| December 5, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
Get the most comprehensive aggregation of defense news delivered by the world's largest independent newsroom covering military and defense.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
|
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
TODAY'S TOP 5
1. New data show incidents of rape in military much higher than previously reported
(Military Times) The estimated number of sexual assaults in the U.S. military dropped in 2014 but the number of rapes and violent sexual assaults is significantly higher than previously thought, according to new data released by the Defense Department and the Rand Corp.
2. Hagel Says the Decision To Leave the Pentagon Was Mutual
(Defense One) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's decision to resign was a mutual decision between him and President Barack Obama, Hagel told reporters Thursday.
3. Talk Stealthy to Me
(Kelley Sayler in War on the Rocks) As the Air Force Times recently reported, the F-22 and F-35A conducted their first integrated training mission earlier this month. Several observers declared this mission, which included offensive counter air, defensive counter air and interdiction operations, to be a success. But if the planes are to actually operate as a cohesive strike package in the complex A2/AD environments of the future, the services will first need to address a glaring gap in interoperability: data links.
4. 2015 pay pinch to be 2016 punch if sequester not lifted
(Military Update) Military folks will see compensation packages pinched in 2015 under a deal struck this week by House and Senate negotiators finalizing pay and benefit changes in the fiscal 2015 defense authorization bill.
5. Report: General's killer fired 30 rounds
(Army Times) Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, the first American general officer to be killed by combat fire since Sept. 11, was shot by an Afghan MP who fired approximately 30 rounds from a barracks bathroom window into a large crowd of coalition forces.
ISLAMIC STATE
AP Interview: US troops have immunity in Iraq
(Associated Press) Washington has an agreement with Baghdad on privileges and immunities for the growing number of troops based in Iraq who are helping in the fight against the Islamic State group, the new U.S. ambassador said Thursday.
Pentagon in Denial About Civilian Casualties of U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria
(Foreign Policy) U.S. and allied forces have reportedly killed dozens of civilians in airstrikes while bombing the Islamic State. But the Defense Department refuses to take responsibility.
President and Congress play waiting game on authorization for Islamic State action
(Washington Post) President Obama and Congress agree on the need to pass a new legal authority for the fast-expanding U.S. war against the Islamic State. But with uncharacteristic mutual deference, each has been waiting for the other to propose it first.
Who is paying for America's plan to train and equip Syrian rebels?
(Al-Monitor) The US House of Representatives passed an annual defense bill on Dec. 4 that makes it clear that US allies will pick up a sizable part of the tab for President Barack Obama's plan to train and equip vetted rebels in Syria.
Fighting by the fallen in Kobani
(CNN) CNN's Nick Paton Walsh takes a look inside the vital fight for Kobani, Syria where corpses are left on the front line.
INDUSTRY
France Awards 5 Billion Euros Scorpion Vehicle Contract
(Defense News) French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced on Friday an award to Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense (RTD) and Thales for the Army's 5 billion euros (US $6.1 billion) Scorpion vehicle and communications modernization program, defense officials said.
Exclusive: Pentagon to review Raytheon GPS ground system after cost spike
(Reuters) The Pentagon on Thursday said it had ordered a review of Raytheon Co's work on a new ground control system for Global Positioning System satellites after an Air Force-ordered restructuring drove the program's cost significantly higher.
Bogdan: Expect More Competition on F-35 Training
(Defense News) The head of the F-35 joint program office (JPO) wants to inject more competition into the training and simulation side of the program.
Northrop Grumman Board Authorizes $3 Billion Share-Buyback Plan
(Wall Street Journal) Northrop Grumman Corp. said its board authorized the repurchase of an additional $3 billion of the defense contractor's stock, as the company aims to buy back a quarter of its shares by the end of next year.
Why Eel Drones Are the Future of Naval Warfare
(Defense One) In the decade ahead, unmanned underwater vehicles, or UUVs, may have the same sort of disruptive effects on militaries as their flying counterparts. More than 12 countries are at work on undersea robots, which some militaries, including the United States, use to check for mines, map the sea floor and collect weather data. There's no reason they couldn't be used to defend battleships from small boats or even carry out attacks on enemy divers. But what will they look like? A team of researchers from Singapore led by Jianxin Xu recently debuted a robotic eel design prototype that could signal the future of undersea warfare.
Smartglasses Designed for Virtual Reality Imaging
(Defense News) A pair of futuristic looking eyeglasses stand out from the bulky wearable optic devices seen at I/ITSEC this week.
David's Sling to enter trial period in Israel
(IHS Jane's 360) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say they are about to deploy the David's Sling air defence system for a trial period, during which two tests will be carried out.
Helo for German Special Forces Conducts First Flight
(Defense News) In June of 2013, the German Army ordered from Airbus Helicopters 15 new multirole helicopters for its KSK Special Forces Command. Last week, representatives from the German military watched as the EC645 T2 successfully completed its first flight at the company's facility in Donauwörth, Bavaria.
IDEAS 2014: Nigeria 'close to signing up' for JF-17
(IHS Jane's 360) The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is close to finalising an order for the purchase of one or two squadrons of the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft co-produced by Pakistan and China, a senior Pakistani Ministry of Defence official told IHS Jane's on 2 December.
Ghana Announces Plans for Combat, Trainer, Transport Aircraft Buys
(Defense News) Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama says his government has set aside $300 million for the purchase of new combat, trainer and transport aircraft to support United Nations peacekeeping operations.
VETERANS
Bill would help vets complete STEM studies
(Military Times) Two congressmen are sponsoring legislation to give students additional GI Bill benefits if they are working toward degrees in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.
Hotline to Help Homeless Veterans Falls Short, Inspector General Says
(Wall Street Journal) A Department of Veterans Affairs hotline established to help homeless veterans missed thousands of opportunities to help at-risk vets last year, the agency's inspector general said.
Veterans March on Capitol Hill to Bring Suicide Prevention Bill to Floor
(CQ Roll Call) A group of veterans marched with American flags in hand to the Hart Senate Office Building Thursday to urge the Senate to act on a bill to prevent veteran suicides.
High costs threaten veterans' access to hepatitis C drug Sovaldi
(Stars & Stripes) A new drug holds the potential to cure hepatitis C in tens of thousands of veterans but will require billions in new spending to cover the cost, Department of Veterans Affairs officials told a Senate panel Wednesday.
A pill for Gulf War Syndrome?
(San Diego Union-Tribune) More than 20 years after Operation Desert Storm, at least 175,000 U.S. military veterans claim a broad range of mysterious symptoms known as Gulf War Syndrome.
VA delay triggers $6,324 bill for dying veteran who got married
(Seattle Times) When Rob Arthur was diagnosed with brain cancer back in January, the gaunt, gray-haired Vietnam veteran decided to wed his longtime girlfriend, Debbie Shafer, in a hospital room.
CONGRESS
US House Sends Massive Pentagon Policy Bill to Senate
(Defense News) The US House on Thursday easily passed a massive Pentagon policy bill, sending to the Senate a bill that would clear the military to spend $559.2 billion in fiscal 2015.
Defense bill lights up cigarette debate
(The Hill) Anti-smoking advocates are blasting this year's defense spending bill as another way to protect big tobacco in the United States.
Senators seek, then drop, new war authorization
(Associated Press) Senators raised but then postponed an effort Thursday to advance a new legal justification for U.S. military operations against the Islamic State, highlighting the difficulty of carrying out what lawmakers say is their constitutional duty to declare war.
Boehner Calls Out Obama, Wants 'Urgency' on AUMF for Islamic State
(Defense News) Congressional Republicans are stepping up efforts to legally authorize America's fight against the Islamic State, with the House GOP leader calling out President Barack Obama.
Forbes: Congress Must Fund Ohio Replacement Program, Increase Fleet Size
(DoDBuzz) The chair of the House Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee said Congress will find a way to fund the Navy's next-generation nuclear-armed submarine fleet and look to move toward significantly larger fleet numbers compared to the current Navy goal of 306 ships
House Passes US Coast Guard Bill
(Defense News) The House voted overwhelmingly late Wednesday to approve a policy bill for the US Coast Guard, 413-3. The bill now moves to the Senate where, as of late Thursday, it has yet to be scheduled for floor action. Legislators remain hopeful, however, that the upper house will vote on the bill before it closes out this year's session.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Congress docks pensions for senior Pentagon brass
(USA Today) Pensions for generals and admirals will be trimmed to ensure that they make no more in retirement than they earned while in uniform under an agreement on Pentagon spending for 2015 reached by Senate and House negotiators.
