TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Hagel to preview Pentagon’s budget for 2015 on February 24: sources
(Reuters) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is expected to preview the Pentagon’s fiscal 2015 budget request on February 24, a week before the White House sends its formal budget plan to Congress, according to sources familiar with the matter.
2. 2 US troops killed, 4 wounded in Afghan attack
(Associated Press) Two U.S. soldiers were killed and four wounded in an attack Wednesday by gunmen wearing Afghan security force uniforms in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. defense officials said.
3. Obama’s Syria policy is a deadly mistake
(Max Boot in The Financial Times) A minor kerfuffle has broken out over whether, in a closed-door meeting with an American congressional delegation attending the Munich Security Conference during the first weekend of February, US secretary of state John Kerry acknowledged that the administration’s Syria policy was failing. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham claim that he did; Mr Kerry’s spokeswoman, who was also present, denies it. Whatever the case, the underlying reality is undeniable — President Barack Obama’s Syria policy has failed.
4. Here’s Why America’s Only P.O.W. Was Suddenly Shown Alive
(The Daily Beast) The Obama administration is looking to exchange Guantanamo Bay detainees for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl as part of a broader effort to reconcile with the Taliban.
5. Marine Corps Times returned to place on newsstands pending comprehensive review
(Marine Corps Times) Marine Corps Times will be returned to its usual newsstand location at base exchange stores after an abrupt decision to move the independent newspaper away from checkout lines proved unpopular and raised questions about motive.
INTELLIGENCE
Analysis: Defense Clandestine Service Is Here To Stay
(Defense News) Senior US officials and lawmakers are sending new signals that a fledgling cadre of military spies is a done deal, despite no real substantive public debate.
Spy Agencies Send Congress Faulty Contractor Data: GAO
(Bloomberg) Civilian U.S. intelligence agencies have provided unreliable and incomplete reports to Congress since 2011 on the use of private contractors who perform core functions, according to a new congressional audit.
Sen. Levin’s bid to boost drone oversight falters in Congress
(Los Angeles Times) An effort by a powerful U.S. senator to broaden congressional oversight of lethal drone strikes overseas fell apart last week after the White House refused to expand the number of lawmakers briefed on covert CIA operations, according to senior U.S. officials.
NSA Surveillance Proponent Unsure if Program Will Continue
(Defense News) A vocal proponent among US Senate liberals for controversial National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance efforts says the program could be shut down, and experts are unsure how many Americans’ phone numbers have been gathered.
How Big Data Could Help the U.S. Predict the Next Snowden
(Defense One) National Intelligence Director James Clapper, at Tuesday’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, asserted (again) that malevolent insiders with access to top secret material, like Edward Snowden, constituted a top threat to our nation’s national security. The lawmakers agreed and pressed Clapper to explain how he was changing the practices within his office and across the intelligence community to prevent another Snowden-scale data breach. One key step that Clapper outlined: our nation’s top intelligence folks will become subject to much more surveillance in the future.
Lawmakers want to see the ‘black budget’
(The Hill) Dozens of House lawmakers want the Obama administration to release the secret “black budget’ used to fund intelligence agencies.
Maryland state lawmakers want to cut off NSA data center resources
(Federal Times) A group of eight Maryland state lawmakers introduced legislation to cut off water and electricity to the National Security Agency headquarters at Fort Meade in order to prevent the collection of personal information.
INDUSTRY
Atlas Air Sees Slide in Pentagon Flying
(Wall Street Journal) The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is having a tougher-than-expected impact on cargo airlines that have been profitably flying troops and equipment to and from the warzone during the military buildup of the last decade, Atlas Worldwide Holdings Inc. said on Wednesday.
In Singapore, Alenia and Airbus Trade Barbs Over Transport Capability
(Defense News) Alenia Aermacchi took a swing at Airbus Defence and Space’s C295 tactical transport at the Singapore Airshow Feb. 12, claiming the performance of its C-27J Spartan pretty much outmatched anything its European rival could achieve.
Singapore Airshow 2014: Boeing expects Indian helo contracts before end of 2014
(IHS Jane’s 360) Boeing expects to sign contracts with India for the CH-47F Chinook transport and AH-64E Apache attack helicopter before the end of the year, a company official said on 11 February.
