AIA Salutes the Legacy of Sally Ride
Statement by Marion C. Blakey
AIA President and Chief Executive Officer
Sally Ride was a true American hero who never stopped building on the legacy of being our nation’s first woman in space. We will remember her as a pathfinder, who through her entire life’s work inspired millions of young people – most especially young women to dream big and aim high.
In 1983 Ride performed flawlessly on her first space flight during the second mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger, in which she used the Shuttle’s robotic arm to demonstrate NASA’s ability to recover and repair a broken satellite. At age 32 her status as a national hero was secure, but she continued to take on new challenges and missions. She flew again on Challenger the following year, helping to deploy the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, and supporting her astronaut classmate Kathryn Sullivan become the first American woman to conduct a spacewalk. After her career as an astronaut ended, she led the development of the 1987 report to the NASA Administrator on “Leadership and America’s Future in Space,” which today still stands as a blueprint for what our space program can and should accomplish. She also served admirably on the two commissions that examined the tragic losses of the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia.
I had the honor of knowing Sally, and I was always impressed by her passionate commitment to motivate girls and young women to study science. I’m confident the organization she founded, Sally Ride Science, which has the mission of inspiring females to reach for the stars, will serve as a fitting memorial to her tremendous legacy.
Godspeed Sally Ride.
Support Exploration: We Must Go
AIA Reminds Young Americans: We Are the Explorers
Arlington, Va. — The Aerospace Industries Association, in partnership with Challenger Center for Space Science Education, sponsored a first-of-its-kind crowd funding campaign to place a trailer before Star Trek Into Darkness beginning May 17 to educate the public – most especially young people – on the exciting human spaceflight programs now underway. The trailer will play in more than 50 cities nationwide.
“With the end of the Space Shuttle program, there seemed to be a widespread misperception in the media that the U.S. human spaceflight program was over,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “Nothing could be further from the truth. And young people contemplating their future need to know that there are many exciting career opportunities in aerospace.”
Despite the fact that more human spaceflight systems are currently in development in the U.S. than at any other time, public awareness of American spaceflight has decreased since the highly visible Space Shuttle launches ended. To get the facts out, AIA and Challenger Center teamed up in an effort to show students and the public that space programs not only are alive and well, but have a bright future.
The campaign to place the ad was crowd funded via IndieGoGo, with more than 1,700 people donating nearly $53,000 – far surpassing the original goal of $33,000. Sporting an average donation of just $30, the first-of-its-kind drive clearly demonstrated grassroots support for American space programs. The additional funding allowed the campaign to push the trailer into all 50 states.
“This was more than a fundraiser, it was a demonstration of the importance the public places on space exploration,” Blakey said. “Pairing this trailer with the new Star Trek movie was a natural fit – the commitment to excellence, ingenuity and innovation seen in Star Trek is alive and well in our space programs and our industry.”
The ad will run for eight weeks in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, and one week in the rest of the country, starting with the premier on May 17. To view the trailer online visit www.supportexploration.com. To see where the trailer is playing near you visit www.supportexploration.com.
Texas students take first place in Team America Rocketry Challenge Finals
Winners best 99 teams from across the country to claim the national title and thousands of dollars in scholarships
The Plains, Va. – Students from Georgetown 4-H of Georgetown, Texas launched themselves to a first place finish at the eleventh annual Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) finals Saturday afternoon, securing the title of national champions of the world’s largest student rocket contest.
Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry and more than 24 industry partners, TARC saw record turnout in 2013. Georgetown 4-H was one of 725 teams from 44 states that participated in this year’s contest. The three-person team of East View High School Junior Daniel Kelton and home-schooled brothers Matthew and Mark Janecka enjoyed meeting other teams and learning how they overcame design issues and protected their egg.
“TARC was a great experience,” said Daniel Kelton. “It really does help drive people towards STEM education.” All three students are planning careers in aerospace engineering.
In a 2010 survey of TARC alumni, nearly four out of five respondents said TARC had a positive impact on their planned course of study in an area relating to science, math or engineering.
“TARC has inspired thousands of bright young minds to expand their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics over the past 11 years,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “The caliber of these students and the dedication they have shown here today are great indicators that the future of our industry is in good hands.”
Students worked tirelessly in the months leading up to the finals to design, build and launch a rocket carrying a payload of a horizontally-placed raw egg to an exact altitude of 750 feet. Keeping with tradition, this year’s rules were adjusted to increase the complexity and rigor of the challenge, requiring rockets to land within 48-50 seconds – a mere two-second window before teams were penalized.
The first place team logged a combined score of 29.24, in what was arguably the most competitive final fly-off in TARC’s history – a perfect score is zero. This score secured them the opportunity to travel to Paris to represent the United States in the international fly-off at the Paris Air Show on June 21. Raytheon has sponsored the winning team’s trip to the international fly-off since the program’s inception in 2005 as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to inspire student interest in math and science.
This year’s national finals participants competed for $60,000 in scholarships among other prizes. Lockheed Martin Corporation provides additional funding in scholarships and awards for the top ten placing teams at the finals.
For complete competition results and high-resolution images please contact rocketcontest@aia-aerospace.org.
Congrats Georgetown 4-H
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Executive Report 2012
AIA's quarterly publication, the Executive Report, provides news and information about our Members. Note: The following documents are PDF files, and require Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2012 Editions
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—eUpdate Archive 2012
White House Science Fair
2013 Aerospace and Defense Workforce Survey to Gather Comprehensive Data from Member Companies
With sequestration and demographic trends such as the graying of the workforce having a strong impact on the aerospace and defense industry, AIA is working on behalf of our member companies to develop credible data about workforce composition, and analyze how workforce trends impact the industry’s ability to deliver to customer requirements.
AIA works with Aviation Week & Space Technology, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) to gather data about the composition of the aerospace and defense workforce: everything from age distribution and retirement forecasts, to emerging skill requirements, where we’re finding the best employees, and current salary rates.
May 24 is the due date for member companies to return this years’ workforce survey instrument. Those companies that respond to the study will receive tabulations of the data – for the industry as a whole, as well as for organizations of similar sizes. The data can be used as an effective tool in conversation with elected officials, other business leaders, investors, and education leaders in your communities. All AIA member companies are strongly encouraged to participate in the survey to ensure comprehensive data is available to analyze the current workforce, identify trends and project future requirements and challenges.
As part of the 2013 workforce study, and through our partners at Aviation Week & Space Technology, AIA is conducting additional surveys to collect information about university students and young professionals – the bright minds who will power our industry’s future.
Also with respect to the next generation of aerospace professionals, this year AIA’s Workforce Steering Committee (WSC) is meeting with major STEM programs in order to better understand what metrics are available (or needed) regarding their effectiveness in engaging young minds. We want to know which programs work best so that we can help expand their scale and impact in the future. The Team America Rocketry Challenge, FIRST Robotics, Real World Design Challenge and Project Lead the Way were the first to engage in conversations about future collaboration. Several more programs will be invited to upcoming WSC meetings for similar discussions.
AIA welcomes as chair of the WSC Gina Burns, Vice President of Workforce Strategy, Analytics & Talent Acquisition at Lockheed Martin. She succeeds Rick Stephens of Boeing, who has ably guided the committee for four years up to his retirement in March. As recent chair of AIA’s Workforce Working Group, Gina has been deeply involved in AIA’s work with Aviation Week and Space Technology on the annual workforce survey and in our collaboration with NDIA’s Workforce Division in seeking to achieve systemic solutions to the STEM education and workforce challenge at the state and local levels.
All members of AIA are welcome to participate in the Workforce Working Group, which – in addition to the quarterly state STEM meetings - holds monthly teleconferences to discuss and advance workforce-related projects.
Finally, at the AIA/NDIA/Business Industry STEM Education Coalition BISEC meeting at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach on March 6, the California STEM Learning Network launched its Los Angeles Hub. More than 150 representatives from multiple industries plus academia, government officials, teachers, the LA school district and STEM program providers participated in the day-long meeting to commit to advancing STEM education in the Los Angeles region. For more information about the Hub, please see: http://www.lachamber.com/webpage-directory/advocacy-education/advocacy-policycouncils-edworkforce-stemhub/
The next AIA/NDIA/BISEC meeting will be with the Michigan STEM Partnership on June 4-5 at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Stakeholders from all affected sectors are invited to engage in meaningful and action-oriented discussions to attract, support and prepare students for good jobs requiring 21st century skills. For more information and to register, go to: http://www.ndia.org/meetings/371B/Pages/default.aspx
AIA Source: susan.lavrakas[at]aia-aerospace.org
AIA’s Membership Resource Guide
Later this summer, AIA will launch its new Membership Resource Guide – a comprehensive publication available digitally and in print outlining the opportunities and benefits that AIA offers its members. It will not only answer frequently asked questions, but will also provide detailed information on AIA’s governance structure, councils, committees and working groups. Additionally, the guide will include contact details for AIA employees, information on AIA’s major meetings and events and corporate contact information for AIA member companies.
You can support this effort and promote your company to more than 3,000 aerospace and defense CEOs, presidents and senior leaders as well as Administration and Government Officials by advertising in the Membership Resource Guide. For more information, contact David Mandell, Vice President, Membership & Business Development at (703) 358-1005 or david.mandell[at]aia-aerospace.org.
AIA Source: david.mandell[at]aia-aerospace.org
AIA Hosts Fourth Annual Senior Space Leadership Meeting
On March 22, AIA’s Space Division hosted its fourth annual Senior Space Leadership Meeting at AIA’s offices in Rosslyn, Va. The event joined together a wide range of space leaders from government and industry to discuss the challenges facing our nation’s space community. Since space is a domain that crosses institutional boundaries as well as geographical, this meeting served as a perfect platform for fostering candid conversation amongst stakeholders.
With senior-level government space leaders from nine major government space organizations and over two dozen AIA member company leaders in attendance, the gathering allowed for nearly two hours of interactive, high-level discussion with an emphasis on how the space community should respond to sequestration budget cutbacks, assure industrial base health and protect essential aerospace R&D activities. AIA plans to host a fifth installment of the meeting next year.
AIA Source: frank.slazer[at]aia-aerospace.org
Export Control Reform Advances
The Export Control Reform process that began in 2009 is picking up steam. On Tuesday, April 16, the State Department published a final rule in the Federal Register detailing revisions to U.S. Munitions List (USML) Categories VIII (military aircraft) and XIX (military engines). Also featured was a companion rule from the Commerce Department describing how technologies that came off of these two USML categories would be controlled going forward on the Commerce Control List (CCL), and other details about the “transition.” There will be a 180 day delayed implementation period for these rules, allowing companies time to make necessary adjustments to their export compliance programs. Links to the two final rules can be found at the end of the article.
Other categories that have been previously published as drafts in the Federal Register and reviewed by industry will follow the same notification process. There are a few categories that have not yet come out as drafts; the next revised USML category to come out as a draft rule will be Category XV (space vehicles).
The Export Control Reform initiative is a “win” for both U.S. national security and competiveness in the global marketplace. AIA member companies will be able to take advantage of a more predictable, efficient and transparent export control system to better supply our partners and allies around the world. AIA would like to thank the companies and individuals that have contributed to this exceptional effort. Where the industry is today is the result of years of close coordination among U.S. government, Congress and AIA members. We are looking forward to the continuation of this collaborative partnership.
State Initial Implementation Rule.
Commerce Initial Implementation Rule.
AIA Source: pj.hart[at]aia-aerospace.org
ICAO’s Committee on Environmental Protection Agrees on a New Noise Standard for Aircraft and Progres
ICAO’s Committee on Environmental Protection (CAEP), which meets every three years, held their ninth meeting in Montreal this past February. The Committee agreed to a new noise stringency standard and made progress on a CO2 emissions standard for aircraft.
Last July CAEP reached the first milestone on the CO2 emissions standard by agreeing on a metric system that can be used to measure CO2 levels. At the February CAEP meeting the certification procedures for the standard were agreed to, completing the second step in the standard-setting process. Moving forward the work will be focused on the modeling that will be used to help determine stringency levels and scope of applicability. An appropriate regulatory limit for the aircraft CO2 Standard will be determined by analyzing the ICAO criteria of technical feasibility, environmental benefit, cost effectiveness and the impacts of interdependencies.
The committee also adopted a new noise standard which is seven decibels below ICAO’s current standard. Manufacturers are happy with this decision, as it will allow for certainty as they look to incorporate the standard into design.
Realizing that a seven-decibel reduction would be more difficult to achieve for manufacturers of smaller aircraft, therefore requiring more time for compliance, the CAEP Working Group agreed on two different applicability dates. Lower weight aircraft (below 55 tons) will be subject to application of this stringency level after 2020, while larger aircraft must meet this standard by the end of 2017. The new standard must now be presented for further consideration by the ICAO Council.
Manufacturers are committed to providing increasingly more quiet and fuel-efficient aircraft. Aircraft that are entering operations today are 20 decibels quieter than comparable aircraft 40 years ago, which represents a noise reduction of 75 percent.
AIA Source: leslie.riegle[at]aia-aerospace.org
World’s Largest Student Rocket Contest Ready for Liftoff on May 11
AIA’s Team America Rocketry Challenge announces its top 100 teams for national fly-off
(Students at the 2012 national fly-offs)
In a year of record turnout, attracting 725 teams, the top 100 squads from 29 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands will compete in TARC’s final fly-off. Representing a diverse cross-section of American youth, the finalists include students from urban and rural America, all-girls teams, a record number of 4-H teams and a team comprised entirely of Civil Air Patrol volunteers.
Over the next month, these students will be working tirelessly to perfect their rockets as they set out to compete for the national title, more than $60,000 in scholarships and a chance to participate in NASA’s prestigious Student Launch Initiative. Also, amid education budget cuts, a number of teams advancing to finals will have to take on the challenge of funding their trips to the national fly-offs.
“Qualifying within the top 100 is an incredibly challenging and exciting achievement,” said AIA’s Marion Blakey. “But equally impressive are the nearly 5,000 students who were inspired to explore science, engineering and technology through their participation in this year’s challenge.”
While demand for STEM-skilled workers continues to grow, the United States consistently falls short in international comparisons of STEM education. Reports show that America ranks behind other countries in preparedness for careers in STEM, with U.S high school students placing 17th in science and 25th in math out of 35 countries according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Now in its 11th year, TARC has motivated more than 55,000 students to pursue STEM courses and careers – often bridging economic, linguistic and cultural barriers to enter the nation’s most coveted and lucrative occupations.
“Now more than ever, we see how essential programs like the TARC are for inspiring a new generation toward rewarding STEM careers,” said Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson. “Raytheon is proud to support this exciting competition which provides students a unique opportunity to personally design, build and launch their own rockets. We believe these “learn by doing” experiences foster the development of skills and enthusiasm that will help ultimately strengthen our communities, bolster American innovation and improve our role in the global marketplace.”
Industry partners such as Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin work hand-in-hand with AIA and the National Association of Rocketry to sponsor TARC. In addition, Raytheon is helping to pay for the winning team to compete this summer at the Paris Air Show in an international fly-off against teams from the UK and France.
AIA Source: anne.ward[at]aia-aerospace.org
AIA Announces First Cyber Security Standard
AIA published its first standard practice for cyber security in February titled NAS 9924, “CYBER SECURITY BASELINE.” This standard provides guidance for aerospace and defense suppliers of all capability levels and a baseline of actions to follow to better protect Information system infrastructures from cyber threats. Included within the standard is a self-assessment tool that suppliers can utilize to help determine the extent to which their cyber strengths and weaknesses exist.
The benefits of this standard extend to the entire industry by educating and increasing the security awareness of all companies. This standard practice was developed by AIA’s Cyber Security Working Group, which reports to the AIA Electronic Enterprise Integration Committee, and can be found at the following link: NAS 9924.
AIA will be offering further education opportunities on this standard through a series of cyber security webinars for supply chain members, beginning April 25.
AIA has been publishing authoritative industry trade standards for the global aerospace market since 1941. Additional information regarding AIA’s standards program is available at: http://www.aia-nas.org
.AIA Source: rusty.rentsch[at]aiassace.org / rusty.rentsch[at]aia-aerospace.org
Coming to a Theater Near You: AIA’s Trailer for Space
AIA is excited to announce the recent launch of a publicly supported crowdfunding campaign called “We are the Explorers: A movie trailer for our space program.” This campaign will place a promotional video about space exploration into movie theaters around the country for the premiere of the highly-anticipated movie, “Star Trek Into Darkness.” The trailer will serve to inform the public that human spaceflight is alive and well in the post-Space Shuttle era, and most importantly, it will help inspire students become interested in exciting technical careers. As the voice of the U.S. space industry, AIA is excited to harness widespread public support for space exploration to encourage new generations to pursue education and careers in STEM-related fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
Coupled with our current “We are the Explorers” campaign, AIA has been developing new space-themed educational materials for the general public. Late in 2012, AIA published the report, Space in Our World, to illustrate how the space program has become interwoven throughout society into our daily lives.
The “We are the Explorers” movie trailer represents the first use of the silver screen by AIA to educate large audiences about the excitement and promise of space exploration. It was originally AIA’s goal to raise $33,000 over a period of 30 days for the campaign. However, some thousands of social media hits and dozens of news stories later, we’re proud to announce that we’ve already raised over $50,000 in slightly under a month.
This immediate and organic support from the public encouraged AIA to quickly expand the campaign and set a new goal of raising $94,000 by May 1. Based on the funds raised so far, AIA will be able to put the trailer in theaters is most major cities of the country. If we reach our fundraising goal, the trailer will run in theaters in all 50 states – over 750 movie theater screens across the country! To accompany this trailer, AIA will also be developing a web-based action center where audiences may learn more about and act to support the U.S. space program.
With NASA prohibited from purchasing advertising for its programs, AIA is determined to get the word out about the great work our space agency is conducting . As we enter into an exciting new era of spacecraft development for the Commercial Crew and Cargo program, Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System programs, as well look forward to the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, we’re confident our crowdfunding campaign will enrich the movie-going experience of people around the country. We are particularly encouraged that young people attending the movie will learn that they can be a part of an inspiring space program that exists right now, let alone the one that we can imagine occurring centuries from now.
To further boost this effort, AIA is teaming with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in a partnership aimed at inspiring students to pursue careers in space and STEM-related fields.
AIA’s crowdfunding campaign demonstrates that Americans still do care about the space program and the future of U.S. space exploration. Join with the 1,500+ individuals who have already contributed and the thousands of others how have helped us spread to word for this exciting public engagement campaign. To learn more about this campaign, visit http://adsforspace.com, and share your enthusiasm by posting this to Facebook or tweeting your support.
AIA Source: dan.hendrickson[at]aia-aerospace.org; adam.kostecki[at]aia-aerospace.org
AIA Continues Industry Advocacy on The Hill
AIA has made its presence felt on Capitol Hill this year, as Congress continues to grapple with important spending and policy issues vital to the aerospace and defense industry. On February 21, at the invitation of House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee co-chair Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.), AIA’s Marion Blakey testified about the impacts of sequestration. Blakey warned the panel even prior to the beginning of sequestration, “Defense manufacturers have now been laying off workers and canceling future plans for many months now because of this uncertainty.” She added that the way sequestration is structured for the Defense Department, “the operating, training, and equipment accounts – and civilians supporting the DOD – must bear a heavier burden.” With respect to non-DOD sequestration impacts, Blakey told the panel, “AIA has a strong interest in a healthy FAA that allows U.S. companies to compete globally in the civil aircraft market; a robust NASA that pushes the boundaries of science and exploration; a well resourced NOAA that provides the tools we need to protect lives and property from severe storms, and a forward looking education policy that provides adequate support for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education that fuels the pipeline for our future manufacturing workforce.”
