TODAY’S TOP 5
1. DIA director, deputy to step down
(C4ISR & Networks) Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and his deputy, David Shedd, both will retire by early this fall, DIA officials confirmed.
2. Senate Confirms Work as DoD Deputy Secretary
(Defense News) The US Senate late Wednesday confirmed Robert Work as deputy defense secretary.
3. Opinion: Support for military families cannot end when wars are over
(Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden in Military Times) We’ve all seen those wonderful surprise videos from when one of our troops comes home from a long deployment — the father bear-hugging his family at mid-court at a basketball game or the little boy with tears in his eyes sprinting into his mother’s arms at the front of his classroom.
4. Obama’s pivot to Asia will lack firepower
(The Hill) President Obama’s pivot to Asia will lack a crucial military underpinning next year, when for four months, the Navy will not have an aircraft carrier in the region.
5. New Legislation Would Authorize Military To Find and Kill Benghazi Attackers
(Foreign Policy) Rep. Duncan Hunter, R.-Calif., said Wednesday that he will introduce new legislation that would clear the path for U.S. troops to directly target the Benghazi attackers. Doing so would require a change in the Authorization of Use of Military Force legislation that allows the president to target "nations, organizations or persons" that were determined to have had a direct role in the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York or to have harbored those terrorists.
INDUSTRY
US Navy Task Force Seeks Industry Ideas
(Defense News) The search for a possible follow-on to the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) took a step forward Wednesday with the publication of two requests for information (RFIs).
Replacing Russian Rocket Engine Isn’t Easy, Pentagon Says
(Bloomberg) The Pentagon has no “great solution” to reduce its dependence on a Russian-made engine that powers the rocket used to launch U.S. military satellites, the Defense Department’s top weapons buyer said.
New U.S. Arms Sales Policy Wants it All
(Aviation Week) A new U.S. conventional arms transfers policy governing direct commercial and Foreign Military Sales signed by president Barack Obama this year is supposed to allow Washington officials to make ad hoc decisions about military exports, including industrial competitiveness, an official said last week.
Budget cutbacks spurring defense mergers
(Los Angeles Times) In the first quarter of this year, there were 56 merger and acquisition deals announced, according to Irvine aerospace investment bank Janes Capital Partners. This was a 14% increase from last year.
Lockheed Martin debuts UAV systems
(C4ISR & Networks) Lockheed Martin has unveiled three new UAV systems.
Assessment Phase Work To Begin for New UK Army Air Defense System
(Defense News) Introduction of a new short-range air defense system for the British Army has moved closer with the Ministry of Defence set to announce May 1 that it has signed a deal with MBDA to start assessment phase work on a program that could see the weapon enter service around 2020.
UK awards final Tornado support contract
(IHS Jane's 360) The United Kingdom Royal Air Force's (RAF's) Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft fleet will receive continued support until their retirement from service under a new contract with BAE Systems, announced on 30 April.
Ukraine crisis could halt Europe's defense downturn -Airbus CEO
(Reuters) Concerns about Russia's actions in Ukraine could halt a decade-long decline in European military spending, Airbus Group Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said Wednesday, as he also underscored concerns about growing Chinese military exports.
GD UK Wins Design, Support Deals for Bowman
(Defense News) General Dynamics UK has secured contracts together worth £364 million (US $612.2 million) to provide design services and logistics support for its Bowman tactical communications system used by the British military.
CONGRESS
Proposed Tricare fee hikes dead for now
(Military Times) A House subcommittee has rejected a Pentagon plan to consolidate Tricare Prime, Standard and Extra into a single system that would have resulted in higher heath care fees for nearly all Tricare beneficiaries.
US House Panel Mostly Backs Service Plans for Fighters, Helos, UAVs, Vehicles
(Defense News) One word dominated a summary of legislation released Wednesday by the US House panel that oversees Army, Marine Corps and Air Force weapon programs: “Support.”
Rising suicide in Special Operations Forces prompts call for review
(Tampa Tribune) Concerned with the increase in commandos taking their own lives, a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee is calling for the Pentagon to review Department of Defense efforts regarding suicide prevention among members of the Special Operations Forces and their dependents.
House panel punts on A-10, U-2 cuts
(Air Force Times) The House Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal 2015 defense authorization bill ignores the biggest budget fight of the year: the Air Force’s proposal to retire the A-10 attack jet and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.
Dems criticize defense markup process
(The Hill) Democrats on Wednesday criticized the House Armed Services defense bill markup, saying the limited time for debate or opportunities to offer amendments must end.
House panel rejects commissary cuts, delays other changes
(Military Times) Lawmakers have not completely shut down the Defense Department’s plan to drastically cut funding for commissaries, but they have at least delayed the significant changes that would almost certainly raise prices for shoppers.
New Push for Energy Legislation as Congress Takes Up 2015 Defense Bill
(National Defense Magazine) Democratic lawmakers are introducing new legislation in support of Defense Department investments in renewable energy and fuel-saving programs.
GOP senators push Russia sanctions bill
(The Hill) Republican senators introduced a bill on Wednesday that would provide direct military assistance to the government of Ukraine while imposing harsh new sanctions on Russia.
US Strategic Forces Panel Leaves Big Decisions for Full Committee
(Defense News) The US House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee held a brief hearing on its budget markup today, and largely kicked the can on major decisions to the larger committee markup in the future.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
DoD Official Defends Training Afghan Military on Russian Helos
(Defense News) It would take time and cost money to train the Afghan military on American-made helicopters after years of training Kabul’s military pilots on Russian-built aircraft, a senior Pentagon official said Wednesday.
DoD cloud spending expected to surge
(C4ISR & Networks) With news of Amazon Web Services achieving security approval to provide cloud services for the Defense Department, as well as the Defense Information Systems Agency’s launch of its internal, secure milCloud platform, DoD is inching closer to the rest of the government in moving to the cloud.
Nurse advice line open for Tricare beneficiaries
(Military Times) Military health beneficiaries in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, can call 800-874-2273 to get assistance with urgent health care questions, including guidance as to whether they need immediate medical care, can make an appointment with a physician for a later time or treat themselves at home.
Congressional scrutiny puts propaganda plan on hold
(USA Today) Increased scrutiny by Congress has led the Pentagon's Special Operations Command to shelve a plan to pick potential targets for propaganda, according to a command spokesman.
ARMY
82nd Airborne Division brigade commander relieved
(Army Times) The commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division has been relieved of command, officials announced Wednesday.
Thousands of personal weapons registered at Fort Hood
(USA Today) Fort Hood says soldiers and authorized civilians have registered more than 9,500 personal weapons with post authorities, allowing them to keep the guns in the housing or bring them on the facility to hunt or fire at ranges.
2 Drum soldiers killed in Afghanistan, DoD confirms
(Army Times) Two soldiers from 10th Mountain Division were killed Monday in Afghanistan, the Defense Department has confirmed.
Army: Cuts would include nearly half of combat brigades
(The Hill) Army leaders told a Senate panel Wednesday that combat brigades would be reduced by 46 percent if sequestration cuts continue.
Hiker found dead in Cheyenne Canyon Park was Fort Carson soldier
(Colorado Springs Gazette) A body found by hikers in Cheyenne Canyon Park Saturday evening is that of a soldier, Fort Carson officials confirmed Monday. First Lt. Bao Huy Vo, 24 may have died after falling 200 feet, Colorado Springs police said.
Staff Sgt.'s rapid response saves trainee's life in grenade pit
(Army Times) After five deployments, including two to Iraq and one to Afghanistan, the last place Staff Sgt. Jon King expected a near-miss was in a grenade-throwing pit at Fort Sill, Okla.
Before Ink Dries on Army Rules, Soldiers Rush to Get Tattoos
(New York Times) Now a tightening of the Army’s regulations on the wear and appearance of uniforms and insignia — issued on March 31 with a 30-day window of unit-by-unit enforcement — have driven a land rush here and at other Army posts to get “tatted,” as soldiers call it, while the old rules still applied.
NAVY
Interview: Adm. Bill Gortney, US Fleet Forces Command
(Defense News) The Fleet Forces Command, led by Adm. Bill Gortney, is one of the US Navy’s largest, composed of some 100,000 sailors and civilians; about 85 ships, or one-third of the fleet; and more than 1,000 aircraft.
Authentic Navy fleet dukes it out with Godzilla
(Navy Times) The filmmakers for “Godzilla” were given access to Navy flattops and other support from the Defense Department to make sure the movie’s portrayal of sailors and other U.S. service members was as accurate as possible, said Navy Capt. Russ Coons, of the Navy Office of Information West.
As the World Warms, Navy Strategists Plan for an Arctic Rush
(Newsweek) Walter Berbrick, a retired Navy officer and a professor of war games at the U.S. Naval War College, was conducting the Fleet Arctic Operations Game in 2011, simulating, among other things, how the Navy would respond to an oil spill in the Arctic, when he discovered there were no rules of engagement for polar bears. “You’ve really got to be mindful of where you’re at and where they’re at,” Berbrick says, pointing out that polar bears travel in open waters and on ice floes where naval units would have to operate.
Secretary of the Navy: For Military, Alternative Energy Is About War, Not Climate Change
(Slate) Environmentalists may laud Sec. Mabus for his Earth-friendly agenda, but finding alternative energy sources to fuel ships and aircraft is about war, not climate change, Mabus said.
AIR FORCE
Over the 'Tops': A morale boost for some, a waste to others
(Air Force Times) On April 2, roughly three dozen singers, musicians, dancers and technicians gathered at the Mansion Del Rio Hotel in San Antonio. The airmen — members of Tops in Blue, the Air Force’s six-decade-old traveling musical performance troupe — thought they were there for a standard meeting to prepare them for their 2014 tour.
What Could an Army National Commission Learn From the Air Force?
(Intercepts) When the Senate Armed Services Committee summoned members of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force to an April 29th hearing, it marked the official end of the Commissioners duty. But even as one service’s fight between the active and reserve/guard components seemed to be winding down, another is brewing.
40% fewer enlisted members likely to be forced out, latest projections show
(Air Force Times) The number of enlisted airmen that could be forced out by retention boards appears to be dwindling considerably, according to the Air Force’s latest estimates.
Abolishing Air Force Reserve Command ‘dead in the water’
(The Telegraph; Macon, Ga.) Recent comments by the Air Force’s top civilian have all but erased concerns over a recommendation to abolish Air Force Reserve Command.
E-SERB canceled for biomedical lt. cols.
(Air Force Times) Lieutenant colonels in the Biomedical Sciences Corps who were concerned about their jobs can relax: The Air Force has canceled its planned enhanced Selective Early Retirement Board covering those officers.
MARINE CORPS
New eyewitnesses back Medal of Honor for Peralta
(Marine Corps Times) The lawmaker who has spearheaded a campaign to see fallen Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta receive the Medal of Honor has sent more supporting evidence, in the form of new eyewitness accounts, to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
From Algiers base, Marine Corps keeps tabs on 68,000 civilians at 'megamusters'
(Times-Picayune; New Orleans) Around the country, Individual Ready Reserve, or IRR, Marines have completed their active or reserve duty but still have a contractual obligation to the Marine Corps -- and could be recalled to military duty if the president orders it, as last happened eight years ago, when some civilians were suddenly summoned to the Iraq war.
New River squadron receives coveted award
(The Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) For excellence in leadership, the Fighting Griffins of VMM-266 were presented an award named after one of the most decorated Marine leaders in the Corps’ history.
Marine who lost legs in IED blast to receive ‘all-terrain’ wheelchair
(Washington Times) A U.S. Marine who lost both legs after stepping on a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2011 wouldn’t let it stop him from hunting and fishing, but an all-terrain wheelchair from a nonprofit military advocacy group will make those activities much easier.
VETERANS
VA probes reports of secret waiting list at Phoenix facility
(Military Times) A Veterans Affairs Department official said Wednesday the department is investigating allegations of a secret waiting list for medical appointments at the Phoenix VA Health Care System but, so far, has found no evidence that such a list exists.
Yale Law School suit alleges Veterans Administration biased against sex assault victims with PTSD
(New Haven Register; Conn.) The Service Women’s Action Network and Vietnam Veterans of America Wednesday sued the Veterans Administration, claiming its rules discriminate against vets seeking disability benefits for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder tied to military sexual trauma.
Some veterans struggle to obtain health care
(Virginian-Pilot; Norfolk) In the midst of a life scarred with mistakes, Dwight Alexander did one thing right in the eyes of society. He joined the Army.
WWII airmen receive POW medals for imprisonment in Switzerland
(Air Force Times) One by one, the eight World War II veterans took their places on stage in a ceremony 70 years in the making.
AFGHANISTAN
Afghans 'repel big militant attack on border army base'
(BBC) Afghan forces backed by Nato air power have repelled an assault by more than 300 militants including foreign fighters on an army base close to the Pakistani border, officials say.
Afghanistan Needs More Than U.S. Troops to Survive
(Defense One) While the United States waits patiently for the new Afghan president to sign a post-2014 troop deal, a new report shows that the war-torn nation is going to need much more than a few thousand U.S. and NATO forces to stand on its own.
High-profile attacks in Afghanistan skyrocket
(Stars and Stripes) As the departure date for U.S. forces in Afghanistan draws near, the number of high-profile attacks by insurgents has skyrocketed, according to a Pentagon report released Wednesday.
MIDDLE EAST
Saudi Arabia displays ballistic missiles for the first time
(IHS Jane's 360) Saudi Arabia publicly displayed its Dong Feng-3 (DF-3) ballistic missiles for the first time in a 29 April parade marking the end of what was billed as its largest ever military exercise.
PM 'certain' of win as Iraqis vote despite dozens of attacks
(Agence France Presse) Iraqis on Wednesday defied a rash of militant attacks to vote in the country's first elections since US troops withdrew, with premier Nuri al-Maliki proclaiming "certain" victory as he cast his ballot.
U.S. officials say Syria is using remaining chemical weapons stockpile as leverage
(Washington Post) The months-long effort to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons program has ground to a halt because Syria is holding on to 27 tons of sarin precursor chemicals as leverage in a dispute with the international community over the future of facilities used to store the deadly agents, according to U.S. officials.
Western Intelligence Suspects Assad Has a Secret Chemical Stockpile
(The Daily Beast) Concerns are growing among Western intelligence services that Syria still has a significant and undeclared arsenal of chemical weapons, including crude chlorine-filled bombs, secret stockpiles of sophisticated nerve gasses or their components—and the scientific know-how to rebuild a larger-scale, higher-grade chemical weapons effort once the Bashar al-Assad regime has escaped the international spotlight.
CIA wants to use fingerprint scanners, GPS devices to ensure Syria's rebels target Assad -- not the West
(Foreign Policy) After more than three years of civil war in Syria, the Obama administration may soon send shoulder-fired missiles to the rebels fighting the country's dictator, Bashar al-Assad. But before the first missiles fly, they'll have to be outfitted with fingerprint scanners and GPS systems designed to keep the weapons from falling into the wrong hands. There's only one problem: It's not clear the relatively high-tech security equipment will be compatible with the decidedly low-tech, twenty-year old missile.
'Al Qaeda in Kurdistan' breaks ranks with ISIS over Syria
(Long War Journal) A group calling itself "al Qaeda in Kurdistan" sided with al Qaeda's emir against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham in the ongoing dispute over control of the jihad in Syria. In doing so, the group also renewed its pledge of "allegiance" to Ayman al Zawahiri and Mullah Mohammad Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, and said it would fight the ISIS if needed.
U.S. worries its aid to Egypt may be misdirected
(Los Angeles Times) The Egyptian military recently used American-made Apache helicopter gunships to fire rockets into houses in the Sinai Peninsula, the latest in a series of lethal raids targeting a little-known Al Qaeda-inspired group that has bombed civilians.
Al-Monitor remembers Bassem Sabry
(Al-Monitor) On April 29, Bassem Sabry, the noted blogger, analyst and political activist, died at age 31. The Associated Press reported his death as the result of an accidental fall from an apartment building balcony.
EUROPE
French 'Flying Car' Undergoes Testing for Special Forces
(Defense News) In “Live and Let Die,” a black-clad James Bond silently flies in the night in a black hang glider and lands on a mountain.
Military Allies Caution U.S. Against Rupturing Putin’s Ties With West
(Wall Street Journal) Some of Washington’s closest military allies, including Japan, Egypt and Israel, are cautioning the Obama administration against taking steps that could permanently rupture Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s ties to the West, according to Asian and Middle East officials.
