* The Department of Defense (DoD) releases [PDF] its strategy for operating in cyberspace. Speaking at its launch, Assistant Defense Secretary William J Lynn III said the strategy rested upon five pillars that aim to harden defenses and reduce incentives for cyber attacks.
* The DoD also announces that a comprehensive review found only 20 out of 249 renewable projects impacted upon US military missions. The findings help clear the way for the future production of more than 10 gigawatts of renewable energy generation capacity.
* As NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen calls on alliance members to send more planes to Libya, the UK Ministry of Defence announces that it is deploy four additional Tornado GR4s to assist in reconnaissance.
* The EA18-G Growler electronic warfare fighter’s 1st combat deployment returns, as 1st carrier-based deployment is out. And where’s that 3rd operational squadron?
* Israel expects to issue a request for proposals for an advanced jet trainer by the first week of August. Alenia-Aermacchi’s M-346 and Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin’s T-50 are expected to be among the contenders.
* The European Union (EU) criticizes China’s latest export quota for rare earth products for not bringing about any ‘noticeable change’.
* Russia’s Deputy Defense Secretary says that the overpricing of military equipment is caused by too many subcontractors within the domestic defense sector. Mikhail Mokretsov also claimed that contractors have more to do with logistics rather than production. Meanwhile, President Dmitry Medvedev has sacked a number of generals, including the head of the electronic warfare branch.
* China’s Chief of General Staff, General Chen Bingde, uses the visit of South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin to continue his criticism of the United States. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, praised South Korea for showing restraint in the face of recent provocations from North Korea.
* While the final Space Shuttle mission temporarily brings an end to manned spaceflight, the United States remains dominant in terms of covert- and not so covert – military satellites and space-based systems.