Rapid Fire 2010-05-25: South Korea’s Defense Reform 2020

* North Korea’s sinking of the ROKS Cheonan is causing South Korea to rethink its planned Defense Reform 2020 restructuring and procurement program. Among other changes the Navy could see a shift toward more FFX type light patrol frigates. * US Army’s next generation Ground Combat Vehicle IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) attracting teams & bids. GDLS with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and MTU Detroit Diesel; BAE Systems with Northrop Grumman; and Future Combat Systems leads Boeing and SAIC with Germany’s KMW. * Orders in Afghanistan: no HMMWVs off-base, only MRAPs. Similar orders were issued in Iraq, at the height of the fighting. * Reuters special report: How the Obama White House learned to love UAV strikes as its main tool in the war. * US deploys Patriot missile battery, US soldiers to Poland to train Polish military on system. * US Cyber Command is up and running with Gen. Keith Alexander in charge. * UK military personnel in Afghanistan sport new camouflage, the 1st new design in over 40 years. * Lockheed Martin delivers the 1st new AEHF secure broadband communications satellite to the USAF, for a planned July 30/10 liftoff. * Small businesses organize against US government’s in-sourcing of contractor […]