TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Defense News host Vago Muradian interviews Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va.
Smith and Forbes discuss what they like about the Defense Department’s spending plan and what they don’t.
2. Member of the Joint Chiefs to Resign in Protest?
(Real Clear Defense) One member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is considering resigning in protest over recent defense cuts, says Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.).
3. With or without Medal of Honor, Peralta still a hero
(Rep. Duncan Hunter in the San Diego Union-Tribune) Unfortunate news was delivered to me last week from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel himself. Following an exhaustive review on the case of Marine Corps Sgt. Rafael Peralta, Secretary Hagel decided that Peralta’s Navy Cross will not be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
4. Interview: Karzai says 12-year Afghanistan war has left him angry at U.S. government
(Washington Post) Hamid Karzai was in the midst of negotiating a security agreement with the United States when he met a 4-year-old girl who had lost half her face in an American airstrike.
5. Def. Sec. Chuck Hagel: Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to "dangerous situation"
(CBS News’ Face the Nation) As Russian forces continue their infiltration of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, raising fears of an all-out invasion of the former Soviet republic, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that it would be folly for Russia to meddle too forcefully.
CRISIS IN UKRAINE
Kerry to visit Ukraine on Tuesday, threatens sanctions if Russia doesn’t pull forces back
(Washington Post) The Obama administration called Russia’s advances in Ukraine “a brazen act of aggression” Sunday and threatened sanctions but skirted questions about whether the United States might use force to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine's president says Russian forces issued ultimatum on Crimea
(Los Angeles Times) he Russian military set an ultimatum Sunday for Ukrainian army and navy units “to surrender weapons and leave their bases” in the Crimean peninsula, Ukraine’s acting president, Olexandr Turchinov, said in televised remarks.
Ukraine Orders Full Mobilization as Russia Tightens Grip on Crimea
(Voice of America) Ukraine has ordered a full military mobilization after Russian lawmakers authorized the deployment of troops on Ukraine territory.
Ukraine 'On Brink Of Disaster'
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says "we are on the brink of disaster" and has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull back his military from the country.
New head of Ukraine's navy defects in Crimea
(BBC) The newly appointed head of Ukraine's navy has sworn allegiance to the Crimea region, in the presence of its unrecognised pro-Russian leader.
Chechen Leader Ready to Send Peacekeepers, Humanitarian Aid To Crimea
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Never one to pass up an opportunity to comply demonstratively with orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov affirmed on February 28 his readiness to dispatch a consignment of humanitarian aid to Crimea. The cost of that relief will be borne by the Akhmat-haji Kadyrov charitable fund named for Kadyrov's late father.
INDUSTRY
Navy Said to Seek Three Littoral Ships Instead of Four
(Bloomberg) The U.S. Navy will request $2.1 billion to continue developing the Littoral Combat Ship and buy three of the vessels in fiscal 2015, one fewer than previously planned, according to defense officials.
Army Under Pressure to Downsize Industrial Capacity as Funding for New Vehicles Dwindles
(National Defense Magazine) The Army's latest attempt to build a ground combat vehicle is in the dustbin of history and there are no prospects of new production for the foreseeable future. Saddled with excess industrial capacity, the Army must soon begin to pare down its suppliers, an industry expert said.
In search of new sales, defense contractors embrace energy market
(Washington Post) As an executive at Bethesda-based contracting giant Lockheed Martin, Dan Heller gets asked plenty: “Is Lockheed Martin now getting into energy?”
Elbit Systems Tapped for $145 Million US Border Security Program
(Defense News) Israel’s Elbit Systems announced Sunday that its US subsidiary won an international bid for an estimated $145 million anti-intrustion network to secure Arizona’s southern border with Mexico.
MiG jets designer Rostislav Belyakov dies aged 94
(Associated Press) The maker of MiG fighter jets says that its chief designer Rostislav Belyakov has died. He was 94.
Saab Maneuvers To Buy Swedish Submarine Maker
(Defense News) Sweden — three years after selling its national submarine-maker Kockums to Germany’s ThyssenKrupp — is now fighting to wrest control of its indigenous sub-building capability from the German giant.
CONGRESS
DoD Budget Faces Defiant Congress
(Defense News) Chuck Hagel, with his first budget plan as US defense secretary, has managed to do the unthinkable: He has united Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. In short, they hate it.
Republicans blast Obama defense cuts
(The Hill) GOP lawmakers say the Obama administration is ignoring history in planning a defense budget that bets there won't be another protracted ground war in the near future.
Sen.: Obama budget 'guts our defense' (Video)
(CNN'S State of the Union) Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that President Obama's budget guts the U.S. defense dept.
Gillibrand confident on sexual assault bill despite opposition (With Video)
(CBS News’ Face the Nation) With votes on two Senate proposals to reform the military justice system just days away, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand hasn't given up on her fight to take sexual assault prosecution decisions out of the hands of military commanders.
Hawk vs. hawk on Pentagon
(The Hill) Defense hawks are decrying reductions in Pentagon spending, but their budget hawk brethren see more fat to be trimmed.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel defends proposed Pentagon budget cuts (With Video)
(CBS News’ Face the Nation) Despite criticism from some Republican defense hawks on Capitol Hill, Hagel said the U.S. isn't retreating, but simply adapting to new realities.
Pentagon cuts have military families on high alert
(Fox News) For Pamela Willoughby, word of the Pentagon's plan to shrink the U.S. Army to its smallest size in decades felt like a kick in the stomach.
Military Sex Assault Trial Showcases 2 Approaches to Prosecution
(New York Times) As one major battle over sexual assault in the military plays out in North Carolina this week, another is set to unfold in Washington.
The Pentagon Has to Learn a New Language: English
(National Journal) If the Pentagon wants to solve its budget problems, it's going to have to solve its communication problem first. For years, the Defense Department has been trying to explain to Congress why the sequester's military budget cuts are a threat to national security. But thus far, it hasn't gone well.
ARMY
State governors fight back against National Guard cuts
(Army Times) The nation’s governors have banded together to oppose cuts to the Army National Guard as outlined in the Army’s 2015 budget proposal.
System also on trial at Brig. Gen. Jeff Sinclair's court-martial
(Fayetteville Observer) Two issues go on trial Tuesday at the same time, in the same courtroom, at Fort Bragg.
Will Sgt. Bergdahl be left behind in Afghanistan?
(Associated Press) The case of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, held by the Taliban since 2009, has arisen again as the U.S. and other countries engage in diplomatic efforts to free him.
Source: Army to wear-test digital MultiCam pattern
(Army Times) The Army will soon wear-test a digital camouflage pattern inspired by MultiCam, a source tells Army Times.
Painting honors first female pilot killed in combat
(The State; Columbia, S.C.) U.S. Army Capt. Kimberly Hampton's smile will never be forgotten. The characteristic was prominently featured in the 4-foot by 6-foot dedication painting that portrayed the U.S. Army Captain standing in uniform in front of her OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter.
NAVY
Rescuers search for fighter jet pilot after crash in Nevada
(Reuters) The U.S. Navy and local authorities were searching on Sunday for the pilot of an F/A-18C fighter jet that crashed during a training mission near a Nevada air base, the Navy said.
Enlisted women could soon serve on Navy submarines
(The Brunswick News) Enlisted women could begin serving aboard submarines as early as 2016, depending on the interest female sailors have in serving on the boats.
Riverines to add women in March
(Navy Times) Barring a last-second roadblock from Congress, the six women already assigned to Coastal Riverine Squadron 2 will become the first official female riverines in March, a Navy spokesman said.
Naval report cites missteps in fatal SEAL accident
(Virginian-Pilot; Norfolk, Va.) Three Humvees loaded with Navy SEALs from Virginia Beach motored along a remote gravel road on a spring night in Kentucky almost a year ago. They were driving under stealthy "blacked out" conditions: Headlights off, night vision goggles on.
Navy needs to track $40 billion spent on service contracts per year
(The Hill) Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said the Navy and Marine Corps needs to better track the $40 billion a year spent on service contracts for everything from information technology to mowing grass.
Navy psychiatrist's acupuncture, meditation methods embraced by special operators
(Navy Times) Psychiatrist Capt. Robert Koffman has more than 20 years of operational medicine and combat stress expertise, but he’s probably best known for sticking lots of needles in special operators.
AIR FORCE
Community grieves special tactics airman
(Air Force Times) There is never enough time. That is what Master Sgt. Josh Gavulic told his wife, Alyssa, each time he left for war. As a special tactics airman, his work was particularly perilous, on the ground and close to the enemy.
Air Force Academy's future rests in Iowan's steady hands
(Des Moines Register) When Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson was a child, she would climb up onto her parents’ hog house with her German shepherd and look out at the horizon. It was one of her favorite afternoon activities as a rural latchkey kid left to her own devices after school.
USAFE already seeing cuts
(Air Force Times) The Pentagon is looking to close or reduce the sizes of its military bases across Europe, raising speculation that Air Force facilities might be on the chopping block.
Tuskegee Airman, Sumter native dies
(The State; Columbia, S.C.) First Lt. Leroy Bowman, an original Tuskegee Airman and Sumter native, has died.
Gay, lesbian troops perform in drag at Kadena Air Base fundraiser (With Video)
(Stars and Stripes) Since the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, U.S. military bases have hosted a gay marriage ceremonies and a potluck gatherings. But on Saturday, servicemembers here may have been the first to take to the stage and perform as drag queens on a military installation in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops.
MARINE CORPS
Navy's top admiral hopes to sell Marine Corps on new vessel for crisis-response missions
(Marine Corps Times) A new class of amphibious ships could be used to support Marine Corps embassy-security and crisis-response missions in regions such as North Africa and the Arabian Gulf, the Navy’s top admiral said Feb. 25 during a roundtable interview with Marine Corps Times reporters and editors.
U.S. Marine From Waseca, Minn. Dies In Afghanistan (With Video)
(WCCO; Minneapolis, St. Paul) Lance Cpl. Caleb Erickson died Friday when a suicide bomber hit his convoy. The 20-year-old grew up in Waseca.
Government straddles both sides in toxic water cases
(USA Today) President Obama signed a law in 2012 offering health benefits to thousands of former Marines and their families who were exposed decades ago to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Marines confront stigma of post-traumatic stress
(Marine Corps Times) A staff noncommissioned officer whose angry tirade on a reality TV show made gossip site headlines around the country is reaching out for help with his post-traumatic stress. Now he is encouraging other Marines who are struggling to do the same.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Altered Letter Fools Afghans and 10 Flee From Prison
(New York Times) For the fourth time in a decade, Taliban insurgents have escaped from the heavily guarded Sarposa Prison in Kandahar, Afghan officials confirmed on Sunday.
Will 'zero option' in Afghanistan cause chaos?
(Associated Press) If President Barack Obama were to decide to leave no military advisory force in Afghanistan next year, would Afghan security unravel to the point of enabling a civil war, a Taliban takeover and a return of al-Qaida in such numbers as to pose a 9/11-type threat?
TRANSCOM Chief: Crews ready to withdraw people, equipment from Afghanistan
(Air Force Times) U.S. Transportation Command will be able to quickly withdraw all troops and equipment from Afghanistan at the end of the year, if that is the option chosen, the TRANSCOM commander said Thursday.
Logistics, Sustainment Challenge Afghan Army
(Defense News) Afghanistan’s military and police are holding their own against the country’s insurgency, but the 340,000-member force still faces significant logistics and sustainment challenges, NATO and Afghan officers say.
Officials: Al-Qaida plots comeback in Afghanistan
(Associated Press) Al-Qaida's Afghanistan leader is laying the groundwork to relaunch his war-shattered organization once the United States and international forces withdraw from the country, as they have warned they will do without a security agreement from the Afghan government, U.S. officials say.
Pakistani Taliban calls one-month cease-fire
(Los Angeles Times) The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday announced a one-month cease-fire in a move that could revive stalled peace talks with Pakistan's government.
Analysts Praise New Pakistani Security Policy
(Defense News) Analysts have largely praised Pakistan’s long-awaited National Internal Security Policy (NISP) that was unveiled Wednesday, but say it will need a concerted effort to produce results and there are still points to consider.
MIDDLE EAST
Violence in Iraq Killed 703 in February, U.N. Reports
(New York Times) Violence across Iraq in February killed 703 people, a death toll higher than the same period a year before as the country faces a rising wave of militant attacks rivaling the sectarian bloodshed that followed the American-led invasion in 2003, the United Nations said Saturday.
Iraq cannot shake threat from al-Qaeda, ISIS
(Al-Monitor) Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) will most likely not be defeated in Iraq, and the latter will remain a hub accommodating terrorism. The current equation in the country is simple and easy to understand. The situation in Iraq is linked to a terrorist network that has invaded the world and is no longer restricted to the presence of al-Qaeda and ISIS in Iraq, but includes all the countries in the region and the world. The proof is that there are currently about 7,500 foreign militants from 50 countries in Syria, according to estimates by US intelligence.
Syria On Track To Become World's Largest Source Of Refugees
(National Public Radio) A photo from Syria is grabbing the world's attention: a sea of people lining up for food amid the rubble of a Palestinian refugee camp inside Syria.
US Ambassador Ford on what's gone wrong in Syria and where it's headed
(Christian Science Monitor) In his first public comments since stepping down as US ambassador to Syria on Friday, Robert Ford addressed the failure to contain Syria's bloody civil war, laying most of the blame at the feet of President Bashar al-Assad and his government's international backers.
China Expands Strategic Presence in Israel
(Defense News) China is building a strategic presence in Israel through a growing portfolio of holdings in national infrastructure, high-tech startups and core industries.
ASIA-PACIFIC
North Korea fires two short-range missiles into sea: Seoul
(Reuters) North Korea fired two short-range missiles on Monday into the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, South Korea's defense ministry said, days after launching similar rockets last week.
Pacific exercise includes S. Korea for first time
(Air Force Times) The largest U.S.-led air exercise in the Pacific wrapped up Friday, and this year’s iteration marked the first time South Korea participated in the training.
Is a Light Carrier in Singapore's Future?
(Defense News) For years, Singapore’s ST Engineering Marine has been parading a ship model of a landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessel that could handle the jump-jet variant of the F-35 joint strike fighter.
Indonesia’s South China Sea Options
(The Diplomat) Over the past few years, China has steadily increased its assertiveness in the South China Sea. Its most recent claim to fishing rights over most of this territory has given other countries in the region cause to worry that China may soon try to implement an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) across the South China Sea as it tries to assert its claim out to the controversial nine-dash line. This would put Chinese jurisdiction literally just off the shores of most Southeast Asian countries.
AFRICA
Uganda Set to Deploy Hundreds of Extra Troops to Somalia
(Wall Street Journal) Uganda is set to deploy as many as 410 extra troops to Somalia to guard United Nations facilities there after a surge in attacks by al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabab militants in the war-torn Horn of Africa nation, the Ugandan military said Sunday.
Suspected Islamists kill 85 in northeast Nigeria
(Reuters) Suspected Islamist militants have killed at least 85 people in northeastern Nigeria, witnesses and officials said on Sunday, in a further setback to President Goodluck Jonathan's military campaign.
Two Libyan lawmakers shot as protesters storm congress, members say
(CNN) At least two members of Libya's General National Congress were shot and wounded after protesters stormed its headquarters in Tripoli on Sunday evening, according to congress members.
Sudan Peace Talks Break Down
(Wall Street Journal) Talks between the Sudan government and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement North have collapsed, diminishing hopes for a truce in the nearly three-year conflict in the country's oil-rich border regions.
EUROPE
The struggle to downsize EUCOM
(Stars and Stripes) As the Pentagon prepares once again to cut forces and facilities on the Continent, experts say decades of downsizing have already eliminated most of the Cold War-era fat, leaving planners with a dilemma: make minor tweaks that will offer only modest savings or carry out sweeping changes that will alter the face of the military’s presence in Europe.
As Poland Pursues Stealth Jets, Eurofighter Flies Into Picture
(Defense News) Poland is scrapping previous plans to buy F-16 fighter jets in five years, but what it will buy instead is up in the air.
US transit hub in Romania fully operational
(Stars and Stripes) A temporary U.S. base in Romania that will serve as the primary hub for American forces leaving Afghanistan officially reached its full operating capacity Friday.
Latvia To Acquire Armored Tracked Vehicles From UK
(Defense News) Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis has signed a letter of intent with British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond to buy 120 tracked armored vehicles for the Latvian armed forces.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
NATO Needs to Move Now on Crimea
(Retired Adm. James Stavridis in Foreign Policy) Now that Vladimir Putin's Olympics are over, his gaze has turned inexorably to what he clearly regards as the premier foreign policy priority of the Russian Federation: retaining determinative influence -- if not full control -- over Ukraine.
A History Lesson That Needs Relearning
(Sam Tanenhaus in the New York Times) Suddenly the specter of the Cold War is back. Prompted by the political crisis in Ukraine, some conservatives have called for President Obama to stand up to Vladimir V. Putin in the grand tradition of previous American presidents who stared eyeball to eyeball with Soviet leaders from Joseph Stalin to Mikhail S. Gorbachev.
Putin’s Strategy
(Damon Wilson in the Atlantic Council) President Putin is striking back and playing for keeps in Ukraine. After losing his lever of control over Ukraine when the pliant and dependent former President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia, Putin is seeking to regain his leverage by dismembering Ukraine.
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