Rapid Fire August 15, 2012: Gulf Missile Defense

Aug 15, 2012 11:00 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
  • It is hard to be more terse than the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in their one-sentence statement last week that they “decided to open a criminal investigation into allegations concerning GPT and aspects of the conduct of their business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” GPT Special Project Management is a part of Paradigm, itself a subsidiary of EADS-owned Astrium. Since that statement, the Financial Times has reported that they have seen a copy of a project contract that lists costs without explaining what the “bought-in services” are supposed to be. The FT also explains how retired British lieutenant-colonel and GPT employee Ian Foxley fled Saudi Arabia with “evidence of apparently irregular payments to Saudi officials.” EADS has not offered any comment. The plot thickens given the fact it is the UK Ministry of Defense that is technically GPT’s customer, as part of a liaison program with the Saudi National Guard. This brings back to memory an aborted SFO investigation of Eurofighter contracts.

  • Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) is to India what DARPA is to the USA. They seem to be struggling, with an audit showing a number of irregularities and a sense that it is slow to reform.

  • Dennis Cavin, a Vice President for Army and Missile Defense Programs at Lockheed Martin, sees interest for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) from all the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. The USA and UAE have recently made a joint purchase of these interceptor missiles.

  • The new military leadership just appointed by Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi expressed their commitment to their relationship with the United States in a phone call with their American counterparts. Defense Minister General Al-Sisi and Chief of Staff Sedki Sobhi studied at the US Army War College. These US ties seem to reassure Israel that at least no short-term changes are in the works.

  • Japanese diplomats have a full plate because of renewed territorial tensions with South Korea, China, and Russia. Internal political dynamics often play a role in these spats.

  • Poland is considering replacing old Sukhoi Su-22s with UAVs.

    • Categories: Africa - Other, Alliances, Asia - Other, Britain/U.K., China, Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, India, Japan, Middle East - Other, Russia, Scandals & Investigations, USA

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