* Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter tells Commission on Wartime Contracting that DoD needs “fast lane” to speed procurement and deployment of weapons in wartime, warns against over-reliance on contractor debarment to combat fraud.
* The US Federal Communications Commission, fresh from its stellar job selling off the B-2 bomber’s radar frequency and forcing a $1+ billion switch, has issued an L-band broadband satellite license that’s likely to interfere with GPS signals. The question “Where on earth does the FCC get its ideas?” may presuppose the wrong answer.
* A small number of defense programs are driving cost increases in DoD’s budget, GAO finds.
* UK is shifting toward the passive-cooling PWR3 nuclear reactor design for its future SSBN nuclear missile submarines. The PWR2 design used in its SSBN Vanguard Class, as well as the SSN Trafalgar, and new SSN Astute Class fast attack boats, reportedly shares unwelcome features with the Fukushima reactors.
* Looks like the November 2008 order to Singapore’s ST Marine for a $135 million, 7,600 ton amphibious ship was indeed from Thailand.
* Indonesia & China sign a defense industry MoU for shared/licensed weapons programs. But does anyone know what a “C-907” missile is?
* Private ship repair firms in northeast Florida will likely be able to support the maintenance requirements of a nuclear aircraft carrier if one is homeported at Naval Station Mayport in 2019, GAO says.
* Philippines invests 31 million pesos to repair military airfield on Pag-asa (Thitu), a disputed island in the Spratly archipelago.
* Lockheed Martin gets C$22.3 million contract to provide live fire target training to the Canadian Army.
* Goodrich snags USAF contract to continue supplying & supporting multispectral cameras for the U-2 spy plane.