Rapid Fire April 10, 2012: Not So Rare Earths

Apr 10, 2012 08:55 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
  • Concerns about China’s ability to disrupt electronics and defense manufacturing by withholding rare earth materials are blowing over thanks to a ramp up in domestic production. See also this CRS report [PDF].
  • The US closed its military bases in the Philippines two decades ago but, like in the case of Vietnam, China is working hard to get America and its former colony to revisit their bilateral relationship. The Hill on the USMC’s presence | Latest CRS report [PDF].
  • The Pentagon intends to fast-track cyberweapon procurement.

  • Former Government Accountability Office (GAO) staffer Winslow Wheeler suggests the GAO should synchronize its annual report on over-budget major acquisition programs with the public release of Selected Acquisition Reports (SAR) by DoD. This make way too much sense. Instead, GAO is releasing its report almost at the same time as the SAR, but based on older quarterly SAR updates that are not made public.

  • Last month Raytheon won its case (No. 09-306C – PDF) in the Court of Federal Claims where it challenged tardy claims from the government.

  • British Prime Minister David Cameron on his export-focused trip to Japan: “There are a number of defence manufacturers with us. I’m completely up front about that because we do have a very strong defence sector. It accounts for a lot of jobs, we have some of the toughest rules on defence exports anywhere in the world.”

  • Rafael took a 40% stake in Brazilian aerospace company GESPI Aeronautics.

  • Foreign Object Damage (FOD) prevention or, in plain speech, preventing random junk from being sucked in by jet engines, can save a lot of money.

    • Categories: Asia - Other, Britain/U.K., China, Daily Rapid Fire, Fighters & Attack, Japan, Legal, Raytheon, USA

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