| January 20, 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. State of the Union unlikely to focus on military
(Military Times) On Tuesday night, veterans groups and defense watchers will once again carefully dissect the president's annual State of the Union speech to Congress for any mention of their policy priorities.
2. Video: ISIL threatens to kill Japanese hostages
(USA Today) A video purporting to show the Islamic State group threatening to kill two Japanese hostages unless they get a $200 million ransom in the next 72 hours was posted online Tuesday.
3. China Denies Snowden Leak That Beijing Hackers Stole F-35 Plans
(Reuters) China dismissed accusations it stole F-35 stealth fighter plans as groundless on Monday, after documents leaked by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden on a cyber attack were published by a German magazine.
4. State of Defense
(DefenseOne) In the Pentagon, senior U.S. military leaders often like to say that historically they are terrible at predicting the next war, while critics argue that generals constantly are planning for the last war.
5. Syrian refugees only trickling into U.S.
(Houston Chronicle) U.S. State Department officials say they expect about 2,000 Syrian refugees to arrive this year with as many as 10,000 likely by the end of 2016.
CONGRESS Defense hearings: State of the Union week
(Military Times) President Obama visits Capitol Hill on Tuesday night for his annual State of the Union address, and Democrats leave Washington a day later for their biennial party-organizing retreat. That makes for another light week of hearings on the Hill.
McCain slams Obama 'success story' in Yemen
(The Hill) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) slammed President Obama's counterterrorism strategy in Yemen on Monday, as Shiite rebels took over state media. "More problems in Pres Obama's anti-terror 'success story,'" he tweeted Monday. "Houthi rebels seize #Yemen state media, battle soldiers."
Cyber warfare: Capitol staffers aren't ready
(Politico) Congressional staffers are the gateway to all lawmaking on the Hill, but they also may be unwittingly opening the door to hackers.
India may seek other suppliers if U.S. will not sell drones - U.S. senator
(Reuters) India may buy unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, from other countries if the United States does not ease current export restrictions on such aircraft, a key Democratic senator said on Friday.
WWII 'Devil's Brigade' to receive medal
(Military Times) A World War II Special Forces unit will be presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, D.C., next month.
INDUSTRY Google Nears $1 Billion Investment in SpaceX
(Wall Street Journal) Google Inc. is close to investing roughly $1 billion in Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to support its nascent efforts to deliver Internet access via satellites, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Canadians Unhappy with Defense Procurement, Looking at F-35 Alternative
(Defense Industry Daily) The Harper government insists that a defense procurement overhaul conducted last year has yet to toll, and that patience is needed to prove that things have improved. By far, the largest effect is exerted by the major fighter and ship programs, which evolve in year and decade timescales.
Poland Launches Tactical Drone Tender
(Defense News) Poland's Ministry of Defense has launched a tender to acquire 12 sets of middle-range tactical unmanned aerial vehicles and 15 sets of mini-UAVs for the armed forces.
Northrop Grumman signs major ICBM support contract as Boeing studies award challenge
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract worth up to USD963.5 million for the support of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ground subsystems.
AAR Airlift Wins Falklands Helicopter Deal
(Aviation Week) U.S. helicopter operator, AAR Airlift and partner British International Helicopters (BIH) have grabbed a £180 million ($275 million) helicopter deal to support U.K. defense ministry operations in the Falkland Islands.
Russia offers Kilo submarine to Thailand
(IHS Jane's 360) Russia has offered for sale to Thailand its Kilo-class Project 636 diesel electric submarine as part of expanding defence technology ties between the two countries.
Saab and Damen team for Walrus future submarine replacement program
(Damen/Wall Street Journal) Swedish defence and security company Saab is teaming with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group to explore future opportunities in the international submarine market. The companies have signed an exclusive teaming agreement to work together in pursuit of the potential Walrus-class submarine replacement programme for the Netherlands. In addition to this project, Saab and Damen will also explore ways in which they might bid jointly on other submarine procurement programmes.
Thaad-ER In Search Of A Mission
(Aviation Week) Lockheed Martin is hoping the maturing threat of hypersonic boost glide vehicles from ambitious adversaries will spark interest in the company's dormant plan to design a more capable interceptor for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) air defense system.
USAF begins testing of B-52 weapons upgrade
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Air Force (USAF) has begun developmental testing of an upgrade that is designed to significantly increase the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress' smart weapons capacity.
As Frustration Rises Over Weapon Costs, Air Force Buyers Try New Tactics
(National Defense) The Air Force wants to regain control of increasingly expensive weapons programs that produce billion-dollar spacecraft, $200-million warplanes and $500,000 missiles. Not only is the Air Force alarmed by soaring price tags but also by the long timelines of some systems that take decades to develop.
VETERANS VA probing possible construction mismanagement at Denver-area hospital
(Associated Press) The Department of Veterans Affairs is forming an investigative board to probe possible misconduct or mismanagement involving the construction of a VA hospital in Aurora, Colo.
Wounded warriors take battle to cyberspace
(Free Lance-Star) Wounded service members are learning new ways to protect the nation through the intricacies of cybersecurity training.
Navy pals reunited, thanks to police dispatcher
(Tribune Review) Greensburg police dispatcher Rachelle Pape last month got a visitor with an unusual request. "He said he was a World War II vet, a POW, and he needed help finding one of his friends," she said.
Veterans get a chance to win a 7-Eleven franchise in contest
(Fayetteville Observer) "I can think of no one more deserving of this extraordinary opportunity to win a 7-Eleven franchise than one of our military veterans who has given so much for our country," said 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto.
Group that wants a memorial to veterans isn't giving up
(Kansas City Star) Jack Barnes is a man's man. Texas-born. Texas-raised. Twenty-four-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. A man who, even at 64, still possesses a good dose of that easily detectable but not-quite-describable Texas confidence. All of this will likely serve him well as he embarks on a quest to salvage the plans of a group - the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation - that recently appeared all but finished.
Ducey pitches redirecting $929,000 in veterans funds
(Arizona Daily Star) Arizona governor Doug Ducey wants to take more than $900,000 donated by taxpayers to help post-9/11 veterans and use it to operate new veterans cemeteries near Marana and Flagstaff and keep the doors open at an existing one in Sierra Vista.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT It's time for some intelligent intelligence gathering in Washington
(Washington Post) It's time to create a free-standing Defense Department agency to handle intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It's especially necessary given the growing technological capabilities and the need for this primarily airborne collection of data.
Important Tests Loom for Navy and Marine Corps F-35
(National Defense) The Navy and Marine Corps variants of the joint strike fighter have an eventful year ahead, and program officials are saddled with a long list of work to do before major milestones in the summer.
DoD could accelerate cloud adoption with new rules
(C4ISR & Networks) Changes to procurement limitations could speed up DoD cloud migration.
ARMY Army recruiting program scammed for $4M
(USA Today) The Army paid a Texas couple nearly $4 million for supplying it with names of recruits who may have enlisted without their help, part of a bonus program blasted by a leading senator as a "mind-blowing" waste of taxpayer money, according to interviews and documents.
Priority MOSs offer good career prospects, bonuses
(Army Times) Soldiers of the Regular Army may request reclassification into the specialties listed below without regard to the in/out calls for their current military occupational specialty.
Army seeks unified sensor
(C4ISR & Networks) One sensor that can do it all (or most) is the objective of a new SBIR
Your best reclass options to survive the drawdown
(Army Times) Soldiers who are feeling the heat of the drawdown should check out the latest version of the Reclassification In/Out Calls, a career planning tool that can be used to plot job changes.
Fort Bliss soldier pleads guilty in son's beating death
(El Paso Times) A Fort Bliss Army sergeant accused of fatally beating his young son in 2012 has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
KBR continues to seek about $30 million in legal costs plus damages
(The Oregonian) A legal dispute between a set of Oregon National Guard soldiers and veterans, government contractor KBR Inc., and the Army Corps of Engineers continues to drag on, with tens of millions of dollars at stake.
Piece of WWII-era aviation history finds new life in Calif.
(Modesto Bee) A U.S. Army trainer plane from World War II, close to going airborne for the first time in 70 years, will make that "maiden voyage" from Modesto Airport.
NAVY Report: Navy should put sailors in exosuits
(Navy Times) Imagine a sailor who can lift 200 pounds without breaking a sweat, run in bursts up to 10 mph, and is 25 times more productive than his co-workers. This is no super sailor, it is you, with a little help from the exoskeleton technology in the works.
Cruiser Chancellorsville to shift to Japan
(Navy Times) Chancellorsville will home port shift to Yokosuka, Japan, in the summer of 2015 from San Diego, Pacific Fleet announced Friday.
Seth Rogen, Michael Moore ignite 'Sniper' debate
(USA Today) Clint Eastwood's American Sniper is continuing to make waves across Hollywood. While the film has been a hit with audiences - with a record-setting debut at the box office, and A-plus CinemaScore rating - its subject matter is causing controversy among some in Hollywood for its perceived pro-war message.
AIR FORCE Tase me, bro! Airmen can opt for a training shock
(Air Force Times) Most of us try to go through life without being zapped by a Taser, but security forces airmen often volunteer to ride the lightning as part of their Taser training.
Master sgt. Michael Silva on trial in 1995 rape
(Air Force Times) A court-martial is set to begin Tuesday in the case of a former military training instructor accused of sexually assaulting three women, including a basic trainee at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland two decades ago.
Troy airman's heroism to be depicted in Air Force museum display
(Belleville News-Democrat) Gary and Paula Smith plan to drive to Dayton, Ohio, later this week at the invitation of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Academy cadet charged in alleged sexual assault
(Air Force Times) Police in Boulder, Colorado, have charged an Air Force Academy cadet with second-degree kidnapping and sexual assault.
Medical teams train at Ohio base to treat soldiers in air
(Air Force Times) Before boarding a U.S. military plane to treat a wounded service member, medical teams from the Air Force, Army and Navy earn the wings on their flight suits at the school, which was transferred to Wright-Patterson three years ago as part of the Base Realignment and Closure commission.
MARINE CORPS Court docs detail Marine's wild Mexican crime spree
(Marine Corps Times) A Marine who deserted his unit in 2013 and wound up in a Mexican jail for four months after a failed hijacking and armed assault will not get a reprieve on his sentence, an appeals court ruled last month.
A South Philly Marine's final mission
(Philadelphia Daily News) Up in the high desert of northeastern Utah near the Colorado border, a teen with a jawline as rugged as the surrounding mountain ranges decided early in life that he was a Marine.
Pendleton Marine trains veterans how to run a farm
(San Diego Union-Tribune) A Camp Pendleton Marine runs an organic farm near the base where he trains veterans how to manage an agricultural business.
Female dress blues, new universal cover in consideration
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps will continue research that could lead to the adoption of a new female dress blue coat - closely resembling those worn by men - and an improved universal cover.
COAST GUARD For first time, helicopter fires on suspected smuggling boat
(Los Angeles Times) The panga was spotted by a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft while on patrol about 24 miles off the La Jolla coast.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN 4-star in Afghanistan: We could extend mission
(Army Times) As the Afghan National Security Forces prepare for another tough fighting season, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said he could still recommend extending the mission and keeping more U.S. troops in country.
Turkey to deploy additional 400 troops to Afghanistan
(Khaama Press) The government of Turkey has announced to increase the number of its forces in Afghanistan by deploying additional 400 troops next year.
Fourth Pakistani Reactor Meets Long-Term Goal
(Defense News) News that the fourth reactor at Pakistan's Khushab nuclear facility is now operational marks the fulfillment of Pakistan's long-term goal to establish a plutonium-based nuclear deterrent.
Peshawar school attack: Pakistan rediscovering itself
(Syed Nazir Gilani in Kashmir Dispatch) Military leadership has realised that as an organised lead institution in Pakistan and highly accredited abroad for its strengths of person and mind, needs to revisit the history of its partnership with civil politics of the country.
MIDDLE EAST Canadian Spec Ops Involved in Iraq Firefight
(Defense News) Canadian special operations forces have been involved in a deadly firefight with Islamic State (IS) fighters in Iraq, a top Canadian general said on Monday.
Israel on high alert for possible Hezbollah retaliation
(Associated Press) Israeli defense officials say the country is on high alert for possible attacks from the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah following an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah fighters in Syria.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday said the fight against "terrorism" needs a new Muslim religious discourse in addition to security and military measures.
(Agence France-Presse) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday said the fight against "terrorism" needs a new Muslim religious discourse in addition to security and military measures.
Abe, Netanyahu See Different Hurdles to Peace
(Defense News) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, spoke here Monday of their shared commitment to peace and regional security, yet diverged in the hot-button issues they chose to flag as obstacles to realizing common goals.
Yemeni troops battle Shiite rebels in Yemeni capital
(Associated Press) Yemen's U.S.-backed leadership came under serious threat Monday as government troops clashed with Shiite rebels near the presidential palace and a key military base in what one official called "a step toward a coup."
Miss universe Selfie causes controversy
(Buzz:60 in USA Today) The Miss Universe competition is sparking controversy in the Middle East after two contestants, Miss Israel and Miss Lebanon, took a selfie together.
Iran: Israeli air strike killed general advising Syrian government forces
(McClatchy) Iran said Monday that a general in its elite Revolutionary Guards who'd been sent to Syria to help that country battle rebels died in an Israeli air strike on Sunday, raising tensions and heightening expectations of possible retaliation.
EUROPE Report: British security agency collected journalists' emails
(USA Today) Britain's surveillance agency GCHQ intercepted and stored e-mails written by journalists working for some of the largest news organizations in the U.S. and the U.K. and labeled "investigative journalists" as a threat, according to a report Monday by The Guardian, citing documents released by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
After Paris attacks, E.U. leaders call for more sharing of information, intelligence
(Washington Post) In the wake of this month's terrorist attacks in Paris, European leaders are calling for significant changes to what has long been a paradox of their borderless continent: Their citizens can move freely, but information about them does not.
EU won't ease Russia sanctions as Ukraine conflict rages
(Associated Press) The European Union's foreign ministers on Monday ruled out any easing of sanctions against Russia as long as fighting rages in eastern Ukraine, despite concerns about the economic consequences.
In Retort to Paris, Chechens Denounce 'Permissiveness'
(New York Times) Tens of thousands of people marched on Monday through Grozny, the capital of the mainly Muslim Chechnya region of Russia, in a conservative retort to the mass demonstrations in France this month expressing solidarity with the victims of the terror attacks in Paris.
To counter terror, Europe's police reconsider their arms
(Associated Press) One was a young policewoman, unarmed on the outskirts of Paris and felled by an assault rifle. Her partner, also without weapons, could do nothing to stop the gunman. Another was a first responder with a side arm, rushing to the Charlie Hebdo offices where a pair of masked men with high-powered weapons had opened fire on an editorial meeting. Among their primary targets: the armed police bodyguard inside the room.
Fox News Becomes the Unwilling Star of a French TV Satire
(New York Times) Mockery is a national weapon in France, so when an American cable news channel raised false alarms about rampant lawlessness in some Paris neighborhoods - proclaiming them "no-go zones" for non-Muslims, avoided even by the police - a popular French television show rebutted the claims the way it best knew how: with satire, spoofs and a campaign of exaggeration and sarcasm.
As fighting deepens in eastern Ukraine, death toll rises
(Washington Post) Intensifying battles, mounting death tolls and dire new warnings from Russia have dragged eastern Ukraine's long-running conflict into some of the worst fighting since last summer, rendering a months-old cease-fire agreement effectively defunct.
200 police raid homes in Germany based on terror suspicions
(Associated Press) Some 200 police officers have raided 13 residences, mostly in Berlin but also other parts of Germany, in connection with arrests last week of two suspected members of an Islamic cell.
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Sending More Troops and Artillery to Aid Rebels
(New York Times) About 700 soldiers crossed Russia's western border into the snowy war zone in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council said in a statement that was not possible to verify independently.
Russian economic crisis helps save Putin's post-Olympic dream at Sochi
(Washington Post) In the past several weeks, the resorts around Sochi have had a resurgence. Russians have tripped over themselves to reserve hotel rooms, book last-minute ski packages and fill Black Sea mountain getaways to near capacity.
ASIA-PACIFIC Japanese premier vows to save Islamic State group hostages
(Associated Press) The Islamic State group threatened to kill two Japanese hostages Tuesday unless they receive $200 million in 72 hours, directly demanding the ransom from Japan's premier during his visit to the Middle East. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to save the men, saying: "Their lives are the top priority."
Pyongyang seeks to discredit defector over recanted story
(Associated Press) North Korea on Tuesday sought to discredit a prominent North Korean prison camp survivor who recently admitted inaccuracies in parts of his widely read story about horrific abuse in the country of his birth.
China's economic growth slows to weakest in 24 years
(BBC) China's economic growth slowed to its weakest in 24 years, expanding 7.4% last year from 7.7% in 2013.
Japan to sell talking robots that won't try to make sense
(Associated Press) The scientist behind a new talking robot in Japan says people should stop expecting robots to understand them, and instead try to chime in with robotic conversations.
Two Uighurs reported killed in latest China border incident
(McClatchy) Chinese police shot and killed two members of the Uighur minority group late Sunday as they attempted to cross the border illegally into Vietnam and assaulted Chinese border guards who tried to stop them, state media reported Monday.
Malaysia slashes 2015 budget, cuts growth forecast
(Associated Press) Malaysia on Tuesday cut its economic growth forecast for this year and announced a slew of austerity measures as tumbling oil prices force the government to slash spending.
AFRICA Niger protesters torched 45 churches
(BBC) At least 10 people have been killed and 45 churches set on fire since protests erupted in Niger over the French magazine Charlie Hebdo's depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, police say.
Cameroon to get 'sophisticated' Russian arms
(IHS Jane's 360) Cameroon's military will take delivery of "the most sophisticated military equipment from Russia" before the end of 2015, a statement released by President Paul Biya's office announced on 16 January.
30 Hostages Taken by Boko Haram in Cameroon Are Released
(Associated Press) About 30 hostages abducted in Cameroon over the weekend by members of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram have been released, Cameroon's military said Monday.
Kenyan police deploy tear gas on children protesting sale of playground
(Al Jazeera America) Kenyan police have fired tear gas at children protesting against the seizure of their school playground by a property developer.
Mali declares itself Ebola-free
(Los Angeles Times) Mali is free of Ebola, the country's minister of health declared Sunday, saying that 42 days have passed since its last patient tested negative for the virus.
UN urges African forces to fight Boko Haram
(Al Jazeera) Central African countries urged to step up plans for multinational force to face increasing threat by Nigerian group.
THE AMERICAS First U.S. Envoy Heads to Cuba to Start Normalization Talks
(Bloomberg) When Roberta Jacobson's plane touches down in Havana this week, she will be the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat to visit the island since President Jimmy Carter's administration. Her job? Help restore diplomatic relations severed at the height of the Cold War.
Mexico to use drones to protect endangered porpoise
(Associated Press) Mexico has begun testing unmanned drones that could help it save the critically endangered vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise.
Don't expect to order that Starbucks latte in Havana just yet
(McClatchy) Despite the Obama administration's easing of some restrictions on travel and commerce with Cuba, don't expect Starbucks to soon dot every Havana street corner or Marriott to start building a beachfront hotel.
Members of Congress, in Cuba, Discuss Trade but Don't Meet With Castro
(New York Times) A delegation of members of Congress who have been some of the strongest advocates of lifting the American trade embargo with Cuba concluded a three-day visit here on Monday with optimism over trade deals but without an anticipated meeting with President Raúl Castro - apparently because of its decision to meet with several Cuban dissidents.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS Commentary: Putting Boots on the Ground
(Lt. Col. Paul Darling in Defense News) Well into the second decade of the 21st century, the future employment of the US Army remains in doubt.
Confusing a "Revolution" with "Terrorism"
(Eric Anderson in Small Wars Journal) That the world should be so simple Washington could "bin" offshore challenges in a small set of categories that expedite planning and policy options. The Cold War dichotomy made life in the Pentagon a much simpler affair. You were either "communist" or you were not. In the wake of Gorbechev's failure, you were a "rogue" state, or not. Osama Bin Laden only served to further add a category, "terrorist," or not. This dichotomous sorting process made it relatively easy to explain policy options to the American electorate and direct the expenditure of taxpayer blood and treasure. Iraq, "rouge," Afghanistan and all things al-Qaeda "terrorism." Respond appropriately.
Reactions to NYT Story on North Korean Cyber Penetration
(Jack Goldsmith in Lawfare) David Sanger and Martin Fackler write in the NYT that the NSA "drilled into the Chinese networks that connect North Korea to the outside world, picked through connections in Malaysia favored by North Korean hackers and penetrated directly into the North with the help of South Korea and other American allies," and also placed malware in North Korean computer systems "that could track the internal workings of many of the computers and networks used by the North's hackers." This malware created an "early warning radar" that supported the attribution of the Sony hack to North Korea.
Quietly Raising an Army: Security Sector Reform in Liberia
(Theo Lipsky in Small Wars Journal) After an autumn blitzkrieg, the U.S. military has begun talking about the end of Operation United Assistance, the anti-Ebola mission in Liberia. So says AFRICOM Commander Gen. David Rodriguez, citing "significant progress" achieved towards the mission's end. A quiet end indeed to what was not months ago America's biggest news story - big enough to produce TIME's Person of the Year, 'the Ebola Fighters'. During the scare Haz-mat suit makers saw heir stock leap, schools one thousand miles from Dallas temporarily closed, and lawmakers advocated sealing off American borders from West African travel. But there is an element to this drama that has gone overlooked: Service members arriving in Liberia will be greeted by American service personnel already there.
Editorial: Ensure Success of New Frigates
(Defense News) After years of criticism, debate and angst, the US Navy appears to - finally - have embraced the littoral combat ships that will prove to be a critical element of its surface force.
AUSA: Seeking Stability (and Sanity) In 2015
(Retired Gen. Gordon Sullivan in Breaking Defense) The New Year begins with the Army focused on where it's headed in 2025 and beyond, but another generational transformation of the force cannot succeed if some bubbling turmoil isn't resolved. Without solid ground to stand on, and without teamwork between the active, reserve and civilian workforces, the Army could have trouble seeing and planning for the future.
What the Ukraine Crisis Means for Asia
(Nadège Rolland in The Diplomat) In 2015, the impact of the Russian invasion of Crimea will still be felt across Asia. The crisis came as a wake-up call for post-modern Europe, a reminder that existential threats still exist and that conflicts can hardly be avoided because of purely economic calculations of cost and benefit. Asian powers, for their part, are well aware that geopolitics is not a thing of the past.
Meet the Man Who Put the 'Je Suis' in the 'Je Suis Charlie'
(Foreign Policy) Joachim Roncin, the art director of the Paris magazine Stylist, was attending an editorial meeting at his office when two masked gunmen attacked the newsroom of Charlie Hebdo, about a 20-minute walk away.
Defense Should Follow Private Sector's Energy Efficiency Lead
(Bob Wassmann in National Defense) The private sector offers valuable lessons that can save the Defense Department energy - and thus, money - as it operates its more than 300,000 buildings. With 1.4 million men and women on active duty, plus 718,000 civilian personnel, the Defense Department is the nation's largest employer.
Commentary: US Satellites Need More Than Swords and Shields
(Brian Weeden in Defense News) The 2011 National Security Space Strategy (NSSS) for protecting US space capabilities, passed in 2011, contained various elements, including developing international norms of behavior, building commercial and international coalitions, enhancing the resilience of space capabilities, deterring aggres-sion against critical space systems, and preparing to defeat attacks and operate in a degraded space environment.
NGAUS: Commission Must Rethink Who's Really 'Ready'
(Retired Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett in Breaking Defense) The National Guard Association of the United States is confident the White House and Congress will choose wisely when selecting the men and women to sit on the National Commission on the Future of the Army. The commissioners must be open-minded, forward-thinking individuals with knowledge of all three components of the Army (the active force, the Reserve and the National Guard).
Work, Life, Decisions, and Sacrifice in a Military Family
(Jessica Grose in Slate) Over the past few years, there has been a great deal of discussion about why women aren't achieving as much in their careers as their male counterparts, even though women have been enrolling in and graduating from college in greater numbers than men since the 1980s. Explanations for this gender gap range from women aren't "leaning in" enough, to entrenched sexism in the workplace, to husbands' careers taking precedence, to a lack of social supports for mothers in American society.
The Case for a New Joint Function: Operationalizing the Human Domain through Engagement
(Jeremy Sauer, Francisco Vega, Allisa Walker and Carlos Haddock in Small Wars Journal) There is no doubt that the United States joint force is the world's most capable military. From small scale contingencies and crisis response to major combat operations, the joint force provides a broad range of options across the land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains to decision makers. However, the joint force has yet to adequately account for the very reason it is applied to solve the nation's problems - to coerce, deter, assure, and compel populations in the "human domain."
A Cold War Legacy: The Decline of Stealth
(Andrew Metrick in War On The Rocks) "Physics probably favors detection and the ultimate demise of stealthy systems." So predicted the Hart-Rudman Commission in 1999. Sixteen years later, it's time for the Department of Defense to ask tough questions about whether to continue investing scarce resources into stealth technology. Foremost among those questions is this: Are we sacrificing too much capacity in a quest for an exquisite capability, a capability that may not offer the edge it once did and whose efficacy is in decline?
Pakistan: No More 'Good Taliban'?
(Kunwar Khuldune Shahid in The Diplomat) Pakistan's government has vowed to end the Good Taliban/Bad Taliban distinction. Should we believe it?
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