Rapid Fire Oct. 29, 2012: Spike This

* Japan’s Board of Audit says Mitsubishi Electric has overcharged the defense ministry for decades. AP | Japan Times. * The US Navy’s first launch of Rafael Spike missiles from an unmanned surface vessel was successful. NAVSEA. * Two days after nominating a new chief for AFRICOM, Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette has been temporarily reassigned off the command Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Three (deployed in the Middle East) until a pending investigation by the Navy Inspector General is finished. What’s being investigated is unclear. US Navy | AP. * USS Porter is back with its strike group after a first round of repairs done in the UAE. The ship was damaged by an oil tanker in August and will see further work when it is back home in November. * Last week’s round of financial results from prime defense contractors show they were able to maintain margins while their revenue where shrinking. But there is a limit to cost cutting. Reuters. * The US Air Force posted a $20K challenge for a design to detect GPS jammers. Innocentive. * The Australian Navy is struggling to retain maintenance staff with technical skills when salaries in mining sector are booming. The […]