U.S. ARMY TO BOOST FCS PROGRAM FUNDING

Boeing and the U.S. Army last month signed an agreement to provide up to $6.4 billion in additional funding for the System Development and Demonstration phase of the Future Combat Systems program.

The modification to the existing agreement for the SDD phase and additional funding enables the FCS program to expand its scope and to accelerate delivery of FCS technologies and capabilities to current forces.

The expansion of the program's SDD phase will be accomplished by adding four distinct development "spirals" of capabilities for current forces. It also will fully fund the FCS network and its 18 core systems, including four systems which were previously deferred. The changes to the program will allow the Army to field accelerated capabilities beginning in 2008, to add FCS capabilities to more than 30 modular brigades through 2014 and to field the first fully-equipped FCS Unit of Action in 2014.

"This agreement underscores the importance of the new capabilities we are developing for the nation's warfighters," said Roger Krone, senior vice president, Boeing Army Systems.

FCS is a networked "system-of-systems" combining advanced communications and technologies to link soldiers with both manned and unmanned ground and air platforms and sensors. As the basis for the Department of Defense's visionary transformation plan, FCS will significantly increase the Army's agility and reduce logistics requirements, allowing it to go anywhere and to overcome any adversary. FCS is also designed from the ground up to enhance joint operations and coordination between the United States and coalition forces.

Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation are partnered as the Lead System Integrator team for FCS.

ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE X-45

One operator, two or more vehicles, a fully coordinated operation in flight. That's a key capability that the U.S. Department of Defense wants from unmanned combat air vehicles.

Two Boeing X-45A unmanned aircraft have demonstrated that it can be done. On July 25, the two Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems X-45A technology demonstrators (right), under the control of a single pilot-operator, successfully completed a coordinated flight from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. It was the first multiple-air-vehicle-control flight demonstration for unmanned combat air vehicles.

After joining up over the test range, the X-45As flew preset formations that involved autonomous maneuvering to hold their relative positions. They were able to fly the same mission plan on their own, which significantly reduced the workload of the pilot-operator.

The two X-45As then returned safely to Edwards, landed on a common runway and taxied to the shutdown location.

"This event is very significant because it is the first step in demonstrating the ability of this distributed weapons system to coordinate operations in a high-threat environment," said Darryl Davis, Boeing J-UCAS X-45 program manager.

The J-UCAS X-45 program is a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/U.S. Air Force/U.S. Navy/Boeing effort to demonstrate the technical feasibility, military utility and operational value of an unmanned air combat system for the Air Force and Navy. Operational missions may include suppression of enemy air defenses; strike; electronic attack; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

WICHITA CELEBRATES 75 YEARS WITH BOEING

In 1927, aviation pioneer Lloyd Stearman moved his company from California to Wichita, Kan. Two years later, on Aug. 15, 1929, Stearman became part of the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, a parent company previously known as the Boeing Airplane and Transport Company. Last month Boeing Wichita celebrated the 75th anniversary of this date.

Through the years, Boeing Wichita has been home to many military and commercial programs. Today it has a workforce of 12,000 employees who work in Integrated Defense Systems, Commercial Airplanes and Shared Services.

The Wichita Development and Modification Center supports an array of military products and modernizes existing military products. Key programs include reengining and modifying the KC-135 tanker and upgrading to the B-52 bomber. The center also has won contracts with Italy and Japan to modify Boeing 767 commercial jets into refueling tankers, and has performed modification work on the Airborne Laser aircraft.

Commercial Airplanes' Wichita Division designs and builds engine nacelles and nose sections for the 737, 747, 767 and 777 jetliners, and has been designated a partner/supplier for the 7E7 Dreamliner. The Wichita Division is responsible for designing and building the forward section and engine pylons (struts) for the new airplane.

A HEAVY SIGHT

Boeing unveiled its Delta IV Heavy U.S. Air Force demo launch vehicle Aug. 7 during testing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., when it rolled the Mobile Service Tower to its launch position at Space Launch Complex 37. The Heavy configuration-made up of three Common Booster Cores, the cryogenic Second Stage and the satellite inside the payload fairing-stands 231 feet tall, 53 feet wide, and 16 feet, 7 inches deep (70 meters by 16 meters by 5 meters). Launch is scheduled for this fall. All special and standard flight data will be analyzed and used to validate analytical models to support future Delta IV Heavy launches. The Delta IV Heavy U.S. Air Force demo launch vehicle is the largest space launch vehicle on a Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center launch complex since May 14, 1973, when the last operational Saturn V launched Skylab.

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