TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Mexico looks to expand training with Marines
(Marine Corps Times) More Marines will be tapped to deploy south of the border as their Mexican counterparts look toward expanding the training mission between the two militaries, building on their recent successes in counter-narcotics operations.
2. Suicide bombings kill at least 17 in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) A group of Taliban insurgents, including two suicide bombers, stormed an office of the election commission in the Afghan capital Tuesday, killing six people, around the same time that two suicide bombers killed six members of the Afghan security forces in an eastern province.
3. Why Is the U.S. Funding Russian Laser Tag?
(Dustin Walker in Real Clear Defense) Despite the Russian annexation of Ukraine, the United States is sending Russia a laser system used in force-on-force training free of charge. And that’s not sitting well with some Members of Congress.
4. Rumsfeld bashes Obama on Afghanistan, says ‘a trained ape’ could do better
(Washington Post) Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday attacked the Obama administration for failing to secure a status of forces agreement with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
5. Cold War Echoes Under the Arctic Ice (With Video)
(Wall Street Journal) Five hundred feet below the Arctic ice cap, the USS New Mexico's crew filled two torpedo tubes. "Match sonar bearings and shoot," ordered the skipper, Cmdr. Todd Moore. The air pressure rose sharply as a simulated torpedo headed toward its simulated target: a Russian Akula-class submarine.
INDUSTRY
Military Expenditures Keep Growing
(Defense News) While its defense expenditures do not match that of the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, South American military spending has steadily risen since 2005.
U.S. set to approve international debut of F-35 fighter -sources
(Reuters) The U.S. Defense Department is poised to approve the first trans-Atlantic flight of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet in July, when the new warplane is expected to take part in two international air shows near London, according to multiple sources familiar with the issue.
Fleet Modernization Drives Requirements Across South America
(Defense News) As South America continues increasing its defense expenditures, air fleet modernization is driving numerous requirements and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
South Korea boosts air defenses with about $6.8 billion budget for F-35s
(Reuters) South Korea expects to pay around 7.34 trillion won ($6.79 billion) for 40 Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jets, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Monday, as Seoul boosts its air defenses amid simmering tensions in the region.
FIDAE: Airbus Expands Cooperation With Chile's ENAER
(Defense News) Airbus Defence and Space and Chile’s Empresa Nacional Aeronautica (ENAER), the state-owned aerospace firm under Air Force administration, signed a cooperation agreement Tuesday expanding their 30-year joint business arrangement for maintenance and upgrade services.
U.S. RD-180 Coproduction Would Cost $1 Billion
(Aviation Week) Recent tensions over Russia's move to annex Crimea have prompted some to question the reliability of U.S. access to the Russian-made RD-180 engine, which is used to power one of two rockets that loft national security payloads into orbit.
Border Control, Internal Security Drive UAV Market
(Defense News) The use of UAVs in South America is on the rise, driven by demands for border control and protection of natural resources as well as fighting organized crime and insurgency.
MQ-4C completes initial flight test phase
(IHS Jane's 360) The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has completed its initial flight test phase, the US Navy (USN) announced on 24 March.
CONGRESS
Boehner: No boost to defense spending
(The Hill) House Republicans will not seek to increase defense spending in their 2015 budget in the wake of the crisis with Russia, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday.
House lawmakers cool to DoD pay, benefits proposals
(Military Times) The Pentagon’s pay and benefits proposals for fiscal 2015 would be crippling for troops and their families, and potentially a disincentive for many to continue serving, according to House lawmakers who oversee personnel programs in the annual defense budget.
‘If It’s Not Survivable, We Don’t Care:’ HAC-D’s Peter Visclosky On Littoral Combat Ship
(Breaking Defense) The House Appropriations defense subcommittee pressed the leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps today about how they could meet the national security challenges with shrinking budgets, questioning the survivability of the Littoral Combat Ships, the status of the costly and controversial Joint Strike Fighter and the Navy’s plan to take seven cruisers and possibly an aircraft carrier out of service.
Bill would remove cap on traumatic injury payments
(Military Times) Two lawmakers have introduced a bill that would eliminate the $100,000 cap on payments to wounded warriors for multiple, severe injuries under the Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel names 'military professionalism' adviser
(Military Times) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has tapped a two-star admiral and former Naval Academy commandant to serve as his “senior adviser for military professionalism,” a newly created position to tackle military ethics problems.
Pentagon says Benghazi probes cost millions
(Associated Press) Congress' multiple investigations of the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, have cost the Pentagon millions of dollars and thousands of hours of personnel time, according to the department.
Electrical Leak Suspected in U.S. Missile’s Failure
(Bloomberg) An electrical leak from a battery may have prevented a Raytheon Co. (RTN) warhead from separating from its booster rocket in a missile-defense test that failed in July, according to findings emerging from a Pentagon review.
3 Things That Have To Happen Before Robot Infantry Soldiers Hit the Battlefield
(Defense One) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Robotics Challenge, which is trying to build a walking, climbing, humanoid robot for “disaster relief” operations, has inspired excitement, speculation and anxiety about Terminator-style robots on the future battlefield.
Defense Department Deploys Secure Cloud Service
(Information Week) The Department of Defense (DOD) is rolling out a new cloud computing service as part of its ongoing efforts to trim IT costs and provide more streamlined services to its military and civilian users. The service, called MilCloud, provides an integrated suite of capabilities, including the ability for users to configure infrastructure resources and manage applications on a self-service basis.
ARMY
Army head to decide rank of disgraced general
(Associated Press) The secretary of the Army said Tuesday he will have the final say on whether a disgraced brigadier general at the center of a sexual misconduct case retires at a lower rank with sharply reduced retirement pay.
US Army Leaders Push for Another BRAC Round
(Defense News) Senior US Army leadership has doubled down on its support for another round of shuttering and shrinking domestic installations, with Army Secretary John McHugh telling a congressional committee Tuesday morning that the service could save about $1 billion a year by undertaking a new round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC.)
Female soldiers in Fort Bragg's artillery units paving way for expanded role
(Fayetteville Observer) Some soldiers wanted to break barriers. Others were unaware the barriers even existed. But in Fort Bragg's artillery community, a growing number of female soldiers are taking positions once restricted to men - and they're holding their own.
Army seeks airspace for drones at Piñon Canyon in southern Colorado
(Colorado Springs Gazette) The Army wants train with drones and other new equipment at the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site east of Trinidad and has put in formal notice to seek a new Environmental Impact Statement for the 235,000-acre training area.
JBLM soldier jailed for allegedly abusing 2-month-old daughter
(Tacoma News Tribune) A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier was arrested Monday after doctors found signs of repeated abuse in his 2-month-old daughter, who was in critical condition Tuesday.
NAVY
Official: Mahan sailor shot intruder
(Navy Times) A sailor standing watch on the destroyer Mahan shot and killed a civilian who had gained access to the pier late Monday night, after the man shot a member of the naval security force on the pier, according to a military official familiar with the incident reports.
Navy's Will McKamey dies at Shock Trauma
(Baltimore Sun) Navy football player Will McKamey died Tuesday night at Maryland Shock Trauma, three days after collapsing during a practice in Annapolis.
Brothers of U.S. Navy commander find his body in mudslide debris
(The Seattle Times) The body of U.S. Navy Cmdr. L. John Regelbrugge III, 49, was found this morning on his property on Steelhead Drive, said his sister-in-law, Jackie Leighton of Vacaville, Calif.
El Centro Navy leader tough on staff
(San Diego Union-Tribune) The commanding officer of the Navy’s El Centro air field was removed from his job in July because he created a bad office climate, including getting so familiar with junior sailors – especially women – that other officials had to keep a watchful eye on him at the base club.
Mabus: “We Very Much Want to Keep” George Washington
(Seapower) The decision to not include funds in Navy’s fiscal 2015 budget request to put the aircraft carrier USS George Washington through midlife refueling and overhaul does not signal that the Navy plans to decommission it, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said March 25 during a House Appropriations Committee budget hearing.
Navy EA-6B Replacement Training Ends in April
(Seapower) The Navy’s training of flight crews for the EA-6B Prowler electronic attack aircraft is ending as the aircraft approaches the end of its service in the fleet.
AIR FORCE
Shaw captain pleads guilty to desertion
(The State; Columbia, S.C.) An Air Force captain from Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter who touched off a five-week search across the Southeast has pleaded guilty to desertion.
Wednesday is last chance to apply for early retirement
(Air Force Times) The window for most airmen to apply for early retirement closes on Wednesday.
Ex-trainer threatened to send recruits home in body bags
(San Antonio Express-News) A former Air Force basic training instructor admitted Tuesday that she threatened to send recruits home in body bags and challenged other fledgling airmen to fight her.
AF releases photo of convicted child molester as investigation continues
(Stars and Stripes) Air Force officials released a photo of convicted child molester Michael L. Merritt on Tuesday and said they are continuing their investigation into the former Ramstein Air Base Airman.
MARINE CORPS
Lawmaker: Grant all Marines who cover grenades the Medal of Honor
(Marine Corps Times) In light of the news that Marine veteran Kyle Carpenter will receive the Medal of Honor for shielding his friend from a live grenade in Afghanistan, a California congressman is petitioning Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to take a closer look at the awards for two Marines who reportedly committed similar acts of heroism.
Battling the shock of war
(The Desert Sun; Palm Springs, Calif.) As the first battle for Fallujah raged, Sgt. Tan Mai camped in a dump on the city's northern edge, where the wafting stench of bodies mixed with garbage, diesel and human waste. Gunfire blasted from buildings and alleyways. Flies were relentless. Emaciated dogs circled, waiting to make a meal out of anyone killed by a sniper. Sleep came in two-hour shifts or not at all.
Commander: U.S. military can’t conduct amphibious operations in the Pacific
(Stars and Stripes) The Navy and Marines do not have enough assets to carry out a contested amphibious operation in the Pacific if a crisis arises, the top commander of U.S. forces in the region told lawmakers Tuesday.
COAST GUARD
Coast Guard begins unannounced cruise inspections
(Associated Press) The Coast Guard has begun unannounced inspections of cruise ships at U.S. ports, targeting those with patterns of safety problems, officials told the National Transportation Safety Board at its first-ever forum on safety on board the vessels.
Houston Channel slowly reopens; vessel queue cut to 75
(Reuters) The Houston Ship Channel, a critical waterway for oil shipments, gradually reopened on Tuesday after a four-day closure that forced at least one big refiner to cut output and caused a backlog of more than 100 vessels.
Drug smugglers hitting high seas as Coast Guard faces budget cuts
(Fox News) Budget cuts at the Coast Guard are coming at an unfortunate time. As the service, like other branches of the military, makes do with less, drug smugglers are increasingly turning to the high seas -- and challenging the Coast Guard's already strained resources.
VETERANS
Some vets won't have to report income for VA care
(Military Times) Starting this month, veterans who qualify for care from the Veterans Health Administration under income thresholds will no longer need to report their income information to Veterans Affairs annually.
Legislative report on vets housing makes startlingly bold suggestions
(Minneapolis Star Tribune) Released in December, it was the product of a select committee from the Minnesota House. House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, formed the committee after seeing the growing need to get a handle on the rising costs of veteran housing and homelessness amid the realities of a declining veteran population.
Casey says VA insults families, taxpayers by not releasing probe results
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. contends it's “an insult” that the Department of Veterans Affairs has not released the results of two internal probes into a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak at Pittsburgh VA hospitals.
Relatives of Pearl Harbor victims want military to identify remains
(Los Angeles Times) Bethany Glenn never met her grandfather, John C. England, a 20-year-old Navy ensign from Alhambra who perished in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Nine Key Questions for the Afghan Presidential Election
(Foreign Policy) As we look forward to the election, there is real potential for a smoother process to occur, but it is far from a sure bet. Nine candidates are still vying to become Afghanistan's next president and if the process is ultimately successful, it will largely be a result of those candidates winning, or more importantly losing, gracefully.
Last year bloody for security forces: Azimi
(Pajhwok Afghan News) Afghan security forces suffered many fatalities during the last solar year, when militant attacks drastically surged, the Ministry of Defence spokesman said on Tuesday.
Pakistan team in North Waziristan to hold Taliban talks
(BBC) A team of Pakistani government representatives have arrived in the tribal region of North Waziristan for peace talks with the Taliban.
MIDDLE EAST
Raytheon Secures First Export for Paveway IV
(Defense News) Raytheon UK’s Paveway IV precision-guided bomb has secured its first export customer, following US congressional approval for a deal to supply weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Qaeda Militants Seek Syria Base, U.S. Officials Say
(New York Times) Dozens of seasoned militant fighters, including some midlevel planners, have traveled to Syria from Pakistan in recent months in what American intelligence and counterterrorism officials fear is an effort to lay the foundation for future strikes against Europe and the United States.
Uneasy Truces: Syrian Regime Exploits Rebel Despair
(Wall Street Journal) The Syrian regime is slowly solidifying control of the ring of restive suburbs around Damascus by making deals with men like Ahmed Arnous, a 40-year-old former rebel and father of four.
Iraq's election commissioners resign weeks before polls
(BBC) The board of Iraq's election commission has resigned in protest at what it says is political and judicial interference ahead of April legislative elections.
US looking to furnish Yemen with precision-strike aircraft
(IHS Jane's 360) The United States government is looking to provide Yemen with an aerial precision strike capability to combat Islamist militants in the country, a leaked Central Command (CENTCOM) memo reveals.
EUROPE
Norway's Stoltenberg reportedly will take over as next NATO chief
(Stars and Stripes) Norway’s former socialist prime minister is likely to take over as NATO’s top official later this year when the term of current Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen ends, diplomats said Tuesday.
Norwegian troops get unisex dorms
(The Local; Norway) The Norwegian Army has started making women soldiers share unisex bedrooms with their male colleagues in a bold, some might say dangerous, experiment. Surprisingly though, the women so far report a cut in sexual harassment.
Selex To Sell Radios, Night Vision Gear to Italian Army
(Defense News) Italy’s Selex ES has signed two contracts worth €60 million (US $82.8 million) to supply software-defined radio sets and night vision goggles to the Italian Army’s digitization program, known as Soldato Futuro, the company said Tuesday.
Russia Steps Up Military Plan in Crimea
(Wall Street Journal) The Kremlin has argued it needed to take back Crimea to protect ethnic Russians living there and to right a historical wrong that put the peninsula under Ukrainian control 60 years ago. But Crimea offers Moscow a major strategic benefit, as well, allowing it to assert its military might in the Black Sea and potentially beyond.
Obama dismisses Russia as ‘regional power’ acting out of weakness
(Washington Post) President Obama acknowledged Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea would be difficult to reverse, but he dismissed Russia as a “regional power” that did not pose a leading security threat to the United States.
Ukrainian navy decimated by Russian move into Crimea
(IHS Jane's 360) Ukraine's maritime forces have been dealt a heavy blow by the Russian intervention in Crimea, with 12 of its 17 major warships and much of its naval aviation assets falling under Moscow's control.
Ukrainian Women Have Launched a Sex Strike Against Russian Men
(The Atlantic) In the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea, some Ukrainians have been boycotting Russian goods. And some Ukrainian women are boycotting the most basic "good" of them all.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Locklear: US Attack Submarine Needs Going Unmet in Pacific
(Defense News) The admiral in charge of all US military forces in the Pacific says some of his needs for attack submarines are going unmet.
North Korea Launches Two Midrange Missiles
(New York Times) North Korea demonstrated its ballistic missile capabilities by launching two midrange missiles on Wednesday, after the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea gathered in the Netherlands to discuss the North’s nuclear threats.
Navy’s black box locator, UAV arriving in Australia Wednesday
(Stars and Stripes) When the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in the South Indian Ocean resumes Wednesday, a few additional tools may be available to assist in the effort.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The Planet’s Best Stealth Fighter Isn’t Made in America
(Bill Sweetman in The Daily Beast) If “fifth-generation” means more than “the ultimate driving machine,” a sixth generation will emerge. Saab—yes, that Saab—can argue that it has built the first such aircraft. The Swedish plane has got a mouthful of a name: the JAS 39E Gripen. But it could well be the future of air combat.
Our military justice system needs more reform
(Washington Post Editorial Board) Whether the right decisions were rendered last week in the military’s two high-profile cases of sexual assault is a matter of some dispute. Given the shape of the cases before them, we tend to think the judges in both probably made the right calls. But the process along the way was so flawed that it’s hard to have any confidence that justice was done.
Three ways NATO can bolster Ukraine’s security
(Ian Brzezinski in the Washington Post) NATO’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has drawn a red line, but it is one that leaves Ukraine militarily isolated, fending for itself. If the West’s economic and diplomatic sanctions are to deter Moscow from further military aggression, they must be complemented by a robust defensive strategy to reinforce Ukraine’s armed forces.
Why the Bomb wouldn't have helped Kiev protect Crimea from Russia
(Jeffrey Lewis in Foreign Policy) In 1994, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan gave up the Soviet nuclear weapons they inherited after the breakup of the USSR. Now, the usual suspects, including the strategic planning staff at the Wall Street Journal editorial page and peacocking Ukrainian politicians, are arguing that none of the past weeks' nastiness would have happened if Kiev had kept the Bomb.
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