Rapid Fire: 2010-11-24
- Volley for serve: US sits tight after North Korea launches artillery volley against South’s Yeonpyeong island.
- This comes hard on the heels of revelations that North Korea has a large, modern uranium enrichment facility, using P-2 centrifuges. This is less an intelligence failure, than an example of intelligence warnings not acted on.
- Chinese drones raising eyebrows. The UAVs’ actual effectiveness is in question, but Chinese determination to produce a wide variety of them is not.
- As part of its defense budget cuts, German Defense Minister Guttenberg says military conscription will end July 1/11.
- Weapons bazaar: Afghanistan could look to buy military equipment from non-NATO countries if NATO supplies prove insufficient, President Karzai said. Of course, they’re already doing that in several areas, like helicopters. Wonder what China would offer for more mineral concessions?
- Northrop Grumman to provide data management support for the DoD’s Defense Manpower Data Center under the $20 billion CIO-SP2i contract vehicle.
- Taxi tests begin testing for Boeing’s X-45C Phantom Ray stealth UCAV.
- 10th USN C-40A Clipper aircraft delivered by Boeing.
- US NAVAIR receives an initial 11 JSOW-C1 glide bombs with moving target capability, per the JSOW Block III contract.
- ITT delivers the first sponsons for Sikorsky’s new CH-53K heavy-lift naval helicopter.
- Hurt Locker: Face shields on helmets could reduce brain injuries from explosives.
- Yes, flying snakes: DARPA funds research into the aerodynamics of flying snakes. Which, we must admit, are pretty neat little beasties (q.v. video) that can even turn in the air.
Categories: Alliances, Asia - Central, Asia - Other, Boeing, Bombs - Smart, Budgets, China, Daily Rapid Fire, DARPA, Delivery & Task Orders, Europe - Other, Explosives, Guns - Artillery & Mortars, Helicopters & Rotary, Issues - International, IT - General, IT - Software & Integration, Nuclear Weapons, Other Corporation, Policy - Personnel, Science - Basic Research, Soldier's Gear, Testing & Evaluation, Transport & Utility, UAVs, United Technologies, USA, WMD Proliferation
