* According to a new report from ASDReports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia spent $11.1 billion on new or upgraded military equipment in 2010. ASD also predicts that there will be robust demand for defense materiel by Saudi Arabia over the next decade.
* India receives five updated AN-32 transports from Antonov. The aircraft are the first to be completed since the Indian Government signed an agreement in 2009 with Ukrainian contractors to refurbish over 100 An-32s.
* The first Airbus Military A330 MRTT new generation tanker/transport is delivered to the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO).
* After Lockheed Martin’s recent announcement of an attack on its information systems network, Reuters says that Pentagon contractors have been revealing secrets for years as a result of penetration of their computer networks.
* The UK’s Ministry of Defence is to recruit hundreds of cyber experts to provide the Government and its industrial partners the skills to deter cyber attacks.
* Information technology services and solutions provider NCI wins $58 million contract for mission support services for the U.S. Army’s Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Signal Command Army office of Plans and Engineering (G5).
* Microsemi Corporation announces the acquisition of AML Communications, a supplier of microelectronic assemblies for the defense industry.
* Thor Global Defense Group introduces two models of the premier .408 ultra-long range sniper system. The XM408 and M408 can be used for anti-personnel, anti-sniper and anti-material operations.