TODAY’S TOP 5
1. How did 800 ISIS fighters rout 2 Iraqi divisions?
(Military Times) The extremist group seizing vast swaths of Iraq this week is most likely fielding a small force of less than 1,000 fighters equipped with little more than small-arms weaponry and soft-shelled pickup trucks.
2. Iraq disintegrating as insurgents advance toward capital; Kurds seize Kirkuk
(Washington Post) Iraq was on the brink of falling apart Thursday as al-Qaeda renegades asserted their authority over Sunni areas in the north, Kurds seized control of the city of Kirkuk and the Shiite-led government appealed for volunteers to help defend its shrinking domain.
3. In extremists' Iraq rise, America's legacy
(Dexter Filkins in the New Yorker) The rapid advance of Al Qaeda-inspired militants across the Sunni heartland of northern and western Iraq has been stunning and relentless-and utterly predictable. Here's a forecast: the bad news is just beginning.
4. Obama says 'all options on table' to aid Iraq, but others say that's not really true
(McClatchy) Despite some expressions of concern in Congress and a pledge from President Barack Obama that "all options are on the table" for ways to help Iraq's government beat back a determined advance by Islamist fighters, there were few signs Thursday that Washington was eager to re-engage its military in Iraq.
5. Embassy audit finds improper vetting of security contractors
(Washington Post) A newly completed internal audit of security contracts at U.S. embassies abroad found that none of those examined had fully complied with vetting and other requirements for contractors who provide the first line of defense against attack.
ARMY SGT. BOWE BERGDAHL RELEASED
Exclusive: Bergdahl Explains in Prison Letters Why He Vanished
(Daily Beast) Writing from a Taliban "prison," Bowe Bergdahl urged his family and his government to wait until they had all the facts before judging him for leaving his base. Then Bergdahl explained, at least in part, why he left his fellow troops in 2009.
Bowe Bergdahl arrives in Texas
(Checkppoint) Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl arrived in Texas early Friday, nearly two weeks after he was released by the Taliban after five years in captivity.
Bergdahl's writings, posts show frustration, struggle
(Associated Press) In Facebook posts written before he vanished from his military base in Afghanistan, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl spoke of his frustration with the world and his desire to change the status quo.
IRAQ
Iran Deploys Forces to Fight al Qaeda-Inspired Militants in Iraq
(Wall Street Journal) The threat of Sunni extremists eclipsing the power of its Shiite-dominated Arab ally presents Iran with the biggest security and strategic challenge it has faced since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
U.S. Scrambles to Help Iraq Fight Off Militants
(New York Times) The White House, confronted by an unexpected crisis on a battlefield it thought it had left behind, scrambled Thursday to reassure Iraq that it would help its beleaguered army fend off militants who have overrun much of the country and now threaten Baghdad.
Senators Urge Air Power to Support Iraq Against Insurgents. Again.
(National Journal) Senators-Republican and Democratic alike-have begun openly calling for renewed U.S. air strikes to keep al-Qaida-inspired insurgents from Baghdad, as security throughout Iraq deteriorates rapidly.
Iraq War vets angry, distraught as insurgents gain ground
(Military Times) Veterans of the Iraq War and their families are watching with dismay and alarm as Sunni insurgents overrun large swaths of Iraq, including cities like Mosul, where hundreds of U.S. troops died.
Iraq Insurgency Turns Up Heat in White House War Room
(National Journal) Pressure on the White House to intervene in the crisis in Iraq intensified Thursday as President Obama's national security team was considering military options to counter the surging threat posed by an army of Sunni extremists marching toward Baghdad.
Choosing Rebels Over Army, Iraqis Head Home
(New York Times) After Islamic extremists swarmed his city this week, Saad Hussein fled here with his wife and six children. But after one night, he was on his way back home to Mosul, hearing that things were quiet there.
Pentagon Officials Cautious on Iraq, Point to Maliki
(DefenseOne) At the Pentagon where so many spent years fighting in Iraq, the sense is that this is Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki's mess to clean up.
When will the U.S. send drones to Iraq? The question won't go away
(Washington Post) The metastasizing security crisis in Iraq is shaking up an old argument in Washington: Instead of taking criticism for using aerial drones to target perceived terrorist threats, the White House is now taking tough questions about why it hasn't approved their usage in Iraq to help fight a powerful offshoot of al-Qaeda.
Pentagon: Iraqi rebels may have captured US military equipment
(The Hill) Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has seized control of two major cities, have been posting pictures on Twitter, claiming to have taken equipment given or sold by the U.S. to the Iraqi army.
Diplomats, pilots and hired guns: Here are the Americans left in Iraq
(Washington Post) While the United States pulled virtually all of its remaining troops from Iraq in 2011, there are thousands of Americans still there. They include U.S. diplomats and embassy personnel, private security contractors, and private military advisers to the Iraqi government.
Revenge of the Kurds
(Foreign Policy) As ISIS rolls toward Baghdad, the Kurds are gaining oil, ground, and power.
The Iraqi Army Was Crumbling Long Before Its Collapse, U.S. Officials Say
(New York Times) The stunning collapse of Iraq's army in a string of cities across the north reflects poor leadership, declining troop morale, broken equipment and a sharp decline in training since the last American advisers left the country in 2011, American military and intelligence officials said Thursday.
INDUSTRY
Pentagon Looks to Lower Costs of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program
(Wall Street Journal) The Pentagon said it is pushing builders of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to invest more of their own funds to reduce the cost of the $399 billion weapons program. It is also eyeing financial incentives and penalties to get overseas buyers to stick to their order commitments for the jet.
U.S. companies pulling contractors from Iraqi bases as security crumbles
(Washington Post) The crisis in Iraq has prompted U.S. contractors with personnel there to evacuate them from areas near Baghdad that are increasingly in the line of fire as insurgent fighters capture more territory with the apparent end goal of seizing the Iraqi capital.
Company Seeks Partner To Help Lift Funding for Flying Dune Buggy
(Defense News) Start-up firm Vaylon hopes to sign up a business partner soon to help fund development and production of a flying dune buggy, an innovative vehicle going through flight trials with the French special operations forces, Chairman Jerome Dauffy said.
Boeing Giving Pentagon $3.2M in Spare Parts to Settle Case
(Bloomberg) Boeing agreed to provide Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency with $3.2m in parts to settle case alleging company overcharged for spare parts, DLA Director Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek tells reporters.
Trial begins for Blackwater guards in Iraq shootings
(Associated Press) Four former Blackwater Worldwide security guards went on trial Wednesday in the killings of 14 Iraqis and the wounding of at least 18 others.
Airbus DS looks to furnish Eurofighter Typhoon with maritime strike capability
(IHS Jane's 360) Airbus Defence and Space (DS) is looking to integrate three different anti-shipping missile types onto the Eurofighter Typhoon in an effort to equip the combat aircraft with a maritime attack capability, a senior company official disclosed on 9 June.
Northrop Grumman Receives Funding for Electronic Warfare Systems for U.S. Army, Navy
(Seapower) Northrop Grumman Corp. has received funding to produce preproduction units of the APR-39D(V)2 radar warning receiver/electronic warfare management system.
Puma's Paris Premiere
(Aviation Week) The Puma armoured infantry fighting vehicle (AIFV) will be displayed at the Eurosatory defense trade show in Paris for the first time on June 16-20.
VETERANS
$100M in bonuses at VA as problems mounted
(Asbury Park Press ) Even as federal inspectors repeatedly warned that patient wait lists were having a detrimental impact on care, the troubled Veterans Affairs health system handed out $108.7 million in bonuses to executives and employees the past three years, an Asbury Park Press investigation found.
Congress May Be Done Fixing the VA for the Year
(National Journal) The Senate's passage Wednesday of legislation intended to stop veterans from dying waiting for health care is likely to be Congress's last major reform bill for the year to address failings in veterans' services or clean up the embattled Veterans Affairs Department.
Acting VA secretary Gibson speaks up for agency's employees
(Associated Press) While admitting systemic problems, the new head of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday the vast majority of the employees at his beleaguered agency are not the issue.
CONGRESS
Sen. Corker Sees Chance for Sequester-Killing 'Grand Bargain' Next Year
(Defense News) Should the GOP win control of the US Senate, a window will open for lawmakers and the Obama White House to take one more shot at a sequester-killing fiscal deal, a key Senate Republican tells CongressWatch.
Iraq Vets in Congress Helplessly Watch Their Gains Lost
(National Journal) Americans are tired of war. For the 17 members of Congress who served in Iraq, that means watching helplessly as the cities they fought for fall once more to extremists.
Republicans Plan to Hammer Obama on Foreign Policy
(National Journal) With an arsenal that includes Bowe Bergdhal, Benghazi, and now the unfolding events in Iraq, House Republicans are digging in for a relentless multifront, election-year messaging siege against the White House over foreign policy.
Lawmakers who served in Iraq spar over airstrikes
(The Hill) A pair of House lawmakers who saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan sparred Thursday over whether President Obama should order airstrikes to halt the progress of an extremist group that is taking over Iraq.
Senate passes Intelligence authorization bill
(The Hill) The Senate passed a bill Wednesday night that would allow appropriators to begin work on the 2015 Intelligence Appropriations bill.
House Intel chief 'extremely optimistic' on cyber bill's chances
(The Hill) After a meeting with leaders of the Senate Intelligence panel on Wednesday, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said his hopes for action soon have returned.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Lockheed Jet Reliability Still Lags, Kendall Says
(Bloomberg) Lockheed Martin's F-35 aircraft has not yet demonstrated sufficient reliability improvements, Pentagon's top weapons buyer, Frank Kendall, tells reporters after an F-35 management conference.
Pentagon sees progress on F-35 jet; software still a concern
(Reuters) Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet is making steady progress but needs further work to accelerate software development, increase reliability and lower the cost of operating and maintaining the new warplanes, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer said on Thursday.
Defense Logistics Agency To Shrink
(Defense News) The organization that oversees the Pentagon's vast supply chain and logistics empire is planning to shrink its yearly business as the US military prepares to exit Afghanistan.
From Afghan Sell-Off To Pacific Build-Up: The Strategy Of Logistics
(Breaking Defense) Some 45 football fields and gear worth $5 billion. That's how much excess inventory and storage room the Defense Logistics Agency has sold or destroyed since the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it's not finished.
DoD Bolstering Cyber Warfare Capabilities in at Risk Nations
(USNI News) American and allied military officials are working hand-in-hand to flesh out specific cyberwarfare capabilities, such as defensive measures against certain types of malware, overall network defense and various other "tactics, techniques and procedures" that apply to the cyber realm.
Senate Confirms McCord as Pentagon Comptroller
(Defense News) Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale will finally get to retire.
NSA Chief: Military Not Organized for Cyber Warfare
(National Defense) The U.S. military's hidebound culture and outdated procurement system are slowing down efforts to improve cyber defenses against increasingly sophisticated network attacks, said Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers, director of the National Security Agency and head of U.S. Cyber Command.
Congress, Please Don't Treat IT Purchases Special: Kendall Aide
(Breaking Defense) Congress's attempts at acquisition reform have often just added to the problem. Now there's another bright idea the Pentagon is trying to preempt: creating a special acquisition system for information technology.
QandA: Lissner on future of Centcom international coalition
(Tampa Tribune) Danish Brig. Gen. Frank Lissner talks about how Edward Snowden affected information sharing, the Taliban resurgence after the invasion of Iraq and the raging controversy back at home over the treatment of detainees handed over to U.S. forces.
The U.S. spent $3 million on boats for landlocked Afghanistan
(Washington Post) That works out to be more than $375,000 per boat. Similar boats in the United States are typically sold for about $50,000.
Military women gather in Norfolk for symposium
(Virginian-Pilot) The Sea Service Leadership Association says the annual event is the largest gathering of military women, and includes women from every branch of the military.
AFN scores World Cup rights
(Stars and Stripes) With a little more than an hour to spare, the American Forces Network on Thursday secured the rights to air the World Cup.
Former US Diplomat: Consider Giving Israel Bunker-Busters to Hedge Against Nefarious Iran
(Defense News) The United States should consider giving Israel bunker-buster bombs and other weaponry as a hedge against Iran developing a nuclear arsenal, says an influential former US diplomat.
ARMY
Army tattoos regs may be hurting Cyber Command
(Army Times) The twin moves announced Thursday by senior Pentagon officials mark a major upgrade of its effort to shift more of the burden of the delayed and...
Merced County soldier dies in Afghanistan
(Modesto Bee) Family members have confirmed that Atwater High School 1998 graduate Terry Hurne died in Afghanistan on Monday, just a few weeks before he was scheduled to return home.
Generals going to new assignments, Army announces
(Army Times) Four general officers will go to new assignments, the Army chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, announced Thursday.
NAVY
Navy gets flak for plan for carrier-based drones
(Virginian-Pilot) A U.S. Navy plan for aircraft carrier-based drones has launched a dogfight in Washington over the role of the robotic planes in combat.
CNAS: Key Questions Remain in Unmanned Systems Realm
(USNI News) "The winner of the robotics revolution will not be who develops this technology first or even who has the best technology, but who figures out how best to use it," a CNAS fellow said, presenting a new report on robots in the battlefield.
Boatbuilders target USD48 million USN small craft effort
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Navy has taken delivery of the first of several hundred new High Speed Maneuverable Surface Target (HSMST) craft in a five-year procurement effort involving two Gulf Coast boatbuilders.
Navy Uses 3D Modeling, Laser Scanning to Develop Cougar Family of Vehicles for Marines
(Seapower) Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWC PCD) stood up an Expeditionary 3D Modeling and Laser Scanning Center in early 2014 to support warfare systems required by joint forces and the Department of the Navy for expeditionary maneuver warfare.
Tech innovations challenge military, training
(The Daily Transcript) Contrary to popular belief, unmanned aerial systems and minimally manned ships actually require more personnel, often on the back end, to monitor and analyze the massive amounts of data the vessels and the systems onboard provide.
Simultaneous Manned, Unmanned Helo Flight Tests a Success Aboard LCS
(Seapower) Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy flew the unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout simultaneously with the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter for the first time.
Former president George H.W. Bush, 90, makes parachute jump
(Associated Press) Former President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 90th birthday on Thursday by making a tandem parachute jump near his summer home in coastal Maine, fulfilling a goal he made five years ago after a similar jump even though he can no longer use his legs.
AIR FORCE
NORAD Scrambles Fighters Against Russian Bombers
(DoDBuzz) Northern Command scrambled two F-22 Raptor and two F-15 Eagle fighters on Monday against a fleet of Russian bombers off the Alaska and northern California coasts, Pentagon officials said Thursday.
NORAD: Russian bombers flew within 50 miles of California
(Stars & Stripes) The first encounter occurred at about 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, when four Russian Tu-95 Bear-H long-range bombers and a Il-76 refueling tanker entered the outer portion of the North American air defense identification zone near Alaska.
MacDill contractor faces battery, weapons charges in 'road rage' incident
(Air Force Times) An employee for a U.S. Central Command contractor is accused of pointing a gun at people during a road rage incident in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday, and kicking, pepper-spraying and chasing a man who tried to intervene.
Aviano airman gets prison time, discharge for role in drunken driving death
(Stars and Stripes) An airman assigned to Aviano Air Base, Italy, is headed to prison for crashing his car while driving drunk last summer and causing the death of his passenger, a fellow airman.
MARINE CORPS
Senior Marine prosecutor reassigned after judge rules 'apparent UCI' on Pendleton office raid
(Marine Corps Times) In the wake of a controversial search of Camp Pendleton, California, defense attorneys' offices by military investigators, the senior Marine prosecutor who planned the search has been ordered off a number of cases and reassigned to a new job.
ONR Aims to Provide Laser Weapon for Marine Vehicles
(Seapower) As the Navy prepares to deploy its first laser weapon on a ship later this summer, Office of Naval Research (ONR) officials announced June 11 that they have finished awarding contracts to develop a similar weapon to be used on ground vehicles.
Lockheed Martin Modernizes Air Operations Capabilities for U.S. Marine Corps
(Seapower) The Theater Battle Management Core System (TBMCS) within the U.S. Marine Corps Tactical Air Command Center was upgraded with the Marine Corps Air Mission Planner application to provide the Marines with a modernized mission planning application to better plan and execute aviation operations.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Winner of Afghan election faces tough fight with Taliban
(USA Today) Whoever wins Afghanistan's presidential election Saturday will have little time to savor victory. Faced with a resurgent Taliban and departing U.S. troops, quelling the violence and corruption that continue to rack the country will be more urgent priorities.
U.S. Drone Hits Pakistan for 2nd Time in 12 Hours
(New York Times) An American drone struck a militant compound in Pakistan's tribal belt for the second time in 12 hours on Thursday, killing at least 10 suspected members of the Haqqani network in a suddenly intense resurgence of the C.I.A. offensive in Pakistan.
Court backs Musharraf's bid to leave Pakistan
(Washington Post) A Pakistani court in Karachi ordered the removal of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from the Exit Control List on Thursday, a move that lifts a ban against his travel abroad.
MIDDLE EAST
As Sunni Militants Threaten Its Allies in Baghdad, Iran Weighs Options
(New York Times) In years past, Iranian officials would smirk when recalling how the United States had done the dirty work for them by removing the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, a Sunni who led an eight-year war against Shiite Iran.
Russia helps keep Syria's MiG-29s flying
(IHS Jane's 360) Documents released by RAC MiG have revealed some details about the upgrade of Syria's MiG-29 multirole fighters.
WH: Iraq violence won't alter Afghan drawdown
(The Hill) The crisis in Iraq will not alter U.S. plans to withdraw military troops from Afghanistan, the White House said Thursday.
EUROPE
Final UK Military Cuts Announced To Meet 2018 Goals
(Defense News) Twenty four hours after the British government was heavily criticized by the National Audit Office (NAO) for taking significant risks in cutting the size of the British Army, the Ministry of Defence announced the final round of cuts required to achieve its target.
Tanks, of Unknown Origin, Roll Into Ukraine
(New York Times) Ukraine's interior minister claimed on Thursday that an armored column from Russia had crossed the border into eastern Ukraine overnight and had fought with Ukrainian troops during the day.
Russian Sailors To Begin Mistral Training June 22
(Defense News) Some 400 Russian sailors are expected on June 22 to start training on the Mistral-class helicopter carrier, marking a slight delay from an induction planned to start earlier in the month, media reports said.
Finnish president urges increase in defence procurement
(IHS Jane's 360) Finland's President Sauli Niinisto has backed an increase in defence procurement for the country's military, after agreeing that the country lacked the resources for a credible defence.
Russia Warns Sweden and Finland Against NATO Membership
(Defense News) Finland and Sweden have both rejected claims, made by a senior Russian adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that "Russophobia" is pushing the two non-aligned Nordic states "dangerously closer" to NATO.
Lavrov: Ukraine's rebels ready for cease-fire
(Associated Press) Russia's foreign minister said Thursday that the pro-Moscow separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine are ready for a cease-fire but that Kiev has to initiate the process.
Czech Republic seeks command vehicles
(IHS Jane's 360) The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) intends to launch a procurement programme this year for 30 wheeled armoured command and control vehicles for the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR), Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky said on 11 June.
Estonia to buy Javelin ATGWs
(IHS Jane's 360) Estonia is seeking to purchase Javelin anti-tank guided weapons (ATGWs) from the United States, a spokesperson for the Estonian MoD confirmed to IHS Jane's on 10 June.
ASIA-PACIFIC
China Calls Japan the Aggressor in Flybys Over Sea
(New York Times) China's Ministry of National Defense accused Japan on Thursday of airborne brinkmanship over the East China Sea, rejecting Tokyo's account of the latest close encounters between military aircraft from the two increasingly estranged countries.
Alaska-based soldiers arrive in Korea for 9-month rotation
(Stars and Stripes) Members of the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade's 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment will replace soldiers from 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment with a transition ceremony later this month, according to the 2nd Infantry Division.
AFRICA
Belarus Is Building an Air Force for Oil-Rich Angola
(War Is Boring) Satellite imagery that private company Astrium acquired on April 4 shows former Indian air force Su-30K fighters still parked at the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant at Baranovichi in Belarus.
Sectarian clashes kill 21 in Central African Republic
(Associated Press) The latest clashes erupted after villagers in Liwa, located 10 kilometers outside of the central town of Bambari, killed two Muslim men on a motorcycle on Monday, residents said. In response, fighters descended on both Liwa and Bambari, throwing grenades and burning more than 100 houses, said Bambari resident Nono Azoundja.
UN: Car bomb in N. Mali kills peacekeepers
(Associated Press) A suicide attack at a U.N. camp in northern Mali killed four peacekeepers on Wednesday, the country's peacekeeping mission said, raising concerns of worsening security as government officials warn about the possible return of Islamic extremists to the region.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
NO, THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ISN'T DEAD
(Brett Friedman in War on the Rocks) Last weekend, Zachary Keck at The Diplomat joined a long and illustrious line of commentators predicting the death of the amphibious assault. The idea becomes fashionable every couple of wars.
Don't Be Sucked Into War With Iraq, Again
(Joseph Cirincione in DefenseOne) We never should have invaded Iraq. It would be folly to recommit United States forces to save an artificial Iraqi government and army that cannot stand on its own.
It's Time for Obama To Re-Engage with Iraq
(Aki Peritz in DefenseOne) It's been an ugly week. The worst news out of Iraq this month is not that Mosul-a city with the population of Philadelphia-fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS); it's that the U.S. trained and funded Iraqi security forces melted away in the face of the terrorist onslaught-meaning its primary job to battle its domestic enemies is rapidly coming to pieces.
Turning the Asia Pivot Into a Real 'Obama Doctrine'
(Lawrence J. Korb in DefenseOne) While the pivot may have been a public relations success at home, it has been increasingly clear that it is a strategic failure abroad, demonstrating how difficult it is to have a one-sized fits-all national security strategy in today's complex world.
Iraq's disintegration could haunt the U.S. for years to come
(Washington Post editorial board) To those who would abandon Iraq, President Obama had a welcome response Thursday: not so fast.
Two Legal Takeaways from Yesterday's HASC Hearing
(Jack Goldsmith in Lawfare) At least two important legal issues were discussed: the legality of not notifying Congress about the swap, and the legal consequences of the end of the Afghan conflict.
How the Army Should Pivot to Asia
( John R. Deni in The Diplomat) Anachronistic basing arrangements are preventing the U.S. Army from achieving its full potential in the Indo-Pacific.
There's one simple reason troops shouldn't confuse their sacrifices with Iraq's implosion
(Geoffrey Ingersoll in Battle Rattle) The near-unanimous lament coming from troops, widows, and Gold Star mothers would be hard not to hear if the sound of Iraq imploding wasn't so deafening.
36 THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU'RE LEAVING THE ARMY
(Patrick McKinney in War on the Rocks) Many company grade officers (and soldiers and sergeants) will soon depart the Army much earlier than they had planned. My own departure was unexpected, but I seized the opportunity to start again and have had a great run so far.
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