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SASC poised to vote five DoD nominees out of committee

WASHINGTON The Senate Armed Services Committee is poised to push five top defense nominees out of committee and toward a Senate-wide confirmation vote, in a move Chairman John McCain acknowledged may result in a "confrontation" with Democrats on the Senate floor. McCain, R-Ariz. pledged at the end of a hearing today that he would push four nominations David Trachtenberg to be principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, Owen West to be assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, Ryan McCarthy to be undersecretary of the Army and Charles Stimson to be general counsel of the Department of the Navy out of committee as soon as possible, indicating it may happen this afternoon. Speaking to reporters afterward, McCain also indicated secretary of the Navy nominee Richard Spencer, who had a hearing on Tuesday, would be part of that committee group. , The move comes days after the White House accused Democrats of holding up nominees in the Senate. Democrats have countered that the White House has been slow to send names for confirmation. "If the Democrat leader continues to block your nominations, we're going to have a bit of a confrontation on the floor of the Senate," McCain said. "We can't defend this nation without people in the positions you're nominated for, and holding them up for days or even weeks is just unacceptable when you look at what's happening in the world.", "I'm not happy with some of the things you're associated with, some of your statements, but I also think overall you need to get to work. We have a lot of things that need to get addressed," McCain added, addressing the nominees. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said in a floor speech Tuesday that if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. brought three pending DoD nominees to the floor vote, "they will be approved.", Schumer did not name the nominees, and there are four awaiting a floor vote Shanahan, principal deputy undersecretary of defense nominee Elaine McCusker, director of cost assessment and program evaluation nominee Robert Daigle and assistant defense secretary nominee Robert Hood. The hearing itself was a mostly calm affair. The largest sticking point came regarding previous comments from Stimson and West, but both men largely sidestepped the potential landmine. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Stimson famously had to resign in 2007 as deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs over controversial remarks in which he criticized lawyers who represent terrorism suspects. McCain referred to it as a "dumb mistake" and noted Stimson had "paid the price" for it, while Stimson took his lumps from McCain and other senators on the issue. "I made a boneheaded statement," Stimson said. "They don't reflect my professional views, and that's why I apologize.", Similarly, West had to apologize and walk back statements made in a 2016 editorial regarding the integration of women into Marine combat roles. West said he was "reactionary" in his response. "I regret it. The article drifted, and there are sentences in there that are clearly wrong that i don't even agree with. If confirmed, i come with no agenda and no politics. I support all the DoD policies and the fact is, all jobs are open," West said. "Gender indifferent. That is my position.", Trachtenberg, who will likely serve as the acting undersecretary of defense for policy, if confirmed there is yet to be a full USD-P nominee named, although Lockheed Martin executive John Rood is considered the front runner for the role made the most eyebrow-raising comments with blunt assessments of threats around the world, including some that directly contradicted recent statements from top White House officials. In one case, Trachtenberg was asked about a recent statement by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said Russia may have the "right approach" in Syria. While noting he did not have the full context available to him, Trachtenberg said "taking it on face value, I would have to disagree with that. Russia objectives in Syria are clearly antithetical to our objective." He also stressed that no Syrian deal can work if Bashar Assad remains in power. Trachtenberg later seemed to contradict U.S. President Donald Trump on the question of whether Russia attempted to influence the American election last fall. While the intelligence community has been untied in its assessment that Russia attempted to interfere, Trump has been less equivocal, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin's denial. Asked about the issue, Trachtenberg said, "I have no reason to doubt the conclusions of the intelligence community," adding that "it was certainly a hostile act. An attack like that, in the cyber realm does not, in my view, need to be defined as an act of war in order to merit an aggressive response.", The tone of the committee was friendly from the get-go. Stimson received an enthusiastic endorsement from Secretary of the Interior Ryan ZInke, an old friend of Stimson. West, meanwhile, was given endorsement from SASC member Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. who said he would be "proud to support" the nominee. Trachtenberg also noted that his experience as a House Armed Services Committee staffer gave him an appreciation for the key role Congress plays in defense perhaps a savvy move given McCain's previous complaints that the White House thinks the Senate is simply a "rubber stamp" on nominees.

Benefits basics Tricare procedures and eligibility requirements

, Unlike other military benefits, the Tricare program has undergone a major overhaul for 2018. As beneficiaries sort out which plan suits their health care needs and how much more they might be paying for medical visits and prescriptions here's a look at how it works, and what your options are, What it is Tricare is a health care program for almost 9.4 million beneficiaries that offers 11 different options, with choices depending on the status of the sponsor and the geographic location. Eligibility Active-duty members military retirees National Guard and Reserve members family members spouses and children registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and certain others, including some former military spouses and survivors, as well as and Medal of Honor recipients and their immediate families. Tricare beneficiaries who were eligible for and/or enrolled in Tricare as of Dec. 31, 2017, were automatically enrolled in their respective plans Jan. 1. Because 2018 is a transition year, Tricare beneficiaries are allowed to make changes to their enrollment all year, to help beneficiaries adjust to making their health care choice. Those entering the military on or after Jan. 1, or changing status i.e. from active duty to retired should make sure they and their eligible family members are enrolled in the Tricare program of their choice. Those who don't enroll may only receive care at a military clinic or hospital on a space-available basis, and medical care by civilian providers wouldn't be covered. Prime? Select? Overseas? Whatever your coverage needs, get up to speed. The details Tricare offers two core options Tricare Prime and Tricare Select. Select replaced Tricare Standard and Tricare Extra in 2018. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, All active-duty members are required to enroll in Tricare Prime they pay nothing out of pocket. Active-duty families can enroll in Tricare Prime without an enrollment fee. Prime beneficiaries are assigned a primary care manager provider at their local military treatment facility or, if one is not available, they can select a PCM within the Tricare Prime network. Specialty care is provided on referral, either to specialists at a military facility or a civilian provider, by the PCM. Tricare Select is similar to a traditional fee-for-service health plan. Patients can see any authorized provider they choose, but pay a deductible and co-pays for visits. Patients pay lower out-of-pocket costs when they receive care from a provider within the Tricare network. Get more details on each plan here. FREE DOWNLOAD 2018 MILITARY TIMES BENEFITS GUIDE, Action items Beginning this year, beneficiaries must take action to enroll in a Tricare plan in order to be covered for civilian health care. Those who don't enroll will only be able to get health care at a military clinic or hospital on a space available basis. That didn't apply to beneficiaries using Tricare as of the end of 2017. They were automatically enrolled in the corresponding plan for 2018. For example, those in Tricare Standard or Tricare Extra were automatically enrolled in Tricare Select, the new plan which replaced those two. Go here to enroll in a plan, or for instructions on how to enroll via phone. CHANGING YOUR PLAN, Because of the changes to the Tricare program in 2018, beneficiaries can switch between plans, allowing them to decide which best meets their needs. That grace period ends Dec. 31 after that, enrollees can change plans only during open enrollment periods or within 90 days of a "qualifying life event.", Examples of such an event, To change your plan, contact your contractor. West Region 844-866-9378 or online. East Region 800-444-5445 or online.

Pentagon identifies Navy SEAL killed in Yemen raid

The Department of Defense today has identified Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens as the first American war casualty of the President Donald Trump era. Owens, 36, of Peoria, Ill. died Jan. 29, 2017, of wounds received during a raid conducted in Yemen. Three other service members were wounded in the raid. Navy Special Warfare Command confirmed Owens was assigned to an "East Coast-based Special Warfare unit." While multiple news outlets are reporting the unit as Seal Team Six, the Navy would not confirm. , An estimated 14 al-Qaida terrorists were killed during the raid, according to a release by the U.S. Central Command. , "Americans are saddened this morning with news that a life of a heroic service member has been taken in our fight against the evil of radical Islamic terrorism," Trump said in a White House press release on Jan. 29. "My deepest thoughts and humblest prayers are with the family of this fallen service member. A fifth service member was injured when "a U.S. military aircraft assisting in the operation experienced a hard landing at a nearby location," according to the CENTCOM release. That aircraft was unable to fly after the landing and was intentionally destroyed. , Owens enlisted in the Navy in Aug. 24, 1998. After initially training as a cryptologic technician communications, he served his initial tour of duty at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Suitland, Maryland, before attending basic and advanced SEAL training in Coronado, California, where he completed training in December 2002. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Navy Times Daily News Roundup, His first tour as a SEAL was at a West Coast unit, followed by three consecutive East Coast tours. He was on his fifth team tour when he was killed. He'd been with that unit just over two years. He was selected for chief petty officer in 2009. Along with his SEAL trident and basic parachutist wings, he is qualified to wear the following awards

US Armys FY18 wish list would grow force by 17000 soldiers

WASHINGTON The U.S. Army's 12.7 billion wish list for fiscal 2018 asks to grow the total force by another 17,000 troops, would further increase munitions stockpiles, and would further modernize both brigade combat teams and vertical lift capabilities.The wish list known formally as an unfunded requirements list is typically sent to Congress by each of the services to help guide Capitol Hill in considering what additional funding beyond the budget request Congress might provide as lawmakers begin to draft the policy and spending bills.The Army's 166 billion budget request for FY18 was released on May 23. It funds a 1,018,000 total force, which maintains the status quo and the end strength mandated in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, a better deal than was previously anticipated. The budget request also prioritized munitions stockpiles and modernization for armored brigade combat teams. The unfunded requirements list in 2018 obtained by Defense News shows the Army would want to grow the force beyond the status quo, asking for 3.1 billion to add 10,000 troops for the active force, 4,000 for the Army National Guard and 3,000 for the Army Reserve. The funding would support the pay, training, sustainment, infrastructure and equipping of the additional soldiers. It would also provide for three security force assistance brigades two Short-Range Air Defense, or SHORAD, battalions two Multiple-Launch Rocket System battalions cyber operations forces a multi-domain headquarters and a division and a corps headquarters. In its FY18 budget request, the Army announced plans to create two security force assistance brigades "as a tool for combatant commanders to shape their areas of responsibility in ways that deter and prevent conflict and set the theater to enable the United States and its allies and partners to prevail if conflict becomes necessary," an overview of the budget reads. The wish list also includes adding a combat service support battalion, a heavy truck company and a maintenance support company. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. expressed concern over the Army not being able to grow the force larger than what was mandated in 2017. And while the Army was able to fund more modernization efforts in FY18 than it has been able to in the past, McCain said he was also concerned that was enough to strengthen the force. Speaking generally about the budget during that hearing, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said it stopped the bleeding, but further and consistent funds would be required to truly heal the force. While the Army is prioritizing air-and-missile defense, particularly SHORAD, long-range fires, munitions shortfalls and enhancing the lethality of brigade combat teams, the wish list asks for 4.9 billion in additional funds within the service's top 10 modernization priorities. The largest amounts would be funneled into modernization accounts that would further enhance mobility, lethality and protection of vertical lift and the brigade combat teams, or BCT. The Army would want an additional 2.5 billion for the BCTs and 1.1 million for vertical lift. The FY18 budget took another appetite suppressant on aviation modernization, so the wish list attempts to make that up with funds for nine additional AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, three more UH-60 Victor-model Black Hawk utility helicopters as well as three recapitalized versions. The list also includes nine new-build CH-47F Block I Chinook cargo helicopters. On the ground vehicle side, the Army would recapitalize 33 M2A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 29 more Abrams tanks and 35 Hercules Recovery Vehicles as well as M872 trailers that address "critical mobility shortfalls across the Army," according to the document. Other modernization funding would go toward accelerating a replacement of radiation detection capability developing assured positioning, navigation and timing in a GPS-denied environment procuring hardware for route-clearance Medium Mine Protected Vehicles and buying 12 Assault Breacher Vehicles, four Combat Dozer Blades and eight full-width mine plows for the 15th and 16th armored brigade combat teams. The FY18 budget did shore up some of the munition stockpile shortages concerning the Army, but its wish list asks for 2.3 billion more for missiles, ammunition and funding for the industrial base. The list asks for 75 more Army Tactical Missile System ATACMS missiles, 147 more Patriot Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 42 Patriot Enhanced Launcher Electronics Systems and 70 Patriot launcher modification kits. Funding would also include a 66 percent increase in Guided Multiple-Launch Rocket System production capacity "to meet critical combat requirements and war reserves in Fires, Air and Missile Defense and SHORAD," the document states. The list also includes funding for the Cannon-Delivered Area Effects Munitions bridging strategy to possibly replace the Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions cluster munition. The ban on cluster munitions goes into effect on Jan.1, 2019. The service also wants to bring production capacity for Excalibur munitions to its maximum rate of 3,000 rounds "in order to keep pace with combat requirements and slow the depletion of war reserves," the list includes. To meet urgent operational needs in theater, the list also would procure guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets. The Army also wants 1.8 billion for war-fighter readiness to keep BCT training proficiency aligned with increased operational tempo as well as other training rotations and related sustainment, infrastructure and equipment. Lastly, the service is asking for an additional 579.1 million for infrastructure projects it couldn't include in the FY18 request. The list asks to fund construction of six readiness centers for the reserve components, other maintenance facilities and barracks among other construction projects.

Trump appears to call for defense spending cuts

WASHINGTON In a surprise announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump has called for government spending to be cut 5 percent across every federal department, leaving next year's military budget in confusion. "I would like you to come back with a 5 percent cut," Trump told members of his Cabinet during a Tuesday meeting. "Get rid of the fat, get rid of the waste, I'm sure you can do it. I'm sure everybody at this table can do it. It'll have a huge impact.", Trump was specifically asked about the Pentagon's budget by a reporter and did not say the department would be exempt. However, he did say the department's budget "will probably be 700 billion" for fiscal 2020, noting that "because now that we have our military taken care of, we have our law enforcement taken care of, we can do things that we really weren't in a position to do when I first came.", America's "marginal" military means the U.S. would struggle if forced to take on a second major conflict at the same time, a new report has found. The Pentagon's budget for FY19 was 686.1 billion, with overall national security funding set at 716 billion. Additionally, a drop from 716 billion to 700 billion is only a 2.23 percent drop a full 5 percent cut would put national security spending to 680, with the Pentagon's total at 651.7 billion. A budget increase for the Pentagon to 700 billion would represent a funding increase, but Trump's comments indicated he is referring to a drop from the larger 716 billion figure. "It was at 520 a very short while ago. And the reason I brought it up to 700 and then 716 was to build new ships," Trump said. "We're building new, incredible submarines, the finest in the world, most powerful in the world, anywhere, ever. We're doing things that we have never done on this scale. So that included a lot of rebuilding of our military. "So despite that, I'm going to keep that at 700 billion defense. OK?", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, A spokesman for the National Security Council did not return a request for clarification on Trump's comments. If Trump's comments hold and national security spending will drop, it would come at a time the department has been planning to invest in capabilities needed under the National Defense Strategy. Pentagon officials have been clear they see the need for 2 to 3 percent growth above inflation to fund requirements while also investing in manpower and new technologies. But there is a growing sense that FY20 may only come with an inflation bump. "This two-year plus-up, where we've seen some gains, if that isn't sustained in 2020 or beyond, you're going to lose whatever the goodness was that came from last year and this year," Dakota Wood, an analyst with The Heritage Foundation, told Defense News earlier this month. "FY19 is now the ceiling. It's not the floor to build from," Wood said. "What folks on the Hill and the Office of Management and Budget and others are looking at is the domestic political situation. To argue for even more spending on defense is just politically not a real, viable prospect. Because you're talking about a future danger.", In recent years, Congress has plussed-up what it considers lower-than-desired defense levels. However, if Democrats take one or both chambers, there is an expectation they will tamp down on military spending.

Afghans soon to fly missions with Black Hawks from US

KANADAHAR, Afghanistan The U.S. military has been flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter missions in Afghanistan for years, but the storied aircraft will soon take to the country's battlefields manned by pilots and crews from the Afghan military. The first group of Afghan trainees is in the final phase of instruction by U.S. advisers at an air base in southern Kandahar province, as part of the process of transitioning Afghanistan's military from Soviet-era Mi-17 helicopters to the U.S.-made Black Hawks. They are scheduled to begin flying missions in May. "The Mi-17 that the UH-60 is going to replace is not sustainable as a helicopter, so what we are doing, we are giving to the Afghan Air Force sustainable, very highly capable and battle-proven helicopters so that they can take the fight forward as they continue to safeguard this country," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Ted Rogers, director of operations for the 441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron. He called the transition "hugely important.", According to the Afghan Air Force, it has 46 of the Russian Mi-17 multi-mission helicopters, of which 25 are active. The rest are unusable either because of scheduled overhauls or major repairs. The transfer of the Black Hawks is part of broader plans for the expansion of the Afghan Air Force. The Afghan government and the international community, including the United States and NATO, have stepped up efforts to bolster its capacity and capabilities and the U.S. is spending 814 million on the seven-year effort. Less than two years after flying its first combat mission, the Afghan Air Force's A-29 Super Tucano aircraft are playing a key role in supporting Afghan soldiers on the ground. Along with the Black Hawks, the plan includes the introduction of AC-208 light attack and surveillance aircraft, A-29 attack aircraft and additional MD-530 attack helicopters to the Afghan Air Force. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, Since November, 11 Black Hawks have arrived at Kandahar Air Field. By the end of the year, a total 28 copters will be handed over to the Afghan military, with a total 159 transferred by the end of the program in 2023. The aircraft have or will undergo engine upgrades, U.S. military officials said. The primary purpose of the aircraft will be for troop and cargo transport, including evacuating casualties and remains. However, many of the aircraft will be weaponized to provide close air support in battle. Afghan Air Force pilots recently employed laser-guided bombs from their A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft, according to officials involved in NATO's Resolute Support mission. The UH-60 Black Hawk manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft was first entered into service in the late 1970s as the U.S. Army's tactical transport helicopter. Now a mainstay in militaries around the world, a version of the aircraft was modified for stealth in the Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan in 2011. The image of the aircraft is ubiquitous in popular culture, gaining fame when it was featured in the film "Black Hawk Down" about the 1993 Battle for Mogadishu in Somalia. According to Maj. Nick Plante, TAAC-Air spokesman and senior public affairs adviser to the Afghan Air Force, the Black Hawk flight training lasts around 16 weeks. This includes six weeks for aircraft qualification training and then 10 more weeks for mission qualification training. Besides classroom studies, students perform take-offs, landings and emergency scenarios with their instructors as part of the training. There are both young, inexperienced pilots and crew members being trained, as well those with experience flying the Mi-17s. More than 30 Afghan Air Force members are about to start their second phase of training and most have had some of their instruction in the U.S. the Czech Republic or the United Arab Emirates. Soon after completing the last phase at Kandahar Air Field, the students will be introduced as UH-60 Black Hawk pilots and special mission operators. Lt. Massihullah Kakar, 25, in his first week of pilot training in Kandahar after receiving initial training in the Czech Republic, said the main things that ground forces need from Black Hawk missions are to be provided timely reinforcements and equipment. He pointed to a nearby UH-60 and said "This is the only aircraft with which we can reach the ground forces on time and we can reinforce them better because it is powerful and fast.", Kakar, who said he was happy after successfully performing a take-off and landing of one of the aircraft for the first time, said Afghans must be able to defend their own air space. "This is our responsibility," he said. "As long as we can control our air space, our people will live in peace and prosperity.", U.S. Air Force Col. Armando E. Fiterre, commander of the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group based at Kandahar Air Field, emphasized the importance of the Black Hawks on the battlefield supporting Afghan ground forces anywhere in the country. "The importance of lift is critical to the battlefield, this is why the UH-60 Alpha is coming at such decisive moment," he said. "We had a very good fighting season last year and we expect that the fight will continue this year and in the years to come and the UH-60 is going to be a critical element to move troops and bring causalities out of the field, a critical element in any fight.", Lt. Abdul Hadi Reeshad, 24, just returned from training in the U.S. was ready to start the final phase of his Black Hawk training. "This is my ambition, my family's ambition to be a pilot," he said just before entering the cabin of one of the aircraft and flying away. "I wanted to be a servant of my country."

US Turkey begin joint patrols around northern Syrian town of Manbij

ANKARA, Turkey Turkish and U.S. troops on Thursday began jointly patrolling areas around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, part of a roadmap for easing tensions between the two NATO allies, Turkey's defense minister announced. Responding to questions by legislators in Parliament, Hulusi Akar said the patrols began at 353 p.m. 1253 GMT but did not provide further details. Sharfan Darwish, spokesman of the Manbij Military Council, told The Associated Press earlier that the patrols have started and are taking place on the front lines between his group and those of Turkey-backed rebels in the operation called Euphrates Shield. Turkey's president said Tuesday his country has finalized plans for a "comprehensive and effective" operation that would target a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia in Syria east of the Euphrates River, a move that could further increase tension in the area where U.S.-led coalition forces are based. Ankara and Washington agreed on a roadmap in June amid Turkish demands for the withdrawal of the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia that freed Manbij from the Islamic State group in 2016. The U.S. and the Turks have been conducting independent patrols along the front line and joint patrols are considered a way to tamp down potential violence between the various groups in the region. The sides have conducted 68 independent patrols before the combined patrols started. The Manbij Military Council that administers the town says the Kurdish militia, the People's Protection Units, or YPG, which Turkey views as a terrorist group, left Manbij in July. Turkey's president in remarks published Friday accused the United States of failing to abide by a deal for a U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia to withdraw from a town it had liberated from Islamic State militants in northern Syria. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, "The aim of these patrols is to reduce tension and guarantee stability so that there will be no tension along the front line," Darwish said by telephone from northern Syria. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group because of its links to the Kurdish insurgency in southeastern Turkey. It had threatened to storm Manbij to oust the group from the region. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, also said the patrols would follow days of Turkish shelling of positions of the main Kurdish militia. The Observatory and Kurdish spokesman Mustafa Bali said Turkish troops opened fire on the border village of Tal Fandar killing an 11-year-old girl. Tensions persist between the U.S. military and its NATO ally in the Syrian region of Manbij. Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Akar as saying that despite promises that the YPG and other Kurdish militias "will be removed from Manbij, the terror organizations are digging trenches there like they did in Afrin." He was referring to a Kurdish enclave taken earlier this year by Turkish troops and Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters. "The terror organization should know that they will be buried in the trenches when the time and place comes," Akar said. Last week, Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, told reporters traveling with him in the Middle East that the soldiers' training is expected to last "several more days," and then will transition to combined patrols.

Top Iranian general says his troops ready to confront US

TEHRAN, Iran A top Iranian general says his forces are ready if President Donald Trump follows through on his warning that Iran will "suffer consequences" if Tehran threatens the United States. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday there was no need for him to "respond to any nonsensical comment" but Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who heads the elite Quds Force of Iran's hard-line paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said on Thursday it was his duty as a soldier to reply. The U.S. president threatened "consequences the like of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.", He was quoted by news website yjc.ir, affiliated with state-run television, as saying "we are ready to confront you.", Soleimani called Trump a "gambler" and says "You will start the war but we will end it.", Following Sunday's warning tweet, Trump suggested Tuesday talks were an option, saying "we're ready to make a real deal."

Boeing offers sneak peek of MQ25 tanker drone

WASHINGTON Boeing on Tuesday unveiled its entrant into the U.S. Navy's MQ-25 tanker drone competition, a prototype wing-body-tail aircraft ready to begin tests this month. So far, Boeing has released one photo of the aircraft facing head-on to the camera, proving that the company has fabricated a prototype and that as expected it has moved away from the flying wing design it considered putting forward to the precursor of the MQ-25 program, when the Navy prioritized strike and ISR capabilities for its first carrier-based drone. "It's an aircraft with the mission in mind, and we felt confident that the wing-body-tail design was the best for the refueling mission," said Boeing spokeswoman Didi VanNierop, who added that the company incorporated lessons from its Phantom Ray unmanned demonstrator and other Boeing unmanned aerial systems. Boeing's MQ-25 is slated to conduct engine runs by the end of the year at its St. Louis, Missouri, facility before moving on to deck handling demos early next year, the company said in a news release. During the deck handling demonstrations, the company will take the aircraft to the ramp, which will be marked to the measurements of an aircraft carrier's flight deck, VanNierop said. There, operators will taxi the aircraft via remote control and move it within the confines of the deck. They will also validate that the aircraft will engage the launch bar of a catapult. However, the aircraft will not fly during those demonstrations, and Boeing has not set a date for first flight, she noted. "Boeing has been delivering carrier aircraft to the Navy for almost 90 years," Don Gaddis, who leads the refueling system program for Boeing's Phantom Works, said in a statement. "Our expertise gives us confidence in our approach. We will be ready for flight testing when the engineering and manufacturing development contract is awarded.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Navy Times Daily News Roundup, Boeing has stoked conversation about its "mystery aircraft" for about a week. On Dec. 14, the company posted a short video of a stationary aircraft draped in a drop cloth on its Twitter account. "Robust? Check. Ready? Check. Changing future air power? Check it out!" read the caption, which then implored viewers to come back on Dec. 19 to see the plane's reveal. Some aviation enthusiasts correctly guessed that Boeing would debut its MQ-25 offering, but others speculated that the new Phantom Works aircraft could be a new version of the Bird of Prey subsonic stealth aircraft, its Phantom Ray unmanned combat drone or even a new collaboration with Aurora Flight Sciences, which the company acquired this year. Boeing is the first of the MQ-25 competitors to formally show off a prototype aircraft. General Atomics has published concept art of its MQ-25 seemingly based on its Avenger UAS, which bears a strong resemblance to the MQ-9 Reaper and has mounted an intensive advertising campaign featuring a rendering of the aircraft. Lockheed Martin and Boeing have also released concept art of their offerings, but both opted not to show the full aircraft. Instead, the images show the refueling pods of each UAS connected by probe and drogue to a fighter jet. The Navy issued its MQ-25 request for proposals in October with proposals due Jan. 3, and the service plans to downselect to a final vendor in summer 2018. From there, the Navy will purchase an initial buy of four systems before deciding whether to continue on with a 72-aircraft buy, Rear Adm. Mark Darrah, program executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons, told Aviation Week. Competing aircraft must be able to deliver 15,000 pounds of fuel to fighters up to 500 nautical miles away from the carrier. It appears the Navy's final request for proposals, released earlier this month, raised questions among Northrop executives about executability. In October, Northrop Grumman unexpectedly dropped out of the competition a move that surprised experts who had long held that Northrop's X-47B was the favorite in the competition, as the company had already demonstrated it could conduct flying operations from a carrier. Northrop's departure signaled to some analysts that the Navy's requirements could favor wing-body-tail designs, not the flying wings thought to be proposed by Northrop and Lockheed. Phil Finnegan, a Teal Group analyst who studies UAS, told Defense News in October that Northrop's exit could pave the way for Boeing to be the new front-runner, given the company's extensive experience in naval aviation. "Boeing is expected to use parts that are used by the F/A-18 in a bid to keep costs down. It also has considerable experience with tankers since it builds the Air Force tanker," he said.

Army falls behind with new antimissile command system

WASHINGTON Software problems are causing the Army's new air-and-missile defense battle command system program to fall behind schedule, a recent Pentagon testing report finds, and the service has yet to determine just how delayed it is.The Northrop Grumman-manufactured Integrated Battle Command System is a crucial part of the Army's future Integrated Air-and-Missile Defense System. It is meant to be the brains of the entire suite, connecting sensors and fire-control systems to detect threats and respond to them.Ultimately it will replace the command system in the Army's current missile defense weapon Raytheon's Patriot and will connect all future air- and missile-defense systems on the battlefield. It includes an Engagement Operations Center, hardware-interface kits and integrated fire-control network relays.The Army was scheduled to achieve initial operational capability in fiscal year 2019, according to a report from the Pentagon's director of operational test and evaluation. But in August 2016 the plan to reach the production phase of the program, planned for November 2016, was put on hold "until IBCS software deficiencies are resolved in accordance with contracted requirements."The report states the program management office is working with Northrop to resolve the deficiencies.A Northrop Grumman statement provided to Defense News on Monday said the overarching anti-missile program and its command element "are well down the path to meeting all key performance parameters" and the team made "significant progress in maturing the IBCS capability during 2016," including a successful test flight in April where soldiers destroyed multiple targets including ballistic and cruise missile threats. "These accomplishments prove the IBCS objective, architecture and design are sound, and test results reinforce our confidence in the transformational capabilities" of the system, the statement reads. An Army spokesman, in a statement sent February 3, said it was not "uncommon" to find "unanticipated results" during testing outside of a controlled environment. According to the spokesman, providing the system to actual soldiers for further testing would allow the Army to analyze and correct "identified results" and re-establish a production milestone date. The statement came after weeks of repeated requests by Defense News for details about the software shortcomings flagged in the testing report. DOTE found, during the system's limited user test conducted in the spring of 2016, the IBCS software was "neither mature nor stable as evidenced in numerous software problem reports." The report added that software immaturity contributed to the AIAMD Engagement Operations Center's "reduced reliability" and noted operator workstations "often became sluggish or ceased to operate.", This led to operators being unable to "effectively coordinate with engagement and identification authorities, a key function of air defense," the report states. When workstations malfunctioned or froze, the median time to repair them was approximately 13 minutes, according to the report, and the lapse in time could result in "multiple failed engagements and loss of critical defended assets.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, The workstations also showed "multiple false tracks" where only one test target was flying and operators had difficulty identifying targets in a "cluttered air picture," the report states. AIAMD was unable to operate on a standard tactical data exchange network Link 16 and had "significant" problems with dual tracks and reporting responsibility with the IBCS network, according to the report. Fire-control relays were also "not reliable" and failed on multiple occasions, "thus disconnecting the associated radar or shooter" from the AIAMD system and causing operators to be unable use the radar or shooter, the report details. The Army did not address specific questions posed about each of these problems outline in the report and whether any had been resolved, but an Army spokesman said the service's air and missile defense programs "are on a path to converge to IBCS, to include hardware and software designed to plug and fight on the IFCN.", The Army plans to conduct a production decision review later this year, the statement said. As for Northrop, the IBCS team "has tackled difficult issues, achieving what many thought impossible," a company statement reads, adding that all problems would be addressed. Meanwhile, IBCS is starting to garner attention from foreign countries seeking to build missile defense capabilities. Specifically, Poland has requested IBCS for the Patriot systems it wants to buy. However, the delay of IBCS fielding with the U.S. Army pushes the system farther out of reach for Poland, which is eager to procure at least a few missile defense systems quickly to protect itself from potential Russian attacks.

The list is here The largest defense companies on the globe revealed

People like lists. And certainly, there are plenty of lists to come by in our space some are based on contract awards, some are based on total revenue. To quote a really terrible proverb, there are many ways to skin a cat. How we do it is to rank companies by defense revenue that is, sales that support efforts in military, intelligence and aspects of homeland security. It's a tactic that we believe isolates the one statistic that best reflects market presence. But it's not an easy statistic to come by. We ask companies to dig up and submit to us the totals, which can often be strewn across multiple business units and programs. See this year's Top 100 list!, Many do, but some don't. In certain cases we can pretty safely find the numbers ourselves particularly when they release annual earnings. Other times we can get input from the analyst community to draw reasonable conclusions. Trickier still are companies in Japan, where we can only get contract data from the Defense Ministry. And in some cases, whether it be the tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon or private companies like General Atomics that play in both civilian and defense markets, some can't or won't participate. In such cases, we're out of luck. So we do our best, and where the totals are not apples to apples or bring with them some caveat, we'll tell you. All that said, we do believe this is the most thorough and accurate list of its kind and arguably the only list that provides an effective snapshot of the global defense market. And given this list has been produced for almost three decades, since 1991, trends emerge that often reflect market tides and bottom-line effects, up or down, to big moves by companies. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, So who's up and who's down for 2018, based on 2017 defense revenue? Take a look, see what we had to say about the results in our cover story and come up with your own theories. And if you are so inclined, send them our way.

Pentagon report Nukes are central to North Korea strategy

WASHINGTON A Pentagon report to Congress says North Korea sees nuclear weapons as central to its security, an assessment that would seem to complicate President Donald Trump's effort to persuade the North's dictator, Kim Jong Un, to give them up. The report was delivered to Congress in April, one month after Trump agreed to meet Kim to discuss the North's denuclearization. It was based on the Pentagon's analysis of North Korea's military capabilities and strategies through 2017, when it was widely believed in the U.S. government that Kim had no intention of surrendering his nuclear weapons. Hope for defusing a longstanding nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula was raised in March when South Korean officials said Kim was open to negotiations over his nuclear weapons and Trump agreed to meet Kim. The outlook has grown cloudier in recent days, and Trump told reporters during an Oval Office appearance Tuesday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that his planned meeting with Kim on June 12 in Singapore could be delayed. President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that a planned historic meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un could be delayed. He said, "There's a very substantial chance that it won't work out" for June 12. Without referring to the Pentagon report, Trump touched on one of its main points, that the North sees nuclear weapons as a means of ensuring its survival and perpetuating the rule of the Kim family dynasty. Trump was asked by a reporter whether the U.S. would "guarantee the safety" of the Kim regime if it were to relinquish its nuclear weapons. "I will guarantee his safety, yes," Trump said. He did not say how he would do that. "He will be safe. He will be happy. His country will be rich.", A copy of the Pentagon report was posted Tuesday by Steven Aftergood on his Secrecy News blog. Later in the day the Pentagon made it available on its website. It was first reported by Bloomberg News. While Seoul and Washington welcomed Pyongyang's declaration on Saturday to suspend further intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, the past is littered with failure. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, The report offers little suggestion that the Pentagon anticipated a circumstance in which North would consider giving up its nuclear weapons. It says the North ultimately seeks the capability to strike the continental U.S. with a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, and that nuclear weapons are central to its strategic calculus. "Pyongyang portrays nuclear weapons as its most effective way to deter the threat from the United States," it says. "However, regime propaganda began emphasizing final victory' over the United States and Republic of Korea in 2017, suggesting Kim Jong Un has larger ambitions, including use of nuclear weapons to deter interference if it attempts to reunify the Korean Peninsula.", The Republic of Korea is the official name of U.S.-allied South Korea. The report called perpetuation of the Kim dynasty the "primary strategic goal" of North Korea. The North's goals and motives have come under closer scrutiny since Kim began a peace offensive this year. He announced in April he was suspending nuclear tests and ICBM launches. Earlier this month North Korea said that it will dismantle its northeastern Punggye-ri nuclear test site between May 23 and 25 in the presence of international media.

Lockheed US Air Force mount F35 sales pitch at Berlin Air Show

COLOGNE, Germany The first-ever exhibit of an F-35 fighter jet at this week's Berlin Air Show could inject a new sense of competition for a key German military program that has already appeared to tip toward the European-made competition. The U.S. Air Force plans to present two specimens of its fifth-generation aircraft as a static display at the show, which starts Wednesday. The two planes arrived from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on Sunday evening after what officials termed the aircraft's longest nonstop flight, at 11-plus hours. Manufacturer Lockheed Martin said the U.S. air service, as the weapons' owner, has the lead on the exhibit planning in Berlin. No F-35 flight demonstrations were planned as of Monday. "The Berlin Air Show represents a unique opportunity for the United States to showcase its leadership in aerospace technologies while supporting various armament procurement competitions taking place throughout Europe," U.S. European Command said in a statement. Advocates believe the F-35 could quickly meet Germany's requirements and cement defense ties with the United States at the same time. That is a reference to the upcoming high-stakes race to replace Germany's aging fleet of Tornado aircraft. Besides the F-35, additional U.S. products considered by Berlin for that program are the F-15 and the F/A-18, both made by Boeing. The preferred candidate for the Germans, however, is a beefed-up version of the Eurofighter Typhoon, made by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. That preference is in part based on industrial policy calculations. Nursing a European combat aircraft industry is a prerequisite for fulfilling the promise of a militarily stronger Europe, the thinking goes. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Airbus Defence and Space chief Dirk Hoke told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that if Germany picks the American F-35, it would upend plans for the German-French co-development of a new-generation aircraft that would begin service sometime in the 2040s. Officials from both countries are expected to sign a top-level agreement at the Berlin Air Show about that future platform's envisioned characteristics. "As soon as Germany becomes an F-35 nation, cooperation with France on all combat aircraft topics will die," Hoke warned. Airbus is in line to play a key role in the Franco-German "future combat air system," although competition to lead the project is still playing out among industry heavyweights from both countries. Meanwhile, a U.S. delegation of Lockheed Martin executives and government officials is expected to hand over detailed data about the jet to the German Defense Ministry on Tuesday. The move comes in response to a request for information that went out to all potential vendors as part of Germany's efforts to survey the market. Some backers of the F-35 here hold the somewhat cynical view that Germany would much rather not have a competitive combat aircraft in service as an excuse for opting out of future operations. Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper over the weekend that Germany would have had the capability to partake in recent strikes against suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria. "We weren't asked this time," she was quoted as saying. Critics of the F-35 as a choice for Germany argue that the planes would be much more expensive than the Eurofighter Typhoon option. And that's not even counting the cost of sustaining the fleet, especially in relatively low numbers, and the prospect of ceding key program decisions to a trans-Atlantic partner that many in Germany have come to see as increasingly capricious.

Trump demands Europe take ISIS prisoners Americas latest ask in Syria

MUNICH President Donald Trump threatened Sunday on Twitter to release more than 800 Islamic State fighters captured in Syria if Europe does not "step up" and put them on trial. Trump's message to the U.K. France, Germany is the latest instance of American officials, some meeting with world leaders overseas, emphasizing the Islamic State's global reach as it seeks allies to stabilize Syria ahead of the planned withdrawal of U.S. troops. Trump tweeted "The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 Isis fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial. The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them. "The U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go. We do so much, and spend so much - Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100 Caliphate victory!", While the nationality of the fighters being held is unclear, tens of thousands of foreign fighters from dozens of countries flooded into Iraq and Syria, many from western nations, at the Islamic State's peak. "It's a huge area of concern for us, especially because they're being detained by the non-nation state that's otherwise known as the Syrian Democratic Forces," the U.S. Special Operations Command leader said at a Senate hearing Thursday. Trump's message came as diplomats gathered at the 2019 Munich Security Conference, where his surrogates argued the fall of the group's physical caliphate would not end the ideological and terrorist threat and that allies must step up to solidify security gains in the region. In December, Trump called for a complete withdrawal of some 2,000 U.S. forces in Syria. And on Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence told the conference the U.S. still plans to wind down the mission in Syria. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, In public remarks and behind the scenes, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan sought to enlist allies into what he framed as an evolving fight against ISIS in the Middle East and beyond. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, at one point in his public remarks listed nearly two dozen deadly ISIS-inspired attacks from around the globe since 2014. "Does it matter what happens over there? Hell yeah, it matters," Graham, R-S.C. said Friday, of Syria. "All of us have suffered from letting the caliphate be created. Now it is destroyed. What follows?", Allies have been alarmed by the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops. The foreign minister of France, one of America's key allies in the fight, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told Graham on Friday the U.S. policy in the region appeared conflicted. "How can one be very firm against Iran and at the same time abandon northeast Syria, when one knows that in the end it favors Iranian activities in the region?" Le Drian said. "It's a mystery to me.", On Sunday, the U.S. envoy to Syria, Jim Jeffey, was asked to respond to Le Drian's comments and said U.S. policy goals have been consistent The enduring defeat of the Islamic State, a U.N.-brokered political solution in Syria, the removal of foreign forces. The fight against the Islamic State in Syria is virtually won, and "an orderly step-by-step withdrawal" of U.S. troops will follow, Jeffrey said. For now, he said "Our goal is to freeze the conflict to where it has been since the summer."

Fellow troops mourn a Belgian special operator who died during a training jump at US base

An outpouring of sympathy from some of Belgium's most elite warriors followed the tragic death of a fellow commando who died during a parachute training exercise at a U.S. base in Arizona. The accident, which is still under investigation, happened Feb. 27 at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Range during a High-Altitude, High-Opening parachute jump. Belgian television reported the operator was 27-year-old Dimitri "Dimi" Trainis who had only recently joined the elite Belgian Special Forces Group. The Reddit thread r/MilitaryPorn posted what is believed to be one of the last photos of Trainis in the Southwest desert before a training mission. He had reportedly just finished high-altitude free-fall training and was at Yuma for tactical air insertion training. "Although young in our unit, you gave us all a lesson which can never be forgotten," said a post on the Special Forces Group Belgium Facebook page. "Climbing the mountain, reaching for the summit, aiming at the top is what we do, but on our way to the top, we should stop once in a while to enjoy the landscape.", According to the post, Trainis had recently completed his Special Operations Forces Advanced First Responder course and was at Yuma completing tactical training. He died while practicing a HAHO jump. Equipped with a heavy backpack, webbing, weapons, and night vision goggles, the jump was supposed to be the beginning of a two-day exercise, according to the post. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, "Dimi, we will remember you and our sorrow will be replaced by respect. You choose a life of danger and discomfort to protect others. You lived a life of passion and action. And you died the way you lived," said the post. "You will always be one of us, in our hearts, in our thoughts, in the sky.", A 50 kg memorial stone was brought up to the hillside where Trainis died. His body was brought back to his family in Belgium. The incident is under investigation, according to AZ Central.

