| January 16, 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. Belgian terror suspects wore all black; police killed 2, wounded and arrested 1
(CNN) The plan of the Verviers attackers was to kill police "on public roads or at police stations," said federal prosecutor Eric van der Sypt on Friday. Police in Belgium also recovered several firearms, large sums of money and GPS devices in terror related raids in Belgian cities overnight.
2. Paris police arrest 12 linked to shootings as Kerry arrives
(Reuters) Police arrested a dozen people suspected of helping the Islamist militant gunmen in last week's Paris killings, the city prosecutor's office said on Friday as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived for talks.
3. In Nigeria, satellite images shed light on Boko Haram's rampage
(Los Angeles Times) That something terrible had happened in the town of Baga and the surrounding area had been known shortly after the attacks began Jan. 3. But Nigerian authorities threw the seriousness of the devastation into doubt this week, insisting that 150 people died, including many of the assailants, in contrast with unconfirmed reports that as many as 2,000 people had been killed.
4. US To Send 400 Trainers and Hundreds More Troops for Syrian Train-and-Equip Mission
(DefenseOne) The Pentagon will deploy more than 400 U.S. military trainers and hundreds more supporting personnel to four training sites in three countries as early as March as part of a long-awaited plan to help rebel forces to stabilize Syria.
5. Defense contractor pleads guilty in massive bribery case
(Washington Post) A Malaysian defense contractor pleaded guilty Thursday in a corruption scandal of epic proportions, admitting that he bribed "scores" of U.S. Navy officials with $500,000 in cash, six figures' worth of sex from prostitutes, lavish hotel stays, spa treatments, Cuban cigars, Kobe beef, Spanish suckling pigs and an array of other luxury goods.
CONGRESS SitRep: Vets groups unveil legislative priorities (Video)
(Military Times) Four leading veterans groups say they want Congress' top priorities to include fixing VA's wait time problems, eliminating its benefit claims backlog, addressing growing VA infrastructure problems.
Boehner suggests NSA wiretap led investigators to Ohio jihadist
(McClatchy) House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday that the government "would never have known" that a Cincinnati area man was allegedly plotting this week to wage jihad on the U.S. Capitol with semi-automatic weapons were it not for a wiretap ordered by a secret foreign intelligence court.
Bill to aid Gold Star fathers is reintroduced in Senate
(Tribune News Service) U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have reintroduced legislation that would expand federal hiring preferences to include fathers of service members who have been killed in action or permanently and totally disabled.
Analysis: Intel Seat Gives Turner Even More Influence
(Defense News) House Armed Services Committee member Mike Turner has secured a seat on the Intelligence Committee, giving the Ohio Republican added influence on national security issues.
House chairman: Congress must 'return sanity' to Gitmo release process
(The Hill) The new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday said lawmakers should act to prevent President Obama from releasing more prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
GOP senators want greater transparency on Gitmo transfers
(The Hill) Republican senators on Thursday criticized the Obama administration for releasing five Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Oman and Estonia, and called for more transparency.
Nebraska senators announce veterans job bills
(Associated Press) A coalition of Nebraska lawmakers vowed Wednesday to push for expanded veterans benefits in a state where the group's unemployment rate of 5.8 percent is nearly double the state average.
Blumenthal seeks passage of bill to prevent veteran suicides
(West Hartford News) Now that Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn is no longer a U.S. Senator, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is hoping to find bipartisan support to pass a bill that would reduce the rate of military and veteran suicides.
INDUSTRY DoD gains acquisition flexibility
(C4ISR & Networks) New guidance emphasizes critical thinking, tailoring
USAF Launches Slate of New Acquisition Initiatives
(Defense News) The US Air Force is launching a wave of new initiatives aimed at bringing down the cost and time associated with acquiring new technologies, service secretary Deborah Lee James announced Wednesday.
U.S. Marine general sees competition for next amphibious ship
(Reuters) The U.S. Navy will insist on competition for the next U.S. amphibious warship despite a decision last year to base the ship on the LPD-17 ship designed by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc, Marine Corps Major General Robert Walsh said on Tuesday.
Oto Melara To Supply Indian Naval Gun
(Defense News) Oto Melara has been short-listed to supply 127mm naval guns to the Indian Navy as India's new defense minister pushed the deal forward despite a fraud probe against the firm's parent company, Finmeccanica, an Indian Defence Ministry source said.
Israel Launches Next-Generation C4I Network
(Defense News) Israel's Defense Ministry has awarded Elbit Systems rights to develop the next generation of the Israeli Army's digital C4I network under a series of multiyear contracts estimated at $117 million.
Turkey Won't Rush Air Defense Contract
(Defense News) Turkish government leaders are refraining from making a hasty "final-final" decision on a multibillion dollar contract that will build the country's first long-range air and anti-missile defense architecture.
Musk Comment on ULA-Air Force Ties 'Unfortunate':AF Chief
(Bloomberg) Air Force Secretary Deborah James says that in recent call, SpaceX's Elon Musk never broached his concerns about a too-close relationship between Boeing-Lockheed United Launch Alliance LLC and Air Force officials.
Tactical dirt bike? SilentHawk prototype set for 2016
(Army Times) A prototype of a gas-electric hybrid dirt bike designed to get troops over all types of terrain quickly and stealthily could be ready for tests by the middle of next year.
Slovakia Eyes Black Hawk Purchase
(Defense News) Slovakia's Minister of Defense Martin Glvac has unveiled plans to acquire nine UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in a deal estimated to be worth up to ���300 million (US $348 million), reports local daily Pravda.
Military Challenged to Maintain Decades-Old Aircraft
(National Defense) The U.S. military operates fleets of Cold War-era aircraft that will not be replaced any time soon. For the Pentagon, this creates daunting challenges, experts warn. Airplanes will have to fly much longer than planned and, at a time of tight budgets, the cost of maintaining aging equipment is projected to soar.
Light Military Helicopter Market To Halve by 2028
(National Defense) The rotorcraft industry is engulfed in what could be described as "A Tale of Two Markets," said Raymond Jaworowski, senior aerospace analyst for Forecast International. While opportunities for sales to the civil sector are finally growing after taking a hit post 9/11, the military market will probably shrink over the next decade, he said.
Sequestration Threatens Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Acquisition
(National Defense) With round two of sequestration looming over the Pentagon, major weapon programs could be on the chopping block. The joint light tactical vehicle program - which if fulfilled would see more than 50,000 vehicles manufactured - could be a casualty, some experts said.
Air Force Space Programs on Hold as New Architecture Studied
(National Defense) Deliveries of new space systems of late have all but come to a halt. The communication satellites being launched now are based on designs dating back to the early 2000s. The last major contract award was in 2008 for the third-generation GPS satellites.
US Army Officials: Field Ultralight Vehicles Quickly
(Defense News) For more than a decade, the US Army's vehicle development efforts have focused on heavily armored vehicles, taking for granted the presence of roadside bombs common to Iraq and Afghanistan.
VETERANS POWs' makeshift flag a reminder of 'Unbroken' history
(Stars & Stripes) An American flag World War II prisoners risked their lives to make is a draw at its current home at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
Dogged reservist behind win for ailing C-123 crewmen
(Stars & Stripes) The Institute of Medicine said up to 2100 other former reserve air crewmen and maintainers of C-123 aircraft, flown for a decade after the Vietnam War, were indeed exposed to toxic residue from Agent Orange herbicide sprayed from some of the same aircraft during the war.
Retiree COLAs: Tracking Inflation
(Army Times) Military retired pay rises each year to ensure that inflation does not erode the purchasing power of retirees. These cost-of-living adjustments, known as COLAs, match the annual increase in Social Security benefits. They become effective each Dec. 1 and first show up in January paychecks.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Hagel: Military compensation changes coming
(Military Times) Big changes are probably coming soon to military pay and benefits, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told troops Wednesday.
US watchdog: Buildings at Afghanistan training range 'melting'
(Stars & Stripes) The report details several problems with the facility that led to the disintegration: The roof is not sloped properly to allow water to drain; the contractor used smaller-than-allowed bricks made mostly of sand, instead of clay; and interior roof support beams weren't built properly or securely fastened to the building.
Marine Corps Leaders Warn Troop Cuts May Go Too Far
(National Defense) As Congress gears up to consider military funding requests for 2016, the Marine Corps is likely to argue that under the current budget law, its forces are being cut too precipitously.
Panel: No alternative to bulk data collection by NSA
(Associated Press) A committee of scientific experts has concluded that there is no viable technological alternative to bulk collection of data by the National Security Agency that allows analysts access to communications whose significance only becomes clear years later.
Hagel: Budget Uncertainty Is the Biggest Challenge Facing the Military
(DefenseOne) Since sophisticated military weapons and equipment often take years to build, they require consistency in funding across budgets year after year. But with budget caps in place since 2013 that have been tinkered with on a near annual basis, that has been difficult.
JPAC's critics skeptical that new POW/MIA agency will solve problems
(Stars & Stripes) Advocacy groups, family members of the missing, former JPAC and DPMO employees and private researchers involved in the hunt for America's MIAs say that the new agency looks a lot like the old ones - and that very few concrete steps have been taken in the last year to address major issues.
5 Yemeni detainees released from Guantanamo Bay despite GOP resistance
(Los Angeles Times) Five detainees were released from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, this week, as the Obama administration continued transferring captives to other countries despite Republican resistance.
ARMY Female soldiers OKed for Ranger School in April
(Army Times) Female soldiers will be allowed to attend Ranger School in April as part of a one-time, integrated assessment, the Army announced Thursday.
How a sexual predator operated under the radar at Fort Leonard Wood
(Tribune News Service) A government investigation into how an Army drill sergeant was able to prey on several female trainees finds numerous lapses in reporting and protocol up and down the chain of command.
Paralyzed Soldier Walks Again [Video]
(Army Times) CW5 Gary Linfoot (Army ret.), a former 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment helicopter pilot who was paralyzed in a crash in Iraq, took a walk around the Statue of Liberty, thanks to an Ekso Bionics exoskeleton.
Fort Drum soldier's response saves lives in Felts Mills home destroyed by blaze (VIDEO)
(Army Times) It was a three-minute adrenaline rush Sgt. Anders N. Olafson of Fort Drum said he'll never forget.
Sgt. Peter Kuch to be reunited with family after twenty-seven years
(Fayetteville Observer) Twenty-seven years after his family was torn apart by war in his native Sudan, Sgt. Peter Kuch - a "Lost Boy" turned soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division - will be reunited with his family.
Could Catamaran Replace Army Landing Craft?
(Defense News) The venerable LCM-8 "Mike" boat is well known to military harbormasters and US Army logistics teams.
Warhorse Brigade Leaves Fort Carson
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Fort Carson finalized a cut ordered in 2013 on Wednesday when it officially shut down the post's 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
NAVY Contractor, Navy captain plead guilty in bribery scheme
(Associated Press) A Malaysian military contractor at the center of one of the Navy's worst corruption cases pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges in federal court Thursday - only hours after a Navy captain admitted to providing him classified information in exchange for lavish hotel rooms and prostitution services.
LCS Now Officially Called A Frigate
(Defense News) Since its inception in 2001, the US Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program has been described as needed to replace the fleet's frigates, minesweepers and patrol ships.
SECNAV unveils new name for LCS: the 'fast frigate'
(Navy Times) The much derided littoral combat ship program is here to stay, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced Thursday, and it's getting an upgrade: a name change.
Could Catamaran Replace Army Landing Craft?
(Defense News) The venerable LCM-8 "Mike" boat is well known to military harbormasters and US Army logistics teams. Chugging at a sedate 12 knots with no load - 8 knots or less when fully loaded - the craft with bow ramps can drop right onto a beach and perform a myriad of unglamorous but necessary tasks.
Another group emerges to try to save USS Ranger from scrapyard
(Tribune News Service) Despite the Navy already selling USS Ranger to a dismantling company, a new, well-funded group has emerged to try saving the retired aircraft carrier.
Feds want Navy pilot's lawyer off child porn case
(Virginian-Pilot) There's been a new development in case of a 31-year-old Naval Academy graduate living in Virginia Beach, set to stand trial Feb. 17 on 31 felonies - including 13 counts of production of child pornography and one count of obstruction of justice.
Navy report: 2014 Super Hornet crash was preventable
(Virginian-Pilot) The crash was a reminder of how a small mistake in the cockpit of a fighter jet can snowball quickly. After entering the maneuver too fast, the pilot had seconds to take corrective action. But because he failed to execute standard cross checks - and because of his inexperience using the helmet-mounted display - he lost "situational awareness," the report said.
AIR FORCE Air Force raises monthly incentive pay for drone pilots
(Air Force Times) The Air Force is increasing financial incentives for some remotely piloted aircraft pilots to encourage them to stay in service, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced on Thursday.
'Unrelenting' need for drones will prompt changes in Air Force
(Washington Post) To relieve stressed drone pilots, the Air Force plans to use the National Guard and reserve, bringing some of those willing and able to work with unmanned aircraft on active-duty.
General: Source of political tweet remains a mystery
(Air Force Times) Brig. Gen. Kathleen Cook, the Air Force's director of public affairs, said Thursday "we do not have a definitive answer" on who retweeted a message criticizing President Obama's immigration policy from her official Twitter account.
'Unrelenting' need for drones will prompt changes in Air Force
(Washington Post) To relieve stressed drone pilots, the Air Force plans to use the National Guard and reserve, bringing some of those willing and able to work with unmanned aircraft on active-duty.
James 'Disappointed' by SpaceX Delay
(Defense News) The secretary of the Air Force is "disappointed" that SpaceX was not certified for military space launch before the end of 2014, but remains confident the company will meet the requirements set forth from the service.
USAF Leaders Offer FY16 Budget Hints
(Defense News) Expect the US Air Force's FY16 budget request to look similar to what the service submitted in FY15, including an ongoing push to retire fleets of aging aircraft, the services top two officials told reporters Thursday.
Soldier says AFN colleague admitted to murder
(Stars & Stripes) A close friend of an Air Force staff sergeant accused of premeditated murder said in a court-martial Thursday that he knows the airman committed the killing because "he told me."
Officials remain confident in F-35A schedule
(Air Force Times) Top Air Force leaders still expect the F-35A to reach its initial operating capability on time, despite Congress blocking the service's move to retire older aircraft - the primary source of manpower to maintain the new stealth jet.
714 selected for promotion to captain
(Air Force Times) The Air Force has selected 714 first lieutenants for promotion to captain.
Next-gen training jet to lead off new acquisition program
(Air Force Times) The Air Force will be flexible in its requirements for the next-generation training jet, and three other major acquisition programs, provided the loosened requirements translate to major savings, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Wednesday.
James: New research needed to keep technological edge
(Air Force Times) The Air Force, along with the Defense Department, is concerned about losing its technological advantage over other countries as a result of constant war and depleting budgets, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Wednesday
30 Afghan pilots to be trained at Columbus Air Force Base in US
(Khaama Press) Up to 30 Afghan pilots are due to participate in a training mission on A-29 Super Tucano Light Air Support aircraft at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia.
MARINE CORPS Anti-base protests flare at Futenma relocation site as survey work gets under way
(Asahi Shimbun) Protesters and authorities clashed on land and in water over preparatory work here to resume a seabed survey for the planned relocation of a U.S. air base--U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan in the prefecture to the Henoko district of Nago.
Marine recruiter nabs would-be robber with MCMAP move
(Marine Corps Times) When three Marine recruiters heard about an attempted robbery happening outside their office, they sprang into action. Now one of the suspects is in custody after being taken down by a move straight out of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
Marine Corps Set to Deploy Next-Generation Unmanned Aircraft
(National Defense) The Marine Corps and Navy will launch their newest unmanned aerial system, the RQ-21A Blackjack, from a ship this spring for the first time, and are looking into developing pocket-sized reconnaissance drones, a service aviation official said.
Santee officially OK's Marine Corps activities
(San Diego Union-Tribune) The City Council on Wednesday approved an agreement with the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command that allows for Marines - without uniforms, insignia, weapons or other visible indications of military presence - to observe crowds and perform surveillance training in public and commercial locations in the city.
COAST GUARD Zukunft: Ships needed for Arctic, drug interdiction
(Navy Times) The Coast Guard's 11 missions keep the service up to its neck in operations. Things are under control, the service's top officer said Thursday, but there are a few key areas where they're stretched thin.
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM Parents of terror defendant say they saw a change in him
(Associated Press) Christopher Lee Cornell showed little direction in his life, spending hours playing video games in his bedroom in his parents' apartment, rarely going out or working, and voicing distrust of the government and the media. But in recent weeks, his parents say, they noticed a change in him.
Centcom deputy gives grade of B+ to military effort against Islamic State
(Tampa Tribune) Speaking to an audience full of University of South Florida academics and students, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command was asked to grade military efforts to date against the Sunni insurgent group Islamic State. "B-plus," said Mark Fox, the first of seven speakers addressing the issue of extremism in the Middle East at a conference put on by the USF Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies.
4-star: ISIS recruiting in Afghanistan, Pakistan
(Army Times) The Islamic State terror group is recruiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Thursday.
AF mission against Islamic State: Slow the advance
(Air Force Times) The Air Force remains busy flying surveillance and strike missions against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, and those flights are affecting the service's plans for its future, top officials said.
College considered booting al Qaida blogger, FBI records show
(McClatchy) A batch of newly released FBI records shows that agents weighed turning a former North Carolina al Qaida propagandist, Samir Khan, into an informant while the community college he attended considered expelling him over possible security threats to other students and faculty.
Suspected terrorist cells raided as Europe moves against threat:
(McClatchy) European security forces moved against suspected radical jihadists in two countries Thursday in the latest sign that last week's Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks have galvanized action against what officials for months have called a rising threat.
U.N. Syria envoy pledges new push for a political solution
(McClatchy) Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid
A visit to the front: Iraq's Kurds bolster defense outside Kirkuk
(McClatchy) The bridge not far from the village of Khrabarut doesn't look like much - a single concrete track over a drainage canal about 100 yards long - but it's turned into a pivotal landmark in the fight between Kurdish forces and the Islamic State southwest of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
Spies Scramble to Unravel Hebdo Mystery
(Daily Beast) American jihadi Anwar al-Awlaki was clearly at the heart of the Paris attacks. To prevent future tragedies, intelligence agents must work out how his network continues to thrive after his death.
F.B.I. Chief Criticizes Times on Qaeda Source
(New York Times) The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, sharply criticized The New York Times on Thursday for anonymously quoting a member of a terrorist group in an article about the deadly attacks last week in France.
Germany Arrests 2 in Terrorism Investigation as Europe Braces for Potential Attacks
(New York Times) As Europe braces against potential terrorist attacks after violence in France and Belgium, the German police on Friday arrested two Turkish men suspected of having links to an organization supporting the militant Islamic State and other radical groups fighting in Syria.
France sees 19,000 cyberattacks since terror rampage
(Military Times) Hackers have targeted about 19,000 French websites since a rampage by Islamic extremists left 20 dead last week, a top French cyberdefense official said Thursday as the president tried to calm the nation's inflamed religious tensions.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN Pakistan clashes over Hebdo cartoon
(BBC News) Pakistani police have clashed with crowds protesting over images of the Prophet Muhammad published in French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Car bombing and rocket attack on Kabul city thwarted
(Khaama Press) The Afghan intelligence operatives foiled a car bombing plot and rocket attack on Kabul city, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said Thursday.
US welcomes Pakistan's decision to ban Haqqani terrorist network
(Khaama Press) The US Department of State state welcomed reports regarding Islamabad's decision to outlaw the Haqqani terrorist network and more than 10 other organizations connected to insurgent groups.
MIDDLE EAST U.N. Says Meeting Is Set on Middle East
(New York Times) Confronting bleak prospects for any resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks soon, the so-called Quartet group of powers will convene late this month in an attempt to find a way forward in the increasingly intractable-looking conflict, the United Nations said on Thursday.
Big data credited for anti-terror success in Israel
(C4ISR & Networks) Former Israeli security IT head touts data as a key to defense
Egypt's cybersecurity council prompts privacy concerns
(Al-Monitor) Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab decreed the establishment of the High Council for Cyber-Security (HCC) on Dec. 16. The HCC reports directly to the Council of Ministers, and its official goal is to develop a strategy to counter cyberthreats, supervise its implementation, and keep that strategy up to date with fast-moving technological developments. This announcement of the council's creation has triggered a debate about whether it will be monitoring what activists and others write or send via the Internet and social media.
EUROPE Secretary of State Kerry spends mournful day in Paris after terrorist assaults
(Washington Post) On his 19th trip as secretary of state to a city that has always brought him joy, John Kerry came to Paris Friday in sorrow.
Amateur video shows gunfire, smoke as Belgian police kill two in anti-terror raid
(Reuters) Belgian police have killed two men who opened fire on them during one of several raids aimed at thwarting ''terrorist attacks on a grand scale''.
UK's Defense Export Chief To Step Down
(Defense News) The head of the British government's £13 billion a year defense and security equipment export organization is to stand down.
The Curious Case of the Second Submarine Spotted in Stockholm's Archipelago
(Foreign Policy) Coming a week after the highly publicized hunt for what was widely believed to have been a Russian submarine, the Swedish military deployed a small warship and stationed troops on the shores of the surrounding islands to search for a second mystery vessel.
Russia Is About To Absorb Part of Another Country
(DefenseOne) Ten months after annexing Crimea and igniting his current standoff with the west, Russian president Vladimir Putin will as early as this week take control of South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia, with which he has a long, sour relationship. He is to sign a little-publicized accord that will hand over foreign policy, border control, and security to Moscow.
French Rein In Speech Backing Acts of Terror
(New York Times) The French authorities are moving aggressively to rein in speech supporting terrorism, employing a new law to mete out tough prison sentences in a crackdown that is stoking a free-speech debate after last week's attacks in Paris.
ASIA-PACIFIC China's spy chief Ma Jian in corruption probe
(BBC News) China has confirmed it is investigating a powerful intelligence chief, Ma Jian, for corruption.
China Releases a "Position Paper" in the Ongoing Philippines-China Arbitration
(Lawfare) China released a "position paper" to the public on Dec. 7, the functional equivalent of a brief to a Philippines-China arbitration panel.
Hundreds flee new fighting in Myanmar's north
(Al-Jazeera) Around 800 people flee their homes in Kachin state after government troops launch new offensive against ethnic rebels.
For North Korea's Kims, it's never too soon to start brainwashing
(Washington Post) For North Korea's dynastic Kim regime, citizens are never too young to be indoctrinated. Indeed, an all-encompassing personality cult has kept the country intact even as the Soviet Union collapsed, and as China and Cuba have opened up.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS Middle East Defense Spending Fuels Security Dilemma
(Madeleine Moreau in International Policy Digest) Looking ahead in 2015, top defense spenders in the Middle East will need to consider these political risks associated with boosting military capabilities. Otherwise the region runs the risk of creating an even more tenuous security dilemma where it may not be so easy to keep the arms race under control.
Is it time to change Army culture?
(Maj. Stephen W. Richey, U.S. Army retired, in Army Magazine) Our Army needs to rethink how it produces plans and orders during active combat and how it manages its officers.
Boko Haram Is Fanning the Flames of a New Refugee Crisis
(John Campbell, Council on Foreign Relations, in DefenseOne) In the best of times, Northeastern Nigeria and the adjoining regions in neighboring Chad, Niger, and Cameroon are among the poorest regions in the world. Food security, especially, is highly fragile in the face of desertification and overpopulation. These are not the best of times.
Congress's Role in U.S. Policy Toward Russia
(Jim Bridenstine in RealClear Defense) With the prospects for peace never further away, the United States needs to fundamentally rethink its strategy to strengthen Ukrainian resolve, reassure vulnerable European allies and friends and deter further Russian aggression. United States policy has relied too much on economic sanctions to limited effect.
Love to say we told you so
(Tony Badran in Now.) Following a well-established pattern, Hezbollah, Iran and the Assad regime are openly seeking to cash in on the Charlie Hebdo massacre in France.
The Colossal Size Of The 2015 Defense Budget
(Matthew Gjertsen in Task & Purpose) Americans need a transparent account of U.S. defense spending if we hope to have a real discussion about what that spending limit should be.
America's Massive Military Dilemma in Asia: Visibility vs. Vulnerability
(Zack Cooper in The National Interest) While the Trans-Pacific Partnership will rightfully dominate the domestic debate in early 2015, an equally important debate is occurring in the halls of the Pentagon and Capitol Hill one between visibility and vulnerability.
What Fallows Missed About the Military-Civilian Gap
(Mark Seip in DefenseOne) An exploration of the root causes of the civilian-military disconnect.
Ethan Hawke's 'Good Kill' explores drones' role in war
(Oriana Pawlyk in Military Times ) In the upcoming film "Good Kill," Hawke's character - adorned with 3,000 hours in F-16s, six tours and 200 combat sorties - watches with a wandering eye as "real planes" sit on the flightline and he sits with members of the 61st Attack Squadron in "some trailers outside of Vegas" taking orders via speakerphone. The "good kill" isn't as thrilling, and it empties him - one Hellfire missile at a time.
The 'Zero' Conundrum of Countering Threats
(Col. Clint Hinote in Cicero) If we focus only on the failures when it comes to preventing terrorist attacks like the one in Paris, we may miss some very important successes.
Smearing Snipers: What Many Americans Don't Get about Our Warrior Elite
(Chris Mark in National Review) We should be proud of men like Chris Kyle, not skittish or ashamed.
|
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento