* A new report from Pike Research predicts that global military agencies’ spending on renewable energy technologies will continue to rise rapidly over the next two decades, growing from $1.8 billion per year in 2010 to $26.8 billion by 2030. Portable soldier power, land, air, sea vehicles and facilities operations will account for the majority of expenditure.
* The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) plans to award QinetiQ a $40 million 5 year contract to develop and evaluate new ground-based missile-and air-defense systems architectures in the Architecture Characterization Program (A2CP).
* The U.S. Air Force awards General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems a $7.8 million contract to develop an Open System Architecture (OSA) common back-end digital processor for its radio frequency (RF) electronic devices. The contract covers radars, SIGINT sensors, electronic-warfare and communication systems.
* Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will unveil the new Medium-weight Laser Guided Bomb (MLGB) at the upcoming Paris Air Show. The MLGB is a dual mode laser guided/GPS guided weapon optimized for light attack aircraft.
* The BBC reports on Saab’s attempts to expand sales of its defense and service solutions to customers around the world. Key to the company’s strategy is the modification of its Saab 340 and 2000 aircraft for ‘special missions’ aimed at combating ‘worldwide threats.’
* Turkey’s Prime Minister pledges that the domestic defense sector will produce “tanks, helicopters, planes, unmanned aircraft and military satellites in the next 12 years.” Prior to his recent election victory Recep Tayyip Erdo?an identified Turkey’s national defense industry as one of the pillars of a modern economy in the 2020s.
* UAS Vision reports that the technology research section of the Japanese Self Defence Forces has developed an unmanned flying ball capable of conducting search-and-rescue and espionage missions.