* Egypt is doubling the number of C295 transport aircraft it will own, to a total of 12, after an initial order in October 2010.
* Rolls-Royce won a 4-year contract to support the RB199 engines of Saudi Arabia’s fleet of Tornado aircraft. The firm’s press release mentions a “schedule of fixed price maintenance.” Meanwhile ST Aerospace will maintain and modernize [PDF] 3 C130s operated by Oman’s air force.
* French President Hollande has restarted talks with the UAE to sell them Rafale jets, but with less pressure than his predecessor. Hollande said having great tech is one thing, but in the end it comes down to price. La Tribune [in French].
* Last month the US Department of Defense announced it would scale down its presence in Lajes Field in the Azores. Yesterday Secretary Panetta said this would be delayed to October 2014. Last year China hinted that it was watching, following efforts to develop a footprint in the Indian Ocean.
* Speaking of China: meet the new PLAAF – not same as the old PLAAF.
* ThalesRaytheonSystems delivered [PDF] the 1st of 12 Ground Master 400 (GM 400) long-range air defense radar systems to the Finnish air force, following a May 2009 order.
* Austria, France, Germany, Finland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden are pooling funds for a feasibility study on systems to help soldiers on foot with energy supply, survivability, human factors to avoid information overload, and precision targeting. European Defense Agency.
* The US Defense Acquisition University’s portal now has a section dedicated to space programs.
* Brig. Gen. Scott W. Jansson is leaving DLA Aviation to replace Maj. Gen. Kenneth D. Merchant as PEO for Weapons, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command (AFLCMC/EB). Merchant was PEO Weapons since August 2011 and will now be director for the Air Force’s acquisition “global reach programs”, to succeed Maj. Gen. Robert C. Kane who will retire in June. A consistent pattern is that these generals tend to stay in the same job 2 years or less. One may wonder whether high turnover is not part of the problem in acquisition, not to speak of positions left vacant for months.
