TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Senior Navy intel officer removed for controversial comments on China
(Navy Times) A senior Navy intelligence leader whose provocative comments this year about Chinese bellicosity stirred an international controversy has been shelved in the wake of an investigation into his conduct, Navy Times has learned.
2. Iraq deployments on hold until Congress provides $5.6 billion
(The Hill) The Obama administration will not send an additional 1,500 troops to Iraq until Congress approves its $5.6 billion request to pay for the deployment, the Pentagon said Monday.
3. Commentary: How we remember
(Military Times) Since August, the moat of the Tower of London has been filled with a blood-red blanket made from ceramic poppies. Today, a total of 888,246 poppies are laid out before the Tower, each representing a soldier, sailor, airman or marine from Britain or its then-Empire killed in the First World War.
4. Pillars of US nuclear arsenal showing cracks
(Associated Press) The foundation of America's nuclear arsenal is fractured.
5. VA restructuring includes customer service branch, advisory councils
(Military Times) VA officials will add a new customer service branch and a national network of veteran advisory councils in what is being touted as the largest restructuring of the department in its history.
CONGRESS
Incoming GOP Class Short on Tea Party Zealots, but 'Grand Bargain' Still Elusive
(Defense News) The incoming wave of Republican lawmakers is less thirsty for deep government cuts, but a deal to erase sequestration during the next congressional session is unlikely.
Democrats call for ISIS war vote in lame-duck
(The Hill) A senior Democratic senator said Monday that Congress should vote on whether U.S. troops should be fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), calling the previous Iraq War a "terrible mistake."
McCain and McCaskill At SASC: A McNightmare Scenario For Pentagon?
(Breaking Defense) Every election sets off a round of musical chairs on Capitol Hill. This year's GOP sweep will shake up the Senate in particular, and there's one plausible scenario that should make the Pentagon and contractors especially nervous, because it would put two champion attack dogs of oversight at the helm of the Senate Armed Services Committee: John McCain and Claire McCaskill.
Judge denies McSally's request for halt to ballot counting
(Arizona Daily Star; Tucson) A judge has ruled against issuing a temporary restraining order sought by Martha McSally campaign's to stop the county from continuing to count provisional ballots in the Congressional District 2 race.
ISLAMIC STATE
Islamic State threat delays delivery of F-16s to Iraq
(Air Force Times) The first Iraqi-purchased F-16s will be sent to Tuscon, Arizona, instead of Balad Air Base, Iraq, DoD spokesman Army Col. Steven Warren said in a news release.
Pentagon: 50 US Troops Arrive in Western Iraq
(Agence France-Presse) US troops have deployed to Iraq's frontline western province of Anbar for the first time in the fight against Islamic State jihadists, with 50 preparing the way for a larger contingent, the Pentagon said Monday.
US says IS leader not targeted in Iraq
(Associated Press) A Pentagon spokesman says a U.S. airstrike on a 10-vehicle convoy in northern Iraq last week was targeting Islamic State "battlefield leaders," but not senior leaders like Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group's most senior leader.
Britain launches first drone strike in Iraq against Islamic State
(Reuters) Britain launched its first drone strike in Iraq against Islamic State (IS) fighters at the weekend, the government said on Monday, saying a Hellfire missile had been fired at militants laying improvised explosive devices.
INDUSTRY
Obama Funds to Fight in Iraq to Help Raytheon, Lockheed
(Bloomberg) President Barack Obama's request for an added $5.6 billion to fight Islamic State includes funds to replace missiles and bombs made by Raytheon Co. (RTN:US), Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp.
Army, Special Operations Forces Eye Lighter, Cheaper Shoulder-Fired Weapons
(National Defense) The Army and U.S. Special Operations Command will be testing a new antitank shoulder-fired weapon that is much lighter than current models and can be used with different types of munitions.
SOCOM wants new UAV
(C4ISR & Networks) Special Operations Command seeks lightweight UAV
Israel Concludes Developmental Testing of Barak-8 Missile Defense System
(Defense News) Israeli and Indian forces are mere months away from initial deployment of respective sea- and land-based Barak-8 defenses following a successful Monday morning test here capping six years of cooperative development.
DSCA releases South Korean PAC-3 notification
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has issued a notification for the possible sale of 136 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missiles with containers and ballistic missile targets to South Korea.
US State Dept. Issues Language To Allow Defense Exports to Vietnam
(Defense News) On President Barack Obama's first day in Beijing at the start of a weeklong swing through Asia, the US State Department published new language in the Federal Register to reflect a change in its policy to allow exports of lethal defense items to Vietnam.
New Chinese Stealth Fighter Relies on Russian Jet Engine
(USNI News) The Chinese Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter will use Russian-built engines when it enters production. The prototype was known use Klimov RD-93 engines, which were derived from the Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum's RD-33 afterburning turbofans. Many observers had expected the new Chinese fifth-generation fighter to eventually sport domestically developed engines.
China Plans To Export J-31 Stealth Fighter
(Defense News) China plans to export its stealthy twin-engine J-31 fighter, which would become the first aircraft of its kind available to global customers who cannot afford the Lockheed Martin F-35. The fighter is similar in configuration to the single-engine F-35 stealth fighter.
Who Builds the World's Most Popular Drones?
(Wall Street Journal) Big U.S. defense companies brought drones to the battlefield. Now a Chinese company is bringing them to the masses.
Avic Shows Model Of New Turboprop Airlifter
(Aviation Week) Avic has revealed a model of a turboprop military airlifter approximately in the class of the Lockheed Martin C-130.
Interview: Sedat Guldogan
(Defense News) As deputy undersecretary at Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, universally known as SSM, Sedat Guldogan is responsible for the country's defense industry, research and development, and international cooperation.
VETERANS
Report: Retaining vets in civilian jobs should be employers' focus
(Military Times) American companies have made great strides in recruiting veterans in recent years, according to a new study by the Rand Corp. Now the challenge is keeping those employees.
Veterans Accuse Six Banks of Aiding U.S. Foes
(Wall Street Journal) More than 200 veterans and their families filed a lawsuit Monday accusing six major banks of helping Iran move tens of millions of dollars to groups targeting U.S. soldiers in Iraq during the war.
Veterans program open to abuse
(San Diego Union-Tribune) As tens of thousands of Americans headed overseas to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade, the federal government had a program in place to give those injured in service a boost when they return home.
The Cyborg Medicine of Tomorrow Is Inside the Veteran of Today
(DefenseOne) Super strong mechanical appendages and brain implants are common fixtures of a science-fictional future. More and more, American veterans are arriving at that future before the rest of us. As a result of military-funded programs, vets are becoming the research platform for cybernetic technologies that are decades beyond commercial state of the art and that could one day elevate humanity beyond its natural biological limitations.
Ice-T, military dogs to appear on NYC parade float
(Associated Press) Ice-T will appear on a float with military dogs and their wartime handlers at New York's Veterans Day Parade.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon seeks aircraft-based drones for future missions
(USA Today) The Pentagon is looking for ways to base multiple unmanned drones aboard larger aircraft, from which the drones will depart and return after they fly intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in hard-to-reach areas, according to a new request from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Can satellite disaggregation save money?
(C4ISR & Networks) A GAO report questions the wisdom of a strategy the Pentagon is considering,
Faster airport screening for academy students
(Military Times) In time for holiday travel, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday it is extending its expedited airport screening program to midshipmen and cadets from the U.S. service academies.
Pentagon Told to Improve Management of Cost-Plus Contracts
(Government Executive) Pentagon contracting officers failed to follow a key interim Federal Acquisition Regulation rule on managing cost-reimbursement contracts, risking overspending on 411 contracts worth $31.7 billion, an audit found.
ARMY
Experts optimistic Republicans-led Congress will benefit Army
(Army Times) The new Republican-controlled Congress could mean some relief for the Army as it struggles to balance shrinking budgets with increasing demands for soldiers around the world, experts say.
War College grad killed in Afghanistan recognized as man who 'simply loved'
(Patriot-News; Harrisburg, Pa.) He simply loved. That may be a bit of a "soft and squishy" way to describe a hardened warrior, Dr. Jim Embrey, a retired colonel, said Monday, but that's how he described his longtime friend, Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene.
Fort Bragg soldiers leave for Africa to help fight Ebola
(Fayetteville Observer) Spc. Ken Osei-Manu was 19 years old when his family moved from Ghana to the United States. Now a soldier at Fort Bragg, Osei-Manu is one of about 100 soldiers heading to Africa to support Operation United Assistance, the Department of Defense's name for its Ebola-support mission.
Park renamed, dedicated for 'Gunny' Barreras
(Arizona Daily Star; Tucson) A dedication ceremony of a south-side park renamed Command Sgt. Maj. Martin "Gunny" Barreras Park is set for today.
NAVY
Bush carrier strike group set to return
(Navy Times) Four ships, one air wing and more than 5,000 sailors of the Bush carrier strike group are scheduled to return home Saturday after a nine-month deployment to 5th and 6th Fleets that caught national attention as the carrier led airstrikes against Islamic State group militants.
A proper tribute on Veterans Day
(Des Moines Register) Jerry Converse will be publicly honored today, more than 47 years after he was killed aboard the USS Liberty alongside 33 of his fellow sailors, with 174 more of them wounded.
Due to cuts, Navy bands change approach
(Associated Press) Military bands are a valued part of American culture, with their musicians lending a sense of patriotism, pride and nostalgia to performances at sporting events, hospitals, small-town parades and service-member funerals.
New coveralls pass sailor's (inadvertent) fire test
(Navy Times) Hull Maintenance Technician 3rd Class Ryan Davis unwittingly became the poster boy for the fleet's new flame-resistant coveralls in mid-October.
Radar ship makes port visit to Yokosuka
(Stars & Stripes) The USNS Howard O. Lorenzen, one of two missile range instrumentation ships in service, is operated by civilian mariners, servicemembers and myriad government personnel under the Navy's Military Sealift Command but sponsored by the Air Force Technical Applications Center.
Carrier Washington senior chief, baseball stars honored at Bob Feller awards
(Navy Times) The Navy and baseball worlds came together at the Navy Memorial in Washington, DC, Wednesday night to pay tribute to a former chief and Major League Baseball hall-of-famer, and three men who embody his values today.
AIR FORCE
Bomber pilot, now 90, relives WWII crash landing
(Air Force Times) Retired Lt. Col. Mike Horn grew up knowing about his father's near-miss over Nazi-occupied Germany in the final months of World War II. But the details of that heroic mission would not come for decades, after Horn's own children were old enough to understand the significance of their grandfather's service.
The alleged victim in an Air Force Academy rape case called the cadet facing charges "my friend" during a Monday evidence hearing.
(Colorado Springs Gazette) The alleged victim in an Air Force Academy rape case called the cadet facing charges "my friend" during a Monday evidence hearing.
We Now Know Why The F-117 Is Still Flying
(Defense News) In October, Intercepts wrote about the F-117 Nighthawk and how recent photos had shown the stealth jet flying from Tonopah Test Range in Nevada - despite the plane having been retired in 2008.
N Korea rescue mission delayed by plane trouble
(Associated Press) Last week's high-stakes mission to retrieve two Americans jailed in North Korea was delayed by nearly two days because the aircraft carrying Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to Pyongyang broke down, U.S. officials said Monday.
MARINE CORPS
Last MSG to stand post in Saigon returns for first ball in 40 years
(Marine Corps Times) In 1975, then Lance Cpl. Randy Smith stuffed a custom made three-piece suit down one bloused trouser leg, a "big wad" of South Vietnamese currency down the other, and hopped on one of the last helicopters out of Saigon as the North Vietnamese Army bore down on the U.S. Embassy.
Marine Corps Puts a Few Good Women to the Test
(Wall Street Journal) In combat, the No. 4 cannoneer on an artillery crew must heave 100-pound rounds, one after another, into the loading tray of a 155 mm howitzer.
Marine Corps marks its founding in Philly in 1775
(Philadelphia Inquirer) Tradition holds that the corps' birthplace was the Tun Tavern, then located at Water Street and Tun Alley, where the first marines enlisted
Marine training set up MMA fighter Mike Richman for success
(Yahoo! Sports) Marine 1st Sgt. Arturo Blanco frequently refers to Mike Richman as "Boot Camp," though the bantamweight contender, who faces Nam Phan on Friday in San Diego at Bellator 131, isn't quite sure why.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Bomb attacks in Afghanistan kill 11
(Washington Post) Two attacks targeting Afghanistan's police killed at least 10 officers and a civilian Monday, underscoring an uptick in violence in the country since the inauguration of a power-sharing government in September.
Pakistan's ISI chief Gen. Rizwan Akhtar visits Kabul
(Khaama Press) Lt. General Rizwan Akhtar, Pakistan's newly appointed military intelligence chief visited Afghanistan on Monday to meet with the Afghan government.
Two soldiers, 24 militants killed in Orakzai, Bara
(Dawn; Pakistan) At least two soldiers and several militants were killed in separate clashes involving a gunfight and roadside bombings in Pakistan's restive Tribal Region, officials said on Tuesday.
MIDDLE EAST
Knife attacks on Israelis add to unease; 2 killed in separate assaults
(Washington Post) An Israeli woman waiting at a bus stop near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank and an Israeli soldier in downtown Tel Aviv were killed on Monday in two separate attacks by knife-wielding Palestinian men.
Turkish Navy Enters Mediterranean, Armed With New Rules of Engagement
(Defense News) In what looks like a provocative move that increases tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish government authorized the country's Navy for full implementation of recently amended rules of engagement off the shores of littoral countries Cyprus, Egypt and Israel.
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Yemen's Ex-President and 2 Rebel Leaders
(New York Times) The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on the former president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a onetime American counterterrorism ally whom the Obama administration accused of undermining "stability" in Yemen.
AQAP continues escalation of attacks in Yemen, targets US ambassador
(Long War Journal) Despite a Nov. 7 announcement that a new inclusive Yemeni cabinet was formed in an effort to defuse the ongoing political stalemate in the country, there has been no indication of a deescalation of terrorist activity by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Syrian foreign minister says his country will get S-300
(IHS Jane's 360) Russia will supply Syria with S-300 long-range air defence systems and other advanced weaponry that will enable the country to defend itself against the United States, according to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem.
ASIA-PACIFIC
US 'strategic patience' policy toward N. Korea not working, analysts say
(Stars & Stripes) North Korea's development of missile technology and the production of plutonium and uranium used for nuclear weapons have advanced unabated under President Barack Obama's policy of "strategic patience," analysts say.
Chinese Carrier Fighter Now In Serial Production
(USNI News) China has put the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark carrier-borne multirole fighter into serial production, with at least eight production examples known to be flying already. This is in addition to the six J-15 prototypes, some of which conducted carrier trials on board China's refurbished former Soviet Kuznetsov-class carrier, Liaoning.
India Names New Defense Minister
(Defense News) Manohar Parrikar, an engineer and entrepreneur known for his simple living with a reputation as an honest person, has been named India's new defense minister.
AFRICA
Bomb at School in Nigeria Kills Nearly 50 Boys
(New York Times) A suicide attacker disguised as a student detonated a bomb at a boarding school in northern Nigeria on Monday morning, killing nearly 50 boys who were between 10 and 20 years old, officials and witnesses said.
South Sudan's new cease-fire already broken
(Associated Press) Forty-eight hours after the latest ceasefire deal in South Sudan, a battle broke out on Monday between government troops and rebel fighters in which 29 combattants died, said a military spokesman.
African health spending lags despite rapid economic growth
(Los Angeles Times) Despite rapid economic growth, countries including Mozambique are spending on areas other than healthcare, leaving much of Africa with too few clinics, hospital beds, doctors and health workers and with inadequate systems for linking them together. At the Chokwe hospital, doctors have had to make do without an ultrasound machine since spring.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Opinion: For others, be the 'reserve chute' you too may need some day
(Army Maj. Ryan Kroells in Army Times) To my fellow brothers and sisters in arms: As the holidays approach, most of us look forward to the warm comforts of home and spending time with loved ones. Unfortunately for many, this is also the time of the year that despair reaches its highest levels.
Gen. Dempsey on How Americans Can Serve Together With Veterans
(Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey in Defense One) Over the last 13 years of war, the American people have provided unwavering support to our military family. Honoring our service members at sporting events and parades, in airports, and on social media has become something of a ritual of American life. Make no mistake, today's veterans and members of the military deeply appreciate these gestures. But it is time for something more. When the applause in stadiums and ballparks stops, it should be followed by a handshake, and then a conversation about how we can serve our nation together.
Commentary: Iraqis thanks U.S. veterans as shared struggle continues
(Iraqi Ambassador Lukman Faily in Military Times) Shortly after I arrived in Washington, D.C., last year as my country's new envoy to the United States, I visited Arlington National Cemetery. I felt honor-bound to pay tribute to the American servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to rid my country of Saddam Hussein's tyranny and to resist transnational terrorism.
They and There
(Retired Army Col. Keith Nightingale in Small Wars Journal) Once a year, the Nation honors the Veterans. Each day the Veteran honors us all with the fruits of that service. The Veteran internally recalls, reflects and remembers the very personal and unique aspects of that time served There.
Commentary: Supporting our veteran entrepreneurs
(Jeffrey Zients, director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, in Military Times) The U.S. military not only trains servicemen and women to be leaders while in uniform, but also to be leaders when they transition out of uniform, back home in their communities.
On the U.S. Marine Corps' 239th Birthday, New Challenges on the Horizon
(Marine Col. Stephen Liszewski in the Council on Foreign Relations) Today the United States Marine Corps celebrates its 239th birthday. Marines and their families will remember the illustrious history of the Corps and renew their commitment to serve the nation, "In every clime and place." Marines will also reflect on the status of their beloved Corps. The Marines' mission in Helmand Province has just ended and General Joseph F. Dunford has taken his post as the thirty-sixth Commandant of the Marine Corps
Editorial: Don't Count on More Funding
(Defense News) Now that Republicans are set to take over the Senate and have increased their lead in the House, some in Washington predict a defense spending boom.
Obama's ISIS War Is Illegal
(Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ken., in The Daily Beast) For a generation, Democrats stood up against Republican presidents who they deemed to be too eager to go to war-or too ready to put troops in harm's way without the full consent of the American people through their elected representatives in Congress.
What's the Plan? The Afghan Government
(Jason Campbell in War on the Rocks) Following an election dispute that took up the bulk of 2014, the newly inaugurated Afghan unity government led by President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah now must engage in the process of building a government. The degree to which the two camps can avoid infighting and settle on appointments will determine Afghanistan's prospects for near- and medium-term stability. Meanwhile, a longed for but tricky reform agenda is beginning to take shape. But will it over promise and under deliver?
Navy Intel Officer Was Right About China's Prep for "Short, Sharp War" with Japan
(Bryan McGrath in Real Clear Defense) Much has been made in past weeks about remarks made by Captain James Fanell, the director of Intelligence and Information Operations for the Pacific Fleet at the recently held West 2014 symposium in San Diego, Calif.
Network-Centric Warfare Set the Stage for Cyberwar
(Richard Stiennon in Cicero Magazine) Back before the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, before military thinkers and policymakers became obsessed with counterinsurgency, the idea of the day was the Revolution in Military Affairs, or RMA. RMA, a doctrine that emphasized modern information, technology and communications, was sparked by Soviet analysis of the West's move towards more reliance on precision targeting and coordination.
Editorial: Civil Space Firms Are Key
(Defense News) Recent accidents have prompted some to question the future of America's commercial space industry.
Russia and Ukraine: Not the Military Balance You Think
(Dmitry Gorenburg in War on the Rocks) Over the last few months, the crisis in Ukraine has led to a fundamental reassessment of the state of U.S.-Russia relations. The crisis began with Russia's almost completely non-violent military takeover of Crimea in February-March 2014. A new English-language volume edited by Colby Howard and Ruslan Pukhov highlights the causes and nature of the conflict in Crimea, as well as provides some lessons for both Ukraine and other states that might be subject to Russian aggression in the future.
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