* According to a Danish newspaper Saab bowed out of Denmark’s fighter jet competition [in Danish] because they think the country’s participation in the F-35 program makes the deal a foregone conclusion. Politiken [in Danish] | Reuters. The F-35 was barely disguised in a couple episodes of Denmark’s highly recommended Borgen TV series.
Middle East
* The conflict in Gaza now took more than 600 lives. Israel lost 27 soldiers since ground operations started, as Hamas is proving less hapless than in past fights.
* Can’t keep up with who hates whom in the Middle East? Here’s a handy cheat sheet [seen on Twitter, source unknown], though it’s missing a few players such as Qatar. This should be a live dashboard too, given shifting makeshift alliances.
Russia
* The shooting of MH17 doesn’t seem to be enough for China to stop its implicit but consistent support for Russia since its invasion of Crimea.
Asia
* India Today adds some more hard numbers behind the Indian Navy’s helicopter problem – and hence its ASW problem.
MRAP Attack
* Some police departments across the US are getting more post-Afghanistan freebies from the Department of Defense than they could possibly need.
* Speaking of Afghanistan after the departure of Western troops:
“Many in Afghanistan worry that the soaring violence shows the Taliban […] are on the rise again as international military forces rapidly withdraw at a time when an election crisis threatens to undermine the next Afghan government and the country’s first democratic transition of power.”
RIMPAC 2014
* Their raspberry berets might be an acquired taste, but humming by an Indonesian Marinir provides a good soundtrack to today’s video, courtesy of the US Marine Corps. They trained together in Hawaii earlier this month to practice jungle patrols.
