Rest in peace Harry Kalas

Posted by John McHale

If you don't mind I'd like to take a break from blogging about the U.S. military budget cuts or President Obama's economic stimulus package to remember my favorite baseball announcer, Harry Kalas, long-time play-by-play man for the current World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Mr. Kalas passed away yesterday after suffering a heart attack in the broadcast booth at a Phillies game.

He'd been calling games for the Phillies since 1971, pretty much my whole life. I grew up listening to Harry and his partner in the booth Ritchie "Whitey" Ashburn in the 1970s and 80s on television and radio. When the Phillies were on national television I would turn down the volume and put Harry on the radio.

I'm sure it's the same for Tiger fans who grew up with Ernie Harwell or for generations of Cubs fans who listened to Harry Carey. There's something so familiar about hearing their voice call a game, bringing you back to when you were a kid and all that mattered was baseball, comic books, etc.

I've been far away from the Philadelphia for more than a decade, but recently during the National League Championship Series I heard Harry do the intro on Fox for Game 1 and it brought me right back...

Whenever a Phillie would hit a homerun, Harry would say .. "that ball is outta here!!! Home Run," The Bull Greg Luzinski or Bake McBride, or Ryan Howard. Etc.

My favorite one was when home run king and Phillie third baseman Mike Schmidt hit his 500th home run. If I remember correctly it was in the 9th inning of a game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh and it turned out to be the game winner that night. Harry got emotional and his voice cracked when he yelled "Number 500!!!! Michael Jack Schmidt!!!"

He really loved the Phillies. I saw a report on ESPN last night that before the last game he called he threw out the first pitch and in the last post-season game he called, the Phillies won the World Series.

Quite fitting

So long Harry Kalas and thanks for decades of memories.

When you're considered an 'industry expert'

Posted by John Keller

I'm quoted today in The Telegraph, the daily newspaper of Nashua, N.H., as an alleged industry expert on military technology matters where the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor advanced tactical fighter jet is concerned. The paper wanted my opinion on how the Pentagon's plan to scale back purchases of F-22 jet fighters in the latest defense budget proposal will affect the BAE Systems Electronics and Integrated Solutions segment in Nashua, N.H.

The story, entitled Halting jet's production may hurt BAE, is based on an assumption that BAE Systems might lose money or cut jobs if the Pentagon can halt production of the F-22 at slightly less than 200 fighter jets. BAE Systems is involved in much of the aircraft avionics technology for the F-22. I pointed out that BAE Systems is well positioned not to be hurt significantly by stopping one big defense program. BAE is about technology, not platforms, I said.

Really, I'd like to make two points where the proposed U.S. Defense Department budget is concerned.

First, the DOD budget most likely will be rich in aerospace electronics, with military electronics technology money perhaps flowing toward soldier systems rather than big aircraft, ship, and combat vehicle programs. The money for electronics and electro-optics technology is likely to stay in the budget, so aerospace and defense technology companies should not take substantial hits overall. I seriously doubt if we'll see the kinds of defense budget cuts in the Obama Administration that we did during the Clinton Administration.

Second, this budget fight is far from over -- in fact it's hardly begun. Congress will have the last word on how much money the Pentagon will get next year and where it will be spent. In this Democrat-dominated Congress, jobs and the economy are the first priority. Lawmakers will be reluctant to kill defense programs perceived to employ a lot of people. I think it's no a foregone conclusion that production will stop on the F-22. DOD tried for years to kill the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, and Congress never let them do it. It could be the same with the F-22.

Something else to think about: Somali pirates hijacked a U.S.-flagged vessel today for the first time in the latest Indian Ocean wave of piracy. Congress is watching this, and knowing that their constituents will expect a strong U.S. response. Being perceived as cutting the defense budget right now won't be considered a good way to get votes.

