* Lt Gen Christopher C. Bogdan is now heading the JSF program, following his promotion last August and VADM Venlet’s retirement. Bogdan was Venlet’s deputy since July. Reuters portrays him as a “maverick.” Meanwhile Army Gen. Lloyd Austin will succeed Gen. James Mattis to head US CENTCOM.
* US Senators Carl Levin and John McCain – the two most senior members of the Armed Services Committee – sent a letter to SecDef Leon Panetta denouncing the Air Force’s Expeditionary Combat Support System as what “appears to be one of the most egregious examples of mismanagement in recent memory.” The Air Force cancelled the $1B logistics system last month. Its failure will not make it easier for the service to meet its legal obligation to pass an audit by FY17.
* The UK’s Comptroller and Auditor General has refused, like in past years, to sign off the financial accounts of the Ministry of Defence. They find documentation to back up the value of inventory and spares to be insufficient, among other objections and qualifications. Meanwhile the Treasury’s Autumn Statement 2012 outlines further defence budget cuts in years to come (see also The Telegraph).
* LMI Aerospace acquires aircraft parts manufacturer Valent Aerostructures for about $234M.
* SAIC announced revenue up 3% to $2.87B for their 3rd quarter. Sales for defense solutions were up 6% and accounted for 41% of the total. Total backlog is flat at $18.6B, but the unfounded part of it has grown. Ahead of their split into two companies they plan to reduce headcount by 700 people out of about 40,000.
* With data obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the FAA, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) mapped where the US military asked for authorization to fly UAVs in civilian airspace. Pretty much all over the country.
* Canada wants Miniature Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
* Pilots from the Australian Army reportedly refused to fly Tiger attack helicopters because of repeated incidents of cockpit fumes that were not followed by fleet grounding. However, without official corroboration, use of the word “mutiny” should be taken with a big grain of salt.
