* Negotiations between US House and Senate lawmakers failed yesterday to lead to an agreement on a bill meant to fix the Veteran Affairs’ egregious and urgent problems. * The State department also reminds Congress that issuing more visas for Afghan interpreters...
* 2 Ukrainian Su-25 close support jets were downed by pro-Russian rebels yesterday. Given their flight profiles, MANPADS are a likely culprit. Artillery and rocket fire has also been reported in several places, including coming from Russia according to the (pro-Kiev)...
* The US Department of Defense now expects to spend $26B more in procurement and research/development by the end of the current fiscal year (Sept. 30) than outlined in recent budget documents. Up until April their contracting was significantly below last year though...
* According to a Danish newspaper Saab bowed out of Denmark’s fighter jet competition [in Danish] because they think the country’s participation in the F-35 program makes the deal a foregone conclusion. Politiken [in Danish] | Reuters. The F-35 was barely...
* The missile that took down flight MH17 may have been stolen by pro-Russian insurgents at the end of last month, since they proclaimed to have taken control of BUK systems as then relayed by state-owned Russian media. * An unnamed American intelligence officer told...
