TODAY’S TOP 5
1. HASC Markup Limits Air Force Options on A-10, U-2
(Defense News) The US House Armed Services Committee’s full markup for FY 2015 includes language that ties the Air Force’s hands with the planned retirement of aircraft, although it does provide a little breathing room to retire the A-10, the most controversial of planned cuts.
2. Former nuke officer reprimanded in gambling case
(Associated Press) The Navy says the admiral who was fired last fall as the No. 2 commander of U.S. nuclear forces has been reprimanded and fined for violating the military's code of conduct but allowed to remain on duty as a Navy staff officer.
3. Syria’s Terror Blowback Threatens Europe and the United States
(Bruce Riedel in The Daily Beast) The flow of foreign fighters to Syria to join the war against Bashar Assad’s dictatorship is becoming the largest in the history of the global jihad, and the Syrian battleground is on the way to outstripping the 1980s Afghan war against the Soviets as a training ground for Islamic militants. Security services around the world are becoming increasingly alarmed at the implications for the safety of their citizens.
4. Bill would strip 'good soldier defense' in military sexual assaults
(The Hill) The 2015 defense authorization bill released Monday would halt consideration of a service member's "military character" in deciding whether to prosecute alleged sexual assaults.
5. American Legion says Shinseki should resign from VA
(Military Times) The American Legion is demanding the immediate resignation of Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and two other top VA leaders, citing a pattern of “poor oversight” and “failed leadership.”
INDUSTRY
US Army Slowly Nears Apache, Black Hawk Replacements
(Defense News) In July, the US Army will make its first big decision on how to proceed with the ambitious, decades-long developmental project to replace up to 4,000 Apache and Black Hawk helicopters by the mid-2030s.
Musk Open To Settlement With USAF Over Launch Dispute
(Aviation Week) Elon Musk, the rocket market upstart who has filed a bid protest against the U.S. Air Force alleging anticompetitive practices, says there is room for an out-of-court settlement with what he hopes will become a solid customer for his company, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX).
Telephonics Developing Radar To Fight Brownout Threat
(Defense News) Landing helicopters in dusty environments or bad weather have long plagued the US military.
ULA, SpaceX Rumble Shaping Up To Rival Tanker Wars
(Breaking Defense) It is shaping up as one of the great corporate brawls in the aerospace world: snappy and feisty and hungry newcomer, SpaceX, versus the titan of heavy launch, the near-perfect expression of big corporatism, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin United Launch Alliance.
Challenges Tangle Canadian Light Helicopter Plans
(Defense News) Canada plans to purchase new fleets of helicopters for its Coast Guard, but the acquisition has been stalled by legal problems and issues with the procurement process.
Boeing, backers to fight for funding for 22 Boeing jets
(Reuters) Boeing Co (BA.N) and its supporters on Monday vowed to fight for $2.1 billion in funding for 22 EA-18G electronic attack planes in fiscal 2015 to keep the plane's St. Louis production line running past 2016 and preserve 60,000 jobs around the country.
Eastern Europe Targets Improved Transport Capabilities
(Defense News) With the crisis in Ukraine forcing Eastern European governments to refocus on defense, several are expanding their helicopter fleets to replace largely Russian-built aircraft, with an emphasis on transport.
CONGRESS
HASC Bill Would Shift Billions to Weapons, Readiness Accounts
(Defense News) The US House Armed Services Committee wants to shift billions of dollars from things such as service contracts and museums to Pentagon weapon programs.
U.S. House panel adds $450M to FY15 budget for 5 Boeing jets
(Reuters) The U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Monday proposed adding $450M to the U.S. Navy's fiscal 2015 budget for five more Boeing Co EA-18G electronic attack planes, well short of the 22 jets on the Navy's list of "unfunded priorities."
Defense hawks: No cuts in my backyard
(Politico) It’s a new twist on an old story. Bone-deep partisan divisions over taxes and spending mean Congress cannot act collectively to reverse the trend of a flat or falling defense budget. That means lawmakers can’t increase the size of the pie and serve each other a bigger slice, the way they did for many years after 2001. Instead, unable to stop the shrinking, each member wants somebody else to be the one who gets less.
Dem: Defense bill leaves ‘crushing’ constraints on Pentagon
(The Hill) The House’s 2015 spending plan for the Pentagon fails to relieve the “crushing financial constraints” facing the military, a top Democrat charged on Monday.
McKeon Wants DoD to Redo QDR
(Defense News) The chairman of the US House Armed Services Committee has drafted legislation that would require the Defense Department to re-write a major military strategy review that was sent to Congress in March.
House bill calls for $100 million 'efficiency' cut in commissary budget
(Military Times) Although House lawmakers are resisting — for now — the Pentagon’s call to slash the annual commissary operating budget by two-thirds over three years, the House Armed Services Committee appears comfortable with a more modest budget cut next year.
House Democrats to oppose Benghazi select committee
(USA Today) A top House Democrat said Monday that he will oppose the creation of a U.S. House select committee to investigate the 2012 Benghazi attack.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Sexual assault in the military: What happens when the victim is a man?
(Christian Science Monitor) By the Pentagon's data, men account for half of all reported victims of sexual assault in the military. 'Yeah, that kind of stuff happens' is no longer considered to be an adequate response, officials say.
Work Sworn in as DoD Deputy Secretary
(Defense News) US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel swore in his new deputy, Robert Work, during a small ceremony at the Pentagon Monday morning.
Hagel orders DOD-wide alcohol review after sex assault report
(Stars and Stripes) The Pentagon is targeting alcohol consumption in its battle to curb sexual assaults in the military.
C4ISR Conference: Looking to enterprise for an intell boost
(C4ISR & Networks) The Joint Information Environment is a prime example of the Defense Department-wide moves toward integrated information and services, and the intelligence community is following suit with its Intelligence Community IT Environment. Such efforts can provide double the benefit for programs like the military’s Distributed Common Ground System, one Army official noted May 5 at the C4ISR & Networks conference in Arlington, Virginia.
Policy debate looms on U.S. role in market for 'zero-day' cyber threats
(Inside Cybersecurity) In a bid to address questions about the federal government's willingness to conceal and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities for intelligence purposes, the White House last week issued a statement on how it decides whether to reveal such a flaw, noting a key factor is protecting critical infrastructure. But there remains a looming policy debate about how to control the proliferation of zero-day exploits and whether the United States is in some ways contributing to the problem.
ARMY
Army outlines plan to inactivate 7 brigade combat teams
(Army Times) The Army has inactivated three brigade combat teams this fiscal year, and has seven more to go, as it works toward an end-strength of 490,000 soldiers by the end of 2015.
Army confirms crew chief aboard Bragg helicopter died in crash; three soldiers injured
(Fayetteville Observer) The crew chief aboard a Fort Bragg helicopter that crashed during a training exercise Saturday in New Mexico has died and three other soldiers were injured, Fort Bragg officials said.
Fort Carson soldier dies of non-combat-related illness
(Colorado Springs Gazette) A 19-year-old Fort Carson soldier died Saturday from a non-combat related illness while in Homburg, Germany, according to a statement released Monday by the Department of Defense.
West Point grad Villanueva signs with NFL's Eagles
(Army Times) A 6-foot-9 Army officer with three deployments to Afghanistan, a Bronze Star Medal with “V” device and a Ranger tab has signed a free-agent contract to join the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive lineman.
Schenecker journal: ‘Shot the two mouthy mouths’
(Tampa Tribune) After watching her son at soccer practice, on the day her daughter called her an “evil soul,” Julie Schenecker drove to a gun store. The day after she cooked her daughter’s favorite dinner, she went to pick up the gun. Before she pulled the trigger, her lawyer said, she told her daughter she loved her.
NAVY
Challenges, close quarters and camaraderie: Inside the Navy's Coastal Patrol mission (With Video)
(Stars and Stripes) One can walk from the bow of the ship to the stern in under a minute. Unlike most U.S. Navy warships, Coastal Patrol boats are so small they don’t even have a helicopter pad — although crewmembers jokingly say landing a helicopter might be possible, but just once.
