TODAY’S TOP 5
Marine's sexual assault conviction overturned because of commandant's tough talk
(McClatchy) The Marine Corps commandant's uncompromising talk against sexual assault looked like unlawful command influence, a military appeals court said Thursday, as it overturned a Parris Island enlisted man's conviction on sexual assault charges.
Critics accuse Air Force of manipulating data to support A-10 retirement
(PBS Newshour) Over the past five months, Air Force leaders have pointed to one key fact while advocating for their controversial decision to retire the A-10 Warthog, an aircraft specifically designed to provide support to ground troops. The service's top leaders say the vast majority of so-called "close air support" missions conducted in Afghanistan since 2006 have been flown by a variety of aircraft that are not A-10s. Specifically, the leaders say that the 80 percent of these missions conducted by aircraft other than the Warthog shows that a variety of aircraft can do the critical mission of reinforcing ground forces with firepower from the air.
How Congress Is Hollowing Out the Military
(Bryan Clark and Todd Harrison in Politico) While Jay Z and Jill Abramson were dominating the nation's news coverage this week, members of Congress were quietly degrading - to little notice - the nation's ability to fight a war. They weren't doing it on purpose, of course, but at the rate they're going, if there is ever another major conflict, America's military forces might not be ready
VA's Shinseki vows to stay on the job
(Washington Post) Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said Thursday that he intends to remain on the job to address allegations of mismanagement and delayed care for military veterans, adding that he has not offered his resignation to President Obama because of the recent controversy
House OKs $495.8B for 2015 Base Budget; Orders Army Structure Commission
(Defense News) The House on Thursday approved a measure that would authorize just over $600 billion in 2015 US defense spending, while blocking A-10 retirement plans and ordering an independent group to study the Army's future.
INDUSTRY
SOCOM Soon Getting More Capable, Deadlier Ospreys and C-130s
(Defense News) US Special Operations Command may have a relatively small budget with which to add the latest generation of widgets to its fixed-wing fleet, but commando leaders say they're making those dollars count - and doing so quickly.
Lockheed, Austal respond to U.S. Navy query on small-warship ideas
(Reuters) Lockheed Martin Corp and Australia's Austal on Thursday submitted their best ideas for the U.S. Navy's next small warship, as a Navy task force continues to reassess the future of its $34 billion Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.
Pratt to ramp up KC-46A engine production
(Aviation Week) United Technologies' Pratt and Whitney military engines unit is preparing to increase production of a PW4000 commercial derivative for the US Air Force's (USAF's) Boeing KC-46A aerial refuelling tanker at its Hartford, Connecticut factory.
ILA2014: Raytheon demos JSOW against cave targets, milestones for MALD and Excalibur
(IHS Jane's 360) Raytheon has successfully demonstrated its AGM-154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) glide weapon against cave targets, a company official told IHS Jane's on 21 May.
Sen. Levin Says SASC Seeks 'Balance' On SpaceX, ULA; Block Buy Remains Intact
(Breaking Defense) SpaceX does not look likely to get what it most wants from Capitol Hill in its battle against the United Launch Alliance and the Air Force: more launches sooner.
Vigor Marine brings Oregon Iron Works under its roof in merger
(The Oregonian) Oregon Iron Works will become a division of Vigor Industrial in what the privately held companies are calling a merger, if not a merger of equals. The combination will create a single manufacturing and ship repair company that will employ about 2,300 people, including about 1,100 in the Portland area.
Israel's David's Sling missile shield unlikely to be ready in 2015
(Reuters) Israel's U.S.-backed David Sling missile shield is unlikely to be deployed by next year as originally scheduled, an Israeli defence official said on Wednesday, citing budget shortfalls.
UAV Platforms Begin to Mature
(Defense News) As number of missions UAVs are tasked to complete increases, engineers are looking at more complex platforms mirroring the evolution of piloted aircraft.
Canada -- JSF Supporters Oppose Competition
(Aviation Week) It was the Canadian government's insistence on buying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter without a competition that derailed its 2010 attempt to acquire the fighter. Since then, a special secretariat has taken over the acquisition from the Department of National Defense, and has sought information on alternative aircraft, but a key question remains unanswered: Will Canada conduct a real competition, without a set of requirements written to exclude any answer but JSF?
Poland Seeks Industrial Partnerships
(Defense News) The trinational Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) is trying to get Poland onboard as a full partner in the project, according to Lockheed Martin's MEADS business development manager.
Korean Air Refueling: Competition Afoot
(Defense Industry Daily) South Korea is moving to buy 4 long-range aerial refueling tankers with secondary transport capabilities, with a budget of WON 2 billion (about $1.8 billion). That capability isn't a huge priority on the Korean peninsula itself, but it's very useful for international operations. It's useful as a way of projecting regional power, as territorial disputes flare with China.
Pawlikowski: Alternative Payload for GPS III Is Lockheed's Choice to Make
(Defense News) If Lockheed Martin wants to find a new source for a key component on its GPS III satellite, the US Air Force won't stand in its way, according to the head of the service's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC).
Russia's PAK-DA bomber to fly in 2019
(IHS Jane's 360) Russia's future PAK-DA strategic bomber aircraft should complete its maiden flight in 2019, the head of the Russian Air Force stated on 22 May.
Finmeccanica-LM Team Works On Italian F-35 Net-centric Technology
(Defense News) As the political battle rumbles in Italy over whether to cut the purchase of F-35 joint strike fighters, the head of the Italian Air Force has claimed Italy's Finmeccanica and Lockheed Martin will work together on network-centric technology.
Aselsan Signs Deals with Airbus, Rolls Royce
(Defense News) Military electronics specialist Aselsan says it has signed separate framework agreements with two of Europe's biggest aviation concerns, Airbus and Rolls Royce.
Rafale To Fly in Indo-French Joint Air Exercises
(Defense News) The French Rafale fighter aircraft, shortlisted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for its $12 billion Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, will engage with IAF aircraft in June 3 joint exercises over the Rajasthan desert.
Planned contract will create 'radio marketplace'
(C4ISR & Networks) The Army is creating a "radio marketplace" by launching a competition for the Rifleman Radio.
CONGRESS
Senate, House panels reject many Pentagon budget proposals
(Military Times) The Senate Armed Services Committee wasn't fond of the Pentagon fiscal 2015 budget proposal, but its members liked it more than their House colleagues did.
Injured veterans program faces the ax
(The Hill) Hundreds of veterans with traumatic brain injuries will get kicked out of assisted living facilities this fall unless policymakers in Washington soon extend an expiring pilot program.
House passes new mental health screening for recruits
(Stars & Stripes) New mental health screening that supporters say could help stem the high rate of military suicides or even stop shooting rampages passed the House on Thursday as part of the massive 2015 defense budget.
Senate joins effort to simplify firing VA executives
(Military Times) Lawmakers furious over the growing Veterans Affairs Department care delay scandals scrambled Thursday to keep the pressure on top department officials.
White House fears VA reform bill could mean 'significant litigation'
(The Hill) The White House on Thursday provided a little - but only a little - clarity on the administration's objections to a House Veterans Affairs reform bill, saying provisions of it could result in litigation against the government.
House Passes Bill Blocking U.S.-Russian Arms Control Funds
(Global Security Newswire) The U.S. House on Thursday approved a bill that seeks to keep the Obama administration from implementing a strategic arms control treaty with Russia.
House rejects proposal to sunset 2001 authorization of military force
(The Hill) The House on Thursday defeated an amendment to the 2015 defense authorization that would sunset the 2001 authorization for use of military force against terrorists.
House GOP Votes to Keep Post-9/11 Force Authorization On Books
(Defense News) The US House on Thursday struck down a measure that would have voided the post-9/11 authorization of war against al-Qaida despite widespread war fatigue across the United States.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Military Pushes for More Disclosure on Drone Strikes
(Wall Street Journal) Top military officials are pressing for permission to publicly defend American drone strikes against criticism in the U.S. and abroad, defense officials said.
AAFES asks DoD to expand online exchange store to veterans
(Military Times) Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials have submitted a formal proposal to defense officials asking for authority to expand exchange online shopping privileges to all honorably-discharged veterans, according to AAFES director Tom Shull.
House duo takes aim at Pentagon's ammunition accounting
(USA Today) The Pentagon would be required to modernize its accounting system for ammunition under an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House on Thursday.
Defense bill blocks effort to recruit more immigrants
(Military Times) An effort to expand the military's recruiting pool to include some people who entered the country illegally stalled Thursday after Republicans on Capitol Hill blocked the measure.
Pentagon Weighs Re-Upping a Fast Track to Citizenship
(Wall Street Journal) Asim Manizada says he felt lucky last year after he was picked in a U.S. government lottery for an H-1B, a skilled-worker visa that lets him work in the U.S. for at least three years. But Mr. Manizada still faced a long and uncertain path to permanent residency and citizenship.
Bill would force DoD to publicly release investigations into senior leaders
(Military Times) The House has approved a bill that would require the Pentagon to publicly release the results of substantiated Defense Department Inspector General investigations involving senior military and civilian leaders.
ARMY
2 soldiers in casket photo flap permanently removed
(Army Times) Two soldiers involved in the National Guard casket photo flap have been permanently removed from funeral honors detail, a Wisconsin National Guard spokesman confirmed Thursday.
Exclusive: Lt. Gen. William Boykin, past Delta Force commander, hit with Army reprimand
(Washington Post) When retired Lt. Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin, the former commander of the U.S. Army's elite and secretive Delta Force, published a book in 2008, it detailed some of the Pentagon's most sensitive operations of the 20th century. Among them were the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran, the 1989 hunt for Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and the tragically flawed 1993 mission in Somalia that killed 18 U.S. troops and was later depicted in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down.
Fort Bragg soldier pleads guilty in James City shooting incident
(Virginia Gazette) A 25-year-old soldier pleaded guilty Wednesday to four charges related to an incident last September in which she drove up from Fort Bragg, N.C. and fired a shot through her husband's bedroom door.
Fort Hood reopens gates after shutdown
(Army Times) The gates at Fort Hood, Texas, were reopened early Thursday evening after traffic was blocked from entering the post during the afternoon, officials said.
NAVY
Cruiser Vella Gulf heads to Black Sea amid unrest in Ukraine
(Navy Times) The Navy has dispatched a cruiser to the Black Sea in the latest sign that Washington is ramping up pressure on the Kremlin's power play in Ukraine ahead of a disputed referendum.
TNT's 'Last Ship' wins fans aboard a Navy ship
(Associated Press) To help kick off his new TNT thriller, "The Last Ship," actor Adam Baldwin took an overnight sea cruise.
Navy Wants Less Variance in its Equipment
(DoDBuzz) The Navy has launched a new pilot program to save money and streamline the acquisition process by increasing commonality of parts, technologies and processes, service officials said.
Terror-targeted Navy ship sails by Ground Zero
(New York Post) The USS Cole triumphantly cruised into New York for Fleet Week on Wednesday - staging a symbolic victory over terrorism on the same day the new Sept. 11 museum opened to the public.
AIR FORCE
Senate committee: $320M from personnel cuts could keep A-10 flying
(Military Times) The Senate Armed Services committee wants to put $320 million saved from cutting personnel to pay for flying the A-10 another year, the committee's chairman said Thursday.
ORS Is In, Even At SMC; Watch Out Air Force Acquisition!
(Breaking Defense) For years the Air Force space acquisition mafia fought the idea of Operationally Responsive Space. Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), for the most part, made fabulous, big and really expensive satellites at a wonderfully slow pace.
Another sexual assault reported at Kadena
(Stars & Stripes) For the second time in as many weeks, an alleged sexual assault has come to light involving high school students on Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.
4,073 selected for master sergeant; selection rate hits new low
(Air Force Times) The Air Force has selected 4,073 technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant in the toughest year in more than a decade.
MARINE CORPS
Investigation: 'aggressive shimmy' forced Prowler off runway
(Marine Corps Times) A preliminary investigation into a mishap during an April 2 night landing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, found that mechanical or electric issues - not human performance - caused an EA-6B Prowler to veer off the runway, sustaining at least $1 million worth of damage.
Marines say raid did not taint cases
(Associated Press) A Marine Corps review into a raid by military investigators on defense lawyers' offices at Camp Pendleton found the unusual search did not compromise cases, though at least one defendant is asking a judge to weigh in, saying he feels he can't get a fair trial now.
Okinawa Mayor Takes Fight Against U.S. Base to Washington
(New York Times) To some, the long-stalled agreement to relocate a United States Marine base from a heavily populated area of Okinawa, Japan, to a smaller city might finally be seeing the light of day. During his visit to Japan in April, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said, "We look forward to the facility's construction beginning soon." A few weeks later at a news conference in Tokyo, President Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed that progress had been made.
"I'm just happy he's here:" Tacoma Marine reunited with his Afghanistan canine
(Tacoma News Tribune) It didn't matter that former Marine Cpl. Deano Miller's military working dog didn't recognize him at their reunion today. They have a long time to get reacquainted.
Marine coming home after 63 years
(Toledo Blade) On Nov. 29, 1950, an artillery shell blasted a Marine unit near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, killing Cpl. Harold W. Reed two days shy of his 24th birthday.
VETERANS
Ch. 2 investigation uncovers hundreds of deaths, injuries over delays in care at VA hospitals
(WSB-TV) By dissecting the VA's own data that Diamant got through a Freedom of Information Act request, we uncovered 304 claims, since 2001, from VA facilities coast to coast that blamed one or more delay in care to a patient's death.
'Culture of Deceit'?: VA Office in N.M. Investigated Phony Wait Times in 2013
(NBC News) Accusations at a VA hospital in Phoenix that patient records were falsified by staff are emerging in other facilities, including a New Mexico medical center where alleged bookkeeping misrepresentations were investigated last year.
Phoenix VA doctor says many fear retaliation
(CBS News) White House Deputy Chief of Staff Rob Nabors visited the troubled VA hospital in Phoenix Thursday, but one doctor says most staff likely won't speak openly about the hospital's problems due to fear of retaliation. John Blackstone reports.
4 Things Washington Could Do Right Now to Fix the VA
(National Journal) The worst news: A government bureaucracy is standing between veterans and their health care, and veterans are dying because of it.
Veteran health care woes become campaign issue
(Associated Press) The growing furor over veterans' health care moved to the political campaigns Thursday as congressional candidates from both parties called for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to be fired.
'Never the Same' details POWs' severe experiences
(Fayetteville Observer) Bill Richardson was a prisoner of war in Korea from 1950-53.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Final Shipment of Afghan Quick Reaction Vehicles Headed for Kabul
(Defense News) Several dozen new armored personnel carriers are on their way to Kabul to outfit the last of nine specially created Afghan Army and special forces Mobile Strike Force (MSF) battalions, the US manufacturer says.
Marine general talks Afghanistan
(San Diego Union Tribune) Marine Brig. Gen. Daniel Yoo is slated to be the last coalition commander in southwestern Afghanistan, an impoverished Taliban stronghold checkered with illicit poppy plots. The former head of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego took charge of Helmand and Nimruz provinces in February, at the helm of Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Afghanistan and NATO's regional command.
Militants attack on Indian consulate in western Afghanistan
(Reuters) A handful of heavily armed insurgents, including suicide bombers, launched a rocket propelled grenade and gun attack on the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's western city of Herat hours before dawn on Friday, officials said.
Observers predict fierce campaigns as Afghan runoff ballot gets started
(Stars & Stripes) The campaign for Afghanistan's second round of presidential elections kicked off Thursday with many concerned that this winner-take-all phase could raise tensions in a country poised for its first ever democratic transition of power.
Pakistani forces' attack on militants keeps up into the evening
(Los Angeles Times) Pakistani armed forces attacked militants by air and land Wednesday, killing dozens in the North Waziristan tribal area in the deadliest military operation in months.
MIDDLE EAST
Assad's Forces Break Yearlong Rebel Siege of Prison
(New York Times) Government forces broke through a protracted rebel siege of one of Syria's largest prisons on Thursday, dealing yet another blow to their opponents and highlighting the suffering that the country's war has brought to those caught between the warring parties.
Al Nusrah Front rejects Syrian rebels' revolutionary covenant
(Long War Journal) The Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda's official branch in Syria, has rejected a "revolutionary covenant" recently issued by a number of other prominent Syrian rebel groups.
Iraq: Bombings Kill at Least 35 Pilgrims
(New York Times) Suicide bombers and car bombs killed at least 35 Shiite pilgrims and wounded dozens more in attacks in Baghdad on Thursday, security officials said. The pilgrims were on their way to the shrine of a Shiite saint in Kadhimiya, in northern Baghdad, to commemorate the anniversary of his death
Will Sisi consider military rule over Egypt's bureaucracy?
(Al-Monitor) To say that the challenges facing Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's likely presidency look insurmountable is a huge understatement. As the next president, Sisi will have to contend with a sluggish economy, an energy crisis, a water crisis, vanishing tourism and foreign currency reserves, political instability and political violence.
