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LOCATIONS
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17 Sep 20. Contract Wins Lead to Growth for Vertex Aerospace at NAS Pax River. Vertex Aerospace LLC, a mid-level aerospace leader, announced today that it has opened a new operational site at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, due to growth from several recent contract awards. Some of those awards include a prime seat on the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Full Rate Production (FRP) Multiple Award Contract (MAC) and several task orders from the Contracted Maintenance, Modification, Aircrew, and Related Services (CMMARS) indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.
Vertex also recently welcomed Leon Bacon as the new vice president of Business Development for the Company’s USN programs. Bacon is based at the new Pax River office and will provide customer liaison and oversight of naval aviation contracts, including recent CMMARS task orders for the RESET of the U.S. Marine Corps’ CH-53E Super Stallion fleet, Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) services for U.S. Navy C-26 aircraft, and CLS services for the USMC’ AV-8B Harrier II fleet.
“Regarded as an expert in the total cradle to grave lifecycle support of major aviation weapon systems, Leon will be a true asset for Vertex,” said Ed Boyington, Vertex CEO and president. “He is uniquely capable and strategically positioned to oversee Vertex’s naval aviation portfolio and we look forward to the new business opportunities he’ll manage from our Pax River site.”
Bacon, a native of San Jose, California, brings over 30 years of naval aviation and acquisition experience to the Vertex team. His perspective of Fleet operations and business acumen have allowed him to translate documented requirements into delivered products and capabilities. His operational experience is well recognized within the Naval Air Systems Command and throughout the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community.
“I feel privileged to receive this opportunity to lead our USN efforts and leverage Vertex’s proven capabilities to alleviate pressure on the Fleet Squadrons,” said Bacon. “I’m committed to continually fostering an environment of mutual understanding with our customers to keep optimization at the forefront of all we do.”
Some highlights of Bacon’s military career include service as commanding officer of an operational P-3 Orion squadron, deputy program manager for the Acquisition Category (ACAT)-1 P-8 Poseidon developmental program, and as the ACAT-1 program manager for all USN training aircraft.
About Vertex Aerospace
Vertex Aerospace offers a global capability and complete solution for government and commercial customers. The mid-level aerospace Company operates in over 100 locations worldwide providing aftermarket aerospace services for more than 2,400 fixed and rotary wing airframes. Vertex’s agility, rapid deployment capability, and customer optimization have distinguished it from competitors for over half a century. With a 50 percent veteran workforce, the Mississippi-based company understands the challenges faced by the defense sector. Information about Vertex can be found at vtxaero.com. (Source: PR Newswire)
16 Sep 20. Royal Marines accommodation in Lympstone reaches milestone. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) project to build new accommodation for personnel at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Devon has celebrated a major milestone. The socially distanced topping out ceremony held at the Royal Marines’ principal training centre in Lympstone means that the building’s framework has now reached its highest point. The event was held in line with the current Covid-19 guidelines.
Representatives from the Royal Marines, Defence Infrastructure Organisation and its contractors Galliford Try and AECOM attended a socially distanced event to mark this achievement and to view progress on the building.
The project is worth approximately £10m in total and will see the creation of a 181-bed block for junior ranks as well as supporting facilities, such as a communal area and administrative offices, at the site near Lympstone. The accommodation will comprise of 21 eight-bed rooms and one ten-bed unit plus three single Duty of Care rooms for supporting staff. All rooms have been designed so that they can be allocated to either male or female occupants.
The new blocks will house Royal Marine recruits who have either been injured in training or are undergoing remedial professional military training.
Progress has carried on at this important facility in accordance with strict Covid-19 guidelines.
Simon Jones, DIO Project Manager, said: “This is an incredibly exciting milestone for the project and one we are pleased to be working on with Galliford Try and with our technical support providers Aecom. This purpose-built facility will provide modern and essential accommodation to personnel as they recover from injury and undergo rehabilitation on site. We are delighted with the progress on the facility to date especially in these challenging times and we look forward to celebrating its completion.”
Mark Wusthoff, Area Director for Galliford Try Building West Midlands & South West, said: “We were delighted to be able to welcome our partners on site to signify this important milestone, demonstrating the progress we have safely made despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. Defence is a key sector for our business and we are looking forward to the successful completion of this project, demonstrating the breadth of our offering to the sector and our capabilities within it.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
15 Sep 20. Austal Expanding Yard In Alabama as It Eyes New Unmanned, Amphibious Shipbuilding Programs. Austal USA is expanding the capacity and capability of its Alabama shipyard, doubling down on investing in its future in a way reminiscent of 2009, just before it won the block buy of Littoral Combat Ships that secured the yard a spot in the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base. The Mobile yard this month closed on the purchase of a ship repair facility formerly owned by World Marine of Alabama, an indirect subsidiary of Modern American Recycling and Repair Services of Alabama. It includes a 20,000-ton Panamax-class floating dry dock, 100,000 square feet of covered repair facilities and 15 acres of waterfront property along the Mobile River and Gulf of Mexico, according to a company statement.
Shipyard President Craig Perciavalle told USNI News this week that the expansion fits in with its desires to continue building aluminum ships and to expand into building steel ships – manned or unmanned – as well as a desire to take on more repair work for the Navy and other customers.
“We feel we’re putting ourselves, and we’ve put ourselves, in a very good place to continue to provide very capable but lower-cost ships to the Navy,” he said of the yard that today builds Independence-variant LCSs and Expeditionary Fast Transit (EPF) ships.
“I have had some discussions with [Defense Secretary Mark] Esper, we are encouraged by the plan for, the need and the requirement for 355 ships or more maybe. And I think there’s plenty of opportunities for us to help the Navy grow the fleet, and we’re putting ourselves in a very good position to help the Navy do that long-term.”
The yard expansion gives Austal ownership of a dry dock it was leasing to launch its ships into the Mobile River, eliminating any schedule problems the yard had to worry about in the past if its desired timeline didn’t match up with the dry dock’s availability to be leased.
“We’ll just have complete control over it, and then we can have the priority for the dry dock be supporting our business, first and foremost,” Perciavalle said.
He added that the rest of the facility, on the other side of the river and just south of Austal’s property, could be refurbished or upgraded in the future to support ship construction or repair activities as needed, giving Austal some flexibility as its future workload becomes clearer.
Many in the Navy and industry have expressed concern about Austal’s future, with the company’s LCS construction coming to an end in a couple years – four ships are in construction at Austal and four more are in pre-construction – and its future with the EPF program still uncertain, as the Navy and Congress haven’t made any firm decisions about continuing the hot production line to build an ambulance ship variant of the hull. Austal competed to build the Navy’s FFG(X) frigate program and lost, leaving many wondering what would happen to the yard, its workforce and its suppliers.
Perciavalle said he’s not worried about the yard’s future.
“It’s no secret that we’re focused on the unmanned side of the business, we think there’s obviously plenty of opportunities there and we’re going to, hopefully – our plan is to be a major player in that side of the market,” he said. Austal is one of six companies selected to conduct industry studies on the Navy’s Large Unmanned Surface Vessel, and Austal also participated in the LUSV precursor by converting a vessel to an unmanned ship through the Pentagon’s Overlord USV prototype effort.
“We are encouraged by discussions around additional EPFs going forward. EPF-15 has been in and out of the budget, and the latest discussions show that there might be some opportunities for that to get back in. I think it’s no secret that we’ve been looking at expeditionary medical ships that have been discussed, and we feel we’re in a pretty good place to support those needs to the Navy,” he continued, with the Congress this current fiscal year appropriating money to give EPF-14 a greater medical capability.
“And then from a steel shipbuilding perspective, there’s certainly opportunities from that medium-sized type vessel: [Light Amphibious Warship] is one that we’ve been participating in. We have participated in some of the industry studies on [the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter]. And without getting into much more detail beyond that, there’s opportunities that exist across the board that we’re going to continue to look at and to pursue. “
Asked by USNI News if the range of work – from unmanned vessels to amphibious ships to Military Sealift Command support ships to Coast Guard cutters – spurred Austal to take a leap of faith and expand the shipyard now, Perciavalle said, “this is something that Austal’s done in the past, so been there done that. We leaned into the facility that we have today, committing much of those funds before (LCS) block buys were even awarded back in the ‘09 and 2010 time period. We have seen where the Navy looks like they’re going, and we’re leaning into those requirements going forward. There seems to be opportunities both on the steel ship side of things as well as aluminum, and we’re going to leverage our strength and what we’ve been able to do from an aluminum perspective, and take those same strengths and transition adding the steel capabilities.”
“So yeah, it’s pretty interesting times, it’s pretty exciting. We’ve proven in the past that we’re pretty darn good at building lots of ships in a relatively short period of time. I think we’ve delivered 23 surface ships to the Navy over the last just over seven and a half years,” he continued.
“We believe there’s value in that for the Navy and trying to expand to 355 in a reasonable timeframe, and I think leveraging the industrial base that we have here in Mobile is going to be important to the Navy’s ability to do that.”
out of the construction facility at Austal USA. Austal USA photo.
In addition to the physical expansion of the yard through the recent acquisition, Austal and the Defense Department are spending $100m to bring a steel shipbuilding capability to the yard that today only builds aluminum ships. DoD offered its half under the Defense Production Act Title III (DPA) Agreement “to maintain, protect, and expand critical domestic shipbuilding and maintenance capacity,” according to a DoD announcement. The money, appropriated as part of the coronavirus pandemic relief bill passed by Congress in the spring, will not only help the Navy industrial base but will “accelerat[e] pandemic recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region” by supporting the economy.
Perciavalle said the yard decided to match the contract with its own $50m investment in the steel shipbuilding capability.
Perciavalle said another growth area for Austal is likely to be ship repair, though the Navy has not made its intentions public yet.
Austal is somewhat challenged in that every single LCS it has built is stationed in San Diego, which is a Panama Canal transit away. The San Diego ship repair industrial base is under pressure to keep up with the Navy’s growing surface ship maintenance and modernization needs, and although Austal has a support office in San Diego and can contribute to pier-side work at the naval base, it cannot take on maintenance availabilities on its own yet.
“The Navy’s aware of our interest in expanding our service business, and I think given the fact that they’re looking for increased capacity in that regard, I think it’s welcome,” he said.
“And then we’ll just see how things go both here in Mobile, obviously continuing to support efforts on the West Coast, and then in Singapore,” where Austal has an office to support forward-deployed LCSs operating in the Indo-Pacific region.
USNI News previously reported that Austal was trying to conduct some LCS work in Mobile after sea trials and ship delivery, but before the ships headed through the canal and onto San Diego. Perciavalle said that has continued, but that the ships are coming out of the yard with very little work waiting to be done during the post-shakedown availability. He said he hopes the Navy and the yard can find a way to bring more repair work to Mobile, to ease the strain in San Diego and to fully leverage the dry dock the yard now owns.
Additionally, while his focus is maintaining the ships that Austal built, Perciavalle said “the sky is the limit” in terms of the yard taking on repair and modernization work for Military Sealift Command ships, Coast Guard ships or commercial vessels.
“The facility has been in the past supporting various markets and will continue to do that going forward,” he said of the newly purchased property that also includes deep-water berthing space for in-water repairs in addition to the dry dock for out-of-water repairs.
He noted that the team operating out of Singapore had contributed to the success of overlapping USS Montgomery (LCS-8) and USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) deployments there and that Austal planned to maintain or grow its presence in Singapore.
“Our game plan is there will be at least two ships there going forward, we are fully prepared to support having two ships in Singapore or more,” as well as sending flyaway teams or setting up offices anywhere else the Navy chooses to hub the LCSs or EPFs around the globe. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/USNI)
14 Sep 20. Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) announced its expansion in Huntsville, Alabama with the opening of a regional support center. The new regional support center comprises a large laboratory to support local research, development and testing activities; abundant office space; and essential collaboration space. “Located next to the Army Material Command Headquarters, the Huntsville Regional Support Center is a key element in our strategy to assist new programs as well as maintain existing business through our growing defense sustainment activities in support of the warfighter,” said Martin Bobak, vice president defense sustainment, Moog Inc. The center is being managed by Huntsville native, Mary Occhipinti, Moog Huntsville Operations’ site manager, who has been supporting various Moog business groups for more than 13 years. “This investment and expansion in Huntsville reflects Moog’s ongoing commitment in support of our key space, defense, and industrial customers across the Southeast. With the opening, we have already doubled our local presence and plan to add additional technical positions,” Occhipinti said. To review Moog career opportunities in Huntsville, visit www.moog.com/careers.
August 31 marked the official soft opening of the center located at 360F Quality Circle, Suite 650, Huntsville, Alabama. A grand opening will be planned at a future date dependent on COVID-19 regulations. Huntsville is recognized as a thriving metropolitan area for both business and living. Moog decided to expand in Huntsville as the city is home to Redstone Arsenal, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and many key prime industry customers.
MARITIME
18 Sep 20. Palau to acquire Guardian Class patrol boat. Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price will officially hand over the latest Guardian Class patrol boat on behalf of the Commonwealth government to the Republic of Palau, as the government’s Pacific Step Up program continues to progress. Minister Price will preside over a ceremony to handover the new Austal-built Guardian Class patrol boat PSS President H.I. Remeliik II to the Republic of Palau.
She will be joined by head maritime systems, Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm, for the gifting of the seventh Guardian Class patrol boat to Palau’s Division of Maritime Law Enforcement.
The Republic of Palau will be represented by Lieutenant Commander Nobuo, chief officer of Palau’s Division of Maritime Law Enforcement and commanding officer of PSS President H.I. Remeliik II. The handover ceremony will take place later this morning in Austal’s headquarters in Henderson Western Australia. (Source: Defence Connect)
14 Sep 20. Arafura Class OPV program reaches symbolic milestone. The keel has been laid for the first offshore patrol vessel under construction in Western Australia as part of the federal government’s National Shipbuilding Program. The Morrison government’s National Shipbuilding Program has reached a symbolic milestone, after the keel was laid for the construction of the first WA-built Arafura Class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) named ‘Pilbara’.
Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds noted that the laying of the keel is an important naval tradition believed to bring “good luck” to the build of the ship and the life of the vessel through the placing of a coin under the keel.
“It demonstrates the success of this government’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan, with eight vessels already built and another 10 vessels currently under construction at Henderson and Osborne,” Minister Reynolds said.
“Western Australia is playing a key role in the development of our national naval shipbuilding enterprise, and the government’s $4.7bn OPV program is spearheading the implementation of this plan and connecting with Australian industry.” (Source: Defence Connect)
11 Sep 20. US Navy Christened Submarine Montana. The US Navy christened one of its newest attack submarines, the future USS Montana (SSN 794), during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Virginia.
The principal speaker was Under Secretary of the Navy (Acting) Gregory J. Slavonic. Ms. Sally Jewell, former Secretary of the United States Department of Interior, will serve as the ship’s sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow and state, “in the name of the United States I christen thee.”
“The future USS Montana will play an important role in the defense of our nation and maritime freedom,” said Slavonic. “She stands as proof of what teamwork – from civilian to contractor to military – can accomplish. I am confident USS Montana and her crew will ensure our Navy remains safe and strong to proudly serve our nation’s interest for decades to come.”
The future USS Montana (SSN 794) honors the Treasure State. She will be the second commissioned warship bearing the name. The first USS Montana (ACR-13), an armored cruiser, was also built at Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned July 1908. She served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, landed Marines during unrest in Haiti in 1914 and escorted convoys during World War I. She was decommissioned in 1921.
Construction of the current Montana began April 2015 and is the third of the ten Block IV Virginia Class submarines.
Virginia Class submarines are built to operate in the world’s littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operation forces support; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Their inherent stealth, endurance, mobility and firepower directly enable them to support five of the six maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. They are replacing older Los Angeles Class submarines as they retire. (Source: US DoD)
10 Sep 20. New generation LCACs arrive at NSWC Panama City. The first two new-generation Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) craft procured under the US Navy (USN) Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) programme have arrived at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) to support ongoing research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) activity. Arriving on 2 September, the two craft – LCAC 100 and LCAC 101 – were escorted in by LCAC 91, which serves as NSWC PCD’s existing RDT&E asset.
Intended to replace the USN’s current LCAC connectors, the new LCAC 100 class is designed to transport personnel, weapons, vehicles, and stores from amphibious vessels to shore at high speed. The SSC programme of record is for one test and training asset and 72 operational craft.
Textron Systems was in July 2012 awarded a USD212.7m fixed-priced incentive-fee contract for the detail design and construction of the SSC test and training craft (LCAC 100). The company subsequently received follow-on orders for LCAC 101–108, and in April this year received a contract for LCAC 109–123.
However, the SSC programme has encountered developmental difficulties. The construction of LCAC 100 ran late, and builders trials in September 2019 revealed a series of deficiencies requiring remediation. In a report released in June, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said that gearbox problems and other technical issues had delayed initial operational capability (IOC) and created “uncertainty in the production schedule”. The navy’s fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget request suggests that IOC will now not occur until the second quarter of FY 2022. (Source: Jane’s)
AIR
17 Sep 20. Montenegro receives first Bell 505 helicopter. Montenegro has received the first of two Bell 505 JetRanger X helicopters it ordered earlier this year. A delivery ceremony for the single-engine light utility helicopter was held in Montenegro on 15 September, following technical acceptance trials that took place in July. The Montenegrin Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed the EUR3.26m (USD3.6m at the time) contract in May with the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) to equip the Montenegrin Air Force (VVCG) with two Bell 505s. The sale was facilitated by the CCC through a government-to-government contract and the helicopters were manufactured by Bell Textron Canada at its facility in Mirabel, Quebec. As previously noted by the Montenegrin daily newspaper Pobjeda, a further two 505s will be procured in 2021 to bring the total fleet to four helicopters. (Source: Jane’s)
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
17 Sep 20. Raytheon doubles corporate-level job cuts to 15,000. Raytheon Co., the Waltham, Massachusetts-based leading US defence contractor had been brewing off an option to eliminate over 15,000 corporate-level jobs at its headquarters, jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney alongside military weapon manufacturer Collins Aerospace, Raytheon Co.
Chief Executive Greg Hayes said in a statement on Wednesday. In point of fact, the number of projected job cuts in Raytheon Co. by the end of 2020, had been roughly double of the figures which it had initially stated on July this year. Aside from that, as the leading US defence contractor has been witnessing a havoc-scale downturn at its aviation and jet-engine manufacturing business amid a global-scale halt in travels alongside a pandemic recession at large, the job cuts were aimed at reducing the administrative expenses. (Source: Google/https://www.financial-world.org/)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
17 Sep 20. IDF outlines air force reorganisation. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is reorganising and relocating its units to optimise its operations and use its resources more efficiently.
Major Mika Lifshitz, head of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF’s) International Media Section Spokesperson’s Unit, told Janes the plan was approved by IAF Commander Major General Amikam Norkin in recent weeks.
She said the changes are part of a significant initiative designed to create ”optimal resource efficiency for the coming decade”. IAF Headquarters originally intended to implement the plan over the coming years but brought it forward as the convergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic conditions, and the Middle East’s evolving strategic situation provided an ”opportunity for change”.
The first announcement linked to the plan came on 12 July, when the IAF said it was establishing the new 7th Wing for its special forces. This includes Unit 669 for heliborne combat search and rescue, the Shaldag commando unit, and other special forces. They are all moving to Palmachim Air Force Base under a wider concept the IAF is applying to locate similar units with each other to increase their effectiveness.
Palmahim will continue to host all the UH-60 Black Hawk transport helicopter squadrons, which will be joined by the 193rd Squadron of SH-60F Seahawk helicopters (currently based at Ramat David Air Force Base) to create a unified logistics and maintenance centre for the related types. (Source: Jane’s)
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
14 Sep 20. Ms Corinne Kitsell has been appointed as UK Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Vienna, succeeding Dr David Hall. Ms Kitsell will take up her appointment during October 2020.
Curriculum Vitae
Full name: Corinne Kitsell
2017 to 2019
FCO, UN Co-ordinator and Deputy Director UN and Multilateral
2016 to 2017
FCO, Head of Conflict Department, Multilateral Policy Directorate
2013 to 2016
New York, Counsellor, UK Mission to the UN
2011 to 2013
FCO, Deputy Director, Migration
2010
FCO, Strategy Co-ordinator, Human Rights and Democracy Department
2006 to 2010
Geneva, First Secretary, UK Mission to the WTO, UN and other International Organisations
2004 to 2005
FCO, Project Manager, Department of Strategy and Innovation
2003 to 2004
FCO, Conference and Visits Group
2000 to 2002
FCO/No.10, Ministerial Travel Unit
1998 to 2000
FCO, European Union (External) Department
1996 to 1998
Beirut, Vice-Consul
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
17 Sep 20. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) – which is responsible for the UK’s national fusion research – has this week welcomed a new Director for its flagship STEP programme. Paul Methven joins the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme from the Submarine Delivery Agency, where he was the Director of Submarine Acquisition, bringing with him a wealth of significant project experience. STEP is an ambitious programme to accelerate the delivery of sustainable fusion energy through the design and build of the world’s first compact fusion reactor by 2040. With £222m funding from government agreed in 2019, the first stage of work is to develop a concept design, as well as identifying a site where the plant will be built. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
16 Sep 20. Mr John Rankin CMG has been appointed Governor of the British Virgin Islands.
Mr John Rankin CMG has been appointed Governor of the British Virgin Islands in succession to Mr Gus Jaspert. Mr Rankin will take up his appointment in January 2021.
Curriculum Vitae
Full name: John James Rankin
2016 to present
Bermuda, Governor
2016
FCO, Acting Director, Americas Directorate
2015
Kathmandu, Acting Ambassador to Nepal
2011 to 2015
Colombo, British High Commissioner and Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Maldives
2008 to 2010
FCO, Director, Americas
2007 to 2008
FCO, Assistant Director, Human Resources (Operations)
2003 to 2007
Boston, Her Majesty’s Consul General
1999 to 2003
Dublin, Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission
1998 to 1999
Dublin, First Secretary (Political)
1996 to 1998
FCO, Deputy Head, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Council of Europe Department
1994 to 1996
FCO, Senior Assistant Legal Adviser and later Legal Counsellor
1991 to 1994
Geneva, Legal Adviser, UK Mission to the United Nation and to the Conference on Disarmament
1988 to 1991
FCO, Assistant Legal Adviser and later Senior Assistant Legal Adviser
1988
Joined FCO
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
10 Sep 20. USMC MG Michael S. Groen for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general with assignment as director, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Groen is currently serving as deputy chief of computer network operations, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland.
10 Sep 20. Navy Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti for reappointment to the grade of vice admiral with assignment as director for strategy, plans, and policy, J-5, Joint Staff; and senior member, United States Delegation to the United Nations Military Staff Committee, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia. Franchetti is currently serving as deputy chief of naval operations for Warfighting Development, N-7, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, District of Columbia.
10 Sep 20. USMC MG Patrick M. Shanahan for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general with assignment as director, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Shanahan is currently serving as deputy chief of computer network operations, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland.
11 Sep 20. USAF MG Robert J. Skinner for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general with assignment as director, Defense Information Systems Agency/commander, Joint Forces Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. Skinner is currently serving as director, Command, Control, Communications, and Cyber, J6, Headquarters United States Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
14 Sep 20. Derco signs engine distribution agreement with Pratt & Whitney. Lockheed Martin’s unit Derco has signed an agreement to become the sole and exclusive third-party distributor of Pratt & Whitney for the F100-PW-220/229 engine system. Lockheed Martin’s unit Derco has signed an agreement to become the sole and exclusive third-party distributor of Pratt & Whitney for the F100-PW-220/229 engine system. This agreement is expected to provide increased material availability for F100 customers around the world. The F100 engine of Pratt & Whitney F100 powers the Lockheed Martin-manufactured F-16 fighter aircraft.
The F-16 ‘Fighting Falcon’ is said to be the most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter in the world.
Lockheed Martin training and logistics solutions vice-president and general manager said: “With 1,522 F-16s flying with Pratt & Whitney F100 engines in 21 countries, this agreement marks a significant step forward in aligning our organisations with a common goal of increasing support to the warfighter worldwide.”
Pratt & Whitney F100 senior director Kelly Young added: “We are excited to strengthen our global distribution network by partnering with Derco and working together to ensure the mission readiness of more than 2,000 F100-PW-220 and -229 engines that power aircrafts flown by 23 nations around the world.”
Earlier this week, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) received a firm-fixed-price contract to supply secure, advanced data storage systems for new-production F-16 aircraft.
Last month, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen unveiled a new centre dedicated to the maintenance of its F-16 fighter jets. Taiwan signed an agreement to purchase 66 F-16 jets from Lockheed Martin amid escalating tensions between the US and China. In July last year, Derco was selected to perform sustainment work for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF) aircraft. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
16 Sep 20. EPC Space Announces Spirit Electronics as Distribution Partner for Defense and Aerospace Market. Spirit Electronics now provides distribution support to assist customers in adopting Rad Hard eGaN® FETs and ICs for leading-edge power conversion systems in critical spaceborne systems. To support its accelerating growth in the defense and aerospace markets, EPC Space is proud to announce the appointment of Spirit Electronics as a distribution partner focusing on these key market segments. Spirit Electronics, in operation since 1979 and located in Phoenix, Arizona and Irvine, California, supplies products and services to the Department of Defense, aerospace, and telecommunication industries.
“Spirit Electronics’ knowledge of the market, along with their extensive history and proven success working with defense and aerospace customers, makes them an ideal partner to represent EPC Space’s Rad Hard gallium nitride products,” commented Bel Lazar, CEO.
Marti McCurdy, CEO of Spirit Electronics, noted that, “Our new partnership with EPC Space is an exciting addition to our portfolio of products and will allow us to bring the unmatched reliability and performance of GaN power semiconductors to defense and aerospace customers, so they can design leading edge power and motor drive system solutions.”
About EPC Space
EPC Space provides revolutionary high-reliability radiation hardened enhancement-mode gallium nitride power management solutions for space and other harsh environments.
Radiation hardened GaN-based power devices address critical spaceborne environments for applications including power supplies, light detection and ranging (lidar), motor drive, and ion thrusters.
About Spirit Electronics
Spirit Electronics is a Woman Owned, Veteran Owned Small Business serving the DOD and Aerospace industries with a range of electronic components from leading suppliers of FPGA’s, ASIC’s, passives and discrete semiconductors, relays, frequency controls, and connectors. Spirit specifically provides value-added services, including SMI, Testing, Design, Assembly, and End of Life Management.
Many of the companies we serve have deeply integrated Spirit into their planning, processes and manufacturing. They count on us to plan, procure and warehouse inventory, and execute delivery of components that are prepped and ready for assembly upon arrival. Spirit’s extensive ERP system provides us with the bandwidth to manage millions of line items simultaneously, ensuring quality and successful delivery to our customers. eGaN is a registered trademark of Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, Inc. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
14 Sep 20. BMT reaches major milestone with a design win for new cutting-edge fast patrol boats for the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron. Designed for Marine Specialised Technology (MST), the two new 19m fast, patrol vessels will provide the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron with a modern, high-speed, and effective capability for fulfilling their important role.
BMT is pleased to announce its partnership with Marine Specialised Technology (MST) who have been selected by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) following a competitive tender process to provide two state-of-the-art high-speed fast patrol vessels. With an overall length of 19 metres, the new design, which is capable of 40 knots has been selected by the MoD to be operated by the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron. As part of this public procurement, BMT is also pleased to announce that our team will be providing a comprehensive Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package. This latest contract for a government customer is a significant milestone for the international design consultancy in the market for high performance patrol vessels.
Built by Marine Specialised Technology (MST), the two high performance naval assets will be capable of operating in the most demanding of conditions and will be delivered over the course of the next three years.
Sarah Kenny, Chief Executive at BMT commented: “We are excited that our design has been selected for this technically challenging project. This contract is a great reflection of the way our teams can combine expertise to produce a winning design, as well as a tailored ILS package. The 19m vessels will provide a step forward in enhancing operational capabilities for the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron.
BMT has an extensive range of proven in-service patrol boats for the demanding military and coastguard sectors in the UK and overseas. This latest contract underscores our agility in producing carefully tailored designs that suit each individual operator’s particular requirements.”
BMT has a proven track record in designing naval vessels. Its breadth of naval expertise and comprehensive range of high-performance patrol vessels, from 9m to 80m, has offered their UK and international customer base with unrivalled seakeeping, speed, and reliability. The international design consultancy has a wealth of experience in naval architecture for commercial, military and export applications, covering hull development, class level designs and detailed production engineering for a wide array of vessels and platform technologies.
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
18 Sep 20. Global cyber and deep tech investor, Paladin Capital Group, today announces the appointment of Ciaran Martin, CB, as a Managing Director. Ciaran joins Paladin from the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which he established as its first CEO in 2016 and is regarded as one of the best public authorities in the world for cybersecurity. The mission of the NCSC is to help make the UK a safe place to live and work online, working with the public sector, SMEs and industry, and the general public. Ciaran was the head of cybersecurity at GCHQ from 2014 before starting up the NCSC.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
18 Sep 20. Microsatellite developer Astranis announced today that former NASA Administrator Dan Goldin will be joining as a senior advisor to the company and chairing its new Technical Advisory Board. In addition, the company is announcing the completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) for their first commercial program, a satellite for Pacific Dataport Inc. in Alaska. The CDR was completed under the supervision of Goldin with the participation of some of the space industry’s most experienced technical minds. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
17 Sep 20. The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) today named B. Marc Allen as chief strategy officer and senior vice president, Strategy and Corporate Development, reporting to President and CEO David Calhoun. The company also announced Christopher Raymond as the company’s chief sustainability officer, a newly created position reporting to Executive Vice President, Enterprise Operations and Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith. The appointments are effective Oct. 1. Allen, first appointed to the company’s Executive Council in 2014 as president of Boeing International, will now take on responsibility for the enterprise’s overarching strategy, including long-term planning; global business and corporate development; and strategic investments, acquisitions and divestitures. He most recently served as president of Embraer Partnership and Group Operations, leading the associated business and integration teams, before terminating the partnership in April 2020. Before joining the Executive Council, Allen served in leadership positions across the enterprise as president of Boeing Capital Corporation, president of Boeing China, vice president for Global Law Affairs and general counsel to Boeing International.
15 Sep 20. IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, announced today the appointment of Andrew Boyd to the position of President and CEO IDEMIA National Security Solutions. Boyd will be responsible for the over-all strategic growth and leadership of the team delivering state-of-the-art technology solutions supporting national defense, national security, and the classified missions space. Boyd joins IDEMIA with more than twenty-five years of military and industry experience creating mission critical solutions within the United States Federal Government and commercial markets. Most recently Boyd was SVP Defense and Intelligence for SAIC where he led growth strategies for its IT modernization and digital transformation business unit. Prior to SAIC Andrew served in leadership roles in the United States Air Force, Unisys Federal, Engility, Northrop and a number of other innovative small businesses. He was responsible for creating a wide range of IT Service and Product offerings across Intelligence, Defense and Federal Civilian Agencies. (Source: PR Newswire)
16 Sep 20. SpiderOak Mission Systems, provider of cryptographically-secure communication and collaboration products, announced that Admiral James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld, United States Navy (Retired) has joined the company’s Federal Advisory Board. The Advisory Board provides critical insight and guidance to SpiderOak in aligning business strategy and product development with the unique needs of the public sector. Winnefeld brings nearly forty years of government and military experience from his time in the Navy, serving four years as the ninth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States’ number two-ranking military officer. (Source: PR Newswire)
17 Sep 20. Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. (Voyager), a global leader in space exploration, today announced the appointment of Eric Stallmer as executive vice president of government affairs and public policy. Stallmer will lead Voyager’s Washington D.C. office and will be responsible for representing the interests of Voyager to key government institutions including Congress, the White House and the many federal agencies that impact the success of Voyager and its subsidiaries. (Source: PR Newswire)
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