configuration were revealed and the USSOCOM did not disclose a delivery date. (Source: Jane’s)
28 Feb 20. USAF names newest HH-60W combat rescue helicopter Jolly Green II. The US Air Force (USAF) has revealed the name of its latest HH-60W combat rescue helicopter at the 2020 Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, US. Known as Jolly Green II, the helicopter’s name honours the crews who pioneered the practice of aerial search and rescue missions.
US Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said: “Reviving the Jolly Green name honours our combat search and rescue crews past and present. Those who operate this aircraft will embody the motto: ‘These Things We Do, That Others May Live’.
“In the hands of our airmen, this aircraft ensures the rescue community can perform their duties better than ever.”
The USAF has plans to acquire up to 108 HH-60W helicopters, which will replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift, combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) vehicle. Pave Hawk entered service in 1982.
The helicopters will be fielded with the 41st Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base (AFB) in Georgia, and the 512th Rescue Squadron at Kirtland AFB in New Mexico.
The HH-60W features various capabilities that include advanced ARC-210 V/UHF communication system, Rockwell Collins’ avionics and mission equipment, as well as advanced glass cockpit. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
03 Mar 20. Here Are the 16 Jobs that Will Be Available to Troops in US Space Force. The U.S. Space Force is just 75 days old, but it has already narrowed down a tight list of 16 military job specialties that it will own, the director of Space Force Planning said Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Clinton Crosier said Space Force now has built a staff of about 110 in its headquarters element, of about 200 that it needs. Space Force will build to a strength of roughly 15,000, he said, working to stay focused by avoiding duplication of infrastructure and support functions already provided by other services.
Rather, he said, the members of the nation’s newest military branch will focus on five key technical areas: space operations, space engineering, space intelligence, space acquisition and science, and space cyber.
His remarks, to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, offered vital insights to the function of a fledgling service that has been largely shrouded in mystery. Still unknown is what the rank and command structure will be; how new recruits can join the Space Force; and even what members of the service will call themselves.
Space Force, which is under the purview of the Department of the Air Force, just as the Marine Corps is within the Department of the Navy, will adopt 16 different specialty codes from the Air Force that all fall within the five main functions.
According to Crosier’s presentation, they include the following:
- 13S Space Ops
- 1C6 Space Systems Ops
- 14N Intel
- 17C Cyber Ops Officer
- 17D Cyber Ops
- 1N0 All Source Intel
- 1N1 Geospatial Intel
- 1N2 Signals Intel
- 3D1N4 Fusion Analysis
- 3D0 Cyber Ops
- 3D1 Cyber Support
- 62E Development Engineer
- 62S Materiel Leader
- 63A Acquisition Manager
- 63G Senior Materiel Ldr-Upper Ech
- 63S Materiel Leader
“Eighty percent of the common support the space force needs … is going to come from the Air Force. So we can really focus on the things we were told to do. If it’s a Space Force-specific function, Space Force will execute,” Crosier said.
That said, the service will draw specialists from all services to make up its ranks, he added. The headquarters element already includes 14 sailors, 26 soldiers and two Marines, as well as airmen, he said.
At least initially, infrastructure borrowed from the services will include initial training for enlisted members and officers.
“You’ll enlist directly in the Space Force. You will go to Air Force basic training. If you want to commission as an officer, [you’ll go to] the Air Force Academy, [along with the other service academies, ROTC and officer training school],” Crosier said. “We will commission people from any service and put them directly in the Space Force pipeline.”
He noted that the service will have to overcome the challenge, then, of how to bring the new Space Force members together and “meld them into a common culture.”
Crosier emphasized that the service will adopt new 21st century manning and personnel policies, noting that the specialists it requires may come from industry and academia and need nontraditional career paths. All that is being assessed right now, he said, with input from other services, foreign militaries and outside experts.
“It’s going to be sized differently; it’s going to have to run differently. We’re going to have to tailor different policies and issues to the Space Force,” he said. (Source: Military.com)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
04 Mar 20. USAF LG Jon T. Thomas for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Thomas is currently serving as deputy commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
04 Mar 20. USAF LG Timothy G. Fay for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, with assignment as the director of staff, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia. Fay is currently serving as deputy chief of staff, strategy, integration and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
04 Mar 20. USAF MG David A. Krumm for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, with assignment as commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Northern Command; commander, Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and commander, Alaskan North American Defense Region, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Krumm is currently serving as director, global power programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
04 Mar 20. U.S. Army National Guard Bureau Command Sgt. Maj. Kristopher L. Dyer, currently assigned as the senior enlisted advisor for the Texas Army National Guard, Austin, Texas, has been selected to replace Sgt. Maj. Aaron G. McDonald as the command senior enlisted leader for Joint Task Force North, Fort Bliss, Texas.
02 Mar 20. Gen. Charles Q. Brown has been selected to lead the U.S. Air Force as its next chief of staff, a historic nomination that could make him the first black officer to step into the chief’s role in any of the military branches. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a release Monday afternoon that President Trump had nominated Brown to be the Air Force’s 22nd chief of staff. The Wall Street Journal first reported earlier on Monday that Brown was set to be nominated. Brown, a highly decorated and experienced F-16 combat pilot, currently serves as commander of Pacific Air Forces. If confirmed by Congress, he will succeed Gen. Dave Goldfein, the Air Force’s chief of staff since July 2016, who will step down from his position this summer and retire. Brown’s nomination puts him on the path to becoming the first black chief of staff of the Air Force, or any branch of the military services, a historic appointment that could bring more attention to the recruitment and retention of minorities, which have typically been underrepresented at the top ranks of the service. (Source: Defense News)
29 Feb 20. Navy secretary pick Braithwaite gets official nod from Trump. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday officially announced his intent to nominate Kenneth “K.J.” Braithwaite as Navy secretary. Braithwaite is currently the U.S. ambassador to Norway. Braithwaite, a former Navy spokesman and rear admiral, would assume the job after the sudden firing of former financier Richard V. Spencer. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in November that he recommended Braithwaite to Trump for the job. The nomination of Braithwaite comes as the Navy and the Office the Secretary of Defense are at odds about the sea service’s budget. While Esper has been reluctant to realign the budget to help the Navy’s recapitalization efforts, as he is charged with considering the whole of the military, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told House lawmakers Thursday that assuming there will be a flat budget in fiscal 2021, the Navy will need more than $120 bn over the next 10 years to implement the Navy and Marine Corps’ integrated force structure assessment.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., has not announced a confirmation hearing date for Braithwaite, though one is expected soon. Inhofe has pressed Trump to expeditiously nominate civilians like Braithwaite as the Pentagon grapples with a host of vacant leadership positions. As ambassador, Braithwaite focused on the security of the Arctic, a region that’s seeing an uptick in Russian and NATO activity. He also both pressured Norway to meet the NATO defense-spending target of 2 percent of gross domestic product, and he reassured the Nordic nation that the administration remains committed to the alliance.
A Michigan native and a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Braithwaite was an anti-submarine warfare pilot who tracked Soviet submarines in the Pacific and Indian oceans for a Hawaii-based patrol squadron. From there, he served in various communications and legislative affairs roles before leaving active service in 1993 and the Naval Reserve in 2011. In January, CBS News reported that Braithwaite appeared to have previously undisclosed ties to political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica in the year before he was nominated as ambassador, in 2017. (Source: Defense News)
28 Feb 20. MG Barry R. Cornish, commander, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Air Command-Afghanistan; deputy commander, Air, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan; commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan; and director, Air Forces Central Command Air Component Coordination Element for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, to commander, Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern), Air Combat Command, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
28 Feb 20. BG Richard H. Boutwell, director, Coalition Air Advisory Training Team; director, air operations, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve; commander, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing; and deputy commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Baghdad, Iraq, to vice commander, 9th Air Force, Air Combat Command, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
28 Feb 20. BG Kenneth P. Ekman, vice commander, First Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Air Combat Command, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to deputy commander, operations and intelligence, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command; and commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia.
28 Feb 20. BG David A. Harris Jr., director, strategic plans, programs, and requirements, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations, Hurlburt Field, Florida, to deputy director, Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration, and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
28 Feb 20. BG Evan L. Pettus, commandant, Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Air Education and Training Command, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, to commander, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
28 Feb 20. BG Mark H. Slocum, commander, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, to director, Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
28 Feb 20. BG (select) William D. Betts, chief, Program Integration Division, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia, to director, Coalition Air Advisory Training Team; director, Air Operations, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve; commander, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing; and deputy commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Baghdad, Iraq.
28 Feb 20. BG (select) Steven G. Edwards, special assistant to the commander, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida, to director, strategic plans, programs, and requirements, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
28 Feb 20. BG (select) Joseph D. Kunkel, vice director, operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, to commander, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan.
28 Feb 20. BG (select) Derek J. O’Malley, commander, 20th Fighter Wing, Air Combat Command, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, to commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
04 Mar 20. Boeing and Scottish Enterprise have signed a new strategic agreement, called the Boeing Scotland Alliance, that will explore opportunities to work together in Scotland, with the aim of doubling Boeing’s supply chain – which could be worth tens of millions of pounds to the Scottish economy – and creating 200 new quality jobs over the next five years.
The Alliance with Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and the USA’s largest manufacturing exporter, is expected to create significant new opportunities for companies, universities and regions across Scotland to benefit the wider economy.
The Alliance will focus initially on sectors like space, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies. It will explore joint sustainability initiatives within the aviation sector which support Scotland’s transition to a net zero economy by 2045. The Alliance will also explore innovations in areas such as reducing manufacturing time, materials waste and energy usage that lead to lower aircraft weight and lowering carbon emissions through greater fuel efficiency.
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Today’s announcement represents another important milestone in Scotland’s manufacturing innovation journey. This strategic Alliance with Boeing creates opportunities for companies, universities, colleges and employment across Scotland. It is a strong endorsement of public sector collaboration, building high value supply chain relationships and embracing academic excellence to deliver for industry. The Alliance furthers our vision to see Scotland as a manufacturing nation and validates our decision to invest £48m in establishing the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).”
Sir Martin Donnelly, President of Boeing Europe and Managing Director of Boeing UK and Ireland, said: “This is a blueprint for Boeing working with suppliers and universities in Scotland, harnessing and contributing to the deep expertise already here in advanced manufacturing. Boeing is proud to keep developing new investments and relationships across the UK in our ever-growing partnership. This follows our £100m joint investment in RAF facilities in Moray. We look forward to new partnerships to come, building on the strength of the impressive Scottish aviation supply chain and excellence in high-tech research.”
David Smith, National Opportunities Director at Scottish Enterprise, commented: “This Alliance agreement builds on the existing business activity between Boeing and Scotland and is the result of many months of discussion with Boeing. It’s fantastic news for Scotland and enables us to take forward a wide range of new possibilities with Boeing, starting with the aerospace R&D project. Deepening our strategic partnership with one of the world’s largest manufacturing companies will lead to new jobs and increased opportunities for Scottish SMEs, which will directly benefit the people, families, communities and regions of Scotland.”
Manufacturing is crucial to Scotland’s economy, employing more than 180,000 people and accounting for over half of international exports and half of R&D spend. Key organisations in the public, private and academic sectors will be encouraged to join Alliance discussions to maximise the opportunities being identified.
Scotland has created strong relationships with Boeing over time, particularly with the University of Strathclyde, Scottish Enterprise, Outfit Moray and others, all of which were instrumental to the Alliance agreement coming to fruition.
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, said: “We are delighted to be part of bringing Boeing here to Scotland to work with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. It is testament to all of the effort being made to revitalise the country’s reputation in advanced manufacturing.
“The University of Strathclyde has a strong relationship with Boeing that has been built up over decades of the two organisations collaborating on innovative research and development projects. The company is one of the founding members of our Advanced Forming Research Centre and we are excited to be continuing to develop the relationship supporting the growth of the manufacturing supply chain in Scotland.”
One of the initial activities supported by this new Alliance is an £11.8m R&D project between Boeing and the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre, part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. The project is supported by £3.5m of R&D funding from Scottish Enterprise and will see Boeing establish an R&D team in Scotland to look at metallic component manufacturing as the basis for future aircraft components.
Through this project, Boeing also becomes one of the first strategic industrial partners for NMIS. The project will initially be housed in temporary work space in Renfrewshire before relocating to the new NMIS building once completed. NMIS is the anchor tenant for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) site being developed by Renfrewshire Council.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “It’s fantastic news that Boeing UK is choosing Renfrewshire, NMIS and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) as the location for its new research and development project and I am sure this strategic alliance will bring exciting new jobs and opportunities to the region.
“The arrival of Boeing is a significant step in the development of AMIDS, Scotland’s dedicated district to manufacturing innovation, and I believe many more manufacturers will be keen to locate their business on this unique campus environment which is fostering collaboration, promoting sustainability and enabling companies to tap into new manufacturing technologies and access cutting-edge research.”
NMIS is a £65m, industry-led international centre of manufacturing expertise driven by Scottish Government in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, University of Strathclyde and Renfrewshire Council.
Operated by the University of Strathclyde as a national facility for Scotland, NMIS is where research, industry and the public sector work together to transform skills, productivity and innovation to attract investment and make Scotland a global leader in advanced manufacturing.
PERSONNEL
03 Mar 20. Australia looks to the automotive industry to help fill shipbuilding job requirements. The Australian government is looking to the country’s automotive industry to help bridge a gap in naval shipbuilding jobs. Melissa Price, Australia’s defence industry minister, confirmed on 2 March that the government has approached South Australian car manufacturer Holden to possibly repurpose some of the company’s engineers and design specialists to support naval shipbuilding programmes. Holden’s parent company, General Motors, said in February that it would “wind down” its operations in Australia. The move could reportedly make several hundred employees redundant. Price said in media comments published by the Department of Defence (DoD) that some of these employees could transition to naval shipbuilding as part of efforts to introduce greater workforce capability in the sector over the coming few years. (Source: Jane’s)
28 Feb 20. Deep Mourning for Dr. Peter Boßdorf. ‘It is with great sadness that we have to report the sudden death of our Managing Director and Publishing Director Dr. Peter Boßdorf, who passed away suddenly on 26 February 2020. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife and his family.
Dr. Boßdorf joined Report Verlag in 2004, became its Publishing Director in 2007 and later was appointed Managing Director. In addition, he was Editor-in-Chief of the magazine “Strategie & Technik”, which evolved from the traditional “Soldat und Technik” publication. As a result of the merger of Report Verlag with E.S. Mittler & Sohn publishing house that created Mittler Report Verlag in 2012, the magazines “Strategie & Technik” and “Europäische Sicherheit” were combined under his leadership to form the current “Europäische Sicherheit & Technik”. At the same time, Dr. Boßdorf was appointed Managing Director of Mittler Report Verlag, where he also played a decisive role in the development of the English-language magazine “European Security & Defence” from a quarterly magazine to an internationally recognised specialist monthly journal. One year ago, Dr. Boßdorf also took over the management of K&K Medienverlag-Hardthöhe GmbH as Publisher of the magazine “Hardthöhenkurier”, so that he was most recently the highly valued Managing Director of two publishing houses as well as Editor-in-Chief of “European Security & Defence”. In Peter Boßdorf we have lost a positive, open-minded, knowledgeable, well-connected man, and a good friend who was always attentive to the interests and concerns of his colleagues.’ (Source: ESD Spotlight)
BATTLESPACE Comment: Our thoughts and prayers for the staff at ESD.
02 Mar 20. Jack Welch, former GE chief executive, dies at 84. Legendary CEO became best-selling author after leaving industrial conglomerate. Jack Welch, who transformed GE into America’s most valuable company over 30 years at the helm of the industrial conglomerate, has died at the age of 84. As chairman and chief executive officer from 1981 to 2001, Welch came to define a style of management that was featured on countless laudatory magazine covers and made him a best-selling author of leadership books, even if his legacy was later clouded by GE’s subsequent reversals. “Jack was larger than life and the heart of GE for half a century. He reshaped the face of our company and the business world,” said Larry Culp, GE’s current chief executive. “When I last saw him, what I remember most vividly was when he asked me, ‘So how exactly are you running the company?’” Mr Culp added. “Jack was still in it — committed to GE’s success. We’ll continue to honour his legacy by doing exactly what Jack would want us to do: win.” Welch earned a reputation for producing uncannily predictable growth in earnings and dividends for GE’s shareholders as he reshaped a company founded by Thomas Edison through cost-cutting, dealmaking and the rigorous training of a generation of managers who went on to leadership positions across corporate America. As the head of the best known US industrial company in an era of rising global competition, Welch took a ruthless approach to cutting overhead, earning him the nickname “Neutron Jack” as he fired the lowest-performing 10 per cent of its staff each year. He diversified into areas from digital technology to finance, building the giant GE Capital arm which was to weigh on his successors. Plaudits came in from across the business and political world. President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that Welch was a “friend and supporter”, and praised his legacy as a corporate leader. “There was no corporate leader like ‘neutron’ Jack,” Mr Trump wrote. “He will never be forgotten. My warmest sympathies to his wonderful wife & family! (Source: FT.com)
BATTLESPACE Comment: The Editor was honoured to have spoken with Jack Welch after reading is excellent book about his time at GE. He gave BATTLESPACE a signed copy to present to the late Ian Stopps of Lockheed Martin, formerly of GE, when he was awarded BATTLESPACE Businessman of the Year in 2005
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
28 Feb 20. Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that its Board of Directors has elected retired four-star United States Army Gen. Raymond (“Ray”) T. Odierno, 65, to its Board of Directors as an independent Director. In nearly four decades of exemplary military service, Gen. Odierno commanded units at every level of the Army. On Sept. 7, 2011, Gen. Odierno was sworn in as the 38th U.S. Army Chief of Staff, capping a military career that includes service in both the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars. Gen. Odierno is only the second Army officer since the Vietnam War to command at the Division, Corps and Army level during the same conflict. As the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Odierno was the primary military advisor to U.S. Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. He has been awarded four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal and six Legions of Merit. (Source: PR Newswire)
02 Mar 20. Olin Corporation (NYSE: OLN) (“Olin” or the “Company”) today announced the appointment of Scott Ferguson and W. Barnes Hauptfuhrer to its Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective immediately. With these appointments, the Olin Board will be comprised of 14 directors, 13 of whom are independent, and six of whom will stand for re-election at the Company’s upcoming 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In conjunction with these appointments, Olin has entered into an agreement with Sachem Head Capital Management LP (“Sachem Head”), which owns approximately 9.5% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock. (Source: PR Newswire)
02 Mar 20. Former space acquisitions head to lead new satellite company. Former space acquisitions official retired Major General Roger Teague will serve as the CEO of PredaSAR, a new satellite company specializing in synthetic aperture radar, the company announced Mar. 2. Before retiring in 2017 and joining the Boeing Company’s Space and Launch Systems division, Teague served as the director of space programs for the Air Force’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition. In that position, Teague directed development and purchasing for Air Force space programs. Teague worked closely on a number of major military satellite programs since his commissioning in 1986, including commanding the 4th Space Operations Squadron and the Space-Based Infrared Systems Space Group and Space Wing. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
02 Mar 20. Radiance Technologies, Inc. announced the promotion of Mr. Curtis (Curt) Rowland to Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. Mr. Rowland is transitioning from his former position of Chief Intelligence Strategist in our Beavercreek, Ohio location to take on this executive leadership role. Mr. Rowland will work with the executive management and leaders across the company to ensure that Radiance is leveraging capabilities to open new markets and enabling strategic growth initiatives. (Source: PR Newswire)
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
04 Mar 20. Aeronautics Group, a leading provider of integrated turnkey solutions based on unmanned systems platforms, payloads and communications for defense, HLS and civil applications ‒ announces the appointment of Mr. Moshe Elazar as its new CEO. Prior to this appointment Elazar held several executive positions at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the latter being Executive Vice President & General Manager Land & Naval Division. Prior to Rafael, Elazar held numerous senior positions in both Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Navy. Elazar is a retired Captain from the Israel Navy. Elazar holds a M.A. degree in National Security, an M.B.A and an M.sc degree in Electrical Engineering.
04 Mar 20. Orbit Communications Systems Ltd. (TASE: ORBI), a leading global provider of maritime and airborne satcom terminals, tracking ground station solutions, and mission-critical airborne audio management systems announced today the appointment of Dany Eshchar as CEO, effective March 1, 2020. Mr. Eshchar most recently served as Deputy CEO for the Israel- and US-based Aeronautics Group, a leading provider of unmanned vehicle solutions for the defense and security segments. At Aeronautics he led Sales, Marketing and Business Development efforts, overseeing substantial revenue growth as the company expanded to serve over 75 international customers. Prior to his 15-year career with Aeronautics, Mr. Eshchar headed R&D projects for the Israel Navy. He holds a Bachelors in Engineering from Israel’s Technion Institute of Technology and Masters degrees from both Technion and the University of Michigan. (Source: PR Newswire)
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ExFor+ CIC is a relatively new organisation but has been established with the objective of becoming a National overarching organisation within the Veterans Support Sector. Our aim is to bring about, positive Social and Economic change for the country as well as a significant
transformation of how Service leavers, Veterans, their families and communities are supported. We will do this through effective collaboration, communication and management of a number of services and departments, ranging from engaging with Government, The Third sector and also the supporters of, those who’ve served and often sacrificed so much for their country. We are currently supporting a number of service leavers and veterans with a range of issues ranging from housing, unemployment, benefits, personal development, education, and are constantly looking for employers who see the positives in recruiting and supporting individuals in to work to create longterm and sustainable futures.
www.InvestorsInVeterans.com
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