Rapid Fire 2011-11-17: UK NAO Major Projects Report
Nov 17, 2011 07:30 ESTRelated Stories: Alliances, Americas - USA, Asia - Central, Britain/U.K., Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - E.U., Europe - France, Fighters & Attack, Missiles - Precision Attack, Official Reports, Other Corporation, Policy - Doctrine, Rumours, Submarines
- The British National Audit Office’s 2011 Major Projects report says that short-term cuts spurred by its Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) has added GBP 500 million (about $785M) to its 15 largest defense projects. The UK MoD responds.
- Britain’s first-of-class fast-attack submarine, HMS Astute, fires UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles for the first time. Unlike the US Navy, Britain’s Tomahawks are only based on attack submarines.
- Rumors of a British Harrier jump-jet fleet sale to the US Marines get stronger.
- The US House Armed Services Committee had a hearing yesterday on USMC acquisition and modernization (ACV, AAV, JLTV). Video at the bottom of this entry.
- The US Air Force updated its AFDD 1 doctrine document [PDF] with the addition of a whole new chapter on airpower. Some might find the USAF’s definition of airpower as “control and exploitation of air, space, and cyberspace” (emphasis ours) as familiar overreaching.
- After spending lobbying & design dollars, Smith & Wesson decided that its M&P4 won’t be competing in the US Army’s Individual Carbine competition.
- One of Pakistan’s JF-17 fighters crashed; the pilot was killed when his parachute failed to open.
- A report from the French Assemblée Nationale concludes [in French] that the Franco-German Brigade could be the nucleus for a EU military, but found that its financing could be perfected, not to speak of its cumbersome deployment procedures. German Jägerbataillon 291 is stationed in French city Illkirch-Graffenstaden since last year.
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