* Ignoring pleas from the DoD and defense companies, the House plans to fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year with a continuing resolution, which will include $74 billion in spending cuts.
* Joint Chiefs of Staff releases first update to its National Military Strategy [PDF] in 7 years, with an emphasis on a “whole-of-nation” approach. Not everyone is impressed.
* See all of India Defence’s Aero India 2011 coverage.
* A team led by Kratos Defense & Security has secured a contract, with a potential value of more than $1 billion, to provide C4ISR equipment and systems to an undisclosed national security customer.
* 1st radar light-up at altitude for Raytheon’s JLENS aerostat. One small step toward much better cruise missile defense, and aerial surveillance.
* EADS Cassidian completes flight tests of Spain’s 1st upgraded “EA-8B” Harrier jet.
* While the initial test flight went well for India’s MiG-29 upgrades, the program will still be late.
* Re-engining of the E-8C JSTARS ground surveillance & control aircraft inches forward, with a successful Preliminary Design Review for the bleed air sub-system.
* Four companies – ThalesRaytheon Systems, General Dynamics, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman – have won contracts totaling approximately $20 million ($5 million each) for Phase 2 development of the USMC Common Aviation Command and Control System (CAC2S).
* MOD’s Defence Estate announces a tender worth up to GBP 3.9 million to provide all housing-related services to the UK armed forces and families over the next 5 to 10 years.
* New UK in-theater repair and maintenance shop, capable of servicing 26 armored vehicles, is opened at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
* US Aerospace’s latest collaboration announcement is China’s AVIC. The J-20 stealth fighter manufacturer would reportedly collaborate to offer their L-15 Falcon trainer for the USA’s T-X competition, and possibly their Hongdu subsidiary’s AV313 helicopter for the US Presidential Helicopter competition. Uh-huh. Question is, is US Aerospace trying to snag contracts – or investors?