Today's headlines

EADS Willing to Consider Splitting Air Force Tanker Contract With Boeing
The chief executive of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. said the company would be open to splitting a $35 billon U.S. defence contract for refuelling tankers, The New York Times reported Thursday.
New York Times

Thales CEO could head Areva supervisory board
Denis Ranque, chief executive of French defence electronics group Thales, could become head of the supervisory board of French nuclear power specialist Areva, French daily La Tribune reported on Friday.
Reuters

Gates plans relaunch of Army-vehicle revamp

Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans to seek full funding for the Army's flagship modernization program after scrapping an $87 billion ground vehicle segment to make greater use of lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Reuters

French Navy placed order for third Projection and Command Vessel

As part of the Government's recovery plan, STX France and DCNS have been given the contract to build the French Navy's third Projection and Command Vessel (BPC) for the French Navy.

Defpro

U.S. Army Awards ITT $121 Million Contract for Night Vision Goggles

ITT Corporation has received a $121 million order from the U.S. Army Research, Development & Engineering Command Acquisition Center for the AN/PVS-14, ITT's most popular night vision goggle. This order represents the fifth largest ever received by the division.

Defpro

Typhoon order to be split

The final tranche of Eurofighters will be divided into two orders in an effort to counter the affects of the credit crunch, a leading executive at EADS has said.

Defence Management

India says France's Dassault out of fighter deal

France's Dassault Aviation is out of the running for a $10 billion contract to supply India with 126 fighter jets, an Indian defence ministry spokesman said on Thursday, but Dassault said it was unaware of the decision.

Reuters

MI5 set to recruit science chief

MI5 is to appoint a chief scientific adviser, BBC News has learned. The role will involve working with senior intelligence staff to combat terrorism and support counter-intelligence operations.

BBC News

12 Russian targets for U.S. nuclear missiles

The Federation of American Scientists and Natural Resources Defense Council has published a study entitled From Counterforce to Minimal Deterrence: A New Nuclear Policy on the Path Toward Eliminating Nuclear Weapons. It recommends abandoning the decades-old "counterforce" doctrine and replacing it with a new and much less ambitious targeting policy that the authors call "minimal deterrence."

RIA Novosti

Aerospace chiefs fear for supply chain in crisis

The aerospace industry's supply chain is struggling to secure finance as the credit crunch hits smaller sector players, the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) said on Thursday.

Reuters

2,000 British troops ready for Afghanistan mission

Two thousand troops designated by army chiefs for possible deployment to Afghanistan to boost Britain's military presence to 10,000 are on "high readiness for operations".

The Times