United Kingdom to double its armed drone fleet in Afghanistan
The British military says it is doubling the size of its armed drone fleet in Afghanistan to 10 with the purchase of a batch of new Reapers.
The Ministry of Defense said late Oct. 22 that five recently-purchased unmanned aerial vehicles would be remotely operated from the Royal Air Force base at Waddington, in central England.
Up until now Royal Air Force crews had operated the drones from the United States’ Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. The Guardian newspaper, which first reported the news, said that the British pilots would gradually be moved to Waddington. AP
China reshuffles top officers ahead of congress
China has named a new air force chief and reshuffled other top military positions ahead of next month’s appointment of new Communist Party leaders.
State broadcaster CCTV said Oct. 23 that former Deputy Chief of Staff Ma Xiaotian has been made head of the air force. Ma is well known as a frequent participant in the Chinese military’s overseas exchanges.
CCTV says he will be replaced by Wang Guanzhong, former head of the general office of the Central Military Commission that oversees the armed forces.
The broadcaster says Tian Xiusi has been named air force political commissar, while Zhu Fuxi has been named commissar of the Chengdu Military Region that includes much of southwestern China and Tibet.
The 2.3 million-member People’s Liberation Army is a highly influential force in Chinese politics. AP
Raytheon acquires Teligy for undisclosed price
Raytheon said Oct. 22 that it has acquired technology development company Teligy Inc. in a deal that will extend the defense company’s cybersecurity offerings for clients.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Teligy, headquartered in Greer, S.C., was founded in 2002 and specializes in products to help customers protect their wireless security. Raytheon said the deal will add critical wireless capabilities for its intelligence, defense and federal customers. Co-founders Vic Gunter, vice president of engineering, and Jason Yates, vice president of development, will remain with the company.
Raytheon said the deal will not have a material impact on its financial results in the fourth quarter of 2012 or the 2013 fiscal year. This is the company’s eleventh cyber-related acquisition since 2007. AP
