Rapid Fire 2011-12-15: House Approves 2012 NDAA | Sweden’s Weapons Exports

Dec 15, 2011 09:00 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
  • After the cremated remains of at least 274 fallen US service-members, and 1,762 other unidentified body parts, were unceremoniously thrown into a county landfill as waste, Tom Ricks says that “either the Air Force Secretary, its Chief of Staff, or both” need to resign; “It’s not a colonel’s problem”. He makes a strong case. Meanwhile Congresswoman Renee Ellmers [R-NC] wants to legislate.
  • The US House of Representatives approved the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) after the White House lifted its veto threat. The bill should now sail through the Senate and be made into law within the next few days. Which means focus will shift to FY13 and beyond. HASC Chairman Howard McKeon (R-CA) is introducing a bill as he had said he would to avoid sequester in 2013. The Senate is also on it, as per the video at the bottom of this entry. Also, representatives Mark Critz (D-PA-12) and Mo Brooks (R-AL-05) created last week a congressional caucus for Army Aviation (AAC).
  • L-3 Communications bought for $210M in cash Kollmorgen Electro-Optical (KEO), a $160M/year unit of Danaher Corporation that employs about 550 people in Massachusetts and Italy. KEO will complement’s L-3s existing Sensor Systems division.
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  • Boeing and KAI deliver the 2nd E-737 AEW&C “Peace Eye” plane to South Korea’s air force.

  • Boeing’s CONECT upgrade for the B-52H bomber is done flight testing. Now it’s up to the USAF to decide if they want to move forward.

  • Alenia & EADS Cassidian sign an MoU to explore MALE UAV and UCAV co-operation, as the Obama administration waffles on selling armed UAVs. Talarion is mentioned explicitly, but anything they come up with will have to face the BAE/Dassault team (Mantis/Telemos), as well as potential offerings from Thales. Looks like Europe will have multiple UAV nodes, after all.

  • Lockheed Martin announces that they have delivered the next-generation GPS-III’s Non Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) to Denver, CO, where they’ve opened their new GPS-III manufacturing line.

  • The US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) has delayed the release of Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) RFP by several weeks – it was originally due for next week.

  • Here’s a short primer on the various types of issuances from the Pentagon: Memorandums (DTMs), Instructions (DoDIs), Manuals (DoDMs), and Administrative Instructions (AIs). DTMs are effective for just 180 days. DoDOs establish or implement policy, and provide general procedures. Manuals implement or supplement policy stated in the two previous types of document. Finally AIs provide administrative guidance.

  • Sweden has expanded its military exports to 60+ countries at a $2B+/year pace.

  • Italy shared its stats on its participation in Libyan operations, adding to the metrics collected on this conflict.

  • The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) offers an Indian perspective on China’s tentative presence in the Seychelles. (IDSA is funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence but functions autonomously.)

  • In Australia, Kim Carr’s demotion from cabinet-level Minister of Innovation and Industry to (non-cabinet) Minister for Defence Materiel and Minister for Manufacturing as part of a larger reshuffle is getting some push-back both from within the left in power and from the right-wing opposition. Outgoing Jason Clare is promoted to Minister for Home Affairs.
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