Problemas de todo tipo para el BAMS de la Navy:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... el=defenseJan 4, 2011
By Michael Fabey
...
Specifically, “BAMS contracting officials did not review 39 contractor bills or validate whether the BAMS contractor was entitled to $329.3 million in payments, create or maintain a complete government-furnished property listing, or properly plan to share more than 5,000 specialized tools and testing equipment, worth more than $150 million, with the Air Force Global Hawk program,”the IG says.
These conditions occurred because BAMS contracting officials did not properly perform all of their assigned duties, comply with federal and defense policies, or complete necessary training requirements, according to the report.
As a result, the IG warns, “The BAMS program is at risk for increased costs, schedule delays, and not meeting the needs of the warfighter.â€
The IG says that, based on its inquiries, Northrop reduced costs on the BAMS contract by $206,000 for travel expenses that were not covered.
...
The IG recommends that the Defense Contract Audit Agency, DCMA and Naval Air Systems Command expedite the incurred cost audits, conduct an administrative review of BAMS contracting officials, create and maintain a complete and auditable government-furnished property listing, improve contractor surveillance and quality assurance, revalidate outdated or previously acquired EVM systems and perform surveillance of the EVM systems.
Vuelo del primer UAV MALE turco:
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =EUR&s=AIRBy BURAK EGE BEKDIL and UMIT ENGINSOY
Published: 3 Jan 2011 19:37
ANKARA - Turkey's first medium-latitude, long-endurance UAV made its first test flight Dec. 31.
Dubbed the ANKA, the 600-kilogram UAV flew for 14 minutes, said officials from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Turkey's main aerospace company and the UAV's developer.
They said a total of 180 engineers have been working since 2005 on the ANKA, which was unveiled last summer.
Powered by a 155-horsepower diesel engine, the UAV has a wingspan of 17.3 meters and a composite body eight meters long.
TAI officials said the ANKA would eventually fly up to 23,000 feet for 23 hours.
Turkey has made smaller UAVs, but this is the first drone in the MALE category. Turkish procurement officials aim at full self-sufficiency over the next several years after having bought Israeli-made Heron MALE drones last year.
In the meantime, Turkey also is seeking to buy armed MQ-9 Reaper drones from the United States, but it has not received U.S. approval for the sale.
Turkey's military has used the UAVs mostly against Kurdish separatists operating in the country's southeast bordering Iraq and Iran.
Nuevo UAV estadounidense en Afghanistán:
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =AME&s=AIRAGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 2 Jan 2011 10:18
WASHINGTON - The U.S. military plans to deploy a new intelligence drone in Afghanistan, which military experts say will allow U.S. troops to monitor much larger operational theaters than before, The Washington Post reported Jan. 2.
The newspaper said the airborne surveillance system is called Gorgon Stare and will be able to transmit live video images of physical movement across an entire town.
...
The system consists of nine video cameras mounted on a remotely piloted aircraft, which can transmit up to 65 live images to soldiers on the ground or to analysts tracking enemy movements, the paper said.
...
"Gorgon Stare will be looking at a whole city, so there will be no way for the adversary to know what we're looking at, and we can see everything," the paper quoted Maj. Gen. James Poss, the Air Force's assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as saying.
...