| December 17, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
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TODAY'S TOP 5
1. Taliban mount assault on Kunar border district, Afghan officials say
(Stars & Stripes) Taliban insurgents launched a massive attack against local security forces in eastern Kunar province and Afghan army units have been deployed to repulse the assault, officials said Tuesday.
2. Home Base Iowa program seeks to attract vets
(Military Times) For years, companies have made special efforts to attract veterans so their businesses can benefit from the training and skills provided by the military.
3. Expand Equal Opportunity
(1st Lt. Raquel S. Felder in ARMY Magazine) In early 2013, the Pentagon lifted the ban on women serving in U.S. combat units, mandating that the change be put into place by 2016. The lifting of the ban would open up more than 200,000 jobs in the ground-level combat force of the Army and the Marine Corps.
4. USAF Tanker Platform Slated For Year-end Debut
(Aviation Week) Boeing is planning for first flight of its 767-2C - upon which the U.S. Air Force's new KC-46 tanker will be based - by year's end, six months late.
5. Head of DoD equal opportunity training suspended
(Military Times) An Army colonel who oversees training for the Defense Department's equal opportunity programs has been suspended and is under investigation.
CONGRESS
Obama likely to sign two bills that could impact arms sales
(Reuters) U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to sign in coming weeks two bills passed by Congress despite concerns raised by U.S. officials that they could add time and cost to the already complex process for approving foreign arms sales.
Report: Young war vets see political influence grow
(Military Times) The number of veterans in Congress continues to dwindle each session, but a new report suggests that the power and influence of young war veterans in national office are growing rapidly.
Obama to sign sanctions bill as Russian economy nears 'brink of crisis'
(The Hill) The White House said Tuesday that President Obama would sign a bill allowing additional sanctions against Moscow, as officials warned that Russia's economy is on the "brink of crisis."
McCain's Brose Tapped For SASC Staff Director; Levine Heading To OSD
(Breaking Defense) The parlor game of where 'will the top staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee go' can be declared over. Peter Levine will be heading over to the Pentagon, where almost all long-time Democratic staff have headed since the Obama administration took power. He may be taking the newly created post of chief management officer, we hear.
Issue Tracker: 2015 GOP Agenda
(Defense News) As the holiday season approaches, so does the start of the Republican-run 114th Congress. Here are a few things GOP members have on their wish lists for the new session.
ISLAMIC STATE
Levin bill would ease troop deployment against ISIS
(The Hill) Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) filed a bill Tuesday that would make it easier for the president to deploy troops against non-state actors, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Islamic State recruits broadly, not just fighters
(Associated Press) As it looks to expand its territorial base across broad swaths of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State group is recruiting for more than just fighters.
Crocker: U.S. Wingtips and Pumps, Not Boots, Might Have Helped Syria
(Government Executive) Speaking Tuesday at the Stimson Center, the former ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria among other countries expressed regrets that the Obama administration a year ago did not "insert diplomats" in civil-war-ravaged Syria with help from Turkey "to sort out who's allied with whom and what are their agendas."
Islamists rout Syrian government troops, reflecting the war's complexities
(McClatchy) The Assad regime sustained a major setback in northern Syria this week with the loss of two major military bases, and the big winner in the battle was al Qaida's Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, which led the assault and captured what's thought to be an enormous arsenal.
Kurdish Officials Worry About Kurds Joining The Islamic State
(National Public Radio) In the northern Iraqi city of Halabja, near the border with Iran, we knock on the door of a 16-year-old boy who disappeared. His family says he lied to them, saying he was going on a picnic with a teenage friend. But they never came home.
INDUSTRY
Northrop Grumman wins $657.4 million deal to supply drones to South Korea
(Reuters) Northrop Grumman Corp has won a $657.4 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide South Korea with four RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft, the company and the Defense Department said on Tuesday.
Air Force Space Programs on Hold as New Architecture Studied
(National Defense) It's called "the vicious circle of space acquisition."
Sensor data demands more from storage
(C4ISR & Networks) Sensor technology is evolving, and with it the data returned is accumulating substantially. Nimble storage and agile management are necessary to reduce time spent looking for the right data and increase time looking at the right data.
Special Operations Command Bypasses Acquisition Red Tape
(National Defense) In December 2013, four special operators were injured after the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft they were riding in were hit by small arms fire as they evacuated U.S. citizens from South Sudan.
Lockheed settles suit on 401(k) fees
(Washington Post) Lockheed Martin on Tuesday reached a tentative settlement with participants in its massive 401(k) plan who sued the defense contractor in federal court for allegedly allowing excessive fees to needlessly erode the value of the plan.
Navy Awards Contract to Boeing for Upgrade of P-8A's Weapons and Sensors
(Seapower) The Boeing Co. has been awarded a $67.8 million contract modification to integrate high-altitude sensor and weapon capabilities into the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
South Korea To Export K-9 Howitzers to Poland
(Defense News) South Korea will export 120 self-propelled howitzers developed by Samsung Techwin to Poland, officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Techwin said on Tuesday.
Light Military Helicopter Market To Halve by 2028
(National Defense) The rotorcraft industry is engulfed in what could be described as "A Tale of Two Markets," said Raymond Jaworowski, senior aerospace analyst for Forecast International. While opportunities for sales to the civil sector are finally growing after taking a hit post 9/11, the military market will probably shrink over the next decade, he said.
Taiwan Pressing On With Local Sub Build
(Defense News) Taiwan Navy officials are committed to their submarine build plans and will not wait for the US government to fulfill a 2001 pledge to sell Taiwan eight diesel submarines, a senior Navy official said.
India confirms AW101 contract cancellation
(IHS Jane's 360) India has formally cancelled its contract with AgustaWestland for 12 AW101 helicopters for VIP duties, defence minister Manohar Parrikar announced in Parliament on 16 December.
India, Russia Take Small Steps on Fighter Deal
(Defense News) India and Russia have agreed to settle their differences over the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program, which the countries are co-producing. But a source in the Indian Defence Ministry said irritants remain following the summit-level talks here Dec. 11.
Nexter, Hydrema sign teaming agreement
(IHS Jane's 360) French contractor Nexter and Danish group Hydrema signed a teaming agreement that will allow the companies to work together on the Danish armoured personnel carrier (APC) replacement programme, as well as logistics for the Nexter CAESAR howitzer, the companies announced on 16 December.
Nigerian Defense Ministry Orders Assault Rifles From Poland
(Defense News) The Nigerian Defense Ministry has ordered 1,000 assault rifles from Polish firearms maker Fabryka Broni Lucznik. The 5.56mm Beryl rifles will be supplied to Nigeria's Army in January, and senior company representatives say they expect the country's Defense Ministry to order a further 5,000 weapons next year, reports local news agency PAP.
VETERANS
American Sniper' widow says the film gets it right
(Military Times) Taya Kyle says she made her peace with the movie about her husband Chris Kyle, the legendary SEAL and subject of the upcoming film "American Sniper," a few months before she even saw the film.
Ventura sues HarperCollins over 'American Sniper'
(Minneapolis Star Tribune) Former Gov. Jesse Ventura filed suit Monday against HarperCollins, the New York publisher of the book that a federal jury in St. Paul said had defamed him.
After Iraq, a life comes unraveled
(Philadelphia Inquirer) He went to war with a Marines regiment known as the Cannon Cockers, an artillery unit that rained explosive shells on the enemy in Iraq.
Report: VA misled Congress and media
(CNN) The Department of Veterans Affairs misled Congress and members of the media about how many veterans died or suffered serious harm as a result of extreme treatment delays, according to a new report by the department's top watchdog.
Gay vets can march in Boston St. Patrick's parade
(Associated Press) For the first time in its history, the sponsors of Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade will allow a group representing the gay community to participate, drawing cheers from Mayor Martin Walsh, who boycotted the event last year over the exclusion.
EDMC accused in GI Bill scheme
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Education Management Corp. is being accused in a whistle-blower lawsuit of lying on student financial aid applications to collect more money under the GI Bill, adding to the legal problems mounting against the for-profit education provider as it fights for survival.
VA policy to disclose errors in medical care not always followed
(Tampa Bay Times) Department of Veterans Affairs leaders often talk proudly about how the agency polices itself when medical mistakes occur, saying they inform veterans who are seriously harmed, apologize and even tell them how to file a financial claim for damages.
New Treasury procurement chief steered contracts to friends while at VA
(Washington Times) The Treasury Department's new senior procurement executive steered millions of dollars worth of work to friends when she was a senior official at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and then obstructed investigators looking into the matter, the inspector general said in a report made public Monday.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Killing Is Not Enough: Special Operators
(Breaking Defense) "We have, in my view, exquisite capabilities to kill people," said Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland. "We need exquisite capabilities to manipulate them."
Will the Flak Jacket of the Future Include Organic Sensors?
(Defense One) There's a saying that was popular among some generals during the war in Iraq: every soldier is a sensor. It speaks the potential of soldiers to collect and relay information to help the broader effort. But the equipment soldiers carry can also serve as a sensor, absorbing data about the soldier's external experience as well as the physical and mental state of the person in uniform.
US MDA to take delivery of first CE II block 1 interceptor by end of December
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is set to begin a new round of tests to validate upgrades made to improve reliability and maintainability of missiles and ground systems leading up to a 2018 demonstration of a redesigned kill vehicle (RKV).
Military Joint Ground Robot Programs Face Increased Scrutiny
(National Defense) With tightening budgets and one high-profile program delayed by several years, ground robot acquisitions are coming under increasing congressional scrutiny, officials who oversee procurement of the technology said recently.
ARMY
US Army Researches Light Vehicle Concepts, Futures Chief Says
(Defense News) The US Army is exploring concepts for future vehicles that would be lighter and faster, and still strong and lethal, according to Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who runs the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) and is chief of "futures" for Training and Doctrine Command.
Reservists face delay in pay because of glitch
(Army Times) Army Reserve soldiers may have to wait an extra couple of weeks to get paid for attending their monthly battle assembly in December.
Fort Carson exercise a step in opening combat roles to women
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Men and women are hefting tank and artillery shells, working against the clock to load big guns and heading out on heavily-laden 4-mile marches. Army experts then measure the physical toll of the exercises to divine measurements to be used as a yardstick for all recruits.
WWE's 'The Miz' talks 'Tribute to the Troops,' more
(Army Times) For seven years, WWE performers visited the war zone over the holidays to offer service members a star-studded, Santa-slugging slice of home.
Critics attack Army plan to leave toxic mess
(Cincinnati Enquirer) Critics say it would be a bad precedent to let the U.S. Army retreat from the task of cleaning up or even monitoring the site in Southern Indiana where live-fire tests left behind more than 160,000 pounds of depleted uranium shell fragments plus millions of unexploded conventional shells.
NAVY
Tortuga CO, XO removed for damaging buoy strike
(Navy Times) The two top officers on the dock landing ship Tortuga were fired Tuesday after a Navy report found them responsible for the ship's having struck a prominent channel marker that caused $2.5 million in damages, officials said.
Navy Aircraft Carriers Have Political Backing, But Face Financial Peril
(National Defense) The defense policy legislation Congress passed this month firmly backs the Navy's goal to operate a fleet of 11 aircraft carriers. But that mandate might not be enough to keep the carrier fleet from shrinking as the cost of new ships rises and the Navy's budget gets squeezed.
Navy fighter pilot commands International Space Station
(Navy Times) The International Space Station, which orbits earth nearly 300 miles overhead, is now commanded by a naval aviator.
Navy Has Started Two Cruiser Modernizations, Long Term Plan Still Pending
(USNI News) While the Navy's long range cruiser program is still in flux, the modernization effort for the Navy's Ticonderoga-class (CG-47) guided missile cruisers has begun with USS Cowpens (CG-63) and USS Gettysburg (CG-64), the service told USNI News this week.
Special and general courts-martial results for November announced
(Navy Times) The Navy has released results of special and general courts-martial for November 2014. The cases are listed by the Navy Region in which they were tried:
Coast Guard launches Fire Scout from a cutter
(C4ISR & Networks) The Coast Guard has flown its first MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial system off a national security cutter. A Fire Scout control station located on the USCGC Bertholf off the coast of Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Calif., demonstrated the platform's functionality.
AIR FORCE
Enough is enough': No involuntary force cuts in 2015
(Air Force Times) The Air Force has ruled out another round of involuntary force management programs in 2015, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Tuesday.
Drone-Hunting Blimp To Launch Over Washington
(DefenseOne) On Friday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, will launch a giant drone-hunting blimp over Maryland's Aberdeen Proving Grounds just east of Washington D.C. The system includes a 242-foot balloon (technically called an aerostat because it's connected to the ground) that can stay up for a month at a time and a radar to detect - among other potential threats- drones.
Air Force identifies Hill airman, wife killed in car crash
(Air Force Times) The Air Force has identified the airman who died in a rollover crash Saturday morning in Utah as Staff Sgt. Derek Ramos, 34, of Hill Air Force Base.
Eielson chaplain hears the call at 6:15 a.m. to become Fairbanks bishop
(Alaska Dispatch News) When the command post at Eielson Air Force Base summons an U.S. Air Force chaplain, it's almost always a crisis that requires immediate attention.
Construction contractors get jail for fraud against Shaw AFB
(The State in Columbia, S.C.) Three contractors who worked on construction jobs at Shaw Air Force Base starting in 2006 pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to defrauding the federal government.
MARINE CORPS
Marine Corps Looks to the Past for Future Connectors
(National Defense) Because the Marine Corps' initial amphibious combat vehicle will not have a sea skimming, high water-speed capability, it has become more important than ever for the service to find low-cost, innovative ways to bring troops and equipment ashore.
Ex-US Marine Held in Iran to Start Hunger Strike
(Associated Press) The family of a former U.S. Marine imprisoned in Iran says he is going on a hunger strike and has dictated a letter asking President Obama not to forget him as dialogue continues between the two countries over Iran's nuclear activities.
New statue pays homage to bond between corpsmen, Marines
(Marine Corps Times) After more than a decade of fighting side-by-side in Iraq and Afghanistan, corpsmen and Marines have a new reminder of the relationship they forged in battle.
Manila seeks custody of US Marine in murder case
(Associated Press) The Philippine government asked Washington on Tuesday to turn over custody of a U.S. Marine charged with the murder of a Filipino transgender woman in a looming irritant between the allies.
Felony charges dismissed against Marine in high speed chase, officer involved shooting
(Jacksonville Daily News) The state has dismissed multiple charges against the Camp Lejeune Marine formerly accused of trying to hit a police officer with his car during a high speed car chase.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
In Pakistan, Taliban massacre of schoolchildren fuels broad outrage
(Washington Post) The bloody siege of an elite army high school Tuesday by Taliban gunmen, which killed at least 141 students and teachers, was an apparent retaliation for a major recent army operation after years of ambivalent policies toward the homegrown Islamist militants.
Pentagon: School attack won't slow US drawdown
(The Hill) The Pentagon says a Pakistani Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar that killed at least 126 won't change U.S. plans to draw down troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
NATO mission in Afghanistan unlikely to change much
(Stars & Stripes) President Barack Obama declared this week that the U.S. military has reached a "turning point," but when NATO's military coalition begins a new mission in Afghanistan at the end of the month, little is likely to change for the thousands of troops whose deployment extends into next year.
E.U. Confirms Wide Fraud in Afghan Presidential Runoff Election
(New York Times) A new report by European Union election observers on Tuesday supports some of the most stark estimates of systematic electoral fraud in the Afghan presidential runoff election in June, and says an earlier audit of the voting invalidated only a small fraction of suspect votes.
MIDDLE EAST
Israel's Arrow 3 missile shield fails interception test: sources
(Reuters) Israel's upgraded ballistic missile shield failed its first live interception test on Tuesday, security sources said, a fresh setback for the U.S.-supported system billed as a bulwark against Iran.
Israel Cracks Down on Lehava, a Group Tied to Anti-Arab Acts
(New York Times) Ten members of a far-right Jewish organization were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of incitement and calls for acts of violence motivated by racism, the Israeli police said. The arrests came against a background of heightened Jewish-Arab tensions in Israel and Israeli-Palestinian hostility.
2 bombers kill 26 including 16 students in Yemen
(Associated Press) Two suicide car bombers rammed their vehicles into a Shiite rebels' checkpoint and a house south of the Yemeni capital Tuesday as a school bus was traveling nearby, killing at least 26 people including at least 16 primary school students, according to the Yemeni government, rebels and witnesses.
EUROPE
Russia accuses NATO of aerial spying 'practically every day'
(Los Angeles Times) Russia's air force commander on Tuesday accused the United States and its NATO allies of provoking confrontation over the Baltic Sea by sending spy planes near the Russian border "practically every day."
Russia vows to arm submarines with underwater drones
(C4ISR & Networks) Russia's fifth-generation nuclear submarines will be armed with robots and underwater drones, which will be used for surveillance, communications and combat, according to a report in Russia's RIA-Novosti news service.
Russia Warns Ukraine Over Closer EU Ties
(Wall Street Journal) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev renewed threats of higher tariffs on goods from Ukraine and cuts to financial support if Kiev implements a trade and political deal with the European Union.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Ruble's plunge ignites Russia fears
(McClatchy) A free-falling Russian ruble Tuesday prompted fears that the nuclear-armed nation could be entering a deep economic recession with the potential for unrest, as citizens and investors try to get their hands on cash amid crippling international sanctions and sinking oil prices.
Japan-U.S. defense revisions postponed
(The Yomiuri Shimbun) The Japanese and U.S. governments have decided to delay revising the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation, which the two countries had earlier agreed to do by the end of this year, until at least spring, it was learned Tuesday.
NavWeek: U.S.? You Bet
(Aviation Week) During his nomination hearing for the job of leading U.S. Pacific Command before the Senate Armed Services Committee Dec. 2, Adm. Harry Harris was reminded of the recent U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission report findings questioning the American commitment to the Asia-Pacific rebalance.
India's first SSBN embarks on sea trials
(IHS Jane's 360) India's indigenously designed 6,000-ton nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) began sea acceptance trials off the country's east coast on 15 December, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The Peshawar attack: sickening, but no surprise
(Bill Roggio in The Long War Journal) The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, one of many al-Qaeda-linked jihadist groups operating in the South Asian country, launched one of its more horrific attacks earlier today. A nine-man Taliban suicide assault team stormed a high school for the children of military personnel in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Armed with suicide vests and assault rifles, the squad fanned out across the school and executed everyone in its path. An estimated 145 people were killed, most of them students between the ages of 12 and 16.
Putting pressure on extremists in Pakistan is more important than ever
(Washington Post Editorial Board) PAKISTAN'S ARMY chief warned his senior commanders just last Friday to be on guard for a major attack by Taliban extremists, and for good reason: In the past six months the army has conducted an aggressive campaign against militants based in the country's northwestern tribal territories. The stepped-up vigilance, however, failed to prevent the disaster that befell the country Tuesday, when nine Taliban attackers rushed a school in the city of Peshawar and wantonly slaughtered at least 132 children and nine staff members.
Afghanistan: Coming to the Bad End of the Good War
(Jack Fairweather in War on the Rocks) A few weeks before President Obama was due to decide whether to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden - the reason America had invaded the country in the first place - was killed in Pakistan. Just after midnight on 2 May 2011, two Blackhawk helicopters approached a compound on the outskirts of the Pakistani city of Abbottabad. Obama sat anxiously in the White House Situation Room, watching the operation with his national security team courtesy of a scratchy video feed from a drone.
Treating Infections, Fighting Insurgencies
(Benjamin Kirkup in Cicero Magazine) According to the "germ theory of disease," a susceptible host is exposed to an infectious dose of an organism, is colonized, infected, and exhibits symptoms. Infected people then typically allow the 'pathogen' to infect other people. Hence, prevention starts with avoiding contact with infected people or animals, or contaminated materials. Decontamination - using antiseptics or cleansers - can also reduce exposure risk. Prevention can be enhanced by priming the immune system to reduce human susceptibility - vaccination. Treatment, on the other hand, typically involves killing the 'pathogen.' Conceptually, infection is an invasion, a total war.
NCOs Point the Way to Post-Army Success
(Retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston in ARMY Magazine) Five soldiers with a collective 120 years of experience have some words of wisdom for NCOs transitioning to civilian life. They appeared on a panel I moderated in New York City in June 2014 to give some tips about how to prepare for a post-Army life and get attention in a competitive job market. Their discussion comes at a time when transition is on the minds of many soldiers because of the drawdown that would trim the ranks by some 60,000 people over the next three years. If you are not going anywhere, there are people in your command who might be headed to civilian life who could use your sage advice. - See more at: http://www.armymagazine.org/2014/12/16/ncos-point-the-way-to-post-army-success/#sthash.TkhBK1BV.dpuf
The Man Who Killed The Bill To Combat Veterans Suicide
(Stephen Carlson in Task & Purpose) The long-delayed Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act failed to pass in the Senate, and departing Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn is the man to blame. Veterans are not likely to forget it.
Concern Grows About International Aerospace, Defense Competitiveness
(Aleksandar Jovovic and Matthew Breen in National Defense) In recent weeks, earnings calls from the major U.S. aerospace and defense firms showcased the desire for international expansion, much of it outside traditional NATO markets.
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