Rapid Fire: 2010-10-12

* As shipbuilder Fincantieri’s civilian business sags, reports surface of pressure to merge with Finmeccanica. * Australia’s DSTO has a money saving solution for C-130J Super Hercules operators. * Attacks Down Under: Monthly cyber attacks against Australian military networks have more than tripled since last year. * Double the Fun: Singapore-based ST Marine wins contract to convert Royal Australian Navy tanker HMAS Success to a double hulled vessel as part of a A$170 million 2010-2011 budget for ship repair and maintenance work in the Sydney area. * Early ship blocks built for India’s locally built Vikrant Class/ Project 71 aircraft carrier. * Australia’s EC665 Tiger ARH scout/attack helicopters won’t be ready for Afghan deployment for another 2 years… * USAF finishes retiring 252 of its F-16, F-15 and A-10 fighters. * Boeing will submit its A160T Hummingbird for the US Marines’ unmanned cargo drone RFP. * Where’s the Crew?: Zyvek Technologies tests the Piranha, a 54-foot unmanned surface vessel (USV) prototype made of carbon-fiber composites, in Puget Sound, WA. * ITT snags contract worth up to $1.4 billion to provide support services for US Army facilities in Kuwait. * Is President Obama really proposing to sell China C-130 tactical transport […]