Rapid Fire 2011-10-20: Grasping for Real Options to Face Budget Music

* CSC’s Chairman and CEO Michael W. Laphen announced he’s retiring. He’s ready to stay around for up to a year until his replacement is found. Laphen started his career and CSC in 1977 and was appointed to his current position in 2007. * Several US veteran groups are voicing their concerns about the damage defense budget cuts might do. * To be able to meet budget constraints while avoiding crippling effects, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) is suggesting DoD to change the way it approaches [PDF] compensation/benefits, the use of unmanned systems, and the relative burden it takes relative to US allies. * The US Senate’s Armed Services Subcommittee on readiness and management support had a hearing with acting Under Secretary of Acquisition Frank Kendall and other DoD staffers in the wake of the Commission on Wartime Contracting’s findings in Iraq and Afghanistan: archived webcast. * US lawmakers are getting worried by the Deficit/Debt Supercommittee’s lack of apparent progress so far. Despite initial promises of transparency the committee has mostly met behind closed doors. * Think Defence has a good round-up of UK Parliamentary question and answers from ministers relevant to defence issues. * Starting Nov. […]