* USNAVSEA released the RFP [FBO] for the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) which integrates with the LCS MCM Mission Module. Responses are due by October 27. They seek up to 18 vehicles with deliveries starting 30 months after the initial award.
Middle East
* ISIL insurgents have shown a video [WaPo] featuring an American M198 howitzer and allegedly shot in Syria. They combine military know-how [NYT] with strong funding from illicit sources [WSJ].
* It seems President Obama may get [The Hill] congressional support for strikes against ISIL in Syria were he to seek it, though some lawmakers doubt [Defense News] that the group poses a direct threat to the US. Still, this visualization by Periscopic shows how ISIL has reached lethal activity at a scale comparable to that of the Taliban.
* Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu’s cabinet is in revolt [The Telegraph] over Gaza ceasefire.
Ukraine’s Twitter War
* Ukraine is denouncing Russian’s “stealth” invasion [NYT] and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs even has its own hashtag. The Canadians fly to the rescue with a predictably polite and helpful map.
* But China’s Central Military Commission has no qualms announcing on the same day that they “vow to enhance military ties” with Russia.
Asia
* China and Vietnam call a maritime truce [USNI News]. Vietnam’s tough stance seems to have paid off.
Agile and Groomed
* In today’s video [transcript] Andy Berner from QSM, a consultancy, talks about the necessity of grooming the backlog of feature requirements in agile software projects (and that includes many defense projects these days):
