Rapid Fire September 7, 2012: Better Better Buying Power

Sep 07, 2012 10:00 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
  • Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall is about to update the Better Buying Power (BBP) guidance issued by Ashton Carter two years ago.
  • Part of BBP relies on reviving “should cost” procurement methodology. The RAND Corporation looked into it and notes that such reviews have been conducted by the Air Force on and off since the 60s with mixed results, but notes that the necessary training and manpower to effectively conduct them may be lacking.
  • The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspected the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southwest at North Island Naval Air Station (FRCSW) in California and found that employees had been exposed to toxic metals including lead, cadmium and beryllium. LA Times | AP.

  • Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin all but endorsed President Obama in his bid for a second term, whom he “finds a very honest man.” With friends like this, indeed who needs enemies.

  • The Institute for National Strategic Studies published a thoughtful paper [PDF] on how to manage Sino-US air and naval interactions.

  • Martin C. Libicki of RAND Corporation worries about the rise of multifaceted “non-obvious warfare” [PDF] in Strategic Studies Quarterly.

  • The International Institute for Strategic Studies sees a limited future for European fighter jet manufacturers that may end up in a subservient role to their American counterparts.

  • The Center for Strategic & International Studies ponders [PDF] whether the US should offer to mediate heating disputes between Korea and Japan.

  • Incidentally, clearly there’s a lack of institutions and publications with “Strategic Studies” in their name.

  • Researchers at Stanford have experimented with a heat-extracting glove that quickly cools off the body after physical exercise, apparently leading to fast recovery and enhanced follow-up performance. For now, the application they have in mind is sports. Video below:

    • Categories: China, Daily Rapid Fire, Russia, USA

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