Rapid Fire 2011-05-06: A Stealthy Helicopter, in Many Ways

• Surviving tail wreckage of the H-60 Black Hawks used in the Bin Laden raid reveals unique “stealth” features. Bill Sweetman discusses the limits of helicopter stealth, and here’s a link to both tail wreckage photos and some derived conceptual illustrations.

• The volume of mergers and acquisitions in the aerospace and defense market increased 70% in the 1st quarter of 2011, compared with 2010, according to the latest report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

• Electronic warfare requirements are expected to fuel demand for space-based communications systems, predicts Strategy Analytics.

• South Korea continues to work on systems for its 3,000t KSS-III diesel-electric fast attack submarine project. It’s also extending its base’s technical capabilities, from combat systems to vertical launchers.

• Qatar’s first C-130J-30 of 4, ordered in October 2008, finishes production.

• Another test of the French GPS/laser guided AASM bomb, against a fast-moving target. Production of this AASM version is set to begin in 2012.

• Are hybrid vehicles in the US military’s future?

• Fueled by military ammunition sales, ATK posts highest annual earnings per share in company history ($9.32), as well as net income of $313 million and sales of $4.8 billion for FY 2011.

• Russia launches the Meridian 4 military communications satellite aboard a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia; Meridian is replacing the aging Molniya satellite system.

• SAIC gets task order worth up to $90 million to provide technical and operations support to the Defense Enterprise Computing Center in Montgomery, AL under the $12.3 billion DISA ENCORE-II contract vehicle.

• Up to $29 million to Carahsoft and CollabNet to provide software and consulting services for DISA’s forge.mil collaborative software development site.

• Osama Bin Shot, Osama Bin Buried. Bin Laden was buried at sea from the deck of the USS Carl Vinson [CVN 70], which completed a major RCOH retrofit in December 2009.