Rapid Fire September 7, 2012: Better Better Buying Power

* Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall is about to update the Better Buying Power (BBP) guidance issued by Ashton Carter two years ago. * Part of BBP relies on reviving “should cost” procurement methodology. The RAND Corporation looked into it and notes that such reviews have been conducted by the Air Force on and off since the 60s with mixed results, but notes that the necessary training and manpower to effectively conduct them may be lacking. * The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspected the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southwest at North Island Naval Air Station (FRCSW) in California and found that employees had been exposed to toxic metals including lead, cadmium and beryllium. LA Times | AP. * Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin all but endorsed President Obama in his bid for a second term, whom he “finds a very honest man.” With friends like this, indeed who needs enemies. * The Institute for National Strategic Studies published a thoughtful paper [PDF] on how to manage Sino-US air and naval interactions. * Martin C. Libicki of RAND Corporation worries about the rise of multifaceted “non-obvious warfare” [PDF] in Strategic Studies Quarterly. * The International Institute […]