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view email as webpage COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES January 23, 2014 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. Air Force sect. has ‘picked up on morale issues’ (Associated Press) The top civilian leader in the Air Force said Wednesday she has "picked up on morale issues" among airmen and officers in charge of the nation's nuclear force but remains confident in its mission. 2. MRI machines for treating soldiers pulled from war zone (USA Today) Advanced brain imaging machines sent to Afghanistan in 2011 at the urging of then-admiral Mike Mullen when he was the Pentagon's top military officer have since been quietly closed down and dismantled. 3. Enlisting Companies to Invest In Veterans (Retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and Sidney E. Goodfriend in the Wall Street Journal) With the drawdown of America's major post-9/11 overseas engagements, nearly a million of the country's finest men and women will be leaving the armed forces and joining the economy. With that in mind, we want to focus on the long-term futures of our veterans. 4. U.S. Accuses Security Background Check Firm of Fraud (Wall Street Journal)The Justice Department on Wednesday accused the government's largest private security background check contractor of defrauding the country of millions of dollars by methodically filing more than 660,000 flawed background investigations—40% of the cases it sent to the government over a four-year period. 5. Sources: White House Eyes Wormuth, Sherwood-Randall for Pentagon Policy Chief (Defense News) On the shortlist to become the Pentagon’s third-ranking civilian leader are a senior Defense Department official and a top White House national security adviser, multiple sources say. INDUSTRY New Report Questions F-35 Job Creation Claims (Defense News)  The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has been hailed as a job creator of the highest order, a program that has a home in almost every state. But a new report claims that the job creation aspect of the fifth-generation fighter has been greatly exaggerated. Lockheed Gets New Missile Order While First One Is Late (Bloomberg) Lockheed Martin Corp. this month received a new $449 million Air Force contract for radar-evading cruise missiles while initial deliveries of some of the same missiles are at least nine months behind schedule. Pentagon's Truck Giveaway Could Dent Defense Contractors (Wall Street Journal) Unclaimed trucks are probably destined for the scrap heap—bad news for the defense contractors that keep the vehicles supplied with suspensions, engine parts and transmissions. Truck makers are cutting jobs as revenue drops. General Dynamics shares rise on buyback pledge (Reuters)  General Dynamics Corp (GD.N) shares rose more than 5 percent on Wednesday after the maker of Gulfstream business jets and Navy ships posted higher-than-expected quarterly results, and pledged to buy back 11.4 million shares in the first quarter. Boeing, Raytheon Must Wait to Find Out Winner of Hotly Contested FAB-T Contract (National Defense Magazine) The Air Force may select the winner of a competition to build the Family of Advanced Beyond Line of Sight Terminals in March, an executive at Raytheon said Jan. 22. C4ISR market to reach $93B (C4ISR & Networks) The global C4ISR market will reach $93 billion by 2019, according to market research firm Marketsandmarkets. This reflects a compound annual growth rate of 2.28 percent. BAE Chief: Typhoon Sale Talks With UAE Have Ended (Defense News) BAE Chief Executive Ian King has killed off hopes the company might return to the negotiating table with the United Arab Emirates over the sale of Typhoon jets. CONGRESS Senate bill would restore COLA reduction for military retirees (Military Times) The Senate is poised to consider a massive veterans bill that not only would improve education, health and employment benefits for former troops, it would restore the cost-of-living adjustment reduction for military retirees set by the Bipartisan Budget Act. Northrop Grumman boosts lobbying (The Hill) Defense firm Northrop Grumman nearly doubled its spending on lobbying in the fourth quarter to more than $7 million, according to new lobbying disclosure documents. Patty Murray Comes Out Against Iran Sanctions Bill (Huffington Post) Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a member of the Senate leadership, came out Wednesday against passing a bill to slap more sanctions on Iran during an interim six-month nuclear deal between that country and the world powers. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Religious exemptions for troops easier to request under new rules (Military Times) The Pentagon on Wednesday announced new rules that make it easier for troops to request religious exemptions from uniform rules, grooming standards and other military policies. Think Tank: Tighter Defense Budgets Could Drive Shift to Robotic Warfare (Defense News) Rapidly rising personnel costs combined with a decline in defense spending could drive the Pentagon to expand its robotic arsenal, replacing humans with autonomous systems, a prominent think tank says. Pentagon contract workers strike over low pay (CBS News) Roughly 50 food court and janitorial workers at the U.S. Department Department went on strike Wednesday to demand a hike in their hourly wage. Strikes targeting federal facilities in Washington were also planned at Washington's Union Station, Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, the Old Post Office Building and the Ronald Reagan Building.  Defense Dept. Calls For Expanded Nuclear Monitoring (Information Week) US must ramp up surveillance and big data analytics tools to meet challenge of global nuclear proliferation monitoring, warns DOD Defense Science Board report. ARMY Edward Balli, Salinas native and soldier, killed in Afghanistan (The Monterey County Herald, Calif.) A soldier born and raised in Salinas with dreams of retirement in Hawaii in four years was killed in Afghanistan on Monday, his family said. Army Presses Case for Relevance of Ground Forces (National Defense Magazine) The U.S. Army has been frequently criticized for being slow and heavy, and therefore less likely to be called upon to respond to a crisis halfway around the world, whereas the Marine Corps or special operations forces can get there fast. NCO instructors will soon earn badges (Army Times) Soldiers who serve as instructors in the NCO Education System will be recognized with badges and professional development skill identifiers as a result of the Army’s continued efforts to battle sexual assault. Blimplike surveillance craft set to deploy over Maryland heighten privacy concerns (Washington Post) The aerostats — that is the term for lighter-than-air craft that are tethered to the ground — are to be set aloft on Army-owned land about 45 miles northeast of Washington, near Aberdeen Proving Ground, for a three-year test slated to start in October. From a vantage of 10,000 feet, they will cast a vast radar net from Raleigh, N.C., to Boston and out to Lake Erie, with the goal of detecting cruise missiles or enemy aircraft so they could be intercepted before reaching the capital. Fort Carson brigade to trade in tanks for 8-wheeled Strykers (Colorado Springs Gazette) After the change, the division will have armored, infantry and Stryker brigades, creating a force that can be tailored to meet various global threats. The post's 1st Brigade Combat team will get the vehicles in as little as two months. Man charged with murder in stabbing death of JBLM soldier (The News Tribune; Tacoma, Wash.) Pierce County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 29-year-old man with second-degree murder in the death of a decorated Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who was stabbed over the weekend after coming to aid of a woman being attacked. NAVY Judge orders TV networks to turn over footage in Naval Academy case (The Baltimore Sun) A military judge has ordered CNN and CBS to turn over unaired footage of interviews with a Naval Academy midshipman who was the alleged victim of sexual assault at an off-campus party in 2012. Navy Delays UCLASS Request for Proposal Amidst Requirement Evaluation (US Naval Institute) The U.S. Navy has pushed back the release date again for a draft request for proposals (RfP) for its Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) aircraft program, service officials told USNI News. Shipyard worker denounces anonymous claim of spying (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) A senior Pearl Harbor shipyard manager says he was falsely accused of espionage, taken off the job in March and has not been paid since July — even though an investigation cleared him of the "foreign influence" allegations. Navy completes salvage of downed helicopter (Virginian-Pilot) The Navy has finished recovering the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed off Virginia Beach two weeks ago. AIR FORCE Is Precision the Future of CAS? (Defense News) With budgets slashed due to sequestration, the US Air Force is eyeing vertical cuts — the removal from service of single-mission aircraft to save money that can be invested toward readiness and modernization. For US forces, delivering peacekeepers to the CAR is no easy task (Stars and Stripes) Landing a C-17 cargo aircraft at the airfield in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, is like landing at any airport — except for the fact that the airfield is surrounded by smoke, the radar system on the ground is weak, control tower operators are difficult to communicate with, the tarmac is short, and Internally Displaced Persons are milling about near the runway. Case shows impact of year-old special victims counsel (Air Force Times) At first, it seemed the airman would escape the charge that he had raped a co-worker. The investigating officer didn’t think there was enough evidence to send the case to court-martial and recommended tossing out the charge. In September, Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, the general court-martial convening authority, agreed. Bat caught at Lackland negative for rabies (San Antonio Express-News)  The bat, tested at a lab at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, was one of at least five observed earlier this month in an aging dormitory complex, prompting the largest mass rabies vaccination in the history of Air Force basic training. More than 200 recruits were told to get shots. Nellis airman due in court Jan. 28 in connection with wife's death (Air Force Times) A Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., airman being held without bail in his wife’s death will next appear in court Jan. 28. MARINE CORPS A life cut short: Marine Cpl. Gilliam mourned, saluted at Fresno funeral (The Fresno Bee) Beside a casket draped in red, white and blue, they stood during the military funeral service in Fresno and remembered Cpl. Farrell Gilliam, the Marine, brother, son, friend -- just 25 -- whose life ended too soon. Former U.S. Officials Make New Push To Free U.S. Marine In Iran (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Former top American security and defense officials have launched a new appeal to free a former U.S. Marine imprisoned in Iran.   Candidate to stop using Marine Corps emblem in campaign (Daily Times; Kerrville, Texas) Local candidate for county judge Bob Waller said Tuesday he will stop using the U.S. Marine Corps Eagle, Globe and Anchor in his campaign materials after learning that its use was prohibited and violated U.S. trademark law. Marine West Expo opens Jan. 29 (San Diego Union-Tribune) The trade show aims to help the Marine Corps identify new equipment and services to help in war fighting. More than 175 vendors are expected to showcase new battle technology at the event, which typically draws more than 3,000 attendees, including commands from throughout California and Western states. VETERANS Software glitch exposed thousands of veterans’ private information (Washington Post) A software glitch with a Department of Veterans Affairs benefits portal allowed users to access one another’s private information, alarming some veterans groups and lawmakers, who see the incident as the latest mani­festation of an ongoing security problem. Military veterans: Natural born CEOs? (Fortune) As the country's latest wars wind down and more soldiers exit the military, many are questioning whether the hierarchical military leadership that traditionally worked so well is still as valuable in the corporate world. Islandia mayor hopes to build more houses for veterans (Newsday) Mayor Allan Dorman is trying to persuade the Suffolk County Water Authority to donate eight of 13 acres of wooded land it owns in the village, on the corner of Old Nichols Road and the north side of the Long Island Expressway. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN West Explores Plan B for Forces in Afghanistan (Wall Street Journal) Several senior Western diplomats here have concluded that Afghan President Hamid Karzai won't sign a security deal with the U.S. Pentagon, White House Are At Odds Over Afghanistan (National Public Radio) The Pentagon is saying that it needs to keep 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 to train Afghans and maintain a counterterror mission. But military officials are once again running into interference from Vice President Joe Biden. Alexandros Petersen, 1984-2014 (The Daily Beast) Author and academic Alexandros "Alex" Petersen died in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan on Jan. 17 at the age of 29. Pakistan Hit by New Militant Attacks (Wall Street Journal) Islamist militants continued their blitz of attacks Wednesday, escalating pressure on the government to take tougher military action against the Taliban. Uzbeks, Germans reported killed in Pakistan airstrikes (Long War Journal) Pakistani security officials claimed that 33 Uzbek fighters and three German jihadists were among the 40 people killed in yesterday's airstrikes in the Mir Ali and Datta Khel areas of North Waziristan. The report is unconfirmed, but if true, the Uzbeks and Germans are likely members of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan or the splinter Islamic Jihad Union. IRAQ In Op-Ed, Jeffrey Argues For U.S. To Do More In Iraq (National Public Radio) The death toll in Iraq this month is nearly 700 and rising — the result of a wave of bombings and open clashes between government-led Iraqi security forces and Sunni extremists with ties to al Qaida. Steve Inskeep talks to former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey, who says the U.S. should be doing more in Iraq. Former Iraq VP: Terrorism, political conflict behind Anbar crisis (Al-Monitor) In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who is a leader in the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), spoke about thorny and sensitive issues while describing the Iraqi political situation. Abdul-Mahdi — who resigned his vice presidential post in 2011 — said that he does not wish to see Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki run for a third term. He also said that it would be "very difficult" for Maliki to be re-elected. Time to end al Qaeda presence in Falluja: Iraq's Maliki (Reuters)Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Wednesday it was time to clear al Qaeda-linked militants out of the rebel-held city of Falluja, but set no deadline for any military assault. In divided Iraq, Sunnis fleeing Anbar find restive refuge in Shiite holy city (Washington Post) The plush accommodation halls on the outskirts of this southern Iraqi city, normally reserved for visiting Shiite pilgrims, now teem with displaced Sunnis fleeing violence in the Western province of Anbar. MIDDLE EAST Qatar's foreign minister: Iran has 'crucial role' in Syria (Al-Monitor) Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah said today that “Iran can play a vital role” in Syria. 3 east Jerusalem al-Qaida recruits arrested, 'planned massive bombings (The Jerusalem Post) The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced on Wednesday that it arrested three Palestinians from east Jerusalem recruited online by an al-Qaida operative in Gaza, who were in the midst of preparations to carry out a string of large-scale bombing and shooting attacks on multiple targets in Israel. Israel kills two alleged militants, including one accused of Sharon funeral missile barrage (Washington Post) Two alleged operatives from different militant organizations based in the Gaza Strip were killed Wednesday in a targeted missile strike carried out by the Israeli air force, according to Israeli military spokesmen. Syria talks begin in rancor; foreign minister lashes out at Kerry, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon (Washington Post) Peace talks to end Syria’s civil war got off to a shaky start Wednesday, with finger-pointing by the government and its political opponents, and disagreement about what the goal of the negotiations should be. Fate of Bashar Assad is key in Syria talks (Los Angeles Times) At the core of the extraordinary diplomatic push launched Wednesday to end Syria's civil war is the fate of one man: Syrian President Bashar Assad. EUROPE Ukrainian president, opposition leaders in talks after violent clashes escalate (Washington Post) With at least two protesters dead from gunshot wounds, and another found beaten to death, talks that opened Wednesday afternoon between President Viktor Yanukovych and the three main leaders of the political opposition are likely to be the last chance to head off a nation-shaking physical confrontation. France Military To Up Defenses Against Cyberwar (Defense News) France will soon launch a €1.5 billion ($2 billion) plan to defend itself against cyberwar as a strategic priority, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday. UK retires ALARM missile (IHS Jane's) The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed the final retirement of the Air-Launched Anti-Radiation Missile (ALARM), a move which leaves the Royal Air Force (RAF) without a dedicated defence suppression weapon. UK deploys new GEOINT system (C4ISR & Networks) Tranche 1 of Britain's Field Deployable GEOINT, which provides geospatial intelligence, has reached initial operating capability, according to Lockheed Martin. Germany Evaluates New SIGINT Airframes (Defense News) The German military is considering four variants for a new signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft to replace the scrapped Eurohawk UAV project. The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support has come up with manned and unmanned solutions. ASIA-PACIFIC US Pacific Fleet Chief Says N. Korea Is Top Security Concern (Defense News) North Korea remains Washington’s “No. 1 security concern” in Asia, the US Pacific Fleet commander said Wednesday, despite simmering territorial disputes elsewhere in the region. Congressman supports missile defense system on Guam (Pacific Daily News, Guam) The head of a congressional delegation said yesterday he supports the long-term deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system on Guam. China Wants a Four Carrier Navy, Maybe (US Naval Institute) China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has designs on a force of four aircraft carriers, according to statements from Chinese officials in Chinese state media that were later deleted. Japan's Abe uses Davos economic forum to warn of China militancy (Los Angeles Times) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe used his moment in the spotlight Wednesday at the World Economic Forum to sound an alarm over what he sees as China's rising militancy and Japan's outdated defense posture. Maldives Rejects Military Pact With US (Defense News) The Maldives has decided not to take part in a proposed military cooperation pact with the United States over fears that it could upset the regional power India, senior officials said Wednesday. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS Playing the Defense Jobs Card Isn’t Working Anymore (William D. Hartung in Defense One) The history of Pentagon spending is rife with examples in which programs have been saved from the budget cutter’s axe because of the jobs associated with them.  From the revival of the B-1 bomber in the 1980s to the current effort to keep the M-1 tank line open, jobs in key states and districts have provided powerful leverage to contractors seeking to save or extend major procurement programs. But those days may be coming to an end. No Time For Inaccuracy On JSF Costs (Bill Sweetman in Aviation Week) When a Rand Corp. report concluded in December that the Joint Strike Fighter program would cost more than the total of three separate ones, Lockheed Martin responded sharply, accusing the authors of overstating the figures by a factor of two. But the company could not provide a source for its own numbers. What Americans should fear in cyberspace (Peter Singer in the Los Angeles Times) Instead of focusing on what we need to learn, we've instead fed on hype that fuels fears but doesn't solve problems. For instance, Americans have repeatedly been told by government leaders and media pundits that cyber attacks are like weapons of mass destruction and that we are in a sort of Cold War of cyberspace. Deciphering Obama’s Necessary Message to the Intelligence Community (Joseph R. DeTrani in Defense One) President Barack Obama’s speech last week was a thoughtful and comprehensive appraisal of the intelligence community’s signals intelligence mission and capabilities. As Congress Goes Global on Human Rights, Will the Administration Follow? (Ellen Bork in the Foreign Policy Initiative) On January 15th, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the Global Human Rights Accountability Act (S. 1933), which would enact visa and banking bans on the most serious human rights violators around the world.  China’s Communist Party would be a prime target of this new bill. You are receiving this correspondence because you provided us with your email address as a part of your subscription. If you are receiving this in error, please go here to let us know. Thank you.

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