Rapid Fire June 15, 2012: US Defense Exports Booming

Jun 15, 2012 10:50 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
  • US exports of defense products and services are seeing strong growth according to Andrew J. Shapiro, the Assistant State Secretary at the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. FY 2011 record numbers (report in Excel format) will be easily beaten again this year, driven by big sales to Saudi Arabia and Japan. Shapiro on exports to India:

“[T]here’s a number of tenders which we hope we’re successful on, including a tender for Apache helicopters. And we continue to advocate for them, and we’re hopeful that we’ll be successful on a number of sales over the coming year with India.”

  • The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) is also hopeful [PDF] on the issue of US-India defense trade. Another of their recent briefings: a case study for Better Buying Power [PDF], the Pentagon’s umbrella initiative to lower costs.

  • Red Flag Alaska 2012: German Eurofighters, Japanese F-15Js, Polish F-16 Block 52s… and the F-22A Raptor. The F-22s stay close enough to their bases to fly, and the allied forces learn how to work with stealth fighters.

  • US Customs & Border Patrol has received another refurbished P-3 AEW plane from Lockheed Martin. Most people don’t think of US CBP in terms of advanced airspace control, but their P-3s are very capable.

  • B-1B bombers have dropped their 1st operational Laser JDAM bombs.

  • OK, now we know for sure what that “UFO” being trucked through Kansas was all about. It’s an X-47B unmanned strike aircraft, being hauled from Edwards AFB, CA to Pax River, MD for flight and aerial refueling tests. The FAA wouldn’t let it fly, hence the U-Haul approach. Careful with those probes!

  • The US Office of Management and Budget issued federal contracting guidance [PDF] to support modular IT development.

  • Pakistani GLOC negotiation is reportedly easing. Empty chair tactics working?

  • Republic Report, POGO find the timing and size of a bonus paid by Northrop Grumman to one of their lobbyists before he left to work as a staffer in the House Armed Services Committee questionable.

    • Categories: Bombs - Smart, Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, Fighters & Attack, Heavy Bombers, India, Japan, Lobbying, Missiles - Anti-Armor, Testing & Evaluation, Think Tanks, UAVs, USA

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