TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Philippines pact gives US 'pivot' to Asia some military muscle
(Christian Science Monitor) The Pentagon’s much-trumpeted strategic “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific – which US officials proclaimed a major shift in American defense policy in 2011 – has often been criticized in the years since as a bold and compelling concept with not much real military muscle behind it.
2. Obama faces questions about ‘secret waiting list’ at Phoenix VA hospital
(Washington Post) Answering a question about the matter during a news conference in the Philippines, Obama said he ordered VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to investigate the claims, and he suggested the White House’s calls for increased VA funding reflect his administration’s commitment to former troops.
3. New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Hide From Russian Radar
(Bill Sweetman in The Daily Beast) The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter—the jet that the Pentagon is counting on to be the stealthy future of its tactical aircraft—is having all sorts of shortcomings. But the most serious may be that the JSF is not, in fact, stealthy in the eyes of a growing number of Russian and Chinese radars. Nor is it particularly good at jamming enemy radar. Which means the Defense Department is committing hundreds of billions of dollars to a fighter that will need the help of specialized jamming aircraft that protect non-stealthy—“radar-shiny,” as some insiders call them—aircraft today.
4. Navy CIO: Cutting edge not necessarily best
(C4ISR & Networks) It’s a common refrain throughout Washington, if not everywhere else: We want cutting edge. The push for the latest and greatest only grows with the snowballing pace of technology, but at least one government leader is bucking the trend.
5. Ending Asia Trip, Obama Defends His Foreign Policy
(New York Times) President Obama, stung by criticism of his response to turmoil from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, defended his approach to foreign policy as a slow but steady pursuit of American interests while avoiding military conflict, and he lashed out at those he said reflexively call for the use of force.
INDUSTRY
US Navy Orders 10 New Submarines for Record $17.6B
(Defense News) The US Navy announced a record $17.645 billion contract Monday to build 10 new SSN 774 Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines. The order assures prime contractor General Dynamics Electric Boat and chief subcontractor Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding of submarine orders through 2018.
Defense contractors fight for their slice
(Politico Pro) Gone are the days of unity when giants like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman banded together in 2012 to fight automatic defense cuts in a campaign called Second to None. Now, with another round of sequestration ahead and an uncertain post-war era looming, contractors are back to skirmishing with one another over every last scrap of the defense budget.
Australian Buy Comes at Key Time for F-35 Program
(Defense News) When Australia announced it would purchase 58 F-35A joint strike fighters last week, it agreed to the single largest batch of F-35s acquired by an international partner to date — an important milestone for a program that appears headed to smaller domestic buys than planned.
Reports: M&A activity in U.S. arms sector rises as revenues drop
(Reuters) Mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. weapons industry are starting to edge up after a third year of declining revenues across the sector in 2013, according to two separate reports released on Monday.
Consolidation of Top Pentagon Contractors Only a Matter of Time
(National Defense Magazine) A projected plunge in Pentagon spending — when sequestration-level budgets return in 2016 — eventually is going to hit the industry hard, to a point where top companies will not be able to continue making profits as they are today, said Linda Hudson, former CEO of Pentagon contractor BAE Systems.
Maiden flight for MC-27J gunship
(IHS Jane's 360) The first fully configured Alenia Aermacchi MC-27J Spartan gunship has made its maiden flight from the company's Turin Test Flight Centre, it was announced on 25 April.
Airbus unveils IED jammers
(C4ISR & Networks) The new jammers combine signals intelligence with IED jamming. "This means that intelligence systems, which detect and evaluate hostile radio traffic, now combine the ability to produce targeted jamming signals for defined frequencies," said an Airbus news release. "Previously, this required dedicated equipment which was not very mobile, and required a lot of power and space."
Lahoud: Civil Aerospace Sales Continue To Outstrip Military Side
(Defense News) Sales in French civil aerospace in 2013 not only outweighed the military side, but airliner sales will continue to outpace revenue from fighter jets, UAVs and missiles, said Marwan Lahoud, chairman of a major French industry trade body.
Brazilian Navy signs Exocet missile contract
(IHS Jane's 360) The Brazilian Navy has signed a BRL60 million (USD27 million) contract with Brazilian Aerospace Avibras to develop a new version of the Exocet AM39 B2 air-to-surface missile produced by European missile house MBDA, officials announced in late April
CONGRESS
Thornberry, Larsen Offer Different Views on Defense Spending, Russia, China
(Defense News) The more US Reps. Mac Thornberry of Texas and Rick Larsen of Washington state spoke Monday, the more clear it became just how far apart the former’s Republican Party and the latter’s Democratic Party stand on national security issues.
Forbes vows to keep the USS George Washington
(The Hill) Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) said on Monday that lawmakers were not going to allow the USS George Washington aircraft carrier to be cut in 2016 to be cut despite current Pentagon plans to do so.
Draft House Language Seeks to Halt Air Force Atlas 5 Launches This Year
(Aviation Week) Draft legislation circulating in the U.S House of Representatives would bar the use of Russian rocket technology in launching U.S. Defense Department payloads as early as this year.
Obama’s chief of staff pays visit to Boehner
(The Hill) Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) met on Monday with White House chief of staff Denis McDonough to discuss the backlog of claims at the Veterans Administration.
Senate Drops Bid to Report on Drone Use
(New York Times) The Senate has quietly stripped a provision from an intelligence bill that would have required President Obama to make public each year the number of people killed or injured in targeted killing operations in Pakistan and other countries where the United States uses lethal force.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Check Out This New Wish List for U.S. Special Ops
(Time) The U.S. military’s commandos are among the best in the world. But they can always get better. That means faster, lighter, deadlier, cheaper. So that’s why U.S. Special Operations Command issued a formal request for “Advancement of Technologies in Equipment for Use by U.S. Special Operations Forces” on Monday.
Takai to leave Pentagon CIO post
(C4ISR & Networks) Defense Department CIO Teri Takai is set to step down in the coming days, according to Pentagon officials.
SGLI cost hike aims to deepen reserve fund
(Military Times) A recently announced increase in the cost of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance of up to $2 per month seems counterintuitive, with fewer active-duty deaths as 13 years of combat wind down.
ARMY
CSM: 'Disturbing' number of motorcycle incidents among NCOs
(Army Times) Multiple motorcycle-safety trends are heading in the wrong direction, and Army officials are stepping up efforts to reverse them by stressing mentorship programs and early leadership involvement — and getting soldiers to know their limits.
Magnified view through rifle scope could assess threat posed by Iraqi boys, experts say
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) The scope on the M-4 rifle that Sgt. 1st Class Michael Barbera is accused of using to fatally shoot two Iraqi boys might play a key defense role in the Army's murder case against him, military justice experts say.
Soldier dies following training march at Fort Benning
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Fort Benning on Monday identified a National Guards member who died following a training march over the weekend as Pvt. Aurek S. Rardin, 20, of Tennessee.
Two Fort Carson sergeants sought on suspicion of selling stolen military equipment
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Tyler Milligan and Jodi Coker were booked into the El Paso County jail Friday after a sting operation targeting Milligan's alleged offer to sell night-vision goggles and firearm silencers, affidavits show.
Julie Schenecker: Jury selection for soccer mom in murder trial
(Christian Science Monitor) Jurors at the trial of a Tampa military wife accused of killing her two teenagers are expected to see many disturbing images and hear hours of troubling evidence.
Army Wounded Warrior program celebrates 10 years
(Army Times) After Staff Sgt. Jeffery Redman was wounded in Iraq, his doctors said he would never walk again.
NAVY
Upcoming budget crunch could unravel new deployment plan
(Navy Times) Many ships are sailing on cruises far beyond the once-standard six or seven months, and Navy leaders are eager to make these long and often unpredictable deployments the exception.
US warship in Lisbon ahead of Mediterranean drill
(Associated Press) A U.S. warship is in Lisbon ahead of its participation in a Mediterranean Sea drill focusing on how a NATO ally might be liberated after being occupied by a fictitious invader.
U.S. Submarine in Asia Trip as Obama Seeks to Assure Allies
(Bloomberg) A U.S. nuclear submarine is making a port call in Singapore as the Navy showcases its ability to operate in shallow coastal waters after questions about the fitness of its Littoral Combat Ship for use in Asia.
Aircraft carrier Stennis departs dry dock
(Kitsap Sun; Bremerton, Wash.)After nearly 10 months, USS John C. Stennis is back on the water. The Bremerton-based aircraft carrier left dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility Friday. It had entered on July 1.
Navy Announces Change to Participating Ships during Fleet Week New York
(Seapower) The Navy has announced that the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg will not participate in the 2014 Fleet Week New York, according to an April 28 release. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul from Norfolk, Va. will represent the Navy in its place, beginning with the Parade of Ships, May 21.
AIR FORCE
Divorce and the Air Force: Who stays married and who doesn't
(Air Force Times) As of 2013, the divorce rate for enlisted airmen was 4.3 percent and 1.5 percent for officers, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center. The highest divorce rate is among enlisted women, a statistic that has stayed consistent since at least 2001.
