Rapid Fire Morning 2011-06-30: Weapons for Libyan Rebels

* In his last interview before stepping down as US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates says that military spending is not the main cause of the United States’ $1.4 trillion budget deficit. * The Government Accountability Office (GAO) publishes its report Further Actions Needed to Institutionalize Key Business System Modernization Management Controls [PDF]. Among the report’s criticisms are the Department of Defense’s failure to oversee each military department’s full implementation of an enterprise architecture program. * France confirms that it has provided weapons to Libyan rebels. A spokesman confirmed that assault rifles and ammunition were part of the airdrop, but denied that France had supplied Milan anti-tank missile launchers. * Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation says the country will begin production of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 2016, with completion due by 2020. President Dmitry Medvedev announced plans in 2008 to increase the number of aircraft carriers in the Russian fleet. However, it was uncertain if the new carriers would be conventionally-powered, like the Admiral Kuznetsov, or nuclear-powered. * United Shipbuilding Corporation and Rosoboronexport announce at the International Maritime Defense Show, IMDS 2011, St Petersburg, that they have signed an agreement to build two Tiger Class corvettes for the Algerian Navy. * A press release from a Canadian company overlooked for a recent civilian contract raises concerns that similar responses may be forthcoming […]