A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter swiftly departs the flight line during dusk on Camp Taji, Iraq, Jan. 11, 2010. The helicopter is assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, which conducts aviation operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to support U.S. and Iraqi forces.

– Ever wonder why so many terrorists have engineering degrees? Isegoria has the answers.

– War is Boring (yes, they’re on a roll) analyzes the new Russian T-50 and finds it to be an update of the Su-30, rather than some sort of “Raptorski.”

– The 60 Minutes piece of several nights ago on the “quiet professionals” is pilloried by Tim Lynch. So many mistakes on so many levels, and the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ of embedding only makes it worse. Though if this was the best footage of these guys… what was the other stuff like? (via Registan)

– Petraeus has announced that in addition to the eight-land based Patriot missile batteries, two Aegis destroyers are on station ready to intercept outgoing missiles. Too bad about that SBX radar.

– ‘Humane bombs‘: an oxymoron no more?