I know it can be fun to trumpet doom and gloom based on comments from the secretary of defense. But keep your chin up. The Congress has not weighed in yet on the proposed DOD budget restructuring, and I think it could be interesting what Congress comes up with.

Stay tuned ...

Bye bye F-22

Posted by John McHale

Well, after months of speculation in the media, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced his plans for restructuring of the Department of Defense (DOD) including cutting the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor program.

The decision not to produce any more F-22s hits many in the defense electronics industry in the gut especially at F-22 prime contractor Lockheed Martin. Reportedly Lockheed claims canceling this program would result in the loss of about 90,000 jobs.

I remember speaking to people from Lockheed in Ft. Worth, Texas, back when they won the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and was told that people were crying with joy because the win would guarantee work for 30 to 40 years and mean they could send their children and grandchildren to college.

It hits every area of the community.

It won't just be Lockheed jobs that disappear, but many from the second and third tier suppliers that design hardware and software for the F-22's advanced systems.

The loss of the F-22 will affect the companies that supply the mission computers, cockpit displays, real-time operating systems all the way down to the optical connectors.

These suppliers will still support the aircraft that have already been bought, but the loss of future orders will change their one, two, and five year outlooks drastically.

However, there will still be opportunities for designers of defense electronics. Gates says that the DOD will still support the JSF and increase funding for Special Forces operations to go after insurgents.

They are trying to restructure the military to better fight the War on Terror. Many in the current administration feel that the F-22 was designed to fight a more conventional type of war.

Therefore the DOD will still need electronics for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance more than ever before to help track down terrorists worldwide. This will come in the form of better communications and electro-optics capability for Special Forces, video and satellite surveillance technology, electronics for unmanned systems, etc.

Despite these opportunities, the loss of the F-22 will hurt, but we won't see how much for at least a year or two.

Some leaders in Congress reportedly protested the cut of the program claiming that cutting funding to help the warfighter is a mistake and only being done because the Obama administration wants to spend money anywhere else such as bailing out a failing General Motors.

I keep thinking of what Ronald Reagan said once during a debate with Jimmy Carter --that "a recession is when your neighbor loses his job, a depression is when you lose yours and recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."

Something tells me some folks at Lockheed might want to swap out Jimmy Carter for someone else right now...

You be the judge.

Networking in Minneapolis

Posted by John McHale

I just returned from my first visit to the Avionics Maintenance Conference in Minneapolis. I covered it for our Avionics Intelligence web site and to recruit potential speakers for our Avionics Europe and Avionics USA conferences.

It's unlike any conference that I've been to before in terms of its networking element. Most of the first day was made up of awards and discussions on standards but at night it takes on a different form.

From 6pm to 11pm each night about 20 different companies set up hospitality suites with different themes to attract airlines and vendors to come in and do business, make deals, discuss technology, or just talk about their latest vacations.

Each suite had its own set of food, drinks, and entertainment -- from electronic dart boards to pool tables to Wii video games to live music. Some had a New Orleans theme, a baseball theme and one was set up as an airport lounge.

All in all it's a fun way to get people out of their comfort zone to meet others in the industry and build relationships.

You don't see many events like this anymore. It's quite refreshing.

The folks at ARINC, who put it on understand that success in any business is about relationships. The same is true for journalism.

I was there only one night, but am looking forward to going back next year when the show is in Phoenix and maybe win at Wii Bowling for once.

If you want your baggage fly Northwest, not Delta

Posted by John McHale

If you don't want to lose your luggage fly Northwest not Delta... Wait a minute aren't they the same company? Yes, they are -- Delta bought Northwest last year -- but while they have many similarities, baggage tracking capability is not one of them, said Steve Gorman, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Delta Airlines.

Northwest ranks first in baggage handling while Delta is down near the bottom, Gorman said during his keynote address at the Avionics Maintenance Conference (AMC), run by the ARINC standards organization, in Minneapolis this morning.