US Army Grapples With ShortRange Air Defense Gap in Europe

PARIS, and WARSAW, Poland The US Army has wrapped up a review of possible short-range air defense weapons from around the world and is working to fill a critical gap in Europe. "We have just done what I would call an international scrub that we are putting together on every technology that we can find in the world that addresses this particular concern we have," Katrina McFarland, the Army's acquisition chief, said during the ComDef conference at Eurosatory, a large land warfare exhibition, Tuesday. The Army is also working to address a capability gap in the short-range air defense mission, dubbed SHORAD, within military labs. The activities include demonstrating a launcher that can shoot a wide variety of missiles. "Where are we? We are better off than we thought we were and so we have at least the possibility of moving very quickly. And where we have gaps, we have already started providing technological solutions both internationally as well as organically to the US," she said. When asked to elaborate on the possible technological solutions the Army has begun to provide, McFarland said she couldn't elaborate and indicated there is more to come soon. US Army leadership in Europe, as well as many countries in the region, have warned there is a growing gap in short-range air defense. Even the National Commission on the Future of the Army singled out the mission area as having an "unacceptable modernization shortfall" in its report released in February. Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the US Army Europe commander, told Defense News during an interview in Poland last week he has similar concerns. For him, the biggest worry is countering unmanned aerial vehicles. "That is my SHORAD concern, especially if there's like a swarm," he noted, adding there is a lot of work being done to develop the capability. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Recently, the Army conducted a river crossing exercise in Romania where the Romanians provided a SHORAD capability to counter such threats as aerial drones, Hodges said, and at Poland's Anakonda exercise this month, the Army brought Avengers from the US National Guard for a live-fire, air-defense drill. Hodges' chief of staff, German Army Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal, said Germany and the US both have a capability gap when it comes to the SHORAD portfolio. Laubenthal told Defense News last week directly following a bridge crossing exercise in Chelmno, Poland, part of Anakonda, that Avenger systems were used that morning to secure the bridge, but "this is a very scarce capability, so between the assault rifle and Patriot there is not enough between to tackle short-range air defense challenges.", He added, "I think this is a common ground where we need to work together to find a solution. I think that is a good opportunity and a great chance to come up with something with both nations and we are not alone.", Other countries, like Poland, have similar requirements and are in the market for short-range air defense systems, but there are others who can't afford a system by themselves and will need to rely on a different strategy rather than simply buying an off-the-shelf system. In Poland's case, it is holding a competition for its Narew program to acquire a short-range system. However, that is paused as the new Polish government assesses most defense-procurement decisions made by the previous government, including another competition, called Wislaw, intended to buy a medium-range system. Raytheon and its Norwegian partner Kongsberg are pitching the Network Centric Air Defence System NASAMS to Poland for a SHORAD solution. Lockheed Martin is also planning to submit an offering based on the Medium Extended Air Defense System it is developing. MEADS was originally intended to replace Raytheon's medium-range Patriot air and missile defense system, but the US government bowed out of buying the system after funding its development with Germany and Italy. Kongsberg and Raytheon have sold NASAMS to Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, the US, Finland, Oman and an undisclosed country. In those nations, the system is used by both armies and air forces alike, Hans Christian Hagen, the Kongsberg's vice president for integrated defense systems business development, said on the Eurosatory exhibition floor Tuesday. NASAMS, according to Hagen, is capable of tying any launcher or radar to the system and is capable of being programmed to exchange data with any other air defense system. The launcher also has multi-mission capability and has shot a wide variety of missiles such as Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile AMRAAM, the AIM-9X Sidewinder and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. "We see a lot of opportunity for NASAMS air defense in Europe and also outside of Europe," Hagen said, adding the interest among European countries in a SHORAD capability as grown in the past few years. Other companies with offerings for that market include Israel's Rafael and France's MBDA. Chris Lombardi, Raytheon's European country executive, said at Eurosatory that his company and Kongsberg are working closely with Baltic countries, which can't necessarily afford to go it alone. "They might already have a sensor that is used in NASAMS," such as Sentinel, Lombardi explained, "or already operating AMRAAM for the air force.", Kongsberg and Raytheon have been helping these countries understand they can take what they already have and procure what they don't, such as a launcher or a fire distribution center, and tie it all together, Lombardi said. This, he claimed, can be done "in a way that is very affordable for these nations.", Army acquisition chief McFarland argued that SHORAD solutions must be interoperable, pointing specifically to the Integrated Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 effort, which uses government funding to build and field a multi-mission launcher MML capable of shooting a multitude of missiles. So far, MML has shot such missiles as the Hellfire Longbow, Aim 9X Sidewinder, Stinger and Israel's Tamir interceptor. "We have demonstrated multiple shots successfully," McFarland said. "For international partners, one of the reasons why we built capability in the fashion we did was we didn't care what missile went into that tube, if we could fit into it. That's very important to us because we have highly technical munitions and they have lead times associated with them, which means we have to have the ability to balance our inventories on top of just having a capability. We need to have the ability to have the depth of capability.", And Hodges said what is critical to him in shoring up short-range air defense capabilities is to ensure whatever systems are bought within Europe can exchange data seamlessly. During Anakonda in Poland, the US Army conducted a live-fire exercise with Polish systems that highlighted the difficulty of getting different countries' systems to work together. Getting those systems to operate in one common picture is difficult because each country feels a need to protect their own networks and technology. Improving interoperability is often tied to policy changes. "Candidly, there are various policies governing sharing of intelligence and information that have not kept step with modern requirements in several areas but specifically in that field," Hodges said. "You've got competing demands.", The live-fire drill during Anakonda showed that "it still requires too much time and too many steps to get the exceptions to achieve the common air picture," Hodges said. "You can get there, but it takes a long time and we have to be prepared to 'fight tonight.' You have to be able to show up and plug right in.", Email [email protected], Twitter @JenJudson

Ending the pilot exodus Air Force rolls out new bonuses incentives will it work this time

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Nearly two years after top Air Force leaders began sounding the alarm on a worrying shortfall of pilots, the key elements of a solution are finally falling into place. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein, in exclusive interviews with Air Force Times, emphasized that many factors have led to the roughly 2,000-pilot shortfall that the brass warns could "break the force" especially as commercial airlines are in the midst of one of their heaviest and longest hiring waves in decades. Because of that, he said, there will never be a single "silver bullet" that solves it once and for all. Instead, Goldfein said, the Air Force is making headway on a variety of fronts including recruiting and training more new pilots, bringing back retired pilots, convincing experienced pilots to stay longer, and improving the lives of pilots so they're happier that, when combined, should help close the gap. Goldfein, who spoke to Air Force Times June 2 and 3 during his trip to the 2018 Warrior Games at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said the Air Force has a list of 69 different initiatives to fix the pilot shortfall. And the Air Force is on the verge of announcing a plan to tackle what Goldfein feels is the most important element in fixing the pilot problem Revitalizing the Air Force's squadrons and ensuring they have strong, effective leaders. "That, to me, is the secret sauce," Goldfein said. "That's what's going to keep people in. It's what's kept me in. If I can get inspirational squadron commanders out there, that are given decision authority to run their squadrons, and they're given the resources they need to accomplish the mission, and they're out there inspiring their airmen, that is going to be far and above the most effective hedge against airline hiring that we'll ever have.", The Air Force has already taken several steps to push decision-making authority down to the squadron level, emphasize that it trusts squadron commanders to make the right decisions, and slash regulations that were binding their hands and Goldfein thinks those moves are already bearing fruit. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup, "I'm aware that as chief of staff, people will sometimes tell me what they think I want to hear," Goldfein said. "So, I'm a trust-but-verify guy. But I do hear enough independent vignettes that say all those things we're trying to do are making a difference out there.", The military's fighter pilot shortfall is reaching alarming proportions and a new report from the Government Accountability Office shows just how bad the problem has become. Next, Goldfein and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson are about to roll out an "implementation plan" to go further and do more to put the squadron back at the heart of the Air Force, improving morale and leading to more satisfied, proud airmen. "It's all designed to ensure that squadron commanders have the decision authority, the resources, the things they need, that we're developing them and giving them all the tools they need to succeed, and that airmen that are in that squadron feel like they're part of something really important," Goldfein said. "The question I ask squadron commanders when I'm out there is, Hey, what does it mean to be in your squadron? What does it mean to be part of the Boars, or the Thunderbolts, or this missile maintenance squadron?' That squadron commander ought to be able to define that.", Goldfein declined to share details of this plan before he briefs his generals on it during the next Corona meeting of Air Force leaders, which will take place at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio the week of June 11. But, he said, healthy, well-led squadrons will lead to happier airmen and encourage pilots to stay longer more so than just throwing cash at pilots to re-up. More money "is not what's going to keep people in the Air Force," Goldfein said. "People stay in the United States Air Force because they feel like they're on a high-powered team, a squadron that's doing meaningful work, making a difference. It's why they joined, it's why they're going to stay.", Beefing up bonuses, However, while money isn't everything, Goldfein said increased pilot bonuses can help. The Air Force will never be able to keep up with the hefty six-figure sums commercial airlines can pay, Goldfein said, especially as they seek to hire 4,500 pilots a year. And since former military pilots only need 750 flight hours to qualify as airline pilots half that required of non-military pilots the Air Force is an especially fruitful recruiting ground. But the Aviation Bonus Program, which offers experienced pilots tens of thousands of dollars for each year they agree to extend their contracts, will narrow the pay gap between Air Force pilots and their commercial counterparts at least a little. "If I can take a financial burden off of a family, I appreciate Congress' help" in authorizing more money for bonuses, Goldfein said. The Air Force on May 31 announced a major expansion of its Aviation Bonus Program. This year, for the first time, some bomber, fixed-wing combat search-and-rescue, special operations, mobility and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots will be able to receive the same massive 420,000 retention bonuses already offered to fighter pilots. Goldfein said that the Air Force first offered the expanded bonuses for pilots who choose to extend their contracts the maximum 12 years to fighter pilots because that was where the shortfall was most prominent. But the other pilot categories are "shortly on fighter pilots' heels," he said, when asked why the service chose to expand the eligibility of the maximum bonuses. However, these massive six-figure retention bonuses can only do so much. In a sign of the limits of aviator retention pay's effectiveness, the so-called "take rate," or percentage of aviators agreeing to stay longer in exchange for hefty bonuses, continues to decline year after year. The take rate hit 44 percent last year, well below the 65 percent the Air Force usually hopes will accept the bonus. Only five fighter pilots in fiscal 2017 opted for the full, up to 13-year service commitment and the up to 455,000 that came with it that year. AMC created a task force to pull suggestions from more than 600 comments from airmen. Training more pilots, Another crucial piece of the plan is to overhaul how the Air Force conducts flying training, to turn out more new pilots each year. Goldfein said the Air Force made a mistake in the past by continually increasing or decreasing the number of pilots from one year to the next. Such frequent pilot production changes meant the Air Force was constantly having to scale up or scale down its instructors, training facilities, airplanes, and other resources necessary for undergraduate pilot training a very inefficient way to run things. Instead, he wants the Air Force to "set the throttle" at a steady production capacity of 1,400 to 1,500 annually, and leave it there for years. But getting there is going to take some work. The Air Force is already pushing to increase its pilot production from 1,200 a year to 1,400, which former Air Education and Training Command head Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson last year said would max out the service's capacity. In the interviews, Goldfein outlined several strategies he thinks can push pilot production past 1,400. Somewhat ironically, he said, the nearly month-long, hypoxia-related grounding of the Air Force's T-6 training fleet in February which is likely to cost 10 percent of the pilot graduation class this year might have given the service an opening to revolutionize its training. While the T-6 Texans were grounded, Goldfein said, current AETC commander Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast was not about to "pass up a good crisis.", Kwast gathered his instructor pilots and went over the undergraduate pilot training syllabus which hadn't been significantly overhauled in about three decades with a fine-tooth comb. Kwast and his instructors succeeded in "carving out a rather significant portion of the syllabus," finding ways to incorporate new technologies and methods of instruction and overhaul how the Air Force builds new pilots without sacrificing standards, Goldfein said. Part of that revision is moving away from the old "industrial model" in which all pilots who enter in the same class proceed alongside one another until they graduate. That model meant that trainees who came in with some private flying experience, or who picked up skills faster, were held back while slower students caught up. This is especially important, Goldfein said, because even kids today have access to computerized flight simulators that far surpass what was available to him as a flight student in the early 1980s. With a laugh, Goldfein recalled he sometimes had to practice flying with a drawn instrument panel hung up on the wall and toilet plungers to serve as mock throttles. With modern simulators on their smart phones or computers, student pilots can sometimes show up to training with rudimentary flight skills. And if the Air Force allows those quickly-developing students to advance and graduate faster, that will allow the force to produce more pilots, he said. Maximizing resources, The Air Force also has to squeeze more sorties out of its trainer aircraft so students can fly more, Goldfein said. The Air Force isn't going to get more trainers at least, not until the next-generation T-X is ready so it has to be more efficient in how it uses the planes it already has. That means turning trainers around faster after sorties so they're ready to get back up in the air more quickly, Goldfein said, and improving maintenance so fewer trainers are in the shop at any given time. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, head of Air Force Materiel Command, and Lt. Gen. John Cooper, the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection, are working on innovative ways to create a "smart flightline," Goldfein said, to bring new technology into maintenance and sustainment of aircraft. The Air Force is also talking to other industry experts to learn about "predictive maintenance models," so maintainers can figure out in advance what on a plane needs to be tuned up before it breaks and causes a bigger problem. "It's not so much that we're looking at more airplanes, it's how do I get more out of the ones I have," Goldfein said. "There's a lot of things we're looking at to make sure we're getting everything we can out of the aircraft.", Goldfein also said that reducing the maintainer shortfall which at one point numbered 4,000 airmen, has now been cut to about 200, and is expected to completely vanish this year will improve the availability of trainer aircraft and get students more practice. The Air Force has made considerable progress whittling down the massive maintainer shortfall that it once feared was threatening the service's aircraft readiness. The Air Force's recent move to allow up to 1,000 recently-retired Air Force pilots, combat systems officers and air battle managers to return to active duty will also help with pilot production, Goldfein said. On May 23, the Air Force announced the major expansion of the Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty program as a way to ease serious manning shortages in the rated community. Some of those pilots who return for two- to four-year stints could serve as instructors at undergraduate pilot training at bases like Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. This could allow the Air Force to increase its so-called "training pipeline" and graduate more new pilots, easing the pressure on operational squadrons that sometimes have to send pilots to serve as instructors. They could also serve as instructors for more advanced new pilots, as they learn to pilot specific major weapons systems. "Utilizing them in some sort of production pipeline role is going to magnify their effect coming back," Lt. Col. Greg Nita, deputy chief of the Air Force Personnel Center's operations and special duties assignment division, said in a May 22 interview. "Whether it be B-52s, F-16s, you name it, all those aircraft have training units. As the Air Force addresses our shortfalls, it's important to Goldfein and our leadership that we tap into some of that experience."

In Turkey new demands to evict US forces from Incirlik Air Base

WASHINGTON A prominent Turkish newspaper has demanded the eviction of U.S. troops and warplanes from Incirlik Air Base as fallout there worsens from the Trump administration's controversial move to arm a Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State in neighboring Syria.In a front-page editorial published Friday, the newspaper Sozcu called for Incirlik's complete closure. It's an unlikely outcome, military officials and observers say, but a clear sign of how dramatically relations have deteriorated between the NATO allies. , The blustery display of anti-Americanism comes as the U.S.-backed coalition in Syria, which is poised to launch a long-awaited offensive to liberate the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, faces widespread criticism across the border for its dependence on the YPG. The Kurdish militia force has emerged as America's most capable proxy there, but Turkey maintains it's a terrorist organization and has actively targeted the group's fighters in recent weeks. The editorial is noteworthy, too, because Sozcu's coverage has been deeply critical of the Turkish government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed similar outrage when Washington's new arms deal with the YPG was announced last week and warned that supporting the Kurds would elicit blow-back. Erdogan is likely to vent his frustration to President Donald Trump when the two leaders meet this week at the White House. Turkey approved the U.S. to fly attack and strike aircraft from Incirlik beginning in 2015, including for close-air support missions conducted by A-10 Thunderbolts. Additionally, the U.S. bases EA-6B Prowlers there, which can jam ISIS communications and improvised explosive detonators, and the KC-135 Stratotankers responsible for aerial refueling. In May 2016, aircraft based at Incirlikaccounted for nearly one-third of the international coalition's refueling operations and one-fifth of its close-air support. Today, those numbers are likely much higher as the war's tempo has intensified. At the same time, Incirlik has become increasingly less hospitable for the 2,500 U.S. troops assigned there. Citing security concerns, commanders first locked down the base two years ago, prohibiting personnel and their families from venturing beyond its gates. Then, in March 2016, all 700 family members who remained there were ordered to evacuate. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, Inside the Pentagon, arming the YPG is seen as a calculated gamble. To facilitate its air campaign against ISIS, the U.S. relies on Incirlik's proximity to Syria and Iraq so there is some risk in alienating the Turks. Yet following last summer's coup attempt, Erdogan remains unpopular among large segments of Turkish society and, despite his rhetoric, most assuredly sees advantages to keeping the U.S. close. Retired Adm. James Stavridis, NATO's supreme allied commander from 2009 to 2013, said Turkey is unlikely to close the base to U.S. operations because Ankara benefits significantly from associated economic incentives and intelligence sharing. "Turkey," he added, "still values the NATO alliance, which brings prestige and a measure of security in a dangerous neighborhood.", Consider Operation Nomad, which since 2011 has provided Turkey with intelligence gathered by U.S. dronesand beamed into joint fusion centers operating out of Ankara and Incirlik. Those feeds have supplied vital information about terrorists' movement across northern Syria and Iraq, intelligence Turkey is unlikely to surrender. Officials at U.S. European Command echoed those sentiments. "Turkey closing their base, that would be hard to believe," said Capt. Daniel Hernandez, a spokesman. Incirlik, he added, is "strategically important to them and the coalition.", There would be painful political costs, too, said Aaron Stein, an expert on U.S.- Turkish relations at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank. "They would be blamed internationally for slowing the war against the Islamic State," he said. No, "Turkey has concluded it is better to be on the in than the out," Stein added. "At least on the in, you have a say at every coalition meeting.",

US Army secretary holds Germany to its NATO spending promise

WIESBADEN, Germany The head of the U.S. Army has said he wants Germany to "live up to its commitments" within NATO, as the question of defense spending remains unresolved due to the European nation's ongoing government talks. "Two percent is the minimum," Mark Esper told reporters at the U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Monday, referring to a common goal by alliance members to increase their defense spending toward 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2024. "It's important we all live up to our commitments because if not, it weakens the alliance," Esper said. Negotiations between the Christian Democratic Union CDU and the Social Democratic Party SPD have yet to hammer out a compromise on the issue of defense-spending levels for the new government. While the SPD supported the NATO defense-spending target when it was adopted by the alliance in 2014, the party campaigned last year on the premise that an increase from the current 1.2 percent or so would be impractical and unnecessary. Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU backs the 2 percent target, with its sister party, the CSU, pushing last month that the objective should be explicitly made part of any formal coalition agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump has bluntly criticized Germany for benefiting from NATO's security guarantees without paying adequately into the alliance. Opponents of the 2 percent goal in Germany argue that the country, which does not maintain a costly nuclear weapons complex, would be ill-prepared to put such a rapid influx from 37 billion now to 72 billion in 2024 to good use in its armed forces. Meanwhile, some European NATO member states, including Germany, are in the process of establishing a separate defense apparatus under the banner of the European Union, which will require its own funding stream. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Asked whether he sees competing priorities in that development, Esper argued that NATO should remain the "foundation" of security on the continent.

Trump backs down under fire clarifies on Russia meddling

WASHINGTON Blistered by bipartisan condemnation of his embrace of a longtime U.S. enemy, President Donald Trump strained Tuesday to "clarify" his public undermining of American intelligence agencies, saying he simply misspoke when he said he saw no reason to believe Russia had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. Rebuked as never before by his own party, including a stern pushback from usually reserved Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the U.S. president sought to end 27 hours of recrimination by delivering a rare admission of error. "The sentence should have been, 'I don't see any reason why I wouldn't, or why it wouldn't be Russia'" instead of "why it would," Trump said of the comments he had made standing alongside Vladimir Putin on Monday's summit stage in Helsinki. The top U.S. intelligence official on Monday stood by what he called "clear" assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election after President Donald Trump cast doubt on that conclusion following a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. That didn't explain why Trump, who had tweeted a half-dozen times and sat for two television interviews since the Putin news conference, waited so long to correct his remarks. And the scripted cleanup pertained only to the least defensible of his comments. He didn't reverse other statements in which he gave clear credence to Putin's "extremely strong and powerful" denial of Russian involvement, raised doubts about his own intelligence agencies' conclusions and advanced discredited conspiracy theories about election meddling. He also accused past American leaders, rather than Russia's destabilizing actions in the U.S. and around the world, for the souring of relations between two countries. And he did not address his other problematic statements during a week-long Europe tour, in which he sent the NATO alliance into emergency session and assailed British Prime Minister Theresa May as she was hosting him for an official visit. "I accept our intelligence community's conclusion that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place," Trump conceded Tuesday. But even then he made a point of adding, "It could be other people also. A lot of people out there. There was no collusion at all.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, President Trump's verbal attacks on NATO set off a flurry of legislative activity in the US Senate aimed at expressing support for the beleaguered alliance. Moments earlier, McConnell felt the need to reassure America's allies in Europe with whom Trump clashed during his frenzied trip last week. With no if's or but's, the GOP leader declared, "The European countries are our friends, and the Russians are not.", Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump was trying to "squirm away" from his comments alongside Putin. "It's 24 hours too late and in the wrong place," he said. By dusk, hundreds of activists, led by attorney Michael Avenatti and actress Alyssa Milano, staged a protest near the White House, with chants of "traitor!" echoing along Pennsylvania Avenue. Trump still maintained that his meetings with NATO allies went well and his summit with Putin "even better." But this reference to diplomatic success carried an edge, too, since the barrage of criticism and insults he delivered in Brussels and London was hardly well-received. Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted, "The meeting between President Putin and myself was a great success, except in the Fake News Media!", On Capitol Hill, top Republican leaders said they were open to slapping fresh sanctions on Russia, but they showed no sign of acting any time soon. "Let's be very clear, just so everybody knows Russia did meddle with our elections," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, another steady Trump political ally. "What we intend to do is make sure they don't get away with it again and also to help our allies.", In the Senate, McConnell said "there's a possibility" his chamber would act, pointing to a bipartisan measure from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. to deter future Russian interference by ordering sanctions against countries if they do. Both parties called for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials to appear before Congress and tell exactly what happened during Trump's two-hour private session with Putin. Pompeo is to publicly testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 25. Schumer also urged the Senate to take up legislation to boost security for U.S. elections and to revive a measure passed earlier by the Judiciary Committee to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference. But minority Democrats have few tools to enforce anything. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to make sure a proposed loophole for Russia sanctions sought by the Pentagon never makes it into law. In the House, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi staged a vote Tuesday in support of the intelligence committee's findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. But even that largely symbolic measure was blocked party-line by Republicans. Senators had floated a similar idea earlier, and Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona said he was preparing a bipartisan bill. But The No. 2 Republican, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, said sanctions may be preferable to a nonbinding resolution that amounts to "just some messaging exercise.", Trump's meeting with Putin in Helsinki was his first time sharing the international stage with a man he has described as an important U.S. competitor but whom he has also praised a strong, effective leader. Standing alongside Putin, Trump steered clear of any confrontation with the Russian, going so far as to question American intelligence and last week's federal indictments that accused 12 Russians of hacking into Democratic email accounts to hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016. "I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. "He just said it's not Russia. I will say this I don't see any reason why it would be," Trump said. That's the part he corrected on Tuesday. White House officials did not elaborate on how Trump came to issue the clarification, but administration aides described being stunned by his initial remarks Monday. GOP leaders, outraged by Trump's comments in Helsinki, found out about his attempts to quell the outrage the same way everyone else did, as one aide put it, by watching and learning. After his walkback, Trump said his administration would "move aggressively" to repel efforts to interfere in American elections. "We are doing everything in our power to prevent Russian interference in 2018," he said. "And we have a lot of power.", Fellow GOP politicians have generally stuck with Trump during a year and a half of turmoil, but he was assailed as seldom before as he returned from what he had hoped would be a proud summit with Putin. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul emerged as one of the president's few defenders. He cited Trump's experience on the receiving end of "partisan investigations.", Back at the White House, Paul's comments drew a presidential tweet of gratitude "Thank you @RandPaul, you really get it!"

Its official DoD releases new deploy or get out policy

The Pentagon on Wednesday released its new policy on military lethality, which will begin separation procedures for service members who have been non-deployable for the last 12 months or more. , "This new policy is a 12-month deploy or be removed policy," Robert Wilkie, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told a Senate panel Wednesday. "However, there are exceptions." , As Military Times previously reported, there will be exceptions, such as pregnancy. Medical boards will review wounded personnel, and the services will retain the ability to grant exceptions to wounded warriors. Full details of the policy were expected to be posted publicly at noon Thursday. Approximately 11 percent, or 235,000, of the 2.1 million personnel serving on active duty, in the reserves or National Guard are currently non-deployable. "The situation we face today is really unlike anything we have faced, certainly in the post-World War II era," Wilkie told the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel and readiness. "On any given day, about 13 to 14 percent of the force is medically unable to deploy. That comes out to be about 286,000 service members." , Wilkie said that the new policy was the result of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' July 21 memo that "everyone who comes into the service and everyone who stays in the service is world-wide deployable.", Wilkie likened having 14 percent of forces non-deployable to Jeff Bezos at Amazon walking into his company on Christmas week and finding that 14 percent of his employees were unable to work. , Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, "He would no longer be the largest company in the world," Wilkie said. , Wilkie acknowledged several deployability challenges that are "on us," such as unit leaders not ensuring that all of the service members under their leadership had gotten all of their required dental and medical care. , Command Sgt Maj. John Troxell, the senior enlisted adviser to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joe Dunford, estimated that as many as 99,000 military personnel are unable to deploy because they were missing a medical appointment or immunization. , But "the other thing we've seen is that in the down years of recruiting for the military, we offered too many medical waivers," Wilkie said. "The medical conditions those service members have followed them into the service as they progressed through their careers. We have to address that." , , This browser does not support PDFs. Please download the PDF to view it Download PDF

North Korea still holds the key after US shifts policy on talks

WASHINGTON The U.S. is open for talks without preconditions with nuclear North Korea, Vice President Mike Pence has declared, subtly shifting White House policy after Olympics-inspired gestures of respect between the rival Koreas. That provides a little more leverage for South Korea in its path-finding outreach to the North and could reduce potential strains in the U.S.-South Korean alliance. But diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang won't start unless Kim Jong Un wants it to. While the North Korean dictator, who has yet to meet a foreign leader, has invited the South Korean president for a rare summit, Kim has given no sign of being ready to talk to the U.S. A back channel of diplomatic communication between North Korea and the State Department has remained open since President Donald Trump took office a year ago, but the only substantive talks reported to date were in the first half of last year over the fate of several Americans in North Korean custody. The North has refused to negotiate over its nuclear weapons as it nears its goal of being able to launch an atomic-tipped missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. Trump views those weapons as America's primary national security threat. His administration's 2019 budget, released Monday, includes hundreds of millions dollars more for missile defense, adding 20 strategic interceptors in Alaska to protect against long-range, North Korean projectiles. Meanwhile, Pence is making clear that the U.S. will keep escalating sanctions pressure on the North until it takes clear steps toward giving up its nukes. Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel thinks a U.S. strike against North Korea would likely trigger a war that leaves millions dead. "Let's be smarter," he said in an exclusive interview with Defense News. But at the same time, Pence signaled more openness to engagement with Pyongyang. "The point is, no pressure comes off until they are actually doing something that the alliance believes represents a meaningful step toward denuclearization," Pence told The Washington Post on his flight home from the Winter Olympics in South Korea this past weekend. "So the maximum pressure campaign is going to continue and intensify. But if you want to talk, we'll talk.", That's a marked departure from the uncompromising message that Pence delivered at every public stop on his trip, when he repeatedly assailed North Korea on human rights and nuclear provocations, and threw cold water on South Korean President Moon Jae-in's outreach to the North by snubbing its delegation at the games. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, Evans Revere, a former senior State Department official for East Asia, voiced surprise over Pence's remarks, noting that as recently as December the White House pulled the plug on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's public advocacy of unconditional talks to test the water with North Korea. Pence's office said that didn't reflect a shift in Trump administration policy, as the president has previously expressed openness to talks, nor a reduction in U.S. concerns over North Korea's provocative behavior. Tillerson's response to Pence's comments was guarded. He said "it's too early to judge" whether a diplomatic process could be starting and made clear the obstacle to progress is Kim. "It's really up to the North Koreans to decide when they're ready to engage with us in a sincere way, a meaningful way," Tillerson told reporters in Egypt. He reiterated his view that there would need to be exploratory talks to determine whether the North Koreans are ready for "meaningful" negotiations. During his turbulent first year in office, Trump has vacillated between issuing dire threats of military action and offers to talk if the conditions are right. But at least in his public commentary, he's been broadly supportive of Moon's diplomatic initiative, claiming that the "maximum pressure" strategy was what drove North Korea to engage with the South. Now Moon faces a heavy lift in trying to translate that into progress on the nuclear issue that preoccupies Washington. Though Moon clearly favors a policy of engagement with the North, and likely views that a possibly defining issue of his own presidency, he didn't immediately accept the offer of a summit in Pyongyang after it was conveyed in person by the North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo Jong who attended the Olympics opening. Moon said the Koreas should create an environment so that the first inter-Korean summit since 2007 could take place. He also called for quick resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, reflecting an awareness that making nice with the North could alienate an American ally critical to the defense of the South. U.S. officials doubt that Moon would agree to a summit with Kim without the contours in place of how to move forward on denuclearization, but Revere said the U.S. government remains concerned that North Korea could exploit Moon's diplomacy to advance its agenda of being accepted as a nuclear weapons state. Revere said a quiet conversation between personal representatives of the U.S. and North Korean leaders could help ward off a confrontation in the coming months, and gauge whether there's a basis for starting formal negotiations. The hurdles, however, remain high. North Korea would likely seek relief from sanctions, which Pence says won't happen without action on denuclearization. The North would also want an end to the U.S.-South Korean military exercises that were suspended for the duration of the Olympics but which are expected to resume next month. That's another step that the Trump administration has so far shown no interest in taking.

Army to stand up pilot task force to develop multidomain battle concepts

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. The U.S. Army is standing up a pilot task force to try out multidomain battle concepts next year, according to the Army secretary and the service's Forces Command commander. "A decade from now, the concept of multidomain battle must become a fully developed doctrine embedded at every echelon and propagated throughout all of our schools and professional development courses," Army Secretary Mark Esper said during his first speech on the job, which laid out his vision for the Army in 2028, at the Association of the U.S. Army's Global Force Symposium. "And a decade from now, the lessons we learn from the multidomain task force that will be prototyped next year will help inform how we organize, train and employ many of our formations," he said. "That's why advancing our doctrine will be one of the major lines of effort we will push over the coming years.", The Army has spent several years developing its multidomain battle concept to look beyond ground warfare as it prepares to fight on an increasingly complex and unpredictable battlefield across a variety of domains air, land, sea and cyber. Esper explained during a media roundtable following his speech that the task force will focus on the Asia-Pacific region due to its complex and demanding environment. The task force will likely call Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington state, home. Gen. Robert Abrams, the head of Forces Command, told Defense News in an interview at AUSA Global that Training and Doctrine Command had come up with emergent doctrine and and functional concepts in support of multidomain battle. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, "We don't have an organization right now today that is optimized for fighting across multiple domains," he said. "So TRADOC did some terrific work and came up with an organizational design and initial operating concept of what should this headquarters look like, what should this task force look like, what are the key functions, what are the capabilities. "I believe in the next year or so we will actually make an announcement that we will actually stand this thing up to do exactly what we say we are going to do," which is to establish a dedicated force structure that will be a part of many exercises and experimentation efforts to assess how to fight across multidomains, and that becomes capable of cross-domain maneuver.", The task force charged with experimentation for multidomain battle likely won't reach the size of a brigade because the Army can't afford to take that many troops out of rotation. Although the service continues to operate at extremely high tempos, it's possible the task force could be roughly 300 to 500 people. "We could probably afford to do that," Abrams said. The commander added that because the task force will be so central to the Army's doctrine and operating concept, the service can't afford to set up the pilot "on the cheap.", "We have to get it mostly right," he said. Abrams said he would fully expect the head of U.S. Army Pacific, Gen. Robert Brown, to integrate the unit into as many exercises as possible. "There is a huge appetite for this capability in the PACOM area of operation," he said. And instead of the unit just being a dedicated test unit like the one at the now soon-to-be-defunct Network Integration Evaluation, "I think what will happen is, as this thing evolves, it will become permanent," Abrams said. The NIE, up until last year, was run entirely by a dedicated brigade-sized test unit. But with the need to rotate an entire armored brigade combat team into Europe in addition to new operational demands worldwide, the Army decided to stop using a dedicated unit in favor of rotating in different units. The goal, Abrams said, is for this task force to become a war-fighting formation, meaning the unit would be trained to a high-enough level to operationally deploy. And if the pilot effort works well, Abrams said, the Army will turn its eye toward setting up similar units. Abrams cautioned "there are a lot of gates we have to get through" to establish the task force. "Right now, it's a really good idea on a chart we've got to get these great young innovators, experts in their craft, we've got to put them in this formation and let this thing sort of develop from the ground up.", The Army has good guidance from leadership, Abrams said, and has established some structure. "We've got some great ideas, we've got some great PowerPoint charts with some concepts, and now we need to put it in the hands of a brigade commander and a bunch of other noncommissioned officers, captains and majors and say 'Hey, let's put this thing together and see what really works.' "

Services DoD offer options to reduce military moves

Service and defense officials outlined programs in place and under consideration to limit military moves during a Senate hearing Wednesday, ranging from servicewide initiatives to personnel tweaks ... even the possibility of allowing troops to decline a promotion if it means avoiding a change of station. "The one thing I hear consistently is that frequent relocations create a great disruption to the family, to employment and a number of other things," said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services' subcommittee on personnel, during a Wednesday hearing. He asked what the services, and the Defense Department, were doing to address those concerns. Their responses, ARMY, Secretary of the Army Mark Esper has heard similar comments from soldiers, said Lt. Gen. Thomas Seamands, deputy chief of staff for personnel, so Esper has asked Army officials to look at "not only whether we can reduce the permanent change-of-station moves in terms of the monetary cost ... but also provide stability to the soldiers at those installations." , "Right now we're trying to peel back the onion to find out where we can keep somebody in place longer to allow stability for them and perhaps continue employment for their spouse," Seamands said, "because if the spouse is employed, they'll want to stay where they are.", Military families would get some extra flexibility in their timeline during permanent change-of-station moves. NAVY, Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Pay and Benefits Report, The service's "market place detailing" program has resulted in 25 percent of sailors' next career moves over the last two years keeping them in the same home port, Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke. He described the process as "a sort of LinkedIn for the Navy," that lets sailors "connect directly with prospective jobs.", The process allows them to consider geographic stability when possible, he said. AIR FORCE, The service is testing the idea of using technology to let officers view openings and requirements, and input their preferences, said Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. "We think leveraging technology will make it easier for people who want to move, to move, and people that want to be stable, to be stable," Grosso said. Officials are slowly implementing the tech across the officer force, she added. The service also implemented a "second assignment in place" program for pilot retention. "But what you find is that the overseas rotation pulls people overseas," Grosso said. "Some of the force structure makes it difficult to keep people in place.", Allowing airmen to opt out of promotions a personnel policy change that's been floated within DoD could also make a difference, she said. "There are people who would like to stay in place, but because of the career progression forced by an up-or-out system, they really can't," she said. With flexibility in that area, "you could keep families in place longer in the same position. We'd obviously have to think about how to manage that, but that would be one huge benefit.", MARINE CORPS, Before the service issues PCS orders, a "monitor" talks with the Marine, taking into account the spouse and family situation, said Lt. Gen. Michael Rocco, deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs. "We support any effort to protect their ability to have jobs or protect their jobs," Rocco said. Another initiative designed to improve family stability is a proposal to reduce the amount of time of unaccompanied tours overseas for married Marines, from the current two years down to 15 to 18 months, Rocco said. , DoD, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has signed a directive creating a "close combat lethality task force," which could ultimately have an impact on family stability for Army and Marine Corps front line close-combat units, said Robert Wilkie, the Pentagon's personnel chief, who will head the task force. Cohesion and stability in terms of the years that a team spends training together is a key to survivability on the battlefield, Wilkie said. The goal of the task force, working with those two services, "will be to find those formulas that will allow those infantry units to stay together longer," he said, "and provide their noncommissioned officers and their junior officers with deep familiarity with the soldiers and Marines that they lead, and then in the end as they leave those units to actually populate larger command structures.", Wilkie also called family stability "key to unit cohesion, and unit cohesion is a key to survivability on the battlefield."

Service ditches Army Strong for new branding strategy

Don't sweat it. Army officials didn't think so, either. The service's latest 60-second commercial debuted Monday, featuring black-and-white photos over stirring narration and music, offering glimpses of many aspects of service and sacrifice, and extolling the virtues of joining "the Army team.", It ended without the "Army Strong" tagline a phrase soldiers will continue to see in internal Army communications, but one that's ended a nine-year run as the familiar face of Army branding after research showed civilians didn't buy in. "Our job is to market the Army to the public," Mark Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing and the director of the Army Marketing and Research Group, said in a Wednesday interview. " 'Army Strong' just didn't resonate with them. You'd either get an 'eh' sort of response, or you'd get an, 'Of course you're strong. You're supposed to be. You're in the Army. ', "Everybody in the Army understands 'Army Strong' intuitively, because they're a stronger human being for their experiences. People outside the Army didn't get it.", The tagline won't be replaced, Davis said. The unveiling of the "Army Strong" ad campaign, at the 2006 Association of the United States Army Convention in Washington, D.C. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Army Times Daily News Roundup, Photo Credit Betsy Weiner/Army, AMRG teamed with New York-based marketing firm McCann Worldgroup to create the spot, aiming to impress the civilian audience by presenting the Army as an elite team seeking new members because, as the narrator puts it, "there is important work to be done." The message also played well internally, and with a group that may have been underserved by past Army marketing efforts. "Veterans absolutely love it," said Davis, a retired officer who left active duty in 2006 after a 25-year career that included a 2003 Iraq deployment and a Bronze Star Medal. "That's a group of folks that have been a little disaffected from the Army, and we're trying to bring them back into the fold.", Keeping vets and active soldiers on board with the message holds greater importance in the age of social media, Davis said, as a disconnect likely would lead to those groups ripping any offending ad campaign to shreds on Reddit, Facebook or other social-media outlets, in full view of the target audience. Mark Davis, a retired Army officer and deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing and the director of the Army Marketing and Research group, poses as part of the "I became a soldier" campaign, which marketing officials say already has gained traction among veterans. Photo Credit Army, HashtagStrong, Just because "Army Strong" is gone doesn't mean new outreach efforts won't include memorable phrases a marketing must in a short-message, hashtag-happy social media environment. One technique that's gotten early online traction Service members and veterans posing for black-and-white pictures, similar to the commercial, holding a sign with the words "I became a soldier" and the hashtags ArmyTeam and makingadifference. Alongside those images, "we've been posting their stories," said Crystal Deleon, AMRG's social media manager. "Why they joined, what they did, what they think they did to make a difference while they were in.", Some of those stories have been seen and shared by 200,000 people, Deleon said, "just because, I think, of that personal connection. People read those and say, 'That could be me.' ", Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, landed a spot in the new commercial for his look, not his rank, Army marketing officials said. Photo Credit Screen shot/U.S. Army, And there is the matter of getting some screen time for generals An image of Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, looking stoically out the window of a helicopter during a 2013 holiday tour of Afghanistan, appears at the 35-second mark but not because of his prominent military post, Davis said. "The truth is, most Americans don't know who Gen. Dempsey is," he added. "We kind of think everybody knows everything about us, and most Americans don't know anything about the military. ... It was chosen because of that look, that dramatic look."

Man who tried to sell secrets to China sentenced

LOS ANGELES A former Air Force employee who tried to sell classified information about a military satellite network to China has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison. Brian Scott Orr of Marina del Rey was sentenced Monday in Los Angeles. He also was fined 10,000. Prosecutors say Orr was a former civilian employee with the Air Force Research Laboratory in New York who worked on a computer network used to control military satellites. Prosecutors say he lost his top secret clearance because of poor work performance and odd behavior, resigned in 2011 but kept some restricted training materials. Prosecutors say he sold the information last year for 5,000 to an FBI agent he believed was a Chinese spy. Orr pleaded guilty in March to retention of stolen government property.

New in 2018 Historic Marine Corps battle anniversaries this year

In 2018, several legendary Marine Corps battles will have their 50th, 75th and 100th anniversaries, Jan. 21 marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the siege at the Khe Sanh Combat Base, during which the 26th Marine Regiment spent 77 days surrounded by thousands of North Vietnamese troops. The Marines came under intense artillery fire and much of their ammunition and other equipment was destroyed, so they had to be constantly resupplied by air. By the time the siege was broken, 205 U.S. troops had been killed and another 1,668 had been wounded. Up to 15,000 enemy troops are believed to have been killed. More than 1,600 enemy bodies were found along the base's perimeter after the fighting. Jan. 31 is the 50th anniversary of the start of the battle for Hue city during the Tet Offensive. North Vietnamese troops and communist guerrillas captured most of the city at the start of the surprise offensive and Marines had to fight street-by-street and house-by-house to drive the enemy back. Initially, the U.S. limited artillery and airstrikes on Hue, so Marines used a tracked vehicle known as the Ontos for protection in the city's narrow streets. During three weeks of intense urban fighting, 142 Marines were killed and another 857 wounded. June 1 marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most famous battles Marines ever fought in Belleau Wood. In March 1918, the Germans launched their last offensive of World War I in a last-ditch attempt to defeat the Allies before enough American troops arrived in Europe to turn the tide decisively against them. That June, the 4th Marine Brigade spent 20 days fighting entrenched German troops to secure Belleau Wood, suffering more than 4,000 casualties in the process. The Marines were allegedly called "Devil Dogs" by German troops, and the term became a nickname that lasts to the present day. The battlefield itself was renamed "Woods of the Marine Brigade" by the French 6th Army. Nov. 20 is the 75th anniversary of the Second World War's battle of Tarawa atoll, which marked the beginning of the U.S. offensive in the Central Pacific. The main target was a Betio Island, a Japanese stronghold about 4,000 yards in length and 800 yards wide. A Japanese commander boasted that it would take one million Americans 100 years to take the island, but 18,000 Marines captured the island in 76 hours. The battle provided costly lessons on amphibious warfare. Landing craft became stuck on a reef hundreds of yards from shore, so Marines had to wade or swim to the beach under fire, taking heavy losses. By battle's end, more than 1,600 U.S. troops had been killed. Here's a preview of what's in store for the Marines in 2018.

CENTCOM chief says Trump did not consult him on Syria withdrawal declaration

WASHINGTON As President Donald Trump is expected to call for an end America's ongoing wars overseas, his top general in the Mideast said he was not consulted or warned Trump would declare a U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria. "I was not aware of the specific announcement. Certainly we were aware that he had expressed a desire and intent," to leave, Gen. Joseph Votel, who leads U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, adding "I was not consulted.", Trump abruptly tweeted plans for a U.S. pullout from Syria in December, arguing that the Islamic State group had been defeated even though his intelligence chiefs have said it remains a threat. Trump also ordered the military to develop plans to remove up to half of the 14,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Hours before Trump was expected to discuss a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan in his State of the Union address, Votel told the panel that the fight against the Islamic State is "not over" and characterized peace talks in Afghanistan as "early.", "The fight against ISIS and violent extremists is not over and our mission has not changed," Votel said. "The coalition's hard-won battlefield gains can only be secured by maintaining a vigilant offensive against a now largely dispersed and disaggregated ISIS that retains leaders, fighters, facilitators and a profane ideology that fuels their efforts.", At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Votel said the Islamic State occupies less than 20 miles of territory and has about 20,000 to 30,000 fighters, adding, "We don't fully know.", Lawmakers on the panel expressed skepticism, as Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. said the Islamic State and al-Qaida are still active in the region, and that "when our military pulls back, Russia pulls forward.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Likewise, SASC ranking member, Sen. Jack Reed said administration's "contradictory statements" on a Syria withdrawal, "underscore that this decision was anything but thoughtful and deliberate. "Bringing our troops home should always be our objective, but it must be done in a deliberate and well-thought-out manner in concert with our partners and allies," Reed, D-R.I. said of Syria and Afghanistan. Lawmakers on the committee worried that ISIS fighters will wait out the U.S. and when asked for the strategy to maintain pressure and protect Kurdish forces who battled the Islamic State alongside the U.S. Votel reassured lawmakers both were priorities. However, he said he would discuss specifics in a closed session with the panel, planned for Tuesday afternoon. U.S. is seeking to broker an agreement that prevents Turkey from following through on its threats to launch a full-scale military offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. Turkey sees the forces as an offshoot of Kurdish rebels inside Turkey. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Marsha Blackburn want Kurdish allies protected after U.S. troops leave Syria. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, expressed the hope that Votel, who is retiring next month, would stress the importance of protecting the Kurds to his successor. "If they are slaughtered by the Turks within reasonable proximity to our leaving, it will be a stain on our honor of this country that will persist in our ability to attract allies to assist us in future projects of this kind," King said. "That's my biggest fear, and I believe the Turks are waiting.", "This is a key task that we are looking at right now, and that is the protection of people who have fought valiantly with us, and ensuring that they remain safe as our diplomats, the United States and others pursue a diplomatic solution," Votel replied. Asked about Trump's remarks that he would keep U.S. troops in Iraq to "watch Iran," Votel said the military had not shifted its focus to Iran and downplayed the negative reaction from Iraqi leaders. "I have been given no additional tasks with regards to that," he said in an exchange with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Of U.S. troop activities, Votel said they are focused on liberating remaining ISIS territory in Syria, along the Iraq border but affirmed U.S. troops are not "kicking in doors," but supplying artillery and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support. The testimony comes a day after the Senate approved legislation viewed as a rebuke of Trump's Syria and Afghanistan withdrawal plans, saying rogue elements in both countries still pose a significant national security threat to the United States. The Trump administration is pushing peace talks that aim to end the 17-year conflict. Amid questions from Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Ala. on Afghanistan, Votel defended talks between U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban that have thus far excluded the Afghan government. Votel said the U.S. recognizes the Afghan government must be part of a resolution, and it's being consulted as the talks proceed. "I would characterize where we are as very, very early in the process," Votel said, adding that Khalilzad is creating, "a framework by which we can move forward with discussions, that would be certainly involving the Afghan government.", "I hope that turns out to be true," Wicker said, adding "The concerns in this city are bipartisan concerns based on consultations with people who have been involved in this for a long, long time, and it's important that we get this right.",

3 European producers bid for Poland sub deal

WARSAW, Poland Poland's Ministry of Defence has obtained three offers to acquire new submarines for the country's Navy as the service seeks three new vessels to replace outdated Kobben-class subs. France's Naval Group is offering its Scorpene-class subs armed with MBDA's naval cruise missiles Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is bidding with its 212CD-class subs and Swedish, Saab-owned company Kockum is offering its A26-class subs, the ministry said in a statement. "These vessels are to constitute the essential combat and flagship element of the Polish Navy, and, at the same time, as they will be fitted with cruise missiles, they will be a key element of the state's and alliance's military deterrence," the ministry said. The French offer is the only one comprising cruise missiles, which could put Naval Group in a preferential position to secure the deal, local observers say. Deliveries of the new subs are scheduled for the years 2024 to 2026. In addition to the minesweepers and one rescue vessel, the contract is estimated to be worth some 10 billion zloty U.S. 2.9 billion, according to data from the ministry. Last August, the Polish ministry decided to overhaul two of the Kobbens. One vessel will be decommissioned in 2018 and the other in 2020.

Experiment over Pentagons tech hub gets a vote of confidence

WASHINGTON In the early days of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter stressed that the "experimental" part of the unit was vital, a sign that the Silicon Valley outreach hub could remain flexible. "DIUx is, after all, an experiment, as well as a pathfinder," Carter said in 2016, following a relaunch of the group after a frustrating first year. "We created it so we could try new approaches, learn what works and what doesn't, and iterate until we get it right. And we'll keep iterating together and learning from each other as we go forward.", Now, three years after its founding, it appears the experiment is over. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan on Thursday announced that the office will now be known only as the Defense Innovation Unit, formally dropping the "experimental" part of the title. In a memo, Shanahan called the group a "proven, valuable asset" for the department and said the name change is a testament to my commitment to the importance of its mission.", "Removing experimental' reflects DIU's permanence within the DoD. Though DIU will continue to experiment with new ways of delivering capability to the warfighter, the organization itself is no longer an experiment," Shanahan wrote. "DIU remains vital to fostering innovation across the Department and transforming the way DoD builds a more lethal force.", It's a vote of confidence that will be welcomed by the now-DIU team and its supporters, after a year where many wondered about the future of the office. Since its creation, DIUx reported directly to the defense secretary until February of this year, when it was rolled under the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. Raj Shah, who led the group for the last two years, stepped down earlier this year as the office's leader a search for his full-time replacement is ongoing. And three years after the office was formed, some have questioned what exactly the group has accomplished. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, To help make sure DIUx thrives in the new ecosystem, the office recently hired Michael Madsen to take over its D.C. operations, with the stated goal of increasing its influence and outreach in the Pentagon and on the Hill. Shanahan's vote of confidence may make his job easier. "DIU has provided meaningful solutions to some of the toughest challenges by successfully accelerating commercial technology into the Department," Madsen said in a statement to Defense News. "We appreciate senior department leaders' commitment to our mission and the opportunity to expand our lessons learned throughout the DoD to benefit the men and women in uniform.",

Marine awarded Purple Heart for combat in an undisclosed war zone

A Marine was awarded a Purple Heart on July 27 for wounds sustained during combat operations in an undisclosed country. , Lance Cpl. Dillon Bennett, a machine gunner with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, was awarded the Purple Heart at a ceremony at Twentynine Palms, California, for wounds he sustained during combat operations on July 9, according to a posting from the Defense Department's imagery distribution site, DVIDS. However, the captions accompanying the photos fail to disclose the combat theater the Purple Heart was earned. "Bennett received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained while deployed to his area of operations on July 9, 2018," the photo reads. So where was the Marine operating?, The young machine gunner likely was wounded during operations in Syria, where Marines are assisting U.S. partner forces known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, battle the last remaining pockets of ISIS fighters in the Euphrates River valley in Syria. But the Corps has recently been tight-lipped about its operations in the war-torn region, and has even scrubbed images and references to its operations in Syria. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Get the Marine Corps Times Daily News Roundup, Photos of a June 20 visit by Marine Corps Lt. Gen. William D. Beydler, commander of Marine Corps Forces Central Command, to Marines in Syria were scrubbed from DVIDS after questions about the mission were raised by Marine Corps Times. "Unfortunately, the Marines do not answer questions while their troops are still on mission which is why the images you archived are no longer available," Army Col. Thomas F. Veale, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, told Marine Corps Times in an emailed statement. "One of our subordinate units published those shots on DVIDS, not knowing the Marines' policy, and we pulled them down for force protection considerations and to honor the Marines' policy.", It's no secret that Marines are assisting anti ISIS operations across Iraq and Syria, but it's unknown when or why the Corps decided to clamp down on even basic information about its deployments there. , The deployment of Marine artillery support for the Raqqa liberation campaign was highly publicized. The ISIS-declared capital was liberated on Oct.17, 2017. And as early as April 24, 2018, another Marine was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in Syria. Sgt. Cameron T. Halkovich, a combat engineer with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division was awarded the Purple Heart at a ceremony aboard Camp Pendleton, California, at end of April. "Halkovich was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action on Feb. 17, 2018 in Syria," the photo caption in DVIDS reads. In late June, the DoD posted a photo of a Marine KC-130J flying out of an "undisclosed location," the caption reads. Open source analyst sleuths claimed to have geolocated the airfield to a region in northern Syria. While the Corps isn't talking about it recent operations in Syria, ISIS' last bastion along the Euphrates River in Syria is likely to fall in the next couple of months, French Brig. Gen. Frederic Parisot, director of civil military operations for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, told reporters late July. Marine Corps Times reached out to the Marine Corps and officials with U.S. Central Command Operation Inherent Resolve regarding the Purple Heart and have yet to receive a response.

Initial cost for Trump military parade comes in at 12 million DoD says

President Donald Trump's requested military parade is expected to cost about 12 million, according to initial planning estimates, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday. The parade was initial set for Nov. 11, Veterans Day, but now will take place Nov. 10 to accomodate international celebrations on Nov. 11 set to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The parade costs were first reported by CNN. The initial price tag could easily change, and no final plan has been approved yet, a defense official said on the condition of anonymity. The price would depend on the final numbers of troops and type of equipment involved, and how those troops will need to be transported to Washington, such as whether they would need to be moved by train. More than 51,000 Military Times readers have expressed their views on President Donald Trump's parade request. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney previously told Congress the price tage could be between 10 million and 30 million. The parade date is just four months away, which raised questions on how Washington would be able to execute the needed security and planning, such as getting the permits and public bathrooms, that is required to accomodate a large public gathering. The White House budget director says proposals he's seen put the cost between 10 million and 30 million, depending on the length of the parade. The 12 million cost is roughly the same amount the military had planned to spend on its now-cancelled military exercises with South Korea. Trump directed the exercises to be cancelled citing their cost and saying the exercises were "very provocative" to North Korea. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, "We stopped playing those war games' that cost us a fortune," Trump said last month. The exercises were cancelled after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

Fourth soldier dies from large IED blast in Afghanistan

The Pentagon has identified a fourth casualty from the improvised explosive device that claimed the lives of three special operations troops last week and left three other Americans wounded. Sgt. Jason Mitchell McClary died Sunday in Landstuhl, Germany, as a result of injuries sustained from the IED blast that occurred Tuesday in Andar district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation, according to NATO's Resolute Support mission to train and advise Afghan forces. McClary, 24, was from Export, Pennsylvania. He was an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colorado. "The Rock battalion expresses its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends tragically affected by the loss of Sgt. Jason McClary. He epitomizes what it is to be a professional, a warrior and a soldier," Lt. Col. Christopher Roberts, commander of 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, said in a statement. "Sgt. McClary served honorably as an up-armored vehicle gunner for the Attack Company. His memory and contributions will never be forgotten.", The Department of Defense released the identities today of three U.S. special operations troops killed during combat operations in Afghanistan. McClary had been in Afghanistan since April. Prior to that, he served in Iraq from May 2016 to January 2017. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Army Times Daily News Roundup, He had received two Purple Hearts, three Army Commendation Medals, one of which was with Valor, an Army Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Air Assault Badge. McClary joined the Army in January 2014, and had been assigned at Fort Carson since October 2017. Three special operations troops two Army Green Berets and an Air Force combat controller were immediately killed when the IED that killed McClary detonated last week. Four wounded Americans, including three U.S. service members and a civilian contractor, were initially wounded by the detonation. The wounded were immediately evacuated, following the blast. Resolute Support did not immediately provide a status update on the other three Americans who were wounded. The IED was reportedly very large. The Taliban's official spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed the detonation completely destroyed a U.S. tank, likely referencing an up-armored Oskosh M-ATV or Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle that the troops would have been riding in. The blast occurred on the outskirts of Ghazni City, the Taliban said. McClary's death raised the total count of U.S. troops killed in action this year to 14. November was the bloodiest month of the year, accounting for five total deaths. An Army Ranger, Sgt. Leandro Jasso, died of wounds inflicted by small arms fire in western Afghanistan's Nimroz Province on Nov. 24. Jasso's death was likely the result of accidental friendly fire from the Afghan commandos he was accompanying during an assault on al-Qaida positions, Resolute Support said after a preliminary investigation. Earlier in the month, on Nov. 3, Maj. Brent Taylor, 39, was killed in an insider attack in Kabul. Taylor was a member of the Utah Army National Guard and also served as the mayor of North Ogden, Utah.

US says California rejects proposed border duties for troops

SAN DIEGO The Trump administration said Monday that California Gov. Jerry Brown rejected terms of the National Guard's initial deployment to the Mexican border, but a state official said nothing was decided. "The governor determined that what we asked for is unsupportable, but we will have other iterations," Ronald Vitiello, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's acting deputy commissioner, told reporters in Washington. Brown elicited rare and effusive praise from President Donald Trump last week for pledging 400 troops to the Guard's third large-scale border mission since 2006. But the Democratic governor conditioned his commitment on his state's troops having nothing to do with immigration enforcement, even in a supporting role. The deployment of National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border at President Donald Trump's request was underway Tuesday with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration. Brown's announcement last week did not address what specific jobs the California Guard would and would not do, nor answer the thorny question of how state officials would distinguish work related to immigration from other duties. Vitiello said the governor decided California will not accept terms of an initial troop rollout for the state that was similar to plans for the other three border states, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, According to two U.S. officials, the initial jobs for those troops include fixing and maintaining vehicles, using remote-control surveillance cameras to report suspicious activity to U.S. Border Patrol agents, operating radios and providing "mission support," which can include clerical work, buying gas and handling payrolls. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. California National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Thomas Keegan said "state officials have not rejected anything" since Brown proposed a formal agreement Wednesday with the Homeland Security and Defense Departments that prohibits any involvement in immigration. "The federal government has not yet responded," Keegan said in an emailed statement. Homeland Security Department spokesman Tyler Houlton said the federal government was committed to working with Brown and that the California leader shares interest in a secure border with Mexico. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Integration Robert G. Salesses said the administration wanted 237 troops for work in two parts of the state that California "has indicated they will not perform.", Vitiello emphasized that California may participate in other ways that must still be worked out. "We are anticipating additional requirements, and we got a signal from California that they are interested in improving border security," Vitiello said. "So, at some point that might come together.", Brown was clear last week that California troops will help go after drugs, guns and criminal gangs, but not immigrants. Drawing that line will likely prove difficult because the Border Patrol combats illegal immigration but also drug smuggling and other crimes. Brown's pledge of 400 troops allowed Trump to boast support from all four border-state governors and helped put the president above the lower end of his threshold of marshaling 2,000 to 4,000 troops that he wants to fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The Democratic governor cast his decision as a welcome infusion of support paid for by the U.S. government to fight transnational criminal gangs and drug and firearms smugglers. Republican governors from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have openly embraced the Trump administration's plans and specific jobs for their troops, as California did in previous Guard deployments. Texas National Guard members are already doing aerial and ground surveillance. The Arizona National Guard said last week that its troops will provide air and ground support. The Guard had about 900 troops working on the border mission Monday, a number that changes daily, said Lt. General Daniel R. Hokanson, the National Guard Bureau's vice chief. Nearly 250 were in Arizona, more than 60 in New Mexico and about 650 in Texas.

US military opens annual counterterrorism training in Niger

NIAMEY, Niger Six months after the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Niger led to questions about the military's presence in the West African nation, the U.S. Special Operations Command in Africa on Wednesday opened its annual counterterror exercise in the face of a growing extremist threat. The Flintlock exercise's 10 days of training for special operations forces is meant to strengthen West African nations' ability to combat multiple extremist groups, including ones that have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and al-Qaida. About 1,900 service members from 20 African and western nations are participating in the Flintlock exercise. The vast Sahel region's large number of ungoverned spaces and widespread poverty pose challenges to counterterror efforts. "Not one week goes by without our population, our defense and security forces, in all of our countries being touched by some sort of terrorist or armed attack," Niger's Minister of Defense Kalla Moutari said at the opening ceremony. "No one country can face all these complex challenges alone.", Service members deployed to Niger, Mali and northern Cameroon qualify to receive imminent danger pay/hostile fire pay retroactive to June 7, 2017, DoD announced Thursday. Little was known about U.S. involvement in Niger before the deaths in October of four U.S. and four Nigerien soldiers in an extremist ambush. Politicians demanded to know more about the U.S. role in Africa. In Niger, the number of U.S. military personnel has grown from 100 to 800 in the past five years, and the U.S. is building a drone base in the country's north. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, Regional threats include al-Qaida-linked fighters in Mali and Burkina Faso, Islamic State-affiliated fighters in Niger and Nigeria and the Nigeria-based Boko Haram. The commitment of Niger and its neighbors in fighting extremism is crucial as "underdevelopment and poverty are exploited to recruit future terrorists," U.S. Ambassador Eric P. Whitaker said. The U.S. mission in Niger is by far the largest in West Africa and the incident that left four U.S. soldiers dead is calling into question whether U.S. officials have been transparent with the public about the full scope. This year's exercise is the third to involve civilian law enforcement agencies, with the State Department's Antiterrorism Assistance Program this year training personnel to detect, investigate and prosecute extremists.

About 700 immigrant children now staying at Holloman Air Force Base

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. About 700 immigrant children from Central America are now staying at Holloman Air Force Base. KOAT-TV reports that the children arrived in Alamogordo on Sunday. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter directed Holloman Air Force Base to be the first of three temporary shelters to open in New Mexico, Colorado and Florida. The children are being housed in a vacant building on base previously used by the 4th Space Surveillance Squadron. The children are between the ages of 14 and 17 and are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Officials say they will likely not stay on the base more than a month.

Army wants minidrones for its squads by 2018

The Army is moving forward with a plan to put has taken a key step towards handing pocket-sized drones in the hands of to its dismounted soldiers by 2018. squads, with plans for broad distribution through a funded program in 2018 and limited fielding before that. The service on On March 1 the Army requested information papers from industry on what technology might be available for what it's calling Soldier Borne Sensors. The Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, has a preliminary set of requirements and plans to go back-and-forth with industry on what already exists or could become quickly available. , "We've had numerous studies as well as experimentation within our battle labs. We continue to see that soldiers are kind of lacking at the squad level for relevant information that's immediately around them," said Phil Cheatum, deputy branch chief of electronics and special developments at MCoE, said Tuesday. But he also added "We don't know what we don't know about what's out there right now.", Unmanned aerial systems such as Drones like the Gray Eagle and Shadow, which are part of native to larger units, have improved situational awareness capability for the Army. But a squad trying to clear a city block or go over a hill can remain blind to more detailed and rapidly changing threats. A quickly-deployable SBS would give allow squads real-time ability to inspect its most intimate threats. , The technology and concept are not new. British and Norwegian forces have been using PD-100 Black Hornet drones since about 2012, and the British have heavily leaned on them in Afghanistan. Last spring, the Army tested them along with a number of other gadgets at Maneuver Battle Lab Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments at Fort Benning. U.S. special operations forces have deployed with them. Sergeant Scott Weaver, of The Queens Royal Lancers launches a Black Hornet, Nano UAV from a compound in Afghanistan during Operation QALB. Op QALB is a joint ISAF and ANSF operation, its aim is find enemy caches and disturb Insurgent supply chains. , Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Army Times Daily News Roundup, Photo Credit Sgt Rupert Frere/RLC, Cheatum said the Army hopes to learn lessons from those early adopters to find the best capabilities and seek a more affordable solution better priced for a much larger more vast distribution population. "The only problem we'd have with a capability like that is the Black Hornet is individually handmade," Cheatum said. "When you're talking about individually handmade, you're talking about an expensive piece of equipment.", Lt. Col. Timothy Fuller, product manager for soldier maneuver sensors at MCoE, said the there will be an industry day on April 12, the first of many over the next couple of years. At AEWE last year, soldiers said the Black Hornet would have been invaluable during past deployments. "I was in Basra Iraq. There's a lot of roads that you don't really know where they go," Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith told Army Times a year ago. "In Afghanistan, I can't tell you the number of times you just want to know what's on the other side of a hill.", Requirements for SBS informed by experimentation efforts like AEWE remain preliminary and fluid at this point the Army isn't publicizing detailed specifics. But Cheatum laid out some basics, Max weight of 150 grams The device should weigh less than a third of a pound and ideally fit into a cargo pocket to avoid adding any additional burden to soldiers already loaded down with gear. Deployable within 60 seconds Soldiers should be able to get it in the air quickly. A 15-minute flight time The Army needs the SBS to stay in the air long enough to capture relevant information and, ideally, return to its operator. Capable camera Cheatum said it should be able to detect a human-sized object within 50 to 75 feet with "90 percent probability." The camera will provide soldiers a real-time feed. Wind tolerance of 10 to 15 knots While such a small UAS likely won't fly in rough conditionsa hurricane, Cheatum said the SBS should be able to operate in light winds. Range of 500 to 1,200 meters With line of sight, the drone should be operable from a reasonable distance, with the ability to bring it home after gathering the intel. The Black Hornet weighs just over half an ounce 18 grams and, including the controller, the system weighs just under three pounds 1.3 kg total, according to maker Prox Dynamics. It can fly for about 25 minutes at a speeds of up to 11 miles per hour and has a line-of-sight range of 1600 meters. Cameras can be aimed and send a live feed to the controller while also able to take still more detailed still shots. According to the British Ministry of Defence, a 2013 Black Hornet contract for 160 units cost 20 million roughly 30 million, or about 190,000 per PD-100. KJ NOTE If you check the math, keep in mind exchange rates shift over time...used a rough estimate of early 2013 exchange rates and rounded. Kyle Jahner covers soldier uniforms and equipment, Medical Command and Recruiting Command along with investigations and other breaking news for Army Times. He can be reached at [email protected].

Chief Wright Air Force leaders must step up to fix morale troubles

ORLANDO, Fla. The new chief master sergeant of the Air Force, Kaleth Wright, on Thursday challenged the service's leaders to step up their game and fix the morale problems affecting the force. "We can't fix this with more time off and more picnics," Wright said in response to a question about morale at the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium. "This is where we have to grind. This is where we, as leaders, have to put to use all of the skills that we learned in our development and training and PME, where we have to motivate, encourage and inspire. We have to solve problems at the highest level. We are responsible for creating an environment where our airmen can thrive.", Wright said morale levels vary throughout the enlisted force. Some commands may be having problems dealing with high operations tempos, low manning and resource shortages, while other commands may not be struggling as much. That is where leaders need to step in and figure out exactly what is dragging down morale in their units, he said. "We can get down, we can understand the challenges, we can understand the issues of those individual airmen, those individual flights or sections, and address those," Wright said. "Making the determination that morale is low That's the easy part. The hard part is, what are you going to do about it?", In his speech to AFA his first as the Air Force's top enlisted airman Wright underlined his intention to build a more "resilient" force of enlisted airmen and their families, one that can better handle the heavy mission requirements the service now faces. He also said he wants to focus on improving how the Air Force trains. "You don't become a champion on the field," Wright said. "You become a champion in practice.", Wright said an old boss taught him the importance of "focused, deliberate training.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup, "You push them right to the edge of mutiny, and then you allow them to recover," Wright said. "That's the type of focused training all of our airmen need.", Wright said a renewed focus on training will help with Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein's intention to revitalize the Air Force's squadrons, which tend to be about 85 to 90 percent enlisted. "The best thing that we can do, particularly as enlisted airmen, is make sure those airmen are well-trained," Wright said. Wright also suggested a renewed focus on building character could help correct some of the disciplinary problems that have led to embarrassing, high-profile firings. "We've had some issues over the years and recently with airmen not doing so well, actually having to be removed from certain positions," Wright said. "It's hard for me to think of many of these airmen who were removed for incompetence, because they didn't have the right skill set, because it wasn't the right time, they didn't have the right training. Almost all of them have been because of character. They didn't have the right character. And so we have to fix that. We owe our airmen much better than that."

Pence calls on EU allies to withdraw from nuclear deal in latest transAtlantic rift

MUNICH U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday called on European Union nations to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and accused them of undertaking efforts to "break up" U.S. sanctions on Tehran. The rebuke is just the latest episode in a running drama over relations between the Trump administration and America's closest allies, and it comes ahead of the 2019 Munich Security Conference in the Bavarian capital, Feb 15-17, where Pence is expected to deliver remarks and hold bilateral meetings. Speaking at a Middle East conference in Warsaw, Poland, Pence ripped allies for staying in the 2015 landmark multinational nuclear accord after President Donald Trump's unilateral decision last May to withdraw. "The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join with us as we bring the economic and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the region and the world the peace, security and freedom they deserve," he said. Pence was critical of Britain, France and Germany for unveiling a new financial mechanism last month that U.S. officials believe is intended to keep the nuclear deal alive by evading American sanctions. Pence praised other nations for complying with U.S. sanctions by reducing Iranian oil imports, but said the Europeans fell short. "They call it a special purpose vehicle.' We call it an effort to break sanctions against Iran's murderous regime," Pence said. "It's an ill-advised step that will only strengthen Iran, weaken EU, and create still more distance between Europe and the United States.", The mechanism is a barter-type payment system designed to allow businesses to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran. While there was no immediate reaction from the allies Pence criticized, they have defended their moves to skirt sanctions. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said last month the countries are "moving in the same direction on a whole series of issues such as ballistic missiles or Iran's regional influence, but that we do have a difference of opinion on the nuclear agreement.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Calling the original Obama-era deal a "devil's bargain," Pence argued Thursday it was flawed because it fails to prevent Iran from evenutally developing a nuclear weapon. He said that Iran, since the deal was brokered, has become more aggressive in the region, not less. Last month, Trump lashed out at his own intelligence chiefs after they concluded that Tehran's work to stay in compliance with the deal has made it less of a nuclear threat. At the same time, the U.S. military assessed America's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has not slowed down Iran's other malign behavior. The Trump administration announced in August it would reactivate economic sanctions on Iran that were paused under the nuclear deal. On Thursday, Pence promised still tougher sanctions to dissuade Iran's "dangerous and destabilizing behavior.",

Report LGB troops twice as likely to experience sexual assault as nonLGB population

A new study has found that military veterans who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual are twice as likely to experience incidents of sexual assault while on active-duty compared to non-LGB service members. The significantly higher rate of sexual assault experienced by these demographics increases the likelihood of enduring symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or depression later in life, the study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress found. "Our study highlights critical information LGB veterans were more likely to experience sexual assault while serving in the military," lead author Dr. Carrie Lucas said. "Now is the time to further understand not only the experiences of veterans, but to understand current trends within the military to provide real-time prevention, training, and interventions, as needed.", Military officials are not releasing the report publicly yet, citing concerns about methodology and accuracy. Current trends from those surveyed in the study indicate that while on active duty, 32.7 percent of the lesbian, gay and bisexual population male and female experienced some form of sexual assault, compared to 16.4 percent of non-LGB personnel. Of the lesbian and bisexual female veterans who participated in the study, 57.5 percent reported experiencing sexual assault, compared to 37.4 percent of non-LGB female veterans. About 16 percent of gay and bisexual male veteran participants reported at least one incident of sexual assault while on active duty, compared to 3.5 percent of heterosexual male vets. Research has established a direct connection between sexual assault in the military and PTSD and depression, the report said. Looking at the same participants through a PTSD or depression lens, the aforementioned correlation is evident. Over 40 percent of LGB male and female veteran study participants reported symptoms of PTSD, compared to under 30 percent of non-LGB veterans. And 48 percent of LGB respondents reported experiencing depression, compared to 36 percent of heterosexual respondents. "More research is needed to understand the factors that may predict sexual assault in the military," the study says, "particularly among LGB service members, as well as how to best address the mental health needs of veterans regardless of their identity."

Heres how air and ground robots working together will change infantry tactics

Ground and aerial robots are changing the way dismounted troops fight in fundamental ways, experts say. Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, a foundational concept for combat arms, especially the leading edge of the Army and Marine infantry, is being dissected with the employment of robots. "It also changes the way we look at the battlefield," Lt. Col. Kevin Reilly of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab said at the National Defense Industry Association Ground Robotics Capabilities Conference Tuesday on a panel alongside other military and industry experts. The drones not only give troops eyes on a dangerous area, they allow for additional sensors to pull information into the larger battlefield picture. Reilly noted that robots, be they aerial drones that have been employed for decades or newly arrived man-packable ground robots, are cutting into a key portion of that concept close with. The robots increase standoff, allowing soldiers and Marines to figure out where all the threats are before engaging. And aerial drones are partnering with ground robots in innovative ways. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Get the Marine Corps Times Daily News Roundup, David Viens with the company Endeavor Robotics, showed the audience a video of a Pez-dispenser-like box that held batteries for a delivery drone and small ground robots. The drone-focused company Asylon put the system together in a matter of weeks to demonstrate for Special Operations Command officials, Viens said. The delivery drone landed, picked up a ground robot, dropped it on a rooftop and then returned for a battery change and another ground robot to deliver. Drones delivering drones. Those ground drones can carry sensors and be placed in key points along a battlefield, removing the need for humans to be in those dangerous spots just to gather information, Viens said. The system could deliver tiny amounts of gear in waves, from batteries, to first aid, to ammunition or food. "You no longer have to put Cav Scouts, Special Operations Forces or infantry in these locations," Viens said. Combine that array of movable sensors with artificial intelligence and the battlefield portrait just got clearer. "I think you're going to see more machine learning and computer vision that allows those systems to provide critical information," Reilly said. "That will give you a more robust picture without having to analyze all of the data.", An example he gave was to program the computers to seek out key indicators that would give the dismounted troops practical information such as vehicles in an open area or a mass of armed infantry in their region, all drawing from multiple sensor to deliver that data.

Iran presses Europe to defy US and stay in nuke pact

MUNICH Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has urged European leaders to reject pressure from the United States to leave a nuclear accord designed to keep Tehran from making atomic weapons. His comments at the Munich Security Conference here come one day after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence used the same stage to urge Europe to walk away from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. The Trump administration last year reinstated sanctions against Iran that were suspended under the accord, thereby nixing the U.S. commitment to it. Europeans, however, have attempted to keep the Obama-era deal alive, setting up a special trade mechanism last month designed to fulfill the pact's requirement of normalized economic relations with Iran. "The U.S. is now laboring to force others to violate that resolution," Zarif said, adding that European efforts to save the JCPOA weren't showing "much success.", Vice President Mike Pence is calling on EU nations to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, and accusing them of undertaking efforts to "break up" U.S. sanctions on Tehran. "Europe needs to be ready to get wet if it wants to swim against the tide of U.S. unilateralism," Zarif said. He portrayed the latest transatlantic disagreement as part of an trend by Washington to subdue its European partners. Next up, he argued, could be a demand by the Trump administration to stop dealing with China. Europeans have shared U.S. concerns about the failure of the Iran nuclear deal to limit Tehran's missile arsenal. In addition, governments here believe that Iran is responsible for assassinations on European soil, a claim that Tehran has rejected. German Chancellor Angela Merkel advocated for remaining in the JCPOA in a speech here on Saturday. "Are we helping our common cause, which is curbing the harmful or difficult influence of Iran, by canceling the only remaining agreement, or are we better off keeping the small anchor that we still have to perhaps build up pressure in other areas?", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief

Military Times leader tapped by White House to help create a healthier America

A senior leader with Military Times and its parent company Sightline Media has been tapped by the White House to help play a key role in making sure America's youth are ready for military service. Robert Wilkins, a retired Air Force master sergeant, was appointed by President Donald Trump earlier this year to serve a two-year term on the White House Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Wilkins is also head of veterans outreach for Sightline Media and leads the media company's nationwide outreach efforts with veterans' groups. He also helps support the news organization's expanded coverage of multi-generational veteran's issues. The council's purpose is to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports." The PCSFN is made up of athletes, chefs, physicians, fitness professionals and educators who serve in an advisory capacity through the secretary of Health and Human Services. "You do not realize the importance of your health until it's gone," Wilkins said when referring to how he wants to encourage motivation for fitness and nutrition in the country. Military leaders in recent years have voiced growing concern about fitness among today's youth because the vast majority are unfit for military service, primarily due to obesity. According to Trump's executive order on the council "My Administration recognizes the benefits of youth sports participation, physical activity, and a nutritious diet in helping create habits that support a healthy lifestyle and improve the overall health of the American people. My Administration therefore aims to expand and encourage youth sports participation, and to promote the overall physical fitness, health, and nutrition of all Americans.", The presidential council publishes guidelines and standards that allow the president's office to issue awards for physical activity tests and challenges. The council members will meet twice a year under the oversight of first daughter Ivanka Trump. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, Wilkins said he hopes the council will be able to help raise general awareness about fitness and encourage young people to take the first steps toward a healthy lifestyle. "Taking it slow and tracking one's progress is a great method for steady improvement," Wilkins said when referencing what it takes to get started. Notable members of the president's council also include former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former NASA astronaut Jim Lovell.

Gen Milley is right The US Army is on the mend

Last month, in an appearance before the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley provided a notably upbeat assessment of the state of his service. "The Army is on the mend. I can report out to you today, after two and a half years as the chief of staff of the Army, we are in significantly better shape than we were just a short time ago. And that is through the generosity of this Congress and the American people," he said. Clearly, some of the credit for the Army's improved state of affairs is a result of the recently passed two-year budget, which provided a much-needed increase in resources. The Army has been able to grow its end strength, purchase needed munitions and spare parts, increase training activities, and recapitalize older and damaged equipment. More resources have also enabled the Army force to expand its presence in Europe, increase, albeit modestly, procurement of upgraded Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Strykers, and acquire the new Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle. But much of the credit goes to the Army chief of staff himself. About a year and a half ago, I wrote a blog for the National Interest titled "Perhaps the Most Remarkable CSA in More than Half a Century." It was Gen. Milley who made modernization the measure of success for his tenure as the Army chief of staff. This change in strategic direction came just in time, ahead of the reappearance of great power competition as the greatest threat to this nation's security. Gen. Milley is not alone in his quest. In fact, it is a troika consisting of Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarty and the chief that is fashioning a new Army in record time and doing so while simultaneously transforming the Army's acquisition system. This is the proverbial case of changing the car's tires while speeding down the road. The Army is closing in on choosing a location and a commander for its new Futures Command as it prepares to stand the organization up this coming June. The early signs are that the Army modernization is on the mend and the acquisition system is being changed. An important example of these improvements is the Army's Rapid Capabilities Office. Established by the secretary and the chief in August 2016, the RCO is tasked to expedite critical capabilities to the field to meet combatant commanders' needs using alternative contracting mechanisms to deliver technologies in real time to the war fighter. One of the RCO's initial projects was to bring the Army back into the game with respect to electronic warfare. In 12 months, the RCO developed an initial integrated mounted and dismounted EW sensor capability that has been deployed with U.S. forces in Europe. A second phase of the project is underway that will add aerial sensors, additional ground-unit sets and improve functionality. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Another program that is proceeding rapidly is a vehicle-mounted, jam-resistant positioning, navigation and timing capability for GPS-challenged environments. Prospective solutions are currently undergoing testing. The chief has directed the RCO to address several new areas. The RCO is working on a long-range cannon concept that may be able to double the range of 155mm howitzers, as well as optical augmentation technology to detect an adversary's anti-tank guided missile day/night sights and loitering munitions that can strike air-defense and artillery emplacements. The Army has been moving rapidly to address many of its critical capability gaps. To meet the challenge posed by hostile aircraft and drones, the Army intends to deploy the first battery of the Maneuver Short Range Air Defense launcher on a Stryker armored vehicle by 2020, five years ahead of schedule. Additional sensors and weapons, including a tactical laser, could be integrated into the new turret by the early 2020s. Tank-automotive and Armaments Command did a rapid assessment of active protection systems. The current plan is to equip at least four brigades of Abrams tanks with the Israeli Trophy system while testing continues on a number of solutions for other armored fighting vehicles. The Army also has used other rapid procurement organizations within the Pentagon. One of these is the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, created in 2016 to push rapid innovation based on leveraging commercial companies. Recently, DIUx led a prototype contract involving upgrades for Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The first production items from it will soon be delivered to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. There are other examples of advances in cyberwarfare, soldier systems, networking and long-range precision fires. The central point is that Gen. Milley's vision of the Army's future is turning out to be right.

US Israel prepare to train for joint missile defense ops

HAZOR AIR BASE, Israel During a press briefing at Hatzor Air Force base in southern Israel ahead of the 9th Juniper Cobra, chief of the Israeli Air Defense Command, Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich, joined his American counterparts to issue platitudes about the US-Israel alliance. , The joint exercise between the Israel Defense Forces' Air Defense Command and the U.S. military is elevated in importance for both Israel and the U.S. amid increasingly tensions in Syria. It will also be the first time the IDF operationally practices with the David's Sling system. Declared operational in 2016, the David's Sling is a missile defense platform that intercepts medium and long-range missiles and was developed jointly by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Raytheon. US Air Force Third Air Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, said the exercise has required thousands of hours of planning that began 18 months ago. When asked if recent events including the downing of an Israeli F-16 by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles last month have increased the likelihood that U.S. personnel would deploy on the ground in Israel to protect the country, Clark said,"if the conditions arise that we are requested by the government of Israel then we will be deployed to assist in the defense of Israel.", Clark said the U.S. could have fighting forces on the ground within 72 hours. In a region where state and non-state actors reportedly have more than a 100,000 rockets and missiles pointed at the Israeli homefront, the sheer size and reach of the U.S. military can provide a tremendous boost to Israel's defense capabilities, the officials noted. "I am sure if we need the support, we will see and meet the U.S. troops fighting next to us," Haimovich said.

Goldfein Air Force Must Redefine Our 21st Century Squadron

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein on Tuesday announced the three one-star generals who will lead the effort to revamp the service's squadron structure, command and control, and joint leader development. Brig. Gen. Stephen Davis, director of manpower, organization and resources, will be in charge of overhauling squadrons, Goldfein said during his speech to the Air Force Association's Air Space Cyber conference here. Brig. Gen. Brian Killough, director of strategy, concepts and assessments, will oversee improving jointness, and Brig. Gen. Chance Saltzman, director of future operations, will head the effort to improve command and control. Goldfein described these three elements as "foundational," and said focusing on them over the next four years will set the Air Force up to accomplish even more than it already has. , Revitalizing the squadron structure is first on Goldfein's list, and he wants to see some ideas by Jan. 1.

Sex assault reports up at Navy Army academies

WASHINGTON Reports of sexual assaults increased at two of the three military academies last year and an anonymous survey suggests sexual misconduct rose across the board at the schools, The Associated Press has learned. , , Pentagon and military officials believe more people are reporting sexual assaults, which they see as a positive trend because it suggests students have more confidence in the system and greater willingness to seek help. , But the anonymous survey results suggest more assaults and crime occurring. They showed more than 12 percent of women and nearly 2 percent of men saying they experienced unwanted sexual contact. , In that survey, the largest increases in sexual misconduct were also at the Navy and Army academies. A vast majority of students said they didn't file a report on the assault because they didn't consider it serious enough. Many women said they took steps to avoid the perpetrator, while more than a third of the men said they confronted the person. , Photo Credit AP, Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, Senior defense officials expressed disappointment. They were particularly concerned that more men and women said they experienced unwanted sexual contact. The rate two years ago was about 8 percent of women and 1 percent of men. , "This is almost a new population of folks every four years and that makes it a little bit more difficult for the messages to build up and gather momentum," said Nate Galbreath, deputy director of the Pentagon's sexual assault prevention office. , Officials struggled to identify a reason. They said some blame may fall on student leaders and how much they are willing to emphasize and enforce sexual assault prevention programs among peers. , "Unless the students have a bit of accountability on their own, unless they take the charge themselves, senior leadership can really only take them so far," said Elizabeth Van Winkle, who is currently the assistant defense secretary for readiness. "If the students aren't taking the charge themselves, you won't make as much headway in this population." , Galbreath said sexual assault prevention instruction may be getting lost amid the many messages about social behavior, including not drinking and driving, or texting and driving. , The Pentagon, he said, is encouraging the academies to increase the amount of time they spend talking about how future leaders must foster a climate of dignity and respect. He said students should know that enforcing good conduct is something they will need to do as officers when they graduate and lead troops in combat. , In recent months, military leaders have met to try and find what Galbreath called the "holy grail of prevention." , One example, he said, would involving taking more to the students about when and how to intervene when they see a bad situation developing. Such scenarios include when they are in a bar drinking or in a workplace in which a boss is the problem. , "What we want those folks to do at the academies is to find those things that seem to really be hallmark situations and help people be better scouts and identify those precursors earlier and also give them a wider range of things that they might be able to do to intervene," Galbreath said. , Galbreath and Van Winkle said drinking remains a major concern, factoring in about 60 percent of incidents women cite and nearly half of those men cite. They said the academies have been putting alcohol programs in place, including some that require students to take a class before turning 21. , Sexual harassment reports filed by students dropped at all three academies. , The overall total fell to 10 last year from 28 in 2015. The anonymous survey showed roughly half of the women and slightly more than 10 percent of men saying they were sexually harassed, near the same level as the previous survey. The surveys are conducted every two years. , Vice Adm. Ted Carter, superintendent at the Naval Academy said the latest increase shows they have more work to do. , "This kind of toxic behavior cannot be tolerated," he said "This is a challenging effort considering the fact that 25 percent of the Brigade turns over every year through graduation and the arrival of a new class every summer."

After holiday break shutdown threat looms for Congress

WASHINGTON After Congress returns from its Thanksgiving recess, budget forecasters are hoping for a year-end spending deal, a pre-Christmas miracle to avert a government shutdown. But by no means is a deal in hand. Multiple reports suggest that as 2017 winds down, a showdown is heating up over whether any spending deal will include a remedy for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. has said no, but a bloc of House Democrats have demanded it for their votes on any year-end funding bill. Though federal spending runs out Dec. 8, Ryan has hinted there will be another stopgap continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government open while lawmakers wrangle. He has said he expects a spending deal to be final by year's end. Roman Schweizer, an analyst and managing director at the Cowen Washington Research Group, said in a note to investors he expects a deal before the new year as opposed to a long-term CR and potentially a two-year deal. "A two-year deal makes a lot of sense" because Congress has amended budget caps two years at a time before, because it would avoid having to make another deal in an election year and because "a hold-your-nose catchall bill" with enough vote-getting provisions will win passage, said Schweitzer. Lawmakers are reportedly considering a GOP proposal of a two-year budget deal that would raise 2011 Budget Control Act caps for defense by 54 billion and nondefense funds by 37 billion in both fiscal 2018 and 2019. Congressional defense hawks have howled over that possibility, that budget caps would be set at 603 billion for defense. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House and Senate earlier this month authorized much more 626.4 billion in base defense spending and 8 billion in defense funds authorized in other committees. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, The defense industry applauded passage of the NDAA earlier this month, but not reports of the potentially lower top-line for the Pentagon. The National Defense Industrial Association expressed its own concerns in a Nov. 20 statement. "NDIA urges swift action to reach a budget agreement that provides sufficient defense funds for the remainder of FY 2018," the statement reads. "It must also meet the needs indicated in the soon-to-be-released National Defense Strategy and Nuclear Posture Review that will drive the FY 2019 budget request and Future Years Defense Program.", Some arguments are emerging for Democrats to push back both against the higher top-line and linked to defense tax reform. , In a Center for a New American Security podcast posted Nov. 20, former U.S. Army Secretary Eric Fanning, due to become the chief of the Aerospace Industries Association in 2018, expressed skepticism about the force structure growth mandated by the NDAA. Fanning flipped on its head a hawkish argument for the NDAA that it provides troops with needed readiness funding. He argued that what it provides for training and modernization was not enough for the force-structure boost. , "I think we hadn't properly resourced the force that we had, and if there's going to be an emphasis on growing the number of Marines, ships and fighter squadrons, I'm concerned that we won't get enough money for that," Fanning said. Fears have surfaced that the GOP tax plan, unless it is revenue-neutral, will add downward pressure on future defense budgets. , In a Nov. 15 letter to senior congressional leaders, three former defense secretaries who served under President Barack Obama Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel and Ash Carter warned that because the tax plan is expected to increase the debt, passing it will probably mean future cuts to Pentagon budgets "for training, maintenance, force structure, flight missions, procurement and other key programs.", "The result is the growing danger of a hollowed out' military force that lacks the ability to sustain the intensive deployment requirements of our global defense mission," the letter reads. "The Navy's recent report on the causes of the two destroyer collisions with civilian cargo ships that took the lives of 17 seamen confirms the lack of adequate training.", House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. made a similar argument in a floor speech a day earlier, that GOP tax reform plans would "undermine the ability to fund" the NDAA's spending plans. "We are having this debate now and talking about how underfunded the military is and how badly we need to shore up our readiness," Smith said. "The rest of the week, we will make sure how our government takes in trillions of dollars less money. That is wildly inconsistent. If we believe we have these needs, we ought to be able to pay for them."

Air Force commander Russian S400 missiles complicate Syria airstrikes

U.S. and coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State group will continue despite Russia's decision to send advanced S-400 surface-to-air missiles to Syria, said the commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command. "Yes, it does complicate things a little bit, and we'll put some thought to it, but we still have a job to do here, and we're going to continue to do that job to defeat Daesh the Islamic State group," Lt. Gen. Charles Brown Jr. told Air Force Times on Wednesday. On Tuesday, a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian SU-24 that allegedly violated Turkish airspace. One of the SU-24's pilots and a Russian marine who was part of the search-and-rescue mission were reportedly killed. Russian and Syrian special operations forces reportedly rescued the second Russian SU-24 pilot on Wednesday. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday that Russia would send S-400 missiles to its air base in Latakia, Syria, according to RT official Russian media. "Khmeimim airbase in Latakia, Syria, accommodates Russian Air Force squadrons of Su-27SM and Su-30 fighter jets, Su-34 and Su-24 tactical bombers, which are all taking part in airstrikes on Islamic State positions," RT reported on Wednesday. "The airbase is protected by state-of-the-art air defense systems and radars. Khmeimim also has a fully operational unit for maintaining fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft and providing logistical assistance to pilots.", Brown said that the U.S.-led coalition and Russia have a memorandum of understanding that spells out how aircraft from both sides should interact. "We have pretty good connectivity with the Russians," Brown said. "With our MOU, there are things that are in there that talk about how we're not going to show hostile acts or hostile intent from the coalition toward the Russians or from the Russians toward the coalition.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup, While the U.S.-led coalition and Russia are both operating in Syrian airspace, they are not coordinating or cooperating, Brown said. "Our mission is to defeat Daesh," Brown said. "The Russians have said they're going to go after Daesh, but that's not what we're actually seeing as far as their strikes. The majority of their strikes are not against Daesh. Their airstrikes are more anti-regime-type. Our communication with the Russians is more for safety of flight.", Syrian rebels reportedly downed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter that was taking part in search-and-rescue efforts for the two downed SU-24 pilots. Video posted on YouTube purportedly shows the rebels using a U.S.-made TOW missile to destroy the helicopter on the ground. The U.S. has deployed about 300 airmen in Diyarbakir Air Base, Turkey, to rescue recuse any U.S. or coalition pilots who have to eject over Iraq or Syria. Those airmen include the Guardian Angel Weapons System, which includes pararescue airmen, combat rescue officers and survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists, who are experts at retrieving pilots or other isolated troops. "Any time we're doing combat search and rescue in a combat zone, there is risk involved," Brown said. "We don't take that lightly. We are very well trained and our coordination between our personnel-recovery assets and some of our strike assets that would be in support we work through those in some level of detail. I can't speak to the quality of the training of the Russians when they do search and rescue."

Adam Smith expects future defense budgets to dip below 716 billion

WASHINGTON When Congress delivered a 716 billion defense budget to the Pentagon, defense leaders made it clear it was a welcome boost but some questioned if the number would be enough to do everything the department foresees as necessary. Now the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee who is poised to take over the HASC should November elections go blue is warning that tightened belts are on the horizon. Asked specifically if 716 billion is the right number for defense and whether future budgets will stay at that level, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash, said flatly "No and no.", "I think the number's too high, and its certainly not going to be there in the future," Smith said at the second annual Defense News Conference. The congressman argued that the debt and deficit situation facing the country requires balancing out how the government is spending, particularly after the Trump administration's tax cuts made it "even more difficult to get our budget under control.", But drawing down the defense budget has to be part of a broader look at U.S. strategy, something that Smith said requires a realistic look at America's military strategy. He pointed to the idea that 355 ships are vital for the Navy as an example of flawed logic, because "capability matters.", If Democrats take the House, Adam Smith has an agenda ready to go. "We can do this," Smith said of the U.S. remaining the key world power. "I'm not even remotely worried about it. It is a more complicated and different world in some ways, but the Cold War was no walk in the park either. World War II certainly wasn't. We will always face challenges. The question is about being smart. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, "We just have to be smart instead of trying to force our way back into a world that is never going to be again.", "We are going to be a major, major player, probably the major player, on the global stage" for a long time to come, Smith added. "But we are not going to be utterly and completely dominant."

US says it will intensify fight against ISIS in Afghanistan

BRUSSELS The U.S. will intensify combat against the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan during the Kabul government's temporary halt to attacks on the Taliban, senior U.S. officials said Friday. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said this could, for example, allow the U.S. to partially shift the focus of aerial surveillance from the Taliban to ISIS fighters as well as al-Qaida extremists, who remain a threat 17 years after the U.S. invaded. Mattis spoke to reporters during a break in a NATO defense ministers meeting, which included a discussion of progress and problems in Afghanistan. The ministers also discussed more broadly the international campaign against ISIS, which has focused since 2014 on eliminating the group's so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria. US forces needed to further suppress militant groups, realize Afghan gains, Nicholson said. In remarks to ministers at the start of the meeting, Mattis argued for continuing military pressure on ISIS even after the fighting in Syria is over. He did not mention that President Donald Trump has said he wants the U.S. to exit Syria as soon as it can, perhaps within a matter of months. "As operations ultimately draw to a close, we want to avoid leaving a vacuum in Syria that can be exploited" by ISIS and other extremists, he said. "Our fight is not over," he added. "We must deal ISIS an enduring, not just a territorial, defeat.", Later he said leaving Syria before a U.N.-led peace process was underway "would be a strategic blunder.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, Army Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, said the fight against ISIS in the eastern Nangarhar province had already been intensifying this year and would be further stepped up during the Afghan cease-fire against the Taliban, which does not apply to other opposition groups. Nicholson spoke with reporters on the sidelines of the NATO meeting. Speaking separately at a NATO news conference, Mattis said the cease-fire could put U.S. forces in a better position to fight other extremist groups such as the ISIS affiliate and remnants of al-Qaida. "If the Taliban take full advantage of the cease-fire in the best interests of the Afghan people, then many of the surveillance assets that we have overhead can be reoriented to ISIS-K, to al-Qaida and other foreign terrorists that have no business being in Afghanistan in the first place," Mattis said. ISIS-K is a name for the Islamic State affiliate that operates in three provinces in eastern Afghanistan. Islamic State militants, including two suicide bombers, dressed in military uniforms and riding in two armored vehicles launched a surprise attack on the Interior Ministry in Kabul on Wednesday but Afghan forces managed to repel the assault, leaving all the attackers dead. Nicholson said he could not predict whether the Taliban will join the cease-fire announced this week by President Ashraf Ghani. He expressed no concern that a unilateral cease-fire would give the Taliban breathing room to regroup and rearm. "The potential benefit is greater than the risk," he said, expressing hope that what Ghani called a weeklong pause could lead to something more substantial and improve prospects for actual peace negotiations. The Taliban has insisted that it would negotiate only with Washington, but the U.S. insists that it talk to the Afghan government. Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahramee said the offer of a cease-fire "is a not a sign of weakness on the part of the government. It is a sign of our strength because we want peace.", U.S. forces will remain prepared to respond to any Taliban attacks, Nicholson said. The U.S. has about 8,400 troops providing noncombat support for Afghan security forces fighting the Taliban separately, roughly 7,000 U.S. combat troops are fighting al-Qaida and ISIS-affiliated groups. Nicholson, who has commanded the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan since March 2016, spoke with measured optimism about prospects for compelling the Taliban to enter peace negotiations with the Afghan government. U.S. officials have talked up the prospects for peace many times over the course of the war, only to be disappointed. When Trump announced last August that he was committed to winning the war with a revamped strategy, he said the goal was to compel the Taliban with help from Pakistan and other interested nations to seek peace. However, a U.S. government watchdog agency recently reported that it saw few signs that this strategy was working, while acknowledging that the Afghan security forces are getting better training. Nicholson, however, credited Trump's policy with producing early signs that the Taliban might be considering peace talks, although the militant group has not publicly acknowledged it is considering negotiations with the Afghan government. "I do think the policy is working. It just needs more time," he said. Nicholson acknowledged that the war is complicated by the involvement of other outside powers, including Russia, which has said it became involved out of concern that ISIS-affiliated groups there will spread to other parts of Central Asia. "We are concerned about any external enablement of the Taliban," he said. "We do believe that the Russians have increased this kind of activity." He characterized this as "small-scale support" for the insurgency.

Coalition ramps down air support in Iraq shifts to training

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq Now that Iraq has claimed victory over the Islamic State group after a bloody 3 1/2-year war, the U.S.-led coalition is decreasing air support in the country the latest indication of the coalition's shrinking footprint amid a drawdown of U.S. forces announced earlier this month. American and Iraqi air force commanders say the coalition will launch fewer airstrikes in support of Iraqi forces and instead focus more on training Iraqi airmen. Iraq's air force will assume more of the "missions, duties and responsibilities" to maintain the country's hard-fought victories over ISIS, according to a statement released by U.S. Air Forces Central Command. However, Iraq is struggling to fund the Air Force's 1 billion budget as the country is faced with the enormous task of rebuilding in the wake of its military victories. At a conference in Kuwait this week, Iraq asked the international community for 88.2 billion dollars to fund post-ISIS reconstruction, but was only able to raise a portion of that. "Training a fighter pilot takes years," said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Andrew Croft at a meeting with the commander of the Iraqi Air Force, Gen. Anwar Hama Ameen. "So this is not a short term investment, this is something for the long-term.", Up until now the U.S. Air Force had largely been supporting Iraq's security forces by launching airstrikes against ISIS targets and supporting the country's F-16 program. Currently, Iraqi F-16 pilots are trained in the U.S. and the maintenance and security of Iraq's F-16s is largely carried out by American contractors. The announcement from the Air Force follows the announcement of a "shift in focus" from the U.S.-led coalition earlier this month after the Iraqi government said the U.S. had begun to reduce the number of American forces in Iraq. The U.S. is reducing the number of its troops in Iraq, but Iraqi and coalition officials say an agreement on the size of the force that will remain in the country has not yet been reached. The coalition will now focus on "policing, border control and military capacity building," Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga said in a written statement last week. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Early Bird Brief, "We will sustain the successful momentum and enhance the capacities of the Iraqi Security Forces in pursuing Daesh, now and in the future," he added, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. Coalition airstrikes proved to be decisive early on in the fight against ISIS and fueled Iraqi military victories throughout the more than three-year-long-campaign. Before the U.S. began a campaign of airstrikes against ISIS in August 2014, the extremists could easily travel across the vast swaths of territory much of it open desert under their control in Iraq and neighboring Syria. Just weeks after overrunning Mosul, ISIS fighters launched a push on the city of Irbil in Iraq's Kurdish region that was largely repelled by coalition air power. In the months that followed, the extremists' territorial gains were largely halted and over the next three years Iraqi ground forces with close coalition air support pushed ISIS out of towns, villages and cities across the country. In December 2017 Iraq's prime minister declared victory over the group. Croft said a well trained and equipped Iraqi Air Force could have prevented the fall of Mosul. "If Iraq had a couple of airplanes and a couple of controllers, that would never have happened," he said, referring to ISIS' blitz across Iraq in the summer of 2014. However, maintaining a modern air force has been prohibitively expensive for Iraq. Last month, contracting firm Sallyport Global Holdings was awarded a 400 million contract for base operations and security for Iraq's F-16 program by the U.S. Air Force. By training Iraqis to maintain and secure their own equipment, Iraqi air force commander Ameen said he hopes to bring down costs. "The big challenge for us right now is the budget," he said. Iraq continues to struggle with a budget crisis sparked by a downturn in global oil prices and years of mismanagement of natural resource revenues. The enormous cost of rebuilding thousands of homes and swaths of infrastructure destroyed in the fight against ISIS is compounding Iraq's economies woes. "My ambition is to make the Iraqi Air Force a strong one to defend our country and its sovereignty," Ameen said. "Not to fight against neighboring countries but to engage with them in military exercises."

Air Force tracks spinning space capsule as orbit drops

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The Air Force is keeping close tabs on Russia's tumbling, out-of-control space capsule as it comes closer to re-entering Earth's atmosphere. NASA said Thursday that the Progress spacecraft, launched earlier this week with supplies for the International Space Station, is expected to plunge from orbit between May 9 and 11. The capsule and the upper stage rocket used to boost it into orbit are circling the world about 125 miles 201kilometers lower than the space station. The Air Force says 44 pieces of debris also are orbiting in the same vicinity. An explosion or collision involving the capsule or rocket could have resulted in the multiple pieces of junk. Six astronauts live at the space station. Their next shipment should arrive in June.

Canada to kill Boeing Super Hornet deal

WASHINGTON The Canadian government is poised to walk away from a deal with Boeing to buy 18 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jets, a major blow for the future of the Boeing jet. Canada's Liberal government will announce next week plans to proceed with an interim buy of used F/A-18 Hornets from Australia, dashing Boeing's hopes of a Super Hornet sale, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters, according to a Dec. 5 report. Canada intended to buy new Super Hornet aircraft to bridge the gap between its aging CF-18 Hornet fleet and a new fighter jet. However, after Boeing lodged a legal complaint accusing Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier of dumping commercial planes on the U.S. market, Canadian government officials including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put a hold on the purchase and began looking at other options. Officials from Canada's Department of National Defence said they would not comment on the rumors. Public Services and Procurement Canada, which would handle any purchase, did not issue a comment on the report. Boeing also declined to comment on the Reuters report. During an exclusive interview with Defense News on Dec. 2, Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defense and Security, referenced the company's long history with the Royal Canadian Air Force, which flies CF-18 Hornets. However, she stopped short of saying she believed problems with Canada could be resolved. "As with any of our customer's decisions, we are there for the long term and in Canada we have had a proud history with them for decades. They are going to make the right decision that is right for them," she said. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Military Space Report, Speaking to Defense News last month, RCAF commander Lt. Gen. Michael Hood said that if the service bought used Hornets from Australia, the Canadian government would have to invest in extending the lives of the airframes, which are meeting their structural end. L3 Technologies, which has worked on the CF-18s previously, would likely pick up that contract further shutting out Boeing. Canada will issue a request for proposals in 2019, with a projected contract award in 2021. The decision to reverse course on the Super Hornet deal could have colossal implications for Canada's future fighter competition. When the government announced the Super Hornet interim buy in 2016, it was widely seen as a rebuke of Lockheed Martin's F-35 and a sign that the Super Hornet was on a fast track to win Canada's competition. Continued tensions between Canada and Boeing shot a hole through that vision, bolstering not only the chances of Lockheed's F-35, but also the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen E and Dassault Rafale. ,

Army Tinkers With NIEs Future as Budget Force Size Shrinks

WASHINGTON The Army is rethinking how it will conduct Network Integration Evaluations NIE in the future as it reduces in size and works with a smaller budget top line, according to the military deputy to the Army's acquisition chief. NIEs have been conducted twice a year at Fort Bliss, Texas, since 2011, in order to test the Army's network. "We were building a bunch of network capabilities," Williamson told Defense News in a recent interview at the Pentagon. "We were sending stuff to deployed units because they needed capabilities, and in some cases we were sending the materiel solution without understanding the impact on organization, training, all those other things.", Army leadership designed the NIE to have a dedicated unit assigned to the evaluation exercises where materiel solutions, tactics, techniques and procedures could be tested. NIE's aren't going away but major changes are afoot from reducing NIEs to one per year and instead conducting an annual Army Warfighting Assessment AWA in lieu of a second NIE, Williamson said. The Army Warfighting Assessments, also at Fort Bliss, are relatively new to the Army. They began under the final year of then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, and are meant to examine experimental and prototyping efforts to address complex environments in the future. The Army identified 20 war fighting challenges such as how to conduct space and cyber operations into tactical formations and how to integrate manned-unmanned capabilities. Williamson said the Army is committed to conducting one NIE and one AWA per year, adjusting its scope as needed to address a wide variety of things. Additionally, the Army has found it's not going to be able to dedicate the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team as its full-time NIE unit because "there is so much demand on the limited assets that we have," Williamson said. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, "Obviously, as we've gone through 11 NIEs, and we've seen the benefit, but what's changed is that we've downsized the Army and so when you look at all the requirements, all the commitments," Williamson said, "I am not sure we can commit this unit to the NIE/AWA.", Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, director of operations, readiness and mobilization in the Army's operations directorate, said in February that the Army was looking at how to get the 1st AD 2nd BCT back into the deployment mix, especially as the Army looks to send armored brigade combat teams in back-to-back rotations in Europe in order to deter Russian aggression. The Army would then fill the demand at NIE on a rotational basis, Piatt added. Williamson said it's still possible the unit would support various missions associated with supporting a test event or experimentation. Instead of having a permanent unit, the Army would likely task other units "and that is not necessarily a bad thing," Williamson said. This opens up the possibility of bringing in a Stryker unit, a light infantry brigade combat team or an engineering or support unit to the evaluations. And the Army is looking to design the NIEs and AWAs to look deeper into the future, Williamson said. "What used to be focused on was testing alone," and most of those tests were focused on programs of record, he added. The Army still has a requirement to test and support those programs, but "we are also an Army that is trying to shape ourselves for the change in environment," Williamson said. While NIEs will still be focused more on testing programs of record, the AWAs will be an opportunity for experimentation and prototyping, which aligns with the Army's acquisition reform goals to do more early experimentation. The idea is to fail early and fail small in order to avoid failing big when it's too late in the game. NIEs and AWAs aren't going to be just about materiel solutions either, Williamson stressed. "In some case you might be doing organizational structure, so what does a platoon look like with six vehicles instead of four? How do I command and control an extended formation? Those are the types of things that we will start to look at.", And the evaluations and assessments will also look to open the aperture by involving joint and coalition forces. "Now we fight coalition, we fight joint, so how do we now invite our allies and our joint partners to participate?" Williamson said. Williamson also sees an opportunity to alleviate some cost pressures associated with the NIE by hosting an AWA instead of a second round NIE. "Two formal test events a year, that was actually pretty expensive," he said. But the cost will ultimately depend on scale and scope, he noted. Email [email protected], Twitter @JenJudson

With proposed cuts what happens to DISAs mission

Under new proposed legislation introduced April 17, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry targeted the Defense Information Systems Agency for elimination as part of a search for efficiencies military-wide. But it remains unclear what would happen to DISA's missions and functions if the measures were enacted. As it turns out, that question was never completely answered in previous efficiency-hunting exercises from Pentagon leadership. "We've looked at reorganizing DISA in the past, disestablishing it, but the missions are going to have to be performed somewhere. Part of the problem was there weren't many details on where they would go," said retired Lt. Gen. Harry Raduege, who served as DISA director from 2000 to 2005. "So the question has to be, is it going to be value-added and is it going to make sense to do that, and are there savings there that aren't going to negatively affect national security or combat operations?", In a briefing with reporters April 18, Thornberry raised questions about how many of DISA's missions go beyond what's already being routed to U.S. Cyber Command under Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Networks, or JFHQ-DoDIN, which is in charge of defending more than 15,000 military networks. , JFHQ-DoDIN was initially launched in 2015 as part of DISA, but leaders there now report to Cyber Command. The agency was originally created to take over from CYBERCOM on day-to-day network defense responsibilities. "The end result is to provide unity of command and unity of effort across the entire DoDIN," Maj. Gen. Robert Skinner, then the DISA chief of staff and soon to become JFHQ-DoDIN deputy commander, said in 2015. "We're going to take this off Cyber Command's plate, because there has been this vacuum at the operational level for command and control.", It appears that returning those functions to CYBERCOM is a key argument for closing DISA, according to Thornberry. "A big chunk of DISA's mission is already on the way toward Cyber Command. That's happening anyway. That's what causes us to look at this and say, OK, once this moves over, what's left of DISA, and do we really need a seperate organization to do those remaining functions?," Thornberry told reporters. "There's still going to be a whole lot of people at Fort Meade, defending our networks, for example, but as a separate organization do you have to have that as we're increasing up Cyber Command? I'm not sure.", Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for our Early Bird Brief, Dave Mihelcic, a former CTO at DISA, pointed out that JFHQ-DoDIN and the network defense mission is just a small piece of the DISA pie roughly 200 staffers compared to more than 5,000 within DISA writ large. Neither of those numbers includes contractors. "It's a significant mission, but it's a small part of DISA," he said. Raduege also pointed out that DISA is an agency where numerous other functions from other agencies have been folded in over time, and the operations include global missions such as commercial satellite communications leasing for all of the military, secure communications for the White House and other senior government leaders, support to the Joint Staff and disaster response communications. "Over the years, many missions and activities that, even today, are relatively unknown have been transferred to DISA because everyone was looking to increase efficiencies and effectiveness," Raduege said. "And being a combat support agency, it supports all of the military services. So by putting activities into DISA it's supporting joint operations." , It's unclear how many of DISA's functions as a combat support agency would be protected from Thornberry's proposed cuts, from which combat support and intelligence reportedly are exempt. Still, it's worth looking at to determine if there are better ways of doing business and maximizing taxpayer dollars, Raduege noted. "This is not a static world of information systems and cybersecurity and cloud computing it's constantly changing and evolving. It's always good to see if there are better ways of doing it," he said. "But the missions are very special and they're very critical these things have to be protected properly, and national security and support to war fighters is also a very critical element of what we have to do. You can't shortchange that.", DISA officials said they do not comment on proposed legislation and referred press inquiries to the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs.

Military moves 2017 System concerns mover shortages make early scheduling critical

It's more important than ever to schedule your permanent change-of-station move as soon as possible, experts say, as access issues with online moving tools, an increase in short-notice relocations and a shortage of movers could wreck some service member's plans. , The peak moving season is May 15 to the end of August, when more people are moving and not just military personnel. As that window approached, U.S. Transportation Command officials were working to strengthen the Defense Personal Property System, the online moving portal that, for two weeks in March, suffered access issues for relocating troops, moving companies and military transportation offices alike. Some service members and transportation offices had trouble getting online to arrange for moves and complete other tasks associated with the moving process. Some moving companies weren't able to pull information about service members' shipments that they were supposed to handle. , "There were intermittent access issues to the system, not complete denial of services, but absolutely some frustration that affected all systems users," said Air Force Lt. Col. Todd Jensen, director of the property system at Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. The problems have been resolved, Jensen said, but he advised service members who run into technical problems logging in to Move.mil to contact the transportation office on base that handles household goods moves. Personnel in those offices may have some workarounds to handle moves, and would be able to decode what the system can or can't do. You can find your transportation office's contact information on the locator map link at Move.mil. Or, go to MilitaryOneSource.mil, scroll to the Installation Program Directory at the bottom and search for "Household Goods/Transportation Office" in the program/service pull-down menu. Those in the moving industry say most of the problems have been cleared up, but there are some issues that continue to plague the system. "The fear is that DPS remains an unstable platform and that many of the problems we have been experiencing will raise their ugly heads during the summer," said Charles White, senior vice president for the International Association of Movers. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup, QUICK-TURN TROUBLE, Another issue this year is the Navy's short-notice time frame on sailors' PCS orders. Sailors are getting their orders two months in advance, rather than the normal three to four months, because of budget constraints, the service said. When service members of any branch try to book a move weeks ahead instead of 90 days or more ahead, it makes it more difficult to get the desired move date, Jensen said. The bulk of moves haven't happened yet, but White said the industry already is coping with the short-notice moves. If sailors get their information into the Move.mil website as soon as they get their orders, he said, they should receive a move date in a timely fashion. , HELP WANTED, There have been some persistent issues with the moving industry lacking enough truck drivers, packers and other personnel to load and unload trucks problems that industry experts said will continue. White said one moving company that has been "a significant DoD industry player" has ceased operations, a move that could limit available resources to move people for the rest of the year. Some areas have more of a crunch than others, especially in the "peak of the peak" moving season from June 15 to July 15 and especially where there are large concentrations of service members. Top points of congestion include the national capital region San Diego Norfolk, Virginia and eastern North Carolina. Moves involving Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana may also see labor availability issues. Jensen said SDDC has an open solicitation to get additional transportation service providers into the business of moving military personnel. "The goal is to have viable new government-approved TSPs by the end of this peak season and to have some for this season in those areas we are trying to target," Jensen said. White said he is concerned that this effort is too late to make much difference in the 2017 peak season. "We are also concerned that adding TSPs only in areas where they feel they have a capacity crunch will not truly add any capacity," he said. "The real capacity needs are at the local level, at the agent level, not at the TSP/carrier level." he said. Those agents are the truck drivers, the packers, the loaders and unloaders that are hired by the TSPs to do the work. There also have been issues with installation access for some moving companies, said John Becker, director of military policy for the American Moving and Storage Association. Each base has its own background check policy, he said, and the delay caused by such access problems "causes an accordion effect" as workers are late to their initial location, then the next, and so on. Becker gave a recent example of a company spending three days to pack up a military family's shipment, then returning the fourth day to find installation personnel wouldn't allow the 72-year-old driver onto the base because he'd been in a fight 45 years ago.

Army unveils new PT uniforms

The Army has unveiled sweeping changes to its physical fitness uniform. That includes swapping the iconic black-on-gray "Army" T-shirt with a gold-on-black version to match Army colors the use of lighter, moisture-wicking fabrics and a better fit for men and women. "It is a new icon," said Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, the service's top enlisted official. Between October and the end of the year, the Army will debut the new PT duds, referred to as the Army Physical Fitness Uniform. The nearly 40 changes in the new uniform are intended to mean better performance, aesthetics and comfort. And it will give troops a more modest set of trunks. Soldiers complain the trunks are too revealing during situps. "It just fits better, it looks better," Chandler said. "Lots of folks that we talked to said, 'I would actually wear that downtown or at the mall.' So I just think it is a really great win for the Army. Because everything we changed were things that soldiers said that they would like to see different.", The product manager for Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment, Col. Robert Mortlock, said the changes were initiated by soldiers in 2012 who voiced dissatisfaction with the Improved Physical Fitness Uniform, in use since 2000. From there, the Army vetted changes with soldiers through two large surveys and lengthy wear tests at posts around the Army. The precise fielding schedule is not ready, but the uniform will start appearing in military clothing stores between October and December, it will be issued in Initial Entry Training, and Advanced Individual Training in the spring of 2015, and noncommissioned officers who train incoming will get it some time before them. It will be issued for Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and Reserve Officer Training Corps soldiers next summer. The old uniform will continue to be worn until the stocks are depleted in order to be "fiscally responsible," Mortlock said. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. , By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter Sign up for the Army Times Daily News Roundup, "As soldiers wear out the IPFU, they will be able to buy the APFU as it becomes available in military clothing stores.", The wear-out date for the IPFU is estimated for around October 2017, and the mandatory possession date for the APFU will around October 2017. The wear-out and possession dates for the new black caps replacing the green ones will come one year later. The five piece ensemble jacket, pants, long-sleeve shirt, T-shirt, and trunks will feature the new fabrics, tagless labels and the gold logo on black fabric. To save money, the reflective elements from the IPFU are absent. Female sizes will be available for the jacket and pants, but women did not need them for the trunks, according to Mortlock. Dropping reflective materials and a liner from the pants will allow the Army to charge about 3 less per set than the IPFU, in spite of the various improvements, Mortlock said. The costs of individual items, and the related clothing replacement allowance for the next fiscal year, aren't expected to be finalized for another couple months. The decision to ditch the reflective materials was in part because of stealth risks in the war-zone. When needed, soldiers can wear reflective belts. Despite soldier requests, the uniform does not include anti-microbial properties that would have helped reduce odor. Officials decided more research into their long-term effects was warranted, Mortlock said. The Army Surgeon General's Office and Natick Labs are on the case. The Army studied whether a black uniform would make soldiers hotter but tests using a "sweating mannequin" showed the moisture-wicking material compensated for the color difference, Mortlock said. On top of all these changes, the Army is also going to introduce an optional APFU ensemble that looks the same but offers a higher-performance fabric. The uniform would be lighter but less durable, and be available in military clothing stores in December. The ensemble will appear the same, and items from each can be mixed, but soldiers will have to buy them with their own money. Generally, the "optionally purchased" APFU will cost 10 to 20 percent more. The T-shirt will cost substantially more 20 to 25, in contrast with the Army-issued 5 shirt, Mortlock said. The APFU is the culmination of several years' work. More than 76,000 troops responded to an all-Army survey in early 2012 about the PT uniform, complaining about trunk modesty, outdated fabrics and the lack of female sizing, according to Mortlock. Some 170,000 soldiers responded to a second survey, rating Army-proposed color scheme and design options. In the meantime, the Army has undergone technical tests and user evaluations of several proposed designs. The Army had 876 soldiers across various posts wear the uniform for several months, which led to the fabric thongs on the zippers, better drawstrings on the pants and trunks, and an adjustable wrist enclosure on the jacket cuffs. "Right now, soldiers just don't like their gray set, so what we tried to do is give them a workout kit they would be proud to wear not only during their workout, but outside," Mortlock said. The Army has taken time to build up its stocks of the new APFU and to exhaust its stocks of the IPFU as much as possible. "We have a lot of gray," Chandler said, "so it just takes time.", A breakdown of the new uniform changes, T-shirt Black with gold lettering to match Army colors. It will lose the "A" logo on the back. It will be a lighter polyester than before, with better moisture-wicking properties. The gold lettering will not be reflective. Design highlights, Black fabric replaces gray. Tagless label. New logo design with gold lettering. Better fit. Lighter-weight fabric. Quick-dry materials. Removed reflective material and "A" on back. Trunks The base will have an ID card pocket on the left thigh, an inside pocket for keys or change by the waist, and a side stretch panel. For modesty, they will include a polyester "bike short"-style liner for more coverage. Design highlights, Better fit. Tagless label. Added 4-way stretch "bike short" liner. Adjusted key and ID pocket. Added black stretch panel. Reduced fabric weight. Removed reflective "Army," replaced with gold logo. Long-sleeve shirt Like the tee, it will be gold-on-black, lose the "A" logo from the back and go to a lighter, moisture-wicking polyester. Because soldiers asked for it, the mock turtleneck will become a crew neck collar. Design highlights, Remove mock collar. Better fit. Tagless label. Black fabric replaces gray. Reduced fabric weight. Quick-dry material. Removed reflective material and "A" on back entirely. Adjusted sleeve cuff. Pants The liner is coming out, and the half-elastic leg at the bottom will make the pant cuff adjustable. As on the jacket, soldiers overwhelmingly wanted the embroidered logo. Design highlights, Army logo. Removed liner. Tapered leg. Female sizing. Added half elastic on leg bottom. Jacket The zippered underarm vents will be replaced by eyelet vents. At the zippers on the front and pockets, thongs or a loop have been added to make them easier to open and close while on the run. Soldiers specifically requested a better way to grab the zipper. Design highlights, Better fit. Black color with yellow stripe instead of Army gray with black stripe. Army logo. Removed reflective "V" and embroidered 'Army.', Removed any underarm zippers. Underarm vents. Nylon loop added to zipper tab. Tab with hook and loop on sleeves. Fabric thong on pocket zippers. Removed elastic waist, added drawstring. Female sizing. Cap The polyester fleece, bell-shaped cap will remain the same in every way, except for the color. It will be black instead of green.