* Engility CEO Anthony Smeraglinolo noted [Defense News] during a speech at the I/ITSEC tradeshow that the number of contractors active in the government services market had grown vastly beyond the market itself. * USMC General (Ret.) and NDIA chairman Arnold Punaro...
* The two names on top of President Obama's short list [AP] to succeed Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary were former Defense Undersecretary Ashton Carter and current Undersecretary Bob Work. Carter was clearly interested in the job when Hagel was selected instead in...
* Oil prices have continued their steep decline last week and so far today, paired with a surge in the US dollar's value against everything from the Euro and Yen to the currencies of many emerging economies. Russia's ruble is suffering the same fate [WSJ] as the...
IqAF C-130E(click to view full) In August 1990, Iraq's Air Force had more than 500 aircraft in their inventory. The IqAF was decimated in 1991, after Saddam invaded Kuwait and ended up facing the US military and its allies. What remained was hobbled by extensive, and...
* According to the WSJ the FAA plans to introduce rules that will drastically limit practical use of commercial UAVs in the US. For one, drone operators would have to be certified pilots of manned aircraft. * Chuck Hagel may not have been the most decisive or...
Greek F-16D, F-16C(click to view full) In 2005, Greece terminated its $6 billion Eurofighter contract in favor of F-16s. Now that sale has taken the next step, as Greece has submitted its order for the aircraft and ancillary electronics, spares, and weapons, to match...
* US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is resigning: NYT | USA Today | WaPo. * The latest annual report [PDF] to the US Congress by its US-China Economic and Security Review Commission notes that submarine-launched ballistic missiles give China its "first credible...
Civil IL-76TD-90VD(click to view full) Russia is reported to have just over 115 IL-76 medium-heavy strategic transport planes, but they're leftovers from the Soviet era. On Oct 1/12 they unveiled the modernized "IL-476" variant, and within days Russia's Defense...
* At a hearing held by the US House intelligence committee yesterday, NSA/USCYBERCOM director Adm. Michael Rogers said China and a couple other countries (whose name is classified) have the capabilities to possibly shut down critical/industrial systems in the United...