| September 29, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF | Get the most comprehensive aggregation of defense news delivered by the world's largest independent newsroom covering military and defense.
| ADVERTISEMENT  | | ADVERTISEMENT  | TODAY’S TOP 5 1. Poll: 70% of troops say no more boots on the ground in Iraq
(Military Times) As the tide of war rises again in the Middle East, the military's rank and file are mostly opposed to expanding the new mission in Iraq and Syria to include sending a large number of U.S. ground troops into combat, according to a Military Times survey of active-duty members.
2. President Obama: What makes us America
("60 Minutes") In wide-ranging interview, president discusses battle against Islamic extremists, U.S.-Russia relations and the upcoming midterm elections
3. Obama's Own JV Team
(Max Boot in The Weekly Standard) Last week brought a reminder of what the United States has lost since Bob Gates and Leon Panetta left the Obama cabinet. Both are straight shooters with a centrist, hardheaded sensibility.
4. A friend remembers a "cheerful, passionate" Libya activist
(Radio France Internationale) There has been an outpouring of grief in Benghazi after the assassination of nine Libyan rights activists and army officers.
5. Taliban Press for Advantage as Politicians Work on Maneuvers in Kabul
(New York Times) Afghan security forces managed to defeat a weeklong Taliban assault on a strategic district in central Afghanistan, provincial officials said over the weekend, though the victory was tenuous and the toll was high. At least 64 people were killed, including some civilians who were beheaded by the insurgents, and a number of homes were torched.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN Assessing Strikes Against Islamic State
Training Airmen Amid Budget Cuts
Air Force Effectiveness and Efficiency
Pentagon Suicide Prevention Programs
ISLAMIC STATE Pentagon Working With Congress for More War Funding
(Defense News) Despite operating under an $85 billion supplemental wartime budget, the Pentagon is going back to Congress to ensure that it has the funding to continue its air operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, top officials said Friday.
ISIL fight already near $1 billion as strategy shifts
(USA Today) The air war in Syria and Iraq has already cost nearly $1 billion and ultimately could cost as much as $22 billion per year if a large ground force is deployed to the region, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
Al Nusrah Front trainer suspected of plotting against 2004 NATO summit killed in US airstrikes
(Long War Journal) One of the first reported casualties of the US-led bombing campaign earlier this week was a jihadist known as Abu Yusuf al Turki.
Post-modern warfare: Tweets attempt to influence Centcom airstrikes
(Tampa Tribune) As a fierce battle rages between Kurds and the Islamic State in the Syrian town of Kobane, the fight has another front, aimed at U.S. Central Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base.
For Obama, a swift leap from no strategy to a full battle plan for Islamic State
(Washington Post) After keeping his promise to avoid American involvement in extended wars for nearly six years, President Obama on Monday began a military engagement that he acknowledged is likely to far outlive his time in office.
How American Precision Weapons Opened the Door to an Arab Coalition
(DefenseOne) President Obama's insistence that Arab states join in on U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq serves a political purpose for Washington and the region. But that Arab states were able to play a key role in the strikes at all is owed to years of purchases of made-in-America, high-tech, precision-guided bombs.
Iraq Army Woos Deserters Back to War on ISIS
(New York Times) The Iraqi military command has launched a campaign to re-enlist soldiers and officers who abandoned their units, a crucial step in its effort to rebuild an army that has been routed in battle after battle by Islamic State jihadists.
Here are the best ways to disable an ISIL oilfield
(Quartz) A report says that US-led forces are finally striking the nerve center of ISIL-its oilfields-after hitting small mobile refineries the past couple of days. But how do you disable the fields entirely without igniting huge fires and black clouds of burning oil? At least three fields have been hit, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a usually reliable monitoring group.
Top White House security adviser says US has strong support inside Syria for ISIS strikes
(Fox News) A top White House national security adviser said Sunday that the United States has strong support from Syrian residents in its effort to destroy Islamic State positions in their country, downplaying protests and arguing that Syrian President Bashar Assad is a common enemy.
U.S. general on training Syrian rebels: 'We have to do it right, not fast'
(Washington Post) The Pentagon has deployed military assessment teams to Saudi Arabia in advance of its training of moderate Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State group terrorizing Syria and Iraq, but the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff cautioned Friday that it will take time for the effort to gel.
Syria Airstrikes Roil Rebel Alliances
(Wall Street Journal) Thousands of civilians and rebels across Syria protested allied airstrikes against extremist militants that continued on Saturday, underscoring the challenge the U.S.-led campaign faces in dealing with complex ties among rival rebel factions.
Experts: As Operation Continues, ISR Demand To Grow in Syria
(Defense News) It can be easy, in the first days of strikes on Syria, to focus on the weaponry being dropped. After all, the explosion from a 1,000-pound bomb makes great video.
This Site Tracks the Guns Going Into Syria
(DefenseOne) The scene is a battlefield in Syria. A group of Kurdish People's Protection, YPG, forces have just pushed a unit of Islamic State, or ISIL, fighters into retreat. As the Kurds move in to secure the hard-won territory, they are followed by two British weapons monitors armed only with cameras and notepads
The Islamic State in Syria, Through the Eyes of a Woman
(Roll Call) A chilling video posted on YouTube allegedly gives a glimpse into the lives of women who flee their countries to join the Islamic State group and the desperation from their families for them to return home.
Russian suspicions of U.S. motives in Syria make cooperation unlikely
(Reuters) The United States and Russia see Islamic State as a common enemy but are failing to overcome deep mutual distrust and agree on how to tackle the threat together, making any role for Moscow in the U.S.-led campaign unlikely, say U.S. officials.
European F-16s To Participate In Air Operations Over Iraq
(Aviation Week) Six Belgian F-16s took off from their base in Florennes Sept. 26 on their way to Jordan via Greece, the Belga news agency reports
UK Aircraft Prepared To Attack Militants in Iraq
(Defense News) Royal Air Force Tornado strike jets are poised to attack Islamic State (IS) targets in a matter of hours following the British Parliament's Friday vote approving action against the militants.
Europeans say U.S. never briefed them on plot by al Qaida group
(McClatchy) European counterterrorism specialists say their American counterparts never mentioned an imminent plot by al Qaida operatives in Syria to attack Western targets and didn't brief them on the group that's supposedly behind the plan, a previously unknown terrorist unit that American officials have dubbed the Khorasan group.
Syrian Kurds Flee ISIS Into Turkey, in Photos
(National Journal) An influx of Kurdish refugees from Syria has flooded across the border into Turkey in the last week after the extremist group Islamic State advanced on towns near the border. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees has put the number of new migrants around 140,000-this after years of civil war in Syria in which thousands were already forced to flee.
Demise of group backing moderate Syria rebels is a warning for U.S.
(McClatchy) Two years after the Obama administration granted it a rare license to raise money for Syrian rebels, a Washington-based opposition nonprofit group that tried to help the United States build a moderate fighting force is defunct.
Petraeus Says Ground Forces Necessary to Defeat Islamic State
(Bloomberg) The U.S.-led fight against Islamic State will take years and will need ground forces to succeed, retired General David Petraeus said.
Iraq's Role in the Long War Against ISIS
(Council on Foreign Relations) Ryan C. Crocker, a veteran of U.S. Middle East diplomacy, welcomes the start of United States-led air strikes against ISIS forces in Syria but stresses Washington must remain committed to a long-term campaign against the group.
INDUSTRY At DoD, It's Use-It-Or-Lose-It Season
(Defense News) As fiscal 2014 heads toward its close next week, the total potential value of contracts announced each day by the Pentagon is mounting.
Sierra Nevada Corp. protests NASA space contract awarded to Boeing, SpaceX
(Washington Post) Sierra Nevada Corp. filed a protest of a major NASA contract late Friday, saying its proposal to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station would save money and should be given further consideration.
Exclusive: Lockheed to buy European satellite for South Korea in F-35 deal
(Reuters) Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) said it will buy a European-built military communications satellite for South Korea as part of a $7 billion deal to supply Seoul with 40 F-35 fighter jets, in what industry observers call among the most unusual "offset" agreements ever to accompany a major arms sale.
Navy Considers Aircraft for Future Carrier Delivery Mission
(DoDBuzz) The Navy is evaluating a range of aircraft as possible future platforms to perform landing, take-off and delivery missions of supplies and personnel onto aircraft carriers at sea, service officials said.
Raytheon wins $251M to produce Tomahawk cruise missiles
(Arizona Daily Star) Funding for Tomahawk cruise-missile production remains murky for the 2015 fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
Raytheon links with Poland's WB Electronics in missile shield bid
(Reuters) U.S. weapons maker Raytheon has signed a letter of intent with Polish military software producer WB Electronics to cooperate in bidding for a contract to build Poland's planned anti-missile system, Polish state radio said on its website.
Marines order Wasp UAS
(C4ISR & Networks) AeroVironment has been awarded a $21.8 million Marine Corps contract for the RQ-12 Wasp AE small UAS.
Foreign Buyers Vital to Lockheed's Missile Defense Business
(National Defense) Top U.S. military contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. is putting a full-court press on the international missile-defense market. While the Pentagon remains the company's primary buyer of antimissile weapons, foreign customers are being actively pursued.
U.S. to sell cruise missiles to Poland as 'deterrent' to Russia
(Washington Times) The U.S. State Department announced a $500 million arms deal with Poland - including advanced cruise missiles and fighter jet upgrades - as a strategy to stave off Russia should tensions escalate.
Egypt reportedly orders S-300VM
(IHS Jane's 360) Egypt has entered into an agreement to buy S-300VM long-range air defence systems for about USD500 million from Russia, the Russian business daily Vedomosti reported on 23 September, citing unidentified defence industry officials and a source close to the leadership of the state arms export agency Rosoboronexport.
Major French Vehicle Deal Closer to Reality, Execs Say
(Defense News) A three-company industrial team is confident the government will go ahead with an order this year for the French Army's Scorpion vehicle modernization program despite budgetary concerns, a top executive with one of the firms said.
Saab unveils Carl Gustaf M4
(IHS Jane's 360) Saab debuted a new variant of its Carl Gustaf 84 mm shoulder-fired recoilless rifle, the M4, during a series of demonstration firings at the Bofors Test Center at Karlskoga, Sweden, on 24 September.
India To Push Joint Weapons Development During US Visit
(Defense News) India's leader will seek joint development of high-tech weaponry when he visits the White House on Sept. 30, in a shift from the country's "buy and supply" relationship with the US, an Indian official said.
Airbus puts Atlas Elektronik stake up for sale
(IHS Jane's 360) Airbus Defence and Space has announced plans to divest its 49% shareholding in naval and marine systems group Atlas Elektronik GmbH, as part of a wider restructuring of its business activities.
AgustaWestland Lawsuit a Sign Of 'Frustration' With the US
(Defense News) Finmeccanica's decision to sue the US Army after being excluded from a sole-source helicopter contract reveals the Italian firm's "frustration" with the US market after seeing a series of contracts go sour, analysts have said.
Philippine Navy launches ASW helicopter procurement programme
(IHS Jane's 360) The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) has dispatched an "invitation to bid" document in support of a programme to procure two anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters for the Philippine Navy (PN).
Turkey Seeks Local Industry Consolidation
(Defense News) Top Turkish government officials say the country is aiming to consolidate its defense industry so it has fewer, but more powerful, defense companies.
US-Taiwan defense conference aims to 'boost mutual trust'
(Tapei Times) Government officials are to participate in this year's US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Virginia early next month, where attendees are to examine Taiwan's national security plans, indigenous submarine programs and bilateral security cooperation.
VETERANS No New VA Patient Schedule System Until 2020
(NextGov) The Department of Veterans Affairs will not install a new patient scheduling system to all of its 153 hospitals and 50,000 users until 2020, according to contract documents released last week.
Wounded Warrior Project Under Fire
(The Daily Beast) In interviews, critical veterans' advocates and veterans charged that the Wounded Warrior Project cares more about its image than it does about helping veterans; that it makes public splashes by taking vets on dramatic skydiving trips but doesn't do enough to help the long-term wellbeing of those injured in combat.
After death, VA persists to collect 59 cents
(Delaware News-Journal) The first letter addressed to the late David Perry arrived five weeks after he died at home June 5.
Iowa City VA patients not told about bacteria problem
(Des Moines Register) Leaders of the Veterans Affairs hospital here plan to spend $6.5 million to combat a potentially deadly bacteria that has been found in the facility's water pipes, but they have not informed patients about the problem.
Federal research seeks alternatives to addictive opioids for veterans in pain
(Washington Post) The National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs this week announced that they will launch a five-year, $21.7 million initiative to study the effectiveness of alternative therapies to opioids through a series of 13 research projects.
About a 1,000 show up in Colorado Springs for veterans marijuana giveaway
(Colorado Springs Gazette) A free cannabis giveaway at a Colorado Springs hotel Saturday attracted about a thousand people looking for an alternative medication for their physical and mental pain.
VA Moves to Fire Already-Retired Hospital Director
(Military.com) The Department of Veterans Affairs proposed firing the director of its medical center in Dublin, Georgia, on Thursday, the same day the official began his retirement.
Military and Veterans Affairs official resigns at Parnell's request
(Alaska Dispatch News) McHugh Pierre, civilian deputy commissioner for the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, has resigned at the request of Gov. Sean Parnell, according to a spokesperson for the governor.
County jail to open 2nd veterans unit
(San Diego Union-Tribune) It's a tidy cellblock. You might even say shipshape.
CONGRESS Sen. Coons Raises Hopes for Sequestration's End - Then Dashes Them
(Defense News) One US senator says America's war against a violent Sunni group should lead Congress to address sequestration, but his comments suggest a deal remains elusive.
U.S. lawmakers urge congressional action to back Obama's Syria war
(Reuters) U.S. lawmakers on Sunday stepped up calls for congressional authorization of President Barack Obama's war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, amid signs the United States and its allies face a long and difficult fight.
White House still wants 2002 military authorization repealed
(The Hill) President Obama still supports repealing Congress's 2002 authorization to use military force in Iraq, despite relying on it for efforts to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Lamborn feeling 'no pressure' about comments despite criticism
(Colorado Springs Gazette) The campaign spokesman for U.S. Rep Doug Lamborn said Saturday that the congressman has felt "no pressure" regarding his comments calling for generals to resign if they disagreed with White House policy.
Military panel set for shake-up
(The Hill) Rep. Mac Thornberry is poised to become one of the leading Republican voices on national security as President Obama embarks on a prolonged military campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
US House Speaker: Congress Should Debate Authorization Against IS
(Voice of America) As wave after wave of U.S. airstrikes target Islamic State militants, the speaker of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives says he would be willing to call Congress back into session to debate a formal, broad authorization for the use of military force. Legislators left Washington 10 days ago for a seven-week recess.
Durbin slams DOD cap on Dreamer enlistees
(The Hill) Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) blasted a Defense Department decision to limit the military enlistment of young immigrants known as Dreamers.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT New rules to cap credit interest rates for troops
(Military Times) Defense Department officials have proposed sweeping new rules that would limit the amount of interest that could be charged to service members and their spouses on most forms of credit - including credit cards.
Syria Strikes Raise Questions Over Future of OCO Funding
(Defense News) As the price tag for operations in Iraq, Syria and West Africa continues to grow, Pentagon leadership insists that it is well prepared to pay for all of these previously unforeseen long-term operations.
DOD says it's saving hundreds of millions of dollars because of joint basing; GAO remains unconvinced
(Tacoma News Tribune) Four years in, the Defense Department is struggling to convince government auditors that it's saving money from the round of military installation mergers that created Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
ARMY Army issues call for more drill sergeants
(Army Times) After 527 hours of running, marching, shooting and studying, Staff Sgt. Jared Allen stood at attention as he received his coveted drill sergeant identification badge.
Rep says Tim Kennedy plans to protest outcome of Yoel Romero bout at UFC 178
(USA Today) The extra time Yoel Romero got between the second and third rounds of his bout with Tim Kennedy will not go without protest.
German police shoot U.S. soldier during hospital brawl
(Army Times) German police shot a U.S. soldier in his legs after he attacked a patient and police officers in a hospital, a German police officer confirmed to Military Times.
Army's Pacific Pathways deployment concept kicks off in Indonesia
(Stars & Stripes) If U.S. Army Pacific wanted a place with few distractions to kick off its new concept for expeditionary-style forward deployment in Asia, this remote base on the east end of Java Island fits the bill.
Physician assistant course lets soldiers go officer
(Army Times) Soldiers can now apply for a physician assistant program that allows them to earn a master's degree in medical care.
Army shrinks stockpile of obsolete Stryker parts at local warehouse, new report says
(Tacoma News Tribune) An Army stockpile of obsolete Stryker parts in South King County, once valued in the tens of millions of dollars, is almost gone, according to a report.
School: National Guard T-shirt violates dress code
(Army Times) A New York Army National Guard recruiter left a high school south of Albany on Sept. 19 after giving out T-shirts bearing the image of a soldier pointing a rifle - an image school officials said violated the dress code.
EPA: Army must move faster on Fort Gillem contamination
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution) It's been more than a month since the U.S. Army tested the air in Chad Partin's Forest Park home for toxic chemicals and known carcinogens seeping off nearby Fort Gillem, a now-closed base where Army personnel regularly dumped solvents into the soil.
Bonus program for spec ops pilots ends Sept. 30
(Army Times) A retention incentive program featuring annual bonuses of up to $25,000 for warrant officer pilots assigned to special operations units is set to expire Sept. 30, the end of fiscal 2014.
Fort Carson soldiers train for any fight, anywhere
(Colorado Springs Gazette) The insurgents struck right as the company of soldiers was about to hook a net loaded with cargo onto the belly of a hovering helicopter.
NAVY U.S. Navy leads strikes in Syria
(Navy Times) The opening week of the U.S. strikes against militants in Syria was the service's biggest salvo since 2011's Operation Odyssey Dawn against the Libyan regime.
Analysts: Pace of campaign could strain Navy forces
(Virginian-Pilot) Although U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria are expected to continue for a long time, the volume will level off to a point that they can be sustained without a swell of extra ships or personnel, according to defense officials and analysts.
Meet the Zumwalt: The US Navy's Stealth Destroyer Will Go to Sea Next Spring
(Defense News) The ship is plainly visible from Front Street, across the Route 1 bridge in downtown Bath. Nothing like this angular, almost hulking giant has ever been seen here, even after well over a century of shipbuilding at Bath Iron Works.
Memorial for sailor killed at Norfolk Naval Station
(Virginian-Pilot) The Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) was set to unveil a memorial this morning honoring Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Mayo who died in March while standing watch at Norfolk Naval Station.
Independent survey finds within Navy widespread distrust
(Navy Times) Force-wide morale is "quite low" and sailors don't trust senior leaders to handle the problems facing the Navy, from long and unpredictable deployments to tight budgets and proposed pay changes.
Navy seeks to adapt training for millennials
(Associated Press) The US Navy is looking for ways to adapt its training for millennials, young people raised in a child-centric culture who want and expect nurturing relationships with their bosses, the commanding officer of the submarine school in Groton said Friday.
Bonhomme Richard ensign gets 14 months for fraternizing, sex videos
(Stars & Stripes) A junior officer formerly stationed aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment after fraternizing with enlisted sailors and making sex videos without his partners' consent, Navy officials said Friday.
Navy targets cloud for command and control, email capabilities
(C4ISR & Networks) The Navy is looking at cloud options for improving operations and achieving savings, including through new projects that inform tactical decision-making and streamline IT functions, respectively.
Citadel Protect: Navy training fights terrorism threat from ships to shore
(Stars & Stripes) As two small boats barreled toward the USS Rushmore, a voice boomed from the ship's speaker: "You are approaching a U.S. Navy ship. Turn away, or we will be forced to use defensive measures."
AIR FORCE Last MC-12W Liberty returns from Kandahar, Bagram unit remains
(Air Force Times) MC-12W Liberty surveillance crews have ended operations at one airfield in Afghanistan, leaving one squadron of the specially made aircraft to cover the area.
Grand Forks AFB reprimands airmen for cheating on test
(Grand Forks Herald) Forty-eight airmen at the Grand Forks Air Force Base were penalized after base officials investigated allegations of one airmen sharing test materials.
New special hardship pay does not apply to airmen
(Air Force Times) Only Marines and sailors will benefit from special hardship pay approved by the Defense Department this month to compensate service members who endure prolonged deployments.
35 years after their arrival at Kadena Air Base, F-15 fighters remain potent
(Stars & Stripes) Capt. Jonathan Mahan is the stereotypical fighter pilot: calm, confident, with a steely gaze and a sharp sense of humor. He has a cool nickname and a mustache so perfectly groomed that it would make "Top Gun" character Goose proud.
Air Force Academy leaders provide plan to improve character
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Ahead of the release of an inspector general's report on the Air Force Academy's athletic department, leaders at the school outlined a string of problems and actions to correct them for the academy's Board of Visitors.
MARINE CORPS Robots, drones may assist Marine logisticians with new missions
(Marine Corps Times) A postwar strategy dominated by the Expeditionary Force 21 concept and a return to small-unit, amphibious missions will put previously unheard of demands on the Marine logistics community.
Marine who vanished from Iraq in 2004 charged with desertion
(Los Angeles Times) A Marine who disappeared from a military camp in Iraq a decade ago and eventually turned up with family in Lebanon was charged Friday with desertion and other charges, a U.S. Marines official said.
Five-year dwell standard eyed for Marine Reserves
(Marine Corps Times) Lt. Gen. Richard Mills, commander of Marine Forces Reserve, doesn't intend to let the close of a ground war lead to the atrophy of the reservists in his charge.
Special Operations Marines train with multi-purpose canines
(Jacksonville Daily News) All around him gunshots were going off, sending loud disturbing pops into the air, but Shimanski sat perfectly still.
Corps to send 200 Marines to Central America during hurricane season
(Marine Corps Times) At the start of the next hurricane season, the Corps plans to dispatch about 200 Marines to Central America in the form of a new special purpose Marine air-ground task force. The Marines will engage in partnership training with key military allies in the region, and will be equipped to provide humanitarian relief in the event of a natural disaster.
Rifle reported to be used in Charles Whitman killing spree up for sale
(Houston Chronicle) A rifle reportedly used to carry out one of the worst killing sprees in Texas history is up for sale in Dallas by a gun collector. The Remington 700 rifle used by ex-Marine Charles Whitman during his August 1, 1966 reign of terror from the observation deck at the University of Texas in Austin is up on Dallas' Texas Gun Trader website with a starting price tag of $25,000.
1/2 will be last Marine combat unit in Afghanistan
(Marine Corps Times) Some 13 years after the first Marine deployment to Afghanistan, Marine officials this month identified the last combat unit to leave: 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
COAST GUARD Coast Guard releases legal results
(Navy Times) The Coast Guard handed down 12 courts-martial, 45 bad-conduct discharges and three reliefs-for-cause in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, according to good order and discipline statistics it released in September.
Coast Guard Retires the Last HU-25 Jet
(Seapower) The Coast Guard has completed the phase-out of its HU-25 Guardian jet maritime patrol aircraft fleet after 32 years of operation.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN In historic transfer of power, Afghanistan inaugurates new president
(Los Angeles Times) Ashraf Ghani was inaugurated Monday as president of Afghanistan, succeeding President Hamid Karzai and marking the first peaceful transition of power in the nation's history.
Blast in Afghan capital sparks concern ahead of presidential inauguration
(Stars & Stripes) A small explosion under a military vehicle in the diplomatic quarter here raised jitters ahead of Monday's inauguration of Afghanistan's new president, Ashraf Ghani.
Fort Bragg's 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade in charge of Afghan aviation
(Fayetteville Observer) Fort Bragg's 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade has taken the helm of U.S. Army aviation in Afghanistan.
Last NATO AWACS Comes Home From Afghanistan
(Aviation Week) The last NATO E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) returned to its home base in Geilenkirchen, Germany, Sept. 25. Since January 2011, the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force has flown 1,240 missions totalling 12,240 flying hours from Mazar-e-Sharif, conducting air surveillance, tactical battle management functions such as support and control of aircraft involved in offensive and defensive counter air operations, close air support, battlefield air interdiction, combat search and rescue, reconnaissance, and tactical air transport.
Gift Horses: Afghanistan's C-130 Fleet
(Defense Industry Daily) The Afghan Air Force has acknowledged receipt of its 3rd C-130H aircraft, with the 4th and final aircraft scheduled to arrive by the end of 2014.
In Pakistan's Tribal North, U.S. Drone Strike Kills Four
(New York Times) An American drone strike in northwestern Pakistan killed at least four people suspected of being militants, Pakistani officials said Sunday.
MIDDLE EAST Al Qaeda-linked militants in Yemen say fire rocket toward U.S. embassy
(Reuters) An al Qaeda splinter group said it launched a rocket toward the U.S. embassy in Sanaa on Saturday, wounding several guards, to retaliate for a purported U.S. drone strike in a northern province of Yemen the day before.
US drone strike kills 2 AQAP fighters in Al Jawf
(Long War Journal) Local officials in Yemen's northern province of Al Jawf told Arabic media outlets that a US drone strike yesterday evening killed two suspected members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The strike took place in the Khasaf region, east of the provincial capital of Hazm.
Militants kill 20 in two separate Yemen attacks - sources
(Reuters) A suicide bomber linked to al Qaeda drove a car laden with explosives into a hospital used as a base by Yemen's Shi'ite Muslim Houthi movement on Sunday, killing at least 15 people, and five more died in an ambush in the south of the country.
Militants in Egypt may be copying Islamic State's brutal methods
(Los Angeles Times) The four men knelt in the sand, hands bound and heads bowed. And in what has become a grisly Middle Eastern trope, a video camera's merciless eye recorded their scripted confessions - swiftly followed by their beheadings.
Hamas radio station in Gaza reports on the sunny side of Islamist movement's rule
(Washington Post) It was a Tuesday afternoon just outside a darkened radio studio. Five minutes until show time. And the Hamas media man had just arrived.
EUROPE Despite Signs of Disrepair, Berlin Is Hesitant to Boost Military Spending
(Wall Street Journal) Germans learned in recent days that no more than seven of their navy's 43 helicopters can fly, only one of their four submarines can operate, and one in three of their army's weapons systems lack necessary equipment.
U.S. counterinsurgency operatives deployed to Ukraine
(Washington Times) The Pentagon has dispatched more than a dozen military personnel to Kiev this week to provide tips to Ukrainian security forces on counterinsurgency and military planning tactics.
Ukraine suspends arms exports to focus on domestic efforts
(IHS Jane's 360) Ukraine has suspended materiel exports to recapitalise its domestic inventories, said interior minister Arsen Avakov.
Russia Risks Recession as Oil Drop Seen Squeezing Budget
(Bloomberg) The easing of tensions in Ukraine will offer little respite to Russia as the lowest oil prices in more than two years threaten to tilt the $2 trillion economy toward recession, according to a Bloomberg survey of analysts.
Russia will add 80 new warships to Black Sea Fleet: fleet commander
(Reuters) Russia will increase its Black Sea fleet with more than 80 new warships by 2020 and will complete a second naval base for the fleet near the city of Novorossiysk by 2016, its commander said on Tuesday.
ASIA-PACIFIC Marines, Navy participating in Philippine amphibious exercise
(Stars & Stripes) Okinawa-based Marines and sailors are taking part in an exercise that is designed to boost the Philippine military's amphibious capabilities.
Crackdown on Protests by Hong Kong Police Draws More to the Streets
(New York Times) Downtown Hong Kong turned into a battlefield of tear gas and seething crowds on Sunday after the police moved against a student democracy protest, inciting public fury that brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets of a city long known as a stable financial center.
China builds another island in South China Sea
(IHS Jane's 360) IHS Jane's has obtained satellite imagery that further illustrates the extent of China's building of new islands in the Spratly Islands.
Analysts: Air-Sea Battle concept carries risks in possible conflict with China
(Stars & Stripes) While the United States may welcome China's peaceful rise, last week's Valiant Shield exercise over the western Pacific Ocean plainly showed that Washington is hedging its bets on the "peaceful" part.
China's CSSC and CASIC sign naval C4ISR agreement
(IHS Jane's 360) The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) - two of China's largest defence industrial enterprises - have signed an agreement to enhance the co-development of naval mission systems.
AFRICA Africa U.S. Troops Battling Ebola Get Off to Slow Start in Africa
(Wall Street Journal) The American military effort against history's deadliest Ebola outbreak is taking shape in West Africa, but concerns are mounting that the pace isn't fast enough to check a virus that is spreading at a terrifying clip.
In Congo, trapped in violence and forgotten
(Washington Post) In a village emblematic of a long and brutal conflict: "We no longer know if even God can end this war."
Most vulnerable in Sierra Leone suffer under Ebola quarantine
(Radio France Internationale) As ordinary Sierra Leoneans navigate government-imposed curfews and quarantined areas in a new reality shaped by the deadly Ebola virus, the country's most vulnerable are getting left behind.
Guinea Student Who Brought Ebola to Senegal Back Home
(Voice of America) The Guinean student who traveled to Senegal and became the country's lone confirmed case of Ebola has returned home fully recovered. The incident highlighted the difficulty of trying to contain the outbreak, even though Senegal had closed its borders with Guinea.
Mali beheading: Abducted Tuareg man decapitated
(BBC) A Tuareg man who was abducted last week by suspected Islamist militants has been found beheaded in northern Mali.
THE AMERICAS 22 Police Held Following Southern Mexico Violence
(Associated Press) Authorities said Sunday that 22 local police have been arrested following the deaths of six people in the Mexican state of Guerrero.
Canada To Seek NATO, US Support For Naval Air Defense, Resupply
(Defense News) Canada's Navy, facing several years of being unable to resupply its ships at sea or provide area air defense, will turn to its US and NATO counterparts to fill what officers say are significant gaps in those capabilities.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS Is it time for General Dempsey to resign?
(Retired Marine Col. Gary Anderson in Foreign Policy) Without American combat troops on the ground to physically clear the cities and towns that the forces of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi have occupied, we are in for a long and frustrating open-ended conflict that the American people will quickly tire of. Dempsey is too good a tactician not to know differently; having served with him briefly on a fact-finding tour for the deputy secretary of defense in Iraq in 2003, I found him to be one of the best commanders in the field. If he slaps his four stars on the table and tells the president to find somebody else to pitch the next inning, it will make a real difference.
Dismal Lessons From Libya and Yemen
(New York Times Editorial Board) As the United States barrels into a new war against Sunni extremists in Iraq and Syria, it has been easy to overlook the unraveling of Libya and Yemen.
Employing Armor Against the Islamic State: The Inevitable Urban Combined Arms Fight
(Dennis A. Lowe in Small wars Journal) ISIL cannot be destroyed relying solely on airstrikes, guided missiles and special operations. The Russians made a critical mistake thinking artillery and airstrikes could bend the Chechen's to their will in 1994 and 1999.
The Foreign Policy Essay: The Islamic State's War Machine
(Austin Long in Lawfare) As the Obama administration rolls out its new strategy for combating the Islamic State, it is time to reflect on leadership targeting, one of the major U.S. tactics in combating terrorism. Leadership targeting relies on a combination of advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities (e.g., drones, signals intelligence, data fusion) with precision firepower and in some cases highly capable special operations forces to kill or capture the leadership of terrorist organizations.
Obama's imperial about-face on ISIS
(Michael A. Cohen in The Boston Globe) WHEN BARACK Obama was running for president, he answered a questionnaire from this newspaper on the issues regarding the president's legal standing to use military force.
GOP, Dems Must Rebuild Military Readiness
(MacKenzie Eaglen in Breaking Defense) After years of Republican Party retreat on the need for a strong defense the tide is shifting again. From senior party leaders like Mitt Romney to prospective presidential candidates like Sen. Marco Rubio to grass roots influencers like radio host Hugh Hewitt, conservative columnist Robert Samuelson and the editors at National Review, a consensus is reemerging.
Our Best Bet Against ISIL: Kurdish Crude
(M. Ron Wahid in Defense One) Following his admission that the United States lacked a strategy to deal with the Islamic State group, or ISIL, President Barack Obama launched a revitalized diplomatic campaign to rally America's allies to our cause. Yet our strongest ally on the ground, the Kurdish Regional Government, or KRG, remains hamstrung by the Obama administration's muddled and contradictory Iraq policy.
Editorial: Let's chill on the latte salute silliness
(Military Times) The U.S. was firing missiles on Syria, soldiers were preparing to deploy to Iraq - and folks on the home front were arguing over President's Obama's "Latte Salute."
Why Is the U.S. Yielding to Iran Now?
(David Frun in The Atlantic ) The administration does not need to make nuclear concessions to Tehran to gain its support against ISIS.
The Ebola Fiasco
(Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times) The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is a tragedy. But, more than that, the response to it has been a gross failure.
Judging Modi: The Historical Context
(C. Christine Fair in War on the Rocks) Hardly a day before India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to land in the United States for his first state visit since being elected, an American federal court issued a summons to Mr. Modi over his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots in which, according to Indian official figures, 790 Muslims and 253 Hindus were killed.
Sebastian Junger: U.S. veterans need to share the moral burden of war
(Sebastian Junger in The Washington Post) Recently I was a guest on a national television show, and the host expressed some indignation when I said that soldiers in Afghanistan don't much discuss the war they're fighting. The soldiers are mostly in their teens, I pointed out. Why would we expect them to evaluate U.S. foreign policy?
Legendary WWII Bombers Made the Warthog
(Michael Peck in Real Clear Defense) It's a good thing that the Air Force generals who want to retire the beloved A-10 Warthog were not around 70 years ago.
Asymmetric Warfare Goes Both Ways
(Retired Air Force Col. Eric Jorgensen in Cicero Magazine) During the last decade and a half of militant extremism with global ambitions, asymmetric warfare has been a much-ballyhooed concept sometimes alleged to give the weaker belligerent an inherent, automatic advantage. ring the last decade and a half of militant extremism with global ambitions, asymmetric warfare has been a much-ballyhooed concept sometimes alleged to give the weaker belligerent an inherent, automatic advantage.
Army Rethinks the Human Elements of War
(Loren Thompson in real Clear Defense) The U.S. Army has been fighting wars non-stop for over a dozen years - the longest period of continuous conflict in the nation's history. Other services have made their contributions, but soldiers have done most of the hard combat and suffered most of the casualties. So maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Army is trying harder than other services to figure out why wars in Afghanistan and Iraq didn't go as well as they might have.
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