Navy Systems Administrator Arrested on Hacking Charges
(Wall Street Journal) A Navy systems administrator assigned to the nuclear reactor department of an aircraft carrier was also the leader of an antigovernment hacking group, prosecutors alleged Monday.
Ten subs for the price of nine and a push for separate budget for Ohio-class replacement
(The Day; New London, Conn.) The state’s congressional delegation is preparing to argue for placing the cost of EB’s other major project, replacement of the Ohio class of ballistic-missile submarines, into a special budgetary category meant to relieve pressure on other Navy shipbuilding programs.
With $3.3 billion Zumwalt, Navy trying for smallest blip on radar (With Video)
(Portland Press Herald) Sometime next year, the USS Zumwalt will begin testing the Tomahawk missiles, GPS-guided munitions and “total ship” computing systems that will make the $3.3 billion vessel the most advanced destroyer in Navy history.
AIR FORCE
Interview: Gen. William Fraser
(Defense News) US Air Force Gen. William Fraser, the head of US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), has had a diverse list of assignments throughout his career. He has commanded Air Force bomber wings, flown aerial tankers and worked in the National Reconnaissance Office. At TRANSCOM, he is in charge of getting US equipment out of Afghanistan. Fraser will step down as TRANSCOM commander this week and retire after almost 40 years of service, passing the reins to Gen. Paul Selva.
Retired NY National Guard commander from Cazenovia killed in glider crash
(The Post-Standard; Syracuse, N.Y.) A retired fighter pilot and former New York Air National Guard commander from Cazenovia was killed Saturday while piloting his glider plane in the desert northwest of Phoenix, authorities said.
U.S. sending F-15s, KC-135 to Norway for exercise
(Air Force Times) The U.S. is sending four F-15E fighters and a KC-135 Stratotanker to Norway to participate in an exercise running from Tuesday through Thursday, according to U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
Fatal air show crash at Travis raises questions on emergency response
(The Sacramento Bee)Tragedy struck a Travis Air Force Base air show Sunday afternoon when a biplane crashed while performing aerobatics, killing the pilot, forcing an abrupt end to the event and raising questions about how emergency crews responded to the crash.
MARINE CORPS
Marines end operations in Sangin, Helmand's once bloodiest district
(Marine Corps Times) The Marines departed their last two forward operating bases in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan late Sunday night, bringing one of the most costly and combat-intensive chapters of the Corps’ work in the country to a close.
Colonel Walter Walsh, Oldest Living US Marine, FBI Agent and Olympian Has Passed Away
(Daily Caller) Colonel Walter Rudolph Walsh died April 29, 2014, just a few days short of his 107th birthday. He was the oldest living United States Marine, the oldest living FBI agent and the oldest living Olympian. I write this with the heaviest of hearts, because he was also a friend.
Former commandant backs congressman in contentious primary fight — and here’s why you should care
(Battle Rattle) One of the Marine Corps’ biggest advocates in Congress is facing a tough re-election fight, and a former commandant has lent his name to the campaign with hopes it will swing some votes in a district teeming with active-duty Marines and veterans.
Former logistics officer has a few words for unappreciative grunts
(Marine Corps Times) Capt. Jeff Clement’s story is not like that of Nathaniel Fick, the Marine reconnaissance officer whose military memoir helped to inspire the gritty miniseries “Generation Kill.” He calls himself “kind of the average guy in combat,” but argues the story of Marines like him is one well worth telling.
VETERANS
Mattis: Veterans are not victims
(USA Today) James Mattis, who retired from the Marine Corps last year as a four-star general, is among the most articulate thinkers on a subject that gets very little attention: what it means to be a warrior.
Biden calls for more brain research that could help veterans
(Military Times) Vice President Joe Biden made a pointed call Monday for more brain research, describing the brain as the “only uncharted territory on Earth.”
Suspect arrested in Ohio veterans center shooting
(USA Today) A former employee at the Dayton Veterans Administration hospital was taken into custody Monday after allegedly opening fire at the center, injuring one man who struggled with him over the weapon, official said.
