* Finnish Defence Forces have started researching [Uutiset] how to replace an aging Hornet fighter fleet, for an estimated €6B. Greater air defense cooperation with Sweden could give the JAS-39E/F Gripen a “second time lucky” edge; the original JAS-39A/B Gripen lost to Boeing’s F/A-18C/D Hornet.
* Sweden has been investigating for several days sightings of “foreign underwater activity” which is a euphemism for “Russian submarine”. The Russians said maybe the Dutch confused Swedish surveillance, which the Dutch of course deny. BBC | FT.
* This reminder that we’re running our yearly readership survey is not so stealthy, but we’re blaming the Estonians for putting it there anyway. Thanks for your time and input.
* NATO would like [Navy Times] to see more US ships in the European theater, as Russia becomes more aggressive and active in the region. The USA would like to see Europe spend more and take its own defense seriously, as Russia becomes more aggressive and active in the region. That’s a tall order, when the French government can’t figure out the math [Le Monde, in French] to back up supposed savings necessary to stop its healthcare system from bleeding billions of euros every year.
* The modern Royal Navy as seen by the Daily Mirror: 22 surface combatants and assault ships, 33 admirals. You can’t fire admirals at the enemy. Well, you can, but the kinetics are really poor.
Littoral Ship Market
* CMN’s proposed OCEAN EAGLE 43 MH trimaran minehunter [Navy Recognition], displayed at Euronaval 2014, is interesting as a comparative look at other proposed solutions for littoral patrol and mine warfare ships. Like the American LCS it does aim to operate with a small crew while being modular, but on the other hand this design doesn’t try to break speed records.
How to Grow Exports
* Martin Neill, a former staffer at the British Embassy in Washington and now a consultant in international defense sales, explains [Defense News] some of the challenges facing defense companies trying to develop their sales abroad.
Middle East
* McClatchy : the deepening U.S. commitment to Kobani ties Obama’s Islamic State effort to Kurds’ fate.
* After the Shaitat massacre [WaPo], don’t expect a ton of Sunni tribal revolts against ISIS. “We saw what the Americans did to help the Yazidis and the Kurds. But they have done nothing to help the Sunnis against the Islamic State…” Given that the Sunnis are the key element required to defeat ISIS, that’s a problem.
* Iraq is requesting [DSCA] a $600M tank ammunition Foreign Military Sale from the US.
Asia
* The Stimpson Center think tank hosted a panel on US-Japan-Australia relations, in the video below: