TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Pentagon confirms 'errant strike;' investigations find no blame
(Army Times) The Pentagon on Wednesday confirmed the authenticity of a video that shows an errant Air Force bomb strike that occurred danger-close to a U.S. Army outpost in Afghanistan.
2. Two former Navy SEALs found dead aboard ship at center of ‘Captain Phillips’ saga
(Fox News) Two former Navy SEALs working as security contractors aboard the Maersk Alabama were found dead Tuesday aboard the container ship, a day after it was docked near an island northeast of Madagascar, according to the Trident Group, the security firm that employed the men.
3. The Return of the Pentagon’s “Wish Lists”
(Mark Thompson in Time) They’re called “unfunded priority lists” inside the Pentagon, which is an oxymoron when you think about it: if something is unfunded, ipso facto, it’s not a priority.
4. Broadwell, in Tampa for conference, ready to ‘move on’
(Tampa Tribune) Paula Broadwell, in Tampa on Wednesday for the first time since news that her affair with former CIA Director David Petraeus had local connections, says she wants to “move on” from the ensuing scandal that brought down two national security leaders and turned a Bayshore Boulevard woman into an international icon.
5. NATO Chief Tweets Ukraine Military In a Plea for Peace
(Defense One) Call it a modern day battlefield demarche. Gen. Phil Breedlove, NATO supreme allied commander, took to Twitter and Facebook to reach Ukraine’s new military chiefs and request talks with toward ending the violent uprisings now drawing worldwide attention.
EUROPE
Gunfire Erupts in Kiev, Breaking Truce Agreement
(Wall Street Journal) Gunfire erupted in central Kiev on Thursday morning, just hours after the government and demonstrators had reached a tentative truce overnight to end an outburst of violence that had left dozens dead.
Obama warns of ‘consequences’ in Ukraine as U.S. issues visa bans
(Washington Post) President Obama warned of “consequences” Wednesday if Ukraine failed to restore calm after a day of violence in the capital, while the State Department announced that it would bar 20 senior members of the country’s government from traveling to the United States.
Pentagon to Ukrainian forces: 'Stay on sidelines'
(The Hill) After deadly clashes between protesters and police in Ukraine on Tuesday, the Pentagon urged the Ukrainian Armed Forces to “stay on the sidelines.”
Russian Defense Ministry Unveils $9B UAV Program
(Defense News) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has announced a program to spend about 320 billion rubles (US $9 billion) by 2020 on military UAVs, according to local news agency ITAR-TASS.
Benelux nations look towards integrated air force
(IHS Jane's 360) The three 'Benelux' countries of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg aim to push their military air forces far closer together, with the commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) calling for a "fully integrated" Benelux air component within a decade.
NATO cybersecurity center praises U.S. framework initiative
(Inside Cybersecurity) The new U.S. framework of cybersecurity standards could provide a positive example for other NATO countries seeking to improve cybersecurity by boosting cooperation between the public and private sectors, according to a spokeswoman for the alliance's cybersecurity center.
France, Germany To Send Parts Of Joint Brigade To Mali
(Defense News) France and Germany will send parts of a joint military brigade to Mali in its first deployment to Africa, a statement said Wednesday.
INDUSTRY
CAE USA Joins General Dynamics T-X Offering
(Defense News) General Dynamics has lined up the US arm of Canadian simulation giant CAE to provide training solutions for its offering for the US Air Force’s next-generation trainer.
Army Acquisition Executive Silent on Ground Combat Vehicle, Scout Helicopter
(National Defense Magazine) As the Army’s top acquisition executive highlighted the service’s modernization and acquisition priorities in a speech at the Association of the U.S. Army Winter Symposium and Exposition Feb. 19, two troubled programs went conspicuously unmentioned: the ground combat vehicle and armed aerial scout helicopter.
Lockheed tech lets U.S. Apache helicopter pilots aim in color
(Reuters) The U.S. Army has unveiled new technology that will for the first time allow AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots to see targeting and surveillance data in full, high-resolution color, instead of the fuzzy black and white images they get now.
Analyst: It’s the End of an Era for Military Aviation Industry
(National Defense Magazine) In a few years, Lockheed Martin Corp. might be the sole U.S. manufacturer of military fighter aircraft. Lockheed's current rival, The Boeing Co., would limit its offerings to jetliner derivatives such as refueling tankers and surveillance planes.
BrahMos Prepares Reduced-Weight Missile For Export
(Aviation Week) BrahMos Aerospace sees a big future for its projects, both in terms of sales to India and in exports—including the reduced-weight supersonic missile that is still in development.
Airbus to begin flight trials of Tanan Block 2 UAS
(IHS Jane's 360) Airbus Defence and Space (formerly Cassidian) is performing ground tests on the Tanan Block 2 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system (UAS), with first flight expected to take place in next couple of months, a company spokesperson told IHS Jane's in mid-February.
CONGRESS
McCain Vows New Fight Over Control of US Armed Drone Program
(Defense News) A senior US lawmaker intends to renew his fight to require the Obama administration to fully shift its armed drone program from the CIA to the Defense Department.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein defends NSA and need for intelligence gathering
(Los Angeles Times) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) offered a full-throated defense of the government's collection of data on billions of American phone calls, saying Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s practices have safeguarded the nation without trampling on civil liberties.
McCain as Armed Services chairman?
(The Hill) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday night said if Republicans win control of the Senate this year, he would want to be chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
Aide: Congress Will Fight To Fund Combat Rescue Helo
(Defense News) There’s still two weeks to go before the Pentagon’s 2015 budget proposal becomes public, but Congress already may be gearing up for a fight over the future of the Air Force’s Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) program.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
JIEDDO Boss Sees Mission Growth Despite Office Reductions
(Defense News) The head of the US military's counter-IED organization sees the group's mission possibly expanding despite the physical size of the organization declining in the coming year.
Military Can Close Bases WITHOUT Congress’s OK: ‘Take Your Chances,’ Says Hill Staffer
(Breaking Defense) Buried in Title 10, the chapter of the US Code that governs the Defense Department, is Section 2687. “It does give the services authority to do closures, and it only requires notification to Congress,” said House Armed Services staffer Vickie Plunkett this morning at the AUSA conference.
Pentagon agency slow to ID, return remains of America's fallen (With Video)
(CBS News) A Pentagon agency called the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command, or JPAC, is in charge of finding, identifying and returning their remains. But CBS News has found this solemn mission has been undermined by lapses in management.
Spouses learn how to flex political muscle
(Military Times) As a military spouse with a mobile lifestyle, Tatiana Matta knows she has her work cut out for her if she wants to run for political office on the local, state or national level.
ARMY
US Army Looking to Past Lessons to Fund Future Needs
(Defense News) If one were to lay all of the 43,000 shipping containers the US Army sent home from Afghanistan last year end to end, they would stretch from Washington, D.C., all the way down to Fort Bragg, N.C.
2nd National Guard soldier suspended over casket photo scandal
(Stars and Stripes) A Wisconsin National Guard member who publicly defended a subordinate who posted controversial photos and comments about military funerals on the Internet, has been suspended from his regular duties pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation into the matter, according to Maj. Paul Rickert, the director of public affairs for the Wisconsin Guard.
Vital Decisions Await US Army On Force Structure, Equipping
(Defense News) It’s no accident the US Army has chosen Huntsville, Ala., to host this year’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) symposium and trade show. The town is home to Army Materiel Command (AMC), which oversees a litany of subordinate commands busily transforming the Army from its wartime posture to a postwar future.
US soldier pleads guilty to taking bribes
(Associated Press) A U.S. soldier based at Fort Knox pleaded guilty Wednesday to taking $57,000 from an Afghan trucking company as part of a scheme to divert loaded fuel trucks from an American military outpost.
Former soldier claims government recouped cost of his gear that was lost 10 years ago
(Army Times) A former soldier from Texas has been portrayed as victim in the media for battling the government over a 10-year-old charge for missing Army gear. What hasn’t been reported until now, however, is his checkered military career.
Army cancels vehicle programs, moves to buy ships
The US Army is planning to buy new transport ships to replace dozens of its decades-old fleet of watercraft.
NAVY
Amphib Leaves San Diego for NASA Recovery Test
(U.S. Naval Institute) Amphibious warship USS San Diego (LPD-22) left Naval Station San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday for an open ocean recovery test of NASA’s planned new Orion space capsule.
International Sales May Not Support Seahawk Production Past 2018
(National Defense Magazine) The MH-60 Seahawk has proven to be the most versatile helicopter the Navy has in its rotorcraft fleet, performing a wide range of missions in both combat and support roles.
Naval War College to Launch Historic Nimitz Documents Online
(Seapower) The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) will unveil a digitization project offering Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz’s detailed operational diary covering activities and correspondence of the Pacific Command from Dec. 7, 1941, to Aug. 31, 1945, during an evening lecture on Feb. 24.
AIR FORCE
Dover staff sergeant charged in death of toddler
(Air Force Times) Police have charged a Dover Air Force Base, Del., staff sergeant with murder by abuse or neglect in connection with the death of fellow airman’s 21-month-old toddler.
Repairs ongoing after winds batter Lajes Field, Azores
(Stars and Stripes) Officials at Lajes Field, Azores, are still trying to repair about $75,000 in damages from strong winds last week.
Air Force swaps BlackBerrys for Apple devices
(C4ISR & Networks) The Air Force is replacing 5,000 of its BlackBerry devices with Apple smartphones, in a broader move to eradicate the legacy devices in favor of more modern commercial technologies.
Brothers are German by birth, American by grace of Air Force
(The Telegraph; Macon, Ga.)About 30 years ago, a couple of German boys walked into a primary school in Alabama, unable to speak a word of English.
MARINE CORPS
Bataan Ready Group arrives in 6th Fleet AOR
(Stars and Stripes) An amphibious group led by the assault ship USS Bataan entered European waters on Sunday with an embarked unit of Marines as part of a scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Middle East, according to the Navy.
National Museum of the Marine Corps exhibit to commemorate one of the Iraq War’s hardest hit units
(Battle Rattle) One of the Iraq War’s hardest hit units, which lost 22 Marines and a corpsman on a single deployment, is being commemorated by a temporary exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va.
Lifetime with Marines finally ends for man, 84
(The Free Lance-Star; Fredericksburg, Va.) After dedicating 65 years of his life to the Marines, Richard Govoni will finally take a break.
Officials: Off-road driving illegal aboard Camp Lejeune
(The Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) Because of the recent destruction of training areas caused by off-road recreational vehicle use aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, base officials are cracking down on illegal mud bogging aboard base and remind off-roaders mudding is forbidden aboard the installation. The effects of off- road vehicles on restricted areas delays training, destroys vegetation and puts Marines and sailors in danger.
Daughter of two Marines featured in Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue
(Battle Rattle) Hannah Ferguson doesn’t just have two Marines as parents — her mom served as a drill instructor and her dad as a sniper.
VETERANS
Land O’ Lakes jail opens special place for veterans
(Tampa Tribune) A new unit in the Pasco County jail has been opened to help a particular segment of the inmate population: military veterans.
After Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Brain-Injured Veterans Search for Solace
(Wall Street Journal) Pete Bunce walked into a room at a U.S. military hospital in Germany in March 2004, and stared hard at the unconscious young Marine on the bed. His head, gouged by shrapnel from an insurgent bomb in Iraq, was grotesquely swollen. His face was distorted and his right eye was near blind.
Bush Institute aims to identify best resources for vets' transition
(Military Times) Researchers at the George W. Bush Institute in Texas want to know which military advocacy and assistance groups are truly helping veterans.
Nonprofit begins search for a wounded-veteran recipient for a new home
(Fayetteville Observer) Helping a Hero, a Texas-based nonprofit that builds homes for wounded warriors, will open nominations for a custom-built home during a ceremony in downtown Fayetteville.
American Legion seeking vets' input for PTSD, TBI survey
(Military Times) The American Legion is seeking veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder to participate in an online survey to learn more about their injuries, treatment and care.
Military Lobby Gets Ultimate #ThisTown ‘Compliment’
(Intercepts) In Washington, there are compliments. And then there are “compliments.” Sometimes — no, oftentimes — both kinds are inadvertent. A key military lobby got one this week that was both a “compliment” and inadvertent. In fact, in shrewd terms, it might be the ultimate #ThisTown pat on the back.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Study Warns on Afghan Troop Cuts
(Wall Street Journal) An independent assessment of U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan concludes that plans to slash the size of Afghan security forces would jeopardize American hopes of stabilizing the country when most international forces leave later this year.
Taliban Civil War Looms as Peacemaker is Shot
(The Daily Beast) Taliban minister Mulvi Abdul Raqib was assassinated in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday. And the most likely suspects are other, hardline members of the Taliban.
Taliban Attack Abdullah's Campaign Motorcade
(Wall Street Journal) A leading Afghan presidential candidate escaped a Taliban attack Wednesday when his motorcade came under fire, underscoring the perils of the country's historic political transition.
US seeks Pakistan's help in tracing captive soldier
(Dawn.com) Pakistan has assured the US military of every possible cooperation in tracing American soldier Bowe Bergdahl who is allegedly being held captive by the Afghan Taliban in the North Waziristan tribal region.
Pakistani PM Approves Air Strikes on Militant Hideouts
(New York Times) Pakistani fighter jets bombed suspected militant hideouts in an ethnic Pashtun area on the Afghan border on Thursday, killing at least 40 people, security officials said, after attempts to engage insurgents in peace talks collapsed this week.
MIDDLE EAST
Senior Iraq police officers jailed over prison breaks
Iraq's Central Criminal Court sentenced six high-ranking police officers to five years in jail in connection with the escape of hundreds of inmates last year, a statement said on Wednesday.
Hagel: Obama seeking political solution in Syria
(The Hill) Although the White House is seeking new options for ending the crisis in Syria, the president is still aiming for a political solution, said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday evening.
Syrian rebel command appears split by ouster of senior military leader
(Washington Post) Several Syrian rebel commanders rallied behind the recently ousted leader of the military opposition Wednesday, throwing a leadership shake-up into further confusion as the United States and Arab nations consider additional arms deliveries to the opposition.
U.S. aims to bolster ties with Persian Gulf states
(Los Angeles Times) The Obama administration is mobilizing across several fronts to shore up its relationship with Persian Gulf leaders who fear the United States is reducing its commitments in the Middle East.
Abdullah Azzam Brigades launches double suicide attack on Iranian cultural center in Beirut
(The Long War Journal) The Abdullah Azzam Brigades has claimed today's twin suicide attack in the Lebanese capital of Beirut that killed at least five people and wounded more than a dozen. The attack is the second by the al Qaeda-linked group to target Iranian interests since November 2013.
One killed following shooting of pro-Syria official
(The Daily Star, Lebanon) One person was shot dead by sniper fire in the northern city of Tripoli Thursday following the fatal shooting of an official with the pro-Syrian Arab Democratic Party.
Report: Deadly drone strike in Yemen failed to comply with Obama’s rules to protect civilians
(Washington Post) A U.S. drone strike in December that killed at least a dozen people in Yemen failed to comply with rules imposed by President Obama last year to protect civilians, according to an investigation by a human rights organization released Thursday.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Commentary: Faulty MRAP Recollections
(Franz Gayl in Defense News) In “Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War,” Robert Gates paints a noble self-portrait. However, his recollections related to the mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle suffer from tunnel vision. Gates fails to note that MRAP was a team achievement.
A Second Look at the Powell Doctrine
(Frank Hoffman in War on the Rocks) This essay reviews the Powell Doctrine in light of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Twenty years ago, I found the doctrine profoundly flawed as a codification of false lessons from Vietnam. I was also concerned about the civil-military relations precedent of the Nation’s senior military leadership establishing conditions for why, where and how military force should be employed. Now, in light of Iraq and Afghanistan, the benefits of this doctrine are far more apparent.
Strategic Depth & Israel's Maritime Strategy
(Seth Cropsey in Real Clear Defense) Israel’s military accomplishments have often approached their biblical antecedents. Surrounded by the combined invasions of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in 1948, the newly created Jewish state triumphed decisively. Anticipating attack by Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in 1967, Israel gained air superiority with a surprise strike that destroyed most of the Egyptian and—later in the same day—Syrian air forces as they sat parked on the ground. Israel’s success in the south helped the late Ariel Sharon decimate Egyptian tank forces in the Sinai. Israel won in six days and, among other accomplishments, threw Syrian forces from their commanding position atop the Golan Heights.
Opinion: Commercial Airliners Need Antimissile Protection
(Rachel Ehrenfeld in Aviation Week) Speaking at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, former CIA director and Gen. (ret.) David Petraeus issued a serious warning about the international threats posed by shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (SAM), also known as man-portable air-defense systems (Manpads), in the hands of Al Qaeda and other terrorists.
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