* BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation name the program that will deliver their joint response for a next generation Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) as Telemos. Dassault’s international director is confident that if a contract is signed in 2011 the UAS could be delivered in 2016. While acknowledging that EADS could bring ‘equipment and competencies’ to the project, he also emphasized that the program would remain jointly-led by BAE Systems and Dassault.
* BAE Systems sells its remaining 10% stake in Saab for $249 million. The sale ends BAE’s involvement in the Swedish defense company over more than a decade.
* DCS Corp awarded the Ground Vehicle Simulation Lab (GVSL) contract, providing systems engineering and technical support to the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command.
* Taber Extrusions LLC awarded a contract to supply extruded products for Austal USA’s Littoral Combat Ship Jackson (LCS 6) and Joint High Speed Vessel Fortitude (JHSV 3).
* ThalesRaytheonSystems announces that reliability and maintainability improvements have been added to the AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder Weapon Locating Radar system. The AN/TPQ-37 is currently fielded in Iraq and is due to be deployed to Afghanistan in the coming months.
* The Israel Air Force (IAF) is re-evaluating the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft as an optional future vertical lift capability.
* As the People’s Liberation Army’s chief of staff confirms that China is completing its first aircraft carrier, Defense Tech speculates that espionage and cyber capabilities will be integral to Beijing’s attempts to bridge the 20 year technological gap with the United States.