Defense Daily articles from July 2007

Defense Daily archives from July 2007

Defense Watch.(Company overview)
July 2, 2007... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Authorized To Proceed. The Senate will turn to the defense authorization bill when it returns from its July 4 recess on July 9, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)...

Boeing Wins Contract To Rewing Air Force A-10 Ground-Attack Aircraft.
July 2, 2007... The Air Force on Friday awarded Boeing [BA] a $2 billion contract on Friday to install new wings on a portion of the service's fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft. The Chicago-based company beat out Lockheed Martin [LMT]...

House Transportation Panel Approves Coast Guard, Deepwater Bills.
July 2, 2007... The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last week approved an $8.3 billion authorization bill for the Coast Guard and another measure aimed at increasing oversight of the service's Deepwater modernization program. The...

AUSA President Presses Senators To Increase the Army's Size.
July 2, 2007... By Jen DiMascio The president of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) last week wrote a letter to key senators pressing the need for additional soldiers and Marines. The June 27 letter to Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Sen. John McCain...

Boeing Testing Engine For Conceptual High-Altitude Unmanned Aircraft.
July 2, 2007... By Michael Sirak Boeing [BA] is conducting endurance tests of the novel hydrogen-powered propulsion system that it is developing for its conceptual high-altitude, long- endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft, and is nearing an important...

General Dynamics Delivers First MRAPs, Contracts Continue To Flow.
July 2, 2007... By Geoff Fein General Dynamics [GD] delivered its first Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to the Marine Corps less than 120 days after the company received its first production order for the new product, the company...

BAE To Begin AGS Production In Alabama This Fall.
July 2, 2007... By Geoff Fein BAE SYSTEMS will move into a new production plant in Alabama later this year to begin building the Advanced Gun System (AGS) for DDG-1000, according to a company spokeswoman. The company will lease the Warrior River...

Lawmakers Urge Gates To Investigate Response To Urgent Needs Requests.(Joseph Biden and Christopher Bond )
July 2, 2007... By Geoff Fein Two senior lawmakers are urging Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to investigate whether calls for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs) in early 2005 went unanswered for more then a year. Sens. Joseph Biden...

European Defence Agency Takes On UAV Airspace Integration.
July 3, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt The European Defence Agency (EDA) is preparing to examine responses, due July 10, to a study contract to find an all-Europe approach to unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airspace integration. The call for Requests to...

Growler Readies For First Flights With New EA Systems.
July 3, 2007... By Geoff Fein Navy pilots will begin this month the first flight tests of the newest electronic attack (EA) airplane equipped with its new EA systems and new software functionalities, according to a service official. Boeing's [BA]...

New Army Directorate Focuses On Integrating Modern Capabilities.
July 3, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt The Army's new Future Force Integration Directorate (FFID) is taking a holistic approach to integrating Future Combat System (FCS) capabilities into the current force. "I use doctrine, organization, training, leader...

Australia Signs $332 million In Contracts To Sustain OTH Radar Capabilities.
July 3, 2007... Australia June 28 announced the Ministry of Defence signed two sustainment contracts worth about $332 million to maintain the unique Over-the- Horizon Radar capability over the next five years. The contract with RLM Pty Ltd., worth about...

L-3 Awarded $600 Million For SOCOM Logistics Support.(L-3 Communications Corp.)(Brief article)
July 3, 2007... L-3 Communications [LLL] Integrated Systems (L-3 IS) Group last week announced it was awarded a $600 million increase to the ceiling of its previously awarded indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract. The amended...

Boeing Picks Lockheed Martin For F/A-18E/F IRST Effort.
July 3, 2007... Boeing [BA] has selected Lockheed Martin [LMT] over three competitos to supply up to 150 Infrared Search and Track (IRST) systems for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II aircraft, according to Boeing. Boeing expects to receive the initial...

Lieberman Wants More Use of Surveillance Cameras In U.S. Cities.
July 3, 2007... By Calvin Biesecker In the wake of last week's failed car bombings in London and Glasgow, Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman (I/D-Conn.) believe cities here should more widely deploy video surveillance...

Giant Heron Migrating Soon, IAI Hopes.
July 5, 2007... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--When Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled its operational Heron TP (Turboprop) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at the Paris Air Show recently, it caught many potential customers by surprise and that...

Air Force Begins Deactivating 50 Minuteman III Missiles As Laid Out In 2006 QDR.
July 5, 2007... By Michael Sirak The Air Force has begun deactivating 50 Minuteman III ICBMs, 10 percent of the nation's nuclear-tipped, long-range ballistic missile force, in a process that will take place over the next 12 months, according to the...

Air Force Recommends Debarment For Pinnacle Armor.
July 5, 2007... By Jen DiMascio An Air Force proposal has placed Pinnacle Armor, the maker of Dragon Skin body armor, on a list of contractors forbidden to take on new work with federal agencies, but members of Congress are talking with the Defense...

Navy Awards Elbit's U.S. Subsidiary Potential $97 Million For Helo Assemblies.
July 5, 2007... Israel's Elbit Systems [ESLT] last week said its Kollsman subsidiary in the United States received a contract worth up to $97 million for work over a five-year period on various assemblies for Marine Corps AH-1 Marine Corps helicopters. ...

The Newest Medal of Honor Winner Meets The Newest AH-64D Apache.
July 5, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt What's the difference between a UH-1D and an AH-64D Apache Longbow? "It's the difference between driving a Volkswagen and driving a Masserati," says retired Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall, Medal of Honor winner for heroic...

CACI Closes Acquisition of Wexford Group.(Wexford Group International )(Brief article)
July 5, 2007... CACI International [CAI] this week said it has completed its acquisition of the federal consulting firm Wexford Group International in a deal that expands its support for DoD. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Wexford is...

Navy To Monitor Work At Northrop Grumman Gulf Coast Shipyards, Official Says.
July 5, 2007... By Geoff Fein The Navy is planning quarterly reviews of Northrop Grumman [NOC] Ship Systems' (NGSS) facilities in New Orleans and Pascagoula, Miss., as well as all ships under contract with the company in light of concerns the service...

General Dynamics To Build More Stryker Vehicles Under $257 Million Order.
July 5, 2007... General Dynamics [GD] Land Systems unit was recently awarded a $257 million delivery order under an existing contract for 165 Stryker eight-wheeled armored combat vehicles. The June 26 order by the Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command...

Lockheed Martin Continues Army Air Maneuver Battle Lab Work.
July 5, 2007... The Army selected Lockheed Martin [LMT] under an approximately $1 million contract to continue to develop and analyze concepts that will enhance the unmanned systems component of its Air Maneuver Battle Laboratory (AMBL) in Fort Rucker,...

New Presidential Helicopter Completes 40-Minute Maiden Flight.
July 6, 2007... By Geoff Fein VH-71, the Navy's next presidential helicopter being built by the industry team of Lockheed Martin [LMT], AgustaWestland, and Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT], made its maiden flight Tuesday at AgustaWestland's United Kingdom...

RAND: F-22 Multiyear Deal Likely Will Save Air Force About $410 Million.
July 6, 2007... By Michael Sirak Procuring the next three lots of F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft under a multiyear contractual arrangement likely would save the Air Force about $410 million, or around 4.5 percent of the total costs of buying those...

Radyne To Acquire Small Satellite Maker AeroAstro.
July 6, 2007... Radyne Corp. [RADN], a developer and manufacturer of satellite modems and other systems and software for communications networks, has agreed to acquire small satellite maker AeroAstro, Inc., for $18 million. The deal is expected to close...

DARPA Eyes Rocket Delivery of High-Altitude, Long-Dwell UAV For Intelligence Gathering.
July 6, 2007... The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) intends to pursue the technologies to deliver a high-flying unmanned aircraft via a rocket rapidly to any spot worldwide to collect information from overhead for extended periods. ...

Industry Officials Say House Bill Provisions Could Discourage Commercial Contracting.
July 6, 2007... By Jen DiMascio Acquisition reforms contained in the House version of the fiscal year 2008 defense authorization bill are drawing objections from the contracting community about the way in which those provisions could scale back...

Lockheed Martin ATACMS Successfully Tests Upgraded Guidance And Control.
July 6, 2007... Lockheed Martin [LMT] announced yesterday a successful recent test of the new upgraded guidance and control system for the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The missile achieved all test objectives,...

Defense Procurement Requires Far More Funds; Costs Are Soaring.
July 6, 2007... By Dave Ahearn Major weapons procurement programs, with costs already skyrocketing, will require vastly more funds in the out years than projected in President Bush's budget for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2008, a leading military...

Carlyle Group Acquiring Communications And Systems Engineering Provider ARINC.
July 6, 2007... The private equity firm The Carlyle Group said yesterday it has agreed to acquire ARINC Inc., a provider of transportation communications capabilities and systems engineering services to defense, government, airport, aviation and...

Defense Department Approves Full-Rate Production For Black Hawk Upgrade Program.
July 6, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt The Pentagon has approved full rate production for the Sikorsky [UTX] Black Hawk Upgrade program. Kenneth Krieg, the Pentagon acquisition chief on June 26 authorized the move, according to an information paper on the...

Defense Watch.
July 9, 2007... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Spook Spending. Unclassified programs in the Senate Intelligence Authorization Act will cost about $390 million in fiscal year 2008 and about $711 million between FY '08...

Funding Shortages Force Air Force To Shut Down Battlelabs Come October.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... By Michael Sirak The Air Force will be shuttering its seven battelabs at the end of the fiscal year due to funding shortages, according to a service official. "While we recognize the Battlelabs provided us with good stuff, we are no...

Raytheon: Directed Energy Systems Available Today For Pressing Military Needs.
July 9, 2007... By Michael Sirak After decades of promise, the technologies are mature today to enable affordable directed-energy systems to meet near-term military and homeland security needs, such as protecting aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles or...

Boeing Announces iGPS System Resists Jamming In Test.
July 9, 2007... The iGPS system has shown it is resistant to jamming by intentional enemy actions or by accidental interference, Boeing [BA] said last week. iGPS combines the Global Positioning System (GPS) with Iridium low Earth orbit telecommunication...

SAIC To Acquire Energy Management And Engineering Construction Firm Benham.
July 9, 2007... SAIC [SAI] said on Friday it has agreed to acquire Benham Investment Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries, boosting its capabilities in the energy management services market. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close next month,...

Lockheed Martin Prevails To Wins $1 Billion Air Force ATARS Work.
July 9, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt Lockheed Martin [LMT] has won out over L-3 Communications [LLL], Flight Safety, and Camber, for a more than $1 billion, 10-year Air Force contract for the Aircrew Training and Rehearsal Support (ATARS) II program for...

Army National Guard Presses To Restore WIN-T Funding.
July 10, 2007... By Jen DiMascio The National Guard is fighting congressional cuts to an Army program to upgrade network communications, saying less funding could hamper the Guard's ability to fight in overseas deployments and to respond in domestic...

Congress Turns To Defense: Senate to Debate Iraq, While HAC-D Schedules Mark.
July 10, 2007... By Jen DiMascio Military spending will be in the congressional spotlight this week, with the Senate beginning floor action on the defense authorization bill yesterday and the House Appropriations defense subcommittee scheduled to take up...

Airborne Laser Shows Progress, MDA Announces.
July 10, 2007... The Airborne Laser ballistic missile defense (BMD) system development program showed further progress, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said yesterday. ABL successfully accomplished basic steps required to complete a fire control loop...

Carlyle To Acquire Sequa In $2.7 Billion Deal.(Carlyle Group L.P.)(Brief article)
July 10, 2007... The Carlyle Group yesterday said it has agreed to acquire diversified industrial manufacturer Sequa Corp. [SQA] in a deal valued at $2.7 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2007 subject to regulatory...

Analysts See Proposed Ground Force Increase Eroding.
July 10, 2007... By Jen DiMascio The president's plan to increase the military's ground forces by 92,000 by 2012 could be pushed back and might never be fully realized, defense analysts say. The future points to the need for more troops, wrote...

CVN-21 Brings New Ideas To Help Drive Down Costs, Maintain Workforce.
July 10, 2007... By Geoff Fein CVN-21, the Navy's next generation aircraft carrier, is providing the service with a lot of new ideas and technologies including a new design effort, increased availability, and attempts to sustain the aircraft carrier...

L-3, OSI Systems, Smiths To Pilot Advanced X-Ray Machines For TSA.
July 10, 2007... The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) yesterday said it will pilot test advanced X-Ray machines provided by L-3 Communications [LLL], OSI Systems [OSIS] and Britain's Smiths Detection for the screening of carry-on bags at some...

MULE Prototype Demonstrates Autonomous Navigation.
July 10, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt The Lockheed Martin [LMT] Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE) robotic vehicle's Engineering Evaluation Unit (EEU) recently reached a major milestone in demonstrating autonomous navigation over complex...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 10, 2007... The F-35 CEO Conference will take place next Thursday and Friday, July 19 and 20, in London, and not on this Thursday and Friday as Defense Daily reported in its July 9 edition. [Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights...

Biden Plans To Seek Additional Funds For MRAP Production Increase.(Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles)
July 11, 2007... By Jen DiMascio Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) said yesterday he is planning to amend the fiscal year 2008 defense authorization bill to add funding for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles. The senator said he wants to support a...

DHS Says It Has Continuity Plans In Place For Presidential Turnover.
July 11, 2007... By Calvin Biesecker The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it has transition plans in place for when a new presidential administration takes charge of the Executive Branch in 2009, rebutting assertions in a new congressional...

