* DARPA is organizing an industry day on July 10 in Arlington, VA to discuss Blue Wolf, a program meant to create prototypes of undersea vehicles that go beyond the speed-range boundaries of existing fixed-size platforms. There is $13.9M in the agency’s FY15 budget request to get this started, as a follow-up to earlier programs that were initiated almost a decade ago.
Just So Fried
* A Pentagon report seen by Bloomberg projects F-35 upgrade costs to significantly decline from earlier estimates. The savings will be welcome to cover for an F-35A severely damaged on Monday in a fire at Eglin AFB, FL.
Iraq
* At least 81 Iraqis were killed in an ISIS attack on a convoy that took place yesterday just 20 miles from Baghdad.
* The US came to a lighting-fast agreement with Iraq on troop immunity, showing that when there’s a will, there’s a way.
* American military advisers won’t be paid with OCO funds (i.e. war funding) after all.
* According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, military vehicles of US origin recently seized by ISIL in Iraq have been seen in Syria.
Ukrainian Relief?
* Russian President Putin requested the repeal of the resolution passed in March that authorized a military intervention in Ukraine.
* Pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine have agreed to a 4-day ceasefire and talks with Kiev’s government.
Chinese Play Book
* You have to give credit where credit is due: the Chinese are fairly consistent in how they portray their strained relations with their neighbors. Japan “plays the trick of a thief crying “Stop thief”, makes unfounded countercharges, and plays up the “China threat” fallacy.” And Vietnam “may feel the need for orchestrating a self-injury scenario to slander China for taking advantage of its stronger national strength to “bully the weaker” and cheat international opinion.” Propaganda 101: accuse the other party of using the tactics and committing the acts you are actually committing yourself.
Who Posted This?
* Has the House of Representatives taken over the Pentagon’s official Youtube channel? You might think so looking at the description of the video below: “After much debate, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is not yet going to be retired.”
