Rapid Fire 2010-11-05: DoD’s Cyber Command

• EU countries are participating this week in Cyber Europe 2010, the first pan-European cybersecurity exercise.

• Up and running: After a month’s delay, the DoD’s Cyber Command is fully operational.

• The same cannot be said about the USA’s RFP to replace its Bradley IFVs, though the rebooted Ground Combat Vehicle RFP will supposedly aim for more off-the-shelf technologies.

• Significant cuts planned for New Zealand’s tiny military.

• Off we go…: The Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies in Arlington, VA will release on November 10 a database of the full USAF aircraft inventory from 1950 to 2009.

• France and DCNS sign an innovative contract, wherein the French Navy will receive a privately-developed Gowind family Ocean Patrol Vessel to operate for 3 years. The goal? Endorsement and operational success, to boost export sales for the scalable OPV/ Corvette family.

• Russian Rosoboronexport executive denies reports of a Syrian MiG-31 contract.

• Research and Markets: China is shifting production from military to commercial products, with 450 production lines used for defense equipment now producing civilian goods.

• Old-school counterinsurgency planes are getting more popular around the world – and a number of OV-1D Mohawks are available, refurbished and sporting a 30mm chain gun from ATK.

• Accenture wins 5-year, $6.3 million contract, under the $5.3 billion SeaPort-e contract vehicle, to provide hardware and software maintenance for the US Navy’s effort to modernize its ships’ C4ISR systems.

• General Dynamics gets $9.8 million contract from Raytheon to supply composite capsule launch systems for the submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missile.

• DARPA’s $100 million Blue Angel program testing new approaches to speed up flu vaccine production, hopes to prove out the techniques in preparation for more sinister threats.