* Conflict between rebel factions in Syria is breaking out.
* Roll Call offers a likely scenario for how the back-and-forth between the US House of Representatives and the Senate may unfold in the weeks to come in a way that averts a government shutdown while allowing all parties to save face. 1 oz process, 2 oz posturing, shaken, not stirred.
* The Netherlands has confirmed their purchase of (only) 37 JSFs and the sale of their JSS, in a context of declining budgets over the next 5 years. Whitepaper [PDF] | Announcement by Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert [both links in Dutch].
* DCNS CEO Patrick Boissier explained [in French] to France’s defense commission in the lower chamber that decreasing the number of ships ordered in the next 5 years will increase cost-per-ship and lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs. FREMM frigates were supposed to be delivered at the rate of 1 every 10 months, but the “LPM” multi-year budget law currently under discussion may lengthen that to 14 months. This would cost 450 million euros, or about the cost of 1 frigate. The 2009-14 LPM originally planned deliveries of a total of 17 frigates delivered every 7 months.
* Beyond just the Dutch and French, the number of ships operated by NATO European members is declining faster than the shrinking US fleet.
* France is considering delaying the phased withdrawal of its troops in Mali by several months because UN troops are not ramping up fast enough, according to Europe 1 [in French].
* Post-Snowden aftermath in Brazil: President Dilma Rousseff not only postponed a US state visit, but Petrobras is also making claims of large data security investments. Some of the measures floated in the country in reaction to NSA spying would be so unpractical and expensive that they are unlikely to be implemented, but people at Boeing must be scrambling to remain in the race against Dassault.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin is satisfied with some of the tech developed for his ground forces, but he thinks support, management or logistics are potential weak links. Putin wants his country to develop precision weapons, save its small firearms sector, and pay its defense industry workers better.
* China self-reportedly successfully completed takeoff and landing tests with J-15s at maximum gross weight aboard their Liaoning carrier. Pictures.
* Today’s video features USAF General ‘Hawk’ Carlisle (don’t call him Herbert), the Commander of USPACOM’s air component, speaking at the Air Force Association’s Air & Space conference about the Asia/Pacific rebalance (aka “pivot”), going “from Hollywood to Bollywood.” He’s most concerned about missile proliferation, and he doesn’t think tracking jet numbers is a significant metric, as “it’s a home game” [for the Chinese] who have thousands of air defense missiles: