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Closed, Fragmented Markets More Fragile When Downturns Come

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Ammo Concerns * National Defense on the munitions industrial base in the United States: “A new Defense Department initiative seeks to ensure that new munitions development efforts include concurrent pursuit of designs for exportability. This is welcome and will be beneficial in the future, provided that the initiative remains adequately funded. Existing ammunition products, however, […]
Ammo Concerns

* National Defense on the munitions industrial base in the United States:

“A new Defense Department initiative seeks to ensure that new munitions development efforts include concurrent pursuit of designs for exportability. This is welcome and will be beneficial in the future, provided that the initiative remains adequately funded. Existing ammunition products, however, do not benefit from this effort.

It is imperative that sustaining critical munitions production capabilities become a prime consideration in decisions concerning international sales, especially during periods of reduced U.S. funding.”

* Turning ammo production into a more fungible and viable global market would make sense, but Der Spiegel notes that this is not even happening within just the European Union. Maybe participants in this week’s EU Council on defense should read Antifragile?

HASC Chair Race

* House of Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon [R-CA] looks ready to retire at the end of his term. RealClearDefense puts vice-chairman Mac Thornberry [R-TX] as the early favorite to succeed him, assuming of course the Republicans stay in control of the House after the mid-terms.

Smoother Ship Landings

* US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) successfully tested on LCS 3 the Advanced Stabilized Glide Slope Indicator (ASGSI) to assist helicopter landings. Once certified, this new visual aid indicator (VLA) will replace Stabilized Slope Indicator (SGSI) on new ships and will provide better accuracy and night vision.

NSA Ruling

* US District Court Judge Richard Leon has ruled that the NSA’s mass collection of phone metadata is unconstitutional, but stayed any injunction pending the inevitable appeals to higher courts. One of the 2 plaintiffs against the NSA was Charles Strange. His son was an NSA cryptologist who worked with SEAL team 6, KIA in Afghanistan when his helicopter was shot down in 2011.

Iskander-M Sightings Confirmed

* Following a report [in German] in the Bild tabloid, Russia confirmed it had deployed 10 SS-26 Stone mobile ballistic missile systems in the Kaliningrad exclave. Poland and the Baltic states duly expressed their alarm. Oh, and in southern Russia too.

Indian Status Quo

* The Diplomat has little hope for serious defense reform in India, despite advice by a government-commissioned task force to improve synergy between the services.

The Fate of Old C-130s

* 130th Airlift Wing is working on overhauling C-130 engines for other National Guard units. But there’s an end of life for everything. Today’s video shows a C-130 disassembled at the 934th Airlift Wing, a reservist unit:

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