Rapid Fire 2011-04-19: Nunn-McCurdy Breaches

* South Korea to spend KRW 2-3 trillion (about 1.8-2.8 billion dollars) on air and missile defense system to counter North Korean missile threat. * DoD tells Congress that 95 weapons programs had $64 billion in net cost increases; 7 major weapons programs are in “critical or significant” breach of the Nunn-McCurdy limits on unit cost growth. * Pentagon chief Robert Gates plans to propose an additional $400 billion in defense cuts through 2023 to President Obama. * The Canadian defense budget is predicted to grow at a meager 0.44% per year through 2015, reaching US$19.7 billion, according to ASD Reports. * RAF Voyager transport/tanker aircraft, based on the Airbus A330 airframe with a wingspan of 60mm, arrives in UK; the Voyager will replace VC-10 and Tristar fleets. * Staff Gasket in Alpine, NJ, and company President Eric Helf plead guilty to fraud in using foreign manufacturers, instead of US-based firms, to supply replacement parts to the US military. * General Dynamics snags $33 million contract to supply high-explosive incendiary rounds (new production of PGU-13 D/B and remanufacture of PGU-13 HEI cartridges) for 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon used in the Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft.