The US Navy will begin a pilot program in the next few months to identify "superior suppliers" who are outperforming other companies and reward them in future competitions, a Navy official said last week.

Paramarine software, developed by QinetiQ GRC, has been selected by Rolls-Royce who are broadening their ship design capabilities.

The German Air Force has taken delivery of the Rheinmetall-made MANTIS air defence system.

FIBROTEX Technologies has announced an add-on order for hundreds of its FIGHTEX combat uniforms for an Elite Unit of the Israel Defense Forces.

The full version of Defence Week Premium no.232 of 22 November 2012 can be downloaded here as a PDF. A separate PDF of the latest Defence tenders can also be downloaded here

The Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail aircraft has finally achieved Initial Operational Capability.

As rumoured at the recent Land Warfare Conference, BAE Systems and EXPAL Systems have teamed to bid for Australia's Domestic Munitions Manufacturing Arrangements (DMMA) project.

US Air Force Space Command announced last week that the fifth Wideband Global SATCOM satellite's launch will not occur in January as planned, a ripple effect of the Air Force's ongoing analysis of what went wrong during an early October launch of a GPS satellite in Florida, which is functioning properly and undamaged during the launch.

A rather bland and not very informative report in the recently published RAAA Journal Ironsides provides an update on the Land 400 Land Combat Vehicle System which has some parallels with the US Ground Combat Vehicle program.

Iveco - Oto Melara Consortium (CIO) has announced its intention to offer its extensive range of proven armoured vehicles for the Land 400 program.

With Second Pass for Land 400 out to 2018-2021 and the Initial Operational Capability anticipated for 2026-2028 one has to wonder what is being done to extend the life of the Army's ASLAV fleet since the planned Phase 4 mid-life upgrade that was to have commenced in 2012, appears to have evaporated.

General Dynamics Land Systems has displayed the current Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) and Light Armoured Vehicle II (LAV II) Double-V Hull demonstrator vehicle at Techport, South Australia.

As part of last week's AUSMIN discussions, an memorandum of understanding was signed regarding the establishment of a jointly-operated C-band radar space surveillance installation at the Harold E. Holt naval communication facility in Exmouth, Western Australia.

The RAAF has unveiled a unique tail art scheme on one of its C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, ahead of the type's retirement from service on November 30.

BMT Defence Services, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd has celebrated first place at this year's Industry Powerboat Challenge organised by QinetiQ.

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