Rapid Fire 2011-05-11: Helo Brownout Mitigation

• The Australian government is cutting A$2.7 billion from its defense budget over the next four fiscal years, including a reduction in the costs of acquiring a 5th C-17 aircraft.

• Russian President Dmitry Medvedev chastizes military for delaying tenders on major weapon systems.

• Up to $450 million to Lockheed Martin to provide Instrumented Ranges/Digital Range Training Systems (IR/DRTS) to the US Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation.

• General Dynamics snags contract worth up to $125 million to provide IT network services to the US Special Operations Command.

• AAR gets $23 million contract to supply flat racks to the US Army for transportation of materials and containers via trucks and other ground equipment.

• UK Ministry’s DSTL developing a display system to reduce helicopter “brownout” crashes when dust clouds kill visibility – and sometimes, landing helicopters.

South Africa Ordering Umkhonto Mk.2 Air Defense Missiles

Valour Class frigates

In mid-April, South Africa’s DefenceWeb reported an R 49.2 million ($7.3 million) in contracts to begin resupplying its MEKO-derived Valour Class frigates with Umkhonto Mk.2 short range air defense missiles, perform Umkhonto Mk.2 testing, and support existing South African missile stocks.

Umkhonto Mk.1 missiles are currently in service on South Africa’s new frigates, and the South African Army’s Project Protector uses Umkhonto as a land-based SAM system. They are not its only customers…