The US Army is interested in developing an open system architecture that would allow it to procure new satellite communications antennas to establish on-the-move communications in armoured combat vehicles.

Despite a news report last week that said the Pentagon has directed the Navy to cut 20 ships from the Littoral Combat Ship program of record, US Navy officials haven't given up yet on the planned 52-ship buy.

The full version of Defence Week Premium no.283 of 12 December 2013 can be downloaded here as a PDF. A separate PDF of the latest Defence tenders can also be downloaded here.

The first two of the RAN's 24 Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin MH-60R combat helicopters were handed over December 10, six months ahead of schedule and within the $3.1 billion program budget.

At the recent ASPI dinner, Defence Minister Senator David Johnston gave his most important speech to date, which included a reference to the potential for future defence industrial cooperation with Japan.

Selex ES has been awarded an $188 million contract by the DMO to provide and support modernised communications systems for the RAN's eight ANZAC-Class frigates, as part of the SEA1442 Phase 4 program

The Jamaican Defence Force has awarded a contract to Thales Australia to deliver 12 Bushmaster vehicles.

The construction of the tank line of Rosebank Engineering's new automated chemical processing line is now complete, performed with an estimated 600 man hours within just 20 days.

BAE System's multi-million dollar investment in its future at the Australian Marine Complex has cemented the industrial precinct as a leader in the delivery of key infrastructure to the defence, resources and marine sectors.

Quickstep Holdings Limited has signed a MOA with the global security and aerospace company, Lockheed Martin for the manufacture and delivery of 120 sets of C-130J carbon-fibre wing flaps through 2018 at a rate of approximately 24 sets per year.

The ADF has issued a Letter of Engineering Authority under which Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems has become the Authorised Engineering Organisation for the Air Combat Officer Training System).

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Norway's Ministry of Defence has awarded Kongsberg Defence Systems a US$7.83 million bridging contract to maintain work on the Joint Strike Missile program.

The first Boeing Inmarsat-5 satellite has launched and sent signals from orbit, the initial step to establishing Global Xpress, the world's first globally available high-speed mobile broadband service for government and commercial users.

EADS has presented a restructuring plan for its future Airbus Defence and Space Division to the European Works Council.

The French DGA has notified MBDA of an order for the development and production of the MMP weapon system which will equip the French Army as of 2017.