Boeing Awarded $20 Million Task Order for Northern Border Project

Boeing Awarded $20 Million Task Order for Northern Border Project

ARLINGTON, Va., March 31, 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] received a task order today from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to deploy video cameras in the Detroit and Buffalo Border Patrol Sectors along the continental United States' northern border. The approximately $20 million Northern Border Project Task Order, as part of the SBInet contract, will provide the Border Patrol with increased surveillance capabilities to provide added security along the St. Clair and Upper Niagara rivers and help prevent illegal entry of persons and materials into the United States. The deployment will also allow CBP to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology in the northern border environment.
"We're committed to providing CBP agents along the northern border with improved border security capabilities to enable them to do their jobs even better," said Boeing Intelligence and Security Systems Vice President and General Manager Steve Oswald, whose Security Solutions division will oversee the task order. "At the same time, the lessons learned from this deployment will contribute to even greater enhancements in the future."

Boeing will be responsible for installing remote video surveillance systems (RVSS) to monitor coastal, maritime and riverine activities. Construction is scheduled to begin in May along the Upper Niagara River in the Buffalo Sector, and in July along the St. Clair River in the Detroit Sector. CBP will provide the towers and cameras that make up each RVSS.

These deployments will serve as the basis for future development of solutions for the Great Lakes region.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), DHS (Department of Homeland Security)

Boeing Teams With TAK to Develop Wing Assembly for 2,000-Pound JDAM ER

Boeing Teams With TAK to Develop Wing Assembly for 2,000-Pound JDAM ER

ST. LOUIS, March 31, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced an agreement with Times Aerospace Korea, LLC (TAK) to jointly develop a wing assembly for the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER).

"This teaming agreement is a prime example of Boeing Weapons Programs' efforts to form strategic partnerships as we develop the systems our global customers need," said Debra Rub, Weapons Programs vice president. "Our alliance with TAK is an important step forward in bringing the expanded capability of JDAM ER to the warfighter."

Under the teaming arrangement signed Feb. 27, Boeing and TAK will co-develop, test, and field a JDAM ER wing kit to convert the 2,000-pound JDAM into a JDAM ER. Over the course of the 40-month development program, Boeing will provide support to TAK as the Korean company further develops its aerospace capabilities, including preparations for production of the JDAM ER wing assembly. Upon successful completion of the development and flight-test programs, TAK will become Boeing's primary supplier for the 2,000-pound JDAM ER wing assembly.

JDAM is a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurately guided "smart" weapons. The JDAM kit consists of a tail section that contains a Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System and body strakes for additional stability and lift. The incorporation of the Extended Range wing kit extends JDAM's standoff range. The baseline JDAM has been sold to the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy, as well as to 22 international customers.

TAK, which was established by Washington Times Aviation, LLC in 2004 in South Korea, is a provider of helicopter total solutions -- transportation, maintenance and modification, parts supply -- in Asia. TAK has plans to expand into aerospace and defense programs.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), Missiles

General Officer Assignments

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 201-09
March 30, 2009
General Officer Assignments

The Army chief of staff announces the assignment of the following officers:

Maj. Gen. Robert J. Kasulke, U.S. Army Reserve, deputy surgeon general, mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs (individual mobilization augmentee), Office of The Surgeon General, Falls Church, Va., to commanding general (troop program unit), Army Reserve Medical Command, Pinellas Park, Fla.

Brig. Gen. Craig A. Bugno, U.S. Army Reserve, commander (troop program unit), 2d Medical Brigade, San Pablo, Calif., to deputy commander for professional services (troop program unit), 3d Medical Deployment Support Command, Forest Park, Ga.

Brig. Gen. James T. Cook, U.S. Army Reserve, commander (troop program unit), 415th Chemical Brigade, Greenville, S.C., to commander (troop program unit), 91st Training Brigade (operations), Camp Parks, Calif.

Brig. Gen. David L. Smalley, U.S. Army Reserve, assistant surgeon general for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs (individual mobilization augmentee)/deputy commanding general (troop program unit), Army Reserve Medical Command, Pinellas Park, Fla., to deputy commander for professional services (troop program unit), 807th Medical Deployment Support Command, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brig. Gen. Robert P. Stall, U.S. Army Reserve, deputy commanding general (troop program unit), 80th Training Command (total army school system), Richmond, Va., to commander (troop program unit), 98th Training Division (initial entry training), Rochester, N.Y.

Brig. Gen. Jonathan Woodson, U.S. Army Reserve, commander (troop program unit), 330th Medical Brigade, Fort Sheridan, Ill., to assistant surgeon general for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs (individual mobilization augmentee)/deputy commanding general (troop program unit), Army Reserve Medical Command, Pinellas Park, Fla.

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Appointments, US Army

NNS090330-11. CNO Announces Flag Assignments

NNS090330-11. CNO Announces Flag Assignments
March 30, 2009

From the Department of the Navy

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced March 30 the following assignments:

Rear Adm. David W. Titley will be assigned to oceanographer/navigator of the Navy, N84, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Titley is currently serving as commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Philip H. Greene Jr., will be assigned to director, Navy Irregular Warfare Office, N3/N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Greene is currently serving as special assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources, N8, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

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Appointments, USN (US Navy)

General Officer Announcements

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 195-09
March 27, 2009
General Officer Announcements

The chief of staff, Air Force announces the assignments of the following general officers:

Maj. Gen. James P. Hunt, director, Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review, Office of the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to deputy commanding general, Multi-National Corps – Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Duane A. Jones, director, global combat support, deputy chief of staff, logistics, installations and mission support, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to director, resource integration, deputy chief of staff, logistics, installations and mission support, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

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Appointments, US Air Force (USAF)

House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Meets With President Calderon of Mexico And Supports Counter-Drug Fight

House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Meets With President Calderon of Mexico And Supports Counter-Drug Fight
Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: March 27, 2009

Skelton Meets With President Calderon of Mexico And Supports Counter-Drug Fight

Washington, D.C.—House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) and two other senior House members traveled to Mexico City to meet with President Felipe Calderon to discuss the drug-related violence in Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexico border.

House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) led the three member delegation that included Skelton and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA). After meeting with President Calderon, the delegation placed a wreath at the Monument of the Boy Heroes, which commemorates the Battle of Chapultepec in 1847 during the Mexican-American War. Returning from Mexico, the delegation stopped in El Paso, Texas, for meetings with U.S. law enforcement and other local officials.

“Drug-related violence in Mexico and along the border region is very serious, and I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with President Calderon to discuss the comprehensive effort that his government is leading to end the ruthless violence and the flow of drugs onto our streets. Our meetings with President Calderon, with U.S. Embassy staff, and with officials on the border in El Paso were very constructive. I hope that our dialogue will help strengthen in the months and years ahead the good work that our government and the Calderon Administration have been doing to address the threat that this criminal activity poses to both our nations,” said Skelton.

“I was also honored to spend time at the Chapultepec monument. It was nearly twenty years ago that I first visited this hallowed ground to pay my respects to the brave men of the United States and Mexico who in 1847 fought for control of the heights over Mexico City. The Battle of Chapultepec runs deep in the history of both our countries. U.S. Marines proudly sing about the Halls of Montezuma, and Mexico honors its Boy Heroes who defended the Mexican flag to the bitter end,” said Skelton.

“Since my last visit, the U.S. and Mexican militaries have made great progress toward building a strong and cooperative relationship. I look forward to continuing our countries’ partnership based on mutual respect, shared values, and common purpose,” said Skelton.

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HASC (House Armed Services Committee)

House Armed Services Committee: SKELTON, ORTIZ Call for Halt to All DOD A-76 Competitions

House Armed Services Committee: SKELTON, ORTIZ Call for Halt to All DOD A-76 Competitions
Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: Mar. 27, 2009

SKELTON, ORTIZ Call for Halt to All DOD A-76 Competitions

WASHINGTON, DC – Today Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, sent the following letter to both Peter Orzag, Director of OMB, and Secretary Robert Gates requesting that DOD halt all pending A-76 competitions and refrain from initiating any future reviews.

Text of the letter is below and attached. Additionally, both letters can be found on the Committee’s website.

The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Gates:

Since the Eisenhower Administration, it has been the policy of the government that it should not compete with its citizens. That policy is outlined in the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76, which governs all public-private competitions to potentially outsource work to the private sector. Originally, the A-76 process was intended to be used as a tool to determine the most competitive and efficient source for performing “commercial” work – either in the public or private sector. However, it became almost a mandate in recent years for pushing more and more work into the private sector, even work that is closely associated with inherently governmental functions, in order to meet arbitrary competition goals.

The House Armed Services Committee has taken several steps to mitigate the undue burdens on the Department of Defense. In response to a congressional mandate, the Department of Defense Inspector General reviewed the military services’ A-76 programs. In its interim report (April 22, 2008) the DOD Inspector General noted that:

§ The Army is undergoing many efforts that impact competitive sourcing planning, such as Base Realignment and closure, growing the Army, and the war.

§ The Air Force feels “pressure in the budget to conduct” privatization studies.
These findings were reaffirmed in the final report of December 15, 2008.

Furthermore, The Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act includes a one year government-wide moratorium (section 737) on beginning or announcing any A-76 studies.

Many of the Department’s A-76 studies have dragged on far beyond the time limits authorized in the 2003 revised Circular A-76, as well as those imposed by statute. This creates an unfair strain on the federal employees whose jobs are being competed, as well as the contractors who have submitted bids for the work. In many cases, an individual service has requested a cancellation – either because the installation is seeking an alternative approach or because the original study was not appropriate – only to be denied by the Department.

We are aware that the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) in a letter to many members of Congress, reaffirmed the competitive sourcing policy that was set in place by the 2001 President’s Management Agenda; this is the same official who advocated so strongly for competitive sourcing within the Department during the Bush Administration.

In light of the President’s memo (dated March 4, 2009), as well as concerns raised by the military services, we urge you to immediately halt any pending A-76 studies as well as the initiation or announcement of any A-76 study, and to rescind the 2008 competitive sourcing policy memo. This will allow the Administration and Congress time to conduct a comprehensive review of the Department’s A-76 program and to determine the best course for moving forward with a sound competitive sourcing policy.

We request a prompt response to this letter.

Sincerely,

IKE SKELTON SOLOMON P. ORTIZ
Chairman Chairman
House Armed Services Committee Readiness Subcommittee

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HASC (House Armed Services Committee)

NAO: Press Release - The Red Dragon project

NAO: Press Release - The Red Dragon project

27 March 2009

Full Report - The Red Dragon project

Red Dragon – a project by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Welsh Assembly Government and the then Welsh Development Agency (the Welsh Authorities) to provide modern aviation repair facilities at St Athan, South Wales – has cost the taxpayer around £113 million, although it was meant to have saved MOD money and protected jobs in the area, according to a joint report released today by the National Audit Office and the Wales Audit Office.

The project was established in 2000 and involved the modernisation of ageing MOD facilities, the construction of a super-hangar for fast jet repair and an aerospace business park promoted by the Welsh Authorities. DARA – the Defence Aviation Repair Agency – was the intended main tenant, with most of its work on RAF fast jets being moved into a purpose built facility. However, the MOD committed to the project without having decided on its full vision for aircraft support. Once this vision had been established, but after the Red Dragon deal had been closed, MOD announced in 2005 that DARA would close its fast jet business at St Athan, leaving the site without its anchor tenant by April 2007. The super-hangar project has achieved efficiency savings of only £57 million (accounted for in the £113 million total net cost) as opposed to planned savings of £263 million. Over £1 billion of cost savings have separately been made through transferring repair to main Royal Air Force operating bases.

The closure of DARA’s fast jet business also resulted in many job losses which the Welsh Authorities had originally intended to prevent through the project. It was also hoped that 4,000 new jobs could be created over 15 years through the development of the aerospace park, but the closure of the fast jet business delayed and complicated these plans and only 45 jobs have been created so far.

The MOD and the Welsh Authorities did not work sufficiently closely during the project. Although they had complementary objectives, there was no common purpose between them, with the MOD interested in securing more efficient repair of fast jets and the Welsh Authorities interested in safeguarding and creating jobs in South Wales. When the MOD decided that the St Athan site was no longer the most efficient place to repair its fast jets, the objectives were no longer complementary. The MOD and the Welsh Authorities did not have a shared understanding of each other’s key assumptions. The Welsh Authorities were not told as early as they might have been about the implications for St Athan of the MOD’s review of fast jet support. However, there were examples of effective collaboration to address key issues of joint interest, with the Welsh Authorities and the MOD cooperating on marketing the site.

The MOD and the Welsh Authorities are now working together to secure the future of the site. There are currently plans by the MOD to establish a Defence Training Academy using the super-hangar, which the MOD and Welsh Authorities expect to bring significant economic benefits to South Wales. The MOD and the Welsh Authorities expect that the Academy will bring over 5,500 jobs to the area (although a third are likely to be filled by staff relocating from other parts of the UK). The Welsh Authorities also expect that the Academy will provide an impetus for current plans for an aerospace park, potentially creating around an additional 2,000 jobs.

Tim Burr, head of the National Audit Office, said today:

"Both the Ministry of Defence and the Welsh Authorities have invested a considerable amount of time, effort and money in creating modern aviation repair facilities in South Wales, with a super-hangar which is now sitting almost empty. As it happens, under the Defence Training Review there should be a future for the super-hangar at St Athan, but the Red Dragon project underlines that public bodies need to have considered all implications of their respective strategies before commencing joint projects."

Jeremy Colman, Auditor General for Wales, added:

"The Ministry of Defence and the Welsh Authorities failed to collaborate sufficiently throughout the project. Although for much of the time both had complementary objectives, they did not establish a common purpose for the project or a common understanding of their respective assumptions about the future of the site. The Red Dragon project highlights the danger in large and complex projects that involve multiple public bodies of insufficient openness and information sharing."


Notes for Editors
The Welsh Assembly Government and the former Welsh Development Agency are collectively referred to in this press notice and the accompanying report as the Welsh Authorities. In April 2006, the Welsh Development Agency was merged into the Welsh Assembly Government

This joint report reflects the separate powers of the National Audit Office and Wales Audit Office and the accountability arrangements which the two bodies support. The National Audit Office examined the activities of the Ministry of Defence under section 6 of the National Audit Act 1983 and reports to the House of Commons. The Wales Audit Office examined the activities of the Welsh Authorities under the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the Government of Wales Act 2006 and reports to the National Assembly for Wales. The conclusions are joint.
The Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) became a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence in 2001. DARA became a trading fund in order to compete with industry for business that it had previously held.

The Comptroller and Auditor General, Tim Burr, is the head of the National Audit Office which employs some 850 staff. He and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other bodies have used their resources.

The Wales Audit Office is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £20 billion of annual public expenditure. Its mission is to promote improvement, so that people in Wales benefit from accountable, well-managed public services that offer the best possible value for money. It is also committed to identifying and spreading good practice across the Welsh public sector.

Press Notice 23/09
Phil Groves
Press Officer – National Audit Office

Laura Towler
Communications Officer – Wales Audit Office

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NAO (National Audit Office), UK Ministry of Defence

CNO Announces Flag Assignments

CNO Announces Flag Assignments
Story Number: NNS090327-13
Release Date: 3/27/2009 12:51:00 PM
From the Department of Defense

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced March 27 the following assignments:

Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby will be assigned as commander, Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C. Buzby is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for global force management and joint operations, N3/N5, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.

Rear Adm. (lower half) William A. Brown will be assigned to director, logistics and security assistance, J4, U.S. European Command, Vaihingen, Germany. Brown is currently serving as commander, Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers, San Diego, Calif.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark F. Heinrich, who has been selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as commander, Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers, San Diego, Calif. Heinrich is currently serving as director, logistics and readiness, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Joseph P. Mulloy will be assigned to director, Programming Division, N80, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Mulloy is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for plans, policies, and requirements, N5/N8, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Sean A. Pybus will be assigned to commander, Special Operations Command, U.S. Pacific Command, Honolulu, Hawaii. Pybus is currently serving as director of operations, Center for Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

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Appointments, USN (US Navy)

House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Statement on President’s Strategy For Afghanistan and Pakistan

House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Statement on President’s Strategy For Afghanistan and Pakistan
Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: March 27, 2009

Skelton Statement on President’s Strategy For Afghanistan and Pakistan

Washington, DC -- House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) released the following statement concerning President Obama’s strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan:

“More than anything else, I am pleased that we finally have a strategy to address Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan has been the forgotten war, and President Obama corrects this regrettable mistake. There is no guarantee of success with this strategy, but not having a strategy, as we have not for the past eight years, is certainly a guarantee of failure. At last, we can finally see a way ahead in this most important war.

“As the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, I applauded the President’s recent approval of an additional 17,000 troops for Afghanistan. However, we will not win in Afghanistan and Pakistan through military means alone. We cannot kill our way into victory, which is why the President’s strategy focuses on a whole of government approach. We need more civilian resources in Afghanistan to help build the Afghan government and help rebuild the country. As any Member of Congress who has visited Afghanistan can tell you, the U.S. government civilians there have done their absolute best, but there have been too few of them, they have not been well coordinated with the military effort, and there has been very little direction from Washington. This new plan and new leadership will change that.

“I am also pleased that the strategy calls for renewing American leadership of the international effort. The Canadians, English, Dutch, and many other nations have made tremendous sacrifices in blood and treasure in Afghanistan. We honor their sacrifices and thank them for their contributions. As the most powerful nation on earth and the country who led this coalition into Afghanistan, America owes it to our allies to reinvigorate the international effort. We owe them, as much as we owe ourselves, victory against extremist militants and terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“At the same time, we must understand, and the President clearly does, that while we can help fight Al Qaeda and the Taliban, ultimately it is the Afghans themselves who will provide for their own security and end this war. The new strategy calls for expanded Afghan security forces, and more American trainers to work with them, so that they can fight this war against the forces that shut down schools and brutally attack female students. The day the Afghans can stand against their enemies and ours without substantial military aid is the day our troops come home, and the strategy reflects this.

“Finally, I am pleased that the strategy recognizes the vital importance of Pakistan. Pakistan has served as a sanctuary for the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and while the Pakistani military has helped to fight them at times, they did not have the capability to win that fight. Even worse, some in the Pakistani political process and intelligence services hedged their bets and made common cause with extremist groups. The President’s strategy correctly recognizes that success will require action on both sides of the border, not just in Afghanistan.

“Over the coming months, the House Armed Services Committee will carefully examine this strategy and how well it meets our goals. Some may disagree with it. But all of us appreciate the critical importance of having a strategy. For helping make that a reality, we owe the President and all those who developed this strategy a debt of thanks.”

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Technorati Tags:
Afghanistan, HASC (House Armed Services Committee)

Boeing Delivers Training Enhancements to F-15E Mission Training Centers

Boeing Delivers Training Enhancements to F-15E Mission Training Centers

ST. LOUIS, March 27, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] in February delivered its F-15E Suite 5 upgrade to the U.S. Air Force's F-15E Mission Training Centers (MTC) at Mountain Home Air Force Base (AFB), Idaho; Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.; and Royal AFB Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. This system upgrade ensures that the F-15E MTCs have aircrew training devices concurrent with the latest aircraft configuration -- including recent changes to the F-15E cockpit and its ability to carry the Small Diameter Bomb.

"Our team was dedicated to providing this quantum leap in F-15E training capability to the Air Force," said Kay Grabanski, Boeing F-15 MTC program manager. "It is very gratifying to know we are helping the warfighter by delivering a product with immediate value."

Boeing also delivered a four-ship training system to the Mountain Home MTC in early March. This system enables pilots to train for missions in one of the four highly immersive, networked simulators rather than in the aircraft, where range availability is limited. Boeing is scheduled to deliver the four-ship system to the Seymour Johnson MTC in April.
"The MTC allows the customer to focus training on specific missions, such as surface attack or air-to-air," said Grabanski. "It offers aircrews the realism required for mission training."

The Boeing-developed and -operated F-15E MTC provides aircrews with high-fidelity, simulator-based training without the material and personnel costs and environmental impact associated with training in operational aircraft. The F-15E MTCs will join the Distributed Mission Operations Network in August, allowing an aircrew in one location to train for missions with other aircrews located around the world.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), F-15 Eagle

Boeing, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Capital Deliver First Emirates SkyCargo 777 Freighter

Boeing, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Capital Deliver First Emirates SkyCargo 777 Freighter

777 Freighter marks the first Boeing delivery to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE)

EVERETT, Wash., March 27, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA], DAE and Emirates SkyCargo today celebrated the first 777 Freighter delivery to the Dubai-based air freight carrier, and the first ever Boeing delivery to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Capital, the leasing arm of DAE, has a total of eight 777 Freighters on order.

"Today marks a milestone in our relationship with two key customers based in Dubai," said Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for the Middle East and Africa. "The unmatched efficiency and reliability of the 777 passenger models have made it the premier twin-aisle choice for our Middle East customers - so too, will the 777 Freighter enhance air freight delivery to and from the region at the best margins achievable."

Emirates' first 777 Freighter is shown here taking off from Paine Field in Everett during flight testing earlier this month.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), 777 Airliner

Boeing Wichita Facility Receives Environmental Certification

Boeing Wichita Facility Receives Environmental Certification

WICHITA, Kan., March 27, 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that its Global Services & Support facility in Wichita has earned International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification, a global benchmark of an organization's commitment to understand and continuously improve its environmental performance.

The Wichita site, which provides maintenance, modifications and upgrade support to the United States' executive aircraft fleet, as well as B-52H sustainment services and 767 International Tanker modification support, received the certificate March 23 after an extensive audit. Boeing last year successfully expanded ISO 14001 certification to all of its major manufacturing facilities around the world, including sites in the United States, Australia and Canada.

Independent auditors from Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an accredited certification body of quality, environmental and safety management systems, audited the Wichita site Feb. 17-19 to ensure an established environmental management system exists and that employees understand their roles in protecting the environment.

"Achieving ISO 14001 certification reinforces Boeing's commitment to environmental excellence and the community where we do business," said Wichita Site Leader Scott Strode. "This global standard bolsters our initiatives for reducing pollution and waste, increasing recycling rates and improving energy efficiency, which benefits Boeing and our entire community."

The site was recently recognized for its energy-conservation efforts with a Clean Air Award from the city of Wichita.

The Boeing Company is committed to pioneering environmentally progressive technology and relentlessly reducing its environmental footprint. Since the introduction of the first Boeing jetliner, airplane emissions of carbon dioxide have been reduced by around 70 percent and noise footprints have been reduced by approximately 90 percent. Boeing targets improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions of each new generation of commercial airplane by at least 15 percent compared with the airplanes they replace. Boeing has set aggressive targets to increase solid-waste-recycling rates and energy efficiency by 25 percent and to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions intensity by 25 percent at its major manufacturing facilities by 2012, with a comparable goal for hazardous-waste reduction. For more information, visit the company's Environment Report at www.boeing.com/environment.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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GAO: DEFENSE MANAGEMENT - Key Challenges Should be Addressed When Considering Changes to Missile Defense Agency's Roles and Missions

GAO: DEFENSE MANAGEMENT - Key Challenges Should be Addressed When Considering Changes to Missile Defense Agency's Roles and Missions

March 26, 2009
Highlights of GAO-09-466T, a testimony before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives

To more quickly field ballistic missile defenses, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has been exempted from traditional Department of Defense (DOD) requirements development, acquisition, and oversight processes since its creation in 2002. Instead, MDA has unique roles and missions to develop and field weapon systems that address a variety of ballistic missile threats. To date, MDA has spent about $56 billion and plans to spend about $50 billion more through 2013 to develop an integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System. The system consists of a layered network of capabilities that includes defensive components such as sensors, radars, interceptors, and command and control. In reviews of DOD’s approach to acquire, operate, and maintain ballistic missile defense systems, GAO has previously reported on several challenges that have stemmed from the broad flexibilities provided to MDA.

This testimony summarizes the challenges facing DOD in acquiring and operating its ballistic missile defense systems and describes DOD’s efforts to improve transparency and accountability. This statement is based primarily on previously issued GAO reports and testimonies. GAO also reviewed documents and interviewed key officials to update past work and identify DOD and MDA efforts to address previous recommendations.

Technorati Tags:
BMD (Ballistic Missile Defence), GAO (Government Accountability Office), US DoD (Department of Defense)

GAO: DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS: Key Considerations for Planning Future Army Combat Systems

GAO: DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS: Key Considerations for Planning Future Army Combat Systems

March 26, 2009
Highlights of GAO-09-410T, a report to Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives

The Future Combat System (FCS) program—which comprises 14 integrated weapon systems and an advanced information network—is the centerpiece of the Army’s effort to transition to a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force. The substantial technical challenges, the cost of the program, and the Army’s acquisition strategy are among the reasons why the program is recognized as needing special oversight and review.
This testimony is based on GAO’s March 12, 2009 report and addresses knowledge gaps that will persist in the FCS program as Congress is asked to make significant funding commitments for development and production over the next several years.

What GAO Recommends
In its March 2009 report, GAO suggested Congress consider not approving full funds for the program until several conditions are met, such as preparation of a complete budget for any program emerging from the milestone review. GAO also recommends the Secretary of Defense, among other things, ensure the program that emerges conforms to current defense acquisition policy, such as technology maturity; any spin out approach is based on fully tested results; and any incremental strategy involves free standing, justifiable increments.

Technorati Tags:
FCS (Future Combat System), GAO (Government Accountability Office), US Army, US DoD (Department of Defense)

Boeing Holds 'Major Join' Ceremony for Qatar's 1st C-17

Boeing Holds 'Major Join' Ceremony for Qatar's 1st C-17

LONG BEACH, Calif., March 26, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today celebrated the 'major join' of Qatar's first C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifter in a ceremony at the company's C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach. Qatar was the first Middle East nation to order the C-17.
During major join, the airlifter's four major fuselage sections -- the forward, center and aft fuselages and wing assembly -- are integrated, and the aircraft looks like a C-17 for the first time. Qatari officials drove ceremonial rivets into the aircraft's fuselage today as Boeing executives and hundreds of employees looked on.

Boeing will deliver Qatar's first C-17 this summer.

"This is an exciting moment for our country," said Gen. Ghanim Shaheen Al-Ghanim, deputy chief of staff for the Qatar Armed Forces. "Watching this C-17 nearing the end of the assembly line means we are now just months away from a new era in critical airlift capabilities in our region -- for our troops and for those in need of humanitarian supplies or disaster relief."

Boeing and the government of Qatar signed an agreement on July 21, 2008, for the purchase of C-17 advanced airlifters and associated equipment and services to provide new strategic-airlift capabilities for the country's defense forces.

"The C-17 will strengthen Qatar's ability to transport equipment and troops in the region, as well as participate in humanitarian operations in the Middle East and South Asia," said Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Malki, head of Qatar's airlift selection committee. "Its high reliability and operational flexibility are reasons why we selected it."

"Boeing is extremely proud to provide Qatar with the kind of strategic airlift capability and superior mobility that the C-17 continues to deliver to all of our customers," said Tommy Dunehew, Boeing International C-17 program manager. "In challenging military and humanitarian operations, the C-17 has proven again and again that it is the most advanced airlifter in the world and a global leader in mobility."

Boeing will provide support for Qatar's C-17s, including material management and depot maintenance support, under the C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership.

There are currently 198 C-17s in service worldwide -- 14 with international customers. The U.S. Air Force, including active Guard and Reserve units, has 184. International customers include the UK Royal Air Force, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability consortium of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations. The United Arab Emirates announced on Feb. 24 that it will acquire four C-17s.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), C-17 Globemaster

GAO: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - Additional Actions and Data Are Needed to Effectively Manage and Oversee DOD’s Acquisition Workforce

GAO: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - Additional Actions and Data Are Needed to Effectively Manage and Oversee DOD’s Acquisition Workforce

March 25, 2009
Highlights of GAO-09-342, a report to congressional requesters
Since 2001, the Department of Defense’s (DOD) spending on goods and services has more than doubled to $388 billion in 2008, while the number of civilian and military acquisition personnel has remained relatively stable. To augment its in-house workforce, DOD relies heavily on contractor personnel. If it does not maintain an adequate workforce, DOD places its billion-dollar acquisitions at an increased risk of poor outcomes and vulnerability to fraud, waste, and abuse.

GAO was asked to (1) assess DOD’s ability to determine whether it has a sufficient acquisition workforce, (2) assess DOD initiatives to improve the management and oversight of its acquisition workforce, and (3) discuss practices of leading organizations that could provide insights for DOD’s acquisition workforce oversight. To do this, GAO analyzed key DOD studies, obtained data from 66 major weapon system program offices across DOD, and interviewed officials from 4 program offices. GAO also met with representatives from six companies recognized as leaders in workforce management.

What GAO Recommends
GAO is making recommendations aimed at improving DOD’s management and oversight of its acquisition workforce, including the collection of data on contractor personnel. DOD concurred with three of the recommendations and noted that implementing the other requires careful consideration.

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GAO (Government Accountability Office), US DoD (Department of Defense)

GAO: DEFENSE MANAGEMENT - Actions Needed to Address Stakeholder Concerns, Improve Interagency Collaboration, and Determine Full Costs Associated with the U.S. Africa Command

GAO: DEFENSE MANAGEMENT - Actions Needed to Address Stakeholder Concerns, Improve Interagency Collaboration, and Determine Full Costs Associated with the U.S. Africa Command

March 25, 2009
Highlights of GAO-09-181, a report to Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives

In February 2007, the President directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to help strengthen U.S. security cooperation with African nations and bring peace and stability to the continent. For this review, GAO assessed DOD’s (1) efforts to establish the command and communicate its mission, (2) progress in integrating personnel from other U.S. government agencies into AFRICOM, and (3) plans and costs for establishing a permanent headquarters and supporting offices in Africa. In assessing DOD’s efforts to establish AFRICOM, GAO analyzed relevant documentation and obtained perspectives from the combatant commands, military services, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of State (State), U. S. Agency for International Development, and nongovernmental organizations.

What GAO Recommends
GAO recommends that AFRICOM include three key elements in its communications strategy, seek formal commitments for interagency personnel, and develop a comprehensive assessment of the possible locations of its permanent command headquarters and offices in Africa. In responding to a draft of this report, DOD partially agreed with GAO’s recommendations and noted that in some cases it was already taking action.

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GAO (Government Accountability Office), US DoD (Department of Defense)

House Armed Services Committee: schedule for the week of March 30 – April 3, 2009

House Armed Services Committee: schedule for the week of March 30 – April 3, 2009
Ike Skelton, Chairman
For planning purposes: March 25, 2009

The House Armed Services Committee announces the following schedule for the week of March 30 – April 3, 2009:


Wednesday, April 1, 2009 – 7:30am –2212 Rayburn – Open

The Defense Acquisition Reform Panel will meet to receive testimony on Measuring Value and Efficiency: How to Assess the Performance of the Defense Acquisition System.

Witnesses:

TBA


Wednesday, April 1, 2009 – 1:00pm –2212 Rayburn – Open

The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on Coordinating Contract Support on the Battlefield: Defense, State, and U.S. AID.

Witnesses:

Mr. Gary Motsek
Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Program Support)
U.S. Department of Defense

Mr. William Moser
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (Logistics Management)
U.S. Department of State

Ms. Maureen A. Shauket
Senior Procurement Executive
Director, Office of Acquisition and Assistance
U.S. Agency for International Development

Mr. John Hutton
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management
U.S. Government Accountability Office


Wednesday, April 1, 2009 – 2:00pm –2118 Rayburn – Open

The Readiness Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on the National Security Personnel System – The Way Forward.

Witnesses:

Mr. Brad Bunn
Program Executive Officer
National Security Personnel System
U.S. Department of Defense

Ms. Brenda Farrell
Director
Defense Capabilities and Management
U.S. Government Accountability Office

John L. Crum, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Policy and Evaluation
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

Mr. Darryl Perkinson
National President
Federal Managers Association


Thursday, April 2, 2009 – 10:00am –2118 Rayburn – Open

The full committee will meet to receive testimony on the new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan and developments in U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command.

Witnesses:

The Honorable Michѐle Flournoy
Under Secretary of Defense (Policy)
U.S. Department of Defense

General David H. Petraeus, USA
Commander
U.S. Central Command

Admiral Eric Olson, USN
Commander
U.S. Special Operations Command


Thursday, April 2, 2009 –2:00pm – 2212 Rayburn – Open

The Military Personnel Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on improving recovery and full accounting of POW/MIA personnel from all past conflicts.

Witnesses:

Panel 1:
Mr. Michael H. Wysong
Director of National Security and Foreign Affairs
Veterans of Foreign Wars

Mr. Philip D. Riley
Director
National Security and Foreign Relations
The American Legion

Ms. Ann Mills Griffiths
Executive Director
National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia

Ms. Lisa Phillips
President
WWII Families for the Return of the Missing

Ms. Lynn O’Shea
Director of Research
National Alliance of Families

Mr. Frank Metersky
Washington Liaison
Korea/Cold Families of the Missing

Ms. Robin Piacine
President
Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs

Mr. Ron Broward
POW/MIA Advocate

Panel 2:
The Honorable Charles A. Ray
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs
U.S. Department of Defense

Rear Admiral Donna L. Crisp, USN
Commander, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command
U.S. Department of Defense


Thursday, April 2, 2009 –3:30pm – 2118 Rayburn – Open

The Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on Terrorism and the New Age of Irregular Warfare: Challenges and Opportunities.

Witnesses:

Mr. William D. Hartung
Director
Arms and Security Initiative
New America Foundation

Mr. John Robb
Warfare Theorist/Author

Mr. Henry Dreifus
Founder and CEO
Dreifus Associates, Ltd., Inc.

Mr. Bevin Alexander
Adjunct professor
Longwood University

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HASC (House Armed Services Committee)

House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Statement on Annual Report to Congress on China’s Military Power

House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Statement on Annual Report to Congress on China’s Military Power
Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2009

Skelton Statement on Annual Report to Congress on China’s Military Power

Washington, DC -- House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) released the following statement on the Department of Defense’s Annual Report to Congress on the Military Power of the People’s Republic of China:

“I am concerned by some of the continuing trends and ambiguities regarding China’s military modernization, including China’s missile buildup across from Taiwan and the steady increase of China’s power projection capabilities. Moreover, China’s military budget continues a trend of double-digit increases and questions remain about China’s strategic intentions.

“At the same time, the reduction of tensions across the Taiwan Strait is a positive development and I encourage further progress in this area, including meaningful action by China to reduce its military presence directly opposite Taiwan. Also helpful would be China’s implementation of points made in President Hu Jin Tao’s December 2008 speech, governing the future of cross-Strait relations, including cross-Strait military confidence building measures and negotiation of a peace agreement.

“Other developments may also be encouraging. The 2008 White Paper on China’s National Defense and China’s submission of an annual report to the United Nations on its military expenditures reflect positive steps by China toward increasing transparency and openness regarding its defense strategy and expenditures. Yet, such steps are modest and I hope China will increasingly come to view transparency more as a responsibility to accompany the accumulation of national power and less as a transaction to be negotiated.

“I am also encouraged by China’s recent involvement in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. This demonstrates a responsible use of China’s military power, in line with its international responsibilities, of which I hope to see more. It also demonstrates the potential for U.S.-China military cooperation in this area. President Obama recently called for an increase in the level and frequency of military-to-military contacts between the U.S. and China. I couldn’t agree more and I hope we will be looking at opportunities in the Gulf of Aden and elsewhere around the world.”

The 2009 Military Power of the People’s Republic of China report is available online at: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/ChinaMilitary Power Report 2009.pdf

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House Armed Services Committee: Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) Hearing on Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan

House Armed Services Committee: Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) Hearing on Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan

Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2009

Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO)
Hearing on Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan

Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) delivered the following opening statement during today’s hearing on Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan:

“Today, the House Armed Services Committee meets to take testimony on ‘Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.’ We are fortunate to have three extremely qualified witnesses to help us sort through these issues: Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR); Major General Arnold Fields, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); and Jacquelyn Williams-Bridgers, Managing Director for International Affairs and Trade at the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“In recent years, the United States has engaged in two counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the campaign in Iraq is winding down, we are expecting a new strategy that will reinvigorate our efforts in Afghanistan to be announced in the next few days. This makes today’s effort all the more important.

“Both SIGIR and GAO have written and testified repeatedly about the problems in the U.S. effort to rebuild Iraq. Among many other problems, at some point during the war in Iraq, the reconstruction effort suffered from poor financial controls, poor interagency coordination, and a lack of strategic planning. While to some extent these problems were addressed over time in Iraq, we must ensure that the lessons that we learned there at great expense are not lost.

“To help ensure that we do not experience the same problems in Afghanistan that we did in Iraq, this committee, as part of the FY08 Defense Authorization Act, created the position of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR. As the President announces a new strategy shortly, it is our hope that SIGAR will help to take a critical look at the efforts in Afghanistan to ensure that they are properly coordinated and aligned.

“At the same time, many people have heard the concern that in Afghanistan, we are faced with a proliferation of auditors that we did not face in Iraq when SIGIR began its important work. I am hopeful that our witnesses will take the time to address the difficult trade-offs between full accountability and the flexibility needed in a war zone and the coordination that we need between auditors to ensure we do not stifle creativity.

“I would also note that many of the lessons learned in Iraq, as pointed out by GAO and SIGIR, may be applicable in the future as we consider ways to reform the interagency system. It is my hope that the testimony and discussion here will help to illuminate these issues and to help us further understand the problems and potential solutions.

“I now yield to my good friend, the Ranking Member, John McHugh for any comments he might care to make.”

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Afghanistan, HASC (House Armed Services Committee), Iraq

Boeing Marks Milestone for KC-10 Contractor Logistics Support Program

Boeing Marks Milestone for KC-10 Contractor Logistics Support Program

ST. LOUIS, March 25, 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today recognized a milestone for its KC-10 Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) program: The program has provided aircraft maintenance more than 750 times for the current fleet of 59 aerial-refueling tanker aircraft. The March 20 return of a KC-10 Extender to the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., marked the 750th time Boeing Global Services & Support employees in San Antonio have completed KC-10 maintenance since the U.S. Air Force awarded the contract in 1998.
"This milestone is important not only because the aircraft was the 750th returned to the Air Force following scheduled maintenance, but also because it's the 750th time we've returned an aircraft to the Air Force on time," said Mike Wright, Boeing KC-10 program director. "To be able to get the aircraft back to the warfighter on time, all the time, is important to all of us."

The aircraft received depot-level maintenance and was also the second in the fleet to undergo refurbishment.

"The refurbishment work is a lot like restoring a vintage car," Wright said. "We replace panels, decals, lighting fixtures and heavily used aircraft equipment. We also paint the interior of the aircraft and generally give it a good restoration throughout." Boeing is working with the Air Force to refurbish the remaining 57 KC-10s in the fleet.
The work is necessary, according to the Air Force, as the KC-10 Extender continues to play an integral role in the ongoing global war on terrorism.

The Boeing KC-10 CLS program currently provides depot-level maintenance and modifications, supply-chain management and other critical support tasks to the KC-10 fleet. Boeing also provides around-the-world support for the aircraft with a network of Field Service Representatives and other support personnel.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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GAO: COAST GUARD - Observations on Changes to Management and Oversight of the Deepwater Program

GAO: COAST GUARD - Observations on Changes to Management and Oversight of the Deepwater Program

March 24, 2009
Highlights of GAO-09-462T, a testimony before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives

GAO has a large body of work examining government agencies’ approaches to managing their large acquisition projects. GAO has noted that without sufficient knowledge about system requirements, technology, and design maturity, programs are subject to cost overruns, schedule delays, and performance that does not meet expectations.

