Designing New Platforms for Enhanced Maintainability: The A400M Case An Interview with Richard Thompson At the Farnborough Air Show last July (2010), Second Line of Defense sat down with Richard Thompson, Senior Vice President for Customer Services from Military Airbus to discuss how the design and development process enables greater…
Shaping a Partnership for a “Transformational” Capability At the BAE Systems Media Center during the Farnbourgh Air show, an update was provided with regard to the UK’s Taranis UCAV. The program is the UK’s leverage point into any US or European collaborative programs, and underwrites the development of autonomous UK…
At the Farnborough Air Show, MBDA held a media briefing providing an update on the Team Complex Weapons initiative ("Team CW") and the way ahead. The business model is of interest, not only for shaping a key ally’s approach to shaping future capability but in terms of being a potential…
An Interview With Douglas Lawton, vice president, Baltimore Manufacturing, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems In early July, Second Line of Defense talked with Douglas Lawton, a conversation prompted by an SLD visit to the Northrop Grumman plant to watch the transmit and receive (or T/R) module production line : this line…
An Interview with Armando Martinez In an earlier article on the website, we discussed the impact of the design of the F-35 on maintenance. One system, which was discussed in the article, was the new approach to building and maintaining hydraulic systems. The article discussed the impact of the EHAS…
On our tour of the Elizabeth City USCG station there were several examples of the state of the infrastructure and of needs for modernization. All photos are credit to Second Line of Defense, June 30, 2010. A first example is how much stuff is kept outside because of the absence…
An Interview with Captain Bennett Earlier this summer Second Line of Defense interviewed Captain Bennett, base commander at the Elizabeth City Coast Guard Station. Captain Bennett discussed the challenges facing the facility with aging infrastructure impacting on operations and capabilities. Our website looks at concepts of operations and capabilities. Clearly…
By Richard McCormack Originally published in Manufacturing & Technology News on July 30, 2010 *** One American company selling a widely produced global product that the U.S. government says could be used by rogue states against American national security interests has found a way around U.S. government export controls. Zoltek…