Biden Pushes NATO Allies To Increase Defense Spending
(Defense News) US Vice President Joe Biden wants NATO allies to step up to the plate with commitments to increase defense spending by September, as he outlined the demolition of US/Russia relations in a speech Wednesday.
Donetsk Dispatch: City Looks To Victory Day With Trepidation
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Nearly two weeks after the Geneva agreement intended to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine was signed, no de-escalation has been seen in the industrial and mining region of Donetsk.
Pro-Russian Separatists in Eastern Ukraine Seek Legitimacy Through Referendum
(Wall Street Journal) Apart from the sandbagged battle positions held by masked, pro-Russian gunmen wearing camouflage in cities across eastern Ukraine, an equally grave challenge for the country can be found here in a lightly guarded mansion, known in Soviet days as the House of Political Enlightenment.
AMERICAS
Mexico's Congress approves revision of military code of justice
(Los Angeles Times) The Mexican Congress on Wednesday approved a major revision of the military code of justice that will require that soldiers, sailors and officers who abuse civilians be prosecuted in the civilian court system.
KC-390 Prototype Final Assembly Underway At Embraer
(Aviation Week) Embraer will begin final assembly of the first KC-390 multirole tanker transport at the end of April, marking a major milestone in the Brazilian company’s ambitious plans to diversify into the military airlifter market.
El Salvador: Ex-President Faces Charges
(New York Times) Former President Francisco Flores will face embezzlement and other corruption charges related to what prosecutors said Wednesday was the misappropriation of at least $5.3 million in loans from Taiwan during his tenure, from 1999 to 2004.
New group pushes Obama to ease Cuba restrictions
(USA Today) A new advocacy group called #CubaNow will launch an ad urging Obama to expand the ability of Americans to travel to Cuba and send money to the emerging business community there. Made up of younger Cuban Americans and former Obama administration officials who view the 50-year-old embargo as a failed effort to topple the country's Communist government, the group says Congress is unable to get anything done so they're pushing the president to take steps on his own.
Attorney General in Guatemala Excluded From Re-election Bid
(New York Times) Guatemala’s attorney general, Claudia Paz y Paz, whose prosecution of a former dictator for genocide earned her the enmity of powerful members of the country’s political and business elite, has lost her bid for a second term.
ASIA-PACIFIC
New Zealand Boosts Defense Spending
(Defense News) New Zealand Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced the government will invest NZ $100.9 million (US $86 million) of operating funds in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in 2014/2015. Further details will be revealed when the budget is released May 15.
Indonesian Army demonstrates indigenously built FAC
(IHS Jane's 360) The Indonesian Army (Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Darat, or TNI-AD) revealed the capabilities of a locally produced fast attack craft (FAC) during a demonstration at Ancol, Jakarta, on 29 April.
Five Powers Agree to Respect Central Asian Nuclear-Free Zone
Global Security Newswire) The Central Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone commits its signatories -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- to refrain from developing, acquiring or possessing nuclear weapons. The treaty entered into force in 2009 without the world's formally recognized nuclear-armed countries -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- agreeing to abide by its limits.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Hagel's Defense Cuts: A Good Idea
(Lawrence J. Korb, Max Hoffman and Kate Blakeley in The National Interest) The Pentagon is asking for $496 billion for the base budget, $26 billion for the defense portion of President Obama’s “Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative,” or OGSI, and a $79 billion for overseas contingency operations (OCO), largely for the war in Afghanistan. This year’s NDAA will test whether Congress can set aside parochial interests in favor of strategic choices and plan effectively for the future of national defense.
Cut the Pentagon’s Civilian Workforce
(Mackenzie Eaglen in Breaking Defense) The Pentagon’s civilian workforce is too big and has been virtually untouched since defense budgets started falling four years ago. It’s grown so much, in fact, that the Air Force’s civilian workforce is just 1,400 people shy of matching the entire Air Force National Guard and Reserve combined. It’s time to shrink the Defense Department’s civilian workforce.
Ball in China's Court: Obama's Asia Trip
(War on the Rocks) Obama’s trip, with its focus on security, has repaired some of the damage. The ball is now back in China’s court, with leaders in Beijing now obligated to consider the stiffening resistance forming along the First Island Chain. American military planners, anticipating China’s next moves, are preparing for escalation, and a possible test of U.S. credibility.
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