* The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates Saudi Arabia’s 2013 budget to be about $2.6B higher than the UK’s. Unlike recent figures from IHS Jane’s this contradicts the British government’s claim to the 4th worldwide spot. Either way, Jane’s points out that the Saudi budget trebled in 10 years, and DID has been describing Saudi weapon buys over the past decade as veritable shopping sprees. This doesn’t look like a country that intends to settle to waging war with Iran just through proxies.
Pentagon
* The US government settled for $75M a longstanding intellectual property dispute with Honeywell over night vision goggle technology.
* The Department of Defense has given MRAPs to police departments in a number of American towns, but some residents and local lawmakers object.
* The Defense Acquisition University put together guidelines [PPTX] for the implementation of interim DoDI 5000.02 [PDF] regulation for space systems acquisition.
* After pleading guilty last year to bribery charges leading to fuel theft in Afghanistan, former US Army Specialist Stephanie Charboneau has been sentenced to more than 7 years in prison.
Canada Gets in the Leveraging, Streamlining Business
* Canada’s federal government introduced its new Defence Procurement Strategy, which establishes a permanent Secretariat dedicated to procurement, and promises an annual Defence Acquisition Guide starting next June. There’s no dispute that their acquisition system is in shambles, but the push for exports and local jobs is dubious. Milnews.ca gathered media coverage and reactions.
The Cost of Buying Chinese
* 30 staff members from CPMIEC recently visited the Military Electronic Industries of Turkey (ASELSAN) but the company is clearly in an awkward position given strong Western opposition to Turkey buying a Chinese air defense system. Hürriyet.
Once Again with Feeling
* A team led by Silvestro Micera, with researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Italy, demonstrated a neuroprosthetic hand that successfully gave back the sense of touch to an amputee. Video below:
