Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 31, 2010

NEW COMBAT SHIP - The Navy's newest littoral combat ship USS Independence arrives at Mole Pier at Naval Air Station Key West, March 29, 2010. It will then sail to Norfolk, Va., for initial testing and evaluation of its aluminum vessel before continuing to its homeport in San Diego. The Independence is a fast, agile, mission-focused ship specifically designed to defeat "anti-access" threats in shallow, coastal water regions, including surface craft, diesel submarines and mines. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Kontodiakos

Congressional Report Cites Problems With LCS Ships -- Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy sees the launch and recovery of smaller boats as a "major risk" to both competing designs for its new Littoral Combat Ship program, a congressional watchdog agency said on Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the research arm of Congress, said the Navy's risk assessment was troubling, given that watercraft launch and recovery are "essential to complete the LCS antisubmarine warfare and mine countermeasures missions" for the new class of warships.

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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

The USS Enterprise’s Long ESDRA Drydocking -- Defense Industry Daily

EADS ‘Will Bid,’ Sarkozy Says -- DoD Buzz

Boeing VP: DoD Cyber Spending To Grow, Even if Budgets Shrink -- Defense News

Drones may ship to Pakistan 'within a year': Pentagon -- AFP

US to consider Japan base alternatives -- AFP

Germany Weighs ‘Slight’ Reduction in A400M Orders -- Bloomberg

UK cuts Airbus transport plane order after cost over-runs -- The Telegraph

US Air Force prefers extending old fighters' life -- Reuters

Former AF Sec Wynne Says 75 More F-22s a Bargain at $173 Million Per -- Defense Tech

Dad of a fallen Marine perseveres against protests at military funerals -- Christian Science Monitor

iPad As A Secret Weapon -- Strategy Page

South Africa Prepares to Secure World Cup -- Global Security Newswire