TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Op-Ed Gets USMC Commandant’s Attention, Sparks Change for Women
(Seapower) The U.S. Marine Corps commandant has reacted swiftly to a female Marine officer’s complaint that women are unfairly precluded from trying a second time to pass the prestigious Marine Corps Infantry Officers Course, when men can have a second try.
2. 8.2 earthquake hits Chile; Pacific tsunami warning spurs evacuations
(Los Angeles Times) A shallow and powerful magnitude 8.2 earthquake rocked Chile's northern coast Tuesday, sparking fires, churning up high waves, causing landslides and cutting power for thousands of people.
3. Realizing the Asia-Pacific Rebalance
(Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in Defense One) In a world where security challenges do not adhere to political boundaries and our economies are linked as never before, no nation can go it alone and hope to prosper. Achieving sustained security and prosperity in the 21st century requires nations to work together and to meet common challenges with uncommon unity and purpose.
4. March Was First Month Without U.S. Fatalities in Iraq or Afghanistan In 11 Years
(Time) For the first month since February, 2003, no U.S. troops died in Afghanistan or Iraq last month. That’s 133 months, more than a decade.
5. Dempsey Says Israel-U.S. Perceptions of Iran Grow Closer
(Bloomberg) Israel’s view of how soon Iran will gain a nuclear-weapon capability has become much closer to that of officials in Washington, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today.
INDUSTRY
U.S. focuses on cheaper, more reliable F-35 jet: Air Force official
(Reuters) Assistant Air Force Secretary William LaPlante said the price of the new A-model F-35 is on track to drop from $112 million now to the mid-$80 million range by 2018 or 2019, but the program is developing plans to drive the price even lower.
Textron Relaunches Consolidated Simulations Group
(Defense News) Following its late 2013 acquisitions of two simulations companies, Textron announced Tuesday that it was relaunching its consolidated simulations group under the banner TRU Simulation + Training Inc.
Judge revives whistle-blower lawsuit against former Hawker Beechcraft
(The Wichita Eagle) A federal judge in New York has effectively revived a $2.3 billion whistle-blower lawsuit that alleges the former Hawker Beechcraft used defective parts in military trainers sold to the U.S. government.
General Dynamics: We Can’t Compete For AMPV Unless Army Changes Course
(Breaking Defense) General Dynamics Land Systems cannot and will not compete for the Army’s largest surviving weapons program, the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, unless the service changes how it is handling the program, GDLS’s senior spokesman told me yesterday afternoon. A GDLS withdrawal would be yet another embarrassment for the Army’s chronically troubled acquisition system, since it would effectively leave AMPV with a single bidder to replace its aging and vulnerable M113 transports, BAE Systems, which is offering a modified version of its current M2 Bradley.
KBR is asked to release internal corporate files, signaling a widening fraud investigation
(Washington Post) Two members of a powerful congressional committee on Tuesday asked one of the nation’s largest government contractors to produce numerous internal corporate files, signaling a widening investigation into claims that the company covered up reports of fraud.
Small Businesses Causing Big Headaches for SOCOM Acquisition (UPDATED)
(National Defense Magazine) The head of U.S. Special Operations Command’s acquisitions organization, speaking before a crowd of industry leaders, had some blunt words for small businesses: “You guys make my life miserable.”
Air Force awards funds for next GPS III phase
(C4ISR & Networks) The Air Force has awarded more than $245 million in contract options to Lockheed Martin to complete work on two more global positioning system satellites, known as GPS III.
Oto Melara's Vulcano Munitions Ready for Sale
(Defense News) After years of putting its faith in the development of guided munitions — for both naval and land use — Italy’s Oto Melara now claims it has working technology and a range of products ready for sale.
Accenture snags NAVSUP pact
(C4ISR & Networks) Accenture has won a $53.7 million IT contract with the U.S. Navy's Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP).
CONGRESS
With 'Ryan Budget,' GOP Wants To Show It's Strong on Defense
(Defense News) House Budget Committee Chairman and possible presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan unveiled a GOP spending plan Tuesday that would inflate President Barack Obama’s proposed Pentagon spending level by over $30 billion.
Gabbard Appointed to House Armed Services Committee
(Honolulu Civil Beat) The House Democratic Caucus has appointed U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to the House Armed Services Committee.
Congress uneager for more troops in Europe despite Russian buildup
(The Hill) Lawmakers on Capitol Hill say automatic spending cuts known as sequestration make it difficult to send more troops to Europe.
House GOP Official: Party To Make National Security a Midterm Election Issue
(Defense News) An influential House Republican leadership member made clear Tuesday his party intends to inject national security and foreign policy issues into this year’s midterm elections.
Pollard deal teeters amid harsh criticism
(The Hill) A deal to release convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as part of an effort to jumpstart Middle East peace talks appeared to teeter on Tuesday amid harsh criticism from lawmakers.
US Oil and Gas Exports to Europe Could Limit Russia's Influence, Senator Says
(Defense News) If the United States truly wants to deter further Russian military action in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, it must hit Moscow where it hurts: Russia’s lucrative and politically influential oil and gas exports to Europe.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel to meet with Malaysian counterpart
(Associated Press) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will meet with Malaysia's defense minister this week, amid ongoing criticism about how well the search for missing Flight 370 has been conducted and coordinated with other nations.
Commissary cuts could hurt MWR programs
(Military Times) Proposed cuts in commissary funding not only would drive shoppers away because their grocery prices would rise, but also could have a “devastating” ripple effect on base morale, welfare and recreation programs, advocates said.
DARPA Launches New Biotech Research Division
(NBC News) DARPA, the Defense Department's research and development arm, announced on Tuesday it is collecting all its biotech projects, old and new, under a new banner: the "Biological Technologies Office."
ARMY
SMA on career advice, the drawdown, his goals before retiring
(Army Times) Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler says he has about one year left to his service, and while he may be thinking about retirement, it’s not at the forefront of his brain.
Manning's new lawyer decries 35-year sentence
(Associated Press) Army Private Chelsea Manning's 35-year sentence for leaking reams of classified information is out of proportion with the offenses for which she was convicted, the lawyer who will represent her in court-martial appeals said Tuesday.
Rugby, 90-minute workouts shape All Army Athlete of 2013
(Tacoma News Tribune) Maj. Nate Conkey can’t remember exactly how he got the scar between his eyes. It could have been some combination of the countless times he broke his nose playing rugby on Army teams.
Disgraced Guantánamo guard got medal for saving detainee from suicide
(Miami Herald) A former Guantánamo guard being discharged instead of facing a sexual-assault trial did avert a detainee’s suicide around the time of last year’s prison camp raid that put hunger strikers under lockdown, the military confirmed.
Fayetteville woman sentenced to eight years in prison in 2012 death of soldier
(Fayetteville Observer) A Fayetteville woman who struck a Fort Bragg soldier in a deadly hit and run in 2012 was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison.
NAVY
Child gets wish to be a Navy SEAL for a day
(Navy Times) A six-year-old boy caused an explosion near Farmington on Sunday, but there was no cause for alarm.
Civilian guard on leave as Navy boosts base security
(Virginian-Pilot; Norfolk) A civilian police officer has been placed on leave and the Navy is boosting security measures at bases from Virginia to Maine after last week's shooting aboard the destroyer Mahan.
After Will McKamey’s death, Navy football team returns to practice
(Washington Post) One day after paying respects to their teammate Will McKamey at a funeral service in Tennessee, the Navy football team will return to the practice field Tuesday.
Littoral Combat Ship Mission Packages Safe From Budget Axe For Now
(U.S. Naval Institute) Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s mandate capping of the first variants of the Littoral Combat Ship at 32 hulls will do little to limit the acquisition of the mission packages for the Flight 0 LCS over the next five years, navy officials told USNI News last week.
MA2 Mayo could rate rare medal
(Scoop Deck) A petition to award Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Mark Mayo the Medal of Honor has appeared on the White House’s website, but a leading expert in military decorations says that’s not in the cards.
Aircrewmen to receive New Zealand medal for '79 recovery operation
(Navy Times) Nearly 35 years ago, a group of Navy helicopter aircrewmen helped the New Zealand government recover the bodies of more than 250 passengers and crew after their commercial airliner crashed into Mount Erebus, Antarctica’s highest peak.
UCLASS Could Be Used as Tanker for Carrier Air Wing
(U.S. Naval Institute) The U.S. Navy is considering using its forthcoming Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) aircraft as an aerial refueling tanker to free up its fleet of Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for more strike missions, several sources told USNI News.
Making master chief gets a little tougher in latest cycle
(Navy Times) An eligible senior chief’s shot at making master chief just got a harder for the first time in five years, according to new data released Tuesday.
AIR FORCE
Female MTI faces trial for unprofessional relationship
(Air Force Times) A former military training instructor will face a special court-martial Wednesday on charges that she had an unprofessional relationship with a recruit who had completed basic training.
Senate confirms fourth star, AMC command for Lt. Gen. McDew
(Belleville News-Democrat; Ill.) The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of Lt. Gen. Darren McDew, 53, to serve as the next commander of the Air Mobility Command, based at Scott Air Force Base.
Romania: US wants more troops at Black Sea base
(Reuters) Romania's president says the United States has asked to increase the number of troops and aircraft it has stationed at a Black Sea air base in eastern Romania.
3-Star: USAF Materiel Command's Reorganization 'Makes Sense'
(Defense News) In 2012, US Air Force Materiel Command underwent a massive transformation, consolidating 12 centers around the nation into five locations. Helping to guide that reorganization was Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore, the vice commander. Following those changes, Moore was named commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, where he oversees what he calls “a combination of acquisition and life-cycle support” for the service.
Air Force’s X-37B Breaks Orbit Record
(Defense Tech) Boeing’s X-37B space plane broke its endurance record in orbit last month when it surpassed 470 days.
Air Force officials detail potential loss of Fort Bragg's 440th Airlift Wing
(Fayetteville Observer) Air Force officials have outlined the decisions that led to their slating Fort Bragg's 440th Airlift Wing for deactivation in their 2015 budget request and explained how Fort Bragg's airborne troops could train without planes permanently based on post.
MARINE CORPS
Marine Corps prosecutor cleared of inappropriate touching
(Marine Corps) A panel of three colonels voted unanimously to retain a Marine field-grade officer accused of touching a civilian woman inappropriately, his attorney said this week.
Lejeune exercise will include shooter scenario
(The Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) Camp Lejeune Marines will hold a four-day exercise to test the base's ability to respond to a crisis while working with various groups.
Marine Corps Marathon’s Rick Nealis talks changes for 2015, plus how to get a bib for 2014
(PT 365) The Marine Corps Marathon will be bigger in 2015, according to race director Rick Nealis, but what “bigger” means is still being decided.
COAST GUARD
Ex-cutter Gallatin headed to Nigerian navy
(Navy Times) The Coast Guard bid its final farewells to the cutter Gallatin on Monday in a decommissioning ceremony at its homeport in Charleston, S.C.
CGA to decide whether to proceed with court-martial for cadet accused of sexual assault
(The Day; New London, Conn.) The U.S. Coast Guard Academy will hold a hearing Wednesday to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant a general court-martial for a cadet who is accused of breaking into a dorm room and sexually abusing another cadet.
U.S. attorney: Chain of evidence points to Wells as man behind Kodiak Coast Guard killings
(Anchorage Daily News) There is no crime scene evidence that connects James Wells to the April 2012 murders of two co-workers at a Coast Guard communications station on Kodiak Island, U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler said in her opening statement at Wells' trial Tuesday.