Midwest Mystery Jets are Actually B-2 Stealth Bombers
(U.S. Naval Institute) The mystery jets that were spotted over Amarillo, Texas, and Wichita, Kan. earlier this year are in fact Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers on a training sortie, military sources told USNI News on Monday.
Airman killed in Arkansas tornadoes
(Air Force Times) An airman with the Arkansas Air National Guard was killed in ferocious tornadoes that swept through the state Sunday, the chief of the National Guard Bureau announced on social media.
Report: Faulty phones, 'ancient' equipment at missile command
(The Hill) Correspondent Lesley Stahl visited the underground ICBM complex surrounding F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., where she found missileers have trouble hearing what is being said on their phones. Computers there are so “ancient” they use floppy disks, according to the report, broadcast Sunday night.
USAF receives first CONECT-upgraded B-52 bomber
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Air Force (USAF) has received into service the first of 76 B-52H Stratofortress bombers to go through the Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) digital data suite upgrade.
Academy sergeant charged with taking covert women's restroom video
(Colorado Springs Gazette) An Air Force Academy sergeant faces up to a year behind bars this week at a court-martial, which will weigh evidence on whether he took a covert video inside a women's restroom and later showed it to female co-worker.
Westover to lose 300 jobs under new Pentagon budget cuts
(The Republican; Springfield, Mass.) Westover Air Reserve Base will shed 300 jobs and half of the 439th Airlift Wing's C-5 fleet under new budget cuts, Air Force officials announced Monday.
MARINE CORPS
Corps to see complete overhaul of junior enlisted leadership training
(Marine Corps Times) Top Marine Corps leaders are examining the possibility of making weeks-long residential courses for noncommissioned officers mandatory for promotion to the next grade.
Probe looks at Marine higher-ups suspected in retaliation against whistleblower
The Pentagon inspector general has confirmed to Congress that an investigation is underway into whether Marine Corps higher-ups retaliated against an officer who accused the commandant, Gen. James Amos, of meddling in a prosecution.
Reserve to draw down by 1,100 Marines
(Marine Corps Times) The Maine Corps Reserve will take its own manpower hit as officials prepare to draw down by 1,100 Marines over three years.
Funeral held for NYC inmate who died in hot cell
(Associated Press) A mentally ill, homeless former Marine who died in an overheated jail cell more than two months ago was a giving and kind person, his relatives said Friday during a modest family funeral.
80 percent of generator energy wasted, training experiment finds
(Marine Corps Times) Operational forces consume far more energy than they need, Marine officials are learning, and the service may resort to billing individual units for the resources that simply go up in smoke.
COAST GUARD
Critical ratings offer opportunities for advancement
(Navy Times) The Coast Guard wants you to help fill its undermanned ratings, or to stay in those ratings if you’re already there — but don’t expect any extra cash.
US Cutter Has Stabilizing Effect in Arabian Gulf
(Defense News) Resplendent in white and buff paint, the US Coast Guard cutter Maui stands out as it moves amid the dhows, fishing boats and enormous oil tankers that ply these waters. The color scheme, along with its easily recognized diagonal orange stripe, clearly marks the vessel as American.
Guilty verdict in Kodiak Coast Guard double murder
(Alaska Dispatch) A jury in Anchorage Friday found James Michael Wells guilty on four counts of murder -- two for killing two co-workers and two more because the victims were employees of the federal government -- and two gun charges. Wells, 62, will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.
VETERANS
VA Secretary Shinseki’s presence requested for Tampa-area hearing
(Tampa Tribune) U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, wants to see VA Secretary Eric Shinseki appear at a committee field hearing he is planning to hold in the Tampa area.
Building a D.C. memorial for an endless war bumps into regulations
(Washington Times) Veterans of the war on terrorism say they deserve a monument in downtown Washington to recognize their sacrifices, but they are hindered by a rule that says a conflict must be long finished in order to build a memorial, leading some to wonder how to commemorate a “never-ending war.”
Paintball teams help vets adjust, relieve stress
(The Pantagraph; Bloomington, Ill.) While Chris Aguayo was serving in the U.S. Army, he witnessed his best friend burn to death in a Humvee.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Mystery surrounds move of Afghan ‘torturer in chief’ to U.S. amid allegations of spy agency abuse
(Washington Post) In Afghanistan, his presence was enough to cause prisoners to tremble. Hundreds in his organization’s custody were beaten, shocked with electrical currents or subjected to other abuses documented in human rights reports. Some allegedly disappeared.
Two ISAF troops killed in Afghanistan attack
(Stars and Stripes) Two servicemembers with the International Security Assistance Force were killed in an attack Monday in eastern Afghanistan.
Army dog killed in Afghanistan given posthumous medal
(BBC) A British Army dog killed alongside her handler in Afghanistan is to be honored with what is called the highest military award for an animal.
2 bombings kill 6 in Pakistan
(Associated Press) Two bombings have killed three soldiers and as many seminary students in Pakistan, officials said Monday.
MIDDLE EAST
Dark days for Baghdad on eve of Iraqi elections
(Associated Press) As parliamentary elections are held this week more than two years after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Baghdad is once again a city gripped by fear and scarred by violence. Many of the city's 7 million residents avoid roads hit by bombings, fearing a deadly repeat. Most shops now close shortly after sunset, and an overnight curfew that begins at midnight remains in force.
Militants Pose Threat on Eve of National Elections in Iraq
(New York Times) Falluja — and the rest of Anbar Province — perhaps more than any other locale in Iraq, embodies the lengths the United States went to tame a bloody insurgency unleashed by its invasion. But now, much of the region is again beyond the authority of the central government and firmly in the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a jihadist group that is so radical it has broken with Al Qaeda, in part because it insisted on being allowed to indiscriminately kill Shiites.
Yemen begins southern offensive against AQAP
(Long War Journal) Yemeni media reported yesterday that the country's military is preparing for a new offensive against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on the heels of the three successful US drone strikes last week that killed over 60 militants from the terrorist organization.
DNA test: Remains from airstrike in Yemen not those of al Qaeda bomb-maker
(CNN) The remains of a Saudi national killed in airstrikes in Yemen earlier this month are not those of a wanted al Qaeda bomb-maker, according to multiple sources in Saudi Arabia who were briefed on the matter.
EUROPE
US Clamps Down on Defense Exports to Russia
(Defense News) The Obama administration announced Monday that it would be preventing and potentially revoking licenses of high-technology defense items in response to Russia’s activities regarding Ukraine.
Russia assures Hagel it won’t invade Ukraine
(The Hill) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu assured Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel during a phone call on Monday that Russian forces would not invade Ukraine, according to the Pentagon.
Why Ukraine Has Already Lost The Cyberwar, Too
(Defense One) Don’t wait for cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia to break out ahead of the actual shooting. Ukraine already lost that, too. Russia may have unfettered access into the Ukrainian telecommunication systems according to several experts. It’s access that Russia can use to watch Ukrainian opposition leadership, or, in the event of an escalation in the conflict, possibly cut off telecommunications within Ukraine.
Disarray in eastern Ukraine as protest is attacked, mayor is shot
(Washington Post) With Ukrainian flags flying high and garlands of flowers in their hair, protesters marched through the heart of this city at sundown Monday.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Obama hails security pact with Philippines, says no threat to China
(Reuters) President Barack Obama said a new military pact signed with the Philippines on Monday granting a larger presence for U.S. forces would bolster the Southeast Asian country's maritime security, but was not aimed at countering China's growing military might.
Chinese Troops Stage Exercise Near N.Korean Border
(Chosun Media; South Korea) The 39th Army, a major Chinese military unit that would be deployed to the Korean Peninsula in a war, carried out an emergency mobilization drill near the North Korean border recently, the official CCTV reported on Saturday.
RoCA AH-64E crashes in northern Taiwan
(IHS Jane's 360) A Republic of China Army (RoCA) Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter recently delivered from the United States crashed on top of an apartment building in Taoyuan County, northern Taiwan, on 25 April during a routine training mission.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Top Military Commanders Have Declared Our Biggest Threat, and It's One We're All Ignoring
(Tom McKay in PolicyMic) For the U.S. military, climate change isn't just about sad-looking polar bears and declining biodiversity. It's a real challenge that has the potential to seriously destabilize nations and throw entire regions into conflict, potentially escalating into wars that will require new strategies and new technologies to win.
How To Fix Our Broken Nuclear Weapons Enterprise; DoD Must Take Over
(Bob Butterworth in Breaking Defense) Why is America’s nuclear weapons enterprise — the vast array of national laboratories and other facilities that make, build and maintain our nuclear warheads — so problem-ridden?
America's Treaty Allies: Worth Going to War Over?
(David Santoro in The National Interest) In a recent essay, Justin Logan asks the fundamental question about U.S. alliance commitments: does the existence of such commitments automatically create an interest worth going to war over for the United States?
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