Korea Pushing Helos, Mini-F-16, and Devil Killer at Singapore Airshow
(Defense News) Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) revealed new details at the Singapore Airshow about export plans for the Surion helicopter, D/K tactical combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic aircraft.
Update: Singapore Airshow 2014: Northrop Grumman hopeful of South Korean Global Hawk deal soon
(IHS Jane’s 360) Manufacturer Northrop Grumman expects South Korea and the United States to sign a letter of acceptance for four RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) soon, a company official said at the Singapore Airshow on 11 February.
Tata Officials Forecast Big Boost in ’14 Defense Sales
(Defense News) India’s $97 billion Tata Group has projected a 40 percent jump in defense sales in 2014 on the back of outsourcing of work related to the Indian Air Force’s purchase of six C-130J Hercules transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin and sales of helicopter spares for US firm Sirkosky Aircraft, officials with the privately held company said ahead of Defexpo, held Feb. 6-9.
Alestis to emerge from bankruptcy protection
(IHS Jane’s 360) Spanish aircraft components manufacturer Alestis Aerospace has emerged from bankruptcy protection proceedings following an agreement with a Seville court to pay off about EUR284 million (USD387 million) in debt.
Rolls-Royce Announces Reduction of Fuel Use by C-130s
(Defense News) Rolls-Royce, manufacturer of the AE2100D3 turboprop engine that powers the C-130 cargo plane, announced that its fuel management study, carried out in conjunction with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), has demonstrated a 15 percent fuel savings.
CONGRESS
Congress repeals caps on military retired pay
(Military Times) The fight against reductions in military retired pay is over — and retirees have emerged victorious.
McCaskill pens military sexual assault bill (Video)
(MSNBC) Sen. Claire McCaskill talks about the differences between her Senate bill and Sen. Gillibrand’s bill, both of which address sexual assault in the military.
Congressman calls for hearing on moving Marine Corps Times at exchanges
(Marine Corps Times) Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) on Wednesday called for a congressional oversight hearing on why the Marine Corps abruptly moved Marine Corps Times from newsstands in the front of exchanges to the back of the stores, where the publication is more difficult to find.
McCaskill calls for another JPAC oversight review
(Stars and Stripes) Sen. Claire McCaskill has called for yet another oversight review involving the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Admiral: ’Destroy’ photos of Osama bin Laden’s corpse
(USA Today) Less than two weeks after the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a top Pentagon official ordered all photos of bin Laden’s corpse be destroyed or turned over to the CIA, according to a newly released document.
Pilot programs test strategies for deploying mobile devices
(C4ISR & Networks) On paper and in practice, the U.S. military is moving ahead with determination in its efforts to bring mobile technology into its workforce and onto the battlefield.
Military wives struggle to find jobs
(San Antonio Express-News) The nation’s 1.14 million military spouses often struggle more than civilians to find work and jobs suited to their educational levels and experience, a study released Wednesday says.
ARMY
Odierno: Army Needs at Least 450,000 Soldiers
(DOD Buzz) Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno said the Army’s minimum end-strength should be 980,000 soldiers, including at least 450,000 in the active component, 335,000 in the National Guard and 195,000 in the Reserve.
Ex-soldier convicted in Iraqi death granted parole
(Associated Press) A former U.S. Army lieutenant from Oklahoma convicted of killing an Iraqi prisoner has been granted parole, the Army said Wednesday.
2nd Cavalry Regiment remembers warrant officer killed in Afghanistan
(Stars and Stripes) For the second time in as many months, members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment bid farewell to one of their own as they paid respects Wednesday to Chief Warrant Officer 2 Edward Balli.
Army Secretary: Additional future cuts in Coastal Georgia possible
(Savannah Morning News, Ga.) Fort Stewart will lose about 1,900 troops next year as its brigades reorganize, and further cuts remain possible down the road as the Army endures a drawdown in force strength and budget restrictions, the military service’s top civilian said Tuesday.
Fort Worth family seeks closure in soldier’s death
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Juan and Graciela Pasillas traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, expecting to view the body of their son, Army Sgt. Jose M. Pasillas, a paratrooper who died after a jump Jan. 30.
NAVY
Bush Carrier Strike Group to deploy Saturday
(Navy Times) Four ships, one air wing and more than 5,000 sailors that comprise the Bush Carrier Strike Group will get underway Saturday to conduct maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 5th and 6th Fleets, Fleet Forces Command said Wednesday.
Carrier Reagan to join military exercise
(San Diego Union-Tribune) The San Diego-based aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan will participate in the Rim of the Pacific military exercise this summer before the ship relocates to Japan, Navy leaders said Wednesday.
Midshipman claims alleged assault victim was aware during party encounter
(Baltimore Sun) A Naval Academy midshipman once accused of sexual assault testified for the first time in open court Tuesday, telling a military judge that when he got into a car with a female classmate outside a 2012 off-campus party, he didn’t think she was too drunk to know what she was doing.
Navy updates fire safety policies based on ‘lessons learned’ from USS Miami blaze
(Portland Press Herald, Maine) The U.S. Navy is adopting new fire safety policies at shipyards across the country in response to the May 2012 arson that caused $700 million in damage to the USS Miami while the submarine was dry-docked at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Navy awards communications modernization contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Data Link Solutions LLC has won a $24.9 million U.S. Navy contract to upgrade ship communications systems.
AIR FORCE
Security forces hardest hit as Air Force plans to cut 23,263 this year
(Air Force Times) The Air Force is planning to cut 23,263 airmen this year alone through its massive force management programs, and on the chopping block is 15 percent of security forces airmen.
Investigators head to Minot AFB for bottom-up review of nuke force
(Stars and Stripes) A major examination of the Air Force’s scandal-ridden intercontinental ballistic missile force kicked off Wednesday, the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command said.
Autopilot problems caused July QRF-4 drone crash
(Air Force Times) Incorrect inputs to the autopilot brought down an unmanned targeting drone on July 13 in Florida, the Air Force announced Wednesday.
32 sexual assaults reported at Wright-Patt AFB in 4-year period
(Dayton Daily News) Wright-Patterson Air Force Base reported 32 alleged sexual assaults involving adult victims from 2010 to 2013, according to the 88th Air Base Wing Office of Staff Judge Advocate.
Air Force struggles to develop acquisition talent
(C4ISR & Networks) The Air Force is short on skills related to IT management and architecture and IT networks in general, said Lt. Gen. Charles Davis, the military deputy in the office of the secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. Grooming engineers and program mangers that are savvy in systems engineering and attracting the right talent is critical "because we’re not going to succeed without it."
MARINE CORPS
Twentynine Palms Marines to receive Silver and Bronze stars for six-day battle in 2012
(Marine Corps Times) Four California-based Marines will be recognized for their heroism during a 2012 operation in Afghanistan.
Marine Corps Reserve CH-46E Unit Begins Transition to the Osprey
(Seapower) The last Marine Corps Reserve squadron to fly the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter will begin transitioning to the MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
Kennedy meets with Okinawa governor, praises momentum on Futenma relocation
(Stars and Stripes) U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy met with Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima on Wednesday and said she hopes to maintain the recent momentum toward a new American military footprint on the island.
Jefferson Marine who lost legs in IED explosion doing better than expected, family says
(NJ.com) U.S. Marine Sgt. Aaron Alonso, who was critically injured in an explosion in Afghanistan Friday, is "doing a lot better than we originally expected," a family member said.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Slideshow: TSA officers protest unequal treatment
(Federal Times) Transportation Security Administration officers gathered Feb. 12 outside the TSA headquarters in Arlington, Va., to protest what they see as a lack of rights afforded to other federal employees.
Obama’s Cyber Security How-to Guide Gets Lukewarm Reception
(National Defense Magazine) At a White House ceremony, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson touted the release of the administration’s cyber security blueprint as a much needed guide for protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure.
GSA to close 24 data centers
(Federal Times) The General Services Administration plans to close 24 data centers in fiscal 2014, according to Acting Chief Information Officer Sonny Hashmi.
AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan frees 65 inmates U.S calls ‘dangerous’
(USA Today) The Afghan government has freed 65 prisoners — many linked to attacks that have killed American troops — an official tells the Associated Press.
Odierno: ’Important’ that US troops stay in Afghanistan
(The Hill) Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno said he believes the United States needs to leave behind a residual force in Afghanistan, in order to continue crucial military institution building and a counterterrorism mission there.
What Is Hamid Karzai Thinking?
(Politico Magazine) Lately, those who think Afghanistan’s mercurial president has left this earthly plane have had the upper hand. Much recent reporting paints a picture of a paranoid man sequestered in his palace, fuming over American slights, threatening to release dozens of terrorist suspects from prison and plotting to join forces with the Taliban.
Libya, Iraq cast shadow as State Department readies for Afghanistan drawdown
(Stars and Stripes) Last September blasts rocked the American consulate compound in Herat. The attack, which claimed the lives of three Afghan guards and an interpreter, not only shattered walls and windows, but also conjured up nightmare reminders of the 2012 attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three others in Libya.
MIDDLE EAST
Escaped Inmates From Iraq Fuel Syrian Insurgency
(New York Times) A series of daring but little noticed breakouts from Iraqi prisons has freed hundreds of hardened militants who are now among the leaders and foot soldiers of the radical Sunni groups operating in neighboring Syria and, increasingly, in Iraq itself.
UN: Clashes in Iraq’s Anbar displaced 300,000
(Al Jazeera) Violence in Iraq’s Sunni-dominated Anbar province, where armed groups fully control one city and parts of another, has displaced up to 300,000 people in six weeks, the United Nations has said.
Before Attacking the West, Syria’s Jihadis Have to Stop Fighting One Another
(Foreign Policy) Abu Muhammad al-Amriki -- his last name means "the American" -- is precisely the kind of militant who terrifies U.S. counterterrorism officials.
Syrian Rebels Sketch Peace Plan That Omits Demand for Assad’s Ouster
(New York Times) The Syrian opposition coalition on Wednesday presented its most detailed vision yet of a political transition to end Syria’s conflict, in a 24-point plan that, strikingly, made no mention of President Bashar al-Assad or his ouster, while outlining strong requirements for human rights and justice in a future Syria.
Egypt detains U.S. Embassy employee
(Los Angeles Times) An Egyptian employee of the U.S. Embassy has been detained by police since Jan. 25, an embassy spokesman said Wednesday.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Korean Talks Fail to Yield Agreement
(Wall Street Journal) A high-level meeting between North and South Korea on Wednesday failed to yield any agreements, with the North Korean delegates rejecting the South’s call to denuclearize and the North seeking a postponement of the South’s military drills with the U.S.
Time running out on former sex slaves’ quest
(Associated Press) A single picture captures the regret, shame and rage that Kim Gun-ja has harbored through most of her 89 years. Dressed in a long white wedding gown, she carries a bouquet of red flowers and stares at the camera, her deep wrinkles obscured by makeup and a diaphanous veil.
Singapore Air Force Prepares for Final Delivery of Alenia Trainers
(Defense News) The Singapore Air Force will receive the final 12 M-346 new generation advanced trainers from ST Aerospace and Alenia Aermacchi in March. The Feb. 12 announcement was made at the Singapore Airshow, being held from Feb. 11-16.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Bipartisan caving on military pension cut
(Ruth Marcus in the Washington Post) Those who complain about the absence of bipartisanship in the nation’s capital are sorely mistaken. When it comes to caving to a powerful constituency and bestowing benefits, bipartisanship is flourishing.
Here’s Why Cutting 20 Percent of Hagel’s Staff Is a Bad Idea
(Robert Ogden in Defense One) Secretary of Defense Hagel has implemented an across-the-board 20 percent budget cut at all military staff headquarters commands. But the Defense Department’s one-size-fits-all budget cut appears to draw on erroneous assumptions to resourcing that have plagued the military for several years.
Goodbye and Good Riddance
(Benjamin Freeman in US News & World Report) The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship, or LCS, program was dealt a death blow last month when the Pentagon advised the Navy to purchase only 32 of the small, fast and much maligned ships that were originally designed to combat three distinct threats — submarines, mines and groups of small boats.
US Asia Policy: Straight From the 1930s
(Zachary Keck in The Diplomat) It’s no secret that Asia is obsessed with history. From the centuries-old maps that undergird China’s ‘‘nine-dash line’’ claim to Japan’s WWII-era aggression to the now daily comparisons between pre-WWI and pre-WWII Europe and Asia today, the most important geopolitical discussions of this century increasingly sound like they come from a different century altogether. This affliction isn’t limited to any one or even a few countries; rather, it seems to run amok throughout the region.
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