Rapid Fire 2011-02-28: Electro Optical Weapons

* Egypt allows Iranian warships to pass through Suez Canal – the first Iranian warships to do so since 1979 – on way to Syrian port for naval exercises.

* US government is concerned that Libya’s chemical weapons stockpile, Scud B missiles, and uranium yellowcake could fall into the hands of non-state extremists, Wall Street Journal reports.

* Russian parliament approves agreement to allow US military equipment and personnel to transit Russia on way to Afghanistan.

* Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan criticizes DoD for lax oversight of contractors [PDF] resulting in tens of billions of dollars in waste.

* GAO says Defense Access Roads Program, which provides funds to local communities to improve transportation around US military bases, for being too complex and difficult to understand [PDF].

* Northrop Grumman snags $50 million low-rate initial production contract for the US Army’s next-generation mobile testing system for electronic and electro-optical weapons.