* The US Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) finalized its Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) RFP to handle the Technology Development (TD) phase of the program, following Technology Maturation efforts that involved ITT, BAE, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. NGJ will first replace ALQ-99 pods on Growlers. More details from NAVAIR.
* Pentagon #2 Ashton Carter says it will take 3 months to ramp up truck traffic through Pakistan to Afghanistan. Meanwhile it seems Pakistan is struggling to figure out exactly how much they will get from the US in reconciled Coalition Support Funds.
* NATO’s Defense College released a paper [PDF] on post-combat Afghanistan that has the merit of setting realistic, if low, expectations: “The likely scenario is a modest Enduring Partnership that minimizes the risk of combat and the semblance of security guarantees.”
* France has withdrawn [in French] its Mirage fighters from Afghanistan. President Hollande has slightly watered down his campaign promise by agreeing to leave some support troops after the end of the year, but combat troops will be gone.
* Several Republican senators on the armed services committee are ready to consider a number of revenue-raising measures to trade with Democrats for an end to sequestration, though they’re keen to avoid the T word (taxes).
* A group of 10 US congressmen from both parties sent a letter to Defense Secretary Panetta urging him to stop buying from Rosoboronexport, given Russia’s continued support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Some senators made a similar tie between the Pentagon’s Mi-17 purchase (on behalf of Afghanistan) and the situation in Syria back in March.
* Rosoboronexport and Finmeccanica are going to work together on maritime patrol aircraft, according to RIA Novosti.
* Russian commentator Ilya Kramnik makes predictions on future air force procurement in his country, translated into English here.