Sen. McCain Vows Cyber Action | Security Report

		SPONSORED BY RED HAT		ADVERTISEMENT The latest developments in the battle to secure military and defense-related networks. McCain Ready To Tackle Cyber Threats, Cost-Plus Contracts as SASC Chairman The Arizona Republican and incoming Senate Armed Services Committee chairman says that in his 31 years in Washington, no issue has seen less action after meetings than cyber.  [more] Report: Iran Hackers Infiltrated Airlines, Energy, Defense Firms An Iranian hacker group has breached airlines, energy companies, defense firms and even the US Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, according to the US cyber security firm Cylance.  [more] New DoD Cloud Policy Delayed To Early December The Department of Defense's new cloud procurement policy - expected to drop last week - is now slated to be released in early December, according to a spokesperson from the DoD Office of the Chief Information Officer.  [more] New Tech Beefs Up Military-Strength Encryption Military and industry are developing a variety of software- and hardware-based encryption systems, including new software encryption tools, self-encrypting drives and biometrics.  [more] Derived Credentials To Roll Out Across DoD By July 2015 Personnel in the Department of Defense Office of the Chief Information Officer are piloting the use of derived credentials to send secure emails on their mobile devices without having to go through the added steps of plugging in an authorized common access card (CAC), a system that could be rolled out across the component agencies by this summer.  [more] New Software Detects Personal Identifiers In Email The US Air Force is launching the tool - the Digital Signature Enforcement Tool, or DSET version 1.6.1 - on its main computer network in hopes of reducing accidental breaches.  [more] System Admin Sentenced For Hacking US Navy Database A former nuclear systems administrator with the US Navy was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the 2012 hacking of the Navy's Smart Web Move database and publicly releasing personal records of some 222,000 service members.  [more]
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Early Bird Brief

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COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES 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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Early Bird Brief

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COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES December 3, 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. Reports: Ash Carter Tapped as Next Defense Secretary (Defense News) Ashton Carter, the former deputy defense secretary, will be nominated to be the next defense secretary to replace Chuck Hagel, sources have told CNN and The Associated Press.  2. NDAA deal hits troops' pay, housing allowances (Military Times) Troops will see a 1 percent pay raise, slowed growth in their housing allowance and a $3 increase in most prescription co-pays as part of a military budget deal expected to be finalized this week.  3. The Military's Report Card (Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., in The Huffington Post ) One year ago, a sexual assault survivor in the U.S. military faced a daunting landscape.  4. Air Force: Hagel departure won't slow nuke reforms (Associated Press) The Air Force's top official predicted Tuesday that Chuck Hagel's surprise resignation as Pentagon chief will not steal momentum from his plan, announced only 18 days ago, to make top-to-bottom changes in how the nuclear Air Force is operated and managed.  5. Hagel refused to hold off resignation announcement in spite of White House wishes (CNN) CNN has learned the White House wanted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to wait until this week to resign, so it would have a new nominee in place by then. But Hagel refused to wait, deciding if the White House was going to push him out, he wanted to make his resignation known as quickly as possible.  ASHTON CARTER For Ash Carter, Bipartisan Support and GOP Warnings of a Bumpy Tenure (Defense News) Bipartisan support emerged Tuesday for the White House to nominate Ash Carter as defense secretary, but Republican members said he could face a rough road.  Pentagon Won't Confirm Ashton Carter is Next Defense Secretary (DoDBuzz) Rear Adm. John Kirby, the lead Pentagon spokesman, said Tuesday he could not confirm the multiple reports that former Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter would be President Obama's nomination to be the next defense secretary.  Obama's New Look Pentagon Trio of Carter, Work, Kendall Excites Defense Industry (Defense One) President Barack Obama's expected nomination of Ashton Carter to become the next defense secretary would give the Pentagon a strong, top tier team steeped in business, acquisition and budget issues.  Likely Pentagon nominee earned stripes quiet way (Associated Press) No household name, Ashton Carter has earned his stripes in the national security trenches the quiet way. For decades he has toiled as a defense thinker and strategist, nuclear expert, three-time Pentagon executive, budget guru and academician.  Fake 'Ashton Carter' riles the national security world (Military Times) The Twitterverse exploded on Tuesday morning when a fake Twitter account purportedly belonging to Ashton Carter, the presumptive nominee to become the Pentagon's next chief, falsely claimed that he had landed the job.  ISLAMIC STATE Lawmakers question Turkey's efforts to stop foreign ISIS fighters (The Hill) House lawmakers pressed administration officials on Tuesday over whether Turkey is doing enough to stem the flow of foreign fighters joining the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  Coalition success seen in Islamic State's cutoff of cellphone service in Mosul (McClatchy) A covert campaign of spying by residents and Iraqi intelligence agents hunting for top leaders of the Islamic State has forced the group to suspend cellphone service in areas it controls - a move Kurdish and Iraqi officials say will do little to stop the program but will further infuriate people living under the extremists' rule.  Iraq official: Arrested woman not IS leader's wife (Associated Press) An Iraqi official is denying that a woman detained in Lebanon is a wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group.  Recent Iran airstrikes in Iraq help drive Islamic State from 2 towns (Los Angeles Times) Iranian warplanes have launched several airstrikes in recent days against Islamic State militants in eastern Iraq, U.S. and Iranian officials said Tuesday, the latest sign that America's longtime adversary is conducting a parallel but largely unacknowledged military campaign in the conflict.  Iraq, Kurds Agree On Deal Over Oil Exports, Budget (National Public Radio) Iraq's government and Kurdish regional authorities have announced a deal that could end a dispute between them over oil exports and the budget.  I/ITSEC 2014 At I/ITSEC, A Call for Consolidation (Defense News) The government services industry is bloated and ripe for consolidation, warned a top industry executive Tuesday. Anthony Smeraglinolo, president and CEO of Engility Corp., made his remarks as the industry keynote at the I/ITSEC show  Milley: Keep Pushing Simulation Technology (Defense News) The top general at US Army Forces Command on Tuesday called on experts in training and simulation to push forward with innovations and training options even during a time of tight budgets, saying their technologies are essential as global threats evolve.  Boeing Official: T-X Design Won't Be Unveiled Soon (Defense News) Boeing continues to develop a custom-designed solution for the US Air Force's T-X trainer replacement program with an eye on contract award in 2017 - but a company official indicated Monday that a preview of what that may look like is still a ways away.  Study Reveals Mental Cues, Conditions That Affect Performance (Defense News) The story of the rock band that insisted on having all brown MandMs candy removed from a snack they requested while on the road is not necessarily a story of demanding prima donnas.  Engility CEO: Consolidation Likely in Government Services Market (Defense News) The government services industry is bloated and ripe for consolidation, warned a top industry executive Tuesday.  Virtual Trainer Lets Troops Move in Simulated World (Defense News) A virtual reality system first developed for gamers can now give ground troops a training platform that lets them run, jump and move around in virtual battle training scenarios.  INDUSTRY Bill would cap Russian engines on U.S. satellite launches (Reuters) A compromise defense policy bill in Congress would bar the purchase of more Russian-made rocket engines to launch U.S. military satellites, clearing the way for competitive bids for 14 future launches, senior congressional aides said on Tuesday.  SOCOM to issue $175 comms contract (C4ISR & Networks) The IDIQ will replace several sole-source contracts  U.S. Defense Executives Warn Against Shutting Out Foreign Competitors (National Defense) The Pentagon for decades has been a reliable buyer of "Made in America" weapons technology. While that should please U.S. companies, defense CEOs are warning that protectionist policies over time will backfire by thwarting innovation and by making U.S. companies less competitive in the cutthroat international arms market.   Cloud providers wonder what DoD's strategy shift holds for them (C4ISR & Networks) The Defense Department-wide push toward enterprise IT poses major implications for the cloud computing market as military organizations join forces on technology and acquisition.  Russian Air Force To Acquire New Aircraft, Helos, Bolster Arctic Presence (Defense News) Russia's Ministry of Defense has unveiled plans to acquire more than 150 new aircraft and helicopters in 2015 as part of plans to bolster and modernize the country's Air Force.  Super Tucano Counter-Insurgency Plane Makes Inroads Into Africa (Defense Industry Daily) Ghana sits directly south of Burkina Faso, between the Ivory Coast and Togo. Until recently lauded as a model of development among its sub-Saharan peers, the country has been facing rising inflation and public deficits as of late. A mounting backlog of unpaid wages to defense and security contractors has been piling up. Piracy has also been booming in the Gulf of Guinea, with an oil tanker gone missing for a week off the coast of Ghana in June 2014.  Turkey Announces Plans for $5B Extra for Procurement (Defense News) The Turkish government has announced a plan to raise about $5 billion for defense procurement through a conscription exemption fee.  India approves Punj Lloyd bid to expand defence activities (IHS Jane's 360) Indian engineering group Punj Lloyd has secured approval from the Indian Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to expand its activities in the defence sector, the FIPB announced on 1 December.  Former Israeli DM Still Promotes Lavi 27 Years Since Cancellation (Defense News) A three-time former Israeli defense minister and principal driver behind the long-defunct US-Israel Lavi program insists it is not too late to revive the Israeli-designed fighter to compete against the French Rafale in India.  CONGRESS Shutdown-Avoiding 'Cromnibus' Emerges in House - With Reid's Endorsement (Defense News) A plan is emerging on Capitol Hill to avoid a government shutdown while also passing a full 2015 Pentagon spending measure, and a key senator is on board.  Military sex assault reform bill revived (Military Times) A disparate group of senators took to the podium Tuesday to support a renewed push by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to overhaul the military's legal procedures regarding sexual assault.  Dem senator: White House not cooperating on AUMF (The Hill) Congress is not likely to vote on a measure that would grant authority for the president's use of force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) during the lame-duck session, a senior Democratic senator said on Tuesday.  Forbes 'Incredibly Optimistic' On NDAA, Sequester - Not SecDef (Breaking Defense) In an era of partisan bitterness and gloom, Rep. Randy Forbes is feeling good. "Maybe I'm just too optimistic," the chairman of the House subcommittee on seapower told me over the phone on his drive back to Washington last night. But after some positive feedback from GOP leadership, he said, "I'm incredibly optimistic" that Congress will not only manage to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act - which it's done for 52 straight years - but also to address the defense cuts known as sequestration. "If we can have the debate, we can win the debate," he said.  Years in, Congress still stalled on sequestration fixes (Military Times) Lawmakers said Tuesday's House Armed Services Committee hearing on long-term defense strategy planning was a perfect goodbye for departing chairman Rep. Buck McKeon, given his big-picture focus on the military's future.  McCain urges FBI to end Petraeus probe (The Hill) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is pressing the Justice Department to wrap up its two-year investigation into former CIA Director David Petraeus.  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Pentagon rushes new transport isolation units for Ebola (USA Today) The Pentagon is rushing the development of an isolation system for U.S. troops who may have been infected by or exposed to Ebola while stationed in West Africa to treat the more than 15,000 people with the virus, a newly released Pentagon document shows.  What Happens When Spies Can Eavesdrop on Any Conversation? (Defense One) On Nov. 17, the U.S. announced a new challenge called Automatic Speech recognition in Reverberant Environments, giving it the acronym ASpIRE. The challenge comes from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency, or IARPA. It speaks to a major opportunity for intelligence collection in the years ahead, teaching machines to scan the ever-expanding world of recorded speech. To do that, researchers will need to take a decades' old technology, computerized speech recognition, and re-invent it from scratch.  Defense Acquisition Reformers Propose Streamlining Authority, Empowering the Workforce (Government Executive) With new chairmen on deck at both the House and Senate Armed Services panels, the National Defense Industrial Association on Tuesday released detailed recommendations for streamlining the Pentagon's weapons buying process to curb waste, upgrade the acquisition workforce and take better advantage of industry innovation.  VIDEO: IEDs test new network systems (C4ISR & Networks) To truly test new communications systems under field conditions, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division took on a "peer competitor" at the Network Integration Evaluation 15.1.  New counterintelligence agency gets first director (Federal Times) The newest agency in the intelligence community is picking up steam.  ARMY Pacific tours will include Australia, Thailand and more (Army Times) After the success of this year's Pacific Pathway, the Army plans to send soldiers on at least two more Pacific Pathways in 2015.  Charges: Woman raped, held against her will by fellow soldier (KOMO News; Seattle) A woman was raped and held against her will in her own bedroom for hours by a jealous fellow soldier Saturday in a Lakewood apartment building, according to charges filed Monday in Pierce County Superior Court.  Missouri National Guard scaling back in Ferguson (Army Times) Amid improving conditions in and around Ferguson, Missouri, the National Guard will scale back operations in the St. Louis area, Gov. Jay Nixon announced.  ACLU: Army to recognize legal names of transgender veterans (Associated Press) The U.S. Army has agreed to "fully recognize" the new legal names of two transgender military veterans, the American Civil Liberties Union said Tuesday.  Video: Watch vet confront military faker at the mall (Army Times) The Black Friday shopper in Army camo and a Ranger tab caught the attention of Ryan Berk almost immediately. Berk, a former enlisted infantryman and combat vet, smelled a potential faker.  Bucks congressman alerts U.S. Attorney's Office to viral video by Holland veteran (Courier Times; Bucks County, Pa.) In a letter to U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger on Monday, Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick , R-8, Middletown, says the video, which has generated more than 1.5 million views since after it was filmed at the Oxford Valley Mall on Black Friday, could "possibly" contain evidence of a federal crime.  NAVY The new cold war: Putin's forces target U.S. Navy and allies (Navy Times) On Feb. 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin watched the 2014 Winter Olympics, one of his signature achievements, come to a close from the stands of the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi in an epic display of Russian culture.  Defense Bill Punts on Navy Plan to Mothball Cruisers, Adds Money for 12th LPD, Growlers (USNI News) The compromise 2015 defense bill between the House and the Senate will allow the Navy to move ahead with putting two Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers in mothballs but stops short of endorsing the service's plan to layup half of the cruiser force, according to a Tuesday background briefing to reporters from House and Senate staffers.  Budget turmoil a threat to Navy's plan to shorten deployments (Stars & Stripes) The biggest challenge for the 4,900 sailors here isn't the mission of supporting airstrikes against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria; it's coping with an unusually long deployment.  U.S. sailors see life and death in Ebola blood tests (USA Today) Ebola-infected blood arrives each day with a knock on the door.  Naval Academy experiencing lower attrition (Associated Press) The academy superintendent, Vice Adm. Ted Carter, said Monday this year's freshmen class only lost 9 students out of 1,091 during plebe summer. That's the lowest ever.  Navy hype video says that Midshipmen 'give a ship' (USA Today) In this video, which I'm pretty sure is a parody video made by some Navy Midshipmen ahead of Navy's game against Army, says that Navy will win the game because they "give a ship."  AIR FORCE Compromise NDAA Blocks A-10 Retirement, OKs White House's Syrian Rebels Plan (Defense News) House and Senate negotiators have agreed on a Pentagon policy measure that blocks A-10 retirements and greenlights plans to arm Syrian rebels, a measure that should hit the House floor this week.  Air Force identifies pilot killed in Middle East crash (Air Force Times) The Air Force has identified the F-16 pilot killed earlier this week in a crash in the Middle East as Capt. William Dubois.  Defense Department IG investigating AFA's handling of athlete misconduct probe (Colorado Springs Gazette) The Defense Department's Inspector General is probing how the Air Force Academy handled an investigation into misconduct by members of the football team, the Pentagon has confirmed.  Missing airman based in Guam identified as Indiana native (Indianapolis Star) Air Force officials have identified the airman who went missing Monday from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam as 24-year-old Alec Dye of Mooresville.  Former AF chief prosecutor: Let lawyers, not bosses, handle sex crime cases (Air Force Times) Former Air Force chief prosecutor-turned-victims advocate Col. Don Christensen joins a group of bipartisan lawmakers on Capitol Hill this morning to pledge his support for a law that would give attorneys - rather than commanders - the authority to pursue sex crime cases.  Greensburg airman killed in Japan motorcycle crash knew early on he wanted to fly (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Quincy Jackson decided in the ninth grade that he wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force, following the lead of several family members who had served in the military.  Nuke missileer 1st to be charged in drug probe (Associated Press) The Air Force is court-martialing a nuclear missile launch officer on drug and obstruction-of-justice charges stemming from a criminal investigation that led to the disclosure last winter of a separate exam-cheating scandal that implicated nearly 100 nuclear officers.  Army, Air Force planes 'make contact' near Fort Bragg (Army Times) An Army C-27J plane and an Air Force C-130H "made contact" while in flight Monday near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, officials said Tuesday.  MARINE CORPS Head of Hawaii-based helo squadron relieved of command (Marine Corps Times) The commanding officer of a Hawaii-based helicopter squadron was removed from his position on Monday.  Marine and son charged with stealing from Toys for Tots (WLKY; Louisville, Ken.) A Marine and his son, tasked with collecting money and toys for needy children, are charged with stealing from them.   Iraq vet vows to break congressional mold (Politico) When Seth Moulton, the veteran of four tours of duty in the Iraq war and three Harvard degrees, launched his upstart campaign against nine-term Democratic incumbent congressman John Tierney in Massachusetts' 6th District, he made a lot of familiar promises - he wasn't going to become a Washington fixture; he was running to do things rather than be somebody; he wanted to shake up the system.  Welcome aboard: Kim Kardashian visits with Marines at sea (Battle Rattle) Channeling pin-ups of old, reality television bombshell Kim Kardashian paid Marines and sailors aboard the amphibious transport dock ship San Diego a visit just days before Thanksgiving.  AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN NATO backs U.S.-led training force for Afghanistan (Reuters) NATO foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to launch a new training mission for Afghanistan next year, replacing combat troops who pull out by the end of the year after 13 years of war.  US airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan target Pakistani Taliban (Long War Journal) The US has targeted senior leaders of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, including the group's emir, in three airstrikes in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar over the past nine days. Mullah Fazlullah, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, survived one of the airstrikes. Two of the airstrikes took place in areas where senior al Qaeda leaders have been targeted and killed over the past year.  Pakistan could have 200 nuclear weapons by 2020' (Deutsche Welle) While many states are downsizing their nuclear stockpiles, Asia is witnessing a buildup. Pakistan, located in a region "most at risk of a breakdown," has the fastest-growing nuclear program, as Gregory Koblentz tells DW.  MIDDLE EAST Report: Iran Hackers Infiltrated Airlines, Energy, Defense Firms (Defense News) An Iranian hacker group has breached airlines, energy companies, defense firms and even the US Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, according to the US cyber security firm Cylance.  Netanyahu fires 2 ministers, calls for early elections he's likely to win (McClatchy) After months of acrimony within his government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired two centrist ministers Tuesday, accusing them of plotting to topple him.  Egyptian court sentences 188 people to death (Associated Press) An Egyptian court sentenced 188 people to death Tuesday pending the opinion of the country's top religious authority, the latest mass death sentence handed down by the country's judicial system despite widespread international criticism.  EUROPE Nimble New NATO Force to Take Form Next Year (New York Times) NATO will establish a prototype of a new rapid response force next year as it strives to improve its ability to deter a Russian attack, the alliance said on Tuesday.  Norwegian F-16's Near Collision With Russian MiG-31 Caught on Tape (Foreign Policy) "What the hell!" That was the reaction of a Norwegian fighter pilot as a Russian MiG-31 unexpectedly passed in front of his F-16.  One Year After Defying Putin, Ukraine Is Choking on Its Own Red Tape (Bloomberg) Thirteen floors above a snow-covered complex on the outskirts of Kiev, in a half-built high-rise, Egor Popov wondered aloud when the warren of dusty rooms would be ready for move-in: maybe next year, probably not.  Falling oil prices hit Russia much harder than Western sanctions (Washington Post) Plummeting oil prices are doing to the Kremlin what sanctions could not: forcing a grim rethinking of Russia's economic future.  ASIA-PACIFIC Incoming U.S. Pacific commander says N. Korea 'most dangerous threat' (Yonhap News Agency) The incoming U.S. Pacific commander said Tuesday that North Korea is "our most volatile and dangerous threat" as it pursues nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, vowing to fight and defeat the communist nation if deterrence fails.  Inside North Korea's elite cyberwarfare unit (CNBC) As Sony Pictures looks for a possible North Korea link to a cyberattack, there's a nagging question. Does the poor country even have advanced technology capabilities to infiltrate a large corporation?  Taiwan's president to resign from party leadership (Washington Post) Taiwan's president announced Tuesday that he will step down as chairman of the ruling party, which suffered heavy losses in local elections last week.  AFRICA Militants Divide Kenya Miners by Religion, Then Begin Killing (New York Times) The Kenyan miners were marched off in the predawn dark on Tuesday, some barefoot, others shirtless.  Kenyan Leader Replaces Top Security Officials After Attacks (Bloomberg) Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta replaced two of his top security chiefs after Islamist militants killed at least 64 people in the north of the country in the past two weeks in attacks that targeted non-Muslims.  Bomb blast hits UN convoy in Mogadishu; 3 dead (Associated Press) A Somali police officer says a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a U.N. convoy near Mogadishu's airport, killing three people.  New Concerns Over Response to Ebola Crisis (New York Times) Doctors Without Borders, the medical charity that was among the first to react early and aggressively to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, expressed new concern on Tuesday about what it called a slow and uneven international response that portends further setbacks.  COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS It's Not a (Totally) Poisoned Chalice (Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis in Foreign Policy) Some "presidential" suggestions for Ash Carter on taking the Pentagon's top job.  American Grand Strategy or Grand Illusion? (Joseph Sarkisian in Cicero Magazine) Let's face it: Whether you want to blame the current administration, unforeseen or misunderstood challenges, or a bumbling 400-member National Security Council, U.S. grand strategy has not been coherent since the Cold War.  The Islamic State is a Hybrid Threat: Why Does That Matter? (Retired Navy Capt. Scott Jasper and Scott Moreland in Small Wars Journal) The Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS or ISIL, has garnered international condemnation for its brutal military and genocidal campaigns under ethnic and religious auspices. Their 'shock and awe' style in Syria and Iraq caught the region and the world by surprise. Since the summer, US warplanes have conducted nearly 870 strikes on militant targets in those countries.[i] However the resignation of the US Secretary of Defense is indicative of the difficulty in articulating strategies to defeat this extremist movement. The administration is looking for a chance to reset its foreign policy and approach to the war.[ii] Understanding how the Islamic State fits the profile of a hybrid threat is integral to the development of unified strategies to counter them.  What's the Plan? The Afghan National Security Forces (Jason H. Campbell in War on the Rocks) It has been a trying year for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) as they bore the brunt of the drawdown of coalition forces. As of October 2014, the Afghan National Army (ANA) had conducted over four times more independent missions than it had through the same time in the year prior. This resulted in casualty rates one senior coalition official described to our group as "unsustainable." Still, the year is broadly viewed as a positive one by those in Afghanistan as national elections took place with fewer disruptions than anticipated, and insurgents were unable to hold territory despite attempts to do so. Going forward, as the coalition continues its drawdown, the challenge will be to build on these successes. As a senior NATO official declared over dinner one evening, "Now we are focused on building confidence within the ANSF to convince them that they can do this."  How Do You Answer The Question, 'Did You Ever Kill Anyone?' (Don Gomez in Task & Purpose) If someone asks you if you ever killed someone in combat, you are supposed to be offended. But, are you really?

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