While some pundits have criticised Plan Beersheba's multi-role combat brigades force structure, the Army is undertaking a field trial of the proposed armoured cavalry regiment design and the future concept of employment for the multi-role combat brigades to be adopted by 1 Bde, 3 Bde and 7 Bde.

General Dynamics C4 Systems has announced that two of their AN/PRC-155 Manpack radios have successfully completed secure radio-to-radio voice and data communications tests through the network, as part of a MUOS end-to-end system test.

Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon has unveiled a full-scale model of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter which the Defence Science and Technology Organisation will use to study the effects of electromagnetic compatibility and interference on the aircraft.

Micreo Limited has received the first production order from a leading defence prime contractor for wideband Microwave Optical Links for deployment in an airborne rugged environment.

Defence has signed a $1.1 billion contract with Telstra for the provision of telecommunications services.

Raytheon Australia has secured a limited number of placements on the Raytheon Principles of System Engineering Course.

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Austal has recently christened USNS Millinocket at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. USNS Millinocket is the third of ten Joint High Speed Vessels Austal has under contract with the US Navy as part of an overall 10-ship contract worth over $1.6 billion.

Rolls-Royce has announced it will sell its shareholding and interest in the RTM322 helicopter engine program to Turbomeca.

The FREMM frigate built for the Royal Moroccan Navy has been put to sea for the first time. This key milestone marks the launch of sea trials, which will be conducted over the next few weeks off the Brittany coast.

Eurocopter's first production Tiger helicopter in the HAD attack configuration was delivered to France's DGA armament procurement agency for operation by French Army Aviation units, providing a highly capable combat weapon system that is tailored to the world's evolving battlefield conditions.

The US Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $20 million contract modification for nuclear-maintenance work for submarines homeported at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton.

Defence's supplementary estimates for 2012-13 notes that C-RAM, the counter rocket, artillery and mortar capability in the form of a truck mounted Giraffe Agile Multi Beam radar, has been operating effectively in Afghanistan since December 2010 and that full operational capability in Afghanistan was achieved in September last year with FOC in Australia scheduled for earlier this year.

It turns out that the USMC and the Office of Naval Research are working to develop a laser weapon system that would fit on a tactical vehicle and provide ground-based air defence for troops and convoys against threats ranging from small unmanned aerial vehicles to missiles and manned aircraft.

In a recent article in Defence Week we pondered, in somewhat lightweight fashion, whether as a capability, a smaller number of P-8As could match the enhanced capabilities of the much upgraded AP-3C Orions, with their extensive sea and land-based surveillance capabilities.

ATK and Nioa Nominees have agreed to form ATK-NIOA Munitions, to deliver a commercially viable business model to the Australian Commonwealth in support of the Domestic Munitions Manufacturing Arrangements.