Strategy Page

choi

(1) The 50 Ruble Army. Feb 20, 2012
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20120220.aspx
("Russia has apparently quietly adopted the Chinese tactics of paying Internet users a small fee to post pro-government responses on message boards * * * The CIA has used a similar technique to counter anti-American, or pro-terrorist, activity on the Internet")

(2) Smoldering SLBMs Smothered. Feb 19, 2012
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htchem/articles/20120219.aspx
("It was recently revealed that a Russian submarine, that caught fire while in a dry dock last December, still had 16 nuclear ballistic missiles, plus four non-nuclear torpedoes stored in launch tubes")

(3)India Reinvents Obsolete F-16s. Feb 17, 2012
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htproc/articles/20120217.aspx
("India is buying 99 American F414 jet engines for $8.1 million each. These will be used for the new LCA (Light Combat Aircraft, or "Tejas") jet fighter. Eventually, most of the LCAs built will be powered by the Indian Kaveri engine, which is still in development hell")

Note:
(a)
(i) GTRE GTX-35VS Kaveri
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GTRE_GTX-35VS_Kaveri
(ii) Kaveri
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaveri
(an Indian river)
(b) HAL Tejas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_Tejas
(Manufacturer  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL); Status  in production; Unit cost  US$31 million; Reference 5)

At $31m, it is almost as expensive as F-16 itself.

The "tejas" is Sanskrit for the English noun (not adjective) "light."
   
(c) Snecma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snecma
(Snecma used to be an acronym for Société Nationale d'Étude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation (in English, "National Company for the Design and Construction of Aviation Engines") until April 27, 2004; Snecma was formed in 1945 when the large French aero engine firm Gnome & Rhône was nationalized; now private)
(d) General Electric F414
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_F414
(First Run 1883; Major applications  [Boeing] F/A-18E/F Super Hornet)