* Australia delivers its 2010-2011 budget, including the defence budget; more to come.
* Aviation Week suspends aviation expert and F-35 critic Bill Sweetman from covering the largest defense program in history. AvWeek issues its statement, as his colleagues note his record of being correct about the program. Our Facebook-related coverage seems timely, again.
* Gen. Keith Alexander, current director of the National Security Agency, is confirmed by the US Senate to head the new DoD cyber command at Fort Meade, MD.
* US Army PEO Soldier exhibits new equipment for the infantry fight. All useful, but a new/ retrofitted carbine is not part of that equation yet.
* US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announces 5 new principles for naval systems acquisition. But clearly identifying requirements won’t save the shipbuilding program, if the requirements continue to be wrong.
* US Navy getting close to Tier II/STUAS award for the ScanEagle’s successor: Insitu’s follow-on Integrator UAV, Raytheon’s Killer Bee 4, or UAS Dynamics’ Storm.
* Airbus Military launches the 1st torpedo from a C-295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft variant. Portugal, Chile, and Colombia will all be happy to hear that.
* The US Defense Information Systems Agency names new head of strategic planning and information directorate, and new CIO.
* China, Cambodia expand military ties.
* China’s J-10 4+ generation fighter seems to be crash-prone.
* SAIC gets $39 million order to provide management and systems engineering services for the US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s communications and information systems.
* Marotta Controls snags $6 million order to supply 350 M-PACT-3000 high pressure pure air generation systems for the US Navy’s FA-18A/F figher aircraft.