Cord Sterling, AIA’s Vice President for Legislative Affairs, testified on February 28 before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness regarding the impacts of sequestration on defense industrial base activities. In his testimony, Sterling addressed common misperceptions about the sequester. First, he noted that because the sequester was slated to kick in after agencies had already spent 40 percent or more of their Fiscal Year funding, the reality is that DOD “will have to cut its programs by at least a third more” than the commonly referenced amount of 7.2 percent. Second, he noted that contrary to common opinion, the sheer magnitude of the nationwide effects of sequestration will not be evident in the first months. “Our analyses all concluded that most private sector job losses would occur within 6-18 months of the sequester order as contracts expire,” Sterling said. And finally, Sterling noted that “while greater flexibility would undoubtedly aid the DOD in absorbing these huge reductions, it is not a panacea for providing an adequate budget… When you look more closely, flexibility without additional resources ends up savaging the very accounts that warfighters depend on for advanced equipment and long-term readiness.”
Despite the lack of action on sequestration, Congress did pass important budgetary measures in the first quarter. On March 20, the Senate passed its version of the continuing resolution (H.R. 933) funding the U.S. Government for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. The bill includes specific appropriations for Defense, Veterans, Homeland Security, Agriculture, Commerce, NASA and NOAA, while providing authority to continue spending roughly at last year’s levels for other federal agencies. President Obama signed the legislation shortly thereafter. Although the legislation did not eliminate sequestration, it did realign some funds. This avoided further complicating the resource-to-requirements imbalance of some agencies, including the Defense Department. The bill did not include the amendment offered by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WVa.), to limit compensation of government contractors, which would have severely undermined the ability of the aerospace industry to compete for the most talented workforce.
AIA Source: cord.sterling[at]aia-aerospace.org
Second to None: Continuing the Fight
This year, March came in like a very angry lion. That’s one way to describe the jobs killing and the national security and innovation undermining sequestration budget cuts to defense and non-defense programs now being implemented. Still, there is hope that Congress and the White House can work out a long-term deal to end sequestration. As AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey stated following President Obama’s April 10 budget submission to Congress for fiscal year 2014, the upcoming budget cycle “provides an opportunity for our elected leaders to roll up their sleeves and work together on a comprehensive budget agreement that will trim federal spending wisely, while allowing for the long-term investments that make our nation strong.”
One way AIA is continuing the fight to end sequestration is by highlighting the negative impacts sequestration is already having across the country on our Second to None website. The “Sequester Squeeze” feature shows just how these indiscriminate cuts have already affected countless citizens nationwide. From patients being turned away at cancer clinics due to decreased funding, to the cancelation of air shows resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars in local economic revenue, AIA is capturing these impacts to show just how real sequestration is.
If you know of a sequestration impact, and you do not see it on our website, please send it to us through our Second to None impacts web form.
It is worth noting that one positive impact of our Second to None campaign is a greater public engagement with the aerospace and defense industry. With the help of our membership and highly sophisticated social media targeting criteria, AIA was able to generate over 73,000 letters to elected official during the month of February through our Second to None website. These targeted ads included Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even video advertising on YouTube. As AIA worked aggressively in targeting a large audience, we also utilized social media applications to make it as easy for people to take action and oppose both defense and non-defense budget cuts required by sequestration.
In addition to the thousands of letters generated, AIA was also able to grow our following on Facebook by 2,000 percent. With consistent and targeted advertising, AIA‘s social media blitz reached millions of social media users across numerous platforms.
AIA Source: adam.kostecki[at]aia-aerospace.org
March/April 2013 eUpdate
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Marion C. Blakey
Getting Out in Front of the UAS Issue
A recent Time Magazine cover story about Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), lauded them along with smart phones and 3-D printing for being one of three “genuinely transformative technologies to emerge in the past 10 years.” Now, as mandated by the 2012 Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act, a rulemaking process is now underway to safely integrate UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). It is estimated that as many as 30,000 UAS could be flying domestically in a few years. This certainly has big potential for America’s aerospace industry and the economy, as many domestic uses will add to a spiking worldwide demand for these systems. Indeed, the Teal Group estimates that spending on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—the flying component of UAS—will almost double over the next decade from current worldwide expenditures of $6.6 billion annually to $11.4 billion.
Unfortunately, much of this potential progress could be undermined by domestic legislation and by restrictive export controls. Here at home, discussion of the positive applications of UAS such as search and rescue, monitoring of severe storms and crop infestations, traffic control etc., has been widely overlooked as a heated debate has arisen about privacy. Indeed, some states and localities have passed UAS moratoriums, even as approximately 30 states vie to be one of the six test sites the FAA will use to test fly UAS and collect data on their performance.
The skewing of this debate underscores the point that our industry must do a better job of educating the public about what UAS use can mean in our daily lives. At AIA, we are doing our part to engage the public with a positive message about this new technology.
On March 28, I hosted a panel on UAS held in conjunction with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Aviation Summit, which attempted to shed light on the potential of UAS and debunk some of the myths swirling around the subject. Participating in the discussion were: Frank Pace, the President and CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the developer of the Predator; Ellen Tauscher, former member of Congress and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; and Wells Bennett, Visiting Fellow in National Security Studies at the Brookings Institution.
Pace spoke about General Atomics’ work with NASA on a UAS payload monitoring forest fires that flew from near the Canadian border to the mid-west to illustrate the point that large UAS can easily be outfitted with equipment that would allow them to be safely flown in the domestic airspace. He also noted that small UAS can be restricted to low altitudes, making sure they “are not much of a threat to general aviation.” Pace said possible uses of UAS include inspecting pipelines in remote areas, monitoring fisheries and observing areas hit by natural disasters. He also speculated about companies like FedEx turning to UAS for cargo delivery services. But for the market to fully develop, he noted, the regulatory climate has to be settled.
Tauscher expressed her excitement about this “phenomenal disruptive technology” but urged the UAS industry to work to re-introduce the subject to the public in a “sustainable, realistic manner” that emphasizes the potential benefits of the technology. “If I were in marketing, I would say you’ve got to get out in front of this,” said Tauscher. “You’ve got to tell people what you are because right now you are being misunderstood….There is a tremendous opportunity that needs to be sold to the American people.”
Bennett told the audience that the FAA needs to set up a viable regulatory framework that meets public concerns about safety and privacy. He added that “from the standpoint of privacy advocates and a lot of people concerned about the technology development there’s a lot of overlap between a privacy regulation and a safety regulation.”
In my remarks, I mentioned that one area that needs special attention in the Administration’s export control reform efforts is UAS. Currently, exports of UAS are treated by definition as exports of missiles in the multilateral Missile Technology Control Regime (of which the U.S. is an adherent). In the absence of a more rational and appropriate approach to the export of this technology, existing policy will hinder a huge potential U.S. advantage as the UAS market grows.
The UAS Panel at the Chamber’s Aviation Summit is just one of the means we will use to get out in front of the UAS debate. In the coming months, expect to see AIA take a leadership role in this discussion with congressional testimony, symposia, position papers, op/ed pieces in major publications and media appearances.
Students from Rocket Contest Return for the Third White House Science Fair
Students pursuing STEM education showcase rocket designs for President Obama
Arlington, Va. – This morning, students participating in the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) displayed their rockets for President Obama at the White House Science Fair for the third time since 2010. Students from Memphis, Tenn. and San Antonio, Texas represented more than 55,000 students who have taken part in the world’s largest rocket competition over the past 11 years. This nationally-recognized contest is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry and more than 20 industry partners.
When the President first took office he called for an all-hands-on-deck approach for encouraging more American students to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). TARC is doing just that. Established in 2003, TARC has advanced this cause by motivating thousands of students across the country to follow their love for rocketry into STEM-related career fields.
“Receiving an invitation for two of our teams to exhibit their work is an outstanding indication of how influential TARC has been in inspiring students to further their education in STEM,” said Marion C. Blakey, president and CEO of Aerospace Industries Association. “As an industry we couldn’t be more proud that these students were given the opportunity to show the president first-hand that the spark of creativity and innovation in our young people is far from being put out.”
The two teams attending this year’s Science Fair come from different states and backgrounds, but they share an interest in STEM and a passion for rockets. Wesley Carter and Darius Hooker from Memphis, Tennessee – better known in their community as the “Fly Boys”– attended Wooddale High School's four-year aviation program, where alongside traditional class work, they trained for private pilots' licenses and studied aerospace. Isabella Leighton, Dalia Castillo and Ruth Long of Team Eclipse from San Antonio, Texas, make up one of the numerous all-girls teams advancing to this year’s TARC finals and hold the title of 2012 national runners-up.
This year, teams will be challenged to overcome obstacles of drag and recovery as they design and build a wider rocket than in years past. The rocket must safely carry one raw egg to an altitude of 750 feet and land within a duration of 48-50 seconds. In a year of record turnout, attracting 725 teams, students in the top 100 teams representing 29 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and a diverse cross-section of American youth will be competing in this year’s National Finals on May 11 at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.
Repealing Sequestration Step One in Keeping America Second to None
Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Marion C. Blakey calls on Congress and President Obama to use the upcoming budget cycle to reverse sequestration budget cuts.
Arlington, Va. — The Aerospace Industries Association welcomes President Obama’s submission to Congress of a proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 as a step towards ensuring the U.S. industrial base and America’s technological leadership remain second to none. This request and the upcoming budget cycle in Congress provide an opportunity for our elected leaders to roll up their sleeves and work together on a comprehensive budget agreement that will trim federal spending wisely, while also allowing for the long-term investments that make our nation strong.
AIA calls for elimination of the sequestration caps and enactment of predictable and stable budgets for DOD, FAA, NASA and NOAA. It is essential to provide a sufficient level of investment in infrastructure, R&D and acquisition of assets to support our national security and economy.
AIA remains concerned that like last year, the budget caps imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011 would not permit government agencies across all sectors to execute their missions. As Congress debates appropriate levels of funding for government programs, the continued climate of uncertainty poses tremendous risk for our member companies wrestling with short- and long-term decisions to allocate scarce resources while trying to recruit, train and retain a skilled workforce. Without predictable and stable budgets, it will be impossible to maintain a robust industrial base and reliable supply chain.
We understand that tough choices must be me made to address our long-term debt and deficit issues, but critical investments that spur growth and security are not the place to cut. We look forward to continued dialogue between industry and government on a reasoned and sensible approach.
Let’s get real about drones
The Virginia General Assembly may have unwittingly done us a favor by attempting to pass a two-year moratorium on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or drones, as they are more commonly known. Perhaps it will prompt a more reasoned debate about how we can make this breakthrough technology — a multi-billion-dollar market — serve the needs of society without compromising safety and privacy.
When viewed dispassionately, UAS are like any new technology. They can have a multitude of positive uses such as finding lost hikers, studying hurricanes and the spread of plant diseases, and carrying cargo.
Although UAS have been with us for decades in various shapes and sizes, the technology for controlling and operating them has really matured in the last decade. And where we’ve seen them most is in combat operations and strikes on terrorists, a fact that has colored the public’s somewhat limited perception of their utility. Also, press coverage of Senator Rand Paul’s recent filibuster regarding imaginary deadly UAS hovering above our heads has had the effect of confusing the public about what domestic UAS are intended to do and not do.
Despite these perception problems, the reality is UAS will soon join airplanes and helicopters in our skies in large numbers. As mandated by the 2012 Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act, a rulemaking process is now underway to safely integrate UAS into the National Airspace System. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 UAS could be flying domestically in a few years. This is certainly a big potential deal for America’s aerospace industry and the economy, as growing domestic uses will add to an ever increasing worldwide demand for these systems. Indeed, the Teal Group estimates that spending on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—the flying component of UAS—will almost double over the next decade from current worldwide expenditures of $6.6 billion annually to $11.4 billion.
As part of the FAA’s UAS integration rulemaking process, the administration is seeking to establish six test sites around the country where they can test fly various sized and shaped UAS and collect data on their performance. Virginia is one of several states vying to be selected as a test site, recognizing the potential of those states that are keenly involved in this process to generate many of the 100,000 jobs the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimates will be created nationwide by 2025. No doubt, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell saw that being identified as a drone unfriendly state will not help the Commonwealth’s prospects for benefiting from UAS-related jobs creation when he offered amendments to the drone moratorium bill to allow the use of UAS by universities and by law enforcement for the “search or rescue of missing persons or in cases involving imminent danger to citizens.”
The FAA has accepted a responsibility to develop rules for UAS safety and privacy protection, and Congress is certain to hold their feet to the fire on these issues. What’s worrisome about the action of the Virginia General Assembly, and municipalities like Charlottesville, which has passed “anti-drone” legislation, is that natural disasters such as wildfires, severe storms, crop blight and earthquakes do not respect state or local boundaries. And UAS may come in handy some day if, for example, a hurricane or tornado bears down on Charlottesville.
Rather than have a patchwork quilt of regulation across multiple jurisdictions, I believe complex questions and concerns related to regulating UAS are best addressed at the federal level in the context of a national debate on how these systems can be deployed and regulated to ensure the greatest good for the American public.
Media Advisory: NASA Administrator Bolden to Address Senate Aerospace Reception
“Strengthening the STEM Pipeline”
Washington, D.C. – NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden will address Hill staff and representatives of industry at the 2013 Senate Aerospace Caucus kickoff reception April 9 on strengthening the STEM pipeline. America’s STEM education efforts are critical to ensuring the health of the high-tech industrial base by recruiting and training enough qualified students to become highly skilled engineers and technology workers.
WHO:
Charles F. Bolden, NASA Administrator
Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Aerospace Caucus Co-Chair
Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Aerospace Caucus Co-Chair
Wes Bush, Chairman of AIA and Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation
Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association
WHAT:
Reception hosted by the Senate Aerospace Caucus co-chairs
WHEN:
5:00pm – 7:00pm Eastern Time
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
WHERE:
325 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Constitution Avenue and 1st Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Please RSVP to: senateaerocaucus[at]aia-aerospace.org
Media Advisory: AIA Partners with Challenger Center on Crowdfund Campaign
Arlington, Va. – The Aerospace Industries Association is excited to announce it has partnered with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education to further enhance and grow the crowdfund campaign to place an ad trailer on NASA’s new exploration for the premier of “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
As a founding member of the STEM education movement, Challenger Center utilizes dynamic, hands-on exploration and discovery opportunities in communities around the globe, engaging more than 400,000 middle school-age students and 40,000 educators each year through simulated space missions that bring their classroom studies to life and cultivate the skills needed for future success.
AIA’s IndieGoGo campaign reached its initial goal in less than 6 days with more than 1,300 donors. If the campaign reaches its new goal of $94,000 by May 1, AIA in partnership with Challenger Center will place the trailer ad in at least one movie theater in every state in America. Should the campaign go beyond $94,000, all of the remaining proceeds will be used to enhance and grow Challenger Center’s impact.
To view the campaign, visit http://AdsForSpace.com.
Edmond Named Assistant Vice President of Industrial Base Policy
Arlington, Va. - Micah Edmond, an executive with more than fifteen years experience in senior advisory positions with the Department of Defense, on the Hill and in the private sector, has joined the Aerospace Industries Association as assistant vice president of Industrial Base Policy. He will report to Christian Marrone, vice president of National Security and Acquisition Policy, and will be responsible for managing AIA’s work in support of the defense industrial base including the many suppliers that rely on AIA for advocacy in this important area.
Most recently, Edmond founded and managed Edmond & Co., a consulting services firm. His work included appointments to advise the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction and the Simpson-Bowles Deficit Reduction Commission. He also served as an officer in the Marines Corps for eight years, including senior staff positions at the Pentagon working on budget, strategic planning and logistics.
“Micah’s extensive experience advising senior government officials on defense issues and deficit reduction will be a great asset,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “In a time of increasing pressure on defense budgets, Micah’s strong analytic skills and knowledge of DOD budgets will be very important in supporting our members’ interests.”
Edmond served in the Marine Corps from 1998 to 2006, including two years in the Pentagon serving general officers on issues of budget and strategic planning, as well as two years serving as Special Assistant to the Commanding General of the Marine Corps 3rd Force Service Support Group in Japan. He subsequently served as Defense advisor to Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Senior Defense Advisor to Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), both senior members of the House Armed Services Committee.
Edmond holds a B.A. from Williams College and an M.A. and M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
World’s Largest Student Rocket Contest Shows Momentum in Growing Strong Workforce
AIA’s Team America Rocketry Challenge announces its top 100 teams for national fly-off in May
Arlington, Va. – Hundreds of students from across the country will meet May 11 at Great Meadow in The Plains, VA to decide the winner of the world’s largest student rocket contest. The Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) has been captivating students nationwide for the past decade, encouraging them to advance their education and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
In a year of record turnout, attracting 725 teams, only the top 100 will proceed to compete in TARC’s final fly-off. The top 100 teams represent 29 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and a diverse cross-section of American youth. Teams include students from urban and rural America, all-girls teams, a record number of 4-H teams and a team comprised entirely of Civil Air Patrol volunteers.
Over the next month, these students will be working tirelessly to perfect their rockets as they set out to compete for the national title, more than $60,000 in scholarships and a chance to participate in NASA’s prestigious Student Launch Initiative. Also, amid education budget cuts, a number of teams advancing to finals will have to take on the challenge of funding their trips to the national fly-offs.
“Qualifying within the top 100 is an incredibly challenging and exciting achievement,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “But equally impressive are the nearly 5,000 students who were inspired to explore science, engineering and technology through their participation in this year’s challenge.”
While demand for STEM-skilled workers continues to grow, the United States consistently falls short in international comparisons of STEM education. Reports show that America ranks behind other countries in preparedness for careers in STEM, with U.S high school students placing 17th in science and 25th in math out of 35 countries according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Now in its 11th year, TARC has motivated more than 55,000 students to pursue STEM courses and careers – often bridging economic, linguistic and cultural barriers to enter the nation’s most coveted and lucrative occupations.
“Now more than ever, we see how essential programs like the TARC are for inspiring a new generation toward rewarding STEM careers,” said Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson. “Raytheon is proud to support this exciting competition which provides students a unique opportunity to personally design, build and launch their own rockets. We believe these “learn by doing” experiences foster the development of skills and enthusiasm that will help ultimately strengthen our communities, bolster American innovation and improve our role in the global marketplace.”
Industry partners such as Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin work hand-in-hand with the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry to sponsor TARC. Raytheon Company provides critical funding for the winning team to compete in an international fly-off held at the Paris Air Show in June against teams from the UK and France.
Media Advisory: Crowdfund Campaign to Advertise for Space Program
Arlington, Va. – The Aerospace Industries Association is leading a first-of-its-kind crowdfund campaign to showcase to students and young people the exciting new era of U.S. space exploration. If the IndieGoGo campaign reaches its funding goal of $33,000 by May 1, AIA will buy advertising time for an ad trailer on NASA’s new exploration programs in more than 50 movie theaters. The ads will premier alongside the highly anticipated film, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and run for eight weeks thereafter in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Should the campaign go beyond its goal, more placements will be bought around the country.
As the voice of the U.S. space industry, AIA is excited to harness the widespread support for space programs to inspire new generations to pursue STEM education.
To view the campaign, visit http://AdsForSpace.com.
Sequester Squeeze
Small Business Tax Overhaul
Draft plan from the House Ways and Means Committee
The U.S House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) recently released a legislative proposal designed to create a simplified and equitable tax code for small businesses. Accompanying the proposal, the Chairman also released a set of incremental changes to partnerships and S corporations, and extensions to expensing rules which would allow more businesses to use cash accounting and simplify deductions for startups.
Public comments will be accepted through Monday, April 15, 2013. All comments will be included in a final Joint Committee on Taxation report which will be delivered to the Ways and Means Committee on Monday, May 6, 2013. The process for submitting comments is below. AIA is requesting that member companies interested in this proposal comment directly to the committee using the procedures below:
Submit comments via email to: tax.reform@mail.house.gov; in the subject line of the email, please indicate “Comments: Stakeholder”; attach submissions as a Word document; include in the body of the email a contact name, physical address, phone number and email address; for questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-3625 or (202) 225-1721.
- To view the draft summary, please click here
- To view the committee’s fact sheet, please click here
- To view the draft proposal, please click here
5. Member Participation
GOAL: Improve U.S. Aerospace and Defense Infrastructure and Retain U.S. Industrial Base Capability
In 2012, AIA made significant progress improving membership participation, enhancing membership services, and strengthening the organization.
Under the Membership Value Assessment conducted in 2012, AIA undertook the most comprehensive survey of its members in the organization’s history – the survey evaluated AIA’s work under AIA councils, committees and working groups, its full range of activities and events in support of the membership, and its overall policy advocacy efforts. Based on that analysis, AIA will implement a variety of steps in 2013 to better serve the membership and the mission of AIA.
Grow and Retain Membership, Increase Member Participation, Improve Value, and Generate New Revenue from Meetings and Events
In 2012, AIA continued its unprecedented membership growth, adding more than 89 Full and Associate members to its membership – the highest in AIA’s 94 year history. A strong recruitment effort will continue in 2013. We also witnessed continued record turnouts for our Board of Governors and Supplier Management Council meetings – we sold out both our Spring and Fall Board of Governors and Membership Meetings, and our Winter and Summer Supplier Management Council Meetings.
In 2013, we will improve AIA’s value to members – especially through its councils, committees and working groups – by increasing productivity, utilizing resources efficiently, and developing staff. AIA will also generate new revenue from AIA’s meetings and events.
Expand Advocacy, Leverage Media Assets and Opportunities
In 2011 and 2012, AIA responded to the budget environment in Washington by creating the Second to None campaign to educate the public and elected officials on the importance of the aerospace and defense industry to our economy and national security. AIA will continue to build on those efforts in 2013, as sequestration budget cuts could negatively impact our industry across all sectors. AIA will expand on media outreach efforts and refocus the research program to provide top notch support to thought leadership on policy recommendations for our industry.
Enhance Productivity and Improve Infrastructure
We will also ensure that AIA provides maximum value to members by increasing our productivity, using our personnel and other resources more efficiently and continuing to develop our staff and upgrade our infrastructure.
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| Target 13: Increase membership base, improve membership retention, and enhance member satisfaction |
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| Target 14: Enhance AIA’s advocacy to key audiences |
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| Target 15: Improve AIA’s value to members – especially through its councils, committees and working groups – by increasing productivity, utilizing resources efficiently, and developing staff |
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| Target 16: Increase AIA’s meeting and event fees by 15 percent and reduce expenses by ten percent |
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AIA Receives Aviation Week & Space Technology Laureate Award for Workforce Development Activities
Arlington, Va. - Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, and Susan Lavrakas, AIA’s Director of Workforce, were honored last evening at Aviation Week & Space Technology’s 56th annual Laureate Awards banquet in the workforce category for the association’s outstanding STEM education activities, including AIA’s decade-old Team America Rocketry Challenge.
“AIA sincerely appreciates this honor, which represents tremendous initiative by our workforce team, our member companies and Aviation Week, to take to a new level efforts to develop the next generation of outstanding engineers and scientists,” said Blakey.
Aviation Week’s award citation notes the following: “Marion Blakey, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, and Susan Lavrakas, AIA’s director of workforce, have led the association’s work as the voice for the industry’s top issues – people and the workforce. AIA worked with Aviation Week to coalesce five different workforce studies under a single effort, bringing credibility and authenticity to the data surrounding the aerospace workforce, and launched a young professionals and university student study to determine how and why young people make career decisions.”
In her remarks accepting the award, Blakey noted that one of AIA’s keystone workforce development activities, the Team America Rocketry Challenge, is now entering its second decade of inspiring young boys and girls to design and launch rockets, and dream of careers in aerospace and defense fields. This year, the Team America Rocketry Challenge will take place on Saturday, May 11th, at Great Meadow in the Plains, Va.
AIA Welcomes Next Steps Toward Comprehensive Export Control Reform
Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Marion C. Blakey applauds White House action on export control requirements for military aircraft and engines as a critical step toward enhancing American competitiveness in the export market.
Arlington, Va. - The Aerospace Industries Association welcomes today’s announcement of formal notification to Congress of the first tranche of impending revisions to the U.S. Munitions List. AIA has long advocated for changes to America’s outdated International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the munitions list; this action is a critical step toward implementation of comprehensive export control reform.
The inflexible application of export control restrictions coupled with their lack of clarity has long been a burden to the U.S. defense industrial base, a barrier to cooperation with our military allies and partners and a boon to our foreign competitors. Early in the Obama Administration’s first term, AIA endorsed a new, more rational approach that would subject essentially commercial parts and components to the more nuanced and specific levels of control available on the Commerce Control List while maintaining absolute prohibitions of export or re-export to countries of concern. Today’s announcement marks the final steps required before formal launch of our recommended reforms can occur. We commend the Obama Administration for their commitment to common sense reform of our export control system and urge Congress to review and approve these much-needed changes.
Export control reform is crucial to the success of the aerospace and defense industrial base to increase exports, enhance interoperability with our friends and allies and ensure that advanced technologies are protected in the most appropriate manner. AIA is committed to working with the administration and Congress to see these reforms continue and expand to the benefit of our economy and national security.
Marrone Named Vice President for National Security and Acquisition Policy
Arlington, Va. - Christian P. Marrone has joined AIA as Vice President for National Security and Acquisition Policy, bringing to the association extensive budget policy experience from both the Defense Department and the private sector.
“Our industry is currently in a long-term environment of budget constraints, facing both the onset of sequestration and the quickly-approaching expiration of the current Continuing Resolution,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “In these circumstances, we could not ask for a better-qualified policy expert than Christian to lead this newly combined department.”
Marrone has held a number of impressive positions within DOD, including Special Assistant to former Secretary Gates and also served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. In his capacity at DOD, Marrone also led the annual development of the Department’s legislative program, including submissions and related tasks to support the National Defense Authorization Act.
In his years of policy experience, Marrone has worked with and supported DOD’s leadership on many of the issues and priorities AIA’s members care most about – the budget, key acquisition programs, overall program, management and acquisition policy efficiencies, and cybersecurity.
Most recently, Marrone served as an Executive for Defense Markets for member company 3M, where he was charged with helping build and develop their Defense Markets Division. He also provided senior corporate leadership with advice and guidance on National Security-related issues.
Marrone is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in Government Administration, holds a J.D. from Temple University and a B.A. in Political Science from Penn State.
AIA Vows to Continue Fight Against Sequestration
Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Marion C. Blakey calls on Congress and President Obama to use the opportunity of extending the Continuing Resolution to reverse sequestration budget cuts as quickly as possible.
Arlington, Va. - Sequestration cuts were never supposed to happen but were intended to hold the discretionary budget as a hostage to ensure a balanced solution to our nation’s fiscal challenges. Well, they’ve shot the hostage and the American people will take the hit. As March begins, sequestration budget cuts that former Defense Secretary Panetta has likened to “shooting ourselves in the head” will go forward, accelerating the real – though hopefully not fatal – damage to our economy and national security.
Despite our extreme disappointment that sequestration was not averted, we are by no means giving up the fight. On March 27, the Continuing Resolution for funding federal agencies through the current fiscal year will expire. This is the next major opportunity for Congress and President Obama to halt the crisis that our industry has highlighted for nearly two years. We urge our elected leaders to use this period to put a stop to the damage that sequestration is doing to our country.
When the Joint Chiefs of Staff say sequestration will have a swift and severe impact on military readiness, when the Secretary of Transportation says it will result in airport delays for millions of travelers and when the Federal Reserve Chairman warns that it could place a “significant” burden on the economy, our leaders should listen and resolve to act. There is still time to obtain a balanced bipartisan solution to our nation’s debt and deficit problem before the full effects of these drastic budget cuts are felt.
AIA Announces First Cyber Security Standard
Arlington, Va. – The Aerospace Industries Association announces that the first National Aerospace Standard written specifically on cyber security was released January 31, 2013. National Aerospace Standard NAS9924, “Cyber Security Baseline” provides guidance that benefits the aerospace and defense suppliers of all capability levels by giving the supply chain a base line of standard practices they can follow to better protect their information system infrastructures from cyber threats.
“We’re very proud to announce this first National Aerospace Standard on cyber security,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “It will benefit the entire industry through education and increasing security throughout the supply chain. As our nation’s leaders work to counter increasing cyber security challenges, industry looks forward to supporting their efforts and assuring we remain Second to None in the cyber domain as well as in aerospace.”
The new standard provides information for companies to assess themselves on their information technology security practices and helps them determine their preparedness for cyber threat risk management for their customers while assessing the risks presented by their own suppliers.
AIA has been developing and publishing industry trade standards for the global aerospace market since 1941; for more information on AIA’s standards program, please visit www.aia-nas.org. Standard practice of National Aerospace Standard NAS9924 can be found here: NAS9924.
AIA Announces First Cyber Security Standard
Arlington, Va. – The Aerospace Industries Association announces that the first National Aerospace Standard written specifically on cyber security was released January 31, 2013. National Aerospace Standard NAS9924, “Cyber Security Baseline” provides guidance that benefits the aerospace and defense suppliers of all capability levels by giving the supply chain a base line of standard practices they can follow to better protect their information system infrastructures from cyber threats.
“We’re very proud to announce this first National Aerospace Standard on cyber security,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “It will benefit the entire industry through education and increasing security throughout the supply chain. As our nation’s leaders work to counter increasing cyber security challenges, industry looks forward to supporting their efforts and assuring we remain Second to None in the cyber domain as well as in aerospace.”
The new standard provides information for companies to assess themselves on their information technology security practices and helps them determine their preparedness for cyber threat risk management for their customers while assessing the risks presented by their own suppliers.
AIA has been developing and publishing industry trade standards for the global aerospace market since 1941; for more information on AIA’s standards program, please visit www.aia-nas.org. Standard practice of National Aerospace Standard NAS9924 can be found here:
NAS9924.
Thank You
Thank you for submitting your information to AIA regarding your activites to support the Second to None campaign. We appreciate your support.
*** The information you have submitted will be used for internal AIA use only and will not be made public, distributed, disseminated, or disclosed in any way.
Second to None Activity
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AIA Congratulates Hagel on Confirmation
Arlington, Va. — The Aerospace Industries Association offers its congratulations to Secretary of Defense Charles “Chuck” Hagel on being confirmed by the United States Senate to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
“Secretary Hagel is an American patriot who proved his valor serving in the United States Army infantry during the Vietnam War,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “We are confident he understands one of the lessons of that conflict: that we must always give our brave men and women in uniform the training and equipment they need to prevail.”
Blakey added that the aerospace and defense industry looks forward to meeting with and working with the new secretary. “We are eager to assist Secretary Hagel in his efforts to ensure that we are able to carry out the President’s national security strategy, invest in the new systems our military will need to defend our country over the long haul, and keep our industrial base strong and competitive internationally,” Blakey said.
Blakey also offered praise for outgoing Secretary Panetta. “We greatly appreciate Secretary Panetta’s service to the nation. From his leadership as CIA Director in the operation to bring justice to Osama bin Laden, to his stalwart advocacy as Defense Secretary for a defense budget commiserate with our national security requirements, Secretary Panetta has performed his duties with tremendous skill and dedication.”
AIA Media B-Roll
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* Download will be original file quality.
AIA Encourages Governors To Ask Tough Questions About Sequestration at NGA Winter Meeting in DC
March 1 budget cuts put more than 2.14 million American jobs at risk in all 50 states
Arlington, Va. – As the National Governors Association convenes this weekend at its winter meeting in Washington, D.C., the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) encourages governors to use the high-profile gathering to highlight the negative impact sequestration will have on their states. Drastic federal budget cuts, slated to take effect on March 1, will put more than 2.14 million American jobs at risk and jeopardize $215 billion in gross state product (GSP) unless Congress and the White House take immediate action.
“This meeting provides the perfect opportunity for the governors to send a message about the devastating impact sequestration will have on state economies, defense jobs, healthcare and education across the country,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “With little time to act, this weekend provides states the opportunity to make their voices heard at the White House and in Congress, where leaders have yet to begin serious negotiations about avoiding an economic nightmare that will have a negative impact nationwide.”
In July 2012, AIA issued a report conducted by Dr. Stephen Fuller at George Mason University that projected the loss of more than 2.14 million American jobs if $1.2 trillion in automatic budget cuts are not reversed. The report detailed job losses in defense and non-defense sectors including the impact on workers in the construction, manufacturing, education and healthcare industries.
“If allowed to take effect, sequestration is going to impact every facet of American life from our national defense, to police on the streets, teachers in the classroom and doctors at our community health centers,” Blakey said. “Sequestration will negatively impact state revenues and, ultimately, every state and locality will feel the burden of these cuts. I am urging our governors to make this issue a top priority during their meeting in Washington. This is an urgent problem that must be resolved and the more of us that band together, the stronger chance we have at reversing these mindless cuts.”
Editor’s Note: State specific impact fact sheets are available for download on AIA’s website. Please click here for further information.
AIA Announces First Cyber Security Standard
The Aerospace Industries Association announces that the first National Aerospace Standard written specifically on cyber security was released January 31, 2013. National Aerospace Standard NAS9924, “Cyber Security Baseline” provides guidance that benefits the aerospace and defense suppliers of all capability levels by giving the supply chain a base line of standard practices they can follow to better protect their information system infrastructures from cyber threats.
“We’re very proud to announce this first National Aerospace Standard on cyber security,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “It will benefit the entire industry through education and increasing security throughout the supply chain.”
The new standard provides information for companies to assess themselves on their information technology security practices and helps them determine their preparedness for cyber threat risk management for their customers while assessing the risks presented by their own suppliers.
AIA has been developing and publishing industry trade standards for the global aerospace market since 1941; for more information on AIA’s standards program, please visit www.aia-nas.org. Standard practice of National Aerospace Standard NAS9924 can be found here: NAS9924.
AIA Source: dan.stohr[at]aia-aerospace.org
Viewpoint: Aerospace and Defense Industry Joins Forces with Other Groups to Fight Sequestration
By Marion Blakey
With the White House and Congress still at loggerheads on the issue of averting sequestration, AIA has ramped up our efforts to encourage national leaders to come to a balanced, bipartisan solution to the nation’s debt and deficit issues.
The need to be heard is clear. After months of warning about the negative economic implications of massive indiscriminant budget cuts to defense and other important government discretionary programs—on top of the cuts we are already experiencing—our message has been borne out. GDP went into negative territory last quarter for the first time in four years, due in large part to reduced defense spending, and more than half of 100 major government contractors reported experiencing flat or declining revenue and plunging profits in 2012. Meanwhile, key figures in both parties are making noise about the need to stop sequestration before it causes further damage, but a pathway to resolving this mess is not yet clear.
Because the stakes are so high, AIA continues to leave no stone unturned in our effort to communicate with policy makers about why sequestration would be a disaster for the economy, national security and our country’s ability to maintain our competitive edge.
For instance, on February 6, a number of aerospace and defense industry leaders engaged top White House officials in a frank and energetic dialogue about the potential devastating impacts of the sequester going into effect. Joining me in the meeting with senior White House staff—consisting of Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling, OMB Director Jeff Zients and Council of Economic Advisors Chairman Alan Kruger—were AIA Chairman and Northrop Grumman Chairman, CEO and President Wes Bush, Pratt & Whitney President and AIA’s immediate past Chairman David Hess, BAE Systems Inc. President and CEO Linda Hudson, Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. Chairman and CEO John Langford, ITT Exelis President and CEO David Melcher and Huntington Ingalls Industries President and CEO Mike Petters.
As Presidential spokesman Jay Carney accurately described the meeting, a number of the participants disputed the notion that “allowing the sequester to take effect would somehow have limited effect or would be reversible.” Carney added, “For some of these major companies, the impacts would be long lasting, as they would have to make decisions about programmatic changes they would make and therefore contractual changes. A company like Northrop Grumman, I believe, would have, for example, something like 20,000 small businesses in their pipeline that would be severely affected by implementation of the sequester. A lot of these companies, while they are defense contractors, also have significant civilian side business operations that would be negatively affected by the impacts on the R&D budgets, for example.”
The point that jobs-creating, federally-sponsored research and development—perhaps one of the largest potential casualties of sequestration—is worth protecting, was one of the key points of commonality that brought AIA together with leaders of the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, the Association of American Universities and non-defense discretionary organization NDD United on February 11 for a press conference about sequestration at the National Press Club. Indeed, AAU president Hunter Rawlings noted at the press conference that at first glance it may seem odd for him, a professor of the Classics, to be standing next to AIA Chairman Wes Bush. But he then pointed out that since both aerospace and defense companies and universities benefit largely from federal R&D spending, and use research to benefit society, such a coupling was not so odd. Bush seconded this point by noting that our communities need each other not only to fight sequestration but “to help make our economy stronger” through research that impacts public health along with public safety.
At the press conference, I announced that AIA was sending letters to President Obama and to the congressional leadership, with copies going to every member of Congress urging immediate action to end sequestration. I ended my remarks by stating, “We’re realistic enough to know that our voice alone won’t decide this debate. But as evidenced by this unprecedented joining of disparate groups, I’m most gratified that our chorus of voices is gathering strength. I’m confident that together, we can win this battle.” And that’s the mindset that AIA, its leaders and members will continue to have as we work with other like-minded groups and individuals to help end the threat of sequestration.
Assistant Vice President, Industrial Base Policy
Department: National Security & Acquisition
Purpose: The Assistant Vice President for Industrial Base Policy ( hereinafter, “AVP – Industrial Base Policy”) supports the Vice President for National Security and Acquisition Policy on all matters relating to defense industrial base policy and supplier management and represents AIA on these and related issues to the membership, USG agencies, outside organizations, executive branch agencies, and legislative offices. The incumbent supervises the Director, Supplier Management and provides extensive ongoing support to AIA’s Supplier Management Council (SMC)and its activities. The incumbent may be called upon periodically to serve as the acting Vice President, National Security & Acquisition.
The incumbent works with and seeks input from member companies, councils, and committees, and is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, recommending, and advocating policies on: defense industrial base policy and the ongoing senior level dialogue on such issues with Office of the Secretary of Defense and other Pentagon officials; defense budgets and their impact on the supply base; defense supplier concerns as determined by the Supplier Management Council (SMC day-to-day work is managed by the Director, Supplier Management); defense security cooperation and related international issues; human capital/workforce related issues supporting the defense industrial base and supplier network; and related areas.
Nature and Scope of Work: This position reports directly to the Vice President, National Security and Acquisition, and interacts periodically with member CEOs and senior company representatives in the membership.
The incumbent maintains regular contact with government officials and representatives from a variety of cabinet and related departments including but not limited to the Departments of Defense (primarily Offices of the Under Secretary for Acquisition Policy & Logistics) and other cabinet agencies and related offices. Periodically, the AVP – Industrial Base Policy may accompany the Vice President for National Security and Acquisition Policy, other senior staff from AIA, including the President and CEO of AIA, to: meet with members of Congress and staff, and prepare testimony on authorized association positions before Congress and others; meet with senior Administration officials; and meet with senior member company representatives.
As AIA’s lead for industrial base policy issues, the incumbent serves as a central resource person and responds to inquiries from member companies, government officials (civilian and military), the public, and the press seeking information and background data. These inquiries range from general questions to highly technical requests requiring significant effort to assemble data and background information.
The incumbent will be called upon frequently to present industry’s views orally and in writing to government and industry officials and to the media, and to represent the association in coalitions that are formed to present a unified approach on industrial base policy issues of mutual interest. The AVP – Industrial Base Policy is also expected to represent AIA positions as a spokesperson at conferences and seminars. The incumbent will contribute articles and news items to AIA publications, highlighting issues and developments falling within the sub-division’s domain, and prepare summaries of such issues for use during AIA or outside meetings.
With the support of the Director, Supplier Management, the AVP for Industrial Base Policy has responsibility for supporting, coordinating and otherwise assisting with activities of a variety of AIA sponsored councils, committees and working groups, including, but not limited to, the National Security Council and related committees and working groups and the Supplier Management Council.
Additional related duties include:
Analyzes significant industry problems and synthesizes the concepts and ideas coming from government contacts and the numerous council, committee and working group activities into cohesive patterns and trends;
provides insights into future aerospace developments to prompt deliberations and actions;
builds industry consensus among member companies on all topics related to relevant issues and serves as staff liaison to internal and external groups dealing with related issues; and,
oversees meeting arrangements for periodic council, committee and working group meetings (including, developing the agenda; assembling background information and materials; arranging for speakers and other participants; site selection and facility; and ensuring that minutes are prepared), and approves expenses associated with all council and committee meetings.
Assistant Vice President, Acquisition Policy
Department: National Security & Acquisition
Purpose: The Assistant Vice President for Acquisition Policy ( hereinafter, “AVP – Acquisition Policy”) supports the Vice President for National Security and Acquisition Policy on all matters relating to DOD acquisition, procurement and finance and represents AIA on these and related issues to the membership, USG agencies, outside organizations, executive branch agencies, and legislative offices. The incumbent supervises the Director, Procurement, Tax & Finance, and may be called upon periodically to serve as the acting Vice President, National Security & Acquisition.
The incumbent works with and seeks input from member companies, councils, and committees, and is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, recommending, and advocating policies on: acquisition/procurement-related legislation and regulations (including financial, contract cost, financing and administration, legal, intellectual property, security, and tax matters) and their implementation; civil-military integration; independent research and development; product liability; work measurement; material management and accounting systems; and other related areas.
Nature and Scope of Work: This position reports directly to the Vice President, National Security and Acquisition, and interacts periodically with member CEOs and senior company representatives in the membership.
The incumbent maintains regular contact with government officials and representatives from a variety of cabinet and related departments including but not limited to the Departments of Defense (primarily Offices of the Under Secretary for Acquisition Policy & Logistics) and other cabinet agencies and related offices. Periodically, the AVP – Acquisition Policy may accompany the Vice President for National Security and Acquisition Policy, other senior staff from AIA, including the President and CEO of AIA, to: meet with members of Congress and staff, and prepare testimony on authorized association positions before Congress and others; meet with senior Administration officials; and meet with senior member company representatives.
As AIA’s lead for acquisition policy issues, the incumbent serves as a central resource person and responds to inquiries from member companies, government officials (civilian and military), the public, and the press seeking information and background data. These inquiries range from general questions to highly technical requests requiring significant effort to assemble data and background information.
The incumbent will be called upon frequently to present industry’s views orally and in writing to government and industry officials and to the media, and to represent the association in coalitions that are formed to present a unified approach on acquisition policy issues of mutual interest. The AVP – Acquisition Policy is also expected to represent AIA positions as a spokesperson at conferences and seminars. The incumbent will contribute articles and news items to AIA publications, highlighting issues and developments falling within the sub-division’s domain, and prepare summaries of such issues for use during AIA or outside meetings.
With the support of the Director, Procurement, Tax and Finance, the AVP for Acquisition Policy has responsibility for supporting, coordinating and otherwise assisting with activities of a variety of AIA sponsored councils, committees and working groups, including, but not limited to:
Procurement and Finance Council; Cost Principles Committee; Cash Flow Committee; Intellectual Property Committee; Legal Committee; Conflict Minerals Working Group; Procurement Techniques Committee; Government Property Systems Committee; the Chief Financial Officer’s Council; and the Aerospace and Defense Controllers Committee.
Additional related duties include:
Analyzes significant industry problems and synthesizes the concepts and ideas coming from government contacts and the numerous council, committee and working group activities into cohesive patterns and trends;
provides insights into future aerospace developments to prompt deliberations and actions;
builds industry consensus among member companies on all topics related to relevant issues and serves as staff liaison to internal and external groups dealing with related issues; and,
oversees meeting arrangements for periodic council, committee and working group meetings (including, developing the agenda; assembling background information and materials; arranging for speakers and other participants; site selection and facility; and ensuring that minutes are prepared), and approves expenses associated with all council and committee meetings.
REACHing Around the World
We last reported on the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation in 2010 (‘Have you been REACHED?’). In two short years, REACH, once the anomaly in environmental regulation, is now the global model for chemical use restrictions. The EU REACH regulation once stood alone in rules affecting the availability of chemical inputs to industrial manufacturing. Today, REACH regulates thousands of substances, with hundreds more proposed for review, and is the standard for the many copy-cat regulations appearing around the world. South Korea, China, Canada, Brazil and the United States are currently playing catch-up to implement requirements that dictate what can and cannot be used in making products. The REACH effect is spreading around the world.
REACH is extremely complex and its potential impact on the aerospace industry so broad that AIA (through the EHS Committee’s REACH Working Group and other committees) is fully engaged and will remain so throughout the regulation’s 11-year phase-in period. The Rapid Response Network of the Engineering Management Committee composed of AIA members’ material and design engineers, was newly engaged in 2010. Today the RRN continues to add members to review substances for aerospace applications as they are proposed for regulation and potential market disappearance. REACH, and chemical restrictions in general, are also on the radar screen of AIA’s National Aerospace Standards Committee, the Technical Operations and Supplier Management Councils.
In the past two years AIA members have seen both the removal from the market and reformulation of key substances used to meet highly specific product performance requirements, including requirements that impact aviation safety. Both removal and reformulation are a concern, as the key substances may be the primary reason for those products being used by the aerospace industry. Often the substances are used because they deliver product attributes that cannot presently be achieved by other substances.
A critical deadline was reached late last year with chromates, a family of substances long recognized for their ability to prevent corrosion in metals. On November 21, the EU member states voted to place five chromate substances on the REACH authorization list. The list requires that continued use of these chromates within the EU be ‘authorized’ beyond 2017 when its existing use will expire. Authorization is lengthy, costly and uncertain and details are scarce as no substance has yet been through the process.
Sometimes just the threat of restrictions is enough to remove substances from the market. If the use of chromates becomes restricted in the EU, coating and plating bath suppliers that produce products containing chromates may depart the market; particularly if their primary customers are based in the EU and can no longer use chromates. This is a very serious concern for the aerospace industry.
Additionally, being in compliance with REACH requires companies to assume the costs of collecting the level of chemical detail that the law requires. The aerospace industry is particularly affected by proprietary concerns associated with the public availability of product chemistry. A key goal of the AIA REACH WG is to inform the complete aerospace supply chain of REACH requirements in order to facilitate accurate exchange of chemical product data. AIA members recognize that many suppliers do not have the resources to address REACH on their own.
AIA is also working to standardize information collection among aerospace companies world-wide. An international standard was developed and is managed through AIA member direction with our SAE-aerospace panel.
Key partners in these tasks include AIA’s sister organization, the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe and its member state organizations. International partnerships will continue as these organizations review the lists of chemicals announced by ECGHA and identify substances key to the industry. DOD is also working with AIA to identify a multitude of issues related to research and development needs and the defense acquisition process as REACH is implemented
AIA and its colleagues plan to address these challenges jointly to ensure continuity of operations in the aerospace industry.
AIA Source: lisa.goldberg[at]aia-aerospace.org
Los Angeles Hub of California STEM Learning Network to Launch; AIA Workforce Working Group to Expan
The first state STEM meeting of 2013 will be held at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, CA, on March 6. With the support of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) STEM Workforce Division, the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of NDIA, and the Business and Industry STEM Education Coalition, the meeting will help launch the Los Angeles Hub of the California STEM Learning Network (CSLN).
At the meeting, Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX, will deliver keynote remarks, while Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, will present the findings of the California STEM Task Force. Other speakers include Chris Roe, CEO of the California STEM Learning Network; David Rattray, Vice President of Education and Workforce Development for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; and Dr. Ron Rohovit, Deputy Director of Education at the California Science Center. The agenda includes two panel discussions on Higher Education and Industry Alignment and STEM and the Creative Economy. Student participants from the Team America Rocketry Challenge and other major STEM programs will also join the group for a reception. Breakout sessions will encourage attendees to identify next steps and elicit commitments of engagement to advance STEM education and workforce development in the Los Angeles region.
In related news, the AIA Workforce Committee, which has played a leading role along with NDIA in planning and conducting state STEM meetings for more than five years, has recently been recast as the AIA Workforce Working Group. This change opens up participation in the meetings and related workforce efforts to all AIA members. We welcome the participation of Associate Member companies in the Workforce Working Group and encourage all member companies to attend STEM meetings around the country to help grow the industry’s future workforce.
For more information about the Los Angeles meeting and to register to attend, please visit: http://www.ndia.org/meetings/371A/Pages/default.aspx
The next state STEM meeting will be held on June 4-5 in Lovett Hall at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Planning is also underway for meetings in the District of Columbia; and Charleston, South Carolina. Dates will be announced as confirmed.
AIA Source: susan.lavrakas[at]aia-aerospace.org
Posting highest student participation numbers in a decade, the Team America Rocketry Challenge celeb
Rocket competition launches students into STEM careers with strong representation of girls, minorities and students from rural communities
Middle and high school students in 725 teams across 44 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands are gearing up for the 2013 Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), the world’s largest student rocket contest and a critical component of the aerospace industry’s workforce development pipeline.
Sponsored by AIA, the National Association of Rocketry and more than 25 industry partners, TARC aims to inspire and motivate middle and high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. It also brings together some of the country’s most talented STEM educators. The top 100 teams will advance to the National Finals on Saturday, May 11th at Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia.
Participating teams represent a diverse group of students from urban and rural America. Notably in light of Title IX’s 40th anniversary, there has been a steady uptick in girls’ participation. Including last year’s National Finals runner up, Team Eclipse from San Antonio, Texas, more than 20 all-girls teams will be competing in this year’s challenge.
“Seeing the diversity of teams signed up for this year’s competition is thrilling,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “But even more exciting are the contributions these students will make over the long term. The true value of TARC is connecting talented scientists and young rocketeers from all backgrounds to develop a pipeline of innovators in STEM.”
Christine Hanger, teacher from Madison West High School and 10-year TARC mentor, has five powerhouse teams – including the 2012 national champions – competing in this year’s contest. “TARC has been a defining experience in my 15 years as an educator,” said Hanger. “I’m so proud of how rocketry has grown to become a privilege in our school. Working with my students year after year and seeing where they land, it’s clear that TARC not only inspires kids in new and innovative ways, it also helps them take off as future STEM leaders.”
Each year, the competition rules are adjusted to increase the complexity and rigor of the event. This year, teams will be challenged to overcome obstacles of drag and recovery as they design and build a wider rocket than in years past. The rocket must safely carry one raw egg up to an exact altitude of 750 feet and land within a duration of 48-50 seconds – a mere two second window before teams are penalized. In addition, rockets have to be recovered by a 15 inch diameter parachute, making it more difficult for teams to adjust timing for the flight because the recovery is constrained by a bigger chute.
Teams are competing for over $60,000 in scholarships and prizes, as well as an opportunity to participate in NASA’s Student Launch Initiative. Lockheed Martin Corporation donates additional funding to support future TARC teams from the top 10 placing programs. And the Raytheon Company will help send this year’s winning team to compete against teams from the UK and France at this summer’s Paris Air Show.
AIA Source: anne.ward[at]aia-aerospace.org
Bureau of Labor Statistics Asks for Industry Assistance with Key Economic Indicators
For nearly 25 years, AIA and its members have partnered with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to produce the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and the Employer Cost for Employee Compensation (ECEC) economic indicators for the aircraft manufacturing industry. BLS is in the process of updating these economic indicators and is requesting industry assistance in obtaining current data. BLS emphasizes that its staff economists will do everything possible to minimize the time commitment of companies to provide requested data, and of course, to protect the confidentiality of data supplied for statistical purposes.
The ECI quarterly indexes measure change over time in labor costs, while the ECEC measures the level of average costs per hour worked; the ECEC reports the cost per hour worked for wages and a broad range of benefits. ECI is a Principal Federal Economic Indicator used in formulating monetary policy, annually adjusting hospital and other charges for Medicare reimbursement, adjusting the pay of military personnel and indexing wages in long-term contracts. Because of the partnership between the AIA and BLS, aircraft manufacturing is the most detailed industry for which ECI and ECEC estimates are published. (See http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t10.htm">http://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm;and http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t10.htm.)
AIA uses the ECI and data from other BLS programs, including the Producer Price Indexes, U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes, The Employment Situation and the Consumer Price Index in preparing the Aerospace Statistics which appear at http://www.aia-aerospace.org/economics/aerospace_statistics/
BLS, an independent statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal Federal organization responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision-making. For additional information about BLS’s data gathering effort, visit the Bureau’s website, http://www.bls.gov/ or call 202-691-6199.
BLS Source: doyle.philip[at]bls.gov
AIA Increases Civil Aviation Export Promotion Activities
Recognizing civil aviation as one of the most dynamic sectors of infrastructure growth in the Latin American and Caribbean region, AIA teamed with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) in December to organize the U.S. Trade and Development Agency’s (USTDA) Latin America – Caribbean Aviation Summit. The Miami, Fla. Event drew 300 attendees from throughout the region and supported the President’s National Export Initiative. Cortney Robinson, AIA’s Director of Civil Aviation Infrastructure attended the Summit on behalf of the association.
Countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region are striving to meet current and projected increased demand for air travel as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. As a result of efforts to accelerate infrastructure improvements, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has witnessed considerable interest from the region in development funding in recent years. Consequently, the region has developed a broad portfolio of prospective airport sector projects. The summit featured opportunities for U.S. industry in these areas along with other aviation industry topics that will help to promote new project development and U.S. exports.
The summit featured presentations by AIA member companies and U.S. government officials on technical, regulatory and commercial issues of interest both to U.S. firms and to the participating delegates. These presentations covered such topics as: airport security, airport IT management, airport safety, innovations in air traffic control and air traffic management.
With support from sponsors Raytheon, L-3, SaabSenis and Harris Corp., AIA also organized a members-only “Dinner with the Delegates” which provided AIA member companies with direct access to decision makers and potential customers from the region to discuss potential business opportunities. Dinner guests included the President of ANAC (Brazil), the Director General of Civil Aviation of Chile, the Executive Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), and the Director of FAA’s Western Hemisphere Office.
During the summit the Miami-Dade Aviation Department hosted delegates for a day at Miami International Airport, the largest U.S. gateway for Latin America and the Caribbean air traffic and one of the leading international passenger and freight airports in the world. Airport officials provided delegates with briefings on a broad range of airport-related topics including finances and capital improvement programs, security systems, air traffic management and community relations.
AIA attendees at the summit found it to be an excellent technical, policy and commercial forum to introduce U.S. companies and their products and services to regional government and industry representatives. The event offered valuable networking opportunities for U.S. companies with key Latin American and Caribbean airport and aviation officials from across the region.
Cortney Robinson welcomes inquiries and suggestions from AIA members interested in keeping abreast of similar international opportunities.
AIA Source: cortney.robinson[at]aia-aerospace.org
Export Control Reform Begins to Accelerate in 2013
On New Year’s Eve, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which contains a long-sought provision affecting the aerospace and defense industry. Passage of the NDAA returns to the President the authority for determining proper export control categorization of commercial satellites (COMSATS) and their parts and components. Since the 1998 National Defense Authorization Act the Department of State has, by legislative requirement, controlled the export of commercial satellites and all related technologies. This excessively restrictive control on COMSATS led to the U.S. share of the market dropping from nearly 65 percent to 30 percent, and resulted in an average annual loss of nearly 28,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The NDAA’s export control language will enable the Administration, subject to Congressional oversight, to transition items from the U.S. Munitions List (USML) to the more flexible Commerce Control List (CCL). As with all other technologies removed from the USML, the export of these technologies to China and other countries of concern will be prohibited barring a “national interest” determination from the President.
Moving forward, the Administration will release its “Transition Rule” this April, outlining the new regulations and process for items being moved from the USML to the CCL. The Federal Register Notice will also include the final revisions to Category VIII (military aircraft) and Category XIX (military engines). AIA understands there will be a six month delayed implementation to allow companies to make internal compliance adjustments. Other revisions to USML categories (including Category XV – space vehicles) will be released in draft and then in final form over the course of the year.
AIA appreciates the energy and the leadership shown by our member companies in helping to achieve these important milestones in export control reform. AIA advocacy will continue to be critical as we now focus on remaining export control priorities, such as program licensing and the export control treatment of UAS. For more information, please contact PJ Hart, pj.hart@aia-aerospace.org
AIA Source: pj.hart[at]aia-aerospace.org
AIA Recognizes National Aerospace Standards Committee for NAS Modernization Project Completion
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Pictured in front of a F-14 (from left to right): Chris Carnahan (AIA) Michael Zehner (Spirit AeroSystems – NASC Chair), Chris Hernandez (Northrop Grumman Corporation), Rusty Rentsch (AIA), Bill Horton (Bell Helicopter – NASC Vice Chair), Chuck Brannon (Lockheed Martin) and David Cutuli (The Boeing Company).
AIA’s National Aerospace Standards Committee (NASC) celebrated an important milestone by completing a significant upgrade to the National Aerospace Standards (NAS) library. Over the past three years, the NASC has modernized, reviewed and approved approximately 1,300 NAS standards, with less than 100 NAS standards still to be published. The outcome of this effort is a higher quality product that will make future work in the aerospace and defense industry more efficient and afford opportunities for growth. The standardization of fasteners and other components used by the aerospace and defense industry leads to significant production cost savings, and AIA has supported this process since the 1940s.
At a January 15th reception recognizing the near-completion of the project, Northrop Grumman’s Chris Hernandez, the current chairman of the AIA Technical Operations Council, which has oversight over the NAS Committee, said “I’m here to thank you for what you’ve done; I’m here to commend you for your professionalism, and as a citizen of this great United States, thank you for your contribution to the country.”
With the near completion of this project, the committee has set their sights on improving their internal processes for ensuring that the standards provide the highest value for the aerospace and defense industry.
As part of the NAS committee’s 211th meeting in Tucson, AZ, AIA honored the committee for their hard work and commitment to the program. The venue for this event was appropriately the PIMA Air & Space Museum, where many of the aircraft hanging overhead and exhibited around the museum utilized large quantities of NAS fasteners.
AIA has been the developer of the National Aerospace Standards for 75 years. More information about the NAS standards can be found on-line at www.aia-nas.org.
AIA Source: chris.carnahan[at]aia-aerospace.org
Congress Passes Legislation Benefiting Space Programs
President Barack Obama signed into law on January 14, 2013, H.R. 6586, known as the Space Exploration Sustainability Act. This legislation renews for one year commercial space launch indemnification. For over twenty years, the U.S. commercial space launch program has relied on the FAA’s launch indemnification program which has benefited the commercial launch market and the space industry with no cost to the U.S. taxpayer.
While AIA and the space industry advocated for a multi-year renewal of the indemnification program, the shorter extension was said to allow the FAA “to conduct a review of the underlying formula for calculating probable levels of loss.” A reference to a study conducted last year by the Government Accountability Office, argued that the FAA should use more sophisticated models for determining the third-party maximum probable loss (MPL) that launch providers must be financially responsible for, with the government indemnifying any losses above the MPL level up to approximately $2.7 billion. Also included in the legislation is a provision to extend NASA’s waiver from the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act until 2020. It would allow the agency to continue buying goods and services from Russia in support of International Space Station operations.
Reflecting congressional intent on broader civil space issues, the legislation expresses the view of Congress that NASA should develop the heavy lift Space Launch System (SLS), Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and the commercial crew systems in a balanced manner. Retiring Science and Space Subcommittee Ranking Member Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) stated the bill reaffirms the intent of the 2010 NASA Authorization Act. She crafted the act with Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) as a compromise between the emphasis placed by the Obama Administration on commercial crew systems to take astronauts to and from the ISS, and the emphasis placed by Congress on developing a rocket (SLS) and crew spacecraft (Orion) to take astronauts beyond low Earth orbit. Another important piece of legislation that was signed into law at the end of the 112th Congress is the National Defense Authorization Act, which included a number of provisions that are important to AIA members. The NDAA, among other provisions, allows for the easing of restrictions on exporting satellites by enabling the administration, subject to congressional oversight, to transition items from the U.S. Munitions List to the more flexible Commerce Control List.
Two other NDAA provisions are also important to note. The U.S. Air Force Operationally Responsive Space Program was restored by adding an additional $10 million in funding, bringing the total to $45 million. The Obama Administration sought to terminate the program but instead reorganized the program within the Air Force. Additionally, although the President’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget requested the termination of the Space Test Program (STP), a provision was included in the bill that added $35 million for the program, making the total authorized funding level to $45 million. STP has provided access to space for more than 500 military research payloads since 1965 and is an important program for the space industrial base. While full-year funding will still be dependent upon Congressional action once the Fiscal Year 2013 Continuing Resolution ends on March 27, the NDAA legislation clearly shows Congress’ support for defense space programs.
AIA Source: kristen.moore[at]aia-aerospace.org
January/February 2013 eUpdate
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AIA Calls for Immediate Action
Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address.
Arlington, Va. – The President’s State of the Union address laid out much of the damage that sequestration would do to our economy and national security; now is the time for action.
The devastating impacts of sequestration are well documented and already being felt. With such a fragile U.S. economy, now is not the time to put nearly 2.14 million jobs at risk. Government workers from all agencies face massive furloughs – further crippling necessary governmental functions. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have warned of serious impacts to military readiness, training and maintenance. Just yesterday, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta warned that furloughs would damage all segments of the aviation industry as well as air travelers. Massive travel delays and disruptions during the summer travel season, slowed certifications and safety approvals and long-term delays to delivery of critical Next Generation Air Transportation System components will slam the brakes on economic growth.
There are just sixteen days left for Congress and President Obama to work together to find a solution to this looming economic and national security disaster. They must deliver on a balanced, bipartisan plan to responsibly reduce deficits and avoid this sequester.
SMC Member Information
AIA Members cannot register through this website. Please contact Garnett Black at garnett.black[at]aia-aerospace.org to receive the registration link.
You can’t afford to miss the most informative and collaborative meeting in aerospace and defense - - the Aerospace Industries Association’s Spring Supplier Management Council Meeting, March 19-21, 2013, which is being held at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott in Los Angeles, CA, and hosted by Northrop Grumman Corporation.
The hotel rooms in the AIA room block are limited. Reserve your room as soon as possible to receive the discounted rate. (See hotel information under the tab at the top of the Summary Page in the registration). We are expecting a record turnout for this meeting, so please register now!
As we all know, these are critical times for our industry. Now more than ever, AIA members must work together to preserve and protect the aerospace and defense industry and find opportunities for growth. We look forward to having you with us and the Supplier Management Council as we work together on our most challenging issues.
The Meeting Program
- The Northrop Grumman Corporation and its senior leadership will host a reception and dinner with Northrop Grumman senior leaders, offer a tour of their F/A-18 Production Line, and hold one-on-one business-to-business meetings on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
- Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Department of Defense (Invited)
- Rob Levinson, Defense Analyst, Bloomberg Government, Back from the Cliff: What the Budget Deal Means for Business
- Heidi Wood, Former Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Research and Currently Co-head of Global Sales, Avjet
- Lisa Kohl, Sector Vice President Global Supply Chain, Northrop Grumman Corporation
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Aerospace & Defense Strategy and Corporate Development Roundtable – Key M&A Trends and Value Drivers
- Moderator: Stephen Perry, Managing Director, Janes Capital Partners
- Paul Dellaneve, Group Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Moog
- Karin Flanagan, Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Bernie Iversen, Executive Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, TransDigm Group, Inc.
- Brad Lawrence, President & CEO, Esterline Technologies
- Richard Wood, CEO, PRV Aerospace
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Panel Discussion: Current & Future Trends in the Aerospace and Defense Supply Chain
- Moderator: Corey Moore, Vice President, Global Supply Chain, Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Rob Barrett, Managing Director, Supply Chain & Operations, KPMG, LLP
- Jane Feitler, Research Director, Gartner
- Robert Martichenko, President LeanCor Supply Chain Group
- Marion Blakey, AIA’s President & CEO, on the State of the Industry
- Cord Sterling, Vice President, Legislative Affairs, presenting a legislative update on AIA’s 2013 Legislative & Regulatory Priorities
Business to Business Meetings with Northrop Grumman Corporation
Northrop Grumman will be scheduling one-on-one business meetings with AIA members and their Supplier Management Leaders across their Aerospace Systems and Information Systems business areas. Representatives will include individuals from the company's Socio-Economic Business offices and Supply Chain Management professionals with special expertise in the following:
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Information Technology
- MRO Products and Services
- Cyber Technology
- Hi-tech capabilities, specifically with small disadvantaged, HUBZone and Service Disabled Veteran.
To schedule a one-on-one business discussion with a Northrop Grumman representative on Tuesday, March 19th, please complete the information requested in the online registration and be sure to include the type of product line for your company. A Northrop Grumman representative will send you an email with the time of your meeting.
AIA Referral Program
Don’t forget to refer a potential member to AIA and get your next meeting registration free of charge if they join AIA and list you on their application. To learn more, click here: Member Referral Program.
To register or if you have any questions, contact Garnett Black, Director of Corporate Events, at 703-358-1095 or garnett.black[at]aia-aerospace.org.
If you would like to appoint an official representative to the Supplier Management Council or request to serve on the Board of Managers of the Supplier Management Council, please contact David Mandell, Acting Vice President of Supplier Management Council and Vice President, Membership & Business Development at david.mandell[at]aia-aerospace.org or 703-358-1005.
Archive 2012
December 12, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, oral testimony before the House Science Space and Technology Committee, written testimony delivered to the House Science Space and Technology Committee, and report on The Economic Impact of Sequestration on Civil Space Programs.
December 11, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the National Aeronautic Association luncheon.
December 5, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at AIA's 48th Annual Year-End Review and Forecast luncheon (Also available as an mp3 audio recording).
October 23, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks on record in reaction to the POTUS sequestration comments during the debate (mp3 audio file).
October 15, 2012 - Dan Stohr, Director of Communication, AIA, remarks delivered at the St. Louis Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association and St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (presentation).
September 24, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the Aircraft Builders Council Conference.
September 20, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the BISEC Congressional reception.
September 20, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the House Aerospace Caucus.
September 19, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the Wings of Liberty reception.
September 19, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the Senate Aerospace Caucus.
September 18, 2012 - Jim Albaugh, Executive Vice President, The Boeing Company, remarks given at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars (PDF format).
September 18, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remakrs delivered at AIA's Fall Supplier Management Council Meeting.
September 18, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks given at the Air Force Assocation's Annual Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition (PDF format).
September 12, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the IAMAW Grand Lodge (PDF format).
August 15, 2012 - David P. Hess, President, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, and Chairman, AIA, remarks for AIA Supplier Management Council.
August 13, 2012 - The Honorable Norman Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, remarks for AIA's sequestration FAA study.
August 13, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks for AIA's sequestration FAA study.
July 27, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks delivered at the Cleveland City Club (PDF format).
July 19, 2012 - David P. Hess, President, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, and Chairman, AIA, remarks delivered at the House Aerospace Caucus (PDF format).
July 18, 2012 - David P. Hess, President, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, and Chairman, AIA testimony before the House Armed Services Committee (PDF format).
July 18, 2012 - Robert J. Stevens, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Lockheed Martin Corporation, testimony before the House Armed Services Committee (PDF format).
July 18, 2012 - Dan Elwell, Vice President, Civil Aviation, AIA, testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security (PDF format).
July 13, 2012 - Frank Slazer, Vice President, Space Systems, AIA, remarks at the Colorado Space Coalition Denver, CO (PDF format).
July 5, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks given at the Royal Aeronautical Society, Amy Johnson Lecture (PDF format).
June 6, 2012 - Frank Slazer, Vice President Space Systems, AIA, testimony before House Science, Space, and Technology Committee (PDF format).
May 5, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, remarks at the Oklahoma Aerospace & Defense Expo and Summit (PDF format).
April 27, 2012 - Wes Bush, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Northrop Grumman Corporation, remarks at the Aero Club of Washington, D.C. (PDF format).
April 26, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, testimony before House Science, Space, and Technology Committee (PDF format).
March 22, 2012 - Frank Slazer, Vice President Space Systems, AIA, testimony before House Foreign Affairs Committee (PDF format).
February 7, 2012 - Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA, testimony before House Foreign Affairs Committee, remarks as prepared and fact sheets.
Spring Supplier Management Council Meeting – Hosted by Northrop Grumman Corporation
The Aerospace Industries Association is offering a one-time, limited opportunity for non-members to attend its Spring Supplier Management Council Meeting, hosted by Northrop Grumman Corporation, March 19-21, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
Take advantage of this special opportunity to meet with Northrop Grumman buyers and senior aerospace and defense leaders and decision makers. A business-to-business meeting with Northrop Grumman is guaranteed -- but only for a limited number of non-members. In addition, if you attend the meeting as a non-member, we will credit your registration fee towards membership in AIA.
If you are not a member of AIA and are interested in attending the meeting, please contact David Mandell, Vice President, Membership & Business Development at david.mandell[at]aia-aerospace.org to see if you qualify.
The Meeting Program
- The Northrop Grumman Corporation and its senior leadership will host a reception and dinner with Northrop Grumman senior leaders, offer a tour of their F/A-18 Production Line, and hold one-on-one business-to-business meetings on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
- Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Department of Defense (Invited)
- Rob Levinson, Defense Analyst, Bloomberg Government, Back from the Cliff: What the Budget Deal Means for Business
- Heidi Wood, Former Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Research and Currently Co-head of Global Sales, Avjet
- Lisa Kohl, Sector Vice President Global Supply Chain, Northrop Grumman Corporation
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Aerospace & Defense Strategy and Corporate Development Roundtable – Key M&A Trends and Value Drivers
- Moderator: Stephen Perry, Managing Director, Janes Capital Partners
- Paul Dellaneve, Group Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Moog
- Karin Flanagan, Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Bernie Iversen, Executive Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, TransDigm Group, Inc.
- Brad Lawrence, President & CEO, Esterline Technologies
- Richard Wood, CEO, PRV Aerospace
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Panel Discussion: Current & Future Trends in the Aerospace and Defense Supply Chain
- Moderator: Corey Moore, Vice President, Global Supply Chain, Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Rob Barrett, Managing Director, Supply Chain & Operations, KPMG, LLP
- Jane Feitler, Research Director, Gartner
- Robert Martichenko, President LeanCor Supply Chain Group
- Marion Blakey, AIA’s President & CEO, on the State of the Industry
- Cord Sterling, Vice President, Legislative Affairs, presenting a legislative update on AIA’s 2013 Legislative & Regulatory Priorities
One-on-One Business Meetings with Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman will be scheduling one-on-one business meetings with AIA members and their Supplier Management Leaders across their Aerospace Systems and Information Systems business areas. Representatives will include individuals from the company's Socio-Economic Business offices and Supply Chain Management professionals with special expertise in the following:
-
Information Technology
- MRO Products and Services
- Cyber Technology
- Hi-tech capabilities, specifically with small disadvantaged, HUBZone and Service Disabled Veteran.
About AIA
Chaired by Wes Bush, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President, Northrop Grumman Corporation, AIA is the most authoritative and influential association representing the aerospace and defense industry. Our membership consists of more than 350 of the leading aerospace and defense manufacturers and suppliers.
Unlike many other associations, CEOs of our member companies and their senior managers define and drive our agenda. We offer opportunities to get closer to your customers, potential customers, and competitors. There is a reason membership in AIA has grown more than 60% in the last two years. We encourage you to experience the benefits.
Questions
If you are not a member of AIA and are interested in attending the meeting, please contact David Mandell, Vice President, Membership & Business Development at david.mandell[at]aia-aerospace.org.
More than 3,500 Organizations Demand End to Sequestration Cuts
Unprecedented joining of groups across all sectors sends a clear message to Congress and the White House that with 2.14 million jobs on the line, it is long past time to avert devastating sequestration budget cuts.
Washington, D.C. – More than 3,500 organizations from all sectors of the economy and society joined forces today to urge Congress and President Obama to put an immediate end to sequestration budget cuts which threaten to send the economy reeling back into recession and destroy more than two million American jobs. Letters from NDD United, the Aerospace Industries Association and the Task Force on American Innovation urging immediate action were sent to President Obama and congressional leadership, with copies going to every member of Congress.
“Discretionary spending programs are not the reason for our growing debt, and yet they are always the first place lawmakers look for cuts,” said Emily Holubowich, Executive Director of the Coalition for Health Funding and spokesperson for NDD United. “Our goal is to speak with one voice to educate policymakers and the public about the importance of these programs. When you do the math, sacrificing these programs not only wouldn’t balance the budget, it would cripple our ability to grow in the future.”
The unprecedented array of groups involved represents a wide variety of Americans, from manufacturers to health professionals, academic researchers to social workers. Their goal in uniting today is to draw greater attention to the devastating impact of sequestration cuts to all Americans, regardless of industry or sector.
“The danger that sequestration poses to the economy and our national security cannot be overstated,” said Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “More than two million jobs are at stake from all sectors. Sequestration affects all Americans and we must pull together to set it aside.”
According to a study performed by Dr. Stephen Fuller of George Mason University, sequestration budget cuts would cost 2.14 million jobs, 1.05 million from spending reductions at domestic discretionary agencies and 1.09 million from DOD spending reductions. These losses would fall across all job descriptions from manufacturing to retail, from professional business services to federal workers and from researchers to nurses. Small businesses would be hit particularly hard, losing more than 956,000 jobs.
“Our nation needs a balanced, strategic approach to its fiscal challenges. The indiscriminate budget cutting required by sequestration is not the answer,” said Wes Bush, Northrop Grumman chairman, chief executive officer and president. “We urge Congress and the Administration to work to together on a solution to avoid sequestration’s devastating impacts on the nation’s security, economy, all aspects of the federal government, as well as research and education that drives innovation in our country.”
“Sequestration is a reckless and blunt tool that would force deep spending reductions across critical investments in research and education,” APLU President Peter McPherson said. “If we’re not going to develop the next technology at our universities then other nations will. These short-sighted cuts would result in the loss of 200,000 research-related jobs over the next four years alone and cause the U.S. to fall far behind other nations in developing the future technology that can power economies for decades. Why would we cede such extraordinary opportunities to China and India when we have the opportunity to continue leading the world in innovation?”
Scientific research drives innovation, productivity, job creation and growth. Technological advances such as the laser, the Internet and the Web, GPS, and the large-scale integrated circuit all had their origins in federally-funded, long-term research.
“Funding science and research is a necessary investment for a country that seeks to expand its economy and maintain its global leadership,” said Association of American Universities President Hunter Rawlings. “Pulling back on those investments, especially when other nations are ramping up theirs, is short-sighted and will leave our nation less able to sustain the economic growth it needs to create jobs and eliminate budget deficits in future years.”
To see copies of the letters and additional information, please visit http://secondtonone.org/stop-sequestration-press-conference-press-kit
CONTACTS:
AAU: Barry Toiv AIA: Dan Stohr
(202) 408-7500 (703) 358-1075 office
barry_toiv@aau.edu (703) 517-8173 mobile
dan.stohr@aia-aerospace.org
APLU: Jeff Lieberson NDD United: Emily Holubowich
(202) 478-6040 (202) 484-1100 ext. 43
jlieberson@aplu.org eholubowich@dc-crd.com
The Association of American Universities is a nonprofit association of 60 U.S. and two Canadian preeminent public and private research universities. Founded in 1900, AAU focuses on national and institutional issues that are important to research-intensive universities, including funding for research, research and education policy, and graduate and undergraduate education.
Founded in 1919 shortly after the birth of flight, the Aerospace Industries Association is the most authoritative and influential trade association representing the nation’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aircraft systems, space systems, aircraft engines, missiles, homeland and cybersecurity systems, materiel and related components, equipment services and information technology.
Founded in 1887, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) is a research, action, and advocacy organization of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. As the nation’s oldest higher education association, APLU is dedicated to excellence in learning, discovery, and engagement. Member campuses enroll more than 3.6 million undergraduate and 1.1 million graduate students, employ more than 670,000 faculty and administrators, and conduct nearly two-thirds of all university-based research, totally more than $34 billion annually.
NDD United represents the breadth of diverse interests in nondefense discretionary programs, including education and job training, public health and safety, law enforcement, science, natural resources, housing, social services, and infrastructure. Together, NDD United is working to strengthen America by protecting these core government functions from additional cuts.
Formed in 2004, the Task Force on American Innovation (TFAI) is an alliance of America's most innovative companies, leading research universities, and largest scientific societies. The group’s mission is to support scientific research in the physical sciences and engineering. The Task Force is based in Washington, DC, working with the Administration and Congress to support the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Defense Department, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Media Advisory: Thousands of Organizations Unite to Protect America’s Economy and Innovation Leaders
Non-Defense and Defense Groups to Demand Solutions to Sequestration
Washington, D.C. – Leading representatives from industries and sectors on both the defense and non-defense side of the sequestration debate will detail a joint effort they are undertaking to put a stop to the severe budget cuts currently set to go into effect on March 1. This event marks the first time the defense and nondefense communities have joined together to speak with one voice about the ways in which Americans will be harmed by continued cuts to core government functions, including the military, education, public health, science, public safety, and infrastructure.
The Aerospace Industries Association, NDD United and the Task Force for American Innovation, together representing thousands of member companies, institutions and organizations, will urge President Obama and Congress to work together to find a balanced, bipartisan permanent solution to the meat axe of sequestration budget cuts.
WHO:
- Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association
- Wes Bush, Chairman of AIA and Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Emily Holubowich, Executive Director, Coalition for Health Funding and Co-Chair, NDD United
- Peter McPherson, President of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
- Hunter Rawlings, President of the Association of American Universities
WHAT:
Press conference detailing joint effort by groups representing millions of Americans calling for an end to devastating sequestration budget cuts
WHEN:
9:00am Eastern Time (8:30am sign-in and continental breakfast)
Monday, February 11, 2013
WHERE:
National Press Club, Holeman Lounge
529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor
Washington, DC 20045
PRESS CONTACTS:
AAU: Barry Toiv AIA: Dan Stohr
(202) 898-7847 (703) 358-1075 office
barry_toiv@aau.edu (703) 517-8173 mobile
dan.stohr@aia-aerospace.org
APLU: Jeff Lieberson NDD United: Emily Holubowich
(202) 478-6040 (202) 484-1100 ext. 43
jlieberson@aplu.org eholubowich@dc-crd.com
Congressional action, not grandstanding, needed to avert fiscal cliff
For over a year the Aerospace Industries Association has warned that cuts to defense and other important federal programs will take a huge toll, not only on national security and our “seed corn” investments in technology, but to our economy right now. It’s time to end the political gamesmanship and put the national interest first.
We already have a clear warning of what’s to come. In just the last month, Washington Business Journal reported that more than half of 100 government contractors surveyed by Grant Thornton LLP experienced flat or declining revenue and plunging profits in 2012. And in recent weeks, aerospace and defense contractors announced new layoffs — all due to a downturn in government spending. And now, for the first time in four years, our Gross Domestic Product is going into negative territory.
As Washington Business Journal readers may recall, a study conducted last summer for AIA by Stephen Fuller, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, found that if sequestration goes forward 2.14 million defense and non-defense jobs will be at risk — including 957,000 small business jobs. That would lead to a 1.5 percent increase in the unemployment rate, a reduction of expected growth in GDP of $215 billion, and the likely tail-spinning of the economy into a new recession. Fuller’s analysis found that sequestration would hit our region particularly hard, with Virginia at risk for 207,571 job losses, Washington, DC for 127,407 pink slips and Maryland for 114,795 tickets to the unemployment line.
While the economic implications of sequestration are bad enough, there are other fundamental reasons why the White House and Congress should do their utmost to find a better solution to our debt and deficit problems than sequestration. Clearly we need to avoid eviscerating our national defense. In a rare Jan. 14 letter to congressional leaders, the Joint Chiefs of Staff weighed in on the urgent need to de-trigger sequestration by issuing a stark warning: “The readiness of our Armed Forces is at a tipping point.”
They noted the Defense Department will be forced to cut training, furlough up to nearly 800,000 defense civilians (many in this region) and raid the accounts used to invest in the capabilities that keep our military second to none. The Joint Chiefs concluded, “We are at grave risk of an imposed mismatch between the size of our Nation’s military force and the funding required to maintain its readiness, which will inevitably lead to a hollow force.”
Sequestration will also seriously impact the operations of our nation’s air transportation system. The Federal Aviation Administration would be forced to cut back on operations and reduce the number of airport control towers and air traffic controllers, and the Department of Homeland Security would need to reduce the number of security screeners and custom officials. The traveling public and cargo providers will suffer delays as a result.
And as AIA warned in a new study conducted by Fuller last fall, sequestration will hinder NASA’s ability to develop America’s next generation of launch vehicles and spacecraft and significantly delay federal work on vitally needed weather satellites. Other important government functions — everything from education, food inspections, law enforcement and border security and medical research — will also take a hit.
Sequestration is no way to run a great nation. The outlines of a balanced, bipartisan approach to our nation’s debt and deficit issues — a combination of targeted budget cuts, entitlement reforms and additional tax reforms — are well known. It’s time to act.
Posting highest student participation numbers in a decade, TARC celebrates diversity
Rocket competition launches students into STEM careers with strong representation of girls, minorities and students from rural communities
Arlington, Va. – Middle and high school students in 725 teams across 44 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands are gearing up for the 2013 Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), the world’s largest student rocket contest and a critical piece of the aerospace industry’s workforce development pipeline.
Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry and more than 25 industry partners, TARC aims to inspire and motivate middle and high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. It also brings together some of the most talented STEM educators from across the country. The top 100 teams will advance to the National Finals on Saturday, May 11th at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.
Participating teams represent a diverse group of students from urban and rural America. Notably in light of Title IX’s 40th anniversary, the contest has also witnessed a steady uptick in girls’ participation. Including last year’s National Finals runner up, Team Eclipse from San Antonio, Texas, more than 20 all-girls teams will be competing in this year’s challenge.
“Seeing the diversity of teams signed up for this year’s competition is thrilling,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “But even more exciting are the contributions these students will make over the long term. The true value of TARC is connecting talented scientists and young rocketeers from all backgrounds to develop a pipeline of innovators in STEM.”
Christine Hanger, teacher from Madison West High School and 10-year TARC mentor, has five powerhouse teams – including the 2012 national champions – competing in this year’s contest. “TARC has been a defining experience in my 15 years as an educator,” said Hanger. “I’m so proud of how rocketry has grown to become a privilege in our school. Working with my students year after year and seeing where they land, it’s clear that TARC not only inspires kids in new and innovative ways, it also helps them take off as future STEM leaders.”
Each year, the competition rules are adjusted to increase the complexity and rigor of the event. This year, teams will be challenged to overcome obstacles of drag and recovery as they design and build a wider rocket than in years past. The rocket must safely carry one raw egg up to an exact altitude of 750 feet and land within a duration of 48-50 seconds – a mere two second window before teams are penalized. In addition, rockets have to be recovered by a 15 inch diameter parachute, making it more difficult for teams to adjust timing for the flight because the recovery is constrained by a bigger chute.
Teams are competing for over $60,000 in scholarships and prizes, as well as an opportunity to participate in NASA’s Student Launch Initiative. Lockheed Martin Corporation donates additional funding to support future TARC teams from the top 10 placing programs. Raytheon Company provides funding for the winning team to compete in an international fly-off held at the International Paris Air Show in July against teams from the UK and France.
Honoring Our Fallen Astronaut Heroes
Every year, NASA and the nation honors the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews, and other members of the NASA family who lost their lives supporting NASA’s mission of exploration. This year’s NASA Day of Remembrance is Friday, February 1st, the 10th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. AIA joins with NASA in paying tribute to the courage and dedication of our astronauts, and all those who support the noble cause of exploration and discovery.
AIA Sounds the Alarm on Economic Downturn Report
Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association on reports of the contraction of the U.S. economy in the 4th quarter of 2012.
Arlington, Va. – The contraction of the U.S. economy in the fourth quarter underscores AIA’s warning for the past 18 months that severe across the board budget cuts—both to defense and non-defense discretionary spending—threaten to throw the economy into a tailspin. It is clear from the Commerce Department report that reduced government spending, primarily in the defense sector, is a major cause for the GDP decline. In July 2011, Congress enacted a cut of $487 billion to the defense budget, resulting in ongoing, significant job losses in the defense sector.
In less than 30 days, unless Congress and the White House act, sequestration will kick in, leading to higher unemployment, reduced tax revenue and lower consumer spending. This will be the second wave that overwhelms our floundering economic boat, likely sinking us back into a recession.
As recently as today, Chuck Hagel, nominee for the position of Defense Secretary, said, “[Sequestration] would harm military readiness and disrupt each and every investment program. I urge Congress to eliminate the sequester threat permanently and pass a balanced deficit-reduction plan.”
Sequestration threatens both America’s national security and economic health. Congress and the White House need to focus on a solution that addresses the deficit problem smartly, through a balanced, bipartisan approach that doesn’t cripple our economy and hamstring our national security.
Welcome New Members!
Welcome New Members!
AIA’s Executive Committee approved the following new Full Member and five new Associate Members. Congratulations and a very warm welcome on behalf of all of us here at the Aerospace Industries Association!
New Full Members:
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications.
New Associate Members:
EEI Manufacturing
Founded in 1993, EEI is a woman-owned, small disadvantaged business (WOSDB) located in Clearwater, Florida, which supports the aerospace and defense industries. EEI is a certified and registered ISO 9001:2008 company that specializes in engineering services, manufacturing and training.
Infor
Infor provides enterprise solutions for aerospace and defense contractors to utilize in the management of their customer relationship, manufacturing, supply chain and finance operations.
Norfil, LLC
For over forty-five years, Norfil has been involved in close tolerance machining and assembly, primarily in the aircraft industry. Our multi-spindle machining centers give our company the competitive edge in manufacturing large and small parts produced from hog-outs and forgings at competitive prices. We also have major capabilities with four and five axis machine centers, including profiling, vertical milling, horizontal milling, boring, turning and assembly. We have years of experience machining many different types of metals primarily titanium, inconel, steel and carbon alloys.
North Carolina Global TransPark
The North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP) is a 2,500 acre, multimodal industrial park offering unparalleled access to air, rail, highways, and North Carolina's two international ports. The GTP boasts a pro-business climate aimed at growing the aerospace, logistics, manufacturing, emergency services, defense contracting and supporting industries.
Southco, Inc.
Southco is a global industry leader in engineered access innovation and design excellence. Their goal is to combine unique products and services with industry expertise to help their customers differentiate their brand and enhance the user experience.
Thank You
Thank you for submitting your information to AIA regarding approval for the letter to Congress and the White House.
A staff member from AIA will be in touch should there be questions about your submission.
AIA Reacts to Joint Chiefs’ Call for End to Sequestration
Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association on reports that the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote to Congressional leaders urging immediate action.
Arlington, Va. – In a rare letter, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have weighed in on the urgent need to de-trigger sequestration by issuing a stark warning to Congress laying out the impacts of this misguided and unworkable policy. We agree – the stakes are too high for our elected leaders to play political games with our armed forces.
The Defense Department will be forced to cut training, furlough civilian personnel and raid investment accounts. Sequestration will render our defense strategy unexecutable and leave us with a hollow force incapable of resetting capabilities or responding to emerging national security dangers. It will also cause massive disruption in the business world as program contracts are renegotiated, triggering layoffs and sending unit costs through the roof.
Worst of all, it endangers the ability of future generations to address the security issues of the future. We join the Chiefs in urging Congress to take immediate action on a legislative solution that President Obama can sign which preserves a military force that is second to none.
Social Media
Inaugural Parade to Feature Aerospace and Defense Contributions to America
AIA salutes the more than 2,100 military personnel and related military organizations who will be marching in the 57th Inaugural Parade on Monday, January 21, as well as several NASA astronauts and scientists who will march in the parade alongside a full sized Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle test article and a replica of the Curiosity Mars Rover.
“It is a great tradition that Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen who are representative of the men and women serving their country at home and around the world are featured in the parade,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “I’m very proud that representative marching bands, color guards, salute batteries and honor cordons from the military services will be spotlighted in the parade and other inauguration activities and that NASA will also have a prominent role.”
There are five distinct parade divisions for the inaugural parade and each division is comprised of various elements of the five armed services. Other groups associated with the nation’s defense including the United War Veterans Council, Military Spouses of Michigan and 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment are also participating in the parade. Since the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson in 1805, nearly every Presidential inauguration has featured a parade.
Vice President, Civil Aviation
Job Title: Vice President, Civil Aviation Job No. 22
Division: Civil Aviation
Date Revised: January 8, 2013
Purpose: The VP for Civil Aviation reports directly to the President and CEO of AIA and supervises and manages the Civil Aviation Division which is responsible for addressing common, noncompetitive domestic and international civil aviation issues. Strategic direction for the division is provided by the CEO-level Civil Aviation Leadership Council (CALC). The CALC determines the Civil Aviation Council (CAC) AIA’s top civil aviation policy priorities. The CAC then overseas and engages in the tactical activities of AIA’s committees and working groups on issues such as aircraft noise and emissions, certification, rulemaking and safety, air traffic systems, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and NextGen. The CAC also serves as a link to other aviation associations and to safety agencies around the world. The Civil Aviation Division’s activities are organized around three primary objectives: promote global competitive trade, support transformational aviation initiatives and technology that advances our industry, and support policies and research that enable sustainable growth of our industry. Activities on global competitive trade involve the advocacy for a fair and unbiased international regulatory framework and fair market access internationally. Activities on transformational initiatives and technology include promoting the development and implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), the integration of UAS in the national airspace system, highly efficient regulatory approaches to product certification and risk-based decision making for aviation safety and security. Activities on the polices and research that enable sustainable growth include support for alternative aviation fuels initiatives, the development of a global CO2 certification standard for civil aircraft. promoting enhanced federal research funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, and pursuing tax policies that encourage private research and development expenditures.
Nature and Scope of Work:
- Responsible for addressing all issues that impact the design, manufacture, and operation of transport category airplanes, rotorcraft, engines, and parts and appliances, and for coordinating the association's activities in these areas. The position provides a focus for all aspects of civil aviation products, which may overlap other functional departments within the association.
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Coordinates the activities of the Civil Aviation Leadership Council (“CALC” – strategic guidance body comprised of member company CEOs with civil aviation interests), the Civil Aviation Council (CAC) and the committees, subcommittees and working groups established to address U.S. and international policies and regulatory issues. These councils, committees and working groups formulate industry positions to be presented to U.S., foreign, and international agencies, bureaus and commissions, or respond to government inquiries dealing with special areas of concern that require industry input.
- Works closely with the CALC, CAC, AIA CEO, senior staff and AIA Executive Committee to identify and clarify issues and develop strategies to address them.
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Provides substantive advice as well as technical assistance.
- Participates in seeking industry consensus; drafting and refining AIA's positions on the various issues and topics under consideration and in making these viewpoints known to appropriate agency officials and relevant private sector organizations.
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Represents AIA at various official gatherings, organizing and chairing sessions, speaking or serving as a panelist. Works with other organizations to inform them of the AIA position on various issues and topics and occasionally provides congressional testimony.
- Oversees AIA’s participation in the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Association and its activities at ICAO
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Selects agenda topics and speakers for group meetings, and approves expenses; supervises site selection, meeting arrangements, generation of background materials and minutes of the proceedings.
- Analyzes various trends, issues, areas of concern and emerging patterns pertaining to domestic and international manufacture and operation of transport category airplanes, rotorcraft engines, parts and appliances in order to provide insight into future developments and to anticipate the need for association positions and actions. These areas include economic and technical trends, flight safety and regulation, aircraft environmental performance, legislative initiatives, and R&D policy.
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Maintains liaison with senior policy level counterparts in member companies, U.S. and foreign governments, international organizations, other associations, and academia covering technical and legislative matters to define issues and focal points.
- Works closely with other AIA senior staff.
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Responsible for the successful completion of the Civil Aviation Division’s contribution to AIA’s annual strategic plan.
- Formulates preliminary association policies and participates in seeking consensus among member companies.
- Develops innovative approaches to lasting or politically sensitive problems.
- Reviews and critiques available data including proprietary information, academic background and relevant studies, policies and recommendations from other domestic and foreign industry sources.
- May initiate actions to develop other data or material needed to substantiate positions.
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Ensures that policies are consistent between industry sectors and AIA departments.
- Serves as a key resource person to the president, other departments, member companies, government and congressional officials, the media and the public.
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Presents AIA positions through a variety of formal and informal mechanisms.
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Serves as representative on major government advisory boards and committees, and advises the FAA on matters related to safety of flight, aviation system capacity and aircraft environmental performance.
- Contributes articles and news items to the AIA newsletters, highlighting issues and developments within own areas of expertise and responsibility.
Staff of 4: Assistant Vice President of Civil Aviation, Director of Civil Aviation Infrastructure, Director of Environment Policy, and Administrative Assistant. The Civil Aviation Division is also assisted by the Assistant VP of Legislative Affairs who handles civil aviation legislative activity.
Welcome New Members!
At the Fall Board of Governors Meeting, AIA’s Executive Committee approved the following two new Full Members and one new Associate Member, closing the year with a record total number of 379 AIA member companies. Congratulations and a very warm welcome on behalf of all of us here at the Aerospace Industries Association!
New Full Members:
Aireon LLC
Aireon is a planned joint venture between Iridium and NAV CANADA with support from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and suppliers Harris Corporation and Exelis. Aireon will leverage the expertise of each partner, to create a revolutionary platform for providing valuable services that every air navigation service provider around the world could use.
Camcode Division of Horizons Incorporated
Camcode Division of Horizons Incorporated is engaged in the design and manufacture of durable bar code solutions for Asset Tracking and UID programs. Camcode’s bar code labels are manufactured using their proprietary Metalphoto® photosensitive anodized aluminum.
New Associate Members:
Radant Technologies, Inc.
Radant specializes in the design, manufacture and testing of radomes, Radant lens electronically steerable antenna, reflectors and structural composite products for use in aerospace and defense installations.
Archive 2012
Saving the defense industrial base
If 9/11 brought to an abrupt end Francis Fukuyama's "End of History" thesis that the spread of liberal democracies and free market capitalism might lead to an era of peace, recent events have provided the United States an even more ominous warning that we must be prepared to address current and emerging long-term threats to our military superiority.
Certainly, countering Iran's ambition to become a nuclear power and its ongoing efforts to destabilize the Middle East is a real concern. And we must also take seriously the idea that our strategic "Pacific Pivot" may need to be implemented quicker than our military planners initially envisioned. This fall's saber rattling between China and Japan over a set of contested tiny islands in the South China Sea and East China Sea serve as a sobering reminder that America could well find itself involved in a war between two great Asian powers in the near future.
Unfortunately, these challenges are occurring at a time when the U.S. defense budget is being significantly squeezed by tremendous fiscal pressures. And we know from past eras of defense budget retrenchment that investments in new equipment and research and development of the new systems and capabilities needed to maintain America's vital technological edge are often first on the chopping block.
There is a corollary concern for national defense involving the scientists, engineers and technicians whose innovation we count on to ensure our nation remains second to none. AIA has documented how mandatory sequestration budget cuts will put at risk 2.14 million jobs across the economy. We have a real concern that once pink slips come to valuable defense workers, we may lose their talents and skills for good.
James Tabbi, the President and CEO of RAF Tabtronics, a Piffard, NY business that designs and manufactures advanced electromagnetic technologies, is emblematic of a defense supply chain company leader who is already feeling the impact of sequestration. "We've seen our customers already start pulling back and just be hesitant to cut purchase orders," he states. "We've already seen jobs shrink in our company. Whenever you lose talented people, you lose capability that you may not be able to get back in a month, or two months, or a few years down the road. There's always the risk of that especially in a small company. Any cutbacks we have to make are very serious."
In addition to the danger of budget cuts, longstanding demographic trends have the potential to exacerbate the aerospace and defense brain drain we are facing that will be extremely difficult for the Pentagon to manage. For example, the quarter of the Defense Department workforce that the U.S. Government Accountability Office identified back in 2008 as being eligible to retire by 2012 may have hung onto their jobs because of what the recession did to their retirement accounts, but they won't hang on forever. And what of the young cohort we expect to replace these workers?
A number of factors are leading students away from considering defense-oriented careers. A report released this October by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) laid it on the line. While "a workforce with robust STEM capabilities is critical to sustaining U.S. preeminence," wrote the authors, "Today, the STEM activities of the DOD are a small and diminishing part of the nation's overall science and engineering enterprise." The report focused not only on the lack of DOD STEM programs, but on the difficulty of hiring foreign nationals for defense work because they cannot obtain security clearances. Yet they constitute more than 50 percent of America's new graduates in STEM disciplines.
