Block 40 Global Hawk Faces Hurdles (Obama continues defunding our military)

Aviation Week ^ | 6/26/09 | Butler

[pabianice]

As Northrop Grumman rolls out its first Global Hawk Block 40 aircraft, the high-flying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program is facing some hurdles.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense and U.S. Air Force are ironing out particulars of a delay to the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) period for the Block 20/30 Global Hawk. Industry and government sources suggest it is likely to be nine months; the original plan was to start IOT&E in August and wrap up in November.

Meanwhile, House appropriators are considering a substantial cut to the program in fiscal 2010, according to a program source. The Air Force requested $667.8 million in FY ’10 to continue producing air vehicles and $317.3 million for continued research and development. The House move could trim three air vehicles from the planned buy of five aircraft next fiscal year.

[pabianice]

ACORN needs more money, apparently. The P-8, LCS, CCG-1000 are already dead. Obama is systematically shutting-down the evil US military.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

We’re gonna get hit again, courtesy of Bambi and his socialist pals. His response will be “let’s wait to see how this turns out.”

[nathanbedford]

The real question is, what will our Manchurian Marxists do with the marvelous military he has so astonishingly inherited? For example, what will Obama do if Chavez invades Honduras? Has he already cut a deal with Hugo?

[pabianice]

CCG-1000 = DDG-1000

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Hugo knows without anyone telling him, Bambi will “wait to see how this turns out.”

[CTOCS]

And then there is the Raptor - currently on life-support.