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Jan 16, 2018

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Good morning and welcome to the Early Bird Brief. Please send news tips and suggestions to: earlybird@militarytimes.com.

Today's Top Five

1. Dunford on the US-Pakistan relations: ‘I’m not giving up’
(Defense News) With relations strained between Pakistan and the United States, the U.S. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is hopeful that military relationships can bridge any political divide between Washington and Islamabad.

2. Erdogan: US trying to form 'terror army' in Syria
(Al Jazeera) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the US is working to form a "terror army" on his country's southern border by training a new force in Syria that includes Kurdish fighters.

3. Who's on the list? Russia's elite nervous about new U.S. sanctions
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) There's a chill settling in over Moscow, and it's not just the arctic temperatures that typically smother the Russian capital in January.

4. Russia and US engage in 'military base race' in Syria
(Defense News) A military bases race is underway between Russia and the U.S. as each nation seeks to expand its presence in Syria and counter asymmetric threats.

5. Afghan president meets UN Security Council, calls for more pressure on Pakistan
(TOLOnews) President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday met with members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in Kabul where they discussed key issues pertaining the country’s situation, Presidential Palace said in a statement on Monday.

Overseas Operations

DoD IG: Afghan attack pilots are helping turn the tide for troops on the ground
(Military Times) 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.

Islamic State group offshoot claims attack on US soldiers in Niger
(The Associated Press) An Islamic State group offshoot is claiming it carried out the attack in Niger that killed four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerien troops in October and sparked questions about U.S. military involvement in West Africa’s vast Sahel region.

Insurgents lure US, Afghan team to meeting, then open fire
(The Associated Press) Insurgents posing as friendly militia members lured a U.S. and Afghan team to a meeting in eastern Afghanistan, triggering a shootout and a coalition airstrike on the compound, the U.S. military said Friday.

DoD Effort to Boost Afghan Business Sector Went Bust
(Military.com) The Pentagon's $675 million, four-year effort to boost the business sector in Afghanistan was a poorly conceived program that failed to meet its objectives in such projects as cashmere goat farming and pomegranate storage, a watchdog agency said.

Turkey bolsters Syria border as US force plan slammed
(Al Jazeera) Turkey has sent military reinforcements along its border with Syria, according to state media, as Ankara, Damascus and Moscow all attacked a US plan to form a new border security force in the war-torn country's northeast.

Syrian regime's army vows to drive out US from country
(Military.com) The Syrian army is determined to drive out the U.S. from any involvement in the country, state television reported on Monday.

Baghdad suicide bombers kill dozens in attack on labourers
(BBC) Two suicide bombers have killed at least 35 people and injured 90 in an attack on a Baghdad square where day labourers gather to look for work.

Sea 'incursions' test thaw in Japan-China ties
(Straits Times) The unprecedented presence of an advanced Chinese nuclear stealth submarine in the waters near islets contested by Japan and China in the East China Sea has jeopardised tentative moves to improve bilateral ties.

We will get him': the long hunt for Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
(The Guardian) The most wanted man on the planet has been traced to a specific place at least three times in the past 18 months alone. And despite the protection of a devoted network, there have been other sightings of the reclusive leader, reported by Isis members shortly afterwards and confirmed later by intelligence officers. Being a fugitive in the digital age, or in a losing cause, clearly has its shortfalls.

Outlook 2018

Download the free Outlook 2018 e-book today!
(Defense News) Defense News presents viewpoints from the global thought leaders of the defense industry who share their analysis on the events and trends that will emerge this year. The world's top thought leaders from military, government and business address global conflict, technology and innovation, major programs, and political developments.

Pentagon

Nuclear Posture Review draft leaks; new weapons coming amid strategic shift
(Defense News) A leaked copy of the Pentagon’s upcoming Nuclear Posture Review includes the development of a new low-yield warhead for America’s submarines, pushing for the creation of a new sub-launched, nuclear-capable cruise missile and a shift in America’s stance on when nuclear weapons may be used.

Why don't more people serve? The US is launching a commission to find out
(Military Times) Next week the U.S. will launch a two-year effort to find ways to increase military and civic service among its citizenry, especially U.S. youth.

Army

Omaha man charged with murder in Army staff sergeant's killing
(Army Times) Police have arrested a man suspected in the shooting death of an Army soldier in Omaha.

US Army howitzer shipment halted by German police
(Army Times) Police in Germany halted a shipment of self-propelled howitzers for the U.S. Army after determining they lacked proper documentation and had