TODAY’S TOP 5
1. China’s Navy Takes Great Leap Forward
(National Defense Magazine) China’s navy is growing, analysts said. And it’s not only the number of ships increasing. Modernization of its fleets is going hand in hand with new types of vessels including the stated goal of building indigenous aircraft carriers.
2. Special pays reductions hit troops' bottom lines
(Military Times) With no fanfare or controversy, the Pentagon has quietly shaved several billion dollars from troops’ total compensation in recent years as the flow of cash benefits known as special pays and incentive pays has slowed dramatically.
3. Putin's Challenge to the West
(Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates in The Wall Street Journal) Russian President Vladimir Putin has a long-festering grudge: He deeply resents the West for winning the Cold War. He blames the United States in particular for the collapse of his beloved Soviet Union, an event he has called the "worst geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century."
4. Gen. Dempsey Says Sexual Assault Threatens Military's Bedrock
(Wall Street Journal) Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy Wednesday that sexual assault threatens to erode the trust that is the foundation of the military.
5. Hammond: Higher Defense Spending Would Not Have Stopped Russia in Crimea
(Defense News) Russian President Vladimir Putin likely would not have been deterred from invading the Crimean peninsula even if European countries had spent more on defense in recent years, the UK defense secretary said Wednesday.
INDUSTRY
F-35 Funds Withheld From Pratt & Whitney Over Delays
(Bloomberg) The Pentagon is withholding funds from United Technologies Corp. (UTX)’s Pratt and Whitney unit because of persistent delays in delivering engines for the F-35, the head of the fighter program said.
Further Delays Predicted for F-35 Program
(Defense News) The general in charge of the F-35 told a US House panel Wednesday he sees more delays ahead — four to six months — for the often-troubled fighter jet program.
U.S. Navy seeks more Boeing 'Growlers' to boost capabilities
(Reuters) The U.S. Navy would add two Boeing Co EA-18G Growler electronic attack fighters to each five-plane squadron on its aircraft carriers, if Congress will fund its request of $2.1 billion for 22 more of the aircraft.
What Defense Could Learn About Cyber From Financial Firms
(Defense News) As the defense industry sorts out the complications of information sharing and improved cyber protection, it might turn to another sector thought by many experts to have the best security in the US: financial firms.
Siemens medical unit wins Pentagon deal worth up to $1.8 billion
(Reuters) Siemens Medical Solutions, a unit of Germany's Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE), has won a contract valued at up to $1.8 billion to provide radiology systems, parts and other accessories to the U.S. military, the U.S. Defense Department said on Wednesday in its daily digest of major weapons contracts.
DIMDEX Show Opens With Arrival Of Warships
(Defense News) The naval parade began a day before the official opening of the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition, the Middle East’s largest naval exposition in 2014.
Commercial spy satellites gain power as resolutions sharpen
(C4ISR & Networks) Space-based sensors devoted to intelligence gathering are poised to receive a major upgrade driven by the perceived need to identify and monitor a growing range of potential threats. The unstated goal is to create a massive satellite network forming the equivalent of a single, unblinking eye in space.
CONGRESS
Senators weigh impact of proposed Tricare fee hikes
(Military Times) Military advocacy groups appear divided over a Pentagon proposal to consolidate Tricare health programs, but all agree that active-duty families should not have to pay higher medical costs just because they don’t live near a military hospital.
Lawmakers struggle with proposed A-10 cuts
(The Hill) House lawmakers say they are not happy with the Air Force’s decision to cut the A-10 fleet in its 2015 budget request.
US Senate Panel Advances Work, Other Nominations
(Defense News) The US Senate Armed Services Committee advanced seven high-profile Defense Department nominees Wednesday, including Robert Work, to be deputy defense secretary and Vice Adm. Michael Rogers to be the head of US Cyber Command.
Delay in Afghan Pact Roils War Plan, Defense Budget
(Roll Call) The bilateral security agreement between the United States and Afghanistan has still not been signed, sealed and delivered, creating budget uncertainty and potentially significant logistical problems, according to military and congressional leaders.
Boehner to VA officials: Fix disability backlog or 'you gotta go'
(The Hill) Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday slammed officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs for failing to reduce the huge disability claims backlog that has plagued the VA, adding that the failure means managers need to be fired or demoted.
House bill would give federal workers a 3.3 percent raise
(Stars and Stripes) A group of House Democrats has introduced a bill that would give federal workers a 3.3 percent pay raise in 2015, far more than President Barack Obama has requested.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
DoD official: 'Tough choices' necessary on pay and benefits reform
(Military Times) Defense Department Comptroller Robert Hale pleaded with Senate lawmakers Wednesday not to undo money-saving personnel changes in the fiscal 2015 budget proposal, saying such a move would devastate spending plans for years to come.
Longtime DoD official Carey to step down
(C4ISR & Networks) The Defense Department’s Deputy CIO Rob Carey announced March 26 that he will step down from his Pentagon post at the end of the week, according to published reports.
U.S. Special Ops Planning for Action in Globe’s ‘Dark Areas’
(Time) The U.S. military is always busy planning for war pretty much everywhere, but some places are tougher nuts to crack than others. That’s why the U.S. Special Operations Command is seeking “Geospatial Data on Countries of Interest for Which There is a Critical Need But Non-Existent Data.”
DARPA applies Big Data to debugging
(C4ISR & Networks) DARPA wants to employ Big Data techniques to eliminate software errors and bad coding. The project, known as Mining and Understanding Software Enclaves (MUSE), would develop tools to automatically detect and repair errors, according to the DARPA announcement.
ARMY
Valor awards to honor 3rd Special Forces soldiers who risked their lives
(Fayetteville Observer) Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland, commanding general of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, will present eight Silver Stars, 28 Bronze Stars for valor, 36 Army Commendation Medals for valor and 27 Purple Hearts to soldiers in the 11 a.m. ceremony, according to officials. The Silver Star is the military's third highest award for valor in combat.
Guard Association Says Compromise With Army Possible
(Breaking Defense) After more than two months of escalating conflict, the powerful National Guard Association of the US downshifted today and took a markedly more conciliatory tone towards the Army leaders it had been savaging just last week.
Army examines replacing DFAS with own accountants
(Military Times) The Army is considering pulling some of its financial activities out of the Pentagon’s Defense Finance and Accounting Services office and handing them off to the Army’s own accountants.
Experts duel over what killed Ga. soldier's wife
(Associated Press) Experts gave dueling opinions Wednesday on what likely killed a pregnant Army soldier whose husband is charged with murder, leaving a military judge to sort out whether she was strangled to death, suffered a sudden heart attack or died from causes that can't be determined.
Wireless Network for Army Brigades Too Complex, Burdensome
(National Defense Magazine) Army officials have decided to hit the pause button on current efforts to equip combat brigades with wireless communications networks. They are recalibrating their plans after it became clear that the current systems are too esoteric and exceedingly difficult for Army units to maintain in the field.
JBLM to soldiers: Pot still not legal for you
(Tacoma News Tribune) As Washington prepares to open its first retail marijuana stores in the next few months, tens of thousands of military service members have been warned not to shop in any of them.
Army officer, Senate candidate vows to bring pig castration skills to D.C.
(Army Times) Joni Ernst, an officer in the Iowa Army National Guard who is running for Senate, has received national attention after running an unconventional campaign commercial touting her farmhand experience.
NAVY
Norfolk commander: Fallen pier sentry's actions 'heroic'
(Navy Times) The sailor who was fatally shot Monday while trying to stop a civilian gunman has been identified as Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Mark Mayo, who put himself in harm’s way to save a shipmate, the Navy confirmed Wednesday.
Toddler rescued, but search for family continues (With Video)
(KING; Seattle) Ryce’s cousin Billy Spillers, a Navy chief petty officer, was living on Steelhead Drive in Oso with his wife Jonielle and their four children. They were watching TV when the mudslide hit Saturday, obliterating their street.
Understanding the Weather Is Key Factor in Military Operations
(Defense News) High salinity levels and thick humidity. Dense ocean thermal layers. Shifting currents and winds. Sandstorms, rainstorms, and, of course, severely high temperatures.
U.S. Navy sends underwater drone to help in Malaysia plane search
(Los Angeles Times) The U.S. Navy is sending an advanced underwater drone outfitted with sonar equipment to the southern Indian Ocean as part of search efforts to find missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Sailors leaving Navy over stress on social issues, Top Gun instructor says
(Washington Times) A Navy F-18 fighter pilot and former Top Gun instructor is publicly warning admirals that retention is beginning to suffer from the military’s relentless social conditioning programs.
AIR FORCE
Attorney: 44½ years unlikely for MTI who abused trainees
(Air Force Times) A sentencing hearing for a former military training instructor who admitted to mistreating recruits and telling them to lie about it continued Wednesday afternoon at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
US Air Force Faces Shortage of Engineers
(Defense News) More than any other military service, the US Air Force depends on a constant stream of technological improvements and scientific breakthroughs. But according to the service’s chief scientist, a “perfect storm” of personnel issues is endangering the retention and recruitment of top scientific talent.
Air Force F-35 makes first night flight
(Air Force Times) Pilots in the Air Force’s newest and most expensive fighter can now fly at night.
B-52's Back Over the Black HIlls
(South Dakota Public Broadcasting) If you are old enough to remember the cold war you likely know what a B-52 Bomber looks like. For years B-52’s were stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City. The giant bombers were as frequent over the Black Hills as the newer B1’s are today.
AF civilians have another shot at early retirement, separation
(Air Force Times) The Air Force said March 26 it will offer a second round of early retirements and voluntary separation payments to civilian employees.
MARINE CORPS
Paxton: Budget cuts causing 'downward spiral' of Marine Corps unit readiness
(Marine Corps Times) Half of the Corps’ fixed-wing fighters are offline due to sequestration budget cuts, while 62 percent of non-deployed Marine Corps units are missing some kind of necessary equipment, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Fremont: Marine lance corporal identified as victim struck by possible drunken driver
(San Jose Mercury News) An Emeryville man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Tuesday morning after he struck and killed a U.S. Marine who had returned from Afghanistan only last month, authorities said.
Marine general: Aviation readiness will fall sharply under sequester
(Marine Corps Times) More than 70 percent of the Marine Corps’ aviation fleet will not meet combat readiness standards by 2021 if sequestration — the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts — remains in place, the service’s aviation chief warned lawmakers today.
Texas teen’s sexual affair with married science teacher ruined his future as a Marine: suit
(New York Daily News) Rachelle Heenan was 34 when she seduced the 17-year-old senior in February 2012. The former student filed a lawsuit against Heenan for ruining his prospects as a Marine, and the school district for allowing the affair to happen.
Five facts about new self-healing paint for JLTVs
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps’ next generation of tactical vehicles will likely be covered in a new protective primer that is able to heal itself like human skin, and experts say it will cut down on corrosion and repair time.
VETERANS
Legion pushes VA to continue progress on claims
(Military Times) The American Legion’s national commander is happy with work Veterans Affairs Department officials have done on their disability claims and veteran outreach goals.
‘Environmental Poisoning’ of Iraq Is Claimed
(New York Times) An advocacy group representing American military veterans and Iraqi civilians arrived here on Wednesday armed with a message for the United States government: Washington must do something for the thousands of people suffering from what the group called the “environmental poisoning” of Iraq during the war.
Computer Security Problems at VA More Than Doubles in the Past Six Years
(Nextgov) The Veterans Affairs Department has not fully developed and instituted a comprehensive program to secure its networks and computer systems despite reports of weaknesses over the past 16 years, as the number of VA computer security incidents more than tripled between 2007 and 2013, the Government Accountability Office reported Tuesday.
Obama Pays Tribute at Graves of World War I Soldiers
(New York Times) President Obama paid homage Wednesday to the American soldiers who died at Flanders Fields in the battles of World War I, which began 100 years ago and took the lives of hundreds of thousands.
AFGHANISTAN
U.S. general: Coalition braces for Taliban offensive ahead of Afghan elections
(Army Times) U.S. troop operations may be dialing down in Afghanistan, but the No. 2 American commander there says there is much work to be done — chiefly, bracing for a potential Taliban offensive on the country’s upcoming election day.
3 Afghan soldiers, 20 militants killed in various incidents
(Khaama Press) At least 3 Afghan national army (ANA) soldiers and 20 militants were killed in various incidents during the past 24 hours.
A Shift in Afghanistan’s Balance of Power
(Foreign Policy) Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, Afghanistan's two-time vice president and a once prominent jihadi leader, died of natural causes on Sunday, March 9, 2014, but his death was as controversial as his life, with many people comparing it to the unexpected assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud -- the famous guerilla warrior who fought against the Soviets and the Taliban -- in 2001.
Karzai Battles for Legacy After Afghan Vote Next Week
(Wall Street Journal) Next week's election to pick a successor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai will also determine how much power the mercurial leader—who has ruled the country since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion—will retain once he leaves office.
MIDDLE EAST
Egypt’s el-Sissi makes it official: He’s running for president
(McClatchy) Egypt’s de facto strongman, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, resigned Wednesday from the military and announced his long-anticipated run for the presidency in an impassioned national address in which he called for his embattled nation to once again become a strong, regional power.
Syria rebels gain foothold by Mediterranean
(Al Jazeera) Syrian rebels have seized control of a tourist site by the Turkish border that allowed them a small foothold by the Mediterranean for the first time since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad erupted three years ago, activists said.
Chechen al Qaeda commander, popular Saudi cleric spotted on front lines in Latakia
(The Long War Journal) A prominent Saudi cleric and a Chechen military commander in a unit of the Al Nusrah Front for the People in the Levant, al Qaeda's official branch in Syria, celebrated together after recent heavy fighting against Syrian government forces in a mountainous area in the coastal province of Latakia.
Turkey Vows 'Any Measures' Against Syria Threats
(Defense News) Turkey is ready to take any measures, including cross-border military operations into war-torn Syria, against threats to its national security, its foreign minister warned Wednesday.
Lebanon: Masked gunmen kill army officer in north
(Washington Post) Lebanese state media say masked gunmen have killed an army officer in the northern city of Tripoli, which has been hard-hit by Syria-related clashes.
Only a ground offensive will defeat the enemy, says senior IDF source
(Jerusalem Post) In the event of another war, only a full-scale ground offensive will achieve a convincing defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, a high-ranking IDF source said on Tuesday.
EUROPE
Military Cuts Render NATO Less Formidable as Deterrent to Russia
(New York Times) President Obama and European leaders pledged Wednesday to bolster the NATO alliance and vowed that Russia would not be allowed to run roughshod over its neighbors. But the military reality on the ground in Europe tells a different story.
Ukraine's loss of Crimea has NATO examining its core mission
(Los Angeles Times) Last fall, nearly 6,000 NATO troops, mostly in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, trained to repel an invasion by a fictional country that bore an uncanny resemblance to Russia.
Ukraine Names Koval New Defense Minister, Plans Defense Spending Hike
(Defense News) Col. Gen. Mikhail Koval has replaced retired Adm. Ihor Tenyukh as Ukraine’s minister of defense. Koval was appointed by the country’s parliament March 25 following his predecessor’s dismissal.
Energy Department not sending ‘laser tag’ combat trainers to Russia
(The Hill) The Department of Energy will not be providing Russia with a “laser tag” combat training program.
Majority of Finns Support Swedish Military Alliance
(Defense News) Nearly 54 percent of Finns would support a formal, treaty-centered, bilateral military alliance with Sweden, according to an opinion poll conducted March 17-20 by the Helsinki-based research organization Taloustutkimus for the Finnish public broadcasting corporation YLE.
French Buy of Special Forces Vehicles Seen as Safe Despite Budget Cutting
(Defense News) A French order for a fresh batch of light special forces vehicles would cost some €40 million (US $55.3 million), seen as a relatively small amount and vital for equipping the elite units, an industry executive said March 26.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Scaparrotti: N. Korea able to fire missiles 'with very little warning'
(Stars and Stripes) The top U.S. military commander in South Korea told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is more dangerous and unpredictable than his father.
Philippines and Muslim rebel group sign peace deal
(Associated Press) The Philippine government has signed a peace accord with the country's largest Muslim rebel group, formally ending decades of conflict in parts of a southern region.
PACOM chief says China will deploy long-range nuclear missiles on subs this year
(IHS Jane's 360) The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will likely equip its submarines with long-range nuclear missiles for the first time by the end of 2014, according to a 25 March statement to the US Senate Armed Services Committee by the head of US Pacific Command (USPACOM), Admiral Samuel Locklear.
How Taiwan Would Defend Against a Chinese Attack
(U.S. Naval Institute) On March 6, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Yen Ming told the national legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee the country’s military could hold out “at least one month” alone against a Chinese invasion.
President: Myanmar Army Role To Be 'Gradually' Decreased
(Defense News) Myanmar’s leader on Wednesday said the role of the powerful military should be reduced slowly in the transition to democracy amid opposition campaigns to ease the army’s grip on political power.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Are Aircraft Carriers the New West Berlin?
(Jake Douglas in The National Interest) There is an empirical problem with the debate over United States military strategy towards China: aircraft carriers are “dead,” but they can still be seen patrolling the Western Pacific.
Madman in the White House
(James Rosen and Luke Nichter in Foreign Policy) On the afternoon of April 19, 1972, seated in the Oval Office, President Richard Nixon instructed Henry Kissinger on what message he wanted the national security advisor to convey to his counterparts in the Soviet Union. In a few hours' time, Kissinger would be aboard a red-eye flight to Moscow for a tense set of secret negotiations on the interrelated issues of the Vietnam War and nuclear disarmament. Unbeknownst even to the flight crew at Andrews Air Force Base, Kissinger was to be joined by a most important -- and unusual -- passenger: Soviet Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Dobrynin. Nixon wanted to make sure the flight time wasn't wasted on small talk.
How Does Iran View the Syria Conflict?
(Chris Looney in War on the Rocks) While peace talks between the regime of Bashar al-Assad and its opponents were floundering in Montreux last month, Iran was quietly escalating its support for Damascus by increasing the number of high-level military advisors it provides to the Syrian Army. Now estimated to have as many as 10,000 operatives in Syria, Iran has committed a large amount of resources to the survival of one of its key regional allies, supporting training, intelligence, and military activities and even contributing to the pro-regime shabiha militias that have become key players in the conflict.
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