| December 4, 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. Navy: Women secretly filmed in shower aboard sub
(Navy Times) Some of the first female sailors to serve on Navy submarines were secretly recorded while they undressed.
2. Military sex assaults up 8 percent
(Associated Press) The number of sexual assaults reported by military service members increased 8 percent in 2014, but details set for release Thursday and a new anonymous survey suggest victims are becoming far more willing to come forward and seek help or file complaints than in years past, officials told The Associated Press.
3. A pilot speaks: The USAF is harder on internal ideas than it is on evil insurgents
(Retired Air Force Maj. Robert J. Seifert in Foreign Policy) I was a USAF AC-130U gunship pilot from 1996 to 2004 and it was the most rewarding and frustrating experience of my life. I flew two deployments in Afghanistan and three in Iraq, and am writing this now as it becomes ever more clear that we must prevail in conflicts like these or risk a never-ending war against insurgents.
4. Al-Qaeda affiliate threatens to kill U.S. hostage after rescue attempt in Yemen
(Washington Post) Al-Qaeda's affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula threatened to kill an American hostage in Yemen after U.S. commandos launched a rescue operation to free him, according to a video obtained Wednesday by SITE Intelligence Group.
5. Critics: VA caregiver programs need improvement
(Military Times) When Congress created new assistance programs for veterans' caregivers four years ago, the idea was to make caring for an injured loved one easier. But for many it has just become another headache, officials say.
ISLAMIC STATE White House sidesteps Paul's war measure
(The Hill) The White House isn't weighing in on Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) introduction of a measure declaring war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and authorizing military force against the terror group.
U.S. walks fine, awkward line when addressing Iranian airstrikes in Iraq
(Washington Post) Iranian fighter jets are now said to be bombing the Islamic State militant group in Iraq. It's an escalation in Tehran's presence there - and a development that has forced U.S. officials to walk a fine line while addressing it.
Iraq to Ask NATO for Military Training Mission
(Wall Street Journal) Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Wednesday said he would ask the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to provide a mission to improve his country's defense capacity, the alliance said in a statement.
How to topple Islamic State? 3 strengths that can be turned to weaknesses.
(Christian Science Monitor) The Islamic State has gained ground over wide swaths of Iraq and Syria and strengthened its hold on major cities in those areas through a combination of military organization, money, and social media savvy.
US commander: IS has training camps in Libya
(Associated Press) The Islamic State group has set up training camps in eastern Libya, and although they are not yet well developed, the U.S. is watching them closely, a senior U.S. general said Wednesday.
I/ITSEC 2014 US Navy Program Developing Better Human Surrogates
(Defense News) First funded in fiscal 2012, ONR's Human Surrogate Interaction program is studying the best way to train and educate service members on stressful interactions they may encounter while serving.
Lockheed Developing a More Complex Training Environment
(Defense News) The latest advances in realistic training and simulation at Lockheed Martin add complexity to put soldiers in settings more like what they'll see on the ground and in the air around them.
Pentagon Launches Blended Training Initiative
(Defense News) The Pentagon is launching an initiative to help create cross-service guidelines for blending live and virtual training, an OSD official announced Tuesday.
Boeing Focused on Training Services Growth
(Defense News) Boeing is focusing on growing its training services sector based on what a top company executive described as serious analysis of the marketplace.
F-35 Head: Simulator Linkup a Challenge
(Defense News) If all goes as planned, the F-35 joint strike fighter will be fielded by three US services and at least 11 international customers, all running missions together around the globe.
Dismounted Soldier Trainer Offers Full Immersion
(Defense News) The infantrymen moved through a village, constantly turning to check their six and keep an eye on bystanders. Then things went south.
INDUSTRY Huntington Poised for $4 Billion U.S. Naval Carrier Order
(Bloomberg) The U.S. Navy intends to award Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII:US) a contract early next year, potentially for more than $4 billion, to build the second of a new class of aircraft carriers.
For Ash Carter, a Complicated Relationship With the Defense Industry
(Defense News) As Washington waits for the White House to nominate Ash Carter as the next defense secretary, questions remain as to how he would ultimately run the department, and how he would operate under an executive branch that famously likes to call the shots.
DoD To Silicon Valley, VCs: How 'Bout Some Help!
(Breaking Defense) For decades the tech gurus of Silicon Valley have pretty much left Pentagon business alone, letting the military stumble along and try to buy their wares within five years of their coming out.
Lawmakers Aim to End RD-180 Use by 2019
(Defense News) If US lawmakers have their way, the Russian-built RD-180 engine will cease being used on military launches by 2019.
Raytheon discounts political considerations undermining Polish Patriot bid
(IHS Jane's 360) Raytheon does not consider that political issues will put the US-company at a disadvantage in securing Poland's medium-range air and missile defence requirement against its European rival, a senior company official told IHS Jane's on 2 December.
Airbus' Defense Arm Investigated For Alleged Bribery
(Agence France-Presse) European aerospace giant Airbus confirmed Wednesday that its Airbus Defence and Space unit is being investigated for allegations of bribery involving contracts with Saudi Arabia and Romania.
The muddy waters of Australia's submarine project
(Aviation Week) It seems as though every day brings a different "definitive" story about the Australian submarine requirement to replace its troubled Collins-class submarines.
CONGRESS Lawmakers agree to $100 million reduction in commissary funding
(Military Times) Lawmakers have agreed to cut commissary funding by $100 million next year compared with this year, according to a new agreement on a compromise defense authorization bill.
Defense bill hits snag over land swaps, wilderness
(Associated Press) Quick passage of a sweeping defense policy bill hit a snag on Wednesday over public lands, dividing Senate Republicans.
Defense Bill Nears Finish Line as Senators Renew Fight for Military Sexual-Assault Reform
(National Journal) A new defense authorization bill will hit the House floor this week, senior House and Senate committee staffers said, but its eventual passage will likely hinge on whether the Senate can avoid controversial amendments-including a high-profile effort to change how the military handles sexual-assault cases-that could derail its support.
Purple Hearts might be awarded in domestic terrorism cases
(Military Times) Victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shootings will be eligible to receive Purple Hearts and combat injury benefits under a provision included in the latest defense authorization deal.
McCain Ready To Tackle Cyber Threats, Cost-Plus Contracts as SASC Chairman
(Defense News) Sen. John McCain is 78 years old. But that doesn't mean cyberspace escapes him.
Lawmakers strike deal on sweeping IT reform bill
(Federal Times) Senators have included a sweeping federal IT reform bill in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), almost guaranteeing its passage.
GOP's 2015 Agenda Includes Passing Tougher Iranian Sanctions
(Defense News) Republican lawmakers are vowing to take a much harder line against Iran when they take control both chambers in January, eyeing stricter sanctions against Tehran.
Compromise Defense authorization bill rejects 2017 BRAC round
(Federal Times) The latest National Defense Authorization Act legislation unveiled Dec. 2 rejects the Defense Department's request for a round of base closures in 2017.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Obama hosts Pentagon brass at time of uncertainty
(Associated Press) President Barack Obama convened top military leaders on Wednesday for an evening at the White House at a time of deep uncertainty for the Pentagon, where the defense secretary is on his way out and the military faces tough questions about its strategy in the Middle East.
Pentagon fears blowback from 'humane' Guantanamo video release
(Miami Herald) A Pentagon official is invoking the revulsion of Muslims worldwide over images of U.S. Marines urinating on corpses to predict the global backlash at seeing videos of Guantanamo troops hauling a captive to force-feedings.
Pentagon to Begin Drafting Technology Roadmap
(National Defense) The Defense Department is seeking to recapture the technology magic of decades past that propelled the United States to become the world's only superpower.
Tricare beneficiaries' access to brand-name drugs would be limited
(Military Times) Tricare patients who take brand-name drugs for chronic conditions may be required to fill their prescriptions at a military pharmacy or by mail starting next October.
ARMY NDAA: US Army Apache Consolidation Blocked Until 2016
(Defense News) Congress would authorize the active-duty Army to begin absorbing the Army National Guard AH-64 Apaches as part of the Army's aviation restructuring proposal, but not until 2016, according to compromise National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) language revealed Tuesday evening.
Congressman: U.S. attorney should investigate fake Ranger
(Army Times) A congressman has suggested the U.S. Attorney's Office look into whether a man pretending to be an Army Ranger at a mall should face federal charges.
Judge sets new trial in base child abuse case
(Associated Press) A federal judge in New Jersey has set a retrial date of March 2 for an Army officer and his wife on charges they abused and neglected their three adopted children.
Army aims to leave behind radioactive mess
(Courier-Journal; Louisville, Ken.) After years of testing water and soil at the old Jefferson Proving Ground in Southern Indiana, the Army is seeking permission to end its federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission license - leaving an estimated 162,040 pounds of depleted uranium projectiles and thousands of unexploded artillery shells at the firing range.
New camo means new boots, belt and T-shirt
(Army Times) The camouflage pattern will not stand alone among coming changes to the Army Combat Uniform. Joining the camo: a new belt, undershirt and boots.
NAVY Congress Pushes to Keep an 11 Carrier Navy in Budget Agreement
(DoDBuzz) The House and Senate armed services committees included a measure in the National Defense Authorization Act to transfer up to $650 million from shipbuilding accounts for the refueling and complex overhaul of the USS George Washington.
Compromise Defense Bill Restricts Navy UCLASS Funds
(USNI News) The 2015 compromise defense bill places, released on Wednesday, imposes restrictions on funding for the Navy's planned production carrier-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over concerns the platform would lack sufficient stealth, survivability and weapons payload, according to the bill's language.
Navy revives training unit for troubled Sea Dragons
(Virginian-Pilot) The Navy plans to resurrect a specialized training squadron for sailors who fly minesweeping helicopters, some 20 years after the unit was shut down as part of a broader consolidation.
Pacific Command Nominee: 'Burden' on Fleet Will Worsen if Full Sequester Returns
(Seapower) The nominee to become commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, ADM Harry Harris, appealed Dec. 2 for an end to sequestration, warning that if the mandatory budget cuts remain in effect until 2021, as planned, the Navy could be down to 250 ships and that even putting 60 percent of the fleet in the Pacific would not begin to meet the requirements for the vast theater.
Interview: U.S. Navy Personnel Chief Worries Over Potential Service Retention Problems
(USNI News) Employee retention is very much on the mind of the man whom a civilian organizational chart would label as the U.S. Navy's head of human resources.
AIR FORCE NDAA Limits Air Force Retirements, Offers C-130 Compromise
(Defense News) The compromise National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) language, revealed Tuesday evening, limits the US Air Force's ability to retire any aircraft in what is a clear message from Congress that the service has not earned its trust on major issues, such as the retirement of the A-10 or U-2.
Human remains found during search for airman
(Pacific Daily News) Crews with the Andersen Security Forces found human remains this morning "in the general vicinity" of where an airman reportedly went missing on Monday, according to an Air Force statement. Efforts to identify the remains are ongoing.
New software detects personal identifiers in email
(Air Force Times) An updated software tool coming Friday will warn you if you include personally identifiable information in your Microsoft Outlook emails.
Kadena student pleads guilty to sexually assaulting incapacitated classmate
(Stars & Stripes) A Kadena High School student who allegedly raped an incapacitated classmate in front of other students and recorded the assault on his cellphone has pleaded guilty to sexual abuse in a plea deal with federal prosecutors in Minnesota, officials say.
IG evaluating Academy's handling of sex assaults
(Air Force Times) The Defense Department inspector general is looking into a complaint about how the Air Force Academy handled past sexual assault cases.
MARINE CORPS Dakota Meyer not afraid of ISIS 'cowards' targeting him
(Marine Corps Times) Terrorists want to track down service members using social media, and Marine Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer is hoping they drop by his place because he would love to meet them.
On trial: Marine accused of killing 3 friends in DUI crash
(Los Angeles Times) Jared Ray Hale, 27, and three fellow Marines - all stationed at Camp Pendleton - spent hours drinking at Hennessey's Tavern before piling into Hale's Dodge sedan during early on Feb. 14, 2012, and heading north on Golden Lantern, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.
Relieved Marine helo commander was subject of IG complaint
(Marine Corps Times) The commander of a Hawaii-based helicopter squadron who was removed from his job on Monday was the subject of an inspector general complaint that prompted a full investigation, Marine Corps Times has learned.
SoCal Marine Arrested After Allegedly Beating 5-Month-Old Girl Into a Coma
(KTLA; Los Angeles) A 24-year-old Marine was arrested after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend's 5-month-old daughter in Joshua Tree, leaving the baby with injuries so severe that she was in a coma, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday.
Robotics competition helps Marines select best cutting-edge controller
(Marine Corps Times) Marines could someday control tactical robots using a glove that measures electronic signals or a watch that picks up gestures, thanks to technologies on display at a recent robotics controller challenge sponsored by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN With the Troops: Afghanistan remains dangerous as drawdown leaves fewer soldiers at war
(Fayetteville Observer) While most deployed Fort Bragg soldiers will be home for Christmas, not all of them will be able to avoid another holiday in Afghanistan.
International Conference May Help Afghanistan Hit The Reset Button
(National Public Radio) London hosts a conference this week that could set the course for the next decade in Afghanistan. The new Afghan president will meet Western government leaders, some of them for the first time.
Afghanistan says 760,000 refugees risk deportation from Iran
(Reuters) Afghanistan will send a delegation to Iran to ask the government to extend temporary visas to allow 760,000 Afghan refugees who have no documents and risk deportation to stay on for at least a year, an Afghan government spokesman said on Wednesday.
MIDDLE EAST Sen. Corker: In 2013, US Was Ready to Launch 'Very Brief' Airstrikes Inside Syria
(Defense News) US forces were ready to strike inside Syria last year but the military mission ultimately was scuttled, says a senior GOP senator.
AQAP claims bombing of Iranian ambassador's residence in Yemen
(Long War Journal) A Twitter account linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has claimed credit for an explosion that occurred early this morning in the diplomatic Hadda section of Sana'a outside the residence of the Iranian ambassador to Yemen. The timing of the attack, which occurred the week after the ambassador, Hossein Niknam, presented his credentials to Yemeni authorities, suggests that AQAP had been waiting for his arrival in the Yemeni capital.
Yemen Exposes Difficulties in U.S. Strategy to Combat Extremist Militants
(Wall Street Journal) The steady weakening of Yemen's pro-U.S. government over the past two months has exposed some of the same difficulties Washington faces in its efforts to battle extremist group Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
EUROPE Turkey frustrated at European reluctance for deeper defence co-operation
(IHS Jane's 360) Speaking at the 13th annual Berlin Security Conference (BSC) in the German capital city, Turkey's defence minister Ismet Yilmaz said that the country has proven its commitment to co-operating with Europe through its membership of NATO and other governmental and military institutions, but that this is not being fully reciprocated.
Western Ministers Urge NATO to Rebuild Military Contacts With Russia
(Wall Street Journal) Western governments urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this week to rebuild military contacts with Moscow as fears in Europe mount that exercises by Russia's armed forces could spark a broader confrontation.
Gun battle breaks out in Chechen capital, 9 dead
(Associated Press) A gun battle broke out early Thursday in the capital of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, leaving at least three traffic police officers and six gunmen dead, authorities said. The fighting punctured the patina of stability ensured by years of heavy-handed rule by a Kremlin-appointed leader.
Ukraine Reports Nuclear Plant Accident, but Official Says There's 'No Threat'
(New York Times) Prime Minister Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk of Ukraine on Wednesday announced that there had been an accident at one of the country's nuclear power plants, briefly setting off fears of a Chernobyl-like catastrophe. But there appeared to have been no radiation leak and only a temporary disruption in the power supply.
ASIA-PACIFIC Millions at Risk From Typhoon Hagupit in the Philippines
(Wall Street Journal) Millions are in the potential path of a powerful storm that could batter the central Philippines, an area that has yet to fully recover from past disasters.
Reports say North Korea's Kim insists on being the only Jong Un
(Los Angeles Times) North Koreans are prohibited from sharing the name of their leader, South Korean media reported Wednesday.
Hong Kong Student Leaders Consider Whether to End Protest Camps
(New York Times) A student organization at the forefront of the protests in Hong Kong said on Thursday that it would decide within about a week whether to abandon the street camps that have divided the city's pro-democracy forces.
AFRICA Troops fighting Ebola may come home soon
(Military Times) The top military commander in Africa gave an upbeat assessment of the mission to contain the Ebola virus, saying Wednesday that U.S. troops there may begin returning home in the next several weeks.
China sends 19th naval escort piracy task force to Somalia
(IHS Jane's 360) The task force will conduct counter-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and other regional waters for a period of about three months. It will relieve the 18th task force rotation, which has been operating in the area since late August.
Brazil Plans Naval Mission in Africa
(New York Times) The Brazilian Navy has said that it will establish a naval mission in São Tome and Príncipe, the small African island nation in the Gulf of Guinea.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS The Real Problem With Military Salaries And Compensation
(Carl Forsling in Task & Purpose) The military shouldn't pay any more than it needs to in order to keep the number and quality of people it requires. However, it should allow the services more flexibility to experiment with incentive structures and compete for the best people.
The Politics of Human Security
(Marcos Farias Ferreira in Cicero Magazine) The concept of security has always been one of the most contested constructs in the social world, and the disputes and inter-subjective consensus around its meaning, referents and institutional objectivation are bound to become constitutive of the "political" itself. So much so that at the core of every rendering of what politics is all about one can find particular understandings of how to protect core values and things, i.e. of that which threatens the "meaningful community" and the very ontological survival of individuals and intermediate bodies. Therefore, the political nature of security rests undeniably in the social practices of interest definition - security is always for someone and for some purpose, to draw on Robert Cox's claim - and in the connected social practices of community definition -which bonds are politically meaningful and should produce rights and duties among individuals, to draw on Andrew Linklater.
Paranoia could be the best weapon against the Islamic State
(David Ignatius in The Washington Post) The worm of paranoia begins to eat into even the hardest adversary. An example is a Twitter post last week displaying an Islamic State leaflet offering a $5,000 reward for information about "crusaders' agents" in the ranks.
The Obama Administration: From Ending Two Wars to Engagement in Five - with the Risk of a Sixth
(Anthony Cordesman in the Center for Strategic and International Studies) Presidents propose action, and then reality intervenes. This cycle holds special irony in the case of President Obama. A year ago, it looked like he might end two of the longest wars in U.S. history by the time he left office. As of today, President Obama has involved the United States in five evolving conflicts, and there is little prospect any of them will be over by the time the next president is inaugurated, unless the United States chooses to disengage and lose.
Rules of Engagement for the War in Afghanistan in 2015
(Robert Chesney in Lawfare) As reported in an article in the New York Times back on November 21, President Obama recently decided to expand the set of circumstances in which the U.S. military might use force in Afghanistan during 2015. What is the precise nature of that expansion, so far as we can tell from that story? Or put differently, what parameters will be woven into the rules of engagement governing U.S. military forces in Afghanistan in 2015?
Guest Post: Chinese Troops in Africa: Protecting Civilians and Oil
(Sean J. Li in the Council on Foreign Relations) China announced in September that it would send a battalion of seven-hundred infantry soldiers to reinforce the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), a heretofore unprecedented move that triples its troop contribution. It is suspected by commentators, such as Colum Lynch at Foreign Policy, that this commitment was made to shield the oil industry-which both UNMISS and the Chinese Foreign Ministry have denied. The increased international profile of Chinese national oil companies (NOCs) and other commercial interests, especially in Africa, has raised questions about whether China's long-standing principle of non-interference will hold in the future.
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