* Exporting advanced S-300 missiles to Syria could be a problem for Russia, as well as for outside powers who wish to overfly Syrian airspace. Russia & India Report explains the history, considerations, and dilemmas involved.
* McClatchy: Absent strong U.S. policy on Mideast, nations compete for influence.
* France sold 2 Helios military observation satellites to the UAE for a reported 700 million euros (about $925M). They’re manufactured by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space. Middle East Online | La Tribune [in French].
* For once, the UAE is on the sell side with a planned UAV sale to Russia.
* India to add 50,000 troops at their border with China, and possibly equip them with Apache attack helicopters. If they can afford the whole thing that is.
* Northrop Grumman announces their 1st MQ-8C delivery to the US Navy, with testing to follow. The MQ-8C is based on the Bell 407, and is larger than the previous MQ-8B Fire Scout.
* Malta orders an AW139 for maritime border patrol and rescue missions, with plans for 3 helicopters, 10 pilots, and 20 technicians. The June 2014 delivery will be another step in dealing with a persistent problem.
* Elbit subsidiary Kollsman saw its protest of a US Navy $41M award for handheld laser markers to L-3 Communications denied by the GAO.
* The US Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) will present the results of the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) Mission Systems Effectiveness Trades and Analysis (MS ETA) Technology Investment Agreements (TIAs) on August 12-14 in Ft. Eustis, VA.
* Defense News published its annual revenue ranking [PDF] of defense contractors. “Five years ago, 38% of total revenue listed by the top 100 companies was derived from defense. For 2012, that number is just 28%.” However the top primes remain by and large pure players.
* The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) think tank hosted a discussion on export opportunities for US defense contractors. Jon Barney from the Avascent consultancy presented the results of a survey of aerospace and defense executives showing Brazil, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India (BUSI for short) as the 4 major export markets where global growth is sought. Slides here [PDF] and video below:
