Defense
So far, this fall’s lame-duck congressional session has been stuffed with sensationalism, but defense insiders are confident that a defense authorization bill and sequestration won’t fall by the wayside. – Politico
AM General’s corporate ancestors built jeeps in World War II. The company designed and still builds the military’s iconic Humvee. But in the battle to build the Humvee’s replacement, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, AM General is ironically not the incumbent but the scrappy underdog. – AOL Defense
Teufel Hunden are forming the first squadron of pilots to fly the next-generation strike fighter jet, months after lawmakers raised concern that there was a rush to end the testing of an aircraft hit with technical problems. – Associated Press
To avoid further damage, new cuts must skirt areas that affect core U.S. forces, such as troops, equipment, training and the modernization of weapons systems. While there is potential for substantial reductions outside these areas, achieving them would require a sea change in Congress, which has shielded the fat of the Pentagon budget. – Washington Post
House Speaker John Boehner should rally Republicans around the idea that the sequester, including its defense cuts, should proceed absent a very compelling offer from Mr. Obama on taxes or spending reform. This will allow Republicans to test how far the president will go to avoid roughly $100 billion in cuts to discretionary spending in 2013. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The future does not belong to the timid, but to those whose lives depend on getting 21st century capabilities into the combat force. Enhanced persistent presence for a 21st century strategy rolls out one F-35 squadron at a time. – AOL Defense
Foreign Armies East
Gulf states are planning a fresh round of big arms buys from US and European manufacturers, as they replace old equipment and respond to the perceived threat of Iran and other regional security concerns. – Financial Times
Nato member states have agreed to supply Turkey with an advanced Patriot missile system to defend against Syrian attacks and talks on its deployment are in the final stage, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Turkey opened the door to talks with Kurdish militants it brands terrorists on Monday, raising hopes of a push to end a conflict which has killed tens of thousands of people and stunted development in its mainly Kurdish southeast. – Reuters
The devastating Sudan strike appears to have been the latest episode in a shadowy war between Israel and at least two of its enemies: Iran and Hamas. – CNN’s Security Clearance
With some 70,000 Israeli troops poised for prospective ground war in Gaza, political leaders here are again grappling with the costs versus benefits of supplementing standoff strikes with boots on the ground. – Defense News
Spending in Southeast Asia on ballistic missiles, submarines and other weapons has ballooned as regional governments eye China’s rapidly increasing armed forces capabilities, the Australian Age newspaper reported on Monday. – Global Security Newswire
Russian imitations of aircraft, radar, missiles and other equipment are being supplanted by high-quality made-in-China replacements. Granted, much of the equipment has Russian or Ukrainian roots, but Chinese engineers and manufacturers have learned just about as much as can be learned from them. China’s military industrial revolution has come of age. – Defense News
Battles broke out Monday in the eastern Congolese city of Goma between government troops and rebel forces allegedly backed by neighboring Rwanda, threatening to engulf one of Africa’s largest countries in new conflict. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Missile Defense
With missiles proliferating and the world unprepared to stop Iran’s nuclear program, missile defenses are becoming more urgent than ever for the U.S. The Israelis are showing the importance of being protected in an era of rogue missiles. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Missile defenses alone are inadequate to deter increasing numbers of Chinese missiles. The goal would be to build a non-nuclear reconnaissance strike complex that would allow U.S., allied and friendly forces to quickly take out Chinese naval forces, deterring Beijing from using its growing naval might. – Defense News
