* Weapons Bazaar: Pentagon comptroller says spending on weapon systems, such as fighter aircraft, ground vehicles, ship construction, satellite systems, and UAVs, will grow by 2% to 3% per year through 2016.
* Research and Markets: UK defense exports held steady in 2009 compared to 2008 at slightly over US$1 billion.
* Multiband Radios: Montreal-based Tactical Communication Systems, a unit of UK-based Ultra Electronics Holdings, gets $650 million US DoD contract to supply high capacity line of sight multiband radios.
* Lead Yard: General Dynamics Electric Boat snags a US Navy contract worth up to $881 million to provide lead-yard services for SSN-774 Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, similar to a contract GDEB won in 2005.
* SM-6 ERAM: More precise information is in re: the US Navy’s recent SM-6 anti-aircraft missile early production orders. FOCUS article updated.
* Rhino Walkabout: 6 more RAAF F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets arrive in Australia, with help from Omega’s B-707 aerial refueling.
* Incoming: protecting a base against enemy mortar fire involves a lot more than just mounting a Phalanx gun on a trailer…
* Romanian Probe: The Romanian Ministry of Defense appoints a commission to investigate why an Antonov An-2 biplane used by the air force for parachute training crashed recently.
* That’s Cryptic: SAIC secures $19 million order, under the GSA’s Alliant contract vehicle, to provide software to the USAF cryptographic community.