US Primes Continue “Earning Massagement” to Counter Declining Sales

by Editorial Staff | Apr 24, 2014 | Britain/U.K., Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, Fighters & Attack, Robots, Russia, USA

* Northrop Grumman reported Q1 2014 sales down 4.2% to $5.85B, with all business segments losing between 3% and 6% of their revenue vs. same time last year. This looks relatively close to Lockheed Martin’s revenue outlook for the quarter. Total backlog slipped...

Lockheed Martin Feels the Pinch

by Editorial Staff | Apr 23, 2014 | Asia - Central, Asia - Other, China, Corporate Financials, Daily Rapid Fire, DARPA, France, Germany, Japan, Lockheed Martin, Submarines, USA

* Lockheed Martin’s Q1 2014 sales were down 4% Y/Y to $10.65B. Aeronautics stood out as the one segment whose revenue grew this quarter, mostly thanks to the F-35 and C-5. Information systems and Mission systems sales on the other hand were down by 9% and 11%...

Taliban Election Attacks Weak Enough to Conclude Afghans Can Protect Themselves?

by Editorial Staff | Apr 22, 2014 | Americas - Other, Asia - Central, Coastal & Littoral, Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, Helicopters & Rotary, Mines & Countermine-IED, UAVs, United Technologies, USA, UUVs & USVs

* Reuters reports that the U.S. force in Afghanistan may be cut to less than 10,000 troops because the Taliban were not able to disrupt the April 5 elections. USAF Acquisition Leadership * Brig. Gen. Roger W. Teague was nominated to replace Maj. Gen. McMurry as the US...

Japan to Fly Self-Made Stealth Fighter Prototype by End of 2014

by Editorial Staff | Apr 21, 2014 | Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, Japan, Missiles - Precision Attack, Russia, USA, UUVs & USVs

* Japan’s ministry of defense expects Mitsubishi’s ATD-X Shinshin stealth fighter to start test flights later this year, a few months behind schedule. Mitsubishi’s long history of local fighter jet production was interrupted only recently. Russia and...

West, Russia Jaw-Jaw Another Toothless Agreement over Ukraine

by Editorial Staff | Apr 18, 2014 | Asia - Other, Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, Fighters & Attack, France, Issues - International, Russia, UAVs, USA

* BBC: Ukraine crisis: Deal to ‘de-escalate’ agreed in Geneva. * USA Today: Obama skeptical over Ukraine deal. * FT: Russia’s Vladimir Putin still has friends in the west. A fact Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency is quick to highlight. * CBS/AP:...