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LA Times, Tuesday, February 27, 2007: An article in the Business Section titled "Full ceramic jacket". This is about a company named Ceradyne, based in Costa Mesa. Apparently this company struggled for several years (founded in 1967), they manufactured ceramic based products "... as varied as orthodontic braces and components for diesel engines". Then, in 2001, they received a contract to produce lightweight bullet-proof armor for US troops. In 2006, the article reports, the company saw an 80% boost in revenue from the year before.

I don't have any problem with supplying troops with protective gear. My understanding as been that this has been sorely lacking. I even have personal reasons to hope that such equipment is available as I have a 50 year old sister in the army reserve about to be stationed in Iraq. What worries me is a statement on the front page of the business section: "The company is setting its sights on generating $1 billion a year in revenue by 2010. That's up from barely $45 million in 2000".

I guess they hope for continued warfare. This is just too much like that old "military-industrial complex" from the '60's. It's just too bad that NASA doesn't have the resources to spend that kind of money. Do you suppose that Ceradyne could make components for space vehicles and/or suits?