TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Weapons Spending Inches Upward
(Defense News) The Pentagon’s five-year projections for procurement spending on its 63 major weapons programs, submitted to Congress this month, has turned more positive than last year’s spending forecast, according to an analysis of the US Defense Department’s 63 top weapons programs compiled by analytical firm VisualDoD.
2. Top U.S. Commander Sent Back to Europe Over Ukraine Tensions
(NBC News) The head of the U.S. military's European Command was sent back to Europe prematurely from Washington amid growing tensions in the Ukraine, a Pentagon official said Sunday.
3. Fourteen women have tried, and failed, the Marines’ Infantry Officer Course. Here’s why
(Marine 2nd Lt. Sage Santangelo in The Washington Post) I awoke to Eminem blasting hours before dawn at Quantico Marine Base. A fog of breath and sweat permeated the cold January air as I joined 104 other nervous lieutenants hauling gear to the classroom where we would receive our first instructions. With body armor, Kevlar, a rifle and a huge pack on my 5’3’’ frame, I must have looked like a child next to the buff guys assembling for Day 1 of the Marine Corps’ Infantry Officer Course.
4. North and South Korea Exchange Fire Across Disputed Sea Border
(New York Times) North Korea conducted extensive live-fire military drills off its southern coast on Monday, some of its artillery shells falling south of the disputed sea border with South Korea, in a military provocation that came a day after the North threatened to conduct more nuclear tests.
5. A Legacy of Pain and Pride
(Washington Post) More than half of the 2.6 million Americans dispatched to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with physical or mental health problems stemming from their service, feel disconnected from civilian life and believe the government is failing to meet the needs of this generation’s veterans, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
When will wartime supplemental funding end?
Robert F. Hale, Defense Department Comptroller and chief financial officer, discusses the Overseas Contingency Operations Account.
NATO's response to the Ukraine crisis
Jorge Benitez, senior fellow at the Altantic Council, discusses NATO's response to the Ukraine crisis.
Streamlining defense acquisition
Greg Wenzel, Booz Allen Hamilton senior vice president for strategic innovation, on streamlining defense acquisition.
Vago's Notebook: U2 vs. Global Hawk
After the Pentagon decided to kill the U-2 spyplane and replace it with the Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft, the Air Force was forced to argue in favor of a decision that it actually disagreed with.
INDUSTRY
Lockheed says wins first production order for new PAC-3 missiles
(Reuters) Lockheed Martin Corp has won a U.S. Army contract worth $611 million to build 92 missiles and 50 launcher modification kits, the company's first production contract for a new enhanced missile designed to upgrade the Patriot missile defense system.
Qatar's Defense Spending Spree on Display at DIMDEX
(Defense News) For proof of Qatar’s military spending spree, look no further than last week’s defense expo here.
L-3 MAPPS To Design IPMS for Royal Canadian Navy Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship Project
(Seapower) L-3 MAPPS, a division of L-3 Marine & Power Systems, announced March 27 that it has been selected by Lockheed Martin Canada to support the design activity of the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for the Royal Canadian Navy’s new class of Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS).
FIDAE: FAMAE Unveils Son of the Rayo
(Defense News) A new multiple launch rocket system, Sistema de Lanzamiento Multiple (SLM) in Spanish, is being exhibited by Fábricas and Maestranzas del Ejército (FAMAE) at FIDAE 2014.
FIDAE 2014: Boeing offering 80 CH-47Ds to international market
(IHS Jane's 360) Boeing is planning to offer refurbished US Army surplus CH-47D Chinook cargo helicopters to customers across to the world, company officials announced at FIDAE 2014 in Santiago, Chile.
Saab, Pilatus To Promote the PC-21 if Sweden Seeks New Trainer Aircraft
(Defense News) Saab and Pilatus Aircraft will cooperate in bidding the Swiss company’s PC-21 if the Swedish Air Force opt to replace its SK 60 trainer.
CONGRESS
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers chooses radio gig over re-election
(Detroit Free Press) Michigan’s political clout in the nation’s capital took another hit today as U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers — a key ally of House Speaker John Boehner and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee — abruptly announced he would not run for re-election this year.
Sources: Rep. Miller Early Frontrunner to Replace Rogers as House Intel Chair
(Defense News) House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers shocked Washington Friday by announcing he will leave Congress, setting off speculation that Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., will take the gavel.
Eyeing disability backlog, GOP rep. pushes VA accountability (With Video)
(CBS News) Citing a backlog of disability claims that leaves many disabled veterans waiting months to receive their benefits, Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., slammed the Department of Veterans Affairs for mismanagement Saturday, saying the VA has "become the epitome of bureaucracy run amok."
Mitch McConnell’s foreign policy evolution
(Politico) Not so long ago, the Kentucky Republican and Senate minority leader was a “go-to guy” for presidents of both parties seeking foreign aid. But in the past nine months, he’s been tearing up the railroad track while ceding his leadership role to the more volatile John McCains of the world.
No clear path to NSA reform on Hill
(The Hill) President Obama’s proposal to end government collection of Americans’ phone records is expected to face a rocky path on Capitol Hill as lawmakers and pressure groups disagree on details and the scope of NSA reform.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
DoD to look at consolidating commissaries, exchanges
(Military Times) Defense officials have ordered a review of options that include consolidating commissaries and exchanges, as well as having commissaries adopt an “Exchange-like business model,” according to information obtained by Military Times.
New corps of military lawyers help rape victims
(Associated Press) As an Army general faced court-martial for sexual assault this month, a young military lawyer sat each day in the front row of the gallery, a few feet behind the prosecutors.
Hagel: US not seeking to ‘militarize’ the Internet
(The Hill) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday said the Pentagon is working to build an elite force to protect the nation from cyberattacks that he said threaten both military networks and national security.
Night-vision contact lenses may be in your future
(Military Times) Night-vision goggle technology has become more effective, streamlined and nimble in the past 10 years. But what if you could ditch that bulky headgear and pop in a pair of night-vision contact lenses?
Pentagon to adapt drones for tougher aerial battles
(USA Today) U.S. drones fly with virtual impunity over Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, firing deadly missiles at targets with little concern the highly effective aircraft will be shot down.
ARMY
More Disputes Likely in US Army's AMPV Contest
(Defense News) The first week of April will be a critical one for what has been a relatively drama-free armored vehicle program for the US Army.
Army Defends Move to Strip Guard of Apaches
(DOD BUZZ) The U.S. Army’s top leaders defended their proposal to strip the Army National Guard of its AH-64 Apaches attack helicopters as part of a cost-saving move.
Best Ranger Competition set to begin April 11 at Fort Benning
(Army Times) Fifty two-man teams are expected at the starting line April 11 for the storied Best Ranger Competition.
Camp Shelby to become equipment hub
(Hattiesburg American; Miss.) Officials from Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center announced Wednesday an agreement with a national transportation research organization.
Family of UP combat vet killed by deputy asks for coroner's inquest
(Tacoma News Tribune)The family of the former Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier shot to death last week by a sheriff’s deputy has filed a request for an independent review of the incident, known as a coroner’s inquest, the family’s attorney said.
British, American soldiers train together during Operation Commando Rattlesnake at Fort Drum
(Watertown Daily Times) As the sun rose over the post’s ranges early Thursday, American and British soldiers pushed through packed snow and the sound of gunfire into a small fictional village.
NAVY
Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., 89, Dies; With Blinks, Vietnam P.O.W. Told of Torture
(New York Times) The prisoner of war had been tortured for 10 months and beaten repeatedly by his North Vietnamese captors in recent days, and there were threats of more if he did not respond properly when the propaganda broadcast began. Haggard but gritty, Cmdr. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. slumped in a chair before the television cameras.
Midshipman dies after skateboarding accident
(Baltimore Sun) A U.S. Naval Academy midshipman died Saturday after slipping into a coma following a skateboarding injury, the third midshipman to expire due to injury in two months.
Family felt Navy base shooter had changed his life
(Virginian-Pilot; Norfolk, Va.) The man who drove a semi-truck onto Norfolk Naval Station before killing a sailor left a halfway house two years ago, promising family he was going to make some changes.
Base security in spotlight again after deadly shooting
(Navy Times) A civilian trucker with no authorization to be on base shot and killed a sailor aboard the destroyer Mahan on the night of March 24 while it was moored on Pier 1 at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., in what is the latest troubling breach of Navy base security.
Major submarine accidents remain isolated but costly
(The Day; New London, Conn.) When the periscope of the USS Montpelier rose from the water during training off the coast of Florida on Oct. 13, 2012, the submarine crew saw a Navy cruiser approaching a mere 100 to 200 yards away.
Navy says goodbye to USS Miami
(Seacoast Online) The Navy bade a dignified, traditional, fond farewell Friday to the ill-fated USS Miami in a decommissioning ceremony that was purposely one of celebration and not sadness.
Group strives for 'disruptive' sailor-driven ideas
(Navy Times) A small group of big minds is working to bring a host of nifty gadgets and concepts to the fleet, hoping to make sailors’ lives easier and save time and money in the process.
Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport
(Sun Herald; Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss.) Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the Department of Defense with a false travel-claim scheme that involved tens of thousands of dollars.
The 'last Cold Warrior' shares sub-hunt stories
(Navy Times) When Master Chief Naval Aircrewman (NAC/AW) Spence Cunningham hung up his poopie suit late last year, he was one of the last sailors to have spent his career chasing Soviet submarines across the ocean in a P-3 Orion aircraft.
AIR FORCE
2015 budget proposal shows half of plans
(Air Force Times) The Air Force’s 2015 budget plan represents about half of what the service plans to do in terms of retiring and moving aircraft, with analysis not yet finished on what will come next and how the force structure will ultimately be balanced among active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said.
Grissom commander under investigation
(Kokomo Tribune; Ind.)The commander of the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base is under investigation and has been forced to step down from the position.
MTI who pleaded guilty to trainee maltreatment gets 8 months
(Air Force Times) A former military training instructor who admitted to mistreating trainees has been sentenced to eight months in prison, reduction to E-1 and a bad conduct discharge.
Scrapping U-2 Won't Save As Much As Touted
(Defense News) Retiring all of its U-2 spy planes and replacing them with Global Hawk UAVs won’t save as much money as the US Air Force had said it would, since the unmanned systems will need upgrades to handle the mission, according to experts and service data.
Commanders fired, changes coming for nuclear missile officers
(Air Force Times) The investigations into cheating and morale problems in the Air Force’s nuclear missile crews brought down 10 commanding officers but will also lead to new money for nuclear facilities and possibly incentive pay for crews.
On 60th anniversary, Air Force Academy's traditions still core to cadet experience
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Sixty years into its existence, the Air Force Academy is changing again.
Mustache March ends, but controversy lingers
(Air Force Times) Whether you participated in Mustache March with your unit or under Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh’s Air Force-wide challenge, the month has ended and your razors await.
Scott airmen to mop, vacuum own buildings to cut costs
(Belleville News-Democrat; Ill.) Scott Air Force Base airmen on April 1 will assume more responsibility for most mopping, vacuuming and grass-cutting at dorms and office buildings that do not fall under the "prestige" category.
MARINE CORPS
Witnesses: Marine flashed security badge on Obama trip, bragged of being ‘bullet catcher’
(Washington Post) Military officials said they are investigating the conduct of a U.S. Marine who was on assignment for President Obama’s trip to the Netherlands last week, after witnesses said he was talking in detail about his job and passing around his government security badge during a night of drinking at a bar.
Lawmakers call for Medal of Honor for Marines who died stopping truck bomber
(Marine Corps Times) A New York congressman is calling for a presidential review of the Medal of Honor cases of two Marines who in 2008 gave their lives to halt a suicide bomber with a truck full of explosives in Ramadi, Iraq.
Murder charge in crash that killed Marine
(San Francisco Chronicle) An Emeryville man was charged Thursday with murder for allegedly downing several whiskey drinks before crashing his car in Fremont, killing a U.S. Marine who had returned from Afghanistan only last month, authorities said.
Navy move to ban tobacco sales would include Marine Corps
(Military Times) The Navy is pushing ahead toward eliminating tobacco sales on all its bases and ships, as well as all Marine Corps facilities, according to sources inside and outside the Pentagon.
Budget cuts, F-35 delays eat into dwell for Marine aviation units
(Marine Corps Times) Approximately seven months after wrapping up a deployment at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, members of Fighter Attack Squadron 122 found themselves back in Japan, the latest sign of the increasingly quick turnarounds being asked of F/A-18 and other aircraft squadrons across the service.
Hundreds greet injured Marine and his family at their new Elysburg residence
(The News-Item; Shamokin, Pa.) David Noblit looked at the large ceremonial key that he just received from the Homes for Our Troops organization.
Sorry, Marines: No return of silkies imminent
(Marine Corps Times) Despite the cult status enjoyed by silkies, the Marine Corps’ formerly authorized brief green workout shorts will remain out of regs for unit physical training, officials said — although Marines can continue to wear them for individual PT if they wish.
VETERANS
IG: Vet overdosed while in VA rehab center
(Military Times) A veteran of the war in Afghanistan died of a heroin and cocaine overdovse last year while receiving treatment at a Miami Veterans Affairs residential treatment facility, according to a VA inspector general report released Friday.
VA restores aid to homeless veterans
(USA Today) The VA has reversed course in the face of complaints from community groups and a USA TODAY query and restored aid to potentially several thousand homeless veterans who otherwise could have been left on the streets.
Sen. Nelson: None of the controversial VA deaths occurred at Haley
(Tampa Tribune) Neither the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa nor the C.W. “Bill” Young” VA Medical Center at Bay Pines were the locations where deaths occurred as the result of treatment delays, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and hospital officials.
Two Men, Two Fates
(Stars and Stripes) More than 700 servicemembers became prisoners of war in Vietnam. None endured longer than Floyd James Thompson and Everett Alvarez Jr. The two men represent the extremes of the POW experience -- in captivity and in life.
Irregularities cited in student vet study
(Military Times) A study released by Student Veterans of America promised to bring much-needed clarity to veterans’ college graduation rates, but irregularities in how the research was done may cast doubt on its findings.
Coming Home: SC Vets Return
(The State; Columbia, S.C.) Sgt. Maj. Chris Fletcher was a teenager the last time he had a civilian job.
Stalking hogs: Army vets take tactical solutions to pesky porkers
(Military Times) Thick Georgia mud, courtesy of heavy rains earlier in the day, squishes and slurps against our boots as we move single-file through the night.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Afghan Drone War in Steep Decline
(Foreign Policy) Both the amount of time drones spend over Afghanistan and the number of total coalition airstrikes are in steep decline, and that trend is likely to accelerate as the U.S. withdraws most of its remaining troops in the months ahead.
John Sopko, head of oversight for U.S. work in Afghanistan, says major challenges remain
(Washington Post) John F. Sopko became the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in 2012, after more than 37 years of accountability work with government and the private sector. He inherited a dispirited agency that was struggling with retention and had a reputation for ineffectiveness.
In Afghan Presidential Campaign, North Is All-Important
(New York Times) When the presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani took the stage this month before more than 15,000 people in the northern province of Kunduz, his speech about fighting corruption and the need for unity and security was met with polite applause.
Pakistan's Musharraf indicted for treason
(Al Jazeera) Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani president and army chief, has been indicted by a special court on treason charges, and will face the death penalty if found guilty.
Much At Stake In Pakistan Talks With Taliban
(National Public Radio) For the first time since it was elected on a promise of peace, the Pakistani government held direct talks with the Taliban. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with correspondent Philip Reeves in Islamabad.
MIDDLE EAST
Israel Banks on 10 More Years of US Aid
(Defense News) Despite misgivings over US President Barack Obama’s Mideast agenda and deep-rooted doubts about his ability to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, the Israeli government is taking the US president at his word that it can expect another decade of military aid.
Ya'alon to Dempsey: U.S. ties 'cornerstone' of Israeli security
(Haaretz) Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon met Sunday with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, and assured him that the relationship with the U.S. was a "cornerstone" of Israeli security.
Egypt announces arrest of Ansar al Sharia members linked to shooting attacks
(The Long War Journal) Egypt's Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim today announced the arrest of members of Kataeb Ansar al Sharia fi Ard al Kinanah (Brigades of Ansar al Sharia in the Land of Egypt). The jihadist group, which first announced itself in early March, had taken credit for more than a dozen separate shooting attacks in the governorates of Sharkiya, Beni Suef, and Giza in a statement released on March 17.
Merchant ship shot at in Strait of Hormuz Sunday- NATO
(Reuters) Unknown assailants in a speedboat shot at a merchant vessel as it sailed through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman on Sunday, the NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) said.
Turkey's Top Procurement Official Removed
(Defense News) Murad Bayar, Turkey’s procurement chief since 2004, has been removed from office, according to a government decree published in the Official Gazette March 28.
Al Qaeda's American propagandist notes death of terror group's representative in Syria
(The Long War Journal) Adam Gadahn, the American traitor who works with al Qaeda's General Command as a propagandist, has released a videotape acknowledging the death of Abu Khalid al Suri, the terror group's representative to Syria who was killed last month. In the video, Gadahn vows that al Qaeda will avenge Abu Khalid's death, and notes that he had served under the al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan.
EUROPE
Crimea crisis shows need to defend a nation's free choice: NATO chief
(Agence France Presse) NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Sunday that the Ukraine crisis underscored the need to protect the right of nations to map out their own future.
US ships 300,000 MREs to Ukraine military
(The Hill) The United States delivered 300,000 meals-ready-to-eat to the Ukranian military, the first delivery of American aid to the former Soviet republic following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Kerry's Talks With Russia's Lavrov Fail to Ease Ukraine Crisis
(Wall Street Journal) Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart appeared to make no major advances Sunday in a four-hour meeting aimed at easing the standoff over Ukraine, raising the specter of a prolonged crisis that threatens to bring broader instability to Europe.
Donetsk fearful of Russian military might on Ukraine’s border
(Washington Post) Some people are making sure their cars stay gassed up, in case their families need to flee advancing tanks. Others are stockpiling food so they can dig in if there is an invasion. A few talk about learning to shoot. Nearly everyone is worried.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Philippines Seeks Arbitration at U.N. Over China's Claims in South China Sea
(Wall Street Journal) The Philippines filed an arbitration case Sunday with the United Nations over China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, raising the ante in a long-running dispute over who owns what in the strategic, energy-rich waters.
S. Korea Wants Lockheed To Invest in Fighter Plan
(Defense News) South Korea will ask Lockheed Martin to invest in the country’s KF-X fighter jet development project as part of offset deals over its selection of the F-35 joint strike fighter.
Abe ready for full-on military drive
(Japan Times) With the launch next Monday of a special intraparty panel directly under his lead, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party are ready to kick off their full-fledged drive to reinterpret the Constitution to allow Japan to help defend its allies.
Is Obama pivot to Asia on hold?
(The Hill) Plans for the United States to pivot to Asia are on hold again with Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Reflections on the Continuities in War and Warfare
(Small Wars Journal) SWJ Discussion with Lieutenant General (Select) H.R. McMaster.
Don't Bury the Tomahawk
(Seth Cropsey in Real Clear Defense) When looking for new employment it is wise not to leave one job before finding a new one. The advice applies elsewhere: security is too valuable to be vacated in favor of hope. The Department of Defense disagrees with this common sense. The budget that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel presented in March will end the purchase of Tomahawk Land Attack (TLAM) cruise missiles in 2016 without a replacement in clear sight.
Chuck Hagel: The Asia pivot is still on
(Doyle McManus in The Los Angeles Times) Russian troops are massing menacingly on Ukraine's eastern border. The civil war in Syria is still raging, and 33,000 American troops fight on in Afghanistan. So where is Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel headed this week? To Hawaii — for a meeting with defense ministers from Asia, the region the Obama administration still considers its top foreign policy priority.
Proving the mettle of the military’s Osprey
(John Lehman in The Washington Times) Thirty-two years ago, the secretary of the Navy, the commandant of the Marine Corps and chief of naval operations had to decide on a replacement for the old Vietnam-era CH-46 helicopter, the heavy-lift workhorse of Navy fleet replenishment and Marine air assault.
The Forgotten Principles of Deterrence
(Paul Pillar in The National Interest) An irony of how the events in Ukraine and the associated altercation with Russia have thrown many commentators and policy critics into a Cold War mode is that those same commentators and critics seem to have forgotten (or never learned) much relevant doctrine that was developed and honed during the real Cold War.