Exclusive: Doctor blows whistle on Phoenix VA neglect (Video)
(Fox News) Dr. Katherine Mitchell on the lack of patient-care for veterans.
In study, ecstasy shows promise for treating PTSD
(Houston Chronicle) A small but important study that has shown remarkable results using a combination of the drug MDMA - known on the street as ecstasy or "Molly" - and conventional therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder could be of significant value to thousands of veterans in Texas.
AFGHANISTAN
Opportune 'bear hug' foils alleged green on blue attack in Afghanistan
(Marine Corps Times) A would-be green-on-blue attacker may have been thwarted when a fellow member of the Afghan National Army wrapped him in a bear hug, allowing other Afghan troops to disarm him, Marines with Security Force Adviser Assistance Team here say.
Lack of Orderly Means to Distribute Aid Is Latest Setback for Afghan Village
(New York Times) An outpouring of aid has come to the remote village of Abi Barak, where a devastating landslide is likely to have claimed 2,100 lives and instantly left thousands homeless. Tents, water, food and blankets have streamed in from all quarters, including community donations and international contributions.
From land to air: 15 military vehicles flown to security forces in Afghanistan from Karachi
(The Express-Tribune; Pakistan) The first flight to provide military equipment to security forces in Afghanistan took off from the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Monday, Express News reported.
Pakistani Military Seeks Shutdown of Leading TV News Channel Geo
(Wall Street Journal) Media mogul Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has played an outsized role in shaping Pakistan's politics in recent years. Now, his empire is struggling for survival after colliding with the country's most powerful institution: the military establishment.
MIDDLE EAST
Iraq's Al-Maliki calls for 'partnership government' instead of 'majority government'
(Middle East Monitor) Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is reportedly negotiating to form a "partnership government" instead of the "majority government" he has been campaigning for to face rivals who want to ensure that he does not return for a third term.
Hamas not giving up military wing, despite agreement
(Al-Monitor) The April 23 reconciliation agreement signed by Palestinian leaders did not address the most contentious issue between them: the weapons of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing. Both Fatah and Hamas thought it best to pass on the issue to avoid it posing an obstacle to reconciliation.
Syrian opposition gets US diplomatic mission
(Al Jazeera) The United States has given the approval for the main Syrian opposition bloc to open a formal diplomatic mission in Washington.
Turkish Army Accepts First T-129 Attack Helicopter
(Defense News) After several months of technical snags, the Turkish Army has accepted the first T-129 attack helicopter coproduced by Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and AgustaWestland, the Italian-British helicopter maker.
AFRICA
US, Djibouti reach 10-year security agreement
(Associated Press) The Obama administration has finalized a 10-year agreement with Djibouti to keep U.S. troops at a military base in the East African nation that houses special forces and serves as a launching point for drones.
Warring South Sudan Parties Sign Deal to Freeze Military Actions
(Wall Street Journal) South Sudan's warring parties on Monday signed a deal to freeze military actions for at least one month to allow for the evacuation of civilians caught up in the conflict.
Nigeria's Boko Haram threatens to sell kidnapped schoolgirls
(Reuters) The leader of Boko Haram on Monday threatened to sell more than 200 schoolgirls his Islamist militant group kidnapped in northeastern Nigeria last month.
ASIA-PACIFIC
PACAF Gen. Carlisle Warns China On New Air Defense Zones; Russians Pushing in Pacific Too
(Breaking Defense) Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Hawk Carlisle, who has come to serve as a key Pentagon spokesman on Chinese issues, told several hundred insiders that China may be considering creation of two new Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) and warned the rising power against any such move.
Chinese Threat, Disaster Relief Drive Asia-Pacific Acquisition
(Defense News) Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are seeking a variety of helicopters, including the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, to offset China’s growing maritime threat in the East China and South China seas, and to deal with other security issues, such as humanitarian and disaster relief missions.
Vietnam says Chinese offshore rig is illegal; China disagrees
(Reuters) Vietnam has condemned as illegal the operation of a Chinese deepwater drilling rig in what Vietnam says is its territorial water in the South China Sea and told China's state-run oil company to remove it.
