Rapid Fire July 2, 2012: Base Realignment and… Construction

Jul 02, 2012 10:30 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
  • The Government Accountability Office updated its cost estimates of the last round of US base realignments and closures (BRAC 2005) and concluded that net savings came at less than 28% of the $35.6B originally expected. Ironically the main culprit is one-off construction costs that ended up much higher than anticipated. This report will no doubt be used in Congress as supporting evidence to push back against the Administration’s proposal to go through another realignment round, though BRACs are supposed to be driven not only by savings but also military value.
  • Two other recent GAO reports of interest: DoD fuel management; Navy live vs. simulated training.
  • The Czech Republic joined the group of “qualifying countries” recognized under US defense acquisition regulations (DFARS) as a “country with a reciprocal defense procurement [agreement with the US] in which both countries agree to remove barriers to purchases of supplies produced in the other country or services performed by sources of the other country”. It is the 22nd country on the list and the 2nd after Finland out of the former Soviet sphere of influence/control.

  • Australia had announced in May that they would retire some C-130s early. They are now fleshing that out: 4 C-130Hs are being given to Indonesia.

  • But Australia also wants to sell armament, and the government is setting up a Military Sales Office to that effect. Among potential exports: Bushmaster vehicles and phased array naval radars.

  • Russia has reportedly sold more than $6B worth of weapons abroad during the first half of the year to India, Venezuela, Syria and others.

  • A month-long UN conference to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on international conventional arms sales is starting today in New York.

  • South Korea’s defense ministry is asking for a 7.6% budget increase for 2013. Meanwhile their president is not happy about the way the military treaty with Japan has been mishandled by the cabinet.

  • DARPA concluded its UAVForge crowdsourcing experiment without a winner for its $100,000 prize because no team completed the fly-off, despite attracting more than 140 teams from all over the world. Video of some of the contenders below:

    • Categories: Asia - Other, Australia & S. Pacific, Bases & Infrastructure, Daily Rapid Fire, DARPA, Europe - Other, Fuel & Power, Legal, Official Reports, UAVs, USA

    Stay Up-to-Date on Defense Programs Developments with Free Newsletter

    DID's daily email newsletter keeps you abreast of contract developments, pictures, and data, put in the context of their underlying political, business, and technical drivers.