Rapid Fire 2011-06-18: DIY Satellite Tracking

* During his speech to introduce the Department of Defense’s operational energy strategy Deputy Secretary William J. Lynn says his department accounts for 80% of the federal government’s energy use. Reports also show that each soldier currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan consumes 20 gallons of fuel a day, compared with one gallon during World War II. * Following the incoming Defense Secretary’s recent assertion that ‘the next Pearl Harbor’ may be a cyber-attack, DoD Buzz outlines some of the problems the Department of Defense’s new cyber-strategy is likely to encounter. * With just two days to go to the beginning of the Paris Air Show, speculation continues to mount over the content of talks between Safran and Thales. * The President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) says the company is ready to privatize to assist its pursuit of a larger share of the global aerospace and defense market. * After a few weeks of speculation regarding China’s fifth generation fighter program, the Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) aircraft carrier makes a timely return as new photographs suggest that construction trailers are being moved away from the vessel. * Danger Room reports on how two Frenchmen have modified telescopes and video cameras to create a do-it-yourself satellite tracker. * And staying with the do-it-yourself theme, Defence Watch reveals […]