The Dutch Navy is facing a tough choice. The parliament has ordered it to sell four of its Karel Dorman-class frigates. Wanting to keep the maximum number of ships in service, the Dutch Navy may have to offer up both of its Heemsckerck-class air defense frigates. The money from either sale would be used to buy C-130s and to keep the F-16s in service.--Stephen V Cole

The Czech Republic has issued its expected request for bids to replace its entire combat Air Force of 120 MiG-21s, Su-22s, and Su-25s. This is the first of several expected orders from former Warsaw Pact nations now part of NATO, and could set the tone for future deals. Eurofighter's Typhoon, France's Rafale, Sweden's Gryphon, and the US F-16 and F-18 are all competing hard for the deal, and the Czechs are trying to get the most out of it in terms of industrial offsets and transferred technology. Boeing is reportedly falling out of the competition since it closed the assembly line for the F-18C and the new F-18E Super Hornet (at $60 million) is too expensive for the Czechs.--Stephen V Cole