Air China told Reuters the total investment and overall size of the joint venture's fleet had yet to be agreed, but it hopes to have a deal finalized before the Shanghai World Expo begins in May 2010.

FORBES: Air China Leads Cathay Into Shanghai

With 40 percent of the federal budget currently being borrowed and military planners searching for hundreds of billions of dollars in savings to help rein in spending, some shrinkage in the size of the joint force seems inevitable.

FORBES: Despite Budget Woes, The Navy Is Unlikely To Cut Carriers

Under the plan, AirAsia, Southeast Asia's largest carrier by fleet size, is to own a 49% stake in the joint venture.

WSJ: AirAsia to Start Hiring For India Venture

This device, developed at the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate in Quantico, Virginia, is a microwave transmitter the size and shape of a small satellite dish that pivots on top of an armoured car.

ECONOMIST: Electromagnetic weapons