* Lockheed Martin reported Q3 2014 sales down 2% to $11.1B, a trend that they expect will continue through next year. That was reflected in all segments but Space Systems. At $76.5B, total backlog is $6.1B below where it was at the end of 2013, most of that decline being found in aeronautics. Yet they’ve delivered just 18 aircraft this quarter.
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Acquisitions
* BAE Systems is to acquire SilverSky [Telegraph], a cloud security software vendor, for $232M.
* Finmeccanica’s Selex ES has completed the acquisition of electronic warfare specialists Tactical Technologies Inc. (TTI) in Ottawa, Canada. They believe that its Tactical Engagement Simulation Software (TESS) will help them enhance operational support for their entire EW line.
Canada
* From the CDFAI’s think tank: Something Has to Give: Why Delays Are the New Reality of Canada’s Defence Procurement Strategy [PDF].
UAVs
* CybAero applied for a new export license to China after it got rejected by ISP (the Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls). They had announced an order from Chinese customs back in March.
* Airbus is trying to create a certification path for its commercial Atlante UAV, which is designed to survey pipelines and such. That will be a real boon to European militaries, by giving them some idea of what UAV certification might cost, and what will be necessary. Uncertainty in that sphere has already killed Germany’s Q-4 Euro-Hawk program.
RAZAR, For the Ultimate Shave
* The USA’s Sandia National Labs introduces the Rapid Adaptive Zoom for Assault Rifles (RAZAR) scope, which zooms in on a target you’ve acquired at the push of a button, without forcing the wielder away from the scope. Yes, this tech is coming to other optics – maybe even your future cell phone camera.
Afghanistan
* Afghanistan’s new president, Ashraf Ghani, wants to run a lean and efficient office, reports the NYT.
* The London-based IISS reviews security in and around Afghanistan in today’s video (which is an audio stream really):
