151 STC 15 E
STC
151 STC 15 E
Original: English
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
MISSION REPORT
Connecticut and New york, UNited States
1 – 4 jUNE 2015
www.nato-pa.int June 2015
This Mission Report is presented for information only and does not represent the official view of the Assembly. This report was prepared by Henrik Bliddal, Director of the Science and Technology Committee.
I. Introduction
1. From 1 to 4 June 2015, 14 members of parliament from 11 Allied countries took part in a four-day visit of the Science and Technology Committee (STC). Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale, the Chairperson of the STC, headed the delegation. The delegation visited New Haven, Stratford, and New London in Connecticut, as well as New York City. The meetings centered on topics such as rotary-wing aircraft research and development; maritime search and rescue challenges, particularly in the Arctic Ocean; UN disarmament efforts, especially the outcome of the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty’s Review Conference; and the role of technology in homeland security.
II. The Future of Fixed-Wing Aircraft
2. The first stop of the visit was Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, the oldest helicopter company in the world. Founded by Igor Sikorsky in 1925, it started out building fixed-wing aircraft, but after Mr Sikorsky practically invented the helicopter in 1939, its business model soon shifted over to helicopters. Sikorsky, which builds both commercial and defence helicopters, is one of the largest helicopter manufacturers in the world and is projected to become the biggest over the next decade. Sikorsky’s current helicopter models include the Blackhawk, Seahawk, Ch-53K, S-76D, and the S‑92.
3. The delegates met with the new president of the company Bob LEDUC and discussed the future of Sikorsky with him. Currently, its parent United Technologies Corporation (UTC) is conducting a strategic review of Sikorsky and, in this context, is considering a sale, tax-free spin‑off, or keeping the company within UTC. The president underlined that in all scenarios, Sikorsky would be a strong company. With around USD 50 billion in order backlog, Sikorsky’s future looked bright, company representatives argued, especially compared to the company’s value of USD 7 billion. The review should be concluded by June 2015.
4. Chris VAN BUITEN, Vice President of Sikorsky Innovation, laid out the company’s approach to innovation. The division has access to around 4,000 engineers. Twenty of them are technology fellows, which represent the best of the best and mentor the next generation of aircraft engineers. Since the division was created in 2010, Sikorsky has consistently focused on three “differentiating technologies”, which are expected to be game-changing: speed, intelligence, and autonomy. These three pillars of their approach remain the same under their fourth president. The motto of the division is “aggressive and sustained attacks on the toughest problems in vertical flight”.
5. Within the “speed” pillar, the most important product is the X-2 technology. The research and development which led to an X-2 demonstrator aircraft was funded entirely by the company. Sikorsky believes that this technology is the future for utility and assault. The S-97 Raider prototype based on X-2 technology debuted in May 2015 and can fly at about 450 km/h in level flight. The X‑2 technology has also enabled Sikorsky, together with Boeing, to be selected under the US Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator Phase 1 programme. For this programme the two companies are developing a technology demonstrator called the SB>1 Defiant, which will be larger than the Raider. The SB>1 Defiant seeks to replace the Blackhawk and Apache helicopters in the future. Furthermore, Sikorsky is also working on an X-Plane for the US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
6. Within the “autonomy” pillar, Sikorsky aims to make it easier to fly all of their products by giving operators the possibility to seamlessly switch between two, one, or no operator. This technology will save money and allow missions in very dangerous environments. Mr Van Buiten told the delegates that they did not see small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as competitors for their unmanned products. Optionally manned Sikorsky helicopters will start at about 5,000 kg, as they need to move large numbers of people and heavy cargo. The company also seeks to develop “click and fly” flight, which would mean that helicopters could be flown by the uninitiated. For offshore oil and gas exploration and development, Sikorsky has already developed an automated rig approach, thereby reducing the burden for operators of oil and gas rigs.
7. Within the “intelligence” pillar, Sikorsky is aiming to leverage all data of the circa 25 computers on board. Today, less than 5% of the data is used in total. One of the main aims is to achieve data communication all the way through the supply chain. This would enable operators to know exactly when parts need to be serviced or replaced. In this way, the company is hoping to save money for customers and triple the life span of components. Hub-mounted active vibration control is another technology developed under this pillar which should allow helicopters to be flown as smoothly as a jet.
8. Kevin BREDENBECK, one of Sikorsky’s technology fellows responsible for advanced platform mission planning, also took the delegates through the state of the Blackhawk helicopter programme. The multi-role Blackhawk had its first flight in 1974, and is the mainstay of the company with over 3,000 Blackhawks or Seahawks sold to 31 countries. The Blackhawks’ final assembly takes place in Stratford, and the Committee members took a tour of the facility following the briefings.
III. Homeland Security
9. In New London, the Committee members visited the US Coast Guard Academy to discuss the challenges of maritime homeland security, in particular the challenges of a changing Arctic. Rear Admiral James E. RENDON, Superintendent of the Academy, welcomed the delegation one day after he was sworn in. He argued that the Academy developed “leaders of character” for the Coast Guard and the United States as a whole.
10. Lieutenant Meghan MERVAR, Public Affairs Officer, presented the Academy, its vision, and its programmes to the members. The Academy hosts about 900 cadets on its campus for the four‑year Bachelor of Science degree programme. The school is ranked the number one baccalaureate college in the North of the United States and hosts several centres, including a Leadership Institute. Lieutenant Shannon SMITH, Command Center Chief of the Sector Long Island Sound, explained in detail how the Coast Guard operated on a practical level around the clock. A tour of the Ship's Control and Navigation Training System (SCANTS) simulator also showed delegates how the Coast Guard cadets are trained.
11. In 2015, the STC has a particular focus on the opportunities and challenges of a changing Arctic Ocean. Becca PINCUS, a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Maritime Policy at the Center for Arctic Study and Policy, outlined the work the Academy and the Coast Guard as a whole was carrying out on Arctic matters. The Center for Arctic Study and Policy focuses on the policy implications of Arctic change on the Coast Guard’s operations to differentiate themselves from the wealth of other Arctic centres. Indeed, the Arctic is one of four strategic areas for the Coast Guard (next to the cyber domain, the Western Hemisphere, and the energy renaissance). The Coast Guard’s Arctic Strategy, which complements the US Arctic strategy, concentrates on awareness, governance, and partnerships. A particular project the Academy is involved in is the preparatory work for the cruise ship Crystal Serenity’s 2016 traversal of the Northwest Passage, which will represents a critical challenge for the Canadian and US coast guards.
12. In New York City, the Committee members met with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, visited its National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), and discussed the importance of science and technology in homeland security with the directors of the four other national laboratories. DHS national laboratories are key to testing and evaluating new homeland security technologies such as sensors for weapons of mass destruction.
13. Tod COMPANION, Deputy Director of the Interagency Office in the Science and Technology Directorate, gave the delegates an overview of DHS science and technology efforts. The DHS Directorate sees itself as a community of practice that deals with complex problems. In contrast to complicated questions which merely require the application of existing knowledge, complex questions emerge from changes in technology and society and require fundamentally different approaches. The Science and Technology Directorate’s mission is to deliver effective and innovative insights, methods, and solutions for the critical needs of the homeland security enterprise. To achieve this mission, the Directorate aims to reinvent government research and development by targeting and accelerating innovative technologies. On the one hand, it tackles visionary goals with a 20 to 30 year horizon; and on the other hand, it also runs “Apex” programmes which have more immediate goals. Examples of “Apex” programmes include projects to increase border situational awareness, deliver real time biological threat awareness, develop next generation first responders and cyber infrastructure, as well as improve screening procedures and flood awareness. The Directorate is actively looking to partner with allied and partner states.
14. Adam HUTTER, Director of the NUSTL, presented the laboratory that hosted the meetings in New York City. NUSTL’s primary mission is to be a test, evaluation, and assessment laboratory of first responder technologies and systems. In its current form, it was established in 2009, but its roots go back all the way to 1947. Radiological and nuclear response and recovery are key areas of expertise, and the products tested, evaluated, and assessed range from simple first responder gloves to complicated vehicle radiation detection.
15. Pat FITCH, Director of the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), laid out the centre’s mission to conduct bioforensics and characterize the biological threat. The main scenarios they are working on concern malevolent releases of biological agents. Around 80 staff can work on bioforensics around the clock, as the case load is sometimes very heavy. The NBACC can conduct roughly 240 different exams. This was still woefully inadequate, Mr Fitch argued. Thus, NBACC is working very hard on developing generic detectors based on genome technology. The NBACC also carries out conceptual analysis. For example, the NBACC identifies the weak spots of terrorists’ attack pathways under the threat characterization programme. Furthermore, they conduct impact assessments of the use of biological agents by terrorists, for example working with samples of the recent Ebola outbreak.
16. Brian KRENZIEN, Director of the Transportation Security Laboratory, leads the laboratory that was born in the aftermath of the Lockerbie terrorist attack in 1988 and whose work was initially focused on checked baggage. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Laboratory started looking at transportation security in a more holistic way. Its main mission is contraband detection, primarily explosive contraband in the aviation sector. It is, for example, conducting extensive contamination studies, as it is still very hard for terrorists to make clean bombs that do not leave chemical traces.
17. George FAMINI, Director of the Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC), told the delegation about the threat from toxic chemicals, which have a greater occurrence than biological events. It focuses its efforts on intentional threats as well as unintentional risks. A key element of both tasks is to reduce the risk in the chemical supply chain, but the Center also works on mitigation efforts once a spill or attack has occurred. One of its signature projects is the Jack Rabbit Field Tests, which releases large doses of chlorine and ammonia under controlled circumstances. The CSAC also conducts chemical terrorism risk assessments.
18. Larry BARRETT, Director of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), laid out the mission of the Center, which is located on a small island off the coast of Long Island. About 400 people service the PIADC in its mission to conduct large scale tests of animal diseases in a highly secure laboratory setting, for example on food and mouth disease and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The training of US and international veterinarians is a key task as well.
19. The Committee members also examined the latest law enforcement and counter‑terrorism technologies at the disposal of the New York Police Department (NYPD). Sergeant PEKUSIC, Operations Coordinator at the NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau, welcomed members at the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative (LMSI), which was inspired by London’s “Ring of Steel” and could be copied by Boston in the wake of the 2013 marathon bombings. A key insight from the events of 9/11 was the need for better information sharing – from the street level to the highest echelons of the US administration. The LMSI and the police’s new domain awareness system, co-developed by Microsoft, have led to an effective and efficient public-private partnership between the NYPD and private corporations. The police and, to a lesser degree, corporations can access the public and private closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras, cutting-edge sensors, and public records. The system relies on a ‘one-stop shopping’ mentality, which enhances situational awareness, providing a real‑time or archived picture of New York City. Currently, 7,000 CCTV cameras are linked up across the city, a number set to increase to 12,000 by the end of the year. The large majority of these cameras are owned by private companies which grant access to the police and the other private stakeholders.
IV. UN Nuclear Disarmament Efforts
20. The Danish Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), the location of the NATO Liaison Office to the UN, hosted the STC delegation for a day of talks about the current UN agenda, in particular on disarmament efforts. Ambassador Ib PETERSEN, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the UN, started out by giving an overview of the current UN agenda, as the international community is heading for the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in the fall, which Denmark will chair. The agenda was packed with both stock taking exercises as well as projects looking at the future of the UN, Ambassador Petersen told the delegation. Big items on the agenda include discussions on how the 2015 Millennium Development Goals can be built upon going forward, the climate change negotiations coming up at the end of 2015, instability in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as reviews of peace operations, the peace-building architecture, and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace, and Security”.