Today's headlines

EADS faces penalties even if A400M project saved
Airbus parent EADS could have to pay up to 1.4 billion euros in penalties for delays to its A400M military plane, even if European nations reaffirm the troubled programme, according to its annual report.
Reuters

Skanska scoops £150m MoD job
Skanska has won a £150 million contract by the Ministry of Defence to design and build a secure facility at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire.
Construction News

Dassault Aviation gets regulatory nod to buy 21% in Thales

French aviation group Dassault Aviation has got regulatory clearance to acquire 21% in local defence group Thales from Franco-US telecomms equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent, Les Echos wrote on 27 April 2009.

Trading Markets

Political parties' proposed defence axe threatens security, jobs & businesses

The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), the UK's aerospace, defence and security trade association, has today (Monday) warned that uncertainty, short-term thinking and threats to defence spending projects from both Labour and the Conservatives are putting our security, our armed forces, future industry investment and jobs at risk.

SBAC Press Release

Territorial Army recruits to be fast-tracked to the front line

A review of Britain's military reserves published on Tuesday will recommend an enhanced training regime for members of the TA, to allow them to work more closely with regular troops on operations.

The Telegraph

Radioactive waste leaks from Faslane nuclear submarine base

Britain's nuclear submarine base at Faslane has had so many safety breaches - including leaks of radioactive material - that they have become a "recurring theme", according to a confidential government report.

The Telegraph

More work needed to fix Pentagon procurement

Outgoing chief U.S. arms buyer John Young on Monday took aim at the Pentagon's vast bureaucracy, saying the department needed to become more flexible and agile in managing weapons programs, and do a better job attracting good people to do that work.

Reuters

China, India and UAE are the world's biggest arms importer

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released a study with the world's biggest arms importer and supplier. According to the study, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the third-biggest arms importer worldwide.

Defpro

QinetiQ Nimrod warnings ignored

A safety report on the Nimrod surveillance aircraft found nearly 1,500 faults and 26 major safety issues which could have posed a severe threat to the planes and their crews, even though a defence minister insisted that the report contained no major airworthiness issues.

Defence Management