TODAY’S TOP 5
1 U.S. sends stealth bombers to Europe
(Air Force Times) The Air Force has further beefed up its bomber presence in Europe, deploying two B-2 stealth bombers for military exercises in the region.
2. Cleveland Clinic's Toby Cosgrove says no to VA post, will remain at Clinic
(Cleveland Plain Dealer) Dr. Toby Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, has ended speculation that he might become secretary of veterans affairs, telling the White House that he has decided to stay in his current job.
3. I'm an Army veteran, and my benefits are too generous
(Retired Army Lt. Col. Tom Slear in the Washington Post) A few weeks ago, I mentioned to a receptionist in a physical therapist's office that I was covered by Tricare, the military's health-care program for service members, retirees and their families. (It has nothing to do with the troubled Veterans Affairs hospital system.)
4. Increased use of barrel bombs in Mideast, Africa
(Associated Press) Governments in the Mideast and Africa, in desperate efforts to gain battlefield ground, are using barrel bombs against their enemies, launching the cheap, quickly manufactured weapons as a crude counter to roadside blasts and suicide explosions that insurgents have deployed for years.
5. Soldiers in sensitive posts had abuse, drug histories
(USA Today) More than 350 of the 588 soldiers the Army has disqualified from sensitive posts, including sexual assault counselors, had committed offenses ranging from sexual assault to drug abuse to theft, according to Army data obtained by USA TODAY.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
Army Cyber Security
Developing the Scorpion Jet
Remembering D-Day
Vago's Notebook
ARMY SGT. BOWE BERGDAHL RELEASED
Bergdahl could collect 5 years of back pay, benefits
(Military Times) The Army owes Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl a lot of money.
EXCLUSIVE: Obama Defends Taliban Swap, Says He'd Do It Again
(NBC News) President Barack Obama told Brian Williams on Friday that he would authorize swapping five Taliban militants for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl again - even after an outcry over the soldier's conduct, criticism of the deal and an uproar over why Congress was kept in the dark.
As Bowe Bergdahl Heals, Details Emerge of His Captivity
(New York Times) Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has told medical officials that his captors locked him in a metal cage in total darkness for weeks at a time as punishment for trying to escape, and while military doctors say he now is physically able to travel he is not yet emotionally ready for the pressures of reuniting with his family, according to American officials who have been briefed on his condition.
Taliban swapped for Bowe Bergdahl: 'Responsible for 911' or 'a pretty good deal'?
(Christian Science Monotir) We may never know whether exchanging Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five members of the Taliban held at Guantanamo Bay was worth the risk. Here are two very different ways of looking at that.
Bergdahl Was in Unit Known for Its Troubles
(New York Times) The platoon was, an American military official would assert years later, "raggedy."
INDUSTRY
Fallout From 12th LPD: Fine Print in Old Deal Could Cost Yard a Destroyer
(Defense News) The US Navy doesn't want it, but the Marines and a major shipbuilder do. And since last year, Congress has been moving ahead with approving and funding a new amphibious ship, the unnamed LPD 28.
Acquisition Official Says Army Must Change Its Ways
(National Defense) When the Army at the height of the Iraq war needed thousands of armored trucks equipped with tactical radios and electronics, it went to the Navy for help.
Space Fence, FAB-T Awards Show an Emboldened DoD
(Defense News) On the evening of June 2, the US Air Force announced a pair of contracts worth a total of more than $1 billion. Both the Space Fence, won by Lockheed Martin, and the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T), won by Raytheon, are major boosts for service capabilities and the business' bottom lines.
US Navy, Army, NASA Ramp up Additive Manufacturing Investigations
(Defense Industry Daily) The US Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) will hold an industry day external link on additive manufacturing (AM) on July 24 in Solomons, MD. They don't have a program of record for 3D printing just yet, but are interested in RandD demonstrations to develop a roadmap for how this technology may affect their programs.
Pentagon, suppliers must change to survive: report
(Reuters) The U.S. military and its main suppliers must globalize and adopt more commercial practices to stay competitive, according to a report released this week.
UAE, France Try To Restart Satellite Deal
(Defense News) The UAE is insisting on technology transfer before restarting negotiations with France to purchase two spy satellites, according to a high level UAE official.
Egypt buys four Gowind corvettes
(Aviation Week) Egypt has signed a 1bn euros contract with French naval systems group DCNS to buy four Gowind 2,400 ton corvettes with an option for two more, a reliable source has confirmed to Ares
Finmeccanica Opens Cyber Defense Center
(Defense News) Italy's Finmeccanica has beefed up its presence in the growing cybersecurity business by opening a cyber attack monitoring and prevention center in central Italy, using a super computer with the power of 30,000 desktop PCs.
US State Department Blacklists Spanish Arms Dealer; GD Caught in Fray
(Defense News) A Spanish contractor importing night vision equipment intended for the Spanish Marine Corps and police agencies instead was illegally reselling the systems to security companies in that country, the US State Department charged late Thursday.
UK's Pythons set for mid-life upgrade
(IHS Jane's 360) BAE Systems Munitions has been contracted to upgrade the Python rocket-propelled minefield breaching systems deployed by the British Army's Royal Engineers.
Canada's F-35 Acquisition Plans Still Unclear
(Defense News) An announcement about how Canada will proceed with its multibillion dollar fighter jet procurement is expected as early as June 10, even as conflicting reports emerge about whether the F-35 will be selected.
Nigerian Air Force to increase RandD, IP rights
(IHS Jane's 360) The Nigerian Air Force is looking to increase its research and development (RandD) expenditure, while also enacting measures to improve intellectual property (IP) rights, Nigeria's Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, is reported to have said in Abuja on 4 June.
VETERANS
Vet unemployment drops again in May, beating nation's unemployment rate
(Military Times) The unemployment rate for the latest generation of veterans dropped significantly in May, falling a point below a steady national unemployment rate, government data show.
VA set to release audit on scheduling scandal, Acting Secretary Sloan Gibson says
(Washington Post) In his first public comments as acting secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Sloan Gibson said the agency on Monday plans to release the results of its internal audit of scheduling practices at VA hospitals nationwide.
House panel seeks acting VA secretary
(The Hill) The House Veterans' Affairs Committee has invited acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson to appear before the panel as it examines the healthcare scandal that has consumed the department.
Fake war hero sentenced to probation, must pay back stolen benefits
(Orlando Sentinel) A former Marine from St. Cloud who lied about having fought in Vietnam was sentenced to probation on Friday and must reimburse the government for benefits he fraudulently obtained, a federal judge ruled.
CONGRESS
Sen. Durbin-led Group Presses French President To Halt Russian Warship Sales
(Defense News) A bipartisan group of US lawmakers wants French President Francois Hollande to halt the sale of two warships to Moscow, warning the vessels could be used to invade other European nations.
Navy plan for carrier-based drones takes flak from lawmakers
(Los Angeles Times) 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.
Nelson wants answers on why Army canceled big training program
(Orlando Sentinel) U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Friday he has asked military brass in Washington for a briefing on why the Army's Orlando training and simulation agency recently killed a multibillion-dollar program that offered the potential of lucrative work for Central Florida contractors.
Snowden's Legislative Legacy: A Bill That No One Likes
(DefenseOne) A year after Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald launched Edward Snowden into the annals of history, the most significant change in law to result from the leaks may be a bill that actually weakens consumer privacy while hurting intelligence gathering for national security.
There's a Security Gap on Capitol Hill. And It's as Troublesome as the One at Navy Yard.
(National Journal) House staffers who park in the office garages do not need to go through metal detectors, nor are their bags checked. Could better Capitol Police funding close this gap?
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Interview: Arati Prabhakar, Director, US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(Defense News) Since it was founded in 1958, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has evolved as one of history's most formidable engines of defense - and commercial - innovation. It had a hand in developing microelectronics, stealth, precision weapons, cloud computing, communications, the Internet, biometrics and far more that ensured the US military remained ahead of allies and enemies alike. And once commercialized, these technologies have revolutionized the world.
Military's new sexual-assault rules present uncharted legal ground
(McClatchy) The Navy corpsman said a colleague raped her. Then she told him to pay up or she'd talk.
Guantanamo prisoners set to leave amid trade furor
(Miami Herald) Some of the men held here for more than a decade have been drafting plans for work and marriage on the outside or studying languages, preparing for a not-too-distant future beyond the coiled razor wire that surrounds the U.S. prison perched at the edge of the Caribbean Sea.
Pentagon effort to free more hostages with Bergdahl nixed
(USA Today) The deal to free Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five Taliban detainees held by the U.S. military nixed a broader effort by the Department of Defense to include other U.S. citizens held by the Taliban and its allies, a top congressional aide said Thursday.
Declassified 2008 directive: Hackers and insiders hit utilities on three continents
(Inside Cybersecurity) Utilities on at least three continents have been "penetrated or shut down" by hackers and insiders, according to a formerly classified 2008 presidential directive on cybersecurity that was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and released today by privacy advocates.
War Gear Flows to Police Departments
(New York Times) Inside the municipal garage of this small lakefront city, parked next to the hefty orange snowplow, sits an even larger truck, this one painted in desert khaki. Weighing 30 tons and built to withstand land mines, the armored combat vehicle is one of hundreds showing up across the country, in police departments big and small.
ARMY
Unmanned intel app could keep small units informed
(Army Times) Small-unit leaders seeking info from unmanned ground and aerial vehicles have two choices: Attach themselves to their systems operator so they can see what he sees, or bombard him with questions over the radio that could chip away at both soldiers' concentration.
Soldier from Hillsboro killed in Afghanistan
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Army Pfc. Matthew H. Walker, who was fatally wounded in combat in Afghanistan, was a "great kid who worked his tail off," his high school football coach said.
Panel to screen hundreds of Kiowa pilots
(Army Times) The Army will evaluate about 800 pilots for potential retraining as the service prepares to eliminate the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter from its inventory.
Former Fort Bragg soldier pleads not guilty in 2012 shooting; Joshua Eisenhauer says he suffered from PTSD when he shot at police, firefighters
(Fayetteville Observer) A Fort Bragg staff sergeant pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of shooting at police and firefighters during a standoff at a Fayetteville apartment complex in January 2012.
Fort Bragg residents bid farewell to Holbrook Elementary
(Fayetteville Observer) Holbrook is one of three post schools, along with Pope Elementary and Murray Primary schools, closing this month as part of a redistricting of Fort Bragg schools.
800 officers picked to move up in July
(Army Times) Nearly 800 Regular Army officers will be promoted in July, including 398 to captain, and 103 to the chief warrant officer grades.
A marriage made through combat, and the promise of a reunion: The Green Berets and the Montagnards
(The State in Columbia, S.C.) Almost 50 years after experiencing what one Green Beret called a "marriage made in heaven," Green Berets who fought in Vietnam and their Montagnard brethren will meet again in Columbia this week.
Special Forces Association convention aims for broader appeal
(Fayetteville Observer) Military conventions often run a familiar pattern - a pattern the Special Forces Association aims to buck at its annual meeting this week in Columbia, South Carolina.
NAVY
Decorated NFO tapped for Naval Academy's top post
(Navy Times) Rear Adm. Ted Carter Jr. has been tapped to come aboard as the school's superintendent, a position that comes with a third star, the Defense Department announced Friday.
US Navy rescues 282 people in Mediterranean Sea
(Stars & Stripes) The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan rescued 282 people in the Mediterranean Sea on Friday and transferred them to Malta's military the next day, Navy officials said. Five of those rescued had to be medically evacuated.
Destroyer Ross' crew relieved to head for Spanish home
(Navy Times) The ship and its crew headed east in early June to a new home and a new mission.
In era of tight budgets, how many aircraft carriers are enough?
(Stars & Stripes) Aircraft carriers are perhaps the most powerful expression of U.S. military might. They're also expensive and potentially vulnerable. In an era of fiscal constraint, defense officials, lawmakers and the commander-in-chief must answer a question that could have enormous strategic consequences: How many are enough?
Sailor stabbed at Navy hospital upgraded to good
(Virginian-Pilot) The sailor who was stabbed at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center on Friday has improved and was listed in good condition, although he remained in the intensive care unit, a Navy spokeswoman said Saturday.
Why no female Blue Angels pilots?
(San Diego Union-Tribune) Even though Navy women have been flying fighter jets since 1994, no female has ever been chosen for the premiere job in naval aviation: Blue Angels performance pilot.
USN's Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship completes final contract trials
(IHS Jane's 360) A US Navy (USN) Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) has completed the Independence class' first 'final contract trials', officials announced on 6 June.
Female sailors offer mixed reviews for crackerjacks
(Navy Times) About 30 women have donned "Dixie cups" and crackerjacks - and found an initial three-week wear test to be a love/hate relationship.
AIR FORCE
F-22s land in Malaysia for first Southeast Asian exercise
(IHS Jane's 360) Six US Air Force (USAF) F-22 Raptor air-superiority fighters arrived in Malaysia at RMAF Butterworth airbase on 6 June to take part in the bilateral Exercise 'Cope Taufan 2014'.
'A God's Eye View Of The Battlefield:' Gen. Hostage On The F-35
(Breaking Defense) If you want to stop a conversation about the F-35 with a military officer or industry expert, then just start talking about its cyber or electronic warfare capabilities.
Spouse to husband's former boss: Return moving boxes or pay up
(Air Force Times) The wife of a lieutenant colonel who was relieved of command earlier this year has accused her husband's former boss of ordering the couple to hand over wardrobe boxes they paid for out-of-pocket and refusing to give them back, according to a lawsuit filed May 30 in Bexar County, Texas.
Hundreds more youth surge across border, overwhelming U.S. officials
(Los Angeles Times) Last week, immigration officials gave reporters a tour of the shelter at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The 1,015 youths at the facility range in age from 12 to 17. Among them was a boy who appeared to be on the younger side, with spiky black hair and a red T-shirt.
MARINE CORPS
Parris Island's senior-enlisted adviser charged with assault
(Marine Corps Times) The senior-enlisted adviser at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island not only appeared to get into a heated verbal argument with a protester outside of base, but he then allegedly drove away with the guy's hat.
Marine alleges he was injured, falsely arrested by Sequoia Park ranger
(Fresno Bee) A combat-wounded Marine has filed a damage claim against the Sequoia National Park after he says he was handcuffed and injured by a park ranger in a dispute over a handicap parking space.
Marines, airmen build schools, hospitals and good will in Belize
(Marine Corps Times) Marine combat engineers are teaming with airmen and members of the Belize Defence Force to build schoolhouses and hospital buildings during Exercise New Horizons.
Soldier touched the lives of everyone he knew
(The Greeley Tribune) OJ, who attained the rank of sergeant, served one tour in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan with the United States Marines. He was based at Camp Pendleton at the time of his death. He will have a Marine stand guard over his casket until his burial Thursday.
Family adopts Marine dog that was with their son when he was killed
(Los Angeles Times) In a brief but poignant ceremony Saturday, a bomb-sniffing dog was declared retired and officially adopted by the family of his Marine handler who was killed in Afghanistan.
COAST GUARD
Military, Police Had Contact With Shooter Before Bristol Murder-Suicide
(Hartford Courant) Days before a Connecticut Guardsman killed his wife and himself, his military counselor was so concerned about his demeanor during a phone conversation she called the police, a Guard spokesman said Friday.
Cape May Coast Guardsman climbs off 165-foot tower after 14 hours
(South Jersey Times) A member of the U.S. Coast Guard spent about 14 hours perched atop a 165-foot-high water tower at the Coast Guard Training Center before climbing down at about 2 a.m. Friday.
Coast Guard: Missing petty officer found dead in New Smyrna Beach
(News 13; Orlando) The Coast Guard says a petty officer missing reported missing in Volusia County Wednesday was found dead by fellow officers.
Coast Guard releases discipline data
(Navy Times) The Coast Guard handed down 10 court-martial convictions, eight discharges and five reliefs in the first quarter of fiscal 2014, according to good order and discipline statistics it released last month
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Marines press attack amid drawdown
(San Diego Union-Tribune) Taliban fighters in remote villages of Helmand province who thought coalition troops would wait out the end of their campaign from the relative safety of regional headquarters got a wake-up call last month.
Flash floods kill at least 80 in northern Afghanistan
(Los Angeles Times) At least 80 people have been killed and more than 100 are missing in two days of severe flooding in northern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.
Pakistan Suspends License of Leading News Channel
(New York Times) The Pakistani government on Friday suspended the broadcasting license of Geo News, a popular television channel, in a major escalation of Geo's dispute with the country's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency.
TTP claims attack on Karachi airport
(Dawn.com) Pakistani officials say a brazen five-hour attack by militants on the international airport in Karachi left 18 people dead but police managed to regain control of the terminal.
MIDDLE EAST
Israeli Cabinet Mulls Dwindling Options
(Defense News) Israel's raging rejection of the new Hamas-backed Palestinian government should not stop its military and secret services from continued security coordination with forces commanded by Fatah authorities in Ramallah, experts here say.
US Analyst Warns Israel: Unilateral Attack on Iran 'Better Damn Well Be Successful'
(Defense News) US strategic analyst Anthony Cordesman warned June 8 that a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran - despite repeated calls for restraint from its key ally in Washington - "better damn well be successful to an extraordinary degree."
UAE introduces compulsory military service
(Al Jazeera) The United Arab Emirates has introduced a new law requiring compulsory military service for adult males.
France says Syria chlorine gas samples may be inconclusive
(Reuters) France said on Thursday samples it had collected suggesting Syrian government forces had used chlorine gas in the country's civil war may not prove to be conclusive and would need to be cross-checked with other information to determine its use.
Explosions Rock Kurdish Party Offices In Iraq
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) A suicide bombing at a Kurdish political party office has killed at least 18 people and injured some 55 in a town northeast of Baghdad.
Bombs kill 52 as gunmen storm university in Iraq
(Associated Press) A series of car bombs exploded across Iraq's capital Saturday night, killing at least 52 people in a day of violence that saw militants storm a university in the country's restive Anbar province and take dozens hostage, authorities said.
At Swearing-In, Ex-General Vows 'Inclusive' Egypt
(New York Times) Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former general who led the military takeover here nearly one year ago, was sworn in as president on Sunday, testing the bet that a new strongman can overcome the economic dysfunction and political polarization that bedeviled Egypt's three-year experiment with democracy.
EUROPE
Russia's Information War: Latvian Ambassador, Finnish Strategist Warn On Cyber
(Breaking Defense) Even as President Obama exchanges tense words with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of today's D-Day anniversary ceremony, many Americans and Western Europeans still look at Russian aggression in Ukraine with bafflement and ask "how can this be happening?" For many in the smaller eastern nations with long memories of living in Moscow's shadow, the response is more like "we told you so."
Russian, NATO Arms Race Takes Shape
(Defense News) The crisis in Ukraine is continuing to spur increased military efforts by both Russia and NATO's Eastern European member states, with the former recently adding to its procurement list, and countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Latvia unveiling plans to expand their defense budgets.
Bulgaria Suspends Work On South Stream Pipeline
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski has announced that Bulgaria is suspending work on the disputed Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline following criticism from the European Union and United States.
Ukraine's new president calls for an end to war
(Washington Post) As he was inaugurated as Ukraine's new president Saturday, Petro Poroshenko proposed a cease-fire with pro-Russian separatists in the restive east and denounced a culture of corruption that has impoverished the nation.
Turk Procurement Chief Signals Overhauling of Offset Deals
(Defense News) Turkey's newly appointed procurement chief has signaled that the country's offset system, which has often unnerved foreign contractors, might be rethought.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Taiwan Pushes Back on U.S. Pressure to Do More on Missile Defense
(Global Security Newswire) Taiwan on Thursday said it was coming under strong lobbying from Washington to expand its radar capabilities to allow for deeper peering into China.
Bangladesh increases defence budget by 8.4%
(IHS Jane's 360) Bangladesh has announced a defence budget of BTD164.6 billion (USD2.1 billion) for fiscal year (FY) 2014-15, a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
NZ Defence Chief Outlines 5 Priorities
(Defense News) In a message to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), Lt. Gen. Tim Keating, chief of the Defence Force, appointed to the role in February, has set out his five priorities regarding the future direction of the NZDF.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Editorial: Challenges ahead for CMC
(Marine Corps Times staff) Gen. Joseph Dunford's nod from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel as the next commandant had the enthusiastic backing of an A-list of Marine Corps leadership.
Fightin' Joe: The Marine Corps' New Commandant
(John Amble in War on the Rocks) The U.S. Marines are getting a new commandant. President Barack Obama has nominated General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. to take over as the Corps' top officer. Upon confirmation by the Senate, he'll replace General James Amos, who is scheduled to step down this fall. So what do we know about Dunford?
Column: The Taliban Litmus Test
(John T. Bennett in Defense News) If you need to quickly ascertain a US official's national security and foreign policy philosophy - including on defense spending - just ask about the Taliban.
Meet the Insurgency: Inside the Liberal Take-Over of U.S. National Security
(Kevin Baron in Defense One) Long before John Kerry's Election Day defeat in 2004, his supporters had grown tired of seeing Democrats labeled the weaker party on national security.
ESSAY: Obama's Bergdahl-Taliban Gamble Is All About Timing
(John T. Bennett in Defense News) Buried beneath the rather nasty political brawl over the Obama administration's swap of five senior Taliban prisoners for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is Obama's cold-blooded strategic thinking. And President Barack Obama's big gamble already has deepened Republicans' frustrations with him, which could make easing sequestration a political impossibility.
Why Are Africa's Militaries So Disappointingly Bad?
(Michela Wrong in Foreign Policy) The optimistic "Africa Rising" slogan has been looking a little tired of late, as its critics point out that higher growth rates do not necessarily deliver either jobs or poverty alleviation. There's been less focus on another area where the "Africa Rising" narrative also seems to be failing to deliver: improved security for the continent's 1.1 billion inhabitants.
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