Rapid Fire 2011-05-05: Body Armor Vests

• Boeing charged the US Army $13 million more than the “fair and reasonable” price for 18 parts, the DoD Inspector General concludes [PDF]; so far, Boeing has refunded $1.6 million.

• House Armed Services Committee panels release details of FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act markups.

• Australia’s DoD adapting to new disclosure rules for all government agencies.

• Australia delivers its initial report on its MRH-90 (NH90) helicopter program. Short version? The program’s on probation.

• US AFSOC begins running a transportable $7.5M waste to energy plasma system at Hurlburt Airfield, FL. It has 5x more capacity than the next biggest system using this technology.

• The textile specialists at Ehmke Manufacturing have designed a new system of body armor vests and attachments they call “Higher Ground.” They’ve put some thought into it, too… check it out.

• NATO-related spending is expected to fuel a turnaround in the Romanian defense market, from a 1.5% decline from 2006 to 2010 to 2.8% annual growth through 2015, according to iCD Research.

• ATK receives more than $488 million in US Army orders to produce a mix of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50 caliber military ammunition at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo.

• A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled to launch the first satellite (GEO-1) of the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)-High satellite constellation on May 6 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.

• MCR in McLean, VA wins an $8.8 million contract to provide management and acquisition support for NATO’s Consultation, Command, and Control Agency.

The USA’s Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

Latest updates[?]: 5-6 year, $950M contract.

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Through the Co-operative Threat Reduction program, the Department of Defense provides equipment, services, and technical advice to Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine to assist them in eliminating (or in the case of Russia, reducing) the weapons of mass destruction remaining from the Soviet era, and preventing proliferation. That means dismantling the associated infrastructure, or transforming portions of it to engage in peaceful civilian activities.

The U.S. objectives in the CTR program as established by Congress are to cooperate with the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union to: