Rapid Fire 2010-08-10: Support for Georgia?

• Russia is moving to reduce reliance on the Ukraine for defense industrial work.

• ITT to sell off its CAS defense systems engineering and technical assistance unit in Huntsville, AL to Wyle for $235 million in an effort to expand in non-defense segments.

• Christmas in September? On the agenda for the US Congress when it returns from summer recess is the FY 2011 defense spending bill. Passage of the legislation is expected to pit the House, which has stripped many of the earmarks (i.e., pork) usually adorning the bill, against the Senate, which is expected to fill up the bill with the usual gifts for well-placed defense lobbyists.

• Georgia on His Mind: Sen. McCain supports providing Georgia with antitank capabilities, air defenses, and early warning radar to beef up its defenses, while the Russian president pledges continued support for breakaway Georgian territories.

• Flexing Muscle: The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington [CVN-73] conducts exercises off the coast of Vietnam to demonstrate the US opposition to China’s unilateral territorial claims in the South China Sea.

• At the same time, China is looking to expand its military ties with Australia.

• Chosun Ilbo: Korea’s Neighbours Catch Up with US Stealth Technology. Mixed bag, from Chinese Type 022s to Russia’s PAK-FA and Japan’s ATD-X stealth plane.

• L-3 Communications acquires Airborne Technologies, an Ashburn, VA-based maker of small expandable UAVs such as the Cutlass, which is expected to generate $20 million in annual sales.

Mk47 Striker40: GD’s Auto-Programmed 40mm GMG

MK47 Striker40

40mm grenade machine guns (GMGs) like the Mk19 are extremely effective weapons against lightly protected opponents, offering fast firepower overmatch against superior numbers. This has made them an increasingly popular choice on the front lines. General Dynamics’ Mk47 STRIKER40 updates the standard GMG with advanced electronics, and lower weight. That change, in and of itself, helped spur early use by US special operations forces. The flip side is an increase in the purchase cost of each weapon, and in the associated maintenance burdens.

General Dynamics’ reliable Mk19 is still in production, and is likely to remain so for some time to come. Nevertheless, the new Striker40 is beginning to attract contracts and interest…