Briefings : A400M, New Armour, Combat SAR

EADS has reached a deal in principle with it's seven European partners about extra funding to cover some of the cost overruns during development of the A400M transport. EADS will get 3.5 billion euros extra though that will still leave them with a short fall of 1.7 billion.

The MOD Investment Approvals Board will meet today to select who will build 2 new armoured vehicles for the Army. The FRES Specialist Vehicle and Warrior IFV upgrade contracts could be worth up to £5 billion. For FRES SV BAE's CV90 is up against General Dynamics UK's ASCOD SV. BAE is up against Lockheed Martin for the Warrior Capability Sustainment programme.

Type 42 destroyer HMS Nottingham has been officially decommissioned. The future frigate FSC will apparently be the Type 26 when its built. Argentina has gone to the UN for help with their Falklands dispute though the UN have pretty much told them "so what" (in nice diplomatic language of course).

The USAF has abandoned looking for a large helicopter for the combat search & rescue mission and instead may buy 112 Sikorsky UH-60Ms to recapitalize it's fleet. Australia have ordered 7 Chinooks and plan to decide on the helicopter to replace it's Seahawks next year.