* Major Offensive: Washington, DC-based defense firms take the offensive in the mergers and acquisitions war.
* DARPA’s AVM aims to “revolutionize defense manufacturing.” [PDF]
* Are Lockheed Martin’s negotiations with the United Arab Emirates for 12 C-130J-30 tactical transport planes about to be derailed by Brazil’s KC-390?
* How NYU’s research into re-writing fear-based memories is coming along?
* Taking a Dip: Two US Navy MH-60 Romeo helicopters take a dip into Lake Tahoe after losing power, but both are able to right themselves. Check out the video.
* South Korean defense ministry is considering shortening the country’s mandatory military service to 18 months from 24 months by 2014.
* Research and Markets: Bulgaria’s defense and security industry is expected to be one of the last to recover in Europe.
* Freescale Semiconductor is incorporating its AlitVec floating-processing technology, which provides advanced signal processing for sonar and radar, into its QorIQ microprocessors.
* Raytheon unveils its XO 2, a 2nd-generation powered exoskeleton that is lighter than XO 1 and uses 50% less power. It’s unveiled during a demonstration with Paramount Home Entertainment. Whose parent firm distributes films like Iron Man and Transformers. We’re waiting for the movie cameo.
* Close Encounter?: Based on eye-witness accounts and interviews, a group of former USAF pilots are claiming that UFOs have visited earth and infiltrated US and British nuclear sites. Time to call the UN’s alien contact ambassador?