August 5, 2024 | International, Aerospace
Air Force fires ops group commander after scathing B-1 crash report
The Air Force's report blasted poor airmanship and a "culture of complacency" that investigators said led to the B-1's January crash.
September 23, 2020 | International, Naval
BAE shipyard sues Navy over extra work on USS Bataan
BAE Systems' Norfolk shipyard is suing the Navy's Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, claiming the yard is owed nearly $1.1 million for work it did on USS Bataan.
The lawsuit contends that the Navy is refusing to pay for extra work that BAE and its subcontractors had to perform because the Navy didn't provide necessary supplies or complete needed work while Bataan was in the BAE shipyard.
BAE won a $51.6 million, fixed-price contract to repair and modernize Bataan in September 2017. It was originally supposed to complete the work in July 2018, but that was extended to November 2018.
When the ship was not delivered by then, the Navy declared BAE in default of the contract. BAE continued to work on the ship until March 2019.
The lawsuit alleges that the Navy's challenges securing funds for additional work delayed completion. In addition, the lawsuit says the Navy's continued dumping of liquids into the bilge spaces prevented BAE from completing cleaning and pumping work.
It also alleges that the Navy also expanded the work required, as when it directed the yard to add multiple pendant and wire installations on the Flight Deck Safety Nets.
BAE said most of its claims for payment for the additional work were denied by the Navy's Contracting Officer in a formal final decision, prompting the shipyard to sue for the funds it claims it is owed.
The Navy maintenance center has not yet filed a formal response to the BAE complaint. A spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
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April 15, 2021 | International, C4ISR
Cloudy vision: Can NATO’s new deployable combat system focus the field?
NATO is on a time crunch to develop new cloud technologies that can help the alliance set interoperability standards for its member nations' own nascent computing infrastructures.
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September 25, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Security, Other Defence
Dutch Patriot missiles, UK C-17 support cleared by US State Department
Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department on Thursday OK'd two potential arms deals for a pair of NATO allies. The Netherlands was cleared to purchase 34 Patriot Advanced Capability‑3 (PAC-3) missiles, with an estimated price tag of $241 million. The United Kingdom, meanwhile, was cleared to purchase $401.3 million worth of logistics support for its fleet of C-17 aircraft. The announcements, posted on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, do not represent final locked-in sales. All Foreign Military Sales announcements must be cleared by Congress, after which dollar and equipment totals can change in final negotiations. The Netherlands deal would include the 35 PAC-3 missiles, as well eight kitted 2-pack PAC-3 MSE Missile Round Trainers, six kitted 2-pack PAC-3 MSE Empty Round Trainers, four PAC-3 MSE Skid Kits, one lot of Classified PAC-3 MSE Concurrent Spare Parts and one lot of Unclassified PAC-3 MSE CSPs, along with logistics support. “The Netherlands will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats, and provide direct support to coalition and security cooperation efforts,” per the DSCA. The Netherlands operates four Patriot batteries. The prime contractor would be Lockheed Martin. The Netherlands typically requires industrial offsets when buying foreign-made weapons, which are to be negotiated later between Lockheed and the Dutch. The U.K. request includes “aircraft component spare and repair parts; accessories; publications and technical documentation; software and software support; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistical support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support” for its C-17s. Boeing will be the prime contractor. “This proposed sale will improve the United Kingdom's capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring the operational readiness of the Royal Air Force. Its C-17 aircraft fleet provides strategic airlift capabilities that directly support U.S. and coalition operations around the world,” per the DSCA announcement. Since the start of fiscal 2017, the Netherlands has been cleared for 11 other FMS cases, totaling $1.95 billion in potential sales. In that same period the U.K. has been cleared for seven FMS cases, worth a potential $7.35 billion https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/09/24/dutch-patriot-missiles-uk-c-17-support-cleared-by-us-state-department/