In addition, long-time aerospace giant Norman Augustine, who co-chaired the NAS report, pointed out that defense work is becoming less and less attractive to those graduates who are eligible to assist our defense effort because of a poor incentive structure: College graduates recognize the futility of working 20 years on a new weapons project only to have it scrapped before it's fielded.
Clearly, when the administration and new Congress take a hard look at our national defense needs in the coming year, I hope they will examine what it will take to ensure, as the NAS report details, "that STEM competencies in all potentially critical, emerging topical areas are maintained at least at a basic level within the (Defense) department and its industrial bases."
It seems like ages ago, but still one of the best political advertisements in recent memory was Hillary Clinton's ad about the 3:00 am call to the White House. Although everyone prays that such calls are few and far between, are we really doing what's necessary to ensure that any American President has both the military equipment and human capital he or she will need when the next 3:00 am phone call comes? I certainly worry about this a great deal. It's what keeps me up in the middle of the night.
Archive 2012
Promoting U.S. Tax Policy for Aerospace and Defense
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As the United States economy moves through uncertain times, America’s aerospace and defense industry remains a powerful, reliable engine of employment, innovation and export income. The aerospace and defense industry directly employs more than one million Americans, located in every state of the Union — and supports more than two million jobs in related fields. Publication Date: December 2012 |
The Economic Impact of Sequestrtaion on Civil Space Programs
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AIA and economist Dr. Stephen Fuller of George Mason University unveiled a new report detailing job loss and economic figures for NASA and NOAA resulting from the Budget Control Act of 2011.
Publication Date: December 2012 |
2012 Year End Review and Forecast
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The annual U.S. aerospace and defense industy's financial report and projections for 2012; and a policy outlook for 2013.
Publication Date: December 2012 |
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This report highlights the need for space systems to be recognized as a national infrastructure priority becasue space systems and thier benefits have become an irreplaceable force for good in our nation and our world.
Publication Date: November 2012 |
The Economic Impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 on DOD & non-DOD Agencies
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AIA and economist Dr. Stephen Fuller of George Mason University unveiled a new report detailing job loss figures resulting from the Budget Control Act of 2011.
Publication Date: July 2012 |
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This document identifies the business problems related to the European Union (E.U.) Registration, Evaluation, Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. It outlines a reference model for describing REACH IT related issues applicable to any industry. It defines an example business scenario applicable to the aerospace industry.
Publication Date: July 2012 |
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A Framework for Understanding REACH with Guidelines for Integrating Systems and Addressing Compliance Requirements
Publication Date: July 2012 |
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In July 2009, the Aerospace Industries Association published a special report, The Unseen Cost: Industrial Base Consequences of Defense Strategy Choices. In this report, the AIA raised concerns regarding the long-term consequences and unintended impacts of contemporary defense strategies and direction. Recently, AIA has revisited this report.
Publication Date: July 2012 |
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“Life Cycle Product Support / Outcome Based Partnerships” and “Management of Commodities” have the potential to save an estimated $20 billion to $25 billion annually.
Publication Date: May 2012 |
Competing for Space: Satellite Export Policy and U.S. National Security
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As we enter a new era of budget austerity and the threat of draconian sequestration loom, failure to revise export controls could result in an ongoing loss of critical industrial base suppliers and pose an increasing risk to national security.
Publication Date: Jan 2012 |
Industry Task Force Paper: Defense Executives Assess Business Impacts of Major Budget Cuts
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The $480 billion in additional budget cuts projected over the next decade could cripple certain defense sectors, resulting in an industrial base that is smaller, less innovative, and less responsive to urgent wartime needs.
Publication Date: November 2011 |
Archive 2012
AIA Urges Congress, President to Find a Permanent Bipartisan Solution to Sequestration
Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association on the failure to fix sequestration in the fiscal cliff deal
While we are pleased Congress made some headway on tax elements of a deal to avert the fiscal cliff, we are concerned that they could not agree to a long term solution to fix a problem no serious person wants – sequestration. We are relieved that the heavy axe of sequestration will not fall today and we expect Congress will use the next two months to find thoughtful alternatives to ill-conceived, indiscriminate budget slashing. More than 2 million Americans across all sectors of the economy will lose their jobs starting in 57 days if our political leaders fail to fix the self-inflicted wound of sequestration and the dangers it poses to our warfighters and national security.
Delaying implementation of sequestration by two months does not eliminate the uncertainty facing our business leaders and our warfighters. If sequestration is not solved in the next 57 days, it would be an abdication of responsibility by the leaders of this country, one that will only heighten Americans’ cynicism and cement the public image of a gridlocked Washington that simply doesn't work. According to reports, the Pentagon will be forced to send furlough notices to its 800,000 civilian employees if Congress fails to deal with this ill-conceived policy. Those notices will inevitably become layoff notices if nothing is done.
Sequestration is a slow motion catastrophe for our military forces, our space program and virtually every critical function of our government from air traffic control and border security to food inspection and more. We strongly urge Congress and President Obama to find a permanent bipartisan solution to sequestration; the clock has been reset and is ticking again.
AIA Urges Congress, President to De-Couple Sequestration from Fiscal Cliff
Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association that the political gamesmanship surrounding sequestration must end
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) today is calling on our leaders to immediately de-couple sequestration from the broader fiscal cliff negotiations. Risking American lives and livelihoods for political leverage is wrong. In the final hours before the sequester is implemented, there is one step that must be taken while the broader fiscal cliff solution is found – unbundle sequestration from the broader tax and entitlement program negotiations, reverse sequestration before December 31st.
Since being rolled into the Budget Control Act as a doomsday policy that was never intended to be implemented, sequestration has now been revealed for what it really is – leverage in political brinksmanship. The victims of this political gamesmanship will be the warfighters who risk their lives to protect our country and the American workers who will start losing their jobs when this game implodes on January 2, 2013 … and everyone in our country, and our allies and trading partners, who will suffer the consequences of a weaker America.
It is widely understood by the American public that our fiscal crisis requires tough decisions on both the spending and revenue sides. More than $487 billion has already been cut from the defense budget over the next ten years. A balanced solution requires that everything be put on the table – including tax reform, entitlement reform and further cuts to federal budgets. But it is time to cease and desist using a mindless, across-the-board $1 trillion budget cut as a bargaining tool, a tactic that treats the men and women of our armed forces as pawns on a chessboard, along with American workers from all walks of life.
AIA Urges Passage of National Defense Authorization Act
AIA congratulates conferees on the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H. R. 4310) for completing their work and producing a final conference agreement that supports our warfighters and helps sustain our defense industrial base in a time of uncertainty. We urge the House and Senate to pass the agreement and President Obama to sign it into law. The bill resolves several issues in conference in ways that continue to uphold the capabilities of the U. S. aerospace and defense industry, including:
- Substantial changes to depot provisions enacted last year, which would have presented a number of challenges to the private sector and could have resulted in lost workload with American taxpayers paying billions of dollars in increased costs;
- An agreement related to the procurement of commercial items that ensures increased access to commercial products, which will drive down costs and increase competition;
- Flexibility for the Pentagon to continue its investment in the development of alternative fuels, a critical step towards reducing American dependence on foreign oil sources and producing commercially viable alternatives; and
- The return of authority to the President to determine appropriate export control requirements for commercial satellites and related technologies, after more than a decade of a law requiring inflexible, military-level controls which undermined U. S. global competitiveness in this critical field. AIA has long advocated for this change.
While these are all positive developments for our economy and national security, it is critical that Congress and President Obama now come to a bipartisan compromise that removes the mindless threat of sequestration budget cuts, which would undermine implementation of our strategic initiatives, curtail investment and cost 2.14 million jobs across the whole economy in 2013.
AIA Welcomes Long-Awaited Congressional Action on Satellite Export Control Reform
The Aerospace Industries Association applauds Congress for moving to end the draconian over-regulation of commercial satellite exports. The fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act would return authority to the president to determine appropriate export control requirements for commercial satellites and related technologies after years of mandating the imposition of inflexible, military-level controls.
“Even if you don’t factor in the threat of sequestration, our space industrial base faces an immediate 22 percent reduction in the national security space budget next year,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “Ending this self-imposed burden on U.S. competitiveness in the global commercial satellite marketplace is critical to our national security and to ensuring the U.S. space industrial base stays second to none.”
AIA’s report, “Competing for Space: Satellite Export Policy and U.S. National Security,” outlines the devastating impact military-level export controls have had on the U.S. space industrial base since they were imposed by Congress in 1999, particularly the drop in U.S. share of global satellite manufacturing from 65 percent to as low as 30 percent. The report estimates that U.S. manufacturers lost $21 billion in satellite revenue from 1999 to 2009, costing about 9,000 direct jobs annually. These companies, many of them small- and medium-sized enterprises, can only remain in business and sustain our country’s technological edge in space by accessing legitimate commercial markets.
AIA is committed to an overall export control environment that safeguards our national security but is also predictable, efficient and transparent. This legislation would free the administration to treat commercial satellite technology like all other regulated technology and propose appropriate adjustments to requirements for export. We strongly urge passage of the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act and hope for quick signature by President Obama. We appreciate the bipartisan efforts of Congress and the administration to take this important step in the ongoing process to reform the U.S. export control system.
Update on National Defense Authorization Act and Congressional Activity
On December 18, House and Senate Armed Services Committee conferees filed a conference report on the fiscal year 2013 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4310). The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is now likely to be voted on by the full House and Senate on December 20, and then forwarded to the White House for the President’s signature.
AIA’s priorities fared well in the final bill with several issues resolved in a manner that is positive for the aerospace and defense industry. In general, the final conference agreement supports our troops in the field and helps sustain our industrial base in this time of uncertainty. Among bill highlights are the following.
- Satellite Export Control Reform (Sec. 1261).—After more than a decade, the new legislation returns authority to the President to determine appropriate export control requirements for commercial satellites and related technologies. This comes thirteen years after Congress mandated the imposition of inflexible, military-level controls which have undermined U. S. global competitiveness in this critical field.
- Depot Management (Sec. 322).—The agreement repealed the depot provisions enacted last year and restored original law with some minor changes. The fiscal year 2012 legislation would have presented a number of challenges to the private sector and could have resulted in a loss of substantial workload while costing the American taxpayer billions of dollars.
- Commercial Items (Sec. 831).—The agreement does not include proposed changes to the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA) that otherwise would have led to additional costs for the industry and would have driven many of our companies to stop selling products to the Pentagon. The conference agreement, however, will require AIA to continue working with the Pentagon on their development of guidance on how best to determine price reasonableness for commercial items.
- Contractor Compensation (Sec. 864).—The agreement deletes the Senate’s proposed fixed amount of allowable contractor compensation and leaves in place the current formula-based approach that AIA supports. While this is a very positive development, the conferees requested a report on this subject from the Government Accountability Office, which indicates this issue will remain of concern. There also remains a government-wide provision in the Senate-reported version of the fiscal year 2013 Financial Services Appropriations bill (S. 3301), that proposes a fixed amount. We will continue to monitor any year-end appropriations legislation and advocate that they follow the lead of NDAA conferees on this important subject.
- Alternative Fuels (Sec. 315).—The agreement provides flexibility for the Pentagon to continue its investment in the development of alternative fuels and for them to continue participating in the multi-agency program that is developing a national biorefinery capacity. This is a high priority issue for DOD and will also support the global competitiveness of our commercial aviation manufacturers.
Overall the NDAA authorizes $631.4 billion for defense activities, $525.8 billion for the base Defense Department budget, $88.2 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations and $17.4 billion for the Department of Energy and other national security programs.
On November 27, the House Republican Steering Committee announced its selection of full committee chairs for the incoming Congress. There are at least seven new chairmen, largely due to the six-year term limit rule. The only waiver of the term limit rule was provided to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), who will return as Budget Committee chairman next year. The new chairs are: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) – Financial Services; Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) – Science, Space and Technology; Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Penn.) – Transportation and Infrastructure; Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) – Foreign Affairs; Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) – Homeland Security; Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) – Judiciary; and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) –Rules.
On Wednesday, December 5, the House Democratic Caucus elected its slate of Ranking Democrats for House committees for the 113th Congress. Of special importance to the aerospace and defense industry are the re-election of Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) on Armed Services; the election of Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) to fill the vacancy of Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) on the Appropriations Committee; and the election of Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) to fill the vacancy of Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
AIA Source: cory.hitt[at]aia-aerospace.org
Keeping Civil Space Programs in the Forefront
Viewpoint: By Marion C. Blakey
A good leading indicator of what national endeavors capture the public’s imagination can be found in the contents of news magazines’ year-in-review reports. Time Magazine’s publication documenting the events of 2012 features Neil Armstrong and NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover on the cover. At AIA, we have never doubted that America’s space programs are leading-edge investments in our nation’s future that better lives, grow the economy and inspire the American public and the world. And we continue to fight hard to protect these investments.
As 2012 came to a close, AIA trumpeted our support for vibrant U.S. space activities through a comprehensive study of space program benefits, “Space in Our World,” an AIA-commissioned analysis from George Mason University economist Stephen Fuller on “The Economic Impact of Sequestration on Civil Space Programs,” and testimony I provided at a House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing on “The Future of NASA: Perspectives on Strategic Vision for America’s Space Program.”
I hope you take the opportunity to go to our web site and read a copy of the “Space in Our World” report. This beautifully illustrated, comprehensive report outlines how space systems help improve our lives in a myriad of ways, many not associated with our investment in space. The report also punctures popular myths about space programs and contains thoughtful recommendations for advancing the progress of our space enterprise. You can also find the report on the iPad iBook store, filled with stunning videos.
AIA’s report on sequestration and the civil space program, which can be found both on our website and at http://www.SecondtoNone.org docum,ents how more than 20,500 NASA contractor jobs and more than 2,500 NOAA jobs related to weather satellites could be lost in 2013 if the Budget Control Act’s sequestration mandate takes effect on January 2, 2013. This report demonstrates that the biggest single threat to NASA and NOAA activities are arbitrary and capricious budget cuts.
Dr. Fuller’s analysis found that in addition to threatening the jobs of many of the scientists, engineers and technicians that design, manufacture and operate our nation’s spacecraft, sequestration would also deal major damage to those regions of the country with high concentrations of aerospace activity, better known as industry clusters, which have been shown to promote economic efficiencies and specialization, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, and drive prosperity for entire regions.
Finally, on December 12, I participated in the House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing on NASA’s future. Joining me in providing testimony were: Maj. Gen. Ronald Sega, USAF (Ret.), Vice Chair of the National Research Council Committee on NASA’s Strategic Direction; the Honorable Robert Walker, former Congressman and Science Committee Chairman; Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor for Space Science and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan; and Dr. Scott Pace, Director of George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute. To keep NASA moving in the right direction, the agency needs stable long-term investment and steady policy goals. Stability is essential to both space missions and the health of the U.S. space industrial base, which is also essential to national security space capabilities. Responding to formal questions from the committee, we advocated for continued support of NASA’s three priority goals: fully utilizing the International Space Station, moving forward with the agency’s capabilities-based architecture and maintaining global leadership in space science.
I do not believe for a moment that America is destined to be a declining space power. At AIA we will continue to press our elected leaders to assure our space programs will remain Second to None.
Defense Industry CEOs Band Together to Warn about the Fiscal Cliff
(Defense industry leaders panel at National Press Club)
Defense industry executives stepped into the spotlight at the National Press Club December 3 to publicly discuss their views on the effects of the budget cuts and the threat of sequestration on national security. CEOs from Northrop Grumman Corporation, Pratt & Whitney, RTI International Metals Inc. and TASC addressed their concerns surrounding the quickly approaching fiscal cliff and shared their thoughts on acceptable alternatives to sequestration for solving the nation’s debt and deficit problem.
The press conference coincided with the release of a letter addressed to the White House and Congress signed by aerospace and defense industry leaders. The letter urged elected officials to reach compromise on an immediate, bipartisan action to avert the fiscal cliff and triggering of sequestration.
“Today, more than 130 CEOs have signed a letter to President Obama and Congressional leaders, urging them to work together on a deal to avert sequestration and adopt an approach that addresses the country’s long-term fiscal challenges,” said AIA Chairman and President of Pratt & Whitney, David P. Hess.
Hess was joined by incoming 2013 Chairman of AIA and Chairman, CEO and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation, Wes Bush. Bush echoed his colleagues’ warnings of the dangers of defense cuts, saying that sequestration will “damage our industry's ability to attract and retain the kind of highly-trained technical talent our nation needs to help keep its technological superiority in security and defense second to none.”
RTI International Metals Inc. Vice Chair, President and CEO Dawne Hickton shed light on some of the consequences sequestration will have on the country that have taken a backseat to the job loss discussions. “The direct impacts to small- and mid-sized businesses, and the impact on the defense industrial base supply chain, are often overlooked in the discussion,” said Hickton. “The impact to the supply chain is just as challenging, and indeed could be even more devastating as smaller companies lack the same resources to manage through another economic downturn.”
While the defense leaders all agreed that tax increases and spending cuts should be part of a plan to fix the nation’s fiscal debt, it was noted across the board that an additional $500 billion in defense cuts would put our national security at risk.
“The existing cuts are something we understand as a necessary part of getting the country's fiscal house in order. Sequestration is something else entirely,” commented Hess. “The uncertainty in the marketplace over the past year has had a real impact on jobs, investment and innovation. Uncertainty is forcing companies to defer investments and hiring today, when we need it most.”
AIA Source: ashley.gudzak[at]aia-aerospace.org
Board of Governors and Membership Meeting Features Industry, Political Leaders
AIA’s 70th Annual Board of Governors and Membership fall meeting was among the most highly-attended meetings in AIA history, featuring timely sessions on where our country is headed following the presidential and congressional elections, and on the future of the aerospace and defense industry. Held November 13-16 at the Grand Del Mar Hotel in San Diego, the meeting brought together aerospace and defense leaders from around the country for substantive discussions and southern California hospitality at its best.
(Board of Governors meeting - San Diego, Cali.)
AIA Chairman and President, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation David P. Hess led the initial session then turned over the gavel to incoming Chairman for 2013, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation Wes Bush.
(AIA Chairman David Hess) (AIA Vice Chairman Wes Bush)
One of the most eventful elections in American history was the focus of a presentation by noted pollster and political advisor Doug Schoen. Immediately after his presentation, Schoen moderated a lively discussion among senior Washington Representatives Sid Ashworth, corporate vice president, Government Relations at Northrop Grumman Corporation; Steve Cortese, senior vice president, Washington Operations at ATK; Greg Dahlberg, senior vice president for Washington Operations, Lockheed Martin Corporation; and Tim Keating, senior vice president of Government Operations at the Boeing Company.
Highlights of the fall meeting included talks by a number of aerospace and defense sector leaders, topped off by Frank Kendall, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, who delved into considerable detail on the Pentagon’s “Better Buying Power 2.0” program.
(Frank Kendall, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics)
In a special session moderated by Wes Bush, retiring industry leaders James Albaugh, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (retired); Robert Stevens, Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation; Richard McNeel, Chairman, President and CEO of Lord Corporation; and Robert Brady, Executive Chairman of Moog Inc., shared their wisdom and lessons learned from a combined century of leadership in our industry, as well as forecasts for the future of aerospace and defense.
(Industry Leaders Panel)
Wrapping up the meeting’s top-notch roster of speakers, Ed Gillespie, former Chairman of the Republican National Committee and former Counselor to President George W. Bush and Terry McAuliffe, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and former Chairman of Hillary Clinton for President provided a lively back-and-forth on the meaning of the election and what lies ahead and then took on an engaging series of questions from the audience.
