US Budgeteers to Face Tough Calls
* US Army Secretary John McHugh told attendees of the AUSA annual meeting that GCV and networking count among the service’s priorities, but given the current budget trajectory, some programs will have to be delayed by 4 years or more or just cancelled.
* How the continuing resolution and sequestration are affecting acquisition plans is on the agenda of the House Armed Services Committee tomorrow. They will also review the Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan (or wishful thinking, depending on how you look at it). Within that plan, fully funding 12 new ballistic missile submarines, with production starting early next decade, is a very expensive top priority for the Navy.
* Rodney Frelinghuysen [R-NJ] may be the next chairman of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, to replace Bill Young [R-FL] who died last Friday at age 82. This is not a given as appointments by seniority are a custom rather than a rule.
* Major prime contractors have filed their lobbying spending report for the 3rd quarter. Most spent somewhat less than the previous quarter, though they tend to remain in a 2M-$3M range.
* Lockheed Martin’s Q3 2013 sales decreased by 4% to $11.3B. Among their divisions Missiles and Fire Control is the one faring best so far this year.
Forthcoming Industry Days, RFPs
* To help the US Army acquire all terrain, self deployable Type II heavy cranes, TACOM is organizing an industry day on Nov. 20 to explain their acquisition plans.
* The US Army released a draft RFP for universal battery chargers sturdy but light enough that soldiers can carry it around. Batteries of all shapes have contributed to the inordinate weight carried by infantry troops in recent years. An industry day will take place sometime in November.
* The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is reverting its decision to postpone to FY15 an RFP for FMU-139D/B electronic tail fuze improvements. Instead, expect the RFP by mid-December. The original FMU-139 fuzes were on the market between 1984 and 1997, and went through several rounds of improvement [PDFs] around 2003/2006. They are found in JDAMs and Paveway-II laser-guided bombs. Fuze problems can derail a whole bomb project.
* The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville, AL and various organizations involved in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) will host an industry day on Dec. 11 focused on opportunities in Africa.
State of Piracy off the Coast of Somalia
* The US State Department released a quarterly update on Somalian maritime piracy. There have been no successful attacks on major merchant vessels in that region for almost 18 months, and the focus is switching to prosecution and trials.
Calling Close Air Support – Or Not
* Today’s video shows soldiers from various NATO countries receiving training as Forward Air Controllers. They need not only to guide the incoming aircraft from the ground, but also to assess whether a strike is compatible with the presence of civilians or valuable infrastructure that is not meant to be destroyed.