China’s Military Recruits Monkeys to Protect Air Force Base
(Wall Street Journal) These fuzzy new recruits have been called upon after numerous methods to rid a base of an abundance of migrating birds—from sending soldiers scampering high up into trees to training eagles and setting up sound and light effects—fell flat. Birds are a headache world-wide in the aviation industry because they can get stuck in the engines of aircraft.
Another Violent Attack at Railway Station in China
(New York Times) Four attackers unleashed a brazen late morning assault outside a railway station in Guangzhou on Tuesday, slashing at least six people, state media reported. It was the third such attack by multiple assailants at railway stations in China since March.
Dennis Rodman Claims Kim Jong Un Didn't Actually Have Uncle Executed And Fed To Dogs
(The Huffington Post) Former basketball star Dennis Rodman says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not execute his uncle Jang Song Thaek.
EUROPE
Nordic Nations Navigate Hurdles to NH90 Purchases
(Defense News) Nordic nations have struggled with their much-delayed Nordic Standard Helicopter Program (NSHP), especially since capability shortages have appeared since 2010 in combat, troop transport and medical evacuation missions.
Ukraine Crisis: Heavy Fighting in Pro-Russian Separatist Stronghold
(Wall Street Journal) Heavy fighting erupted Monday around a pro-Russian separatist stronghold in eastern Ukraine, with dozens of casualties reported as the standoff between insurgents and the government entered a more dangerous phase.
A graceful port city in southern Ukraine is riven by fresh violence
(Washington Post) This graceful port city’s residents are famous for their sly sense of humor, not for hatred and ethnic rivalries. So a burst of violence in recent days has many here fearing the worst for the future of Ukraine.
Protesters cut through Italy base fence, say they sowed marijuana seeds
(Stars and Stripes) Several people breached a fence at a U.S. Army installation last week and sowed what they said were some 200,000 marijuana seeds to demonstrate their opposition to war and their conviction that the area should be “devoted to agriculture, horticulture and the well-being and sociability of Vicenza.”
Romanian Navy conducts Black Sea drills
(Associated Press) Romania's Defense Ministry says some 1,600 sailors are taking part in navy training exercises in the Black Sea amid tensions in neighboring Ukraine.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Commentary: A-10 Still the Best in Its Field
(Chris Choate in Defense News) Remember the A-16? Don’t worry — the US Air Force doesn’t, either. Without question, the stepchild of the Air Force is the A-10 “Warthog.” It isn’t pretty. Worse, it’s defined as a single-mission aircraft — a cardinal sin in today’s environment where even air superiority aircraft have to portray an ability to perform a secondary mission.
Why Iraq Is Moving Closer to Full-Scale Sectarian War
(Kimberly Kagan in The Washington Post) Initial reports of high turnout and relative security during Iraq’s parliamentary elections have buoyed optimism that things might not be so bad there after all. Unfortunately, a smooth election and even the formation of a new government are not likely to reverse the negative security trends that are bringing Iraq ever closer to full-scale sectarian war.
DoD: Slashing Redundancy Instead of Personnel
(Wilson VornDick in The National Interest) Indeed, slashing personnel is a significant and reasonable option to drive down short- and long-term costs in DoD’s gargantuan budget. But most people don’t realize that the 80,000 cut is not focused solely on front-line soldiers—it will also include the ancillary and support personnel that work alongside the front-line forces. These communities include public affairs, logisticians, intelligence operators, religious personnel, medical response, and legal support. If DoD is to become more lean and purple with its people, it should look for cost-saving alternatives that share capabilities.
Congress’s Chance to Fix Aircraft Carrier Drones
(Shawn Brimley in Defense One) Given the chaotic defense budgetary environment, one could be forgiven for overlooking the fact that some truly strategic issues are at play in the defense authorization bill markup taking place in Congress this week.
Destroying and building nuclear weapons have something in common: high overruns
(Walter Pincus in The Washington Post) There is a budget crisis, but the truth is we’re still planning to spend tens of billions of dollars to eliminate plutonium from thousands of dismantled, surplus nuclear weapons built during the Cold War.
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