* The US Army and Air Force had their fight over Army attack helicopters a long time ago. India’s services are just having theirs – and the Army won.
* The US Navy is investigating how submarine USS Montpelier (SSN 765) and Aegis cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) ended up colliding during routine training on Saturday. There were no injuries.
* Russia’s KBP has a candid look at the design thinking and market positioning behind their new Kornet-EM infantry missile, and explains why they didn’t like their competitors’ approaches. Their current AT-14 Kornet is a popular and effective anti-tank missile on the world market.
* GKN Aerospace is working on new production processes that make the most of the composite materials now used to manufacture wings for aircraft such as the Airbus A400M. They reckon they can cut costs and lower weight by revisiting bolting and assembly processes inherited from older metal-centric wing designs.
* The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Vehicle Technology Directorate (VTD) is conducting research on the combustion of JP-8 heavy fuel to help manufacturers design better engines.
* Germany’s contingent in Afghanistan will fall from about 4,600 to below 4,000 troops in 2013, according to Der Spiegel [in German].
* Laurent Dassault, Vice President of Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault (GIMD) recently suggested that a “France Aerospace” group made of Dassault Aviation, Thales, Safran, and Zodiac Aerospace may guarantee sustainability, even if at the cost of independence. He only speaks for himself, countered Rudi Roussillon, an influential communications adviser of Groupe Dassault. L’Usine Nouvelle [in French].
