Briefly noted

Decision in Defense procurement case could set precedent

Last week’s federal court decision overturning the law that established a 5 percent goal for awarding defense contracts to socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses could affect other minority contracting programs, procurement observers said on Tuesday.

Elbit completes acquisition of Innovative Concepts for $15 million

Elbit Systems of America, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd, announced that on 11 November 2008 it acquired all of the shares of Innovative Concepts, Inc. from Herley Industries, Inc. in a $15 million all cash transaction. Innovative Concepts, located in McLean, Virginia, is a wireless communications technology firm specializing in design, production and support of real-time embedded systems and high-speed processing solutions for defense and homeland security applications.

Huntsville grows into major explosives hub

The new federal explosives center that broke ground at Redstone Arsenal last week is the latest installment in Senator Richard Shelby’s bid to make Huntsville, Alabama the “explosives capital of the world.” The project is one of two major national bomb labs that Shelby helped bring to Alabama from Virginia. The FBI also is moving much of its Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center to Redstone.