The Deepwater Program, intended to replace or modernize 15 major classes of Coast Guard assets, accounts for almost 60 percent of the Coast Guard’s fiscal year 2009 appropriation for acquisition, construction and improvements. GAO has reported over the years on this program, which has experienced serious performance and management problems such as cost breaches, schedule slips, and assets designed and delivered with significant defects.

To carry out the Deepwater acquisition, the Coast Guard contracted with Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) as a systems integrator. In April 2007, the Commandant acknowledged that the Coast Guard had relied too heavily on contractors to do the work of government and announced that the Coast Guard was taking over the lead role in systems integration from ICGS.
This testimony reflects our most recent issued work on Deepwater, specifically our June 2008 report, Coast Guard: Change in Course Improves Deepwater Management and Oversight, but Outcome Still Uncertain, GAO-08-745.

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GAO (Government Accountability Office), USCG (US Coast Guard)

Boeing to Spotlight Advanced Capabilities at National Space Symposium

Boeing to Spotlight Advanced Capabilities at National Space Symposium

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 24, 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] will spotlight its satellite programs, missile defense systems, human spaceflight programs, operationally responsive space systems and network-centric capabilities at the Space Foundation's 25th National Space Symposium. The annual event will take place March 30 to April 2 in Colorado Springs.

"In partnership with our military, civil government and commercial customers, we're advancing U.S. leadership in space with network-based solutions that can dramatically increase mission effectiveness," said Roger Krone, president of the Network and Space Systems business unit of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. "Our presence at the Space Symposium highlights the vital role our core aerospace engineering and manufacturing expertise plays in delivering system solutions, both in space and around the world."

The Boeing exhibit will feature demonstrations of the company's support for NASA's Constellation programs, including the Ares I crew launch vehicle, satellite operations and ground control systems. The exhibit also contains interactive displays of the Wideband Global SATCOM system, the Airborne Laser program and space hardware that is advancing the architecture and application of small satellites.

Boeing executives will participate in two panel discussions at the conference: Joy Bryant, vice president and program manager of the International Space Station Program, speaks on an international panel at 2:30 p.m. local time on April 1; Krone speaks on a senior industry leader panel at 10:45 a.m. on April 2.

Boeing plans a series of news briefings on key programs and issues. Interested reporters are asked to confirm their attendance at each of these events with the contacts listed below no later than Friday, March 27. All times listed below are local to Colorado Springs, which observes Mountain Daylight Time.

TUESDAY, March 31 -- the Broadmoor Hotel
7:15 a.m. MDT
Breakfast Briefing: Overview of Boeing Human Spaceflight Programs
Brewster Shaw, a former NASA astronaut and vice president and general manager of Boeing Space Exploration, is joined by human spaceflight program leaders who oversee the company's contributions to the International Space Station, Space Shuttle and Ares rocket programs.

10:45 a.m. MDT
Space Based Space Surveillance System
Todd Citron, director of Space Superiority and Special Missions, and Fred Doyle, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. vice president and general manager for National Defense, provide an update on the development and upcoming launch of the U.S. Air Force Space Based Space Surveillance System satellite project. SBSS will consist of a constellation of satellites that can detect and track orbiting space objects, including orbital debris and potential threats to the United States' space assets.

WEDNESDAY, April 1 -- the Broadmoor Hotel
10 a.m. MDT
Military Communication Satellites
Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Space and Intelligence Systems, provides an update on military satellite programs including the Wideband Global SATCOM system and the Global Positioning System.

1:30 p.m. MDT
Operationally Responsive Space
Alex Lopez, vice president of Advanced Network and Space Systems, briefs reporters on Boeing's work on the X-51A WaveRider. He will also discuss Boeing's accomplishments on Operationally Responsive Space-related activities, including NanoSats, High Integrity Global Positioning System, Plug-n-Play spacecraft and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Fast Access Spacecraft Testbed program.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), Space systems

House Armed Services Committee: Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) Posture Hearing on U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Forces Korea

House Armed Services Committee: Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) Posture Hearing on U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Forces Korea

Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: March 24, 2009

Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) Posture Hearing on U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Forces Korea

Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) delivered the following opening statement during today’s posture hearing on U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Forces Korea:

“Today the committee will continue its annual series of posture hearings with Combatant Commanders. I’m very pleased to welcome Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command; General Bantz Craddock, Commander of the U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO; and General “Skip” Sharp, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea. At the outset, I want to thank you all for your leadership. I also want to thank the troops that you lead, along with their families, for their incredible service and personal sacrifice.

“Over the last several years, we have been so focused on Iraq that a broad range of security challenges and potential flashpoints elsewhere in the world have not gotten the attention they merit. The readiness posture of all the combatant commands outside the Middle East has suffered, creating an unacceptable level of strategic risk. There are some clear examples of this across the Asia-Pacific region’s rapidly changing landscape and in Europe as well. We ignore these risks at our peril. We must ensure that we get our level of strategic risk back within acceptable limits and restore our ability to react quickly to unforeseen crises.

“Let me review just a few of the daunting challenges ahead in the Asia-Pacific. The rebasing of U.S. Marines from Japan to Guam is one of the largest movements of military assets in decades, estimated to cost over $10 billion. Yet it is not clear that DOD has fully thought through its plans to support the Marines on Guam, or those remaining on Okinawa. As Admiral Keating knows, a delegation from this committee recently returned from Okinawa and Guam. The changes being planned as part of that move affect not only our bilateral relationship with Japan; they will shape our strategic posture throughout the critical Asia-Pacific region for 50 years or more. I am deeply concerned that the current plans do not address all the concerns that would impact our ability to train fully and also to operate and fight in the region if we must. We must get this right and this committee will work with the Department to ensure that we do.

“In Korea, the plans for relocation appear solid, but there are remaining questions about how the upcoming transformation of the U.S.-South Korea command relationship will account for the range of scenarios that could emerge on the Korean peninsula. At the same time, North Korea has threatened to test a missile that could theoretically reach the west coast of the United States, and serious concerns remain about the regime’s nuclear capabilities. China has just announced another double-digit increase in its military budget, and security relations with China remain strained following the harassment of a U.S. naval vessel by Chinese ships in the South China Sea. India’s relations with Pakistan remain strained following the Mumbai terrorist bombing last year. Throughout Indonesia, the Philippines and much of Southeast Asia, the threat of terrorism, violence and instability remains extraordinarily high. And while we’ve been preoccupied in the Middle East, China and others have been expanding their influence in Latin America, Africa and around the globe.

“In Europe, the recent conflict between Georgia and Russia was a stark reminder that our security challenges in the region are still very real. It is a region with real and latent frictions, including the ever present instability in the Balkans. EUCOM plays an important role in the stability and security of the continent. NATO is also as important as ever. Still, we have come to regard NATO chiefly as a resource to be employed elsewhere. We shouldn’t forget its original purpose. While closer ties with Russia are to be encouraged, Russia’s actions in Georgia, its ties with Venezuela, and its involvement in the natural gas crisis this winter remind us that NATO is first and foremost an organization for collective security in Europe.

“I continue to be deeply concerned about NATO’s mission in Afghanistan. The administration will shortly put forward a strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. What is clear to me is that, while additional American investment and leadership is needed, our allies must do more as well. The problems from that region affect us all. I know NATO allies have increased their contributions to that mission in recent years, but I remain concerned about the restrictions some nations put on the employment of their forces. In some cases this is a question about national will, but to the extent those decisions reflect concerns about capability, I encourage EUCOM to continue to do the sorts of capacity-building efforts that have shown such a positive impact over the years, both with our NATO allies and with other regional partners.

“This is a time when we should be proactively engaged in the Asia-Pacific region and in Europe on multiple fronts, and realize that our own actions may well influence the choices and actions of others. We must be able to pursue opportunities for security cooperation with regional allies and partners, and ensure that our force posture will allow us to deter or to confront any security challenge that might emerge in these parts of the world. I am pleased to see the Department of Defense and the Obama administration already taking a number of positive steps in this direction, and I hope to see more as we move forward.

“However, before we begin testimony, I turn to Ranking Member John McHugh for any statement he may wish to make.”

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HASC (House Armed Services Committee)

Boeing Laser System Redeploys Quickly, Then Tracks Targets and Fires Laser

Boeing Laser System Redeploys Quickly, Then Tracks Targets and Fires Laser

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 24, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has successfully demonstrated its Re-Deployable High-Energy Laser System (RHELS) by quickly relocating the prototype weapon system from its Albuquerque development site to a test range, where it tracked ground and airborne targets and fired at a ground target.

RHELS integrates a solid-state, thin-disk laser; an acquisition, pointing and tracking capability; beam control, fire control and thermal management systems; and a weapons operator console into a modified 40-foot-long shipping container transportable on a semitrailer.

Boeing began the two-week-long test Feb. 23 by packing up RHELS at its Albuquerque facility, moving it to a local government facility in Albuquerque and setting it up there, all in only a few hours. With the system status re-established, RHELS then tracked in-flight aircraft and moving and stationary ground vehicles, and successfully fired its laser, hitting a remote target board on the ground. Due to test-range restrictions, the system did not fire at moving targets.

"RHELS demonstrates that a solid-state, high-energy laser weapon system can be transportable, rugged, supportable and affordable," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Directed Energy Systems. "RHELS drives tactical directed-energy laser systems out of the laboratory and into the hands of the warfighter. Its transportability also means developers and warfighters have the opportunity to test this transformational, ultra-precision directed-energy weapon system at a number of ranges under varying conditions and against a diverse set of targets."

In future tests, RHELS will fire its laser at in-flight targets and moving ground vehicles. RHELS is designed to engage rocket, artillery and mortar (RAM) projectiles, shoulder-fired missiles and unmanned aircraft, as well as a variety of ground-mobile tactical targets.
RHELS is a Boeing-funded initiative to show that directed energy weapons are maturing and are relevant to today's battlefield. It also provides key lessons for the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD), a truck-mounted, high-energy laser, counter-RAM weapon system that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Army.

"RHELS reduces risk for HEL TD in a controlled but realistic setting," said Lee Gutheinz, Boeing program director for High-Energy Laser/Electro-Optical Systems. "It confirms the functionality of a compact, reliable and highly efficient laser system while maintaining future scalability to many tens of kilowatts of laser power."

Boeing leads the way in developing high-energy laser systems for a variety of warfighter applications. These systems include Airborne Laser, Advanced Tactical Laser, HEL TD, Laser Avenger and the Tactical Relay Mirror System.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA)

Audacious gets its keel

Audacious gets its keel
March 24, 2009

An Equipment and Logistics news article

The Royal Navy's most powerful attack submarine programme reached a milestone today as the traditional 'laying the keel' ceremony was performed by Defence Secretary John Hutton for the fourth Astute class submarine 'Audacious'.

Weighing in at over seven thousand tonnes, Audacious, which is currently under construction by BAE Systems Submarine Solutions at Barrow-in-Furness, will join sister boats Astute, Ambush and Artful in becoming a cornerstone of UK defence capability.

Defence Secretary John Hutton said:

"This ceremony marks an important stage in a challenging project. The Astute class will be the most advanced and powerful attack submarines the Royal Navy has ever operated and these boats will play a key part of our defences for decades to come.

"The Royal Navy has a long term and enduring requirement for nuclear powered submarines and the Barrow-in-Furness yard remains the UK's centre of excellence for submarine building.

"Submarines are extremely demanding engineering projects, and the Astute class is no exception. The skills, expertise and commitment of the Barrow workforce are absolutely fundamental to the success of the Astute programme."

The Astute class are the biggest and most powerful attack submarines ever ordered for the Royal Navy. The vessels have an improved capability for worldwide operations, including much greater firepower and better communications and crew accommodation than the current in-service submarines.

Director General Submarines Rear Admiral Simon Lister said:

"The Astute programme is forging ahead: the Navy is looking forward to getting its hands on the first of class, Astute; the building of the second, Ambush, is making good progress; and the third, Artful, incorporates a range of initiatives which speed up production and cut cost. Audacious benefits from further innovation, particularly in team-working with the company and throughout the supplier base."

Around 5,000 people are employed on the project for the first four Astute class submarines.

The fourth of seven Astute class submarines ordered by the MOD, Audacious joins Astute, named by The Duchess of Cornwall in June 2007, and Ambush and Artful already under construction

Astute class submarines will displace 7,400 tonnes dived and are 97 metres long. Capable of circumnavigating the globe in a single 90-day patrol without resurfacing, they will have six weapons tubes and massively increased firepower compared with earlier attack submarines.

Each Astute class submarine has a complement of 98 men and is powered by a Pressurised Water Reactor 2, equipped with Core H, which will fuel the reactor for the submarine's full service life, ending the need for costly reactor refuellings.

Astute class submarines will be based at Faslane on the Clyde and will undergo refits at Devonport.

Astute, Ambush, Artful and Audacious are being procured by the Defence Equipment and Support organisation's Submarine Production Integrated Project Team.

There have been three warships named 'Audacious'. The first was a 74-gun wooden ship of the line that fought under Nelson at the Battle of the Nile in 1798; the second was an ironclad that served on the China station; and the third was a First World War battleship serving with the Grand Fleet that was mined and sunk in 1914.

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Naval Systems, Royal Navy

Boeing Demonstrates Net-Centric Capabilities of Tactical Network in Australia

Boeing Demonstrates Net-Centric Capabilities of Tactical Network in Australia

BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia, March 23, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has demonstrated for the first time the ability to deliver streaming video over a mobile, ad hoc tactical network from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a Chinook helicopter and ground troops. The demonstration proves that the high-bandwidth connection can deliver video beyond line-of-sight to the tactical edge, providing greater situational awareness to warfighters equipped to receive video.

"This tactical network is ahead of its time in many ways," said Tom DuBois, Boeing Rotorcraft Systems architect and Technical Fellow for Avionics and Software. "The network's open architecture means it can operate simultaneously with other transformational communication systems, while also supporting UAV sensor visualization, white board, chat and network-based situational awareness displays."

The net-centric demonstration took place March 16-18 at Boeing's Systems Analysis Laboratory in Brisbane, Australia, where personnel from Australia's Army, Navy and Air Force viewed the network's capabilities on actual flight hardware.

"Tactically networked aircraft and ground units will result in more accurate military responses due to the ability to instantly and effortlessly communicate data to and coordinate with troops on land, in aircraft or at sea," said Steve Parker, vice president and general manager of Boeing Network and Space Systems -- Australia. "Boeing can provide these tactical network solutions today."

Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned Boeing subsidiary and a business unit of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, has more than 2,300 employees at 14 locations throughout Australia supporting programs for the Australian government and defence forces, international and commercial customers.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Australia, Boeing (NYSE:BA), C4ISTAR

Boeing Macon Site Earns Environmental Certification

Boeing Macon Site Earns Environmental Certification

MACON, Ga., March 23, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that its Global Mobility Systems facility in Macon, Ga., has earned International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification, a global benchmark of an organization's commitment to understand and continuously improve its environmental performance.

The Macon site, which produces structural subassemblies for the C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifter and supports the CH-47 Chinook helicopter program, is the first Boeing facility to receive ISO 14001 certification in 2009. Boeing last year successfully expanded ISO 14001 certification to 16 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Australia and Canada.

Independent auditors from Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an accredited certification body of quality, environmental and safety management systems, audited the Macon site Jan. 27-29 to ensure an established environmental management system exists and that employees understand their roles in protecting the environment.

"Achieving ISO 14001 certification reinforces Macon's commitment to environmental excellence and leverages our Lean+ initiative and efforts to involve employees," said Macon Site Leader Reed Morren. "This global standard bolsters our initiatives for reducing pollution and waste, increasing recycling rates and improving energy efficiency, which benefits Boeing and our entire community."

The auditors commended the Macon site for its significant reduction in energy consumption and the implementation of a Lean+ checklist into all Lean processes.

The Boeing Company is committed to pioneering environmentally progressive technology and relentlessly reducing its environmental footprint. Since the introduction of the first Boeing jetliner, airplane emissions of carbon dioxide have been reduced by around 70 percent and noise footprints have been reduced by approximately 90 percent. Boeing targets improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions of each new generation of commercial airplane by at least 15 percent compared with the airplanes they replace. Boeing has set aggressive targets to increase solid-waste-recycling rates and energy efficiency by 25 percent and to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions intensity by 25 percent at its major manufacturing facilities by 2012, with a comparable goal for hazardous-waste reduction. For more information, visit the company's Environment Report at www.boeing.com/environment.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA)

Boeing Completes P-8A Poseidon Loads Calibration Testing Ahead of Schedule

Boeing Completes P-8A Poseidon Loads Calibration Testing Ahead of Schedule

SEATTLE, March 19, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] last week completed loads calibration testing of the first P-8A Poseidon test aircraft two weeks ahead of schedule. Loads calibration is one of the prerequisites for the U.S. Navy flight clearance process.
During the tests, up to 80 percent of the highest expected flight loads were applied to the aircraft's fuselage, horizontal stabilizers, vertical fin and wing structures. Completion of loads calibration ensures that test aircraft T-1 is ready for airworthiness testing, which will commence later this year.
"One of the reasons we were able to complete the tests ahead of schedule is that the team incorporated some new technologies which enabled us to capture more accurate and more usable data faster," said Mark Magnuson, Boeing P-8A Structural Development and Certification director. "We also completed a number of independent reviews of the test plan prior to the start of testing, in order to reduce risk."
One of the new technologies, optical photogrammetry, entailed installing small video cameras on the P-8A's leading and trailing edges and underneath the fuselage. The measurement system provided three-dimensional, real-time data.
The team now will restore T-1 to its flight configuration and perform additional systems tests prior to first flight.
The P-8A is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems and GE Aviation. The team currently is assembling and testing the first five P-8As.
The Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8A long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to replace its fleet of P-3Cs. Initial operational capability is slated for 2013.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), P-8A Poseidon

Boeing Delivers 1st JTRS GMR Radio Engineering Development Models to US Army

Boeing Delivers 1st JTRS GMR Radio Engineering Development Models to US Army

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., March 19, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the first two engineering development models (EDM) of the Joint Tactical Radio System Ground Mobile Radios (JTRS GMR) to the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program on Feb. 27. FCS will use the EDM units for software development, integration and testing. Combined with pre-EDM radios, the EDM units will provide mobile networking capability during this summer's FCS Spin Out Limited User Test at Fort Bliss, Texas.

"When fielded, JTRS GMR will allow warfighters to communicate and share information over a secure, interoperable tactical radio system," said Army Col. Daniel P. Hughes, program manager, JTRS Ground Domain.

Boeing JTRS GMR Program Manager Ralph Moslener said, "JTRS GMR is more than a radio; it provides interactive voice, video and data communications. This interoperable system truly provides communication and situational awareness capabilities that have never been available on the battlefield."

Boeing will provide additional engineering models to the JTRS Joint Program Executive Office over the next six months for a government-run system integration test scheduled to begin later this year.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Boeing (NYSE:BA), FCS (Future Combat System), US Army

House Armed Services Committee: schedule for the week of March 23 – 27, 2009

House Armed Services Committee: schedule for the week of March 23 – 27, 2009
Ike Skelton, Chairman
For planning purposes: March 19, 2009

The House Armed Services Committee announces the following schedule for the week of March 23 – 27, 2009:

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 – 10:00 am –2118 Rayburn – Open

The Joint Military Personnel and Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittees will meet to receive testimony on Department of Defense Health Information Technology: AHTLA is “Intolerable,” Where Do We Go From Here?

Witnesses:

Panel 1:
Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker, USA
Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command
The Surgeon General
U.S. Army

Lieutenant Colonel Hon S. Pak, USA
Chief Medical Information Officer
U.S. Army

Rear Admiral Thomas R. Cullison, USN
Deputy Surgeon General
U.S. Navy

Major General (Dr.) Charles Bruce Green, USAF
Deputy Surgeon General
U.S. Air Force

Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Donald Kowalewski, USAF
Internal Medicine Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General
U.S. Air Force

Panel 2:
Honorable S. Ward Casscells, M.D.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
U.S. Department of Defense

Mr. Charles Campbell
Chief Information Officer, Military Health System
U.S. Department of Defense

Colonel Claude Hines Jr.
Program Manager, Defense Health Information Management Systems
U.S. Department of Defense

Mr. Tommy J. Morris
Acting Director
Office of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection & Readiness Programs
U.S. Department of Defense

Mr. Tim Harp
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Computers,
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Information Technology Acquisition
U.S. Department of Defense


Tuesday, March 24, 2009 – 1:00 pm –2118 Rayburn – Open

The full committee will meet to receive testimony on security developments in the areas of responsibility of the U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Forces Korea

Witnesses:

Admiral Timothy J. Keating, USN
Commander, U.S. Pacific Command

General Bantz J. Craddock, USA
Commander, U.S. European Command
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe

General Walter L. "Skip" Sharp, USA
Commander, United Nations Command
Commander, Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command
Commander, U.S. Forces Korea


Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – 10:00 am –2118 Rayburn – Open

The full committee will meet to receive testimony on Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Witnesses:

Mr. Stuart W. Bowen, Jr.
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction

Major General Arnold Fields, USMC (ret.)
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction

Ms. Jacquelyn L. Williams-Bridgers
Managing Director, International Affairs and Trade
U.S. Government Accountability Office


Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – 2:00 pm –2118 Rayburn – Open

The Readiness Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on readiness and sustainment of the Navy's surface fleet.

Witnesses:

Rear Admiral (Upper Half) (Select) Philip H. Cullom, USN
Director
Fleet Readiness Division (OPNAV N43)

Rear Admiral (Upper Half) (Select) Joseph F. Campbell, USN
Director of Staff
Fleet Maintenance Officer (USFF N43)

Rear Admiral (Lower Half) James P. McManamon, USN
Deputy Commander for Surface Warfare
Naval Sea Systems Command (SEA 21)

Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Thomas J. Eccles, USN
Deputy Commander Naval Systems Engineering
Naval Sea Systems Command (SEA 05)


Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – 4:00 pm –2212 Rayburn – Open

The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on Contingency Contracting: Has the Call for Urgent Reform Been Answered?

Witnesses:

Mr. Shay D. Assad
Director, Defense Procurement, Acquisition Policy and Strategic Sourcing
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology)
U.S. Department of Defense

Mr. Edward M. Harrington
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement)
U.S. Army

Mr. Jeffrey P. Parsons
Executive Director
U.S. Army Contracting Command
U.S. Army Materiel Command

Major General Darryl A. Scott, USAF
Deputy Commander, Task Force to Support Business Operations in Iraq
Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Business Transformation)
U.S. Department of Defense


Thursday, March 26, 2009 –9:00 am – 2212 Rayburn – Open

The Strategic Forces Subcommittees will meet to receive testimony on future roles and missions of the Missile Defense Agency.

Witnesses:

Mr. David G. Ahern
Director, Portfolio Systems Acquisition
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
U.S. Department of Defense

Mr. John Pendleton
Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Team
U.S. Government Accountability Office

General Larry D. Welch, USAF (ret.)
President and CEO
Institute for Defense Analyses


Thursday, March 26, 2009 –10:00 am – 2118 Rayburn – Open

The Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on the requirements for the future capabilities of the United States maritime forces.

Witnesses

Dr. Loren B. Thompson
Chief Operating Officer
Lexington Institute

Rear Admiral William Houley, USN (ret)

Mr. Ron O’Rourke
Senior Naval Analyst
Congressional Research Service

Dr. Thomas P.M. Barnett
Senior Managing Director
Enterra Solutions, LLC


Thursday, March 26, 2009 – 2:00 pm –2118 Rayburn – Open

The Air and Land Forces Subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on status of the future combat systems program.

Witnesses:

Mr. Paul L. Francis
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management
U.S. Government Accountability Office

Mr. William R. Graveline
Assistant Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management
U.S. Government Accountability Office

Lieutenant General N. Ross Thompson, III, USA
Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army
(Acquisition, Logistics and Technology)
U.S. Army

Major General John R. Bartley, USA
Program Manager, Future Combat Systems
U.S. Army

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HASC (House Armed Services Committee)