VETERANS
Gov. Scott asks answers in VA hospital deaths
(Tampa Tribune) Gov. Rick Scott is the latest politician seeking answers about deaths at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals.
Veterans Affairs Scrutinized Over Rehiring of Employee After Fatal Incident
(WRC-TV; Washington, D.C.) The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the government’s largest employers, is under congressional scrutiny for its handling of a high-level employee in the wake of a News4 I-Team investigation.
VA failed to check Westar, developer of Butler County facility, report says
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)The Department of Veterans Affairs failed to properly check the qualifications of the former developer of an outpatient center in Butler County, according to a highly critical report by the VA's Office of Inspector General released Monday.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Pakistan, Afghanistan, India all want leftover U.S. MRAPs
(Military Times) The U.S. military has more Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles in Afghanistan that it can bring home — and Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are locked in a three-way competition for them, a former senior defense official said.
Women Playing an Unusually Public Role in Afghan Elections
(Wall Street Journal) The campaign for Saturday's presidential election in Afghanistan is featuring women in a more prominent role than ever before. One front-runner has a female running mate, and another has let his wife address campaign rallies—major departures from established practice in a conservative, Islamic country where women's political participation was long suppressed.
To Protect Foreigners, Afghanistan Shuts Down Their Hangouts
(Afghanistan) The Afghan government, battered by a series of pre-election attacks aimed at foreigners in Kabul, the capital, has come up with a novel way of protecting them: Close their hangouts.
Pakistani Air Force Wary of Terrorist Threat to Airbases
(Defense News) Media reports that Pakistani Taliban splinter group Ahrarul Hind is planning attacks on Pakistani airbases in retaliation for punishing airstrikes carried out in February have raised questions about the adequacy of security at Air Force facilities.
MIDDLE EAST
ISIS parades on outskirts of Baghdad (With Video)
Less than two weeks ago, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham, or ISIS, held a military parade in Fallujah and another parade in Abu Ghraib, a city in Anbar province that is just two miles from the capital of Baghdad.
Iraqi judiciary accused of bias, failure
(Al-Monitor) Many of those who opposed the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and worked to deliver information about his crimes and violations to international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, never expected that these organizations would someday publish reports about serious human rights violations in Iraq led by Saddam’s opponents. There is, however, a yawning gap between the high expectations for post-Saddam Iraq and today’s reality. This gap is particularly apparent in the Iraqi judicial system.
Abbas Takes Defiant Step, and Mideast Talks Falter
(New York Times) The Middle East peace talks verged on a breakdown Tuesday night, after President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority defied the United States and Israel by taking concrete steps to join 15 international agencies — a move to gain the benefits of statehood outside the negotiations process.
Opposition Cries Foul in Turkey During Election Protests
(Voice of America) Riot police fired water cannon in Ankara on Tuesday to disperse thousands of Turks demanding a partial recount in national polls that saw Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party sweep the electoral map.
EUROPE
Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine could happen 'any day', officials warn
(IHS Jane's 360) NATO Intelligence officials reporting on the ground in the Ukrainian capital and US agencies that are monitoring Russian troop movements on the eastern border state that a Russian-led invasion of Ukraine "could take place almost any day now".
NATO Officials Say They Don't See Russia Shift From Ukraine
(Wall Street Journal) oreign ministers from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ordered the alliance's military brass Tuesday to quickly craft a plan in response to the Ukraine crisis that could include redeploying forces closer to Russia.
Pentagon: No evidence of Russian 'troop withdrawal'
(The Hill) The Pentagon downplayed reports of a Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine’s borders, saying there's no evidence of a pullback.
Analysis: Crimea intervention - The increasing sophistication of Russia's military resurgence
(IHS Jane's 360) This whirlwind campaign seems to herald a new sophistication in how Russian commanders conduct military operations. The most distinctive feature of the Russian operation was its emphasis on economy of effort. Unlike previous interventions in Afghanistan in the Soviet era, or Chechnya and Georgia more recently, where Russian commanders relied on mass employment of tanks and artillery, the Crimea intervention featured fewer than 10,000 assault troops lined up against 16,000 Ukrainian military personnel. The heaviest fighting vehicle employed by the Russians against the Ukrainians was the wheeled BTR-80 armoured personnel carrier (APC).
Bulgaria wary as Russia steps up military flights over Black Sea
(Reuters) Bulgaria has put on high alert or deployed its air force about 30 times in two months in response to a recent spike in Russian military aircraft flying near its aerial borders on the Black Sea, its defense minister said on Tuesday.
Similar Requirements Could Spur French-UK Sharing of Systems
(Defense News) French forces described how their new infantry fighting vehicle performed in the sub-Saharan desert when the British senior commander visited them in Mali on the Serval campaign, which could encourage London in ordering the kit, French Army Chief of Staff Bertrand Madoux said.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Reports: Drone on island was flown by North Korea, South says
(Stars and Stripes) South Korean defense officials think a drone found Monday on one of its northwest border islands was flown by North Korea, according to media reports.
China's Line in the Sea
(Wall Street Journal) When the Manchus ruled China, it was given the name South Sea—a maritime domain dotted with islets, atolls and lagoons that provided storm shelter for fishermen.
China warns Philippines over maritime dispute
(Xinhuanet) The Philippines took its dispute with China over a reef in the South China Sea to international arbitration on Sunday. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei stressed on Monday that China will never accept arbitration on the issue.
US embroiled in Japan-Korea tussle over history
(Associated Press) All politics is local, the saying goes. But in some American cities, local politics has gone international, with city governments finding themselves caught in historical disputes between two close U.S. allies: Japan and South Korea.
Faulty Avionics Gear Grounds Some Indian Su-30s
(Defense News) Avionics failures have led to the grounding of more than 20 of India’s Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, with Indian and Russian officials each suggesting the problem subsystems could have been supplied by the other side.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Opinion: One fighting team, mustached or not
(Air Force Maj. Deirdre Gurry in Air Force Times) Want to hear something shocking? Our squadron had a mustache- judging contest, and everyone enjoyed themselves! I know that is impossible to believe with all the news about how offensive Mustache March was to women. But I’m a woman, and I disagree with those claims.
Arctic missions demand more high-endurance cutters
(Scott C. Truver in Armed Forces Journal) Over the past few years, concerns about an ice-free Arctic have drawn statements from U.S. national, Coast Guard and Defense Department policymakers that make it sound as if the region had only recently broken above the horizon. (A good example is a February 2012 article in which Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr. noted, “The Arctic region—the Barents, Beaufort, and Chukchi seas and the Arctic Ocean—is the emerging maritime frontier, vital to our national interests, economy and security.”
The Foreign Fighters and Me
(Masood Farivar in The New York Times) We have heard a great deal recently about the “foreign fighters” flocking to take up arms against the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war — and the threat they may pose if they eventually return to their home countries as battle-hardened jihadis.
Are the Baltics the Next Crimea?
(Marine Lt. Col. Donald Thieme in the U.S. Naval Institute) In Tartu Estonia, there is a building on the main square, constructed on an uncertain foundation that leans precipitously. The locals call it the “Leaning House” or the “Pisa Building.” Ironically, it leans to the west, appearing something like a hunting hound straining at the leash to be loosed to run after its quarry. In this case, though, complex histories, and Russia, are the leash.
Korea: Strategic Patience = Strategic Paralysis
(David Maxwell in War on the Rocks) “Strategic Patience,” America’s approach to North Korea, has only gotten us strategic paralysis. If the desired effects are changing North Korean behavior, fostering good faith efforts towards denuclearization, and restarting the six party talk.
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