The first Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), was officially delivered by Austal to the United States Navy on 5 December

Minister for Defence Stephen Smith, Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare and the South Australian Minister for Defence Industry Jack Snelling have announced that the Defence and Industry Conference will be held in Adelaide in 2014.

Jessica White from high technology engineering solutions specialist MEMKO, along with finalists Paul Trigg, formerly with LMATS, and Lachlan Teague, Thales Australia, were recognised for their outstanding individual contributions to Defence and Industry as young ambassadors at the Australian Industry & Defence Network (Victoria) (AIDN-Vic) Special Awards dinner on Tuesday 11th December 2012.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has announced the appointment of former Australian Foreign Minister, the Honourable Alexander Downer, to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Council for a three year term.

Two new East Coast Tugs have arrived in Australia to replace MSA Bandicoot and Wallaro. The new tugs will be named Elwing and Waree following a tradition that they are named after tugs that previously served in the Royal Australian Navy.

Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy (LCH), HMAS Wewak, has been decommissioned after almost 40 years of service.

The last two Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs) serving in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) completed their tour of duty with a range shoot at the Multi National Base - Tarin Kot heavy weapons range in November.

The ViaSat Capabilities Summit provides an opportunity to meet with ViaSat staff and other government personnel to exchange ideas and discuss your specific communications requirements.

One of the Pentagon's top logisticians suggested this week that Lockheed Martin prime contractor JSF program, might have a leg up in competing for a contract to sustain the F-35 fighter fleet, arguing that traditionally original equipment manufacturers tend to have the competitive edge.

While former US SecDef Robert Gates saw competition as a major source of productivity in the defense industry, as it is in commercial industry, and former UnderSec Ashton Carter saw real competition as the single most powerful tool available to the Department to drive productivity, a recent analysis by Todd Harrison, reported on the CSBA website, suggests that this is not always the case.

Four US defense companies have spelled out for the Pentagon the technical details they would need to produce an American version of the Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system, designed and built by the Israeli government and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with funding from Washington.

The US Army's Ground Combat Vehicle development is poised to be hit by massive budget cuts that could radically transform it from one of the service's most prized modernization efforts to an endangered program, Inside the Army has learned.

Lockheed Martin has demonstrated the capability to engage unmanned aircraft and small-calibre rockets using a portable, ground-based military laser system.

A new Pentagon report finds espionage targeting sensitive US military technology and defense industry trade secrets grew more persistent, pervasive and insidious over the last year and included increased attempts to acquire radiation-hardened microelectronics.

The UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) spending was hit harder than all other UK government departments by funding reductions announced on 5 December in the 'Autumn Statement' of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne.

Get the full version of Defence Week Premium no.234 of 6 December 2012.