When PM Howard announces the constructors of the Air War Destroyers next week remember this: In 2005 The Federal Government chose Gibbs & Cox as the preferred designer for Navy's Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs) - one of Australia's largest and most complex Defence projects worth up to $6 billion. This decision was given to the US State Department as a foregone conclusion.

According to the Defence Minister of the day, Robert Hill "The selection of Gibbs and Cox as platform designer now completes the team whose responsibility it is to deliver the project."

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, just in time for the announcement, has released a report recommending the US design over the Spanish one. It made particular mention of the Gibbs and Cox' Arleigh Burke's capabilities with medium and long range cruise missiles.

As mentioned before, orders for the Aegis combat systems were announced to US Congress last year. As far as US military are concernded, Gibbs and Cox and Aegis fit hand-in-glove.

Told you so.

It's all about the Missile Shield.

Meanwhile, the scramjet has been finally launched from Woomera, heading for its planned zenith at 550 kilometres above the earth. They needed to time the launch to avoid the possibility of colliding with the International Space Station.

The world just became much smaller.