electronicassociates.us Blog

Time rips apart Osprey

Before you read this blog entry any further, you must read this article by Mark Thompson.  No relation I can assure you.  Time has managed to make this their cover story for the week of Oct. 7th.  My problem with this article is that the article is biased and unilateral in viewpoint.  I must say publically that I am disappointed in Time for making an Editorial their cover story.

The V-22 is the product of the realization of the fact that we don’t fight the ‘big wars’ anymore.  What I mean is that we are fighting the small skirmish missions that dictate the need to get in and out of volatile areas quickly.
Another point – where is there another aircraft that can do what the V-22 does and ensure the same probability of success?   Let’s look at the aircraft it is replacing, shall we?

Current and projected CH-46E and CH-53D deficiencies include the
following:
1) Inadequate payload, range, and airspeed
2) Lack of ability to communicate, navigate, and operate in adverse weather
conditions, day or night
3) Lack of self-deployment or aerial refueling capability
4) Inability to operate in a Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) environment
5) Insufficient threat detection and self-protection capabilities
6) Unacceptably high maintenance and inspection rates
7) Limited communication capability for embarked troop commanders
Sure a lot of money and time has gone into this.  But before you judge, look at the entire package.  The complexity of this aircraft correlated with the function it serves deserves our time and our tax dollars.
Yes, granted, they lumped all the new untried capabilities into one pretty rotored package,  which compound problems.  These new capabilities include a conceptually new design (a compound aircraft), which include an all electronic maintenance manual system, a unique logistics numbering system, and a new operational-readiness reporting system…all while seeking to fulfill multi-service needs and being vulnerable to an inadequate supply of spares which is a direct result of budgeting constraints.  Let’s not blame the plane here OR its design or it’s usefulness.
We need the V-22.   If we focus on it’s maturity more then its production, it will prove it’s worth.  If money is spent throwing these new babies into a war zone, well..

GAO Decision on CSAR-X Protest

Source: US Gov. Accountability Office

On Aug. 30, GAO sustained a second round of bid protests by Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky against the US Air Force’s handling of the contentious $15 billion CSAR-X search and rescue helicopter contract. Boeing’s HH-47 Chinook was selected by the air force.
GAO decided to sustain LMSI’s and Sikorsky’s protests against the air force’s determination not to revise the bid process because it considered that, if an agency materially changes the RFP’s evaluation criteria, bidders must be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the revised evaluation scheme.
GAO also recommended that, if the evaluation of revised proposals shows that Boeing’s proposal no longer represents the best value, the air force should terminate its contract. GAO also recommended that LMSI and Sikorsky be reimbursed the costs of filing and pursuing their protests, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

Boeing Builds First GPS IIF Satellite

ST. LOUIS — The Boeing Company has successfully assembled and integrated all flight hardware onto the first Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellite. GPS IIF will bring new capabilities to the GPS constellation such as full onboard encrypted military code, a new civil signal, crosslink enhancements, signal power increases and longer design life.

“GPS IIF is on track because of the team’s stellar application of back-to-basics program management,” said Howard Chambers, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. “The performance of these subsystems is a testament to our process-based management and to our lean manufacturing commitment, and GPS IIF fully meets the specifications set forth by our U.S. Air Force customer and places us firmly on track to deliver the satellite for the first launch in 2008.”

Boeing is building 12 GPS Block IIF satellites under contract from the Navstar GPS Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles.

The satellite’s sophisticated L-band payload will include new hardware that serves the civil user community. Designed to enhance non-safety-critical applications, the signals will improve aviation and other precision safety signals.

Technicians are preparing GPS IIF for key dynamic environmental tests designed to confirm its structural design and mechanical integrity. They also are attaching the solar panels and configuring the satellite before it undergoes several physical tests. The tests will help ensure robust mission assurance with an emphasis on product integrity and mission success.

Each GPS IIF satellite will complete acoustic stress tests using high-powered speakers to verify that the spacecraft can tolerate the high sound pressure levels during launches; mechanical tests similar to a separation test to make sure it disconnects cleanly and correctly from the launch vehicle; tests of its deployable mechanisms such as the solar wings and the antenna to ensure that they release correctly on-orbit; and finally, GPS IIF will undergo thermal vacuum testing to confirm its ability to operate in a vacuum and under the extreme temperatures of space.

Working closely with the U.S. Air Force to deliver new, advanced GPS capabilities to the military, civil government and the general public, Boeing will continue the GPS Wing’s track record of on-orbit performance and constellation sustainment to guarantee GPS availability to users worldwide.

First flight tests with the EADS obstacle warning system for NH90 successful