Airbus looks to keep portfolio flying in Europe through 2060 '€” with wider ambitions abroad

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  November 16, 2017 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR, Security

  Cyber consequences: Attacks are hitting the C-suite

  Ask Charles Bouchard what keeps him awake at night and the chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Canada won't hesitate: “Our ability to protect our cyber systems.” At a time when access to intellectual property (IP) is raising debate among aerospace OEMs, suppliers, in-service support and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) companies, and governments and militaries, protecting data is a hot topic. Lockheed Martin has seen enough of its IP stolen in recent years to take the problem seriously. But Bouchard believes many industry executives don't truly understand the challenge or the cost. “It's one thing to say, we want the IP. The next question is, can you defend it? Can you protect it? That is a problem today,” he told Skies. “Subcontractors . . . need to protect their data because they are connecting to our systems, especially if IP will be passed to them. How are we going to do that? We have gone beyond putting a guard at the front gate and a lock on the door. [And] for some, it's a significant investment.” Cyber defence is a national imperative, said retired Major-General Robert Wheeler, a 32-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a senior advisor to Avascent Global Advisors. Whether the threat comes from nations or non-state actors such as terrorist or criminal organizations, cyber experts are seeing an increase in frequency and capability “in this particular type of warfare.” “They are going after companies that are not prepared to deal with it, to take their IP and create havoc...,” the former deputy chief information officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense told executives at the Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa Nov. 7. Modern aircraft, with their vast supply chains and increasingly networked systems, present an attractive “avenue for bad guys to get in.” In a presentation that highlighted recent attacks in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere, Wheeler showed how the relentless pursuit of corporate and government data has jeopardized military, commercial and critical infrastructure systems and programs. The 2011 attack on Defence Research and Development Canada, for example, was not only a costly systems problem to fix, it also raised questions about what government, industry and research data was exfiltrated. Likewise, the 2015 hack of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management was alarming because the benign-sounding agency houses the security clearances, including digital photo and biometric identification, for government, intelligence and military personnel. “Data is the commodity of the 21st century,” said Wheeler. While the sheer volume of new data might be a sign that more intellectual property is being created and the economy is growing, corporate breaches are keeping pace, and “the cost of each breach is accelerating” in terms of dollars and lost IP. Cyber attacks are also starting to impact the C-suite, he noted. The 2013 breach of Target's payment card system cost chief executive officer Gregg Steinhafel his job, and executives with credit reporting agency Equifax have been “publicly flogged” in the wake of the hack of millions of client records in October. ere may be greater consequences for companies that don't do due diligence, Wheeler suggested, pointing to changes taking shape in the legal regime following the Target attack. While greater investment in cyber defence is important, “this is not a technology issue,” he said. “This is a leadership issue” that requires a change in organizational culture and executives who understand the challenge and can “walk the talk.” It also requires more employee training, not only in best cyber hygiene practices, but also in how to use networking and cyber tools to be more resilient, agile and quick to respond. The payoff is a more effective, efficient and competitive company. “[So] many solutions to problems of this world today are in the data,” he said. “If you do this correctly . . . there is an opportunity to be more competitive, more collaborative, to come up with faster ideas in an environment and age when we have to come up with faster ideas.” https://www.skiesmag.com/news/cyber-consequences-attacks-hitting-c-suite/

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  November 21, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land