Northwest has state-of-the art tracking software and scanners while Delta is just started adding modern baggage scanners recently, he continued. Gorman added that while all of Northwest will eventually be assimilated in Delta, its best practices and baggage expertise will be spread across Delta.

During his talk he spoke in depth about Delta's global reach and what Northwest brings to the company.

He said Delta's longest flight is from Atlanta to Bombay -- about 8,502 miles -- and its shortest is Detroit to Toledo -- 49 miles in 51 minutes gate to gate.

Sounds like less than 60 miles an hour...

Mapquest.com says it's only 57.82 miles from Detroit to Toledo -- about one hour and five minutes driving time.

If you fly the 51 minutes on Delta, you still have to add in another 60 minutes so you can check in and go through security. Then after getting luggage or catching a cab, maybe add another 30 minutes.

All said and done it's about two and half hours to fly 49 miles!

Is traffic that bad in Toledo that you need to fly from Detroit?

Where's the DOD budget request?

Posted by John McHale

Spring is here, baseball season is around the corner, the Masters is only a couple weeks away as is the Easter Bunny, but still no sign of the detailed budget request for Fiscal Year 2010 from the Department of Defense (DOD).

During the Bush administration we could count on seeing it in February, but still nothing out of the Obama White House on a specific release date. Yes, he is busy with the economic stimulus package and on a 60 Minutes interview the other night he said Iraq is the least of his problems -- so that could be why.

Instead of waiting on the president, I called the press office at the DOD and a gentleman told me that he could not give a specific date at this time, but he thinks it should come out by mid to late April.

We'll see...

Many of the people I talk to at defense prime contractors are quite anxious to see what funding is going to be available. The delay in release is causing delays in their planning for next year.

I've asked them where they think funding will be targeted next year and the typical response is "your guess is as good as mine."

The stories in the press about Obama potentially cutting back on major programs such as the F-22 also has many employees at Lockheed worried about their jobs as a cutback in production would most likely translate to layoffs.

We'll keep you posted on the release date and when it does come out we will provide coverage on what it will mean for the defense electronics industry.

So stay tuned.

Optimism in tough times

In my last blog I discussed how the market for military avionics appears to be steady, but I was a bit surprised by the enthusiastic outlook for the global avionics market shown by attendees and exhibitors at last week's Avionics conference and exhibition that we put on in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

One exhibitor, Chip Downing of Wind River Systems, told me the avionics market is still quite strong, but the current economic climate might change especially on the commercial side, but not so much in the military market. He added that he still sees 2009 as a year of growth, but maybe not as strong as past years.

"The avionics market is up quite a bit," Doug Patterson of Aitech Defense Systems told me at the show. He said there is a strong trend in military and commercial applications to have more automation, taking the man out of the loop, which bodes well for avionics suppliers as they move toward next-generation avionics upgrades and the new air traffic management systems.

Officials from Seaweed Systems say they are seeing quite a lot of avionics business right now, and "haven't seen a downturn at all." Folks at Presagis echoed that, saying they see continued growth for themselves and their partners.

Esterline and Ruag Aerospace officials added that their military avionics business is steady and that they are developing long-term programs with key civil and commercial aerospace customers.

The keynote, Donald Ward, created some positive buzz of his own in discussing the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA's) efforts toward a next-generation air traffic management system -- or NextGEN. Ward, the FAA's Air Traffic Operations representative to Europe, said the FAA is looking to work more with industry and focus on business models that work.

The main thrust of his speech was urging the U.S. and Europe -- industry and government -- to work together to harmonize NextGEN and SESAR (Single European
Sky ATM Research) technologies. Ward said it is essential to have commonality between the two systems because the technology is too complicated to try to develop independently.

He added that it is also critical to involve the military each step of the way or "there will be major problems down the road."

Aside from Ward's keynote address the most popular session was the one we had on electronic flight bags and how they will be an instrumental tool in dealing with runway incursions.

Hope you got to see them.