* Defense diet: Pentagon chief Gates opposes recommendation of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility to slash the defense budget [PDF] by $100 billion over 5 years and apply the savings to deficit reduction.
* GlobalPost covers ISAF’s pre-winter push on the ground in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the UK hands over command of Kandahar Airfield, with 30,000 personnel, in southern Afghanistan to a US commander.
* Tel Aviv University scientist Fernando Patolsky’s team thinks they have an explosives detector that’s better than bomb-sniffing dogs. The USA, which seems to be looking for a bomb-sniffing, all-terrain golf cart with arms, might want to pay attention.
* Artificial Intelligence guru Douglas Hofstadter discusses his latest book with WIRED.
* Britain takes delivery of its 7th C-17A heavy aerial transport.
* Turkish ultimatum: Turkey wants a leading role in the NATO missile defense system in exchange for allowing radars to be placed on its territory.
* Research and Markets: German military spends 1/3rd of its $43.5 billion defense budget on procurement of military hardware.
* French cabinet shakeup could boost efforts to modernize military, expand ties with UK. Former prime minister Alain Juppé is the new minister of defense.
* New French blast-resistant Aravis VBHP vehicles arrive in Afghanistan [in French, w. video].
* Kaman Corp., a Bloomfield, CT-based maker of components for the military and commercial aviation markets, is offering $100 million worth of 3.25% convertible notes due 2017.