  State Department OKs $6.9 billion in arms sales in one day

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department on Wednesday cleared four potential foreign military sales packages, which combine for an estimated price tag of over $6.9 billion. The four packages, if approved by Congress, would involve AH-64E Apache helicopters for Morocco ($4.25 billion), C-130J aircraft for New Zealand ($1.4 billion), naval guns for India ($1.02 billion), and jammers for improvised explosive devices to Australia ($245 million). The notifications were posted on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. DSCA notifications are not final sales; once cleared by Congress, the sales enter negotiations, during which quantities and costs can shift. The largest package, Morocco's Apache request, is the first from that country for fiscal 2020 after dropping six FMS requests in FY19, to the tune of $7.27 billion. Read more about the Apache request here. New Zealand's request would cover five C-130J transport aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin. That nation currently operates the older C-130H aircraft, so it's familiar with the airframe. “This proposed sale will provide the capability to support national, United Nations, and other coalition operations,” the DSCA notification reads. “This purchase also includes sensors and performance improvements that will assist New Zealand during extensive maritime surveillance and reconnaissance as well as improve its search and rescue capability. Additionally, the extra cargo capacity and aircraft performance will greatly increase New Zealand's Antarctic mission capabilities while simultaneously increasing safety margins.” India's request covers as many as 13 MK 45 5-inch/62-caliber (MOD 4) naval guns, along with 3,500 rounds of D349 Projectile ammunition. Those weapons will be used for “antisurface warfare and anti-air defense missions,” according to DSCA. The program will be managed by BAE Systems, with some sort of industrial offset to be arranged later. Australia, meanwhile, wants up to 850 Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment 1 Block 1 systems, or JCREW I1B1 for short. These are anti-IED jammer systems; the DSCA announcement says Australia is “interested in procuring the dismounted and mounted variants that have a modular, open architecture and are upgradeable in order to maintain capability against evolving global threats.” Those systems are produced by Northrop Grumman. The start of FY20 has been good for FMS requests. Since the fiscal year started on Oct. 1, there have been 13 requests cleared by the State Department, with a total estimated value of $13.439 billion in potential sales. The head of the DSCA, Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper, has said he hopes a series of reforms will help keep sales strong. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2019/11/21/state-department-oks-69-billion-in-arms-sales-in-one-day

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  August 1, 2019 | International, Naval

  NRL Pigment Package for Ships Slows Discoloration, Lowers Solar Temperature Load

  By Sara Francis, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Public Affairs WASHINGTON (NNS) -- A pigment package designed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to slow discoloration of the exterior coating on surface ships has started to make its way into the fleet and is producing early, positive results. NRL researchers created the pigment combination to satisfy the fleet requirement for the Navy standard "haze gray" paint that will remain color stable for longer than current coatings. While many paint manufacturers had produced new coating technologies that solved a variety of other problems, such as corrosion and delamination, some ships still showed discoloration in as little as 18 months. Additionally, different coatings from different manufacturer's fade to different hues, resulting in an inconsistent appearance between the original coatings and any in-service touch-ups or repairs. “We had a good idea on how to solve the issue, and we leveled the playing field by providing the pigment combination to all companies at the same time,” said Dr. Erick Iezzi, senior research chemist in the Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering at NRL. NRL is currently working with Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Systems Engineering Directorate, Ship Integrity & Performance Engineering (SEA 05P) to transition the new pigment combination into a military specification, which will become the standard for haze gray paint applied to surface ships. The first vessel to receive a coating with the pigment combination was USS Essex (LHD 2) in 2017. The most recent to vessel to receive it was USS George Washington (CVN 73). While all paint manufacturers have access to the pigment technology, three companies have already started mass-producing the paint, generating an estimated tens of thousands of gallons thus far. Recently, Sherwin-Williams won the Society for Protective Coatings Military Coatings Project Award of Excellence for its new topcoat paint that incorporates the new pigment after it was used to overhaul USS George Washington. “It was motivating to know that several companies were willing to lean on our expertise to provide a new technology that would produce the best product for the Navy,” Iezzi said. From 2012 to 2013, Iezzi worked with corrosion science researchers Jimmy Tagert and Candice Langaster to design five new pigment combinations and test them for color stability, solar reflectance and other coating properties. After testing all combinations, they provided the best performer to paint and coating manufacturers to begin integration in 2015. The pigment combinations underwent testing at NRL's Key West facility for atmospheric exposure performance and accelerated weathering. Coatings that contained the new pigments proved to have excellent color stability, were five times harder than silicone alkyd, had improved gloss retention and chemical resistance, and provided greater barrier properties. “It was great working with the manufacturers and demonstrating our ability to provide a product needed for the fleet,” Tagert said. For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=110401