* Wikileaks, and China’s role in North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
* The value of US defense contracts to Massachusetts businesses has almost tripled since 2001, reaching $15.6 billion last year.
* Reality disconnect, Example 1,754,348: Gen. Cartwright says the US military must begin to value scale and numbers, not just capabilities. Meanwhile, the proposed Ground Combat Vehicle to replace the M2/M3 Bradley has an expected price of $9-10 million per GCV, and twice the expected per-mile operating cost of a Bradley. Guess they haven’t started yet.
* XM25 auto-ranging grenade gun deployed to Afghanistan – but using it as intended seems to violate the Rules of Engagement.
* US, Japan back stronger South Korean military stance against North, as US and South Korean military commanders hold talks.
* Getting personal: US military does poor job at protecting soldiers’ personal information, warn West Point professors.
* Puma team delivers first 2 IFVs to Germany.
* Proposed 1.4% pay raise not sitting well with US military personnel.
* Tens of thousands of jobs could be cut at EADS because of Germany’s tight defense budget, according to FT Deutschland.