May 14, 2020 | International, Aerospace

No COVID impacts on Apache production, supply chain, says Boeing

WASHINGTON — The COVID-19 pandemic has not had an impact on the production and delivery of Apache helicopters, but Boeing is closely watching the international supply chain for signs of slowdown, a company official said Tuesday.

The coronavirus impact going forward is difficult to predict, said T.J. Jamison, Boeing's director of vertical lift international sales. Still, he expressed a belief that the company should be able to stay on track with its plans to produce more than 100 Apache models in 2020.

While production on the CH-47 Chinook and V-22 Osprey in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area was stopped for two weeks in April, the Mesa, Arizona, Boeing plant that produces the Apache never had to stop work. However, there have been a number of individuals working remotely, primarily from the sales team; it will likely be a month or more before they are all back working at their desks, Jamison said.

Some international customers have signaled that “we might need a potential slowdown in operations. But not one has said: ‘Hey, we need to cancel these orders because of the COVID-19 issue,' ” Jamison said. “There have been no cancellations, and there have been no significant requests for delay.”

However, just like the Pentagon, the company is closely watching the international supply chain. For the Apache, that includes fuselage production in Hydrabad, India (managed by Tata) and in Sacheon, South Korea (managed by Korea Aerospace Industries).

Boeing's decision to maintain two suppliers for that production has “served us very well” in the current situation, Jamison said, adding that while India has been hit hard by COVID-19 and is undergoing government-mandated shutdowns, the Korea Aerospace Industries plant is able to keep production on track.

“We really do not like to have a single point of failure with any of our components that we receive through the supply chain,” he said. “There hasn't been a dramatic impact to the supply chain today. Again, I don't have that crystal ball and I can't tell you how this pandemic is going to play out. But right now, there hasn't been a dramatic impact.”

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/05/13/no-covid-impacts-on-apache-production-supply-chain-says-boeing/

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October 9, 2020 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

Collins Aerospace adds navigation receivers to its expansive content on Boeing T-7A Red Hawk
Oct 9, 2020 SOURCE: Collins Aerospace Systems Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October 8, 2020 – Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX), has been selected by Boeing to provide its proven NAV-4500 navigation receivers for the T-7A Red Hawk, the U.S. Air Force's (USAF) new advanced pilot training system in development by both Boeing and Saab. This award builds on previously announced Collins Aerospace positions on the T-7A, including its ACES 5® ejection seat; the platform‘s fully integrated landing gear system; various Power & Controls components, including the aircraft's Power Take Off (PTO) shaft, Auxiliary Power Engine Control Unit (APECU), engine start system and Main Electric Power Generation System (MEPGS); as well as air data, ice detection and total air temperature sensors. By selecting the NAV-4500, Boeing brings Collins Aerospace's commercial technology proven over multiple generations of aircraft to its T-7A program. These navigation receivers package the VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) and Instrument Landing System (ILS) radio signals, glideslope and marker beacon into a single, space-saving product designed for simple and flexible installation via a remote mount. “The NAV-4500 will provide the T-7A with proven technology in the military operating environment, while offering industry-leading size, weight and power resulting from the system's commercial baseline,” said Dave Schreck, vice president and general manager of Military Avionics and Helicopters at Collins Aerospace. “We are proud to bring a number of solutions from across Collins Aerospace to support both Boeing and the USAF on their next-generation advanced pilot training system.” About Collins Aerospace Collins Aerospace Systems is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers' toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market. With 2019 net sales of approximately $26 billion, the business has 78,000 employees across more than 300 locations globally. It is one of the four businesses that form Raytheon Technologies. For more information, visit www.CollinsAerospace.com About Raytheon Technologies Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. View source version on Collins Aerospace Systems: https://www.collinsaerospace.com/newsroom/News/2020/10/Collins-adds-navigation-receivers-Boeing-T-7A-Red-Hawk
February 28, 2020 | International, C4ISR

Germany picks its lead vendor for European tactical radio program
By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany – The German defense ministry has designated radio specialist Rohde und Schwarz as the national lead toward the development of a tactical radio for European land forces. The designation follows German lawmakers' approval late last year to join the European Secure Software Defined Radio, or ESSOR. The project aims to unify radio equipment operated by land forces on the continent, eventually replacing national variants with a common system. Having hardware that allows multinational troops to communicate seamlessly on the battlefield is a key premise of the European Union's push for greater military prowess. The ESSOR program, founded in 2008, is managed by OCCAR, a pan-European defense-acquisition agency. Besides Germany, the other members of the radio program are Finland, France, Italy, Poland and Spain. Their national industry leads are, respectively, Bittium, Thales, Leonardo, Radmor and Indra. All companies are represented in the a4ESSOR joint venture. Rohde und Schwarz joins the effort as the “Operational Capability 1” phase, centered on a high data rate waveform, has been underway since 2017. That stage “defines the joint development and updating of an interoperable, trustworthy, robust and wideband radio waveform for connected armed forces,” the company said in a statement. The Munich-based company plans to bring its SOVERON D radio to the program, which is slated for delivery to the German armed forces sometime this year. The European radio program also has its feet in the pool of PESCO initiatives, designed to foster multinational defense projects within the bloc by ways of subsidies from the envisioned European Defence Fund. Under the EU umbrella, officials hope to develop additional waveforms, “for example for specific use cases for air-based operations,” reads the Rohde und Schwarz statement. The U.S. Joint Tactical Radio System's software communication architecture serves as the blueprint for ESSOR, according to the program management agency. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2020/02/27/germany-picks-its-lead-vendor-for-european-tactical-radio-program
January 8, 2020 | International, Aerospace

Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Sign 2020 F-35 Sustainment Contract
Fort Worth, Texas, January 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The F-35 Joint Program Office awarded the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) industry team a $1.9 billion contract to support operations and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet, while improving mission readiness and further reducing costs. The annual contract funds critical sustainment activities for aircraft currently in the fleet and builds enterprise capacity to support the future fleet of more than 3,000 F-35 aircraft. This includes industry sustainment experts supporting base and depot maintenance, pilot and maintainer training, and sustaining engineering across the globe. It also covers fleet-wide data analytics and supply chain management for part repair and replenishment to enhance overall supply availability for the fleet. "The F-35 continues to deliver exceptional capabilities to the field, and this contract ensures F-35s are mission ready to meet warfighter needs," said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. "The joint government and industry team continues to make significant progress improving readiness rates and reducing sustainment costs. In 2020, we will continue to optimize and advance the sustainment system. We are confident F-35 sustainment costs will be equal to or less than legacy jets." The F-35 Joint Program Office, together with each U.S. service, international operator and the F-35 industry team, leads F-35 sustainment and the Global Support Solution. The 2020 annualized sustainment contract will cover industry sustainment activities through December 31, 2020. Enhancing Readiness and Reducing Cost Lockheed Martin's sustainment cost per aircraft per year has decreased four consecutive years, and more than 35% since 2015. The F-35's reliability continues to improve, and the global fleet is averaging greater than 65% mission capable rates, with operational squadrons consistently performing near 75%. The F-35 enterprise continues to pursue 80% mission capable rates in the near term and reduce the F-35 Cost Per Flight Hour to $25,000 by 2025, which is equal to or less than the cost to sustain legacy, less capable aircraft. To meet these goals, the enterprise is conducting supply chain competitions and building supply capacity, synchronizing spare buys, improving parts reliability and maintainability, implementing advanced analytics tools, accelerating modifications of earlier aircraft, and supporting the stand-up of government-led regional warehouses and repair depots. More than 490 aircraft, including 134 in 2019, have been delivered and are operating from 21 bases around the globe. More than 975 pilots and 8,585 maintainers have been trained and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 240,000 cumulative flight hours. For additional information, visit www.f35.com. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pentagon-and-lockheed-martin-sign-2020-f-35-sustainment-contract-300981717.html SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

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