TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Commander resigns, 9 commanding officers removed, 100 missileers could be punishmed in cheating scandal
(Air Force Times) Ten officers have resigned or been relieved of command at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., following multiple investigations into cheating and morale problems among missile launch crews.
2. NCIS: USS Mahan gunman wasn't authorized to be on Naval Station Norfolk
(Navy Times) The suspected gunman who shot and killed a sailor aboard the destroyer Mahan on Monday was not authorized to be on Naval Station Norfolk, Va., the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said in a Thursday news release.
3. Even Jimmy Carter understood the vital importance of a strong military
(Thomas Donnelly & Gary Schmitt in National Review Online) Where Carter moved to restore the sinews of America’s weakened armed forces, today we adhere to the constraints of a Budget Control Act that is steadily eviscerating a battle-tested professional force. Carter, in the final year of what would prove to be a single term as president, took steps to create new options for future commanders-in-chief. Barack Obama, with three years left, appears resolutely committed to foreclosing American military options.
4. ONR Investigates ‘Spidey Sense’ for Sailors and Marines
(Seapower) Hunches are 50-50 propositions, but Navy researchers want to know if those facing the unexpected in the heat of battle can be trained to guess right more often than not.
5. Exclusive - Pakistan Taliban agrees to ceasefire to help Afghan allies
(Reuters) The Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan have secretly agreed to focus on carrying out operations in Afghanistan, with Pakistani militants announcing a ceasefire with their government in order to preserve militant bases used to stage cross-border attacks.
INDUSTRY
$23.9B in Deals Announced on Last Day of Dimdex
(Defense News) The Qatari Armed Forces today announced deals with US weapons manufactures worth US $7.6 billion, including Apache helicopters, Javelin missiles and PAC 3 Patriot systems.
U.S. Air Force names companies eligible for $5.8B IT network orders
(Reuters) The U.S. Air Force on Thursday named 12 companies that are eligible to receive orders under a contract valued at up to $5.8 billion for computer network operations and infrastructure.
SAIC wins anti-submarine sensor contract
(C4ISR & Networks) SAIC has won a $50 million prime contract for anti-submarine warfare sensors.
Facing a Spectrum Crunch, DoD Solicits Ideas From Private Sector
(National Defense Magazine) The Pentagon worries that a dwindling supply of electromagnetic spectrum will cripple its high-tech weapon systems and global communications. The concern is shared by vendors that supply information technologies to the Defense Department.
DynCorp Opens New London-Based Company
(Defense News) DynCorp International has stepped up efforts to grow its global business with the opening of a new company based in London focused on taking a share of the military support services market here.
Seoul Eyes Secure Satcom, KF-X Tech In F-35 Deal
(Aviation Week) With Seoul’s March 24 announcement of its long-held intent to purchase the F-35A, South Korea is likely securing an offset deal that will include a new military communications satellite and technical assistance in the country’s plans to develop an indigenous stealthy KF-X fighter.
Upgrading the Classic FFG for Modern Combat
(Defense News) The Oliver Hazard Perry guided missile frigates are one of the most numerous warships classes built since World War II. The first ships entered service in the 1980s, but many still serve under the flags of other nations, all of whom are intensely interested in keeping these vintage ships as effective as possible.
FIDAE 2014: ScanEagle to compete for Brazilian maritime ISR program
(IHS Jane's 360) The Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aerial system (UAS) is to soon compete for a place within Brazil's maritime situational awareness system, officials announced at FIDAE 2014.
Visiting Warships a Mix of Old and New
(Defense News) The ships tied up alongside at the port here for the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition (DIMDEX) are an eclectic mix, representing new and recent designs like Spain’s high-end Aegis frigate Cristobal Colon and Oman’s impressive British-built corvette Al Shamikh, to old classics like the Italian destroyer Francesco Mimbelli and a trio of Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates.
CONGRESS
Stripped from Senate Democrats' Agenda: Getting Rid of Sequestration
(Defense News) US Senate Democratic leaders have stripped from their legislative agenda efforts to further ease or eliminate the remaining eight years of across-the-board defense and domestic spending cuts.
Flags display, Senate bill put focus on veteran suicides
(Stars and Stripes) A new bill aimed at improving suicide prevention for veterans was introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, as nearly 2,000 flags were planted within view of the Capitol — each one representing a current or former servicemember who had committed suicide so far this year.
U.S.-Russian Helicopter Deal In Spotlight After Crimean Annexation
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Pressure is mounting in Washington to axe a $550 million contract with a Russian state arms dealer for military helicopters after Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea territory.
Armed Services feud over Ukraine comes to light
(The Hill) A partisan dispute on the House Armed Services Committee spilled into the public eye on Thursday after ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) criticized Republicans for excluding Democrats from a Ukraine briefing.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
War funds needed at least until '17, services say
(Military Times) U.S. military operations in Afghanistan will end this year, but bills for the war will be coming in until at least 2017.
Chuck Hagel preaches ‘professionalism’ amid scandal
(Politico Pro) As the military endures a rocky season of scandal and embarrassment, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has a new mantra: “professionalism.”
Hagel to host Asia meeting; travel to China, Japan
(Associated Press) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will travel to the Pacific next week to convene a meeting of defense ministers from Asia against the backdrop of the massive regional response to the loss of the Malaysian jetliner.
DoD, GSA chart path for cyber contracting standards
(C4ISR & Networks) Security experts often make the case for building cybersecurity into federal systems and solutions up front. Those results have been mixed, at best.
U.S. Military Seeking ‘Cheap Stealth’ on Ocean Floor
(Time) Only hours after Visclosky grumbled about sunken ships sitting on the bottom of the ocean, the Pentagon said it’s moving closer to making that cold and forbidding place a base for U.S. military hardware. It’s planning to test the concept in the Western Pacific, conveniently close to China, starting next year.
Former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger dies
(Military Times) Former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger has died, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he served as a counselor and trustee. He was 85.
ARMY
Army releases new instructions for grooming standards rollout
(Army Times) The Army has set deadlines for soldiers to get in compliance with its new grooming and appearance regulation once it becomes official.
Ga. soldier gets life, no parole in wife's death
(Associated Press) An Army soldier accused of strangling his pregnant wife so he could pocket $500,000 in benefit money was convicted Thursday by a military judge in a case that hinged on dueling medical experts who couldn't agree on how the woman died.
Special Forces soldiers honored for valor in Afghanistan
(Army Times) Eight soldiers from 3rd Special Forces Group were honored March 27 with the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest award for valor, for their actions in Afghanistan.
New focus on artillery training prepares Army for future conflicts
(Stars and Stripes) Though counterinsurgency has been at the center of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the recent past might not be the best guide to new threats, participants at the Future Artillery conference in London, hosted by Defense iQ, said earlier this week.
Feds investigate rapes in Alaska National Guard
(McClatchy) Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell has called in a federal investigation of sexual assault and fraud in the Alaska National Guard, including an inquiry into how the guard’s commanders handled reports of rape and other offenses.
NAVY
Man arrested for attempting to steal plane was a Pensacola NAS trainee
(Pensacola News Journal) A Georgia man who was arrested Tuesday while attempting to steal a cargo plane from Pensacola International Airport was a trainee at Pensacola Naval Air Station, according to an NAS official.
Why The Navy Really Wants 22 More Growlers
(Breaking Defense) After several years of appearing to dislike the F-35C, or at least appearing lukewarm to buying it, the Navy today finally revealed why it wants to buy more F-18Gs from Boeing.
Navy Considers JHSV for Special Operations Missions
(DOD BUZZ) The ongoing deployment of the Navy’s first Joint High Speed Vessel, or JHSV, is leading the service to think more broadly about the ship’s mission set and expand it from a purely transport vessel to one that can conduct special operations and humanitarian assistance missions, Navy leaders said.
Lack of DOE Funds Could Delay Ohio-class Replacement Program
(Seapower) The Navy’s “highest-priority program,” the Ohio-class Replacement, could face a six month delay due to a funding shortfall in fiscal 2014 for the manufacture of the submarine’s reactor core.
Navy electricity rate will be cut
(Honolulu Star-Advertiser) About 1,300 Navy and Marine Corps families in privatized housing on Oahu who got a whopping 123 percent increase in their electric bills starting in October will get their rates dialed back to a 56 percent increase beginning Tuesday and continuing until the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30, the Navy announced.
AIR FORCE
Reports, prosecutions of sexual assaults increase
(Air Force Times) Air Force policy changes for sexual assault, including creation of the special victims counsel program, have led to a 33 percent increase in reporting of assaults and an increase in prosecution rates, top service officials said.
Military rescuers use helicopter to pluck stranded skiers from Turnagain Pass peak
(Anchorage Daily News) Two skiers stranded on a Turnagain Pass mountain overnight Tuesday were rescued Wednesday morning by an Alaska Air Guard helicopter crew, the Guard said.
Commanders told to nominate more NCOs for special duties
(Air Force Times) The Air Force expects to select between 700 and 1,000 staff sergeants, technical sergeants and master sergeants for the next round of developmental special-duty assignments — fewer than during last year’s first round.
AirFest license-plate scans lead to IDs of 200
(Tampa Tribune) Sitting in his marked patrol car parked on the median inside the Dale Mabry gate at MacDill Air Force Base last weekend, Clearwater police officer Kevin Klein pointed cameras at the cars streamed in for AirFest 2014.
Air Force Academy Squadrons Test Peer-Effect Assumptions
(National Public Radio) The story unfolds at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Linda. This is in Colorado Springs. It's one of the military's elite training schools, very tough to get in, and graduates typically go on to join the officer corps in the military. It's a very tough course, mentally, physically, emotionally demanding. And administrators there noticed a couple of things.
MARINE CORPS
MarSOC report: More investigation needed
(Marine Corps Times) An unreleased report by a military court of inquiry recommended that a Marine spec ops officer relieved of his command should receive no further punishment, but Maj. Fred Galvin could still lose his career.
NYC jail boss details heating problems after death
(Wall Street Journal) The head of New York City's jail system says that a malfunctioning damper diverted heat to the upper-level cell where a mentally ill veteran was found dead last month.
Amos, retired generals: Marines need more amphibious ships
(Marine Corps Times) Twenty retired Marine Corps generals — including former U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Jim Mattis and previous commandant Gen. James Conway — joined forces with Marine Commandant Gen. Jim Amos to call for a minimum of 38 amphibious warships to meet the Corps’ ongoing expeditionary mission.
Marine: Beaufort on track to get 1st F-35 in June
(Associated Press) The Marine Corps in South Carolina is getting its first futuristic F-35 fighter jets in June, a commander from the Air Station in Beaufort announced Wednesday.
Pendleton Marines deploy to Australia
(San Diego Union-Tribune) A Camp Pendleton infantry battalion deploys Tuesday for Australia, the largest unit by far to join the expanding rotation of U.S. Marines in Darwin.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
U.S. Military: Sorry, Pakistan. You Won't Get Our Extra Equipment
(National Journal) The U.S. military is denying what it calls "inaccurate media reports" that armored vehicles and extra military equipment leftover from the war in Afghanistan could be provided to neighboring Pakistan—after Kabul opposed the move described in the press.
Iranian President visits Kabul, describes Afghanistan an occupied nation
(Khaama Press) The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who visited Kabul on Thursday, described Afghanistan as an occupied nation by foreign forces.
AP Interview: Afghan candidate will respect vote
(Associated Press) One of the top three contenders in Afghanistan's presidential race said Thursday that he won't challenge the results even if he loses and suspects fraud, and he urged his opponents to do the same.
MIDDLE EAST
Qatar Continues To Expand Naval Capabilities
(Defense News) Qatar is three years away from completing a new high-tech naval base as the Arabian Gulf state continues the rapid expansion of its naval capabilities.
Recordings, Posted Online, Rattle Officials in Turkey
(New York Times) If any meeting was meant to be private, it was this one: the top spy chief, the foreign minister and his deputy, and a top military official discussing secret plans for possible military action in Syria.
UN Says 400,000 Displaced In Iraq Violence This Year
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) United Nations envoy to Iraq told the UN Security Council that some 400,000 people have been displaced this year by violence in western Iraq.
Expansion of 5th Fleet Base Underscores Long-Term Gulf Presence
(Defense News) The 5th Fleet’s $580 million base expansion in Bahrain will extend the US’ operational tenure in the gulf well into the middle of the century, according to Vice Adm. John Miller.
President Obama seeks to bolster ties with Saudi Arabia
(Los Angeles Times) After spending four days in Europe dealing with the crisis over Russia's annexation of Crimea, President Obama now turns to a diplomatic challenge of another sort: trying to smooth relations with Saudi Arabia without making the longtime U.S. ally seem like an afterthought.
EUROPE
Spotlight Back on US European Command
(Military Times) The U.S. military’s gradual, 20-year drawdown in Europe looks to be abruptly ending as the Russian invasion of Crimea casts a spotlight on U.S. European Command and fuels calls for reshaping the military mission there after decades of post-Cold War calm.
Pentagon: No evidence of Russian troop 'exercises' at Ukraine borders
(The Hill) Despite personal assurances from the Russian defense minister that Russian troops were gathering at Ukraine’s borders to conduct "springtime exercises" and not invade Ukraine further, the Pentagon said Thursday officials have been monitoring the situation closely, and have not seen any evidence of exercises taking place.
Russia antagonist Tymoshenko will run for Ukraine presidency
(Los Angeles Times) Yulia V. Tymoshenko, the former prime minister of Ukraine who led her nation's "Orange Revolution," declared her intention to run for the presidency, pledging Thursday to lead her nation out of economic and political turmoil and "return" Crimea to Ukraine sovereignty after its annexation by Russia.
UK, France Ink Deal To Produce Helo Anti-Surface Missile
(Defense News) Britain and France have signed a £500 million (US $827.2 million) deal with MBDA to demonstrate and produce a helicopter-mounted anti-surface missile.
Europe Begins to Rethink Cuts to Military Spending
(New York Times) President Obama spent Wednesday in Brussels talking up the importance of the security relationship between Europe and the United States, but it is considered unlikely that Russia’s seizure of Crimea will prompt increased European military spending at a time of economic anemia and budget cuts.
ASIA-PACIFIC
China to Boost Cybersecurity
(Wall Street Journal) China's defense ministry said it would take measures to boost cybersecurity after reports this week alleging the U.S. spied on Chinese technology company Huawei Technologies Co. and several Chinese leaders.
S. Korea sends back stray N. Korean fishing boat
(Yonhap News Agency) South Korea repatriated a North Korean fishing boat that crossed the western maritime border due to an engine failure as three sailors aboard the ship wished to return to their homeland, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday.
U.S. Navy adds 2nd sub-hunting plane to search for Malaysian jetliner
(Los Angeles Times) The Navy is adding another advanced submarine-hunting aircraft to its effort to find debris from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
US agrees to return Japanese land, limit new housing in Ikego
(Stars and Stripes) U.S. Forces Japan will return two properties to Japan and trim the number of new housing units planned for the Navy’s Ikego housing area, Japanese and U.S. military officials said Wednesday.
Indian Air Force Super Hercules Crashes
(Wall Street Journal) An Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules plane crashed Friday, in the latest of a string of accidents connected to the country’s armed forces.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Editorial: Nineteen deaths and the VA’s troubling silence
(Tampa Tribune Editorial) The public has a right to know the names of the Veterans Affairs hospitals where delays in diagnostic testing contributed to the deaths of 19 veterans. Five of those deaths occurred in a VA region that treats Florida patients and includes VA facilities in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, as well as other locations in the state.
Sen. Levin Warns Putin, Exposes Coming Void for Democrats
(John Bennett in Intercepts) President Barack Obama is resisting Republican calls to “explain to the American people” why it’s time to get tough on Russian President Vladimir Putin. But one veteran Senate Democrat did so on Thursday. The problem for members of the party Obama leads is that very senator is retiring, meaning they soon will lose perhaps their most effective voice on national security issues.
The Return of Great Power Politics: Re-Examining the Nixon Doctrine
(Chad Pillai in War on the Rocks) The recent crisis between Russia and the West over Crimea, and the ongoing tensions between China and Japan, are ushering a return of Great Power Politics where U.S. power and influence is challenged. The U.S. is finding that it is no longer in the dominant position, but is still expected to lead. As a result, it is time to re-examine the Nixon Doctrine as a foundation of preserving U.S. global leadership in an increasingly multi-polar world.
What Russia's Crimean Annexation Means for East Asia
(Euan Graham in Real Clear Defense) Moscow's annexation of Crimea and continuing tensions over Ukraine are being felt primarily as a crisis in European and US relations with Russia. Yet Russia's challenge to the international order has global ramifications that extend to East Asia. Implications for the region can be understood in terms of three broad categories: demonstration, distraction, and disruption.
Containing Russia and Restoring American Power
(Robert Killebrew in War on the Rocks) Russia’s actions in Crimea and Ukraine are ringing alarm bells in Europe and United States. For the first time since World War II, European national boundaries are being changed by force, and, in an eerie echo of 1938, by an authoritarian leader who claims the right of intervention on behalf of ethnic kin in other countries.
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