* J. Michael Gilmor, the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) within the US DoD released his FY2011 report. Among other changes made in recent months, he notes that his organization now has input at the Joint Capabilities Integration Development System (JCIDS) level to help make sure requirements for new programs are measurable and testable. For reference: FY2010 report.
* The latest think tank memos [all PDFs]: CSBA delivers two trendy topics in one swoop on defeating Iran’s anti-access/area-denial threats; CSIS offers a new security architecture for the Arctic; and the Lexington Institute predictably asks the military to limit its industrial roles.
* US defense acquisition regulation is updated with a waiver allowing procurement from the UK of certain items that normally have to be sourced from the national [i.e. American] technology and industrial base. This waiver is effective for a year beginning on February 1st and covers air circuit breakers, small welded shipboard anchors and mooring chains, gyrocompasses, electronic navigation chart systems, steering controls, pumps, propulsion and machinery control systems, and totally enclosed lifeboats.
* DefenceWeb: The USAF says that it knows what went wrong with the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth UAV that Iran captured, and continues to use the type.
* Speaking of long-range drones, Israel has just blocked a sale of Aeronautics DS’ Dominator XP UAV to… Abu Dhabi. An unspecified export contract was reported in July, but most of us didn’t think of the United Arab Emirates. Perhaps this will open an opportunity for the Predator XP?
* Lockheed Martin acquired Procerus Technologies, a designer of UAV avionics created in 2004 and based in Utah.
* Britain is beginning work on a National Space Security Policy, which will seek to cover both military and civil use of space.
* Raytheon delivers its 30th SSDS ship combat system, and keeps its record of always delivering early.
* The ARGUS wide-area surveillance system, deploying to Afghanistan soon aboard Boeing’s A160T Hummingbird ultra-long endurance helicopter UAVs, collects 6 trillion bytes of information a day. Which is why technologies to manage that information firehose are so important.
* Can games-maker Electronic Arts use the likeness of aircraft like the MV-22 and AH-1Z in its games, or does it needs the manufacturer’s permission? That’s the subject of a recent lawsuit.
* House Armed Services Committee (HASC) member Todd Platts (R-PA-19) announced he won’t seek reelection.
* Video of yesterday’s HASC panel on business challenges within the defense industry embedded below, with John Shoraka of the Small Business Administration (SBA), Linda Hillmer who chairs the Small Business Division at the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), and Lynn M. Schubert, President
of the Surety & Fidelity Association of America. Hillmer complained about bundling squeezing small businesses in sub-contracting positions: