Rapid Fire 2011-03-31: State-sponsored Cyber Threats

• US costs of Libyan operation total $550 million so far, according to DoD official.

• Flight International provides an overview of allied air operations and assets against Libyan air defenses, and adds the destruction of a Libyan plane by a French Rafale fighter – after the Libyan aircraft landed. The evolving Wikipedia entry remains an excellent overview of the forces at work so far, and includes a timeline. See also Canada’s National Post, who shows recent events using changing maps.

• While initial goals have been reached, NATO remains divided on what’s next, as are key US figures. Meanwhile, as WIRED puts it: “While Libya War Grows, Obama Team Denies It’s a War.” That’s dangerous territory for an administration with no Congressional approval for its actions, hence a 60-day time limit, and no endgame in sight.

EADS Solidifies MRO Position with Vector Acquisition

A week after the March 2011 revelation that EADS was in discussions with Toronto Stock Exchange listed Vector Aerospace, a support agreement with EADS subsidiary Eurocopter Holding will acquire all of Vector’s issued and outstanding common shares for consideration of C$ 13 ($12.95) per share, valuing the firm at about C$ 625 million. The offer price is 15% above the closing price when trading was halted, and 80% above the price on Dec 31/10, when the firm publicly announced that it was open to merger offers.

Therein hangs a pair of tales – one concerning the buyer’s rationale, and another concerning the takeover saga itself. The EADS acquisition was actually the indirect product of a failed internal takeover bid in 2009…