Israel Issues Permits For UAS Operations In Civil Airspace.
July 11, 2007... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--This country's foremost unmanned aircraft system (UAS) manufacturers, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems [ESLT], have said independently that Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)...

USS Ford Bringing Significant Changes To The Carrier Fleet.(USS Gerald R. Ford)
July 11, 2007... By Geoff Fein When the Navy takes delivery of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in the next decade, it will be introducing some new systems into the fleet that will increase sortie generation rates and make life a bit easier for the crew,...

Australia Stops Payment On Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.
July 11, 2007... Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) said it stopped payment July 1 to Australian Aerospace because the contracted milestone for the Air 87 Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) for initial operational capability has not...

Army Seeks Sources For Weapon Location Sensor.
July 11, 2007... The Army Program Manager Radars (PM Radars) wants sources to develop a lightweight, man-portable weapon location sensor that provides 360-degree surveillance and allows accurate detection of mortar, rocket and artillery locations. The...

Boeing: Claims of HH-47 Shortcomings Aren't Accurate Or Fair.
July 11, 2007... By Michael Sirak Contrary to recent claims, Boeing's [BA] tandem-rotor HH-47 helicopter meets or exceeds the requirements that the Air Force has established for its new combat-search-and-rescue (CSAR) helicopter in the areas of maximum...

KC-30 Tanker Will Use Honeywell FAA-Certified Collision Avoidance System.
July 12, 2007... By Michael Sirak Northrop Grumman [NOC] said yesterday that the KC-30 aerial refueling aircraft that it is offering the Air Force will utilize a state-of-the-art collision-avoidance system that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...

Raytheon-General Dynamics Team, ATK, Submit Bids On Army Mid-Range Munition.
July 12, 2007... One team led by Raytheon [RTN] and General Dynamics [GD] and another by ATK [ATK] have submitted proposals for the systems design and development contract for the Army's Mid-Range Munition (MRM). "We anticipate a decision sometime in...

Fast Growing GeoEye Counting Down To Launch of New Imaging Satellite.
July 12, 2007... By Geoff Fein In a little over a year, GeoEye [GEOY] has gone from a fledgling satellite imaging firm into the largest commercial remote sensing company in the world, according to a company spokesman. Now the company is counting down...

Air Force Receives New Boeing C-40C Transport Aircraft.
July 12, 2007... The Air Force took delivery last week of the second of three Boeing [BA]- built C-40C transport aircraft being acquired for Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) to shuttle government leaders, the company announced yesterday. Gen. Duncan...

Proposed Amendment Would Pull Missile Defense Funds for National Guard Reset.
July 12, 2007... By Jen DiMascio Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) submitted an amendment to the defense authorization bill this week that pits two issues with strong constituencies against one another --the National Guard and missile defense. The...

Israeli Firms Acknowledge Large ImageSat Shareholder Lawsuit.
July 12, 2007... By B.C. Kessner TEL AVIV, Israel--Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems [ESLT] last week told securities officials that numerous minority shareholders of ImageSat International filed a several hundred million dollar claim...

Terrorists Caught With U.S. Weapons, Turkish Ambassador Says.
July 12, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt Kurdish terrorists captured in Turkey are being found with sophisticated weapons of U.S. origin, and the government and people are running out of patience waiting for the United States to use its influence in northern...

New NNSA Site Manager Steps In At Los Alamos.
July 12, 2007... By George Lobsenz Donald Winchell, an operations support manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory and a former Johnson Controls executive, this week took over as head of the National Nuclear Security Administration's site office at Los...

Defense Watch.
July 16, 2007... The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense Maybe, But Probably Not. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) says he is unlikely to submit an amendment to the fiscal year 2008 defense authorization bill that would seek to restore...

Air Force Issues RFP For First Increment of GPS Block III Satellites.
July 16, 2007... By Michael Sirak The Air Force last week issued the solicitation to industry calling for the development and production of the first increment of Global Positioning System (GPS) Block III navigation satellites that the service plans to...

Air Force Eyes Handheld ROVER Wireless Video Receiver.
July 16, 2007... By Michael Sirak The Air Force is working with industry to field a handheld version of its combat-proven and heavily utilized ROVER wireless video-transmission system before the end of next year, service officials said last week. ...

Lieberman Files Possible Amendment Requiring Assessment of CSAR-X Procurement.
July 16, 2007... By Jen DiMascio Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I/D-Conn.) last week filed an amendment he intends to propose for the fiscal year 2008 defense authorization bill that would require another look at the Air Force's competition for a new combat...

Armor Holding Lands $518 Million MRAP Contract.
July 16, 2007... The Navy Friday awarded Armor Holdings [AH] a $518.5 million firm-fixed- priced delivery order for 1,154 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Category I vehicles and 16 MRAP Category II vehicles. Last week's contract is the first for...

Air Force Accelerates Predator Support To Central Command AOR.
July 16, 2007... By Michael Sirak The Air Force announced on Friday that it is accelerating by one year its previously stated goal of delivering enough MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft systems by December 2009 to provide 21 daily Predator combat air...

Rear Adm. Blore Says Coast Guard Engineers Recognized Problems In Deepwater.
July 16, 2007... By Dave Ahearn The Coast Guard didn't fail to perceive that there were problems with vessels in the sprawling $24 billion, quarter-century long Deepwater acquisition program, said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Gary Blore, assistant commandant...

Pentagon Certifies F-22 Meets Standards For Multiyear Procurement.
July 17, 2007... By Jen DiMascio The Pentagon has taken a step toward approving multiyear procurement of F-22 Raptor fighter jets, certifying in a letter sent to Congress last week that the deal meets the legal criteria for entering a three-year...

General Dynamics Turns Over Piranha Evolution For U.K. FRES Trials.
July 17, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt General Dynamics [GD] United Kingdom Ltd has turned over its Piranha Evolution vehicle to U.K. defense officials for the 'trials of truth' assessing candidates for the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) Utility Vehicle....

Boeing, Lockheed Martin Declare Intent To Compete For GPS III Satellite Contract.
July 17, 2007... By Michael Sirak Fresh on the heels of the Air Force releasing its call for bidders for the next generation of Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation satellites, both Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] have indicated their intent...

L-1 Completes Purchase of McClendon.(L-1 Identity Solutions)(Brief article)
July 17, 2007... L-1 Identity Solutions [ID] yesterday said it has completed its $66 million acquisition of McClendon Corp., enhancing its capabilities and customer base for the intelligence and military communities. L-1 said the deal will add about $20...

Northrop Grumman Delivers LCS Combat System For USS Independence.
July 17, 2007... By Geoff Fein Northrop Grumman [NOC] has delivered its Integrated Combat Management System (ICMS) to General Dynamics [GD] for integration into the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) combat system. ICMS is one of three combat systems...

Governors Urge Lawmakers To Retain Funding For National Guard Programs.
July 17, 2007... The National Governor's Association (NGA) is stepping into debate over the Senate's version of the fiscal year 2008 defense authorization bill, hoping to steer additional equipment toward National Guard units. Last week, Gov. Michael...

Army Evaluation Task Force, Initial Future Combat System Equipment Converging.
July 17, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt The Army's multi-billion Future Combat System (FCS) is moving forward on all fronts as the first equipment for Spin Out 1 is being readied to be examined by the Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF) at Ft. Bliss, Texas. ...

FCS Will Keep Army On The Cutting Edge, General Says.
July 17, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt The Army's only modernization program--the Future Combat System (FCS)-- can't be left by the wayside if the service wants to stay at the cutting edge of technology, according to a top general. "We have a technological...

Northrop Grumman, SAIC Complete Division of AMSEC.
July 17, 2007... Northrop Grumman [NOC] and SAIC [SAI] yesterday said they have completed the split of their AMSEC LLC joint venture along customer and product lines. Northrop Grumman previously said the restructuring would not be material to its...

Navy Exploring Workload Options For DDG-1000.
July 18, 2007... By Geoff Fein Amid rumors regarding a shift in which shipyard would first receive government furnished equipment (GFE) for DDG-1000, the Navy yesterday said no decision has been made to alter the current dual lead ship effort. "The...

CBP Readying Requirements For Container Security Device.
July 18, 2007... By Calvin Biesecker Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will soon issue requirements for Container Security Devices (CSD) and will follow up with pilot demonstrations to test current technology against those requirements, Ralph Basham,...

DARPA Plans Industry Days Next Week For 'Radically New' Satellite Design.(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
July 18, 2007... By Michael Sirak The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) next week will start the process of moving its nascent F6 satellite program forward by hosting an unclassified industry day on July 24, and then a classified forum...

EADS Goes With Simplified Management Structure.
July 18, 2007... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) on Monday agreed on a new management structure that does away with having French and German executives serve as co-CEOs in favor of a single chief executive in order to be more responsive...

Army Green Lights Boeing CH-47F Production, First Unit Fielding This Month.
July 18, 2007... By Ann Roosevelt Boeing [BA] said Monday that the Army on June 25 authorized full-rate production and fielding of the new CH-47F Chinook helicopter. This month First Unit Fielding will be conducted. The helicopters will go to the 7th...