EUROPE
U.S. Army Europe exercise in Ukraine delayed
(Army Times) A U.S. Army exercise planned in Ukraine this summer has been postponed, a spokesman for U.S. European Command said.
Breedlove: Some Russian forces along Ukraine border on the move
(Stars & Stripes) NATO should not rule out positioning forces in Eastern Europe in light of Russia's newly aggressive stance, which now demands that the alliance find fresh ways to boost its state of readiness, NATO's top military officer said Thursday.
16 Ukrainian troops, 1 rebel dead in checkpoint attack
(USA Today) As Ukraine prepares for a crucial presidential election, 16 soldiers and a pro-Russian rebel were killed Thursday in the deadliest attack on the military since unrest began in the east of the country in April.
Sweden May Fund Gripen-E Even Without International Partner
(Defense News) The Swedish government has signaled it is ready to roll back a stipulation in its 2012 agreement with Saab that required an international partner to be in place before funding could continue for the Gripen-E project.
AFRICA
a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/in-libya-fears-of-all-out-war-as-islamist-militias-allied-with-parliament-deploy-in-capital/2014/05/22/d96165ce-e1e7-11e3-810f-764fe508b82d_story.html">In Libya, fears of all-out war as Islamist militias allied with parliament deploy in capital
(Washington Post) Powerful militias aligned with the Islamist-dominated parliament deployed in the Libyan capital Thursday, raising the specter of an all-out war with forces loyal to a renegade former general who wants the legislative body disbanded.
U.N. Security Council sanctions Boko Haram over girls
(USA Today) The U.N. Security Council has approved sanctions against Boko Haram, the Qaeda-linked terror organization that has killed hundreds in Nigeria and abducted more than 300 school girls last month.
Tuareg separatists seize several towns in northern Mali
(Reuters) Tuareg separatists said on Thursday they had seized several towns in northern Mali after routing government forces in fighting that threatens to plunge the desert north back into war, but said they would respect calls for a ceasefire.
China Launches $2 Billion African Development Fund
(Wall Street Journal) China launched a $2 billion fund on Thursday, to be invested through the African Development Bank-the first time the country has put money into Africa through a multilateral institution rather directly through a deal with an African government.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Indictment of PLA hackers is part of broad U.S. strategy to curb Chinese cyberspying
(Washington Post) Two years ago, a senior official from the State Department and one from the Pentagon held an extraordinary four-hour meeting with their counterparts in Beijing.
U.S. Case Offers Glimpse Into China's Hacker Army
(New York Times) One man accused of being a hacker for the Chinese military, Wang Dong, better known as UglyGorilla, wrote in a social media profile that he did not "have much ambition" but wanted "to wander the world with a sword, an idiot."
Ousted Thai Leaders Summoned by Ruling Military
(Wall Street Journal) Thailand's former prime ministers and cabinet members reported to the ruling military Friday, a day after they were deposed from power by the country's army chief in a bloodless coup.
Koreas Trade Artillery Fire Across a Line in the Water
(New York Times) Naval vessels from North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire on Thursday, raising tensions along a disputed maritime boundary. Neither hit the other.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Going Green on the Battlefield Saves Lives
(Adam Tiffen in War On The Rocks) Thousands of veterans like myself experienced the daily danger that comes from reliance on fossil fuels in the middle of a war zone. Slashing federal funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency research ignores the lessons of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will put U.S. servicemembers in future conflicts at risk.
Eric Shinseki is still the right person to lead Veterans Affairs
(Retired Army Col. M. Thomas Davis in The Washington Post ) After Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki appeared before a Senate committee last week, one television commentator indicated that when Shinseki said he was "mad as hell" about problems within the VA hospital system, he didn't actually look all that mad. True, he didn't. But those of us who have known and served with Shinseki realize that this lack of outward emotion should not be read as a lack of passion.
VA Chief Eric Shinseki (Still) Must Go
(Joe Klein in Time) The VA is broken. It's past time to fix this shameful bureaucratic tragedy
Putting Ukraine in Its Place
(Peter Beinart in The Atlantic) From the current debates you'd never know what matters more: Russia's land grab, Iran's nuclear program, or China's territorial claims. How America stopped thinking strategically.
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