Rapid Fire: 2010-01-29

• Forecast International: Gulf States will continue to drive Middle Eastern defense spending. See also Documental’s 2008 forecast.

• A Greener American Quadrennial Defense Review?

• From offshoring, to the business case for “backshoring” manufacturing.

• Australia’s difficult FFG-7 frigate upgrade: that’s a wrap.

• Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling wants bayonet training dropped – but the British had to use them in Iraq. See the US Army’s own assessment of that fight.

• Blimpgate? Former USAF official alleges USA was deprived of counter-IED monitoring when a former Space Command General illegally countermanded a direct order by former USAF chief of staff Gen. Jumper.

• More on LPD-17 San Antonio Class failures: full statements from Northrop Grumman & US Navy offices.

• US Navy releases RFP for yet another Littoral Combat Ship program revision.

• Congressional statement of Congressional Budget Office’s Eric J. Labs, on the Long-Term Outlook for the U.S. Navy’s Fleet.

• USAF Gen. Chilton: Space debris “out of control.”

• Japan’s C-X/ XC2 aerial transport flies. See video.

• Canada’s SAR aircraft competition: progress in the spring?

• Russia still trying to develop a MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) UAV, while hedging its bets with Israel.

Plug and Play Satellites: Short Order Space Capability

PNP Satellite Concept

The era of the huge military satellite programs that cost tens of billions of dollars appears to be over. At least as far as the US Congress is concerned. Last year, lawmakers shut down the $20 billion plus Transformational Communications Satellite (TSAT) System program after huge costs overruns and skepticism about the system’s unproven technology.

At the same time, the US Air Force is moving ahead with development of small satellites that can be developed quickly in response to tactical needs and launched within days. These small satellites would be constructed using preexisting modules to meet the communications and ISR needs of commanders in the field. They are called plug-and-play (PNP) satellites and are being developed by the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL).

AFRL recently awarded a contract worth up to $200 million for work on the PNP satellite architecture…

$13.9M to DRC for LMSS Work Supporting F-16 Program

USAF F-16s, Iraq

Dynamics Research Corp. (DRC) in Andover, MA received a task order valued at $13.9 million under the DoD’s Logistics, Maintenance and Supply Support (LMSS) contract to support the F-16 System Program Office in the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

Under the terms of the task order, DRC will provide program management and technical services assisting with the modernization and maintenance of the F-16 weapon system. The work also includes supporting the USAF and various foreign military sales F-16 programs.

DRC is 1 of 6 prime contractors awarded the LMSS contract in March 2008 to provide lifecycle management services across DoD. The contract ceiling is $300 million. The other prime contractors are…