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Dec 06, 2016

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Today's Top 5

1. Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste
(Washington Post) The Pentagon has buried an internal study that exposed $125 billion in administrative waste in its business operations amid fears Congress would use the findings as an excuse to slash the defense budget, according to interviews and confidential memos obtained by The Washington Post.

2. Obama speech will defend national security strategy employed during his presidency
(Military Times) The remarks, scheduled for late afternoon, are expected to be his last major comments on national security before stepping away from the White House next month, officials said.

3. Navy secretary recommends two Medals of Honor
(USA Today) Navy Secretary Ray Mabus is recommending that two members of the Navy Department be awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor, an upgrade from their current awards and the result of a nearly year-long review of military valor since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

4. Sextortion: The U.S. military's dirty little secret is a growing national security concern
(Military Times) American military personnel are particularly vulnerable, authorities say, because they have a steady income and their conduct is closely regulated. Hundreds of service members every year are falling into this trap, and many are handing over thousands of dollars with hopes the problem will go away.

5. U.S. wars grounded in law, White House says
(Associated Press) The White House shed new light Monday on the legal foundations for President Barack Obama's expansive use of U.S. military power to target extremists overseas, in a report that also offered the first confirmation that the U.S. now deems the al-Shabab group in Somalia to be inherently linked to al-Qaida.

Donald Trump & the Presidency

Trump renews defense of his call with Taiwan leader
(Associated Press) President-elect Donald Trump is using Twitter to renew his defense of his engagement with the leader of Taiwan, a breach of diplomatic protocol as the U.S. shifted recognition from Taiwan to China nearly 40 years ago.

Taiwan’s leader says call with Trump didn’t reflect U.S. policy change
(Washington Post) Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said that her phone call with President-elect Donald Trump should not be interpreted a significant shift in American policy, and stressed that both sides see the value of maintaining regional stability.

Pentagon Leaders, International Allies Show Support for Mattis
(Defense News) The nomination of retired Gen. James Mattis to be President-elect Donald Trump’s first secretary of defense was hailed as a great positive by both Pentagon officials and key defense allies this weekend.

Atkin: Cybersecurity, critical infrastructure will be challenges for Trump's DHS
(Federal Times) Speaking at the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council’s annual gathering forecasting the state of the agency, Thomas Atkin outlined the challenges the Department of Homeland Security will continue to face in 2017.

Designated national security adviser and his son are among those pushing Clinton conspiracy theory
(Washington Post) The child exploitation conspiracy that apparently inspired a man to show up in Washington this week with an assault rifle ranks among the most insidious fabrications to have spread online during the presidential campaign. But it has at least two prominent backers on President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team: designated national security adviser Michael T. Flynn and his son Michael G. Flynn.

Pentagon

Carter confident Mattis will be ready to take command
(Associated Press) Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday he believes his designated successor, if confirmed by the Senate as expected, will be a quick study regarding the responsibilities of the office.

Guantánamo guards bring post-op ‘sodomized’ 9/11 captive to court in restraint chair
(Miami Herald) A Saudi captive accused in the Sept. 11 plot returned to the war court Monday in a restraint chair, seven weeks after a surgeon fixed his torn rectum and over the objections of his lawyers, who said he was still experiencing post-operative pain.

Carter's Asia trip spotlights issues for next Pentagon head
(Associated Press) Ash Carter's final swing across Asia as Pentagon chief shines a spotlight on tough issues to be inherited by his successor, from concern in Tokyo and Seoul about being forced to pay more for U.S. military protection to worry across the region about North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Work: Munitions, Strategic Capabilities Office Boosted in FY18 Budget Plan
(Defense News) As Pentagon planners work to develop the fiscal 2018 budget plan, they will focus on increased spending for munitions and growing the prototyping budget for the Strategic Capabilities Office, Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work said Sunday.

Overseas Operations

Russia, China veto U.N. proposal to stop deadly violence in Aleppo
(Washington Post) A Syrian and Iranian-backed push to retake the flash-point city has brought President Bashar al-Assad close to his biggest victory in more than five years of war.

Russian field hospital hit in Syria's Aleppo, nurse killed
(Associated Press) Rebel shelling of the Syrian government-held part of Aleppo killed a Russian nurse in a makeshift Russian hospital in the city on Monday while the Defense Ministry in Moscow said a Russian fighter jet crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after returning from a sortie over Syria.

Ally, Enemy or Both? Saudi Arabia’s Many Roles in Afghanistan
(New York Times) With their nation’s future at stake, Afghan leaders have renewed a plea to one power that may hold the key to whether their country can cling to democracy or succumbs to the Taliban. But that power is not the United States.

Army

Trump Vows Prompt Review of Rejection of Dakota Pipeline
(Bloomberg) The pipeline "is something we support construction of, and we will review the situation when we are in the White House to make the appropriate determination at that time," Jason Miller, a spokesman for the Trump transition team, told reporters.

ACLU to Obama: Commute sentence for Chelsea Manning
(Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union and gay-rights groups are lobbying President Barack Obama to commute the prison sentence of a transgender soldier who leaked classified government and military documents.

Black Knights unveil 82nd Airborne Division-inspired uniform for Army-Navy game
(Military Times) Army West Point may not have recent history on its side when it comes to facing Navy on the gridiron, but the Black Knights will represent one of the service's most storied units when they take the field in Baltimore on Saturday.

Army-Navy Monday six-pack: What you need to know to kick off rivalry week
(Military Times) The conference title games are over. The spirit spots are blooming. It's Army-Navy week, and if you're not up to speed on the final acts of the 2016 college football season, here's a half-dozen things to know as the rivalry resumes.

Navy

Carter: Slowdown unlikely for Navy’s Japan-based fleet
(Stars & Stripes) The Navy’s operational tempo in the Asia-Pacific region isn’t likely to relax anytime soon as North Korea’s threat continues, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told sailors.

Air Force

Congress readies smaller pilot bonus hike than James requested
(Air Force Times) Although Congress is poised to boost the maximum annual pilot retention bonus to $35,000, that would still fall far short of the $48,000 per year the Air Force says is necessary to keep fighter pilots from leaving to fly for commercial airlines.

Air Force Seeks Virtual Elements in Flight Exercises to Heighten Realism, Complexity
(Defense News) With live training alone unable to provide the complex scenarios meant to push the F-35 to its limits, the US Air Force is banking on a suite of cutting-edge technologies that will fuse virtual and constructive elements into live exercises.

Marine Corps

Third commander in Marine Corps aviation community fired this year
(Marine Corps Times) Lt. Col. Michael E. Hernandez was relieved of command of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, on Friday, according to a 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing news release.

Coast Guard

Crewman tells of harrowing escape from sinking Alaska Juris
(Seattle Times) In the start of a Coast Guard hearing on the sinking of the Washington-based trawler, a crewman talks about the moments after abandoning ship in July.

National Guard

2 Army National Guard members sentenced in gun sales scheme
(San Diego Union-Tribune) Two members of the California Army National Guard who admitted selling weapons to an undercover agent believing they were destined for the drug war in Mexico were sentenced in federal court.

Defense Industry

Israel receives Lavi aircraft training system
(C4ISRNET) The Israeli Air Force has taken delivery of a new Elbit training system for its M-346 Lavi trainer aircraft.

California-based university awarded $30.8M nano-imaging contract
(C4ISRNET) The University of Southern California Information Sciences Institute has been awarded a $30.8 million Air Force contract for imaging of nano-structures.

Fallon: American Companies Must ‘Do More’ for UK Business
(Defense News) US defense firms that want to sell to the United Kingdom should be prepared to give more generous workshare programs than in previous years, the UK’s top defense official said Saturday.

Polish Defence Ministry Unveils $14.5B Modernization Program
(Defense News) The Polish Ministry of Defence is planning to spend more than 61 billion zloty (US $14.5 billion) to acquire new weapons and military equipment from 2017 to 2022, said Katarzyna Jakubowska, the acting spokesperson for the ministry.

As Trump vows to stop flow of jobs overseas, U.S. plans to make fighter jets in India
(Washington Post) In recent months, Lockheed Martin and Boeing have made proposals to the Indian government to manufacture fighter jets — the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F/A-18 Super Hornet — in India as the country seeks to modernize its rapidly aging fleet of largely Russian-built airplanes.

Veterans

North Dakota pipeline protesters, including veterans, say they'll stay despite victory
(Associated Press) Protesters celebrated a major victory in their push to reroute the Dakota Access oil pipeline away from a tribal water source but pledged to remain camped on federal land in North Dakota anyway, despite Monday's government deadline to leave.

As North Dakota Pipeline Is Blocked, Veterans at Standing Rock Cheer
(New York Times) The presence of many hundreds of veterans adds another potent layer to a fight that is already steeped in sharp contrasts, between a tribe and an oil company, between environmentalists and pro-energy advocates, between tan-shirted sheriff’s deputies armed with rubber bullets and water cannons and protesters wearing traditional dress and feathers in their hair.

USS Arizona survivor, 96: 'The flames blew right through and cooked me right there'
(Associated Press) This week, Lauren Bruner, 96, plans to visit a memorial over the Arizona's sunken wreckage and attend a remembrance ceremony at Pearl Harbor on the 75th anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.

Study finds Iraq-Afghanistan veterans with epilepsy more at risk of death
(San Antonio Express-News) The study examined the records of 2,187 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with epilepsy receiving VA care in 2010 and 2011. Over the next five years, these veterans with epilepsy were much more likely to have died than similar veterans without epilepsy.

Wisconsin veterans home fined in death that lowered rating
(Wisconsin State Journal) The four nursing homes operated by the state Department of Veterans Affairs in King are facing a state audit sparked by newspaper reports of serious shortcomings in care provided to more than 700 elderly veterans and family members who live there.

Congress & Politics

Don't ‘Ram Through’ Mattis Confirmation, HASC’s Top Democrat Warns GOP
(Defense News) Echoing concerns that a required waiver for the retired four-star might erode civilian control of the military, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., warned that Democrats — in spite of widespread admiration for Gen. James Mattis — may fight his confirmation if the GOP skips a substantive debate.

This week in Congress: Guard bonus scandal, wrap-up work
(Military Times) In what could be lawmakers’ last week of work for the current legislative session, several committees will work to tie up loose ends and set up their defense priorities for what looks to be a busy 2017.

Dem lawmaker won't support waiver allowing Mattis to serve as defense secretary
(The Hill) Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), an Iraq veteran and a former Marine, said he would oppose a waiver to allow retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to serve as defense secretary.

GOP senator calls on Obama to halt Guantanamo detainee transfers
(The Hill) Sen. Tom Cotton, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said the latest transfer showed that President Obama is more concerned with fulfilling his campaign pledge to shut down the detention facility than national security.

Congress’s budget strife puts Va. shipyard jobs in danger, senators say
(Washington Post) Virginia lawmakers say Congress’s plan to continue funding the government at current levels will stall the construction of aircraft carriers in Norfolk, threatening jobs and putting national security at risk.

Lawmakers push to increase visas for Afghan interpreters
(Washington Examiner) The fiscal 2017 defense policy bill provides fewer than half of the visas for Afghan interpreters that the administration asked for, sending advocates and lawmakers back to the drawing board on how to allow the 12,000 who have applied to come to the U.S.

Cyber, Space & Surveillance

Government cybersecurity readiness declining, according to survey
(Federal Times) The government sector is unprepared in aggregating risk intelligence and performing risk assessments, according to the 2017 Global Cybersecurity Assurance Report Card compiled by Tenable Network Security and research partner CyberEdge Group.

National Security

Lessons Never Learned From Pearl Harbor
(US News & World Report) Perhaps the most stunning aspect of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the incident of infamy that finally thrust a burgeoning superpower fully into World War II, is that the U.S. knew something was going to happen and failed to anticipate it.

International Affairs

Japanese leader Abe to visit Pearl Harbor with Obama
(Associated Press) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will become the first leader of his country to go to the site of the Japanese attack that propelled the United States into World War II.

MEP Touches on Brexit, Possible Deterioration of European Security Cooperation
(Defense News) Britain’s planned departure from the European Union — known as Brexit — will likely lead to a “deterioration” of cooperation in defense and security with the 27 EU member states, according to Sylvie Goulard, a member of the European Parliament.

With Brexit in the balance, U.K. Supreme Court begins hearing arguments
(Washington Post) The U.K. Supreme Court on Monday began hearing arguments in a case that could complicate Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to set in motion Britain’s exfrom the European Union it by the end of March.

Indian Navy frigate tips over in dockyard, killing two sailors
(IHS Jane’s 360) An IN spokesman said that 14 other crew members were rescued by naval divers and then admitted to hospital after suffering minor injuries.

At Genocide Trial, Prosecutor Says Mladic Wanted Muslims To 'Vanish Completely'
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Prosecutor Alan Tieger told judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia that former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic helped orchestrate the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys from Srebrenica.

Russian jets keep crashing, and it may be an aircraft carrier’s fault
(Washington Post) The second crash of a Russian warplane off the coast of Syria in less than a month intensified scrutiny Monday of a critical weakness in Moscow’s show of naval force in the Mediterranean and the 1,000-foot hulk leading it.

Fake U.S. embassy operated in Ghana for a decade, issued bogus visas
(Los Angeles Times) Before there were fake news stories, there was a fake U.S. embassy in Accra, the capital of Ghana.

Russia and China block Syria truce in UN vote
(Associated Press) Russia and China used their veto power in the U.N. Security Council to block a draft resolution on Monday calling for a seven-day humanitarian truce in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, leading the U.S. representative to accuse them of issuing a "death sentence" for innocent Syrians.

Turkey condemns state of press freedom in Europe and the U.S.
(Washington Post) Facing a barrage of criticism from myriad governments in the West over its arrest and detention of journalists, Turkey issued a defiant riposte over the weekend, pointing to European and U.S. hypocrisy when it comes to press freedoms.

Anti-immigrant, anti-euro populists gain ground in Italy as prime minister resigns
(Washington Post) Italy’s anti-elite parties vowed Monday to join forces with other insurgents around Europe as Prime Minister Matteo Renzi prepared to resign, but it was unclear whether an unlikely alliance of disaffected voters could propel the populists to office.

Death of Tamil Nadu’s Leader Leaves Power Vacuum in Southern India
(New York Times) A paroxysm of grief began rippling through the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Monday when its longtime leader, an imperious former starlet known by her followers as Amma, or Mother, was pronounced dead.

Defense News Outlook 2017

Entering Unchartered Territory
(Defense News) Defense and national security strategy for the last year was dominated by what the world has come to know quite well, unfortunately: harrowing attacks by terrorist groups, most often and notably the Islamic State. Political muscling, particularly where borders were at stake. And internal strife, showing itself not via civilian uprisings but rather a military coup attempt and election shockers on both sides of the proverbial pond.

Italy’s Pinotti: Responding to Fear and Uncertainty
(Defense News) There is no doubt that the European security scenario has changed dramatically. As Europeans, we face growing threats both from inside and outside our societies, generating fear and uncertainty. It is important to take these feelings and the disorientation they express seriously and act consequently.

Ruslan Pukhov: Pulling Back the Veil on the Syrian Conflict
(Defense News) The key Russian foreign policy event of 2016 was the ongoing military operation in Syria. On March 15, President Vladimir Putin announced a partial pullout of the Russian forces, saying that the key mission objectives had already been fulfilled. But despite that announcement, the scale of the Russian intervention continued to grow.

Avigdor Leiberman: Israel’s National Security in a Turbulent Middle East
(Defense News) The dramatic turmoil that has seized the Middle East in recent years holds a number of important lessons for the international community, as policy options are considered regarding the ongoing regional crises. These lessons are particularly salient for Israel and for those concerned with ensuring its national security.

Transatlantic Academy's Szabo: The Future of NATO and European Security
(Defense News) The election of Donald Trump as the next American president will lead to what John Foster Dulles once called an “agonizing reappraisal” on both sides of the Atlantic. The future of NATO and of the American role in European security is clearly now very open.

Jerry DeMuro: Anticipating and Planning for a More Certain Future
(Defense News) As the transition continues for the incoming administration, BAE Systems looks forward to working with the new US national security team as it establishes its priorities. During this period, I am confident the US aerospace and defense industry will demonstrate agility and remain resolute in helping to meet the needs of military and intelligence agencies.

EY India’s Raj: Future of 'Make in India' Is Defense
(Defense News) Driven by the goal to reach self-reliance and reduce dependence on foreign equipment, India has launched a the "Make in India" initiative to promote and encourage domestic defense production. This initiative will address a national desire for economic and strategic autonomy and would save foreign exchange.

Jens Stoltenberg: NATO Depends on Fair Member Expenditure, US Leadership
(Defense News) For NATO, 2017 will be a year of action. At the NATO Summit in Warsaw last July, our leaders agreed on the next steps for strengthening our deterrence and defense capabilities, and to project stability beyond our borders.

David F. Melcher: Trump and the Case for a National Security Cooperation Strategy
(Defense News) President-elect Donald Trump’s call to our allies to contribute more to our mutual security interests can be achieved with a new “Trump Doctrine” that prioritizes building partner capabilities through the export of US defense products. On Day One, President Trump should direct the departments of State, Defense and Commerce to develop a National Security Cooperation Strategy and ask for the resources and support from Congress to successfully execute this strategy.

Paweł Soloch: Poland’s Security Priorities
(Defense News) Poland’s geopolitical location is responsible for the fact that our country has always treated all questions related to security as of crucial importance. However, the events that took place in the past several years have further emphasized this priority.

US Defense Secretary Carter: Innovation Drive Essential to DoD’s Future
(Defense News) At my swearing-in ceremony as secretary of defense, I said the Pentagon had to “think outside this five-sided box,” and since taking office, opening the Defense Department to new ideas and stoking its innovative culture has been one of my top priorities. I have made it my mission to innovate because if we are to remain the finest fighting force in the world, treading water won’t get it done. We’ve made important progress on multiple fronts, implementing changes I believe will serve my successors for years to come.

EDA's Domecq: 'Acid Test' for European Defence Research Coming
(Defense News) Today, more than ever, the European Union faces a plethora of challenges. Rising EU skepticism and populism coupled with citizens’ growing fears for their internal and external security require a fundamental debate on the future of Europe.

Greece's Vitsas: Reorienting the Hellenic Defense Industry
(Defense News) The geostrategic problems that emerged in the 20th century remain open. Historical, ethnic, religious, cultural, racial, energy, and food conflicts evolve and reproduce. The regional security conditions, as they have developed, both conventional and nonconventional threats (asymmetric or hybrid), coexist and pose a threat to our national security, considering Greece is surrounded by areas of instability.

Air Force Secretary James: Beware the Unknown Unknowns
(Defense News) The New York Times’ headline summed it up: “For New Air Force Secretary, a Baptism by Fire.” Early in 2014, I found out that events have a way of affecting best-laid plans. Over the course of my first year on the job, I had to pivot resources and attention due to unexpected challenges at home and abroad.

Capital Alpha's Callan: A Reverberation From US and European Globalization Retreat
(Defense News) Pursuit of international defense growth has been a core goal of many U.S. and European firms, but these goals may start colliding with more nationalist policies and plans in an era where looser fiscal policies still won’t satisfy national security needs. The upshot is more global competition and possible emergence of different defense sector business models to address market needs.

Raytheon's CEO: The DoD’s Third Offset Strategy Remains Critical to National Security
(Defense News) The complex national security and foreign policy challenges facing America’s future will demand a continued focus on providing our men and women in uniform with a technological advantage.

Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges: US Army Europe and Its Role in Deterrence
(Defense News) Europe faces numerous security challenges including the influx of migrants and asylum seekers, increasing acts of terrorism, and adversarial actions by Russia that seek to destabilize the region and increase their prominence. While all are concerning, NATO is focused on deterring efforts to destabilize Europe and, at the Wales and Warsaw summits, moved quickly and decisively to initially assure eastern allies and partners on the periphery.

Commentary & Analysis

The White House Releases a "Report on the Legal and Policy Frameworks" on American Uses of Military Force
(Benjamin Wittes in Lawfare) The document offers an overview of the administration's legal and legal policy positions vis a vis a wide array of national security operations.

Will Obama’s Mattis Be Trump’s Mattis?
(Derek Chollet in DefenseOne ) In General Mattis, Trump picked an insider warrior-diplomat who worked with the Obama administration, respected Hillary Clinton, and knows the Middle East better than most.

Is It Wrong to Have a General, Like James Mattis, Run the Pentagon?
(New York Times) Should Congress pass a similar law to allow General Mattis’s appointment, or would that undermine civilian control of the military?

Here’s why Ash Carter should stop saying we have the best military in the world
(Retired Marine Col. Gary Anderson in Foreign Policy) In the absence of real mobilization exercises and readiness war games, we simply have no way of quantifying our capability to wage war in either Europe or Asia in the near term. Any classified war game results are not made public.

George C. Marshall: Statesman, Not a Warrior
(Paul R. Pillar in The National Interest) Useful perspective on issues surrounding the nomination of the retired Marine Corps general James Mattis to be secretary of defense, including the issue of civilian control of the military, can come from reflecting on the career of the one other general ever to be U.S. defense secretary.

Ranger School is Not a Leadership School
(John Spencer in Modern War Institute) Ranger Instructors do not teach leadership. Leadership is not why the course was created and it is not why over half who try to complete it fail to do so.

Gen. Flynn’s Rumor-Mongering Son Has Been Active in Trump Transition
(John Hudson in Foreign Policy) Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s son, who came under fire for peddling a conspiracy theory linked to an armed incident in Washington, has been actively involved in President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team efforts, Foreign Policy has learned.

Does NATO Missile Defense Have a Future?
(Azriel Bermant, Igor Sutyagin in The National Interest) Remarkably, with all the controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s remarks on NATO and the Baltic States during the presidential election campaign, barely a word was heard about the prospective NATO missile defense site in Poland.

Reality Check: Trump's Taiwan Call Was a Step Toward Balanced Relations
(Dan Blumenthal, Randall Schriver in The National Interest) President-elect Donald Trump’s telephone conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan was a good first step toward rebalancing a trilateral China-Taiwan-U.S. relationship that has been increasingly defined by the People’s Republic of China.

Why the U.S. Army Must Modernize now Rather Than Later
(Dan Goure in The National Interest) Deterring challengers who have extremely powerful reasons for seeking confrontation and, potentially, conflict with the U.S. and its allies and a growing panoply of military and so-called hybrid capabilities, will be the greatest national security problem of the 21st century. It will require, in part, investments in a more modern and possibly larger American military.

Commentary: The way forward for much-needed VA reforms
(Alexander Nicholson in Military Times) The Veterans Affairs Department is the second-largest federal bureaucracy, yet it is the first in need of major reform.

Editorial: Mad Dog’s Mission
(Sebastian Sprenger in Defense News) The pick of retired Gen. James Mattis as defense secretary by Donald Trump provides hope that the Pentagon, at least, will be in stable hands.

Reforming the National Security Council: It’s About Trust and Accountability
(Lt. Col. James Price in Defense News) President Trump’s national security team has to be ready to hit the ground running in January. The list of challenges is long: a resurgent and aggressive Russia, a rising China, a belligerent and nuclear capable North Korea, an Iranian government inserting itself throughout the Middle East, Syria and international terrorism.

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