Sequestration Fixation * The Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report on DoD's handling of the FY13 fiscal environment: "DOD's approach to sequestration was a short-term response focused on addressing the immediate funding reductions for fiscal year...
European Tech to India, China * India is reportedly looking to sign contracts with Germany's Atlas Elektronik to upgrade 64 heavyweight torpedoes on its 4 U209/ Shishumar Class submarines. Their submarine force could sure use the help, and they're reportedly talking...
Pentagon Capabilities * US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel laid out his priorities in a speech at an event hosted by the CSIS think tank. From thinning back-office overhead to sorting out personnel costs, Hagel's interests are well known - the words "readiness" and...
Indonesian SIGMA(click to view full) Vietnam's growing economy, and China's aggressive stance in the South China Sea, are pushing the country to begin a long-delayed military modernization program. Most of the equipment comes from Vietnam's traditional Russian...
Worst for Defense Yet to Come * The quote of the day comes from an analyst who talked to the Financial Times: "When a company says its new goal is to get 30% of its revenue from outside the US, how much of that will come from international sales growing rather than...
The Institute for Defense Analysis in Alexandria, VA recently received a 5-year indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $888.8 million, for research and analysis from the 3 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) they run. Just...
Chartered Mi-8, ISAF(click to view full) Afghanistan has been a tough test for the NATO alliance. Thus far, the report is mixed. While a number of allied countries have committed troops, few of the NATO countries' available helicopters have been committed, despite...
Future Air Force Projects: Hypersonic but Sparse * The famed Mach 3+ SR-71 Blackbird spy plane has a successor on the drawing board at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works. Initial concepts for the "SR-72" involve an unmanned Mach 5+ craft with both strike and reconnaissance...
EMB-314, FAD concept(click to view full) Brazil's EMB-314/ A-29 Super Tucano continues to be the aircraft of choice for Latin American air forces who want to conduct drug interdiction and counterinsurgency missions. Their modern trainer/ counterinsurgency concept is...