Aerospace: Flying Under The Radar?

THE AEROSPCE MANUFACTURING SECTORis one that seems to be if not unappreciated, at least flying under the radar in West Michigan.
This is an area that I have a special appreciation for since it fed my family when I was growing up. My father was a technician-engineer for Chrysler Corp. when it was in aerospace, and then for Ling-Temco-Vought, another aerospace and military contractor.

Here is news of a new contract award to GE Aviation operating near Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids:

GE Aviation announced Aug. 29, 2012 that they were awarded a contract worth nearly $9 million in support of surveillance systems such as the U.S. Marine Corps Ground-Based Operation Surveillance System (G-BOSS) program. The contract includes the inertial reference unit, lab testing assets, integration, repairs and engineering support for the program. The work will take place at GE's facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with deliveries starting this year and ending in the third quarter 2017.
"GE has provided inertial reference systems to our customers for more than half a century," said George Kiefer, vice president and general manager of Avionics with GE Aviation. "Tactical inertial navigation is an area of expertise for our team and we're proud to be part of this program."The inertial reference unit provides the technology to provide orientation and position utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS) data for a wide variety of land vehicle, airborne and seaborne applications for the purposes of surveillance, target acquisition, and satellite antenna pointing. The reference unit combines inertial data and GPS data to provide the user with high-accuracy continuous location, heading, pitch, and roll data in both stationary and moving vehicles. The G-BOSS is an integration of sensors to provide a "beyond the fence" surveillance capability to afford the war fighter the flexibility to adjust to a variety of terrain, threats and missions. The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana is the sourcing customer administering the contract. Find additional information about the G-BOSS system at: http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/cins/INTEL/SURVEILLANCE%20&%20TARGET%20IDENTIFICATION/G-BOSS.htmlGE Aviation Systems provides similar reference product systems to many different applications for the purpose of war fighter protection and for satellite communications antenna pointing for commercial and military use. GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.

Author's note: Manufacturing Renaissance, the story of the reinvention and rebirth of manufacturing in the Great Lakes region is schedule to be published in late September.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community is available now. Go to www.rodkackley.com to purchase it now.