Rapid Fire Oct. 9, 2012: Small Airborne Networking Radio
- German news agency DPA reported earlier today [in German] that talks between EADS and BAE had collapsed because of a lack of agreement between the French and British governments, which “sources close to EADS” later told Reuters is wrong without elaborating further. But as investment management firm Invesco Perpetual, which owns 13.3% of BAE, expressed “significant reservations” over the deal, the boards of the two companies do seem to have secured little support for their proposed merger from key stakeholders. La Tribune reports [in French] that Tom Enders and Ian King meet today and will ask to continue talks beyond the October 10 deadline.
- Lockheed Martin is reorganizing its Electronic Systems division which will be split into 2 units. Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) will have 16,000 employees and handle THAADS, JLTV and PAC-3, among others; while Mission Systems and Training (MST) will have 19,000 people working on programs including LCS and the Aegis combat system. About 200 jobs will be lost in the process.
- The Chief of the Indian Air Force wants to remain in charge of attack helicopters and develop integration between services, rather than let the Army grow their own “little air force.”
- India’s Business Standard: unions stall private-sector entry into warship building, even though shipbuilding is seeing long delays.
- Andrew Erickson from the US Naval War College and Gabe Collins (another China observer) think mass production of the new Type 052D destroyer matters.
Categories: Airbus, BAE, Britain/U.K., China, Daily Rapid Fire, Forces - Air, Forces - Naval, France, Germany, India, Lockheed Martin, Mergers & Acquisitions, Middle East - Other, Russia
