| December 18, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
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TODAY'S TOP 5
1. Start of Iraqi training mission still months away
(Military Times) It's likely to be several months until the new American-led mission to train Iraqi soldiers gets underway, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday.
2. DynCorp Subpoenaed by Watchdog in Global Probe of Worker Abuses
(Bloomberg) DynCorp International Inc., the State Department's top contractor, has been subpoenaed for records outlining steps to ensure foreign workers on its Afghanistan projects aren't abused or forced to pay banned recruiting fees.
3. Time Makes Right Choice for Person of the Year, but Something is Missing
(Retired Air Force Col. Clint Hinote in Cicero Magazine) While Time celebrates those who volunteer to serve, the magazine should have devoted a line or two to some who had little choice in the matter-the thousands of U.S. military members who have deployed to west Africa
4. U.S. rejects Manila's bid for custody of U.S. Marine accused of murder
(Reuters) The United States embassy in Manila has turned down a request from Philippine authorities to hand over a Marine accused of the killing of a transgender Filipino, a move that could spark anti-American protest in the former U.S. colony.
5. Probably too soon to call Cuba policy change 'historic'
(Miami Herald) While President Barack Obama's announcement Wednesday that he will normalize relations with Cuba is the biggest diplomatic breakthrough with the island after six decades of hostilities, his speech may have been less "historic" than he portrayed it, according to numerous U.S. congressional sources and Cuba experts.
CONGRESS
Obama signs $1.1T spending bill into law
(Military Times) President Obama signed the $1.1 trillion federal spending measure into law Tuesday, officially ending any threat of a government shutdown over the holidays.
Another A-10 ally gains a seat
(FlightLines) Republican Martha McSally beat incumbent Ron Barber on Wednesday after a recount to take over Arizona's 2nd Congressional District.
Levin wants next Senate to update its war powers
(Military Times) The retiring chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has introduced a bill that would shift Congress' role from granting permission to holding veto power over any military action against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.
Pelosi slams Coburn for blocking VA suicide bill
(The Hill) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) didn't mince words when blaming Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) for blocking a bill to help prevent veteran suicides.
Congressional Republicans look to block Cuba policy changes
(McClatchy) The shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba triggered fierce partisan warfare Wednesday in Congress, as some Republicans vowed to take strong steps to block the changes.
ISLAMIC STATE
A-10s Strike Targets In Iraq, But Not Syria
(Breaking Defense) The armored and inimitable A-10 Warthog is being used to destroy ISIL targets in Iraq - but not Syria.
Nations conduct largest effort against ISIS
(The Hill) The U.S. and coalition partners launched the single largest coalition effort against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) this week to help clear them from northwestern Iraq, according to a coalition spokesman.
Special Report: Inside Iraq's 'killing zones'
(Reuters) Shi'ite militias and Iraqi security forces, engaged in an all-or-nothing struggle with radical Sunni group Islamic State, are blasting the Sunni farmlands that encircle Baghdad with heavy weapons. Military officers call their target areas in the rural belt "killing zones."
Kurdish Iraqi forces launch operation in Sinjar
(Associated Press) Kurdish Iraqi forces launched a major operation Wednesday to retake the militant-held town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, part of a push to secure the road that leads directly to the Syrian border.
Texas City truck seen on Islamic military group's Twitter feed
(KHOU-TV; Houston) The phones are ringing off the hook at Mark-1 Plumbing in Texas City, for a reason no one there could have ever imagined.
INDUSTRY
AIA Projects Small Defense Gains in 2015
(Defense News) Despite concerns over the Budget Control Act, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) projects small gains in the defense aviation market.
Fire Scout Grows Up: Drone Getting Radar, Rockets, 2016 IOC
(Breaking Defense) They get so big, so fast. Once a child-sized helicopter that could just collect reconnaissance imagery, the Navy's MQ-8 Fire Scout has graduated to a bigger airframe that will also carry a maritime search radar and laser-guided rockets.
Japan, Australia Selected for Pacific F-35 Sustainment
(Defense News) The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has selected Japan and Australia to provide heavy airframe and engine maintenance in the Pacific, the Joint Program Office announced Wednesday.
In Future Rotorcraft Acquisition, Services Working to Avoid Mistakes of Past Joint Programs
(National Defense) The history of joint aircraft is littered with failures, and when programs do come to fruition, they oftentimes are marred by schedule delays and cost overruns. Case in point, critics say, is the uber-expensive F-35 joint strike fighter program.
No Test' Declared for Arrow-3 Interceptor
(Defense News) An Israeli Defense Ministry official on Wednesday characterized a test conducted the previous day of the new Arrow-3 as a "no test," given that "conditions did not allow for" actual launch of the intercepting missile.
Mexico to get five more UH-60M Black Hawk helos
(IHS Jane's 360) Sikorsky Aircraft has been awarded a USD56.4 million contract modification for five more uniquely configured UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico - AdM), the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 16 December.
Turkish Arms Exports in Jan-Nov Up by 20%
(Defense News) Turkey's defense exports in the first 11 months of 2014 rose by a sharp 20 percent from the same period in 2013, an umbrella group for arms exporters has said.
Brazil plans to expand submarine fleet
(IHS Jane's 360) Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil - MdB) commander Admiral Julio Soares de Moura Neto reaffirmed on 12 December long-term plans to boost the country's naval power to eventually include 15 conventional and six nuclear-powered submarines.
UK MoD Sells DSG to Babcock
(Defense News) Britain has sold the state-owned Defence Support Group (DSG) to Babcock for £140 million, the Ministry of Defence announced Wednesday.
DAPA proposes Lockheed Martin to upgrade F-16 fleet
(IHS Jane's 360) South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has proposed changing from BAE Systems to Lockheed Martin in order to upgrade the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) F-16 fighter aircraft.
VETERANS
Veterans can apply to upgrade discharge for PTSD
(Army Times) A special web page has been launched to assist veterans seeking to upgrade punitive discharges related to behavior problems caused by post-traumatic stress.
Lamborn: Deal brokered to restart Aurora VA hospital work
(Colorado Springs Gazette) The four-month deal is worth an estimated $220 million and could see workers return to the Colfax Avenue project on Monday, U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Springs Republican, told The Gazette Wednesday.
Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler: Lourdes
(PBS) Join best-selling author and adventurer Bruce Feiler as he travels to the Catholic shrine of Lourdes with American veterans seeking healing.
Guilty plea in scam that left World War II veteran homeless in South Phila.
(Philadelphia Inquirer) Ray White, a 90-year-old World War II veteran, was left homeless after befriending a con man who systematically scammed him out of his South Philadelphia house, vintage Bentley and Cadillac, and everything else he valued.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
GAO: DOD doesn't know if testing ranges are vulnerable to foreign firm spying
(Stars & Stripes) The Defense Department does not know whether its hundreds of testing and training ranges in the U.S. are vulnerable to spying by foreign entities doing business near those properties, according to a report released Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office.
Military Challenged to Maintain Decades-Old Aircraft
(National Defense) The U.S. military operates fleets of Cold War-era aircraft that will not be replaced any time soon. For the Pentagon, this creates daunting challenges, experts warn. Airplanes will have to fly much longer than planned and, at a time of tight budgets, the cost of maintaining aging equipment is projected to soar.
DoD releases long-awaited cloud procurement policy
(C4ISR & Networks) With DISA out as cloud broker, DoD's new plan delineates roles.
Rapid Acquisition Groups Break Mold of Slow Pentagon Procurement System
(National Defense) One of the biggest complaints the Pentagon faces is the length of time it takes to field a piece of technology. Over time, numerous studies, papers and speeches have been devoted to solving the problem, but some say programs still remain stifled by bureaucratic red tape.
ARMY
It's official: Units credited for Somalia campaign
(Army Times) More than 200 units ranging in size from detachments to groups and brigades have been officially credited for participation in Operations Restore Hope and United Shield, the 2½-year relief and evacuation campaign in Somalia.
Army Rethinking Tactical Radios As It Tries to Lighten Soldier Load
(National Defense) Before he was promoted to oversee Army strategy and soldier equipment needs, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster threw a wrench into long-standing plans to buy thousands of new radios.
CSM Dailey leaving TRADOC, prepares to be next SMA
(Army Times) Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dailey will be honored Friday as he leaves Training and Doctrine Command to become the next sergeant major of the Army.
Osceola arrests of Army recruiters part of nationwide pattern of sexual misconduct
(Orlando Sentinel) The recruiters, Christopher Doner, 30, and John Back, 33, started having sex with the Harmony High School student last spring and continued for eight months even after each asked her to stop having sex with the other, records state.
NAVY
Last Navy frigate at Everett to be decommissioned
(Associated Press) The Navy says the frigate Rodney Davis will return from its final deployment Friday to its home port at Naval Station Everett.
Navy engineer pleads not guilty to charges
(Daily Press; Newport News, Va.) Mostafa Ahmed Awwad - who until two weeks ago was an engineer at Norfolk Naval Shipyard - will go to trial in June on allegations that he tried to export designs for the Gerald R. Ford carrier, now under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Navy transfers artifacts from D.C. to Virginia
(Associated Press) The Navy has finished transferring artifacts from a facility at the Washington Navy Yard to one in Richmond.
Navy could get next-gen global comm system a bit sooner
(Defense Systems) Lockheed Martin has opened a $6.5 million Test Radio Access Facility to support faster development and deployment of a satellite-based Navy system for global mobile communications coverage.
AIR FORCE
PJ awarded Air Force Cross
(Air Force Times) An Air Force pararescueman received the nation's second-highest award for valor Wednesday.
Iraqis train with U.S. Air Force to fly F-16 jets
(CBS News) As the U.S. helps the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIS, the country's military is missing one vital ingredient -- air power.
No TERA, VSP programs in 2015
(Air Force Times) The Air Force is not planning to offer Temporary Early Retirement Authority or voluntary separation payments in 2015.
Air Force jet forced to land in Newport News after losing canopy during takeoff
(Daily Press; Newport News, Va.) The rear canopy came off a T-38 A assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base during a routine training mission, said Alton Dunham, an Air Force spokesman.
Security Forces Museum to reopen in spring
(Air Force Times) After closing under a storm of controversy in August, the much-loved Security Forces Museum will reopen for regular hours at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland this spring.
MARINE CORPS
Female brig guard sentenced in sexual misconduct case
(Marine Corps Times) A female Marine brig guard accused of sexually assaulting and mistreating a male inmate is now serving time at the very facility she used to guard.
Okinawa files protest over hit-and-run allegedly involving U.S. Marine
(Stars & Stripes) The Okinawa city assembly filed a protest this week with the U.S. government over this month's hit-and-run incident that allegedly involved a Marine Corps major and left a 67-year-old Okinawa man critically injured.
Marine Corps issues holiday suicide prevention 'call to arms'
(Marine Corps Times) Marine leaders at the Pentagon have issued a preemptive "call to action" to stem suicides during the holiday season.
Marine charged in infant son's death
(San Diego Union-Tribune) A Camp Pendleton Marine accused of fatally beating his 7-month-old son pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of murder and assaulting a child, causing death.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Army leaders say there's no drawdown in costs as U.S. troops leave Afghanistan
(Fayetteville Observer) U.S. Army leaders in Afghanistan have squeezed as much savings as they can from the war, and they say a smaller troop presence will not necessarily translate to less money spent.
Afghan insurgents storm bank in south, killing 10
(Associated Press) Afghan insurgents stormed a bank in the country's restive southern province of Helmand on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people including three policemen, authorities said.
Pakistani military chief visits Kabul to coordinate response to Peshawar massacre
(Stars & Stripes) Pakistan's top army officer made an unscheduled visit to Kabul Wednesday to discuss potential military responses to the bloody attack by Pakistani militants on a school in Peshawar.
US airstrike targets Pakistani, Afghan Taliban in Nangarhar
(Long War Journal) The US killed 11 members of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban in an airstrike in the eastern province of Nangarhar yesterday. The strike is the fifth that has targeted Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan fighters and leaders operating inside Afghanistan since the last week of November.
Pakistan angry at school killings, moves to execute convicted terrorists
(McClatchy) Pakistan's government lifted a moratorium on executing convicted terrorists Wednesday and sought Afghanistan's help to find the mastermind of Tuesday's murderous attack on an army-run school in the northern city of Peshawar, as the death toll rose to 144.
MIDDLE EAST
Analysis: Hamas displays long-range rockets
(IHS Jane's 360) The Palestinian militant group Hamas provided an insight into its rocket manufacturing programme on 14 December when it paraded its longer-range models for the first time through Gaza city.
Kuwait says accepts Iraq request on Gulf war reparations
(Reuters) Kuwait said it accepted an Iraqi request related to reparations imposed by the U.N. Security Council over its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, state news agency KUNA said on Thursday, ahead of discussions in Geneva on the request.
U.S. Penalizes Companies for Providing Fuel to Syrian Forces
(New York Times) The Obama administration, seeking to cut off the flow of oil to the government of President Bashar al-Assad, on Wednesday imposed penalties on five people and six companies it said were defying American sanctions and helping Syria's government attack its own citizens.
EUROPE
Italian Reaper Drones To Be Used for Crowd Monitoring
(Defense News) As their deployment to Afghanistan comes to an end, unarmed Italian Reaper UAVs are to be used to monitor soccer games and demonstrations in Italy's cities, following a deal struck between the Italian Air Force and the country's police forces.
NATO extends enhanced Baltic air policing until end of 2015 at least
(IHS Jane's 360) NATO is continuing its enhanced Baltic Air Policing Mission for at least another year, a senior Estonian Air Force officer said.
Russian Sailors Finish Training at French Port, but Will Leave Without Warship
(New York Times) Over 400 Russian sailors will soon leave the French port city where they received training on one of two warships that France agreed to sell to Russia, a deal that was delayed when relations between Russia and the West soured over the situation in Ukraine, the contractor building the ships said Wednesday.
ASIA-PACIFIC
U.S. Said to Find North Korea Ordered Cyberattack on Sony
(New York Times) American officials have concluded that North Korea was "centrally involved" in the hacking of Sony Pictures computers, even as the studio canceled the release of a far-fetched comedy about the assassination of the North's leader that is believed to have led to the cyberattack.
North Korean Role in Sony Hack Presents Quandary for U.S.
(Wall Street Journal) U.S. officials' conclusion that Pyongyang was behind the hacking attack on Sony Pictures has raised the difficult question of how Washington should respond to an aggressive act by a foreign government.
North Korea-Based Thriller With Gore Verbinski And Steve Carell Canceled
(Deadline.com) The chilling effect of the Sony Pictures hack and terrorist threats against The Interview are reverberating. New Regency has scrapped another project that was to be set in North Korea. The untitled thriller, set up in October, was being developed by director Gore Verbinski as a star vehicle for Foxcatcher star Steve Carell. The paranoid thriller written by Steve Conrad was going to start production in March. Insiders tell me that under the current circumstances, it just makes no sense to move forward. The location won't be transplanted. Fox declined to distribute it, per a spokesman.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The Answer to the Amphibious Prayer: Helicopters, the Marine Corps, and Defense Innovation
(B.J. Armstrong in War on the Rocks) A small movement is growing across the defense community which realizes that the challenges of the new century are going to require innovative and creative solutions. Parts of this movement, inspired from the junior ranks of our services, look to embrace the ideals of innovation and entrepreneurship from the business world. These dedicated women and men recognize that the budget, manpower, and resource challenges in a post-war drawdown mean that new ways of doing things will be required. As has been typical throughout American history, they look toward the future and technology to guide their way.
Technology, Timing, Threats and the Future of the U.S. Surface Fleet
(Seth Cropsey in Real Clear Defense) The U.S. Navy's surface combatants are the spine of the American fleet. They escort and help protect aircraft carriers from threats on, above, or under the sea, provide ballistic missile defense, carry Tomahawk cruise missiles that can hit targets far from the shore, conduct exercises with partner nations, and are sufficiently numerous to help reinforce both the idea and the fact of American presence around the world. Their technological edge cannot be separated from the U.S. Navy's global dominance, and this edge requires care and investment.
Good Riddance to a Ridiculous Cuba Policy
(Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic) President Obama did what needed to be done: Alan Gross is home, and the U.S. has reversed its 50-year hostility toward Havana.
The Death Throes of the Pakistani Taliban
(Arif Rafiq in Foreign Policy) The devil showed his face in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Tuesday, when six terrorists attacked an army-run primary and secondary school, killing nearly 150 people, mostly children. Since 2008, Pakistan has been among the world's top targets of terrorism. But this attack was particularly gruesome. Attackers stalked through the school room by room, pumping bullets into the bodies of small children and teenagers. A teacher who tried to save them was set on fire. The terrorists made no demands. Murder alone, it seems, was the only thing on their minds.
These two charts capture the dramatic rise of terrorism in Pakistan
(Devjyot Ghoshal in Quartz) For long, Pakistan's military and political establishment have walked the tightrope, providing tacit support for terror groups that seek to target Afghanistan and India.
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