Rapid Fire 2010-11-17: Aravis VBHP

* Defense diet: Pentagon chief Gates opposes recommendation of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility to slash the defense budget [PDF] by $100 billion over 5 years and apply the savings to deficit reduction. * GlobalPost covers ISAF’s pre-winter push on the ground in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the UK hands over command of Kandahar Airfield, with 30,000 personnel, in southern Afghanistan to a US commander. * Tel Aviv University scientist Fernando Patolsky’s team thinks they have an explosives detector that’s better than bomb-sniffing dogs. The USA, which seems to be looking for a bomb-sniffing, all-terrain golf cart with arms, might want to pay attention. * Artificial Intelligence guru Douglas Hofstadter discusses his latest book with WIRED. * Britain takes delivery of its 7th C-17A heavy aerial transport. * Turkish ultimatum: Turkey wants a leading role in the NATO missile defense system in exchange for allowing radars to be placed on its territory. * Research and Markets: German military spends 1/3rd of its $43.5 billion defense budget on procurement of military hardware. * French cabinet shakeup could boost efforts to modernize military, expand ties with UK. Former prime minister Alain Juppé is the new minister of defense. * New French blast-resistant […]