Rapid Fire 2010-10-25: Long Term Defense IT Spending Forecast

* French embrace: French President Sarkozy is warming to the idea of closer military procurement cooperation with the UK. * Too shallow: HMS Astute nuclear attack submarine heads back to base after running aground off the Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland. * Traffic jam: China has ability to reroute US military data traffic, according to a draft of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission annual report. * Research and Markets: Top 10 aerospace and defense firms are expected to see a 4.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2014, down from 4.9% CAGR from 2005 to 2009. * DoD spending on IT is forecast to drop 1.1% in current dollars over 10 years, according to a TechAmerica Foundation survey. * Down to earth: EADS’s Astrium subsidiary agrees to take a 75.1% stake in ND SatCom, a German supplier of military and commercial satellite communication terminals, from SES ASTRA.