* Bad news, good news: While defense budgets for major weapon systems are facing cuts, stockcall.com believes spending will increase on UAV programs, missile defense, and cybersecurity.
* Arms race: Russian President Medvedev warns that a joint Russian/ European missile defense system is needed to avoid another arms race with Russia.
* South Africa’s Paramount Group sees opportunity as oil booms and insurgencies begin to fuel African defense spending. See also our 2008 article, “Africa: The Next Defense Market Opportunity?”
* French Mirage 2000N conducts the first live firing of France’s new supersonic ASMP-A air-launched nuclear missile. Without the warhead, of course.
* A French Rafale F3 fighter from FS Charles de Gaulle isn’t so lucky, ditching in the ocean following a mission over Afghanistan.
* Leak proofing: The Israel Defense Force is beefing up cybersecurity safeguards.
* US Army working on a Caiman MRAP Ambulance for critical-care patients, with a number of improved technologies.
* Kaman’s order backlog for its joint programmable fuzes used in smart bombs totals $128 million into 2012.
* Telos snags task order worth up to $32 million to support the Pentagon Telecommunications Center under the $9 billion NetCents contract vehicle.
* SecureInfo gets $24 million subcontract from Diligent Consulting to provide information assurance services to the USAF Air Education and Training Command.