Rapid Fire 2011-05-10: Copper Bullets

• House Armed Services Committee releases full committee markup of the FY 2012 defense authorization bill, which revives the F136 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

• Peru’s $1 billion SIVAM Amazon basin surveillance program attracts IAI interest, centered on its Gulfstream G550 CAEW platform. Neighboring Chile uses the same Phalcon radar technology, mounted on a 707. In Peru, IAI can be expected to compete with Embraer’s ERJ-145 based R-99A/B surveillance aircraft, which handle SIVAM duties for Brazil.

• Israel is planning to invest $1 billion in development and production of the Iron Dome rocket/artillery defense system, says Defense Ministry.