TODAY’S TOP 5
1. F-35 Head: Delays Coming if Test Planes Grounded Through September
(Defense News) The head of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is warning that there is a real danger of missing deadlines if his test fleet of aircraft are not flying regularly by the end of September.
2. France backs off sending Mistral warship to Russia in $1.7 billion deal
(Washington Post) French officials said Wednesday that they will not deliver the first Mistral-class amphibious warship that Russia had ordered from Paris as part of a $1.7 billion weapons sale, a strong rebuke after months of aggressive actions by Russia in eastern Ukraine.
3. At Wales Summit, NATO Should Not Forget the War It's Already Fighting
(Janine Davidson and Emerson Brooking in the Council on Foreign Relations) This week, NATO leaders will gather in Wales for the 2014 NATO summit-arguably the most important since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The crisis in Ukraine and the growing challenge from ISIS are sure to dominate the agenda. But as menacing as these threats are, NATO leaders should not forget about Afghanistan, where NATO's International Stability Assistance Force (ISAF) is struggling to bring this thirteen-year war to an end
4. Al Qaeda opens branch in the 'Indian Subcontinent'
(Long War Journal) Al Qaeda has announced the establishment of a new branch, called "Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent." The group reports to Mullah Omar, the head of the Afghan Taliban, and is led by a former commander in the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan who also served as a sharia official in al Qaeda's branch in Pakistan.
5. DoD willing to reconsider discharges of Vietnam vets with PTSD
(Military Times) The Defense Department has agreed to reconsider the bad-paper discharges for thousands of Vietnam-era veterans who may have suffered from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder but were kicked out of the military in the era before that became a diagnosable condition.
ISLAMIC STATE
After Beheading of Steven Sotloff, Obama Pledges to Punish ISIS
(New York Times) President Obama vowed on Wednesday to punish the Sunni militants whose videotaped beheadings of two American journalists he said had "repulsed" the world, saying the United States would lead a regional and international coalition to beat back the terrorists.
Biden Says U.S. Will Follow ISIS 'to the Gates of Hell'
(Time) Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the U.S. will follow the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) "to the gates of hell," in remarks just a day after an ISIS video showed the beheading of a second American journalist
Chuck Hagel: The U.S. Isn't Trying to Contain ISIS. It's Trying to Destroy It.
(National Journal) The Defense secretary says the U.S.'s mission is to "degrade and destroy the capability of ISIL to come after U.S. interests all over the world, and our allies."
United States Counterterrorism Chief Says Islamic State Is Not Planning an Attack on the U.S.
(Foreign Policy) The United States' senior counterterrorism official said on Wednesday that there is "no credible information" that the militants of the Islamic State, who have reigned terror on Iraq and Syria, are planning to attack the U.S. homeland.
What has been the impact of US airstrikes on the Islamic State?
(Christian Science Monitor) US officials have promised that the military airstrikes will not abate. President Obama said Wednesday that Islamic State brutality toward American journalists will only strengthen US resolve to fight the group.
Ex-Centcom leader blasts Obama's Iraq approach
(Tampa Tribune) For years, Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine General who once ran U.S. Central Command, blistered the administration of George W. Bush for its handling of Iraq.
Escaping Death in Northern Iraq
(New York Times) Ali Hussein Kadhim, an Iraqi soldier and a Shiite, was captured with hundreds of other soldiers by Sunni militants in June and taken to the grounds of a palace complex in Tikrit where Saddam Hussein once lived.
Iraqi Lawmakers Back U.S. Intervention
(Wall Street Journal) Iraqi politicians appeared to unite Wednesday around hopes that the U.S. would intervene more forcefully to fight Islamic State militants in the country after Islamist insurgents released a video showing the beheading of a second American journalist.
Iraqi MoD confirms delivery of first Mi-28s
(IHS Jane's 360) Iraq's Ministry of Defence (MoD) released a video on 30 August confirming that it has received some of the 15 Mil Mi-28NE Night Hunter attack helicopters it ordered from Russia in 2012.
Global drive to stop jihadis going to Syria, Iraq
(Associated Press) New laws make it easier to seize passports. Suspected fighters are plucked from planes. Authorities block finances and shut down radical mosques.
Estonia donates small-arms ammo to Iraqi Kurds
(IHS Jane's 360) The Estonian government has donated over one million rounds of small-arms ammunition to the Kurdish fighters fighting the Islamic State militant group in northern Iraq, it announced on 29 August.
Steven Sotloff, U.S. Hostage Slain by ISIS, Was Also a Citizen of Israel
(New York Times) The beheading of Steven J. Sotloff, the American journalist from Miami who had been held hostage by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, suddenly loomed larger for many Israelis on Wednesday when it emerged that he held Israeli citizenship and had lived and studied in the country for a few years.
EUROPE
Alliance's Ability To Swiftly Tackle Crises a Top Focus of Wales Summit
(Defense News) A long-term NATO Readiness Action Plan to deal with global upheaval in areas such as Russia, the Middle East and North Africa will be a key focus of NATO's summit in Wales, an alliance official said.
US to Lead Multinational Exercises in Ukraine
(Voice of America) The U.S. Defense Department has announced upcoming multinational military exercises inside Ukraine.
NATO shakes up Russia strategy over Ukraine crisis
(Reuters) NATO leaders were set to buttress support for Kiev and bolster their eastern defenses at a summit starting on Thursday, spurred by the Ukraine crisis to enact the most radical shift in allied strategy towards Russia since the end of the Cold War.
Kremlin warns Ukraine joining NATO could derail efforts to end crisis
(Washington Post) The Kremlin underscored Russia's opposition to Ukraine joining NATO Thursday, warning it could derail recent efforts to end the crisis, as leaders of the alliance gathered for a key summit in Wales.
UK Calls on European NATO States To Boost Spending
(Defense News) Britain is urging its NATO allies to earmark a fifth of their national defense budgets for new equipment and research and development, according to UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.
Obama Wants 'Boots on the Ground' in Baltics in Response to Russia
(National Journal) President Obama on Wednesday reaffirmed his support for Ukraine in its standoff with Russia, following mixed reports of a cease-fire between both sides.
Kremlin: Putin and Ukraine's Poroshenko agree on outlines of a peace deal
(Washington Post) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced a plan to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine that would entrench rebel gains there and hand a significant defeat to Ukrainian leaders who have sought to regain full control of the territory of their nation.
NATO Group Wants Summit Spotlight on Tripoli, Other Crises
(Defense News) As NATO gets ready to focus on the Ukraine crisis at its summit in Wales Sept. 4-5, Italy has teamed with a group of NATO members from around the Mediterranean to urge greater attention for other regional conflicts.
At NATO, goal is to curb Russia but not provoke it
(Associated Press) The heady "we won the Cold War" days are over. When President Obama and other NATO leaders assemble here Thursday for a key summit meeting, their No. 1 goal will be an old and familiar one: protecting vulnerable alliance members from Russia, without goading the Kremlin into military action.
Nordic-Baltic Region Leans More Toward NATO
(Defense News) The moderate growth in public support for NATO membership in militarily non-aligned Finland and Sweden is reflected in the evolution of a more open, solid political backing by ruling parties to join the alliance in the future.
A worrying factor in Ukraine's chaos: 15 nuclear reactors
(Washington Post) As Ukraine looks like a country teetering on the edge of war, there's an important factor to keep an eye on: The country's 15 nuclear reactors.
U.S. Considers Stronger Sanctions Against Russian Energy
(Reuters) The United States is considering limiting hi-tech exports to Russia's Arctic oil and gas industry as part of plans to strengthen sanctions against Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine, a U.S. envoy said on Wednesday.
INDUSTRY
Pentagon Rethinks Investments in Future Technology
(National Defense) Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall will soon review the military services' budget proposals for fiscal year 2016. Most likely, he will challenge their funding choices.
DoD To Expand Use of Prototyping as Acquisition Budgets Tighten
(Defense News) The Pentagon will expand its use of prototyping as the US Defense Department's budget tightens, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday.
DISA awards open-source BPA to DLT
(C4ISR & Networks) Herndon, Virginia-based DLT solutions on Sept. 3 announced the award of a five-year blanket purchase agreement through the Defense Information Systems Agency for Red Hat enterprise software and services.
Hagel: Pentagon Seeking To Improve Technological Edge With New 'Offset Strategy'
(USNI News) The Pentagon is launching a new "third game-changing offset strategy" to maintain America's decisive technological military edge well into the future. The new strategy will be developed by deputy defense secretary Bob Work and Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall.
DoD awards unmanned convoy contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Energid Technologies has been awarded a contract by the Office of the Secretary of Defense develop a digital simulation for safety testing of autonomous military convoys. The U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) will manage the project.
USN inspecting Block III Virginia-class submarines for defects
(IHS Jane's 360) Programme officials are inspecting six more Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) under construction following the discovery of materiel problems on board the lead Block III boat, US Navy (USN) acquisition command officials and industry representatives confirmed to IHS Jane's on 27 August.
DISA issues Encore III sources-sought
(C4ISR & Networks) The Defense Information Systems Agency is gearing up for the next iteration of one of its biggest contract vehicles for IT goods and services, the follow-on to its current Encore II contract.
Mauritius coast guard revamps fleet with Indian-built ships
(IHS Jane's 360) India's Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) is building 10 fast interceptor boats (FIBs) and two fast attack craft (FAC) for the Mauritius coast guard.
CONGRESS
'Not Much Drama': McConnell Predicts Passage of Bill To Avert Govt. Shutdown
(Defense News) The US Senate's embattled top Republican is predicting Congress will pass a funding measure free of provisions that would cause the president to break out his veto pen.
Durbin asks Pentagon for review of complications at military hospitals
(The Hill) Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Wednesday requested Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to investigate mismanagement at military hospitals.
Short September Session Could Delay Vote on Sen. Nelson's Syria Strikes Bill
(Defense News) Should Senate leaders approve coming legislation to authorize US military strikes in Syria, a vote might have to wait until after November's midterm elections.
Sen. Kaine: Strikes On Islamic State Must Be Approved By Congress
(National Public Radio) Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., discusses the need for President Obama to seek Congressional approval before moving ahead with military actions against the Islamic State.
House GOP bill would authorize use of military force against ISIS
(The Hill) Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) said Wednesday that he plans to introduce a bill when Congress reconvenes next week that would authorize the use of military force against terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Rise of Islamic State tests GOP anti-interventionists
(Washington Post) A roiling national debate over how to deal with the radical Islamic State and other global hot spots has prompted a sudden shift in Republican politics, putting a halt to the anti-interventionist mood that had been gaining credence in the party.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon RandD Chief To Push Cost Sharing With Allies
(Defense News) The Pentagon is pushing its strategy to develop new technologies and capabilities alongside allies to drive down costs and foster innovation, the assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering said on Wednesday.
US Has Lost 'Dominance In Electromagnetic Spectrum': Shaffer
(Breaking Defense) "We have lost the electromagnetic spectrum," said Alan Shaffer, the Pentagon's research and engineering chief, this morning. "That's a huge deal when you think about fielding advanced systems that can be [countered] by a very, very cheap digital jammer."
DoD panel: Get rid of disability eval system
(Military Times) A Pentagon advisory panel on wounded service members is recommending that the Defense Department scrap the disability evaluation system it rolled out across the military just three years ago.
Hagel: US needs to maintain military superiority
(Associated Press) The U.S. military's technological superiority is being challenged by other nations, including China and Russia, and in order to maintain its dominance America must be more innovative in how it develops and buys new technologies, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told industry leaders here Wednesday.
PETA presses Hagel to stop use of live animals in training
(Military Times) Animal-rights advocates are asking Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to end the use of live animals in military medical training.
EA strategy demands strong but flexible access control
(Federal Times) The Defense Department's strategy to develop an enterprise architecture includes giving military personnel unique IP addresses, enabling users to connect into a network anywhere in the world and retrieve their data reliably and securely. The key to creating such an environment is identity and access management (IAM) technology, which needs to be both strong and usable to allow personnel to work securely and effectively.
ARMY
Some states cancel Guard training for month
(Military Times) Training for tens of thousands of Army National Guard soldiers will be canceled this month as the reserve component hits a $101 million shortfall in the final weeks of this fiscal year.
MP soldier found dead at Fort Bragg
(Army Times) A military police soldier was found dead Sunday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Army CID takes on Fort Campbell missing-person case from 1975
(Army Times) Army investigators hope the public can help find a woman who reportedly went missing from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, nearly 40 years ago.
NAVY
Destroyer Ross enters Black Sea amid tensions
(Navy Times) The destroyer Ross is heading into the Black Sea on Wednesday, a 6th Fleet release said, to "promote peace and stability" in the region as tensions mount between Russia and Ukraine.
Cops: Navy SEAL made up story of Bath Township shooting
(Akron Beacon Journal) A former Navy SEAL fabricated his story about being shot during a racially-tinged confrontation with a black man in a Bath Township shopping plaza last winter, police said.
Iowan's Silver Star documents under investigation
(Des Moines Register) The U.S. Navy has confirmed "unexplained irregularities" in the paperwork of an Iowa military veteran who received one of the nation's highest military honors from Sen. Tom Harkin's office, a spokeswoman for the senator said in a statement Wednesday.
Baby dies after being left in vehicle at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland
(Washington Post) An infant died after it was found in the back of a vehicle at Naval Air Station Patuxent River on Wednesday afternoon.
Retired Navy man pleads insanity to threats on Obama
(Virginian-Pilot) A retired chief petty officer who worked with the Navy SEALs for 17 years pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday to charges of making threats against the president and Hillary Clinton.
AIR FORCE
Former Sheppard AFB instructor killed
(Times Record News; Wichita Falls, Texas) A former instructor at Sheppard Air Force Base and his brother were killed in a Sunday evening plane crash near Abilene Regional Airport. Both were "outstanding men" who'd served in the Air Force for many years, their family said Monday.
KAFB fuel spill cleanup delayed
(Albuquerque Journal) Fifteen years after the discovery of leaking jet fuel at Kirtland Air Force Base, the Air Force says it still hasn't determined the extent of contamination in the aquifer and that it needs to do more research before coming up with a final treatment plan to clean up the spill.
FBI investigating whether Scott contractor was a hacker
(Air Force Times) The FBI is investigating whether a civilian cybersecurity specialist at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, stole passwords and other login information from government personnel in Maryland.
MARINE CORPS
Hearing for Marine jailed in Mexico to feature surveillance video
(Fox News) Next week's court appearance by a U.S. Marine imprisoned in Mexico could turn into a video viewing marathon.
Marine recruiter charged with sexual misconduct with minor
(Seattle Times) A Marine recruiter has been charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor, accused of fondling and having sexual contact with a then-17-year-old prospective recruit. He has denied wrongdoing. His alleged victim, a former Eastside high-school student, no longer wants to join the Marines.
Former Marine arrested in 2012 Five Points beating pleads guilty
(The State in Columbia, S.C.) The man charged in the 2012 beating of a rising USC senior in Five Points pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault and battery charge Wednesday morning in Richland County courtroom.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Engine failure led to fatal Army helicopter crash in Afghanistan, investigation finds
(Washington Post) Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James E. Groves III's helicopter had completed a dive during a test-fire exercise north of Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan when trouble erupted. The main rotor of his Kiowa Warrior OH-58D wasn't spinning quickly enough to keep him airborne, and a warning alarm went off as he attempted to climb from a height of about 200 feet.
Afghan election audit will be completed by today
(Khaama Press) The Independent Election Commission (IEC) officials said Thursday that the election audit process will be completed by Thursday.
Taliban hit Afghan government HQ in east, kill 12
(Associated Press) The Taliban struck a government compound in eastern Afghanistan early on Thursday in an attack that included two suicide truck bombings and left at least 12 people dead, including eight off duty policemen asleep in their quarters nearby, officials said.
Pakistani military claims 910 'terrorists,' 82 soldiers killed in North Waziristan operation
(Long War Journal) The Pakistani military claimed that 910 "terrorists" and 82 soldiers have been killed since it launched an operation against the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and allied jihadist groups in North Waziristan in mid-June. Dismissing the military's claims as "complete lies," a Taliban splinter group denied that hundreds of jihadists had been killed and said training camps and bomb factories were moved before the operation was launched.
Pakistan: Protesters Told to Pull Back
(New York Times) Protest leaders in Islamabad said Wednesday that their supporters would vacate the Parliament area, where they converged last week, after violent clashes with the police.
MIDDLE EAST
Turkey Struggles to Halt 'Jihadist Highway'
(Wall Street Journal) Turkey is struggling to close a "jihadist highway" that lets foreign militants slip across its border into Syria, amid pressure from Western governments and mounting security fears at home.
Israelis Worry With Syrian al-Qaida on Doorstep
(Associated Press) For the first time in the Syrian civil war, al-Qaida fighters are hunkered down on Israel's doorstep, and Israelis in the lush, hilly Golan Heights who have long considered Syrian President Bashar Assad their bitter foe are now worried about something more ominous - that they could become the militants' next target.
Haunted by war, Gaza residents try to rebuild
(Al-Monitor) The war in Gaza is over, but the approximately 10,000 residents of Khuza'a do not yet believe it. The sound of reconnaissance aircraft flying nearby continues to make them think of death.
ASIA-PACIFIC
800 soldiers heading to Korea as part of rotational force
(Army Times) About 800 soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division will deploy to South Korea in October as part of a rotational force that will serve with tanks and Bradleys near the North Korea border.
Indonesia to launch TNI-AL 'leopard carrier' LST
(IHS Jane's 360) Indonesian shipbuilder PT Daya Radar Utama (PT DRU) will launch a 120 m indigenously produced logistics support ship for the Indonesian Navy (Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL) on 5 September, a company official has confirmed to IHS Jane's .
Hong Kong democracy movement feels Beijing's pressure
(Los Angeles Times) Hours after mainland Chinese officials announced new rules ensuring that only handpicked candidates could run for Hong Kong's top leadership position in 2017, local democracy activist Benny Tai Yiu-ting declared a new "era of civil disobedience."
AFRICA
Attack on Somali Islamist leader seen triggering power struggle
(Reuters) A hail of U.S. missiles aimed at the leader of Somalia's al Shabaab militants may have left a gaping hole in the group's leadership, potentially the biggest challenge to its unity since it emerged as a fighting force eight years ago.
Somalia offers al-Shabab members amnesty
(BBC) Somalia's government has offered an amnesty to fighters of Islamist group al-Shabab, amid uncertainty over whether its leader survived a US air strike.
Official: Fighter jet crash kills 5 in Libya
(Associated Press) A Libyan security official says a military jet has crashed in the country's eastern city of Tobruk, killing the pilot and four other people.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
US Strike Against Al-Shabab Leader Reflects Obama's Counterterrorism Strategy
(Stephanie Gaskell in Defense One) The intelligence was solid and pointed to a facility just south of Mogadishu. A truck reportedly carrying al-Shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was heading there. So on Monday, the Pentagon deployed both manned and unmanned aircraft and fired off several Hellfire and precision-guided missiles on the target - with no U.S. troops on the ground in sight.
A Strategy for Beating the Islamic State
(Dennis Ross in Politico Magazine) How to build a regional coalition of the willing against the terrorist group.
Fool me twice on Iraq ...
(Diana Ohlbaum in The Hill) How quickly things change. Just a few short months ago, even Hillary Clinton was admitting that her vote in favor of the Iraq War was a mistake. Now, Congress may be about to repeat it.
Only These Three Steps Will Enable NATO to Stand Up to Putin
(Retired Adm. James G. Stavridis and Julian Lindley-French in The Huffington Post) September 2014 will thus be remembered as a NATO "schwerpunkt," the decisive moment at which NATO decided to be strategically relevant or irrelevant. If it is to be the former, September 2014 must also mark the creation of a truly 21st century alliance framed by a contextually-relevant NATO Strategic Concept with collective defense, crisis management and co-operative security driving the defense and force planning choices of all the Allies.
The Great Defense Spending Distraction
(Gordon Adams in Foreign Policy) There's nothing like a good round of international conflict to bring the folks who want to spend more on defense out of the closet. The last few weeks, even months, do not disappoint. A commitment to "spend more" or "spend something" is almost as good as doing something.
Stitching Together a Missile Shield in Asia
(Harrison Menke in Real Clear Defense) This summer, U.S. ballistic missile defenses (BMD) notched a key achievement in the Asia-Pacific. Rather than on the target range, however, this time the success came on the diplomatic front.
What the hell happened at NDU?
(Gerald Mitchel in Best Defense) Over the last four years at NDU, my observations give me great pause. I had such high hopes when MG Martin came in pushing books like Moneyball (the movie and the book) and Good to Great. The "on-base percentage" of his players (NWC, JFSC, Eisenhower School, etc.) was pretty good. Surely he wouldn't screw around with the lineup.
Lift ban on transgender military members
(Shannon Minter in CNN) Three years after the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," the now-defunct law prohibiting gay men, lesbians and bisexuals from serving openly in the armed forces, many Americans might not know that a significant form of discrimination still exists: The U.S. military bans transgender people.
The Army's Ridiculously Small Budget Slice
(Loren Thompson in Real Clear Defense) The level of expenditure requested for the fiscal year commencing October 1 - fiscal 2015 - is far too modest to sustain America's edge in land warfare over the long run. And if spending caps known as sequestration are imposed in subsequent years, the Army will essentially cease developing any new weapons. It has already canceled most of the major programs that comprised its modernization agenda when the Obama Administration took office.
In Pakistan A Soft Coup Stalls
(Myra MacDonald in War on the Rocks) When protesters converged on the Pakistani capital of Islamabad to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, many were quick to see the hand of the military pulling the strings behind the scenes. Sharif, who became prime minister in 2013 after Pakistan's first full transition of power from one democratically elected government to another, irked the army during his first year in office.
For Refugees in Turkey, A Tipping Point Looms
(Melissa Harrison in Cicero Magazine) On a clear day, she can climb up the hill with her mother to the mosque and get a glimpse of home. Thirty miles away the once densely populated city of Aleppo now sits vastly empty, its minarets on the horizon betraying a spectacle of normalcy.
Crescent Over the Thames
(Jonathan Bronitsky in War on the Rocks) Trafalgar Square, central London. More than 3,000 people are in attendance at the "Rally for Islam."
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