Executive Insights

MONROVIA, Calif., 16 Feb. 2012. AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) won a $4,167,777 order from the U.S. Air Force for operational Switchblade loitering munition systems and services, engineering services, and operator training. AeroVironment will work with munition subcontractor ATK (NYSE:ATK) to produce and deliver the systems. 

ARLINGTON, Va., 14 Feb. 2012. President Obama has signed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act 2012—with funding and provisions for granting military, commercial, and privately-owned greater access to U.S. airspace and air traffic management systems modernization—into law.

CHANTILLY, Va., 10 Feb. 2012. TASC Inc. won a U.S. Air Force indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity Consultant, Advisory, and Technical Services (CATS) contract to support the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) within the continental United States and U.S. territories. The CATS award has four one-year options and a maximum value of $985 million for all awardees; 13 companies are eligible to bid on individual task orders to deliver management and professional support, engineering and technical services, and studies, analyses, and evaluations. 

NASHUA, N.H., 9 Feb. 2012. Avionics Europe, the premier avionics conference and exhibition tackling issues and challenges of import to civil and defense avionics professionals, is complementing its conference program with informative workshops and forums. Avionics Europe is being held March 21-22, 2012 in Munich, Germany.
Leading industry organizations—including the Association of European Airlines, SESAR Joint Undertaking, EUROCAE, the German Aerospace Society, and the Royal Aeronautical Society—will host a series of special forums, focusing on important issues facing and impacting the work and business of avionics professionals and the industry at large.

FAIRMONT, W.Va., 9 Feb. 2012. Galaxy Global Corp. of Fairmont, W. Va., won from NASA officials a contract to provide support to the NASA Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) Software Assurance Tools (SWAT) Group at the NASA IV&V Facility in Fairmont, W.Va. Galaxy Global staff are contracted to provide management, continuous improvement, expert training, and engineering services for the Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools employed in the NASA IV&V Program.

NEW YORK, 9 Feb. 2012. PwC analysts—having released “Mission Control,” a quarterly analysis of activity in the global mil/aero sector—anticipate that a high production rate ramp-up may be needed across much of the aerospace and defense sector in 2012 and beyond. “Managing risk in the supply chain will likely become more important in commercial aerospace where the industry operating model has pushed much of the design and manufacturing work to suppliers, often in the form of risk sharing partnerships,” says a PwC spokesperson.

NEW YORK, 8 Feb. 2012. Global aerospace and defense merger and acquisition value reached a record level in 2011--$43.7 billion in 341 deals--according to PwC U.S analysts in “Mission Control,” its quarterly analysis of activity in the global mil/aero sector. The 2011 figure surpasses the total deal value of $21.9 billion and 332 deals in 2010, as well as the previous record of $42 billion in 2007.

WASHINGTON, 7 Feb. 2012. U.S. Air Force officials look to cut 280 aircraft and 9,900 airmen under guidance from U.S. Department of Defense officials and their defense budget priorities and choices for fiscal year 2013. In a question-and-answer session, Air Force officials—including Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz--reveal that all 50 U.S. states will be affected by the suggested cuts.

WASHINGTON, 7 Feb. 2012. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley held a briefing at the Pentagon to outline U.S. Air Force priorities and choices in response to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) strategic guidance, as well as the Air Force's pieces of the Budget Control Act. “Air Force Priorities for a New Strategy with Constrained Budgets,” the organization’s fiscal 2013 budget submission, identifies for elimination more than 280 aircraft over the next five years.  

AVIONICS INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 7 Feb. 2012. U.S. Air Force officials outlined—in a briefing and associated white paper, titled “Air Force Priorities for a New Strategy with Constrained Budgets”—the organization’s fiscal 2013 budget submission. The submission identifies for elimination more than 280 aircraft over the next five years; included are 123 fighters (102 A‐10s and 21 older F‐16s), 133 mobility aircraft (27 C‐5As, 65 C‐130s, 20 KC‐135s, and 21 C‐27s), and 30 select ISR systems (18 RQ‐4 Block 30s, 11 RC‐26s, and one E‐8 damaged beyond repair). 

WASHINGTON, 7 Feb. 2012. The heads of several associations in the avionics community are coming forward to commend the U.S. Congress for approving the FAA Modernization and Reform Act 2012. The bill awaits President Obama’s signature. The legislation would provide funding through 2015—a stark departure from the past several years, in which the House and Senate approved only short-term extensions (23 of them, in fact) to the 2004 funding levels.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) applauds the U.S. Senate for passing the FAA Modernization and Reform Act 2012. The bill awaits President Obama’s signature before it becomes law. Once enacted, it starts the clock on a number of deadlines the FAA must meet to safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system; chief among them is a deadline for full integration by 30 Sept. 2015, says an AUVSI spokesperson.

Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) officials are pleased that the U.S. Congress has agreed on a four-year authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), running through fiscal year 2015. "This legislation is critical to all United States Aviation, and we are proud that much of the language specific to air medical operations originated from AAMS,” says Timothy Pickering, JD, CMTE, and current AAMS president. "We have worked tirelessly since 2006 to ensure that this language get incorporated into the final package to address significant issues that face our industry." 

Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Marion C. Blakey has issued a statement concerning the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, a bill that awaits President Obama’s signature. “It is critical to FAA operations and offers stability and predictability to the aviation industry instead of the uncertainty fueled by one short-term extension after another,” Blakely says.

WASHINGTON, 6 Feb. 2012. U.S. senators have approved the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, submitting the bill to President Obama, who is reportedly in support of the legislature. If approved, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act will end a lengthy period of short-term funding extensions upon which FAA staff relied for years.

WASHINGTON, 6 Feb. 2012. NASA officials overseeing the Edison Small Satellite Demonstration Program have issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) seeking low-cost, flight demonstration proposals for small satellite technology. The solicitation is limited to demonstrations of communications systems for small satellites, proximity operations with small satellites, and propulsion systems for CubeSat-scale satellites. The goal is to increase the technical capabilities and range of uses for the emerging category of spacecraft.

WASHINGTON, 6 Feb. 2012. Retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett, Jr., president of the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), anticipates the Air National Guard to bear the brunt of anticipated U.S. Air Force budget cuts. In a statement, Gen. Hargett admits, "We still only know a few details of the Air Force's fiscal 2013 budget request. Nevertheless, this much is painfully apparent: the Air Force's definition of 'balanced' cuts tilts heavily against the nation's most experienced and cost-effective flying units. Despite claims last week that reductions to Air Force aircraft and personnel would be 'balanced' across the active component, the National Guard and the Reserves, the Air National Guard is apparently taking the bulk of the cuts.”

WASHINGTON, 4 Feb. 2012. U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) officials are holding the organization’s first town hall event on Twitter. The event--scheduled for Mon., 6 Feb. 2012--includes George Little (@PentagonPresSec), Pentagon press secretary and spokesman for U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

REDONDO BEACH, Callif., 1 Feb. 2012. Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC) has released a statement related to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) report, “Defense Budget Priorities and Choices,” which calls for the termination of  the Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program.