By Masam Abbas - April 23, 2013 | Tickers: BEAV, NOC, BA | 0 Comments

Masam is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

After Obamas signing on defense sequestration and budget cuts, many have formed a bearish point of view on the aerospace and defense stocks. Lets see if this point of view needs to be rectified to some extent.

The large-cap defense stock, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), reports on April 24. The company is expected to post EPS of $1.74 according to consensus estimates.

The following organic growth rates are expected for each of the companys segments:

(1) Information Systems down 10%,

(2) Aerospace Systems down 2%,

(3) Electronic Systems down 1%

(4) Technical Services down 9%

The company is expected to burn a free cash flow of $200 billion. This has been the norm in the first quarter of the year, given the seasonality of Northrops free cash flow generation.

Originally posted here:

Sequestration: Is it a Valid Reason to Short the Aerospace industry?

Celestica Inc. (CLS) is betting on industries from health care to aerospace to fill the sales void left by BlackBerry, which a year ago made up 19 percent of the electronics-parts suppliers revenue.

The Toronto-based components maker expects revenue to grow by modest double digits in its so-called diversified category after winding up assembly work for BlackBerry in late 2012, Celestica Chief Executive Officer Craig Muhlhauser said.

Muhlhauser, 64, said he realized he had to do something about his companys dependence on BlackBerry toward the end of 2011, when the smartphone maker, then known as Research In Motion Ltd. (BB), was struggling against Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co.

The momentum was not in RIMs favor, and they seemed to be lost from a product strategy standpoint, Muhlhauser said in an interview yesterday in Toronto. As BlackBerry sales tumbled, it became a big overhang on the company -- it just overtook us, said Muhlhauser.

Celestica announced in June it would stop building BlackBerrys. The diversified category, which also includes defense, industrial and semiconductor customers, accounted for 24 percent of revenue in the first-quarter earnings released yesterday, up from 19 percent a year ago.

The strategic shift has just begun, and Celesticas challenge will be to rebuild sales, said Shawn Harrison, an analyst at Longbow Research in Independence, Ohio. The potential customers Celestica is eyeing in the diversified business offer opportunities because they havent traditionally turned over their manufacturing for an outsider to handle, he said.

These markets are less outsourced. The challenge is many of the program wins are much smaller, Harrison said. If you won a large telecoms program in the past it could be a half- billion dollars. These could be $100 million, but many are $5, $10, $15, $25 million, Harrison said by phone. On the other hand, those smaller contracts also can be more profitable, he said.

BlackBerry has been losing market share for three years as its aging lineup of smartphones with a slower Web browser and smaller range of applications led consumers to opt for rival devices like the iPhone. BlackBerry is now betting on a new operating system and refreshed phone lineup to woo back customers.

Celesticas sales fell 19 percent to C$1.37 billion ($1.33 billion) in the first quarter from a year earlier, the company said yesterday. Revenue this year is expected to slide 9.7 percent, according to the average estimate of 13 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

The company posted profit of 16 cents a share excluding stock compensation and other charges, beating the average analyst estimate of 15 cents in a Bloomberg survey. The stock rose 1.7 percent to C$8.44 at 9:59 a.m. in Toronto. They remain little changed in the past year as the Standard & Poors Information Technology Sector Index (STINFT) climbed 14 percent.

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Celestica Fills BlackBerry Gap With Aerospace: Corporate Canada

JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan today presented 3 awards to the best and brightest in the Indonesian Aerospace industry at the 2013 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Aerospace Awards.

In its second time, the 2013 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Aerospace Awards was held in Jakarta in conjunction with the Airlines & Airports 2013 Conference & Exhibition and officiated by Bapak Herry Bakti Singayuda Gumay as the Chairman, Advisory Board of Indonesia Aviation Forum and Bapak E.E. Mangindaan, Minister of Transportation, Republic of Indonesia. The awards recognize best practices in management, service and industry excellence within Indonesian Aerospace industry.

"Recipients of the 2013 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Aerospace Awards were selected by industry analysts by comparing market participants and measuring performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research. We are proud and happy to host the 2nd Indonesia Aerospace Awards together with Airlines & Airports 2013 Conference & Exhibition and celebrate best practices in Indonesian aerospace industry," said Eugene van de Weerd, Country Director, Frost & Sullivan Indonesia in his welcome remarks.

Subhranshu Sekhar Das, Director-Asia Pacific, Aerospace & Defense Practice at Frost & Sullivan noted that the Awards recognize the talents of Indonesian companies that have exceeded the market expectations of product and service.

"The volatile nature of the industry has pushed industry players, especially the Asian players, to focus on implementing best practices within their operations. This has resulted in quality of delivery and results-driven client relationships, positively impacting the global aviation landscape," Subhranshu explained.

An independent panel of eminent judges participated in a judicious evaluation and selection process to determine the award recipients. This year's panel judges consists of Bapak Richard Budihadianto, Chairman of Indonesian Aircraft Maintenance Shop Association (IAMSA); Bapak Dudi Soedibyo, Senior Editor of Angkasa magazine; Bapak Alvin Lie and Bapak Gerry Soejatman as the Indonesian aviation observers.

Frost & Sullivan congratulates all the recipients of the 2013 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Aerospace Awards

Award

Recipient

2013 Best Performing Indonesian Airport of the Year

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Frost & Sullivan Announces the 2013 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Aerospace Awards Recipients

By Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press

MONTREAL - Demand for aerospace engineers will accelerate over the next few years as three European companies announced plans that create nearly 200 jobs in Montreal.

The Austrian, French and German companies said Monday they were attracted to the city because of the availability of trained workers and their ability to work with large locally based companies such as Bombardier (TSX:BBD-B.TO - News).

German company PFW plans to move its Seattle-based aerospace tube and duct systems North American headquarters to Montreal.

"We're going to basically build on our engineering capability, hopefully go forward into manufacturing also over the next two or three years and build this as our North American hub," said Ian Sidsaff, general manager of PFW Aerospace Canada.

The firm hopes to hire about 100 people in the city over three years to join its global workforce of 2,500.

They will initially provide engineering services to the area's large equipment manufacturers and eventually become a parts supplier for Bombardier and other customers.

PFW plans to bring in about 25 engineers from abroad and then build up and train a local workforce of graduates and other employees.

Finding skilled engineers isn't easy given the number of Quebec aerospace companies working on new and existing programs.

But Sidsaff said the experience level in Montreal is relatively high compared with other aerospace hubs around the world.

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Three European aerospace firms to set up in Montreal, create nearly 200 jobs

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Apr 24, 2013) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, today addressed the aerospace industry at Aeromart Montral. The Minister highlighted Economic Action Plan 2013 measures that support Canada's aerospace industry and promoted Canada as an excellent investment destination and source for supply chains.

"Our government has created a sound economic framework to attract investments, promote economic growth, and create jobs and prosperity for hard-working Canadian families," said Minister Paradis. "Canada is a prime destination for international ventures across the economy, including the aerospace industry. I am happy to say the numbers support that."

The Minister told delegates that the government is taking action on the Review of Aerospace and Space Programs and Policies and is committed to partnering with them. The Honourable David Emerson, Head of the Aerospace Review, presented his report to the Minister of Industry last November.

"Our government promised to act on the recommendations made in the Emerson report, and we did just that. Through Economic Action Plan 2013, we addressed four of the report's most important recommendations," said Minister Paradis.

In particular, the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative will receive close to $1 billion over five years, and the program will be reviewed to ensure that it continues to respond to the needs of this sector.

In addition, Economic Action Plan 2013 will provide funding to create a new large-scale Technology Demonstration Program with $110 million over four years and $55 million a year thereafter. Economic Action Plan 2013 also commits to the launch of consultations for the creation of a National Aerospace Research and Technology Network and to enhanced access to aircraft safety certification.

Aeromart Montral is one of the major events for the Canadian aerospace sector, bringing together industry representatives from Canada and abroad.

Originally posted here:

Minister Paradis Highlights Harper Government's Commitment to Aerospace and Declares Canada "Open for Business"

Overview

The aerospace and defense industry found its largest base in the U.S. with a military budget fittingly impressive. The country's global leadership position requires it to maintain the capacity to respond to the ever-changing national security environment. But unlike many other countries, the U.S. relies on the private sector to meet its defense needs.

The U.S. Army, Air, and Naval forces enter into long-term contracts with aerospace and defense companies to meet their various needs for systems and equipment. As such, the outlook for the industry is closely tied to the outlook for defense spending by the U.S. government.

Earlier this month, the Obama administration proposed defense budget for FY14 of $526.6 billion, down $0.9 billion from the FY13 annualized continuing resolution level of $527.5 billion. However, the FY14 request does not yet include a detailed budget for Overseas Contingency Operations ("OCO"), which is essentially government-speak for foreign wars and war on terror operations. The government is preparing a separate OCO request that is expected to be released soon.

Under the continuing resolution, OCO funding for FY13 is $88 billion. This is lower than the $115 billion enacted for FY12 OCO activities as a result of reduced operations in Afghanistan and conclusion of operations in Iraq. Going forward, OCO funding is expected to continue to decline as troops redeploy out of Afghanistan. In fact, the request for future OCO funding will likely be closely correlated to the amount of troops required for each operation.

Budget Issues - the Sequester

The budget sequester that went into effect at the start of March 2013 and that has a direct bearing on the U.S. government's defense spending is a function of the country's fiscal and economic challenges.

As a background, Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011 in order to resolve the debt-ceiling crisis. The Act provided for a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction known as the super committee to produce legislation by late Nov 2012 that would decrease deficit by $1.2 trillion over ten years.

However, Congress failed to reach an agreement. This would have led to automatic cuts known as sequestrations, split evenly between defense and domestic spending, beginning on Jan 2, 2013. However, the 'Fiscal Cliff' was averted at the last moment and the date was postponed by two months by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.

But it finally took effect last month. The cuts as a result of the budget sequester are evenly between the defense and non-defense categories. The spending reductions are approximately $85.4 billion during fiscal year 2013, with similar cuts for years 2014 through 2021.

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Aerospace & Defense Stock Overview - Apr 2013

Aerospace News TG 22-28 aprile 2013
Intervista a Gianni Lettieri presidente di Meridie e ATITECH. Carmelo Cosentino presidente del Distretto aerospaziale lombardo. Intervista a Sergio Mazzarell...

By: Antonio Ferrara

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Aerospace News TG 22-28 aprile 2013 - Video

U.S. company Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. has been named "Supplier of the Year" by Boeing for its avionics work on F/A-18 and Harpoon antenna programs.

BOULDER, Colo., April 22 (UPI) -- U.S. company Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. has been named "Supplier of the Year" by Boeing for its avionics work on F/A-18 and Harpoon antenna programs.

"We are very pleased to be honored by Boeing for the outstanding day-to-day performance delivered by Ball employees on programs critical to our nation," said Rob Freedman, vice president and general manager of Ball's Tactical Solutions business unit. "Harpoon is one of our longest-running programs and demonstrates our outstanding relationship with Boeing and the confidence they have in the quality of our work."

Boeing each year honors its partners for their performance on Boeing programs. Winners are selected from more than 17,500 companies in 50 countries for awards in 16 categories. Selection is based on statistical measurements of quality, on-time delivery, post-delivery support and cost.

The ability to anticipate and respond to changing customer requirements is also part of the mix.

"These partners are critical to helping Boeing provide our customers the most affordable, highest-quality products and services possible," said Jack House, leader of Boeing's Supplier Management function.

See the article here:

Ball Aerospace 'Supplier of the Year'

WELLINGTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

B/E Aerospace, Inc. (BEAV), the worlds leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products and the worlds leading distributor of aerospace fasteners and consumables, today announced first quarter 2013 financial results.

FIRST QUARTER 2013 HIGHLIGHTS VERSUS FIRST QUARTER PRIOR YEAR

FIRST QUARTER CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

First quarter 2013 revenues of $842.2 million increased $94.9 million, or 12.7 percent, as compared with the prior year period.

First quarter 2013 operating earnings were $153.6 million, an increase of 18.3 percent, and operating margin of 18.2 percent increased 80 basis points as compared to the prior year period. The growth in operating earnings and the improvement in operating margin occurred primarily as a result of operating leverage at the higher revenue level and ongoing operational efficiency initiatives. Operating earnings and operating margin, both adjusted to exclude acquisition, integration and transition (AIT) costs, were $157.7 million and 18.7 percent.

First quarter 2013 net earnings and earnings per diluted share were $89.9 million and $0.87 per share, increases of 30.7 percent and 29.9 percent, respectively, as compared with the prior year period.

Commenting on the Companys first quarter 2013 performance, Amin J. Khoury, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of B/E Aerospace said, Today we reported a strong start to 2013. Our first quarter 2013 results included record quarterly revenues, bookings, operating earnings, operating margin, net earnings, and EPS. Our revenue growth continues to be driven primarily by the robust new aircraft delivery cycle. Approximately 61 percent of first quarter revenues was driven by demand for products for new-buy aircraft reflecting both robust new aircraft deliveries and continued softness in aftermarket demand.

FIRST QUARTER SEGMENT RESULTS

The following is a tabular summary and commentary of revenues and operating earnings by segment:

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B/E Aerospace First Quarter 2013 Results Exceed Expectations; Revenues up 13%, Operating Earnings up 18%, EPS up 30%

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sensors & Integrated Systems, a unit of UTC Aerospace Systems located in Plymouth, UK has won a 2013 Queen's Award for Enterprise, the highest official UK honor for British business. The award, in the category of Innovation, recognizes the international success of the business' unique, miniature, solid state gyroscopic devices. These rugged inertial measurement units (IMUs) help guide a wide variety of systems including air and land vehicles, missiles and shells. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (UTX).

This is the company's third Queen's Award for Enterprise in ten years. The first, in 2004, recognized the highly-innovative nature of the IMU design while the second, in 2011, recognized the company's success in tripling exports for their products which included these small, reliable IMUs. These highly-successful guidance devices are just the latest development in a century of innovative gyroscopic technology from the company, including the Sperry Gyroscope and the ship-borne guidance systems that date back to 1913 in the UK.

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.

http://www.utcaerospacesystems.com

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UTC Aerospace Systems Receives Third UK Queen's Award for Innovation

WELLINGTON, Fla. (AP) -- B/E Aerospace Inc., which makes products for aircraft cabins, said Monday that its net income rose 31 percent in the first quarter on improved demand for new planes.

The Wellington, Fla., company's profit grew to $89.9 million, or 87 cents per share, from $68.8 million, or 67 cents per share. Revenue rose 13 percent, to $842.2 million from $747.3 million.

Analysts were expecting net income of 73 cents per share and $803.1 million in revenue, according to FactSet.

The company's commercial aircraft revenue rose 12 percent, to $420 million. Business jet revenue rose 11 percent, to $95.5 million. Revenue in an airplane parts division rose 14 percent, to $326.7 million.

"Our revenue growth continues to be driven primarily by the robust new aircraft delivery cycle," said CEO Amin Khoury. He said demand for new planes drove 61 percent of revenue in the first quarter, while the market for replacement parts remained weak.

The company is still expecting net income of $3.45 per share and $3.35 billion in revenue in 2013. Analysts are forecasting $3.46 per share and $3.39 billion in revenue on average.

B/E Aerospace shares rose 85 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $59.73 in morning trading.

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B/E Aerospace 1Q net income rises 31 percent

ST. LOUIS, April 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LMI Aerospace, Inc. (Nasdaq:LMIA), a leading provider of design engineering services and supplier of structural assemblies, kits and components to the aerospace and defense markets, today announced that the company has been recognized as a Supplier of the Year in the Leaders Choice-Alliance category by The Boeing Company. LMI was one of 16 companies honored last night for distinguished performance in working with Boeing.

In January, LMI was notified that it was one of five Leaders Choice recipients that received special nomination, which is necessary in achieving this designation. The award acknowledges superior performance and labels Supplier of the Year winners as best of the best.

"These partners are critical to helping Boeing provide our customers the most affordable, highest quality products and services possible," said Jack House, leader of Boeing's Supplier Management function. He added that Boeing must have a global supply chain that is capable of recognizing and reducing risk, while demonstrating a strong commitment to customer service and consistent performance excellence.

This year's winners represent an elite group among more than 23,000 active Boeing suppliers in nearly 52 countries around the world. This selection of the Leaders Choice category recipients was based on performance criteria such as competitive advantage, exceeding cost performance, outstanding improvements during the award year and contribution to new products.

"All of our employees are very proud of the Leaders Choice award by Boeing. We've partnered with Boeing for many years and are grateful for the recognition," said Ronald S. Saks, Chief Executive Officer of LMI.

"The award was due, in part, to LMI's efforts to mentor three suppliers in South Carolina. We approached Boeing with the mentoring suggestion and provided strategic leadership, technical knowledge, and functional best practices in collaborating with the businesses. We were pleased not only with the reception of the suppliers and Boeing, but also with the development opportunity it provided for the support team that worked on the project. We are continuing our support of the mentoring program as we have found it to be a truly rewarding experience for all involved."

For more information on the Boeing Supplier of the Year award, including a complete list of award recipients, visit http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43.

About LMI Aerospace:

LMI Aerospace, Inc. ("LMI") is a leading supplier of structural assemblies, kits and components and provider of design engineering services to the aerospace and defense markets. Through its Aerostructures segment, the company primarily fabricates machines, finishes, integrates, assembles and kits machined and formed close tolerance aluminum, specialty alloy and composite components and higher level assemblies for use by the aerospace and defense industries. It manufactures more than 40,000 products for integration into a variety of aircraft platforms manufactured by leading original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 aerospace suppliers. Through its Engineering Services segment, operated by its D3 Technologies, Inc. subsidiary, the company provides a complete range of design, engineering and program management services, supporting aircraft product lifecycles from conceptual design, analysis and certification through production support, fleet support and service life extensions via a complete turnkey engineering solution.

Originally posted here:

LMI Aerospace Receives "Supplier of the Year" Award From

NEW YORK, April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Global Commercial Aerospace Avionics Market Analysis and Outlook 2013-2020

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01162251/Global-Commercial-Aerospace-Avionics-Market-Analysis-and-Outlook-2013-2020.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Aerospace_and_Defense

The global commercial aerospace avionics market is expected to reach $8.3 billion by 2020, with

a moderate CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period. Despite the adverse economic conditions

that have prevailed, total industry sales grew during the last six years. In terms of dollar value,

communication network and navigation is the largest segment in the commercial avionics market,

followed by control systems, radar and surveillance, and display systems. North America holds

the largest share of revenue, followed by Europe.

Lucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm, has conducted acompetitive analysis on the different regional and industrial segments of the commercialaerospace avionics market and presents its findings in "Global Commercial AerospaceAvionics Market Analysis and Outlook 2013-2020." The industry is highly regulated, especiallyregarding the safety of its products. The result is that the industry has particularly high entrybarriers because of capital and regulatory requirements.

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Global Commercial Aerospace Avionics Market Analysis and Outlook 2013-2020

NEW YORK, April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Global Commercial Aerospace Landing Gear and MRO Market Analysis and Opportunities: 2013-2020

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01162252/Global-Commercial-Aerospace-Landing-Gear-and-MRO-Market-Analysis-and-Opportunities-2013-2020.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Aerospace_and_Defense

The global commercial aerospace landing gear and MRO market, which registered moderate

growth during 2007-2012, is forecast to witness modest growth from 2013 through 2020 and

reach $6.91 billion by 2020. The landing gear market growth is highly dependent on aircraft

market dynamics. Factors affecting the global commercial aircraft market are likely to have

parallel effects on the landing gear market.

Lucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm, has analyzed theglobal commercial aerospace landing gear and MRO market and offers its findings in itscomprehensive research report, ?Global Commercial Aerospace Landing Gear and MROMarket Analysis and Opportunities: 2013-2020.?

The report studies the global commercial aerospace landing gear and MRO market with an indepth

Link:

Global Commercial Aerospace Landing Gear and MRO Market Analysis and Opportunities: 2013-2020

ST. LOUIS, April 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LMI Aerospace, Inc. (LMIA), a leading provider of design engineering services and supplier of structural assemblies, kits and components to the aerospace and defense markets, today announced that the company has been recognized as a Supplier of the Year in the Leaders Choice-Alliance category by The Boeing Company. LMI was one of 16 companies honored last night for distinguished performance in working with Boeing.

In January, LMI was notified that it was one of five Leaders Choice recipients that received special nomination, which is necessary in achieving this designation. The award acknowledges superior performance and labels Supplier of the Year winners as best of the best.

"These partners are critical to helping Boeing provide our customers the most affordable, highest quality products and services possible," said Jack House, leader of Boeing's Supplier Management function. He added that Boeing must have a global supply chain that is capable of recognizing and reducing risk, while demonstrating a strong commitment to customer service and consistent performance excellence.

This year's winners represent an elite group among more than 23,000 active Boeing suppliers in nearly 52 countries around the world. This selection of the Leaders Choice category recipients was based on performance criteria such as competitive advantage, exceeding cost performance, outstanding improvements during the award year and contribution to new products.

"All of our employees are very proud of the Leaders Choice award by Boeing. We've partnered with Boeing for many years and are grateful for the recognition," said Ronald S. Saks, Chief Executive Officer of LMI. "The award was due, in part, to LMI's efforts to mentor three suppliers in South Carolina. We approached Boeing with the mentoring suggestion and provided strategic leadership, technical knowledge, and functional best practices in collaborating with the businesses. We were pleased not only with the reception of the suppliers and Boeing, but also with the development opportunity it provided for the support team that worked on the project. We are continuing our support of the mentoring program as we have found it to be a truly rewarding experience for all involved."

For more information on the Boeing Supplier of the Year award, including a complete list of award recipients, visit http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43.

About LMI Aerospace:

LMI Aerospace, Inc. ("LMI") is a leading supplier of structural assemblies, kits and components and provider of design engineering services to the aerospace and defense markets. Through its Aerostructures segment, the company primarily fabricates machines, finishes, integrates, assembles and kits machined and formed close tolerance aluminum, specialty alloy and composite components and higher level assemblies for use by the aerospace and defense industries. It manufactures more than 40,000 products for integration into a variety of aircraft platforms manufactured by leading original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 aerospace suppliers. Through its Engineering Services segment, operated by its D3 Technologies, Inc. subsidiary, the company provides a complete range of design, engineering and program management services, supporting aircraft product lifecycles from conceptual design, analysis and certification through production support, fleet support and service life extensions via a complete turnkey engineering solution.

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LMI Aerospace Receives "Supplier of the Year" Award From Boeing

BOULDER, Colo., April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has been honored by The Boeing Company as a 2012 "Supplier of the Year" for outstanding avionics work, specifically on the F/A-18 and Harpoon antenna programs. The award was presented during a ceremony in San Diego, CA on April 18.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130108/LA39163LOGO)

Click here to view the Supplier of the Year video: http://www.boeing.com/aboutus/supplier_of_the_year/2012_soy.html

Boeing annually acknowledges companies in 16 categories, selected from more than 17,500 suppliers from 50 countries worldwide. Each company is chosen based on statistical measurements of quality, on-time delivery, post-delivery support, cost, and the ability to anticipate and respond to changing customer requirements.

"We are very pleased to be honored by Boeing for the outstanding day-to-day performance delivered by Ball employees on programs critical to our nation," said Rob Freedman, vice president and general manager of Ball's Tactical Solutions business unit. "Harpoon is one of our longest-running programs and demonstrates our outstanding relationship with Boeing and the confidence they have in the quality of our work."

The award is presented to companies that consistently demonstrate excellence and exceed expectations in the delivery of high-quality products and services to Boeing.

"These partners are critical to helping Boeing provide our customers the most affordable, highest-quality products and services possible," said Jack House, leader of Boeing's Supplier Management function.

Ball Aerospace has been continually improving conformal high performance array antennas and has provided Boeing thousands of antennas over 33 years for the Harpoon anti-ship and land-strike missile. Additionally, the Ball Aerospace Tactical Solutions antenna unit has delivered over 500 F/A-18 units in the past decade, with 100 percent on-time delivery and quality.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. 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. For more information, visit http://www.ballaerospace.com.

Ball Corporation (BLL) is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ approximately 15,000 people worldwide and reported 2012 sales of more than $8.7 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

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Ball Aerospace Receives Supplier of the Year Award from Boeing

Bigelow Aerospace / NBCNews.com

A mockup created by Bigelow Aerospace shows a moon base with inflatable modules.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

Bigelow Aerospace and NASA say they've agreed to look at ways for private ventures to contribute to human exploration missions, perhaps including construction of a moon base. But the space agency emphasized that it's keeping its own focus squarely on corraling an asteroid and then going to Mars.

"As part of our broader commercial space strategy, NASA signed a Space Act Agreement with Bigelow Aerospace to foster ideas about how the private sector can contribute to future human missions," David Weaver, the space agency's associate administrator for communications, said in a statement emailed to NBC News.

"This will provide important information on possible ways to expand our exploration capabilities in partnership with the private sector," Weaver said. "The agency is intensely focused on a bold mission to identify, relocate and explore an asteroid with American astronauts by 2025 all as we prepare for an even more ambitious human mission to Mars in the 2030s. NASA has no plans for a human mission to the moon."

Eyes on the moonThe moon, however, ranks high among the targets that Bigelow Aerospace has in mind. The Nevada-based company has been working on moonbase concepts for years. During a recent interview on the "Coast to Coast AM" radio show, billionaire founder Robert Bigelow said the potential objectives for private-sector space efforts include a lunar base as well as space stations or refueling depots placed at gravitational balance points in the Earth-moon system.

"We're making no bones about it, that's what we're out to try to accomplish," Bigelow said.

Mike Gold, a Washington-based spokesman for Bigelow Aerospace, explained that his company wanted to help "commercial space achieve escape velocity from LEO," or low Earth orbit.

Gold said the NASA-Bigelow agreement would build on the work done by SpaceX, Orbital Sciences Corp. and other companies to build new spaceships for trips to the International Space Station. "What this is doing is projecting that forward, and exploring what commercial companies can do both to lower the cost of beyond-LEO operations, and to create enhanced capabilities," he said.

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To the moon? Bigelow Aerospace and NASA look at private exploration

Cambridge News Follow us on

Friday 19 Apr 2013 6:07 AM

Written byJORDAN DAY

Three aerospace apprenticeships are on a high after being given the chance to visit Parliament.

Matthew Dews, David Firth and Christopher Clarke, all apprentices at Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge, joined South East Cambridgeshire MP Jim Paice at an apprenticeship reception in the House of Commons on Tuesday, April 16.

The event was organised by ADS Group, the aerospace trade association, in recognition of the role of apprentices in the 24 billion UK aerospace industry.

The event follows the launch of the joint industry and Government strategy for the future of UK aerospace through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP), and celebrated the valuable contribution of apprentices.

Sir Jim said: Marshalls is an example of the vibrant and growing UK aerospace industry and, at a time when it can be difficult for young people to find a job, the sector is providing highly-skilled and rewarding apprenticeships all across the UK.

It was a delight to meet Matthew, David and Christopher and I was fascinated to learn about their exciting apprenticeships.

Cambridge Newspapers Ltd 2013

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Aerospace apprentices invited to House of Commons

ABBOTSFORD, BC, April 16, 2013 /CNW/ - Cascade Aerospace, an operating unit of IMP Aerospace & Defence, is pleased to announce it has been awarded a multi-year contract by the Canadian government for the Optimized Weapon System Support (OWSS) of the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF's) legacy C-130 Hercules avionics system. This complements the services Cascade provides as Canada's C-130 Primary Air Vehicle Optimized Weapons Systems Manager (PAV OWSM), which includes the in service support, fleet management, aircraft modification, engineering, maintenance, and repair and overhaul of Canada's legacy model C-130 fleet. Cascade also provides in service support services for Canada's C-130J fleet under a 20-year contract with Lockheed Martin.

"Winning this avionics Optimized Weapons System Support (OWSS) contract expands the already holistic support Cascade provides to Canada. The anticipated synergies with our existing Primary Air Vehicle OWSM contract will further enhance Canada's operational output, reduce overall costs and allow for more effective decision making," says Justin Currie, Cascade's Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. "It brings us closer to the original vision of the OWSS long-term, performance-based contract model," he added.

Under this latest contract, Cascade will develop operating plans for the program management and support of C-130 avionics repair and overhaul, and provide software support, configuration management, supply chain management strategies and the management of thousands of avionics-related consumable items.

Cascade is a leading Canadian aerospace and defence contractor with over 650 skilled professionals supporting military and civilian aircraft programs. Headquartered in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Cascade also has operations in Trenton and Ottawa, Ontario. Cascade Aerospace is a Lockheed Martin authorized C-130 Service Center and one of only two Lockheed Martin authorized C-130J Heavy Maintenance Centers in the world.

Cascade Aerospace was recently acquired by IMP Group, a Halifax-based company focused on global sustainable growth, and with over 4,400 experienced people delivering service, quality and value to customers across diverse sectors, such as aerospace, aviation, airline, healthcare, information technology, hospitality, and property development.

SOURCE: Cascade Aerospace Inc.

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Cascade Aerospace wins C-130 avionics contract with Canada's RCAF

By Ayla Jean Yackley

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - EADS (EAD.PA) unit Airbus plans to double spending in Turkey from last year's $74 million (48.5 million pounds) "very soon" as it deepens its partnership with the local aerospace industry, its chief executive said.

In a speech to mark the signing of Turkish Airlines' (THYAO.IS) recent order for 117 Airbus passenger planes, Fabrice Bregier also said Airbus planned to lift spending in Turkey by 30-fold in a little more than a decade.

"We expect by 2025 we will reach spending of $2.4 billion ... This will make Airbus the biggest partner for Turkish aerospace," Bregier said.

Bregier told Reuters in an interview the expenditure would mainly come in the form of orders likely to be awarded to state-run Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), which produces military and commercial aircraft.

Airbus Military, which is headquartered in Madrid, already produces parts for its A400M airlifter in Turkey, according to the company's website.

Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim said at the ceremony the government wanted Airbus to make planes in Turkey.

"We want an extensive agreement from you on producing planes in Turkey and we have the capacity to give you every support and incentive for that," Yildirim said.

But Bregier said that suggestion was "even more ambitious" and that Airbus would instead play a supporting role to Turkey's existing aerospace industry.

Bregier also said he expected national carrier Turkish Airlines (THYAO.IS) to eventually order Airbus's A380, the world's largest airliner, to meet demand for flights to the United States and other long-haul, populous destinations.

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Airbus to lift spending in Turkish aerospace sector