20 juillet 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
20 mai 2022 | International, Aérospatial
The New Medium Helicopter competition will likely be colored by the question of which company can generate jobs and skills for the country.
18 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
By: Nathan Strout Senate appropriators have a message for the Air Force: Make early warning missile satellites a priority. The Senate Appropriations Committee expressed concern over the Air Force's plan for funding the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared system in a report on their annual defense spending bill. While the Pentagon requested $1.4 billion for the program in fiscal year 2020, the Senate spending committee noted that the request was $630 million short of what the program needs. With such a gap, senators questioned whether OPIR was a priority for the Air Force. OPIR is the next-generation early warning missile defense satellite system that will ultimately replace the Space Based Infrared System. The Pentagon has contracts with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to build three satellites in geosynchronous orbit and two covering the polar regions, respectively. In order to close the funding gap, the Air Force has made a number of reprogramming requests. But according to Senate appropriators, that's not a responsible path forward. “If the program is to have any chance of success, the department cannot continue to rely on reprogramming requests for its funding,” the committee's report read. Instead, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a far larger budget of $1.9 billion for OPIR. While that is still less than the program need, it represents an increase of $535.5 million. Those funds are in addition to reprogramming requests that could meet the more than $2 billion program need. Lockheed Martin representatives told reporters at the annual Air Force Association conference Sept. 17 that the requested increase in fiscal year 2020 funding doesn't represent a growth in costs for the program, but is the result of the rapid acquisition approach to the OPIR program. “This shouldn't be perceived as cost growth,”said Kay Sears, Lockheed Martin's vice president and general manager for military space. “But it is an accelerated schedule, so it comes with an accelerated budget.” “Next Gen is an absolutely critical capability. We've been asked to deliver that capability in a ‘go fast' environment by 2025 and we are planning to do that. That comes with a funding profile that is a little bit different than a traditional defense program,” she added. Part of that go fast approach, which Sears says results in higher up front costs, includes a payload competition between a Northrop Grumman/Ball team and a Raytheon team. “There's a lot of spending that can happen at all of those companies at the same time,” explained Sears. “That is what is driving the funding profile ― it's the payload development and the fact that (...) we have two payload developers and two capabilities that we're going to have to choose from in that critical mission area.” Senate appropriators noted in their report that OPIR is breaking ground for how to provide rapid prototypes for programs in the future and needs to be fully funded as an example. “The Committee believes the program will be an exemplar for rapid acquisition of space programs, whether the program succeeds or fails,” read the report. “Failure will have implications for Congress's willingness to fund future programs using the National Defense Authorization Act section 804 rapid prototyping and fielding authorities for similarly large, or even middle tier programs, for years to come.” OPIR has been a point of contention between the House and Senate as they work through the two annual defense bills. Earlier in the summer the House balked at the massive increase in what the Pentagon wanted for OPIR in fiscal year 2020. While the $1.4 billion Pentagon request is $630 million below what the program needs, it's $459 million above what the Pentagon projected it would need for the program in fiscal year 2020 in the previous years' budget. The House Armed Services Committee ultimately authorized just $1 billion for the program in their National Defense Authorization Act citing unexplained growth, prompting a letter from the White House arguing that a failure to fund the Pentagon's full budget request now would lead to delays and higher costs over time. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2019/09/17/should-the-air-force-spend-even-more-missile-warning-satellites/
30 juillet 2019 | International, Aérospatial
July 29, 2019 - Edgewood, NY -- CPI Aerostructures, Inc. (“CPI Aero®”) (NYSE American: CVU) today announced that it has been awarded a $65.7 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from the United States Air Force to provide structural modification kits, program management, logistics, and other sustainment services in support of Phase 3 of the T-38C Pacer Classic III Fuselage Structural Modification Kit Integration program (“PC III”) and the Talon Repair Inspection and Maintenance (“TRIM”) program. The company also received its first delivery order under the contract valued at $3.4 million for which work will commence immediately. For more than 50 years, the Northrop T-38 has been the principal supersonic jet trainer used by the US Air Force. PC III and TRIM are expected to increase the structural service life of the T-38 beyond 2030. PC III is a three-phase aircraft modification program that began in 2011 to increase the structural service life of a certain number of T-38C Talon aircraft. Requirements for Phase I were fulfilled by Northrop Grumman Technical Services. In 2015, CPI Aero was awarded Phase 2 of PC III and is currently supplying kits and services to the USAF under that contract through 2021. Under the new contract announced today, CPI will support the final phase of PC III as well as TRIM. The TRIM program is a separate USAF structural modification effort that will extend the structural service life of T-38A and T-38 model types, as well as, T-38C models that were not modified during PC III. Douglas McCrosson, President and CEO of CPI Aero, stated, “We are honored to have been chosen by the U.S. Air Force to continue our work on PC III and begin work on TRIM , two programs that are essential to the critical mission of training our future military aviators. This contract recognizes our excellent past performance as a prime contractor to the USAF and our long history with the T-38 platform that dates back to 2001. It is a testament to our reputation as an exceptional supply chain partner and leverages the investments we have made in developing world class engineering, supply chain management and program management capabilities.” For the PCIII Phase III requirement, the period of performance is anticipated as a three-year ordering period, with an additional one year for delivery after an order is placed. For the TRIM requirement, the period of performance is anticipated as a 10-year ordering period, with an additional one year for delivery after an order is placed. About CPI Aero CPI Aero is a U.S. manufacturer of structural assemblies for fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and airborne Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare pod systems in both the commercial aerospace and national security markets. Within the global aerostructure supply chain, CPI Aero is either a Tier 1 supplier to aircraft OEMs or a Tier 2 subcontractor to major Tier 1 manufacturers. CPI also is a prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Defense, primarily the Air Force. In conjunction with its assembly operations, CPI Aero provides engineering, program management, supply chain management, and MRO services. CPI Aero is included in the Russell Microcap® Index. The above statements include forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which are described from time to time in CPI Aero's SEC reports, including CPI Aero's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and Form 10-Q for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. CPI Aero® is a registered trademark of CPI Aerostructures, Inc. For more information, visit www.cpiaero.com, and follow us on Twitter @CPIAERO. Contact: Vincent Palazzolo Chief Financial Officer CPI Aero (631) 586-5200 www.cpiaero.com Investor Relations Counsel: LHA Investor Relations Sanjay M. Hurry/Jody Burfening (212) 838-3777 cpiaero@lhai.com www.lhai.com View source version on CPI Aero: http://www.cpiaero.com/cpi-aero-announces-%2465.7m-air-force-contract.html https://www.epicos.com/article/449408/cpi-aero-announces-657-million-air-force-contract-t-38-aircraft-modification-kits