After a bit of a panic, US immigration has extended a deadline for American companies to certify, under penalty of perjury, that they’re not improperly sharing “sensitive” information with foreign workers. The new deadline is Feb 20/11.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has issued new guidance re: organizational conflicts of interest and competition, such as performing a requirements study and then supplying the weapons system that the study addressed. Washington Post.
The Washington Post did a better job reporting on the new “Gorgon Stare” pod, which is being deployed to Afghanistan. It has been tested with the MQ-9 Reaper UAV, but can also be carried by other aircraft.
Research and Markets: Ukraine’s defense expenditure is predicted to grow at a healthy 8.3% per year for the next five years, reaching $2.6 billion by 2015.
The French DGA procurement agency signs EUR 160 million deal to buy 200 heavy trucks from Italy’s Iveco for the French Army.
RAF getting set to introduce BAE’s HMSS helmet-mounted sight for its Eurofighters. Pilots of competing aircraft already use HMS systems like the Israeli/American JHMCS, but BAE’s system does have some up-to-date features.
Alion to develop GUARD DOG information processing technology for US troops on patrol.
Colton’s Maritime Memos says that you might want to own Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding’s Newport News as a shareholder, but you really don’t want to own the Gulf Coast operation.
This week’s – maybe this year’s – must-read: “Leadership and Accountability” at the US Naval Institute’s blog discusses a recent failed court-martial, the court’s implied rebuke regarding the state of the LPD-17 ship class, and the corresponding state of Navy leadership. Sobering – and see also the comments section.
Lame duck: US Congress drags feet on passage of FY2011 defense spending and authorization bills.
The USAF is actively recruiting cybersecurity experts to combat the “great threat” to national security posed by cyber attacks, says Maj. Gen. Michael Basla.
Breaking China’s monopoly: US DoD considers funding private US providers of rare earth metals used in high-tech weapons to break China’s near monopoly.
London calling: UK, France expected to sign defense cooperation accord in London this week.
US intelligence agencies’ spending reaches a record $80.1 billion in FY 2010.
Helping hand: UK MoD’s Salvage and Marine Operations provides salvage and recovery assistance to Royal Navy vessels, and even two Russian Victor-class nuclear attack submarines.
Testing the waters: Russia test-fires a RSM-54 Sineva SLBM from a Bryansk nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea, an RSM-50 SLBM from another nuclear submarine in the Sea of Okhotsk, and a land-based RT-2PM Topol ICBM from the northern Plesetsk launch pad.
Research and Markets: South Korea’s defense spending is expected to reach $32 billion this year, up from $26 billion in 2009.
Rocky Mountain Instrument coughs up another $1 million related to the export of defense-related optics to China, Russia, and other nations without a license, this time for causing other defense contractors to commit fraud against the Pentagon.
Worm Wars: The recent Stuxnet worm attack against Iranian nuclear facilities is only the “first strike” in a well-prepared assault on global industrial resources, a European agency warns.
Scuds to Hezbollah reports get interesting backup – from Google Earth.
Not Half Bad: UK Ministry of Defence is ready to accept a 10% cut in spending, half the level sought by HM Treasury.
Riding the Omnibus: 18 companies win 5-year contracts worth up to $492.4 million under the US Army INSCOM’s Omnibus III contract vehicle to provide management, IT, and intelligence support to the command.
Up to $409 million to General Dynamics Information Technology to support US Army medical facilities construction.
After a series of construction delays on the GBP 150 million contract, Trinidad and Tobago doesn’t want their 3 BAE OPV patrol vessels any more, even though 2 have finished sea trials. While BAE pursues negotiations with its customer, one observer thinks the US Coast Guard should take a look.
NATO’s theater missile defense systems are slowly coming together, from ALTBMD to CAOC improvements, and could be upgraded for around EUR 200 million/ $268 million.
Strategic Buy: FLIR Systems, a Portland, OR-based thermal imaging equipment maker, completes acquisition of ICx Technologies, a supplier of CBRNE sensing technologies, for $268 million.
The Fighting Seabees: Navistar Defense snags $18.9 million contract to supply 38 International 5000-MV [PDF] heavy truck tractors to the US Navy Seabees.
Northrop Grumman’s AMSEC gets $10 million contract to provide engineering and logistics support to the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Philadelphia.
US GAO looks at “hybrid warfare,” and its implications for Pentagon planning.
Across the Pond: French, British defense firms divvy up US biometrics and intelligence services firm L-1 Identity Solutions for a combined $1.6 billion.
Known and Unknown: Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discusses his career and tenure at the Pentagon in his memoir titled Known and Unknown due out in January.
Eurocopter begins flight testing its new Tiger HAD scout and attack helicopter.
Nice Paint Job: North Korean military manual allegedly smuggled out of the country indicates military uses radar-absorbing paint to disguise jet fighters, warships, and tanks. Nothing like that fairy dust…
US Navy moves up orders for double-hulled oil tankers to keep Northrop Grumman from closing its Avondale shipyard and available to complete work on 2 LPD-17 class San Antonio-class amphibious assault ships – LPD-23 and LPD-25.
X-ray Vision: American Science and Engineering gets $10 million order to provide service and maintenance for its Z Backscatter Van (ZBV) military trailers that detect explosives in vehicles and cargo.
US DoD report on Fort Hood shootings [PDF] recommends “scientific” behavioral screening for violence, standardized religious accommodation processes, improved commander guidelines and training, better commander access to personal health records and intelligence information, and better military installation emergency response systems. Plus more scrutiny of foreign national employees (though the shooter was a lifetime American citizen). In short, lots of dancing around the main issue, though the future review of DoDI 1325.06 might change that.
Israel defense minister names Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, head of the Southern Command, to head the Israel Defense Forces.
Iran unveils locally built Karrar UAV, plans to “export military equipment to 50 countries.” Grains of salt required; they have become infamous for fantastic, blowhard weapon claims in recent years.
So Rooonery: Kim Jong-il wants to be your Facebook friend!
Northrop Grumman gets $42.4 million US Navy contract to provide engineering and technical support services for submarines and surface ships.
USAF 59th Medical Wing Clinical Research division at Lackland AFB, TX are studying vascular injuries and their effects on limbs, based on field experience in Iraq and Afghanistan where these injuries are 75% more common than previous wars. Their subject model suggests that conventional wisdom re: 6 hours to re-establish blood flow to an injured leg may be wrong – anything beyond an hour may be causing problems.
WikiLeaks identified cooperating Afghans, and will get people killed. These days, there’s also LubyanskaPravda, a series of “top secret” documents said to be from Russia’s FSB (KGB successor), covering operations it has run in former Soviet Republics.
Boeing and the Argon Buy: Boeing has completed its purchase of Argon ST, a Fairfax, VA-based supplier of military C4ISR systems, for $34.50 per share, or $775 million in cash.
