* Airbus reported its 1st quarter [PDF] since it dropped the EADS name, with sales up 2% to 8.9 billion euros ($12.2B). The Defense & Space division grew sales by 3% to €2.7B, though order intake retreated by 4.3% to €2.07B. This helps make the case that regardless of current profitability and a huge commercial aircraft backlog, some sort of restructuring of Airbus’ defense business was necessary, which is the company’s focus this year.
Imbalance of Power
* National Interest: 7 ways a new Cold War with Russia will be different. China may end up empowered as an arbiter of sorts.
* RIA Novosti toes the party line on Georgia’s efforts to join NATO: Ukraine Crisis Exposes NATO’s Eastward Expansion Drive. The state-owned news agency picks on a recent event held by the Atlantic Council, and almost make it sound like Georgia tried to invade Russia back in 2008. This joke really wraps it up: “Putin warns Ukraine: we want you to move your border away from our troops.”
* Speaking of China, they’re getting better cruise missiles.
* Israel is improving its long-range sea-to-surface missiles.
Indian Struggles
* According to the Economic Times, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was unable to find the money trail backing up allegations that kickbacks were paid in the VVIP deal with AgustaWestland. They are blaming other countries for denying them access to banking information.
* India Today reports that the Air Force’s plans to upgrade ageing Jaguars have been delayed.
Afghanistan
* In today’s video the UK’s defense secretary Philip Hammond explains why there are still about 4,000 British troops in Afghanistan through the election, and as the fighting season resumes with the spring:
