Defense Contractors

Manning Unmanned Systems

Eyes glaze over when diving deep into Defense Science Board studies, those phonebook-thick reports (today more PDF than pdf) salted through with buzz phrases (potentially unlimited persistent capabilities, bounded autonomous

Honoring Intrepidity

There was a special eight-page “advertising supplement” tucked into the rear of Sunday’s Washington Post. “Section R” was crammed with the details and history of those who have displayed enough “conspicuous gallantry and …

Saying Twice, Paying Once?

One of Battleland’s crew of ace accountants flipped Monday’s list of Pentagon contract announcements our way, and pointed out this drone upgrade program (you can click on it to enlarge):

Then he tossed us Friday’s list, and pointed to this one:

Just a simple error, the Air Force said Tuesday.

“This contract was …

Better Late Than Never

Interesting Pentagon contract buried deep in the long list it announced Friday. The Army awarded nearly $15 million to Jorge Scientific of Arlington, Va., to “provide for the modification of an existing contract to research and develop a methodology for counter insurgency operations. Work will be performed in Arlington and Afghanistan…”

Bigger Bang For The Buck

The Navy has just authorized full-rate production of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, a laser-guided rocket system that manufacturer BAE Systems says costs only a third as much the Hellfire missile commonly …

“Rent-Seeking”

Rent-seeking is a phrase increasingly in vogue by folks without real jobs. Wikipedia defines it as “an attempt to obtain economic rent by manipulating the social or political environment in which economic activities occur, rather than by creating new wealth.” Synonym: the U.S. defense industry and its allies, c. 2012.

Thomas …

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