Rapid Fire 2011-02-21: Private vs. Public, Local vs. Global?

• Spending on private consultants within the UK’s Framework Agreement for Technical Support (FATS) is again making headlines: The Telegraph; The Guardian. Soon after being appointed, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said last year that he was working on it.

• Kim Carr, recently “promoted” as Australia’s Minister for Defence Materiel, spoke to the Australian Defence Magazine Congress:

“We want the best equipment we can afford and we want to be the best at supplying it. Now, those of you who know me well from another role know that I’m very much in favour of buying Australian. I wear this badge consciously. But it’s not a question of buying Australian at any price or on any terms […] Longer term [sustainment] contracts are the way of the future, to provide the incentives for the investment’s company need in their own capabilities. […] The new arrangements are being rolled out for the ANZAC frigates first, with the FFG fleet to follow, and the next five year contract for the ANZAC fleet is expected to deliver cost savings in that way of between 10% and 15% over the current arrangement.”

• US Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) recently joined the House Armed Services Committee. She is also on the Committee on Homeland Security, and voted against the FY12 NDAA because “exorbitant spending on programs of questionable value has further bloated military spending.” From her position statement on defense: