Rapid Fire 2011-02-18: Spike Anti Armor Missiles

* BAE Systems returns to profitability in 2010, but expects decline in 2011 sales due to reduced volume at its Land and Armaments unit and UK defense cutbacks. * Arrest made in 2010 theft of 3,000 US special ops laptops – worth $7.2 million – from an iGov Technologies facility in Tampa, FL. * Pentagon chief Robert Gates and JCS Chairman Michael Mullen face Senate grilling over FY 2012 budget request, after similar treatment by the House. * US Army awards IT services contracts worth up to $400 million to 15 small businesses. * Reports continue to suggest that the Spike anti-armor missiles South Korea deployed to Yeonpyeong Island after North Korea’s attack, may in fact be RAFAEL’s Spike NLOS variant, with a 25 km range, beyond line of sight capability, and GPS guidance options. * RAF looks to dismiss about 25% of its trainee pilots as budget cuts – some just 30-40 hours short of qualification, after several years of effort. * Lockheed Martin gets $34.5 million USAF contract to supply Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) GBU-12 kits. * US Marines are preparing for a more frugal future, and SecDef Gates has accepted their post-Afghanistan plan. As […]