Pentagon personnel chief steps down
(Military Times) Pentagon personnel chief Jessica Wright abruptly stepped down Thursday, just days after the White House announced her boss, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, would leave as well.
DARPA's big-data push against sex trafficking
(C4ISR & Networks) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is using big data to develop techniques for combating sex trafficking, according to a London Post article, cited in Salon.
TRANSCOM looks to avoid repeat of POV problems
(Military Times) With this year's problematic peak moving season over, U.S. Transportation Command is looking ahead to avoid a repeat next year of delays in deliveries of troops' vehicles to and from overseas assignments.
The Pentagon Wants You To Tell Them What To Invest in for the Future
(Defense One) The Pentagon is asking for ideas from the private sector on breakthrough technologies to guide military investment for the next decade and beyond.
ARMY
Ferguson: Where was the National Guard?
(KSDK; St. Louis) The smoke has cleared here in this riot-battered city, but the answer to one burning question remains hazy: where was the National Guard on the night of the riots?
Special Forces staff sgt. killed in Afghanistan
(Army Times) A Special Forces soldier was killed Wednesday in Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced Thursday.
VIDEO: NIE addresses budget constraints by combining live and virtual training
(C4ISR & Networks) Exercise demands a lot from simulators as the NIE tests cutting-edge communications.
Lower test scores hurting Army recruitment efforts
(Army Times) Too many recruits these days lack not only physical fitness, but mental fitness, the Army's top recruiting general told reporters on Thursday.
Fort Hood gets UAV sense-and-avoid
(C4ISR & Networks) Fort Hood is receiving a sense-and-avoid system to help UAV operators avoid collisions.
Colonel charged with exposing woman to HIV recommended for trial
(Army Times) An investigating officer has recommended a senior Army National Guard officer face court-martial on charges he knowingly exposed a woman to HIV by having unprotected sex.
Man at center of Stolen Valor case once impersonated dead cop
(Courier Times; Bucks County, Pa.) A Philadelphia man apparently likes dressing up in uniforms.
Army's 'Crazy Colonel' up for Fan Hall of Fame
(Army Times) He's preparing to scream his lungs out for three-plus hours in frigid weather, cheering on a football team that hasn't defeated its rival in its last dozen tries.
NAVY
3-star: Secret recordings of female sailors on submarine a 'breach of trust'
(Navy Times) A day after revelations emerged that some of the first female submariners were secretly recorded in a shower changing area aboard their sub, the fleet's top submariner confirmed they were filmed by fellow crewmembers in what he called a "breach of trust" that has rocked the tight-knit submarine force.
Navy Blue Angel slides off runway in Maine
(Associated Press) A jet from the Navy's elite Blue Angels flight demonstration team skidded off a runway and got stuck in mud Thursday morning.
Navy identifies recruit who died after training
(Navy Times) The Navy has released the name of a recruit who died Monday, a day after completing Recruit Training Command's Battlestations final training event.
Navy receives first Mq-8C Fire Scout
(C4ISR & Networks) The MQ-8C, an upgraded MQ-8B Fire Scout with a larger airframe, can fly nearly twice as long and carry three times more payload.
Bill Cosby's honorary chief status revoked amid controversy
(Navy Times) Comedy legend Bill Cosby, who's facing renewed allegations of having drugged and sexually assaulted women decades ago, had his status as an honorary chief petty officer revoked Thursday by top Navy leaders.
USN's second LCS reaches Asia-Pacific area of operations
(IHS Jane's 360) After stopping in Hawaii on its transit across the Pacific, the US Navy's (USN's) second Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to deploy to the Asia-Pacific region will make a port call in Guam before continuing on to Singapore, the US Seventh Fleet announced on 4 December.
Destroyer, Hornet squadron COs credit sailors for award
(Navy Times) Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Charles Horvath knows why his former commanding officer on the Norfolk-based destroyer Barry was honored with the fleet's most prestigious leadership prize.
AIR FORCE
Defense bill compromise means more airmen, bigger fleet
(Air Force Times) The compromise defense authorization bill announced this week includes an additional $330.1 million and 2,000 more airmen the Air Force initially had proposed in the fiscal 2015 budget request to account for additional personnel needed to keep A-10s flying.
Pentagon Worries That Russia Can Now Outshoot U.S. Stealth Jets
(The Daily Beast) American fighter planes are the fastest, most maneuverable jets in the world. But their weapons are becomingly increasingly obsolete-and that has some in the U.S. Air Force spooked.
U.S. lawmakers want aircraft in Europe until Russia backs down
(Air Force Times) Lawmakers want the Defense Department to not only halt retiring F-15 aircraft in Europe, but also halt removing all dual-capable aircraft from the European area of operation until the Defense Secretary confirms "armed forces of the Russian Federation are no longer occupying Ukrainian territory."
Air Force Band flash mob wows museum crowd
(USA Today) The United States Air Force Band launched a musical "flash mob" Tuesday, surprising visitors at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., with a holiday-themed concert.
MARINE CORPS
New data shows Marine Corps has highest rate of sexual assault against women
(Marine Corps Times) Nearly 8 percent of women in the Marine Corps were sexually assaulted in the past year, according to new data released by the Defense Department and the Rand Corp. on Thursday.
Trial postponed for Marine who vanished in Iraq
(Associated Press) A judge has delayed the trial of a U.S. Marine accused of deserting his unit a decade ago in Iraq and later winding up in Lebanon.
Marines wrap up Ebola response mission in Liberia
(Marine Corps Times) About 100 Marines deployed to Liberia to support the U.S. military's response to the Ebola crisis are preparing to depart for Germany where they'll be monitored for three weeks before returning to their home base in Spain.
Marines Shift F-35 Deployment Plans
(Aviation Week) The US Marine Corps is changing the way it plans to use its Lockheed Martin F-35B short take-off, vertical landing fighters, we report here (subscription required). Briefly, the new concept of operations envisages the use of mobile forward arming and refueling points (M-Farps) to support groups of F-35Bs, which would return to U.S. Navy amphibious warfare ships, allied carriers (special mention to the British Queen Elizabeth class) or even regional land bases for routine maintenance.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
U.S. moves ahead with plan for extra troops in Afghanistan until allies finalize plans
(Washington Post) The Obama administration plans to keep hundreds of extra troops in Afghanistan on a temporary basis next year, above the force of 9,800 that President Obama had previously announced for 2015, in another sign of the challenges the United States faces as it extricates itself from a 13-year war.
Three-star: Afghan army gettig better, needs to 'keep upping the game'
(Army Times) At the end of a year marked with change, a pivotal election and a massive drawdown, the U.S. general officer in charge of day-to-day operations in Afghanistan said he is confident in the Afghan National Security Forces' tactical capabilities.
Allies promise to support Afghanistan beyond war
(Associated Press) The United States, Britain and other allies promised Thursday not to abandon Afghanistan's new government, and the country's president said "peace is a top priority" as international security missions end and Taliban attacks surge.
MIDDLE EAST
Timing of U.S. Raid in Yemen Debated
(Wall Street Journal) The U.S. learned about the possible location of an American hostage now being threatened with death by militants in Yemen a week before the Pentagon launched a mission aimed at rescuing him last month, U.S. officials said.
Exclusive: Saudi suspends aid to Yemen after Houthi takeover - sources
(Reuters) Saudi Arabia has suspended most of its financial aid to Yemen, Yemeni and Western sources said, in a clear indication of its dissatisfaction with the growing political power of Shi'ite Houthi fighters friendly with Riyadh's regional rival, Iran.
Analysis: Iranian navy up-arms old patrol boats with anti-ship missiles
(IHS Jane's 360) While this could indicate that the IRIN is receiving more resources so it can turn existing vessels into more capable attack platforms, it also seems to be suffering delays in its frigate and fast attack craft (FAC) construction programmes.
EUROPE
France: possible Russia may never get warships
(Associated Press) France's defense minister has suggested that two warships ordered by Russia may never be delivered.
Fierce Attack by Islamist Militants in Chechen Capital Kills at Least 20
(New York Times) A fierce gun battle between Islamist militants and government security forces paralyzed the center of the Chechen capital, Grozny, overnight into Thursday, leaving at least 20 people dead and embarrassing President Vladimir V. Putin hours before he delivered his State of the Nation speech in Moscow.
NATO Faces AWACS Fleet Shrinkage
(Aviation Week) NATO might be calling on its members to raise their defense spending, but if the alliance's airborne early warning program is anything to go by, that message may be falling on deaf ears.
ASIA-PACIFIC
China will have more warships than the U.S. by 2020, says report
(Washington Post) By 2020, the Chinese navy will have more military vessels than its American counterpart, predicts a U.S. congressional commission on China. An annual report presented to Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission projected that Beijing's fleet could boast as many as 351 vessels in six years time, a figure that would be larger than current estimates for the American navy.
Ruling party's losses could chill Taiwan's relations with Beijing
(Los Angeles Times) Steep losses for Taiwan's pro-China ruling Nationalist Party in local elections last weekend have set off a chain of resignations as the party and central government retrench for the 2016 presidential race, possibly cooling relations with the mainland.
Philippines Braces for Arrival of Typhoon Hagupit
(New York Times) Parts of the Philippines were preparing Friday for the arrival of a powerful storm blowing off the Pacific Ocean, just over a year after Typhoon Haiyan cut a path of devastation across the island nation. But the new storm, Typhoon Hagupit, was not expected to have Haiyan's destructive power.
AFRICA
2-star: Ebola cases decreasing in Liberia
(Army Times) U.S. troops fighting to contain the Ebola outbreak in Liberia have seen a "significant decrease" in new cases, the top Army general on the ground there said.
Pentagon Readying Ebola Isolation Chambers for Transport Planes
(Bloomberg) The U.S. military plans to equip some of its transport aircraft with new isolation chambers to safely carry as many as 12 people infected with the Ebola virus.
Photos prompt speculation about Libyan militia's air defences
(IHS Jane's 360) Photographs showing surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) being transported in Libya suggest the powerful militia from the coastal city of Misratah is attempting to improve its air defences in response to an expansion in Libyan Air Force operations to the west of the country.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Dianne Feinstein: America's nuclear arsenal is unnecessarily and unsustainably large
(Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in The Washington Post) During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were mired in an arms race. The antagonism led each side to stockpile more than 30,000 nuclear weapons to prevent the other from gaining an advantage.
Explainer: How Defense Offsets Help Drive the Global Defense Industry
(Patrick Costello in the Council on Foreign Relations) Amid all the talk surrounding the Pentagon's new Defense Innovation Initiative, also called the "third offset strategy," we should be mindful of another type of offset that is in the forefront of defense companies' growth strategies and increasingly becoming a C-suite agenda item. I refer to defense offset agreements, pledges that U.S. defense companies make to foreign entities-usually foreign governments-in order to secure their business.
The Case for Coalitions of the Unwilling
(Lionel Beehner in Cicero Magazine) For months, it was believed that the patchwork of 40-plus countries recruited in the fight against ISIS looked weak and wobbly. Who can forget that Vice President Joe Biden had to recently apologize to not one but three Middle East allies - Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia - for accusing them in public of secretly abetting the Islamist rebels. Worse, the vice president was not factually incorrect in his assertion.
ISIS Resurgence and the Sunni-Shi'a Schism
(Kyler Ong in Small Wars Journal) This article argues that the recent resurgence of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), otherwise known as the Islamic State, gained momentum during the Syrian civil war in 2011. Coinciding with the final withdrawal of the United States and coalition troops in Iraq, ISIS has surfaced as one of the most prominent radical insurgent groups in Iraq - after al-Qaeda - that threatens the social and security fabric struggling to unite the sectarian-divided country. However, there exists a gap in literature failing to examine whether the Sunni-Shi'a schism is the main force multiplier of the status quo conflict and insurgency.
Warring State: China's Cybersecurity Strategy
(Amy Chang in the Center for a New American Security) Research Associate Amy Chang explores the political, economic, and military objectives of China's cybersecurity apparatus; reveals drivers and intentions of Chinese activity in cyberspace; and analyzes the development of Beijing's cybersecurity infrastructure over the last three decades.
"Supporting the Troops" in Germany and the United States
(Chris Dehn in War on the Rocks) "USA! USA! USA!" Having just finished an incredible set that started with the words "finally, we get to play for our heroes," Metallica did not leave the stage before leading the crowd in this very popular chant. I was floored. I had never come across this much patriotism in my life. I found myself in the midst of almost a million people who had travelled to the National Mall to see the Concert for Valor, held in honor of America's veterans. The sense of patriotism and the respect and honor directed towards the heroes of the night stood in stark opposition to the experiences I had growing up in Germany and serving as an Army officer and paratrooper in the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment