BAE Systems Electronic Systems PULSE

ES ‘CURIOUS’ TO DISCOVER MARS

MISSION FINDINGS

FROM THE RED PLANET

BAE Systems Electronic Systems

THE EMPLOYEES BEHIND INNOVATION // VOLUME 1 SEPTEMBER 2012

WELLNESS INITIATIVEPRODUCTIVITY THROUGH HEALTHY LIVINGFULL STORY PAGE 10

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS PRODUCTS NOW ON ALL U.S. STEALTH PLATFORMSFULL STORY PAGE 4

APKWS SUCCEEDS IN THEATER GUIDANCE SYSTEM ENTERS FULL–RATE PRODUCTIONFULL STORY PAGE 3

PULSEPULSE

Electronic Systems Pulse

2 • ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS PULSE

Explore available digital formats:intranet.ent.baesystems.com/

Disclaimer

In the Fast Lane

On the Beat

03 APKWS SUCCEEDS IN THEATER 04 ES: LEADER IN STEALTH 06 FLYING HIGH: BRAZIL STRATEGY

SUCCESS 08 .ON THE COVER ES ‘CURIOUS’

TO DISCOVER MARS MISSION FINDINGS

14 RADIO TEAM EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

15 SENATORS ADDRESS IMPACTS OF SEQUESTRATION AT WORRELL/WEEKS CENTER

19 INNOVATIVE APPRENTICES IMPROVE THE LIVES OF INJURED SOLDIERS

10 WELLNESS INITIATIVE GATHERS PACE

The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for any errors or omissions. BAE Systems News is produced by BAE Systems corporate and business unit internal communications teams. Editor, Jason Simpson, lead, Sector publications and media. Please send any comments and feedback to [email protected] or leave a message on (603) 885–8783. Email: [email protected] Articles or opinions expressed in this publication may not reflect company policy. All rights reserved. On no account may any part of this publication be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be made to [email protected]. Designed and produced by BAE Systems Electronic Systems Creative Serviceswww.employeepublications-baesystems.com© BAE Systems 2012.

Introducing Electronic Systems Pulse

our mutual mindset that, at the end of the day, the end-users of our products are safer because of the care we spend designing the industry’s best systems.

We do not intend for this publication to advertise a new contract win or serve as a notification of a program reaching a milestone. The articles within this newsletter will tell the story of how we collectively won that contract, how you helped that program reach that milestone. Pulse will be about YOU.

You are the one coming onto the manufacturing floor before the sun comes up to produce the guidance systems that deflect missiles harmlessly into the ground. You are the one working well past sunsets to find a design that improves propulsion systems’ power generation, which in turns helps the environment. Your story will be told here.

Your story is everywhere -- from Naval submarines to the city streets of London to the deserts of Southwest Asia to the surface of Mars -- and, with this online newsletter, you will be able to read that story no matter where you are.

THE BEACON

As our company continuously improves, our intention is that this newsletter will as well. If you have a story idea or suggestion for the newsletter, please contact an ES Communications representative or Pulse’s editor Jason Simpson at [email protected].

Community 16 BIKING BOOSTERS 18 COMPANY MOTTO IN ACTION AT

RUN TO HOME BASE

Inside this Edition: Electronic Systems Pulse highlights the innovation of BAE Systems Electronic Systems sector’s employees across the globe, the company’s initiatives to make ES a great place to work and its employees’ dedication to their local communities.

DAN GOBEL, PRESIDENT, BAE SYSTEMS ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS SECTOR

The key to any company’s success is its people -- their diligence, dedication and innovation toward a common goal. It is the tireless efforts of BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector’s employees that ensure we accomplish our missions: “We Protect Those Who Protect Us”® and “We Innovate for Those Who Move the World”™.

As a premier provider of electronic solutions, it is paramount that we work as One Team to achieve our goals.

As such, we have instituted Pulse. This quarterly online publication will serve as a conduit to inform our employee base -- as well as our customers, former employees, and even prospective employees -- of the advances in our programs and exciting new initiatives within the company. Pulse will recognize the exceptional

performance of our employees, day in and day out.

It was with this in mind that we chose the name “Pulse.” Not only does it have application in many of our engineering processes, but the idiom “to have your pulse on” something refers to being familiar with the most recent developments of a subject at hand.

It is our hope that this newsletter will serve as a catalyst to not only promote the great work we do, but also spur discussions of best practices between disciplines. The publication will clearly portray why we work for this company: the inspirational people, their stories and

THE ARTICLES WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER WILL TELL THE STORY OF HOW WE COLLECTIVELY WON THAT CONTRACT, HOW YOU HELPED REACH THAT MILESTONE

http://employeepublications-baesystems.com/es-pulse

learn from the program is to “never give up.” “If you believe in a program or a system, keep working at it, and always be appreciative of your team’s efforts,” he added.

IN THE FAST LANE • 3

APKWS succeeds in theaterThe Advanced Precision Kill Weapon

System (APKWS®) has been successfully used in combat more than forty times since its March 2012 deployment. This achievement by a talented and hardworking team is a catalyst for expanding the system’s utility on additional U.S. and international platforms.

The technology that allows the warfighter to accurately engage 2.75-inch unguided rockets with laser-guided precision originated in Austin, Texas, in the early 1990s. By the time the program entered the system design and development phase a decade later, it had transitioned to Nashua, New Hampshire.

“The team felt a great sense of accomplishment when APKWS was deployed,” Joe Tiano, BAE Systems’ Electronic System sector’s APKWS program manager, said. “We are a close knit team with a lot of pride in what we do and a great drive to ensure success of the product to protect the warfighter.”

The APKWS team is celebrating the

success of the laser-guided rocket technology, but it has not always been big smiles and high-fives for these dedicated employees.

The team has faced numerous roadblocks, including funding uncertainties as the program progressed. Missile giants Lockheed Martin and Raytheon were constantly at the forefront, trying to re-establish roles as prime contractors for guided missile systems. July 2010 saw the completion of system design and development. APKWS II, as it is known today, was approved through Milestone C in April 2010, with initial production orders following in July.

The challenges were time-consuming, but it did not stop the APKWS team from moving forward and achieving its goal of fielding a system that protects the warfighter. The road had been long, but the hard work had finally paid off. The technology was on its way to protect soldiers’ lives.

Tiano said the biggest lesson to

APKWS’ RECENT COMBAT SUCCESSES DEMONSTRATE THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS TEAM’S DILIGENCE TO THE PROGRAM, WHICH BEGAN IN THE EARLY 1990S.

By Paula Mondebello, Communications, Austin, Texas


With the company’s Electronic Support Measures systems on-board the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, one could consider BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector “old pros” when it comes to real-time warning and situational awareness systems. But now, after a yearlong competition, ES officially provides capabilities on all three of the U.S. Air Force’s low-observable fleet, with the contract to

modernize Electronic Support Measures (ESM) to all 20 of the air service’s B-2 Spirit bombers.

Success meant taking market share away from a leading competitor, which was also a 30-year incumbent on the program -- an accomplishment that makes the B-2 ESM program the poster child for ES’ strategy of growth in a diminished market.

The ESM system, in conjunction with

radar warning receivers, detects electronic threats encountered by the B-2 and provides real-time situational awareness of those threats to the aircrew, allowing it to navigate around contested airspace.

To Kevin Fournier, ES’ Contracts lead for ESM, success was driven by the collective efforts of the employees working on the bid process and program capture.

“The team was so versatile and always willing to take on actions that were not part of their primary role,” said Fournier. “It is essential that you meet the requirements of the customer and have that rapport, but all of that is much easier to accomplish if you have a good team in place.”

ES: LEADER IN STEALTHBy Laurel Walleston, Communications, Nashua, New Hampshire

4 • IN THE FAST LANE

Electronic Systems now has products on all three U.S. Air Force stealth platforms with its recent win of the air service’s B-2 Spirit Electronic Support Measures program.


This must-win program meant that many members of the team put in long hours, traveled extensively and endured long hours and weekends to develop the proposal.

“The team just stepped up,” said Robert Audibert, project engineer manager. “This was supposed to be a short and sweet capture

that became a long effort to formal delivery. But no matter what, people rolled up their sleeves and did what was required.”

The team developed partnerships with each other, the customer and other BAE Systems teams to ensure that the requirements were met and their proposal

was flawless. Those efforts paid off in the end. Tim Angulas, program manager for B-2

ESM, looks forward to future successes this team will accomplish.

“Now that we’re under contract, what drives the success of the program is the great team we have in place,” said Angulas. “This is a challenging program, but the team is rallying to make sure we execute to our plans and keep customer satisfaction high.”

This team has set the bar high as they enter the delivery phase of the program. Looking forward, the teams’ dynamic and ability to remain flexible will certainly prove essential to exceeding expectations, as they have since day one.

ES: LEADER IN STEALTH


“THIS IS A CHALLENGING PROGRAM, BUT THE TEAM IS RALLYING TO MAKE SURE WE EXECUTE TO OUR PLANS AND KEEP CUSTOMER SATISFACTION HIGH”TIM ANGULAS, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR B-2 ESM


FLYING HIGH: BRAZIL STRATEGY SUCCESS

By Lisa Adams, Communications, Endicott, New York

Within three years of building relation-ships with Brazil for international business opportunities, BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector transformed from being relatively discounted in the industry, to a preferred partner for Embraer, the biggest aircraft original equipment manufacturer in the South American country and the third largest in the world.

“Back in 2008, we had been discounted in the marketplace because we hadn’t pursued or won any new programs, and had few relationships with OEMs [Original Equipment Manufacturers] other than Boeing and General Electric,” Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president and general manager of ES’ Commercial Aircraft Solutions (CAS), said. “It was that year we embarked on a strategy to position the business as a stick-to-surface provider by structuring partnerships with

peer companies for market access -- so that’s what we did.”

With in-depth capabilities in safety-critical controls, the business’ focus was on growing its solid brand reputation, and accessing aircraft OEMs that were well-positioned to grow in the marketplace. Parker (Aerospace) appeared to be the strongest company with which to work, according to Siddiqui. The first program the two companies worked together on was designing and producing fly-by-wire flight control computers for Embraer Legacy 450 and 500 business jets.

This program opened up a direct relationship with Embraer and subsequent programs, including a flight controls contract for the OEM’s KC-390 aerial refuelers.

Robert Freedman, a senior commercial officer, began working on the Parker contract in 2008 and was placed on the Embraer

KC-390 tanker/transport flight controls proposal team in late 2009. Although he was already familiar with some of Embraer’s requirements, working as a direct supplier to the aircraft OEM proved to be a little more complicated.

“Embraer requested a number of options for the contract,” Freedman said. “There were also government offset requirements due to the fact that the Brazilian government would be funding a majority of the cost for the KC-390 program.”

During the KC-390 bid process, Freedman built relationships with Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force. In addition, Brazilian legal counsel was critical to understanding the legal regime and taxation matters in country. In all, Freedman spent nearly a month in Brazil in 2010, and the same in 2011.

“To get things done there, it’s important


From discounted to preferred partner, Electronic Systems takes off in Brazil following contract awards with Embraer. ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS’ RELATIONSHIP–BUILDING EFFORTS

WITH BRAZIL HAVE PAID OFF WITH CONTRACT WORK INCLUDING ONE TO DESIGN AND PRODUCE FLY-BY-WIRE FLIGHT CONTROL COMPUTERS FOR EMBRAER LEGACY 450 (PICTURED) AND 500 BUSINESS JETS.


that we do meetings in person,” Freedman said. “BAE Systems had a small footprint in Brazil, and we are taking baby steps toward building a strong reputation in a country that the business and the company are keen in expanding.”

Creating a favorable brand reputation has a lot to do with fostering relationships, and is not a “uni-dimensional approach,” Phil Stevens, a director of ES’ Business Development, added. ES would not be in the position it is today without knowing and carefully selecting our supplier partners, understanding the customer, creating strong senior-level relationships and having working teams acting as trusted advisors.

Both the Legacy 450 and 500, and KC-390 flight controls programs are executed across three ES sites. Rochester, England, and Endicott, New York, are primarily in charge

of design and development, while production is completed in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The decision by Embraer in 2012 to award the KC-390 Active Control Sidestick will provide additional specialized production work in Rochester.

“Trust and partnerships are as important internally as they are with our customers,” Freedman said. “Making sure we work together and trust each other is critical to our performance, which ultimately underpins the company’s reputation. With companies like Embraer, there is no such thing as an incumbent. As soon as you stop performing, you’re in trouble. We are always proving ourselves.”

In three years, the Commercial Aircraft Solutions business has succeeded by re-evaluating its goals, executing strategic objectives, developing strong relationships,

and proving itself as a preferred supplier to one of the largest and fastest growing aviation companies in the world. Although the multi-dimensional approach was complex at times, the business’ focus and leadership has remained on target.

“There’s no substitute for market awareness,” Siddiqui said. “It comes from a lot of invested, face-to-face time with the customer. They want to hear it from me, and I want to hear it from them. That’s what separates us from somebody else. It comes to how well our people are executing, and how much leadership is willing to put into it.”


IMAGE COURTESY OF EMBRAER.

For more information on Electronic Systems, contact Kristin Gossel, Director, External Communications E-mail: [email protected]


ES ‘CURIOUS’ TO DISCOVER MARS MISSION FINDINGSBy Maria Felix, Communications, Greenlawn, New York


Leveraging a wealth of heritage experience and prior mission success, space exploration is going strong with help from BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector. On August 5, NASA’s new rover landed on Mars’ surface with a mission to discover whether conditions on the planet were ever conducive to life.

Since 1995, ES’ facility in Manassas, Virginia, has delivered more than 600 radiation-hardened computers that have been launched and are operating in space on more than 200 satellites.

“There is a special pride in being part of the Mars Exploration Team that has captured the interest and imagination of millions of people,” said Tom Bowmaster, ES’ program manager of Mars Missions. “Weather satellites and communication satellites are virtually taken for granted by the public, but rovers running around the surface of a planet more than 35 million miles away is a totally different story.”

It is always a pleasure to tell friends and neighbors that he works for a company that is a key player in space exploration, and that the company actually designs and produces the processors for the spacecraft and rovers, added Bowmaster.

“I am equally excited by the fact that, through their successful operation on the Sojourner, then Spirit and Opportunity, and now Curiosity, we have validated the fact that our radiation-hardened processors are the processors of choice for mission-critical applications,” Bowmaster said. “We have every reason to believe that we will be part of the next mission to Mars.”

The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, launched in November 2011, delivered the new Curiosity rover to the surface of the red planet for a two-year mission. Curiosity, powered by two ES-built RAD750® processors, is a rolling lab that includes an X-ray spectrometer, a laser-induced

breakdown spectroscopy system, organic sample analysis systems, and radiation and neutrino detection systems. This equipment will allow Curiosity to analyze samples drilled from rocks or scooped from the ground to determine if conditions are favorable for microbial life and to observe clues in the rocks about possible past life.

In 2004, BAE Systems radiation-hardened RAD6000 computers were the single-board processors that guided the Spirit and Opportunity Mars Rovers during their explorations. The RAD6000 processed key navigational data during each spacecraft’s six-month journey as well and processed the science data received from the respective rover’s instruments.

The RAD750® is one of a family of radiation-hardened computers developed and produced by ES and will provide navigating, landing and data processing capabilities to the Curiosity. The Curiosity is larger than the

IMAGE COURTESY OF NASA



ES ‘CURIOUS’ TO DISCOVER MARS MISSION FINDINGS

NASA’S CURIOSITY ROVER, POWERED BY TWO ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS-BUILT RAD750® PROCESSORS, LANDED ON MARS AUG. 5 WITH A TWO–YEAR MISSION TO SEARCH FOR LIFE ON

THE RED PLANET, SEEN HERE THROUGH THE EYES OF THE OPPORTUNITY ROVER, WHICH LANDED IN 2004.

Spirit and Opportunity rovers, which were golf cart size compared to the compact car size of the newest rover. The equipment’s single-board computer is the market leader in the space industry for onboard computing, designed to withstand the rigors of space and meeting stringent mission requirements for the U.S. Defense Department, NASA and commercial satellites. The RAD750® can survive in space for up to 15 years without ever needing mission control to intervene or reset the computer, which is critical for Curiosity’s mission.

“BAE Systems computers have been present on NASA rovers starting with the Pathfinder Sojourner in 1997,” said Bowmaster. “BAE Systems continues to value our partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the opportunity to have our technology on equipment that is critical to space exploration and discovery.”


WELLNESS INITIATIVE GATHERS PACE

By Jason Simpson, Communications, Nashua, New Hampshire

As with many work endeavors, getting on the right fitness track requires some teamwork.

To Jessica Mackey and Ken Gilmore, members of BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector’s Security team in Nashua, New Hampshire, the buddy system they have formed for staying healthy is just another part of their office life.

The two Security employees run two to three miles and then do sit-ups and push-ups three times per week, consolidating their daily breaks at mid-day to allow them enough time without interfering with their work hours.

“We like to try to stay in shape and stay healthy, and it’s easier when you have somebody to go with you; getting motivated by yourself can be a little tough sometimes,” Mackey said. “I call Ken my drill sergeant. When he’s not here, it can be hard to get out there.”

From their team efforts, to the Couch to 5K initiative in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the Wellness “contracts” of the sector’s leadership team, hundreds of ES employees are teaming up and forming bonds as they focus on healthy lifestyles that will contribute to increased team engagement.


10 • ON THE BEAT

Electronic Systems is devoted to making it easier for employees to stay in shape with its new Wellness initiative.


ON THE BEAT • 11

ABOVE AND BELOW: WHETHER IT’S WALKING OR RUNNING DURING A LUNCH BREAK OR TAKING SPINNING OR ZUMBA CLASSES AFTER WORK, ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS OFFERS A NUMBER OF ON–SITE FITNESS ACTIVITIES FOR ITS EMPLOYEES.

Initiative starts from top downIn 2012, ES kicked off its Wellness Initiative to incorporate an emphasis on healthy activity and eating into the culture of the company. Activities such as midday runs can boost energy levels for the remainder of the workday; with the workplace benefits of healthy living in mind, ES started the sector’s newest internal initiative.

The ES Wellness initiative spurred from BAE Systems Inc.’s “Be ProActive” wellness program, according to Maryellen Tansey, the sector’s vice president of Communications and chair of the initiative. While representing ES on Inc.’s council, she decided the sector needed its own team, with representatives from different sites, functions and business areas within the enterprise, to determine what the first steps need to be to create a wellness-minded company.

From there, the ES Wellness Council obtained leadership commitment, and even personal “contracts,” for the initiative.

“If our employees look up and don’t believe their senior leadership supports

their journey, they won’t feel empowered,” Tansey said, noting two common reasons people do not exercise is lack of time and that their supervisors would not support taking time off to work out. “So we said, ‘How we change that is starting with the top.’ We got all the [leaders] to sign up” on their own personalized wellness goals.

The council’s second priority was to provide clarification to employees around the flexibility of labor charging. ES’ workweek is flexible and can accommodate exercise during the day. The company wants to empower its employees to be able to integrate work and life in a way that allows them to take care of themselves and their family, Tansey said, adding that additional guidance on this topic will be promoted this summer.

This summer the company also distributed the book “Eat Right for Life” as an additional resource for healthy eating strategies to employees.

What might work for one site might not apply to another, just as how one wellness plan for an individual might not fit another’s lifestyle, Tansey said. Several sites have worked with their cafeteria vendors to make available and highlight healthier lunch options and others opted to institute on-campus gyms. For instance, the Greenlawn, New York, and Wayne, New Jersey, sites have had fitness facilities for years.

The sector’s headquarters has

color-coding salad bar tongs to denote how healthy the items are on a red-yellow-green scale and introduced taste tests of healthy options, from soups and whole-wheat pizza to snacks and desserts. The Austin, Texas, site’s cafeteria provides nutritional information of their offerings and offers coupons for healthy options.

“It’s a personal choice; we just hope that we give [employees] all the tools and education so that they make an informed decision about what they do,” Tansey said. “When employees feel better, that’s good for everybody. They’re going to feel more engaged, they’re going to feel better every day – they’re going to have a better quality of life.”


Wellness transcends sitesThe ES site at Fort Wayne, Indiana, kicked off a six-week walking program in April “designed to get people moving and begin our charter of creating a culture of wellness at our workplace,” Dianna Vetter, an Operations master planner at the site, said. “For this walking program, we created three inside walking tracks, encouraging people to get up and just walk 10 minutes during break or lunch times.”

Once that program ended, the campus commenced a “Couch to 5k” program tailored for employees who wanted to get in shape for the annual 3 River’s Festival parade on July 14.

Several ES sites have marked on-campus running and walking paths, in addition to the sector’s headquarters and Fort Wayne. The site in Austin has a mile-long trail and one that goes two miles, and the site in Manassas, Virginia, has a 1.3-mile trail that also serves as a nature walk, with markers that identify local tree species.

Last year, a group of employees in Austin also coordinated a walk/run for charity event that offered a 2k and 5k option, with proceeds going to Operation Homefront in 2011 and

Challenged Athlete’s Foundation – Operation Rebound in 2012.

The group noticed, when they would run after work, they were bumping into coworkers doing the same, and they decided to forego the traditional bake sale and instead go with the running event, according to Megan Smith, an Operations program manager at the site and organizer of the event. They also included other businesses located near the facility as well as the City of Austin’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel.

“It not only gave the employees an opportunity to get out and moving, but also

connected us with other businesses in our industrial park, and helped us raise money for two very deserving charities,” Smith said.

Facilities across the sector also have worked with local gyms and other businesses to provide discounts for employees. Roughly one-third of Manassas employees take advantage of subsidies offered for a local gym, and BAE Systems sites in the United Kingdom, including ES’ Rochester, England, location, offer a “Cycle2Work” program, which encourages employees to regularly exercise and save money on fuel by giving employees exclusive deals on bicycles.

12 • ON THE BEAT


ON THE BEAT • 13

Leading by example Prior to committing the Electronic Systems Leadership Team to their “contracts,” Tansey started a six-month program at the beginning of the year, which included a three-times-per-week aerobics routine and calculating her caloric intake with “FitClick.”

“I didn’t want to say, ‘Do as I say, not as I do,’” Tansey said. “If you make time, you have time.”

Since then, other company leaders have made their goals, and the Communications department has its own functional Wellness challenge, in which employees earn points for various daily activities, including calorie counting, exercise, taking vitamins and sleeping at least seven hours per night.

Mike Lewis, vice president of Strategy, included his team into his Wellness contract. From a brainstorming session, they decided to tally all the miles the employees ran, biked or walked, to see if they could account for the distance to and from all the sites within the sector, including Rochester, England.

ABOVE: MARYELLEN TANSEY, ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS’ VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, DEMONSTRATES HOW EMPLOYEES CAN WORK IN A FITNESS ROUTINE WITHOUT INTERRUPTING WORK SCHEDULES.

RIGHT: KEN GILMORE (LEFT) AND JESSICA MACKEY (RIGHT), SECURITY PERSONNEL AT ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS’ SOUTH NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, CAMPUS, USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM IN THEIR WORKOUT ROUTINE TO HELP MOTIVATE EACH OTHER THROUGH THEIR WORKDAY RUNS.

In only two months, the team racked up 1,400 miles, Lewis added.

In addition, at a recent off-site team meeting in Endicott, New York, the entire function weighed themselves as a group on an industrial scale. The goal is to lose an undisclosed amount of weight by their next semiannual meeting.

As such, the team started sharing healthy recipes. The caveat, Lewis said, is that a team member has to cook the dish himself before sharing it with everyone else.

“It has enabled the conversation about health… I’ve have more conversations with colleagues about health in the last two months than I have in the last eight years,” Lewis said. “I am very happy to see that we’re doing this. Everything in life is easier if you’re a little healthier. It’s the right thing to do in the long run for everybody.”

The New Hampshire Security team as a group tries to participate in at least one 5k race each year, according to Gilmore.

Both Mackey and Gilmore come from military backgrounds; Mackey was in the Army Reserves for eight years, and Gilmore is in his 21st year in the Coast Guard. Both say their “workout mentality” began from service, but they continued their routines because “you never know what position you’ll be in.”

“The rewards afterward are huge, and that should be everyone’s main focus,” Mackey said. “‘I don’t have time’ is really not an excuse; anyone can make time. It’s your body, and you want to take care of it, and, if you want to live longer and live healthier, you should take time for yourself.”

To join your site’s Wellness council, or to find out other ways to participate, contact your site’s nurse or site executive.



By Hannah Lord, Communications, Rochester, England

A timeless objective for defense companies is to deliver the smallest, most powerful products to the warfighter while keeping costs low and putting the product in the end-users’ hands as quickly as possible. Recently, a BAE Systems Electronic Systems sector team worked tirelessly to deliver low-cost Soldier Radio Waveform hardware for the Mid-Tier Networking Vehicle Radio program, and they were able to accomplish this six months ahead of schedule.

The ES team developed lean engineering processes and often worked 12-hour days in order to achieve this success, Maria Gutierrez, who led the team, said, noting that they “knew we needed to be novel and creative in our approach to this program.”

“We managed to do this by addressing the risk areas right from the start of the radio and developing some smart tools that provided great visibility into the lowest level of the system; by pushing ourselves to work at our limits and ensuring we worked together as one team, we

were able to achieve our goal,” she said.The Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW) provides

the soldier with voice and data communications to meet the U.S. Defense Department’s objective that “no soldier should be on his own.” SRW is a requirement for the U.S. Army’s Mid-Tier Networking Vehicle Radio (MNVR) program and is a minimum requirement on all Joint Tactical Radio System products.

Making sure the software and SRW worked as it would in other hardware -- also known as porting -- was “a real challenge,” because the team had never ported a waveform before, but it was an “exciting opportunity” to demonstrate the team’s ability, according to Gutierrez. “Our main objective was to complete the port without the help of ITT and to come in with less cost and schedule,” she added.

“Knowing that I was part of the team that helped to provide the warfighter with a better product than the ones they currently have is a great feeling, because, ultimately, it means I’m

helping to save lives,” she said.The team realized that it needed to run full

network testing so it could push the system to its limits and ensure that any issues were discovered and resolved quickly, Gutierrez said. The whole team had to work long hours to ensure the success of the program, “but the feeling we got when we knew we had found the solution was fantastic, and it had brought us closer together as a team.”

Team members Bassem Scander and Jim Gower realized that completing this program within the tight timescales relied on their ability to implement a message transfer that met the SRW requirements. It was their collaboration and dedication to delivering a working interface early that allowed this program to be delivered ahead of schedule, according to Gutierrez. Once this portion was completed, the SRW waveform could be tested at the system level and at the same time hardware engineers could test the radio frequency portion of the program.

LEFT: ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS’ MID–TIER NETWORKING VEHICLE RADIO (MNVR) SOLDIER RADIO WAVEFORM TEAM PUT IN COUNTLESS HOURS AND DEVELOPED LEAN ENGINEERING PROCESSES TO DELIVER A PRODUCT SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. THEIR DESIGN IS NOW BEING TESTED IN THE FIELD.

Radio team exceeds expectations



“THERE WERE TIMES WHEN IT SEEMED IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR

THE TEAM TO ACHIEVE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME AND WITHOUT PRIOR

EXPERIENCE IN SRW PORTING; HOWEVER,

THE TEAM DEVELOPED INNOVATIVE

APPROACHES AND WORKAROUNDS THAT

ENABLED THEM TO ACHIEVE THIS

SUCCESS.”

Senators address impacts of sequestration at Worrell/Weeks CenterU.S.Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) visited BAE Systems’ Worrell/Weeks Aircrew Protection Center in Merrimack, New Hampshire, July 31 to address adverse impacts of sequestration on the defense industrial complex.

More than 350 employees, suppliers, veterans and members of the media attended the forum and question-and-answer session that covered sequestration -- which refers to $1.2 trillion of automatic across-the-board spending cuts that will take effect Jan. 2, 2013, if Congress fails to take action to prevent their implementation.

“We have cut $460 billion out of defense already,” McCain said. “Those are very significant cuts, and the military is

having to adjust by reducing the size of personnel, reducing many of the programs that we already had envisioned that we would need, so it’s not as if we are starting anew on significant and drastic spending on defense.”

According to McCain, “many military experts” advocate increased military spending due to challenges including Iran’s developing nuclear program, tension in the Pacific Ocean region and the continued threat of radical extremist terrorists.

According to a George Mason University study, defense cuts of $500 billion over the next decade would eliminate 3,600 jobs in the defense and aerospace industry in New Hampshire.

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“There were times when it seemed it was too much for the team to achieve in such a short time and without prior experience in SRW porting; however, the team developed innovative approaches and workarounds that enabled them to achieve this success,” Dan Murray, capture lead for the program, said. “The team created a 64 percent cost saving over the bid provided by ITT -- the world’s inventor and authority for SRW -- which has allowed us to allocate funds to additional enhancements and further improve our position to win the MNVR program.”

SRW is currently being tested in the field and this program is a clear example of how teamwork and dedication can provide a remarkable accomplishment while being challenged by tight timescales. The dedicated work of this team has allowed Electronic Systems to compete for the critical MNVR proposal and other initiatives requiring waveform porting.

Dan Murray, Capture Lead


From deep in the heart of Texas, to the bustling streets of Massachusetts, BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector employees have been showing their patriotism with support of the annual Ride 2 Recovery Challenge -- a series of multiday bicycle rides that benefit mental and physical rehabilitation programs for the United States’ wounded veterans.

Cycling is the core activity for these programs, as it is something that almost

all patients with mental and physical disabilities are able to do and has been shown to help speed up the rehabilitation and recovery process.

Electronic Systems’ involvement in Ride 2 Recovery dates back to 2010 when Paula Mondebello, a Communications representative in Austin, Texas, was visiting The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at the same time that a Ride 2 Recovery challenge was moving through Ft. Hood, Texas.

Seeing the cyclists and their dedication to support the country’s wounded warriors motivated Mondebello to get the Austin facility involved in 2011. As the philanthropic lead for Austin, Mondebello coordinated with the Fort Worth facility to co-sponsor the challenge ride from San Antonio to Arlington, Texas.

“Every day I witnessed the courage and relentless determination of the soldiers to complete the 60- to 70-mile routes, even

By Aimee Carignan, Communications, Nashua, New Hampshire

BIKING BOOSTERS

16 • COMMUNITY

This year, Electronic Systems employees from Texas, Virginia and New England took to their bicycles to raise money for the Ride 2 Recovery program.


PHOTO COURTESY OF TIFFINI SKUCE, RIDE 2 RECOVERY

when injured,” Mondebello wrote in her recount of the 2011 Texas Challenge. “I watched as the supporters rode side-by-side, pedal for pedal, pushing and pulling those in need to the finish, never leaving a man behind, refusing to let them fail.”

After a successful event in Texas, the hope was to increase support for Ride 2 Recovery in 2012. Electronic Systems contributed, in coordination with other sectors within BAE Systems $50,000 to the 2012 Ride 2 Recovery challenges.

“The support that we have received from our counterparts at Inc. and the other sectors is truly amazing,” Lu Goncalves-Getty, ES’ director of strategic philanthropy, said. “Although we are in different locations

around the United States and abroad, we all understand the importance and value in supporting our troops. I am thrilled to have had this opportunity.”

This year, BAE Systems got involved in the rides close to company campuses, including: the “Texas Challenge” -- a ride from San Antonio to Arlington, Texas; the “Memorial Challenge” -- a ride from Washington, D.C. , to Virginia Beach; and the “Minuteman Challenge” -- a ride that will take place this fall from Boston, Massachusetts, to West Point, New York.

BAE Systems had several employees participate in the ride, including Bob Fecteau, business technology officer for Intelligence & Security sector. Fecteau is

a retired Army officer with many family members who also have Army ties. According to Fecteau, supporting Ride 2 Recovery on behalf of BAE Systems was a natural thing for him to do.

“The most memorable part of the event was to watch the utter determination and skill that wounded warrior personnel exhibited during the ride,” Fecteau said. “On one particularly difficult hill, one of the riders assisted my wife by pushing her while riding his own bike. It was pretty amazing, but even more amazing was that they were riding up the hill, pushing her faster than I could myself -- and he was missing one leg. That picture will forever be in my head.”

COMMUNITY • 17


18 • COMMUNITY

Company motto in action at Run to Home Base

By Ashley Bournival, Communications, Nashua, New Hampshire

When Nick Schuman thinks back on the atmosphere of the 2012 Run to Home Base event, he remembers the “camaraderie – everyone together helping out a great cause.”

The U.S. Air Force veteran and BAE Systems Warrior Integration Program employee was one of many on May 20 who chose to take part in a three-mile walk segment of the traditional 9k race, held at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Coming out to support the Home Base Program was especially important to Schuman, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an aircraft maintenance specialist.

“Being a veteran myself, I personally understand how difficult the diagnosis and treatment process is for [post-traumatic stress disorder], and how important organizations like Run to Home Base are,” he said.

The Home Base Program provides support services to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Schuman helped coordinate the registration process for volunteers and organized special donations from BAE Systems employees, which totaled $1,218 and were presented after the event.

“The best part of the whole day had to be

entering the field at the end of the race; I had never been to Fenway before, and I was taken aback thinking about the history and the tradition that rests in that park,” he said. “It was also the first opportunity I’ve had to see the company motto ‘We Protect Those Who Protect Us’ in action -- the sheer number of volunteers and level of sponsorship really illustrated how passionate BAE Systems employees are about what they do.”

BAE Systems is one of the largest sponsors of this program, contributing $400,000 to provide resources to increase awareness of symptoms and options for treatment for veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI.

More than 50 employee volunteers lined the halls beneath the stadium to help run the care package station during the event as well. Stephanie Livsey, a second-year volunteer said the participants and spectators -- many of them family and friends of deployed men and women -- were gracious and appreciative to have the opportunity to send a small thanks overseas. Hundreds of people spent the morning stuffing items such as toothpaste, mouthwash, sunscreen, socks, comic books, DVDs and Boston Red Sox hats into more than 900 boxes headed to deployed U.S. troops.

Over the past three years, the Run to Home Base event has raised more than $7 million for the Home Base Program. This year alone, all of the runners, walkers and other supporters raised more than $2 million.

ABOVE: TWENTY–FIVE RUNNERS AND WALKERS FROM ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS WERE AMONG MORE THAN 2,000 WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS YEAR’S RUN TO HOME BASE EVENT. IN TOTAL, THE RUNNERS AND WALKERS RAISED MORE THAN $2 MILLION TO SUPPORT MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL’S SUPPORT SERVICES TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS SUFFERING FROM POST–TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AS WELL AS TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES.

BELOW: BAE SYSTEMS HAS CONTRIBUTED $400,000 TO THE RUN TO HOME BASE PROGRAM. FIFTY EMPLOYEES ALSO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT TO HELP PUT TOGETHER CARE PACKAGES TO DEPLOYED TROOPS.


Innovative apprentices improve the lives of injured soldiers


By Emily Cheeseman, Communications, Rochester, England

A product designed and built by BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector apprentices in Rochester, England, is making the rounds in British hospitals to prove its utility in boosting morale for wounded warfighters in rehabilitation.

The Inviso visual aid device is being used on a three-month trial period in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England. Inviso uses a combination of three high-resolution cameras and can be used with a “tap box” for those who have minimal movement, or with speech activation. The combination of cameras supplies three views -- one of the ward, one of the patient and a flexible camera for visitors.

By allowing patients full visual control, Inviso gives them their independence back and helps boost morale during rehabilitation.

“The thought that our design is being used to improve the lives of injured personnel fills me with a great sense of pride and personal achievement,” Steve Costin, Inviso team leader, said.

The apprentice team of Costin, Usman Iqbal, Simon Beck and Emily Cheeseman won BAE System’s Apprentice Innovation Challenge, a biannual competition run in conjunction with a partner charity. In the 2011 challenge, apprentices were tasked with creating a device that aided in rehabilitation through bed-based exercises and with building a device for those who were restricted to beds without being able to move their heads.

“The device solves real challenges faced by injured soldiers during their first stages of recovery and rehabilitation, with the potential to enhance the world-class medical care patients currently receive,” Mike Hammond, chief executive of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, said.

After winning the Apprentice Innovation Challenge, the Rochester apprentices were determined to take their device further.

“Since last November, we have been working in conjunction with the hospital to develop the software and improve the functionality of Inviso,”

© BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC., BAE SYSTEMS CONTROLS INC., BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LTD. 2012

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ABOVE: THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS TEAM FROM ROCHESTER – (LEFT TO RIGHT) USMAN IQBAL, APPRENTICE MENTOR GARY DAWSON, SIMON BECK, TEAM LEADER STEVE COSTIN AND EMILY CHEESEMAN.

Costin said. “We have received fantastic support -- even funding -- from Rochester leadership to develop and help improve patients’ quality of life.”

Plans for the Inviso device extend further, with the expectation of a production model. The team has been overwhelmed by the amount of interest shown in the device, and was asked to

demonstrate Inviso at this year’s Farnborough Air Show in the Discovery Zone.

“It goes to show the true capabilities of the organization and its people, the diversity of what we can do and how the investment in young talent is shining through,” Gary Dawson, senior training professional at the BAE Systems Rochester campus, said.

SECTION • 20


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