* NATO looks to use local military spending to boost Afghanistan’s economy. That may just be an interim step, though – 2006 surveying by P-3 aircraft discovered a very surprising volume of valuable minerals: iron, copper, lithium, rare earths, gold, and more. See also Bloomberg.
* “The sun in the sky: The relationship between Pakistan’s ISI and Afghan insurgents” [PDF Report | BBC | al-Jazeera interview] by Harvard’s Matt Waldman and London School of Economics analysts cites Taliban commanders, alleges that Pakistan’s ISI intelligence service still plays a key role in supplying and advising the Taliban. Recent seizures coming from Iran [PDF] add a second dimension of foreign support.
* The French arms purchasing agency mulls purchase of Predator-type UAVs from General Atomics. These reports have surfaced before, and in March 2010 a multinational study was commissioned.
* Russia plans to conduct another test launch of its troubled Bulava (SS-NX-30) submarine-launched ballistic missile in the third quarter of 2010.
* Flip flop: Russian government can’t decide whether S-300 air-defense missile systems are covered under UN sanctions of Iran.
* NATO member Belgium gives a Flemish separatist party the most seats in its 2010 election, a first. The party’s share of Chamber (27/150) and Senate (9/40) seats is far short of a majority on its own, however, and coalition negotiations will be interesting.
* Encore, Encore: Northrop Grumman gets order worth up to $95 million to work on systems interoperability for the Global Combat Support System-Joint (GCSS-J) under DISA’s Encore II contract vehicle.
* Goin’ to Kathmandu: Nepal Army conducts military training with participants from India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.