Feedback on the fall meeting was strongly positive, as members felt that the combination of thought-provoking presentations and discussion stimulated by the speakers and panels, along with the knowledge and insight imparted by a number of leading figures in our industry, gave immense value in a very uncertain time for aerospace and defense. One way or another, 2013 will prove to be a very challenging year; AIA is determined to provide the kind of thought leadership and value that our members have come to expect when they need it most.
AIA Source: dan.stohr[at]aia-aerospace.org
AIA’s 48th Annual Year-End Events Recognize Industry Excellence, Focus on Key Policy Issues
More than 350 industry and media representatives joined together in early December for AIA’s 48th Annual Year-End Events. At the traditional year-end luncheon Wednesday, December 5, AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey addressed a packed ballroom in Washington’s Grand Hyatt Hotel with a policy-focused speech emphasizing the importance of stopping sequestration before the U.S. economy falls off the fiscal cliff. Blakey hit hard on the fact that we are now down to the wire and Congress must pass a bipartisan resolution to sequestration, saying “The time for clever metaphors has passed. The time for real work, real negotiation and a real solution is now.”
(Blakey at AIA's Year End Review)
Although this year’s keynote speech departed from the usual recapping of sales figures and forecasting the next year, Blakey did highlight some key numbers, reminding the audience that the statistics do not take sequestration into consideration. “The U.S. aerospace and defense industry continued to be one of the bright spots in the 2012 economy,” Blakey said. “When we close out the year, overall sales are projected to increase by 3.4 percent from $211 billion to $218 billion, aided by strong civil aircraft sales.” Blakey also shared that the outlook for 2013 looks positive, with an estimated $224 billion in sales.
In her remarks, Blakey noted that aside from stopping sequestration, there are a number of important goals AIA has been working toward this year and will continue to fight for in 2013 to support and ensure stability for the industry. Blakey underlined the importance of Congress passing the R&D tax credit, advancing export reform to help level out the international playing field and regenerating the aerospace and defense workforce through the support of STEM education.
Blakey left the audience with the real question members of Congress should be asking themselves as the year comes to a close. “Whether a solution is found or not, we will have to ask: what message did sequestration telegraph to the world about our country, our commitment to national security, our commitment to economic prosperity and our commitment to the next generation of defense and aerospace innovation?”
The previous evening, AIA’s year-ender began with a colleague’s dinner honoring Dave Shea with the United Technologies Corporation-sponsored Lyman Award for outstanding achievement in aerospace communications. (Please click here to read the press release). Shea, who recently retired after a distinguished half century career – 29 years with the Air Force and 21 years in aerospace and defense industry public relations, most recently at Raytheon – regaled the dinner audience with tales from his career, including his work supporting the Air Force Blue Book Project researching the UFO phenomenon.
The award is named after Lauren "Deac" Lyman, a Pulitzer-prize winning aviation reporter with the New York Times who later had a distinguished career as a public relations executive with United Aircraft, a predecessor to UTC.
(Lyman Award Winner Dave Shea with UTC’s Marty Hauser)
Also, during the year-ender, AIA Communications Council heard a provocative presentation from Temple University Professor David Schuff about the impact of social media on our national elections. Schuff, the Director of Innovation in Learning Technologies at Temple’s Fox School of Business, has pioneered an index called TEMPO (Translating the Effectiveness of Media into Performance) that evaluates the effectiveness of various political leaders’ use of social media. Schuff explained how social media trends accurately predicted days in advance voter sentiment shifts in polling of this year’s presidential election. He also provided useful comments about the effectiveness of AIA member companies’ use of social media, noting the increased use of Facebook and Twitter in the aerospace and defense sector.
AIA Source: ashley.gudzak[at]aia-aerospace.org
December 2012 eUpdate
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AIA Sponsors U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day
AIA was a proud sponsor of the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day this October in Washington, D.C. The event was hosted by the American National Standards Institute and the National Institute of Standards and Technology and provided an opportunity for standards developers to share information about their organizations with the standards and conformity assessment community. The theme of World Standards Day this year was “Less waste, better results – Standards increase efficiency.”
World Standards Day is celebrated each year on October 14th in recognition of the efforts of thousands of volunteers involved in international standards development activities through the International Electrotechnical Commission, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union. The U.S. Celebration was held on October 11th this year.
AIA is a standards developing organization that maintains the National Aerospace Standards. In addition, AIA holds the secretariat for ISO Technical Committee 20 for Aircraft and Space Vehicles, which has oversight for more than 500 ISO standards. For more information on the AIA National Aerospace Standards program, please go to www.aia-nas.org.
AIA Source: chris.carnahan[at]aia-aerospace.org
AIA Mourns Senator Daniel Inouye
Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, on the death of Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
Arlington, Va. – Today we mourn the loss of Senator Daniel Inouye, a great patriot and an unfailing advocate for the people of Hawaii and the United States.
The senior-most member of the Senate, and second-longest serving Senator in American history, Inouye continuously represented Hawaii in Congress since it achieved statehood in 1959. A true American hero, Inouye lost his right arm in combat in Italy during World War II. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his wartime service in 2000.
A long-time advocate for aerospace and defense issues, Inouye served on the Senate Commerce and Appropriations Committees for more than forty years, chairing the Appropriations Committee since 2009 as well as the Defense Subcommittee, where he crafted legislation that ensured our armed services were equipped to face any threat. His consistent approach of bipartisanship, comity and compromise was a model of effective leadership in the Senate. AIA recognized his ongoing contributions to aerospace and defense in 2009 with the Wings of Liberty Award.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family; he will be sorely missed.
Study Warns of Sequestration Impacts to NASA, NOAA Programs
Budget Cuts Would Put at Risk 22,500+ Jobs and Harm Regions with Innovative Aerospace Clusters
Arlington, Va. – As negotiations to avert the fiscal cliff heat up, little attention has been paid to the impact that mandatory budget cuts would have on the nation’s civil space program and our ability to accurately forecast dangerous storms. A new economic impact analysis concludes that over 20,000 NASA contractor jobs and over 2,500 NOAA jobs related to weather satellites could be lost in 2013 if the Budget Control Act’s sequestration mandate takes effect on January 2, 2013.
“This report demonstrates that the biggest single threat to our space programs’ continued success are arbitrary and capricious budget cuts,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “NASA and NOAA are responsible for cutting edge activities that expand the boundaries of knowledge and discovery, lead to economic innovation and save lives. We can’t afford not to invest in these sources of American scientific and technological greatness.”
Dr. Stephen S. Fuller, Dwight Schar Faculty Chair and University Professor and Director for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, conducted the study on behalf of the Aerospace Industries Association.
Dr. Fuller’s analysis found that in addition to threatening the jobs of many of the scientists, engineers and technicians that design, manufacture and operate our nation’s spacecraft, sequestration would also deal major damage to those regions of the country with high concentrations of aerospace activity, better known as industry clusters. “The importance of maintaining these clusters cannot be overstated,” notes Frank Slazer, AIA’s Vice President of Space Systems. “Clusters have been shown to promote economic efficiencies and specialization, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, and drive prosperity for entire regions.”
Impacted “clusters” in the study include those in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The report is available at www.secondtonone.org and at http://www.aia-aerospace.org/economics/reports_white_papers/.
Also released yesterday, AIA’s new report, Space in our World highlights the irreplaceable ways space systems save lives and increase prosperity for everyone. The report makes it abundantly clear that we cannot afford to live in a world without capable, robust space systems. It is available on AIA’s website, as well as the iPad iBook store, with accompanying videos imbedded.
Media Advisory: Aerospace Industries Association CEO to Address NAA on ‘Fiscal Cliff’
In speech to National Aeronautic Association, AIA’s Marion Blakey to repeat warning on fiscal cliff, call for immediate sequestration fix
Arlington, Va. – In a speech to the National Aeronautic Association on Tuesday, Aerospace Industries Association President & CEO Marion C. Blakey will again sound the alarm about the dangers posed by sequestration cuts, including the potential loss of 229,000 non-defense federal jobs that Blakey said is equivalent to “the elimination of more positions than the number of employees who work at the departments of Agriculture and Transportation combined. Or put another way, nearly the entire population of Madison, Wisconsin.”
WHO:
Marion C. Blakey
President & CEO, Aerospace Industries Association
WHAT:
Speech to the National Aeronautic Assocation on the “fiscal cliff” and the proposed budget cuts
WHEN:
12:45 PM Eastern Time
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
WHERE:
Marriott Crystal Gateway
1700 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia 22202 USA
Event is OPEN PRESS. Embargoed copies of Ms. Blakey’s speech will be made available starting at 12:30 PM ET.
Report: Space In Our World
S-series ILS Specifications
Overview
The S Series Integrated Logistics Support Specifications is a suite of specifications for product support that will provide the seamless passage of technical data (logistics, provisioning, technical publications/IETMs, scheduled maintenance and maintenance data feedback). The S Series suite is a joint project between the Aerospace Industries Association, Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe and the ATA e Business Program (on S1000D).
The S Series suite is comprised of the following:
- SX000i International guide for the use of the S-Series Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) specifications
- S1000D International specification for technical publications using a common source database
- S2000M International specification for materiel management - Integrated data processing
- S3000L International specification for Logistics Support Analysis - LSA
- S4000M International specification for developing scheduled maintenance programs
- S5000F International specification for operational and maintenance data feedback
- S9000D Dictionary for the S-Series ILS specifications
Below is a graphical overview of the ILS business process and the S Series.
Benefits of S Series
- Common Architecture and Data Model (common attributes/element)
- Standard PLCS driven data model
- Common thread for defining using nomenclature
- Single Global Data Repository
- Embraces Systems Engineering Methodology
- Support the escalation of Product Support strategy (design for maintenance – manufacturing for maintenance)
- Single solution for Product Support data (buy in)
- Data Interoperability and integration in a global environment
- Supports use of a standard proven process that enhances quality and data reuse. Way to capture metrics
- Handbook to provide guidance
- Supports LOTAR strategy
Point of Contact
For more information, please contact Rusty Rentsch (rusty.rentsch[at]aia-aerospace.org).
AIA Warns 2013 Aerospace and Defense Outlook Threatened by Fiscal Cliff
Warning that “we’re getting closer to a ‘Thelma and Louise’ moment, when we careen off into the void,” AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey told attendees at AIA’s Year-end Luncheon today that “the time for real work, real negotiation and a real solution” to sequestration “is now.”
Blakey devoted most of her remarks to 300 members of the news media and industry at the association’s 48th annual Year-end Luncheon to the need for a solution to sequestration. She pointed out that it is extremely difficult to forecast next year’s outlook for the aerospace and defense industry, given the cloud of fiscal cliff uncertainties.
Blakey said although the 2012 numbers for the aerospace and defense industry “remain encouraging despite the headwinds, it is far too easy to conclude that the companies, workers and communities that comprise this industry can withstand anything; that they can adapt to any change, no matter how sudden or harmful.”
2012 aerospace and defense industry sales are projected to increase by 3.4 percent from $210.8 billion in 2011 to $217.9 billion, Blakey reported. The sales increase, along with a healthy expansion of aerospace and defense exports from $85.3 billion in 2011 to an estimated $95.5 billion in 2012, is largely due to strong civil aircraft sales, Blakey noted. The industry’s positive trade balance rose from $55.8 billion in 2011 to an estimated $63.5 billion in 2012, the largest trade surplus of any manufacturing industry.
On the jobs front, aerospace employment increased modestly this year from around 625,000 at the end of 2011 to more than 629,000 in the last quarter of 2012, despite layoffs in some facilities supporting military programs – reflecting the increased output of the industry, particularly in the civil aircraft sector. However, the specter of sequestration cuts could significantly impact the defense, civil space and civil aviation workforce, Blakey observed.
Sequestration’s impact on jobs feeds into larger national security concerns – concerns that will linger even if a deal is reached on the fiscal cliff. “Call it, the ‘day after’ effect of sequestration, or, if you’d prefer, the ‘sequestration hangover,’ ” Blakey said. “What message did sequestration telegraph to the world about our country, our commitment to national security, our commitment to economic prosperity and our commitment to the next generation of defense and aerospace innovation?”
“The fact that the world’s arsenal of democracy has been relegated to the status of political bargaining chip is difficult to fathom,” Blakey continued. “But I am even more concerned about the long-term consequences for our country’s leadership position in terms of global security, technology and economic strength.”
Looking ahead to 2013, Blakey said notwithstanding sequestration, “we have a lot of work to do to ensure the long-term health of our industry. Blakey said among the association’s top policy priorities for next year are promoting the following: implementation of NextGen, export control reform, extension of the R&D tax credit, focused investment in defense procurement and R&D, and progress on NASA’s human space exploration strategy.
“But first, in the short term, we must avoid the fiscal cliff,” said Blakey. A combination of “bipartisanship, collaboration and a finding of common ground” presents the “best chance we have for smartly addressing our country’s current fiscal situation, and for confronting our long-term economic and defense challenges.”
AIA and Industry CEOs Urge Congress, President to Solve Fiscal Cliff
More than 130 CEOs sign letter to President Obama
Arlington, Va. – Four industry leaders participated in a panel discussion today at the National Press Club on the impacts of sequestration budget cuts on America’s economy and national security. The panel also drew attention to a letter from aerospace and defense industry CEOs voicing support for current talks and urging President Obama to continue negotiations with Congress on immediate, bipartisan action to avert the upcoming “fiscal cliff,” which the Congressional Budget Office says could drive America back into recession next year.
“Today, more than 130 CEOs have signed a letter to President Obama and Congressional leaders, urging them to work together on a deal to avert sequestration and adopt an approach that addresses the country’s long-term fiscal challenges,” said AIA Chairman and President, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation David P. Hess. “Sequestration has created uncertainty in the marketplace over the past year and has had a real impact on jobs, investment and innovation. Uncertainty is forcing companies to defer investments and hiring today, when we need it most. And, if sequestration goes into effect, the long-term impacts could prove devastating to our national defense, economic well-being and global competitiveness.”
The panel consisted of Hess, AIA Vice Chairman and Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation Wes Bush; Vice Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer of RTI International Metals, Inc. Dawne S. Hickton; and President and Chief Executive Officer of TASC David H. Langstaff.
“Sequestration would, of course, hit the aerospace and defense industry very hard as it will be difficult to address the irrational approach to these cuts in the short term,” said Northrop Grumman’s Bush. “But it will also have very negative impacts in the long term as it will also damage our industry's ability to attract and retain the kind of highly-trained technical talent our nation needs to help keep its technological superiority in security and defense second to none.”
“By now there is no debate that sequestration poses unacceptable risks to our economic recovery and the long term security of our nation,” said RTI’s Hickton. “However, the direct impacts to small and mid-sized businesses, and the impact on the defense industrial base supply chain, are often overlooked in the discussion. The impact to the supply chain is just as challenging, and indeed could be even more devastating as smaller companies lack the same resources to manage through another economic downturn.”
The letter which was also sent to House and Senate leadership, stated:
“The dangers of sequestration are by now well understood, with more than 2 million jobs hanging in the balance and the Joint Chiefs warning of severe damage to America’s security. Accordingly, we are encouraged by the bipartisan commitment to stop sequestration and pursue a more responsible approach to our longer term fiscal challenges.”
“For generations, America has prospered on a strong foundation of manufacturing excellence and technological innovation. But sequestration cuts would needlessly erode this economic bedrock, choking off critical investments in research and basic science, and forfeiting our leadership in the markets of tomorrow. It’s a recipe for economic stagnation, and the worst possible way to tackle America’s long-term debt.”
“With the elections behind us, the time for a solution to sequestration has arrived,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “We have only 28 days to act. No more pressing issue remains on the national agenda this year.”
You may download a copy of the letter from Second to None.
Shea Recognized with Lyman Award
Arlington, Va. – David J. Shea, a longtime public relations practitioner with more than fifty years of experience, has been selected to receive the 2012 Lauren D. Lyman Award for outstanding achievement in aerospace communications.
Shea’s career began in 1959, when he was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force. He served in Greece, Japan, Korea, Germany and various stateside locations and held the top communications job in three major Air Force commands. He handled intense media relations assignments such as the return of more than 500 U.S. prisoners of war from Vietnam in 1973 and the hospitalization of the exiled Shah of Iran at an Air Force hospital in San Antonio for six weeks in 1979. He was the Air Force spokesman for closing out Project Blue Book, the official program to investigate over 12,000 official UFO sightings and chose this subject for his Master’s thesis in communications. He finished up his time in uniform as the Director of Defense Information at the Pentagon where he ran press operations for the Department of Defense.
Shea retired from the Air Force in 1988 and immediately joined the Hughes Aircraft Company, which joined with Raytheon Company in 1997, where he served as Director of Media Relations Training and Development and was a mentor to communicators across the company. He is co-author of “Media Isn’t a Four Letter Word,” a guidebook that has been praised as a “must-read” for media relations professionals, providing tips and techniques for executives on how to deal with the press. He is a founding member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association, a worldwide Air Force Organization with more than 650 members representing all areas of the public affairs profession.
Shea will receive the award at AIA's 48th Annual Year-End Review and Forecast luncheon Dec. 5.
The award is named after Lauren "Deac" Lyman, a Pulitzer-prize winning aviation reporter with the New York Times who later had a distinguished career as a public relations executive with United Aircraft, a predecessor to United Technologies Corporation. First awarded in 1972, the prize goes to a journalist or public relations professional in aviation who exhibits Lyman’s high standard of excellence. UTC is the longtime sponsor of the award.
AIA Calls for Balanced Solution to Fiscal Cliff
Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, in support of the on-going negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff.
Arlington, Va. – “On behalf of the aerospace and defense industry, which employs more than one million workers across all 50 states, we are encouraged that there are serious negotiations occurring between the White House and Congressional leadership to avoid our nation’s imminent fiscal cliff. It is imperative that we set aside the looming disaster that sequestration would bring, both to our national security and our economy, and at the same time provide our country with a path to fundamental fiscal reform that provides stability and addresses the drivers of our deficit and our debt.”
“Last year, significant reductions were made to discretionary spending as part of the Budget Control Act. We urge negotiators to focus on a balanced approach that considers all reasonable solutions and ultimately produces a plan that also includes adequate revenue and entitlement reform. Our country’s long-term national security and financial health depend on it.”
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Marion C. Blakey
President and Chief Executive Officer
PJ Hart
Director, International Affairs
(703) 358-1070
Rusty Rentsch
Assistant Vice President, Technical Operations
(703) 358-1054
Dan Hendrickson
Director, Space Systems
(703) 358-1003
dan.hendrickson[at]aia-aerospace.org
Adam Kostecki
Manager, Multimedia Communications
(703) 358-1015
Marion C. Blakey
President and Chief Executive Officer
Marion C. Blakey
President and Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Goldberg
Director, Environmental, Safety & Health
(703) 358-1050
Cortney Robinson
Director, Civil Aviation Infrastructure
(703) 358-1007
Marion C. Blakey
President and Chief Executive Officer
Who to Contact
Chris Carnahan
Director, Standardization
(703) 358-1052
chris.carnahan[at]aia-aerospace.org
Chantal Joos de ter Beerst
Manager, National Aerospace Standards
(703) 358-1006
chantal.jdtb[at]aia-aerospace.org
John Park
Standards Engineer
(703) 358-1023
john.park[at]aia-aerospace.org
