* DARPA is organizing a proposer’s day [FBO] on December 16 in Arlington, VA, to discuss the Target Recognition and Adaption in Contested Environment (TRACE), a program meant to “develop algorithms and techniques that rapidly and accurately identify military targets using radar sensors on manned and unmanned tactical platforms.”
India: US, Russian Relationships
* India’s government announced [International Business Times] they are forming a panel of officials to ease US investments in the country, especially in manufacturing, which presumably includes defense and aerospace. President Obama will visit Prime Minister Modi in India next month, shortly after Modi’s state visit to the US. They may be ready to make more substantial announcements then.
* Puneet Talwar, who was appointed in April as US Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and one of few Indian-Americans [Times of India] in the US State Department, spoke in Delhi yesterday to continue the US push for the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) initiated by Ashton Carter in 2012.
* If Carter is indeed confirmed as the new US Defense Secretary, cooperation with India is likely to be high on his agenda. According to the Economic Times’ unnamed sources, “India has shortlisted 5 of the 17 hi-tech items of military hardware offered by the US for co-production and co-development under DTTI”.
* Russian President Putin will visit India on December 11 and 12, and like the US and France, Russia seems willing to go along with Modi’s “Make India” policy. Will the Russians also drop talks of resuming armament exports to Pakistan? Hindustan Times | ITAR TASS.
US-Israel
* The US House of Representatives passed S. 2673 on Wednesday, the version of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act already agreed to by the Senate in September. Once signed by the president, the bill will, among other things, extend authority to transfer certain obsolete or surplus Department of Defense (DOD) items to Israel. AP | Times of Israel.
Iraq
* The Pentagon confirmed [BBC] reports that Iran has been conducting strikes with its F-4s in eastern Iraq, but American policy remains that they won’t coordinate military activities with the Iranians, leaving airspace management to the Iraqis.
Corruption Investigations
* Airbus Defence and Space is under investigation in Munich, Bavaria about money transfers tied to border defense contracts with Saudi Arabia and Romania. Deutche Welle | Suddeutsche Zeitgeing [in German].
* Chinese major general Gao Xiaoyan was recently arrested and “taken away” after allegedly taking bribes in construction projects, reports Caixin.
Future Logistics
* RobotEnomics asks: is package delivery using micro UAVs viable?
UAVs After Afghanistan
* The Royal Australian Air Force just wrapped up the last mission of its Heron detachment in Afghanistan. 2 aircraft are brought back to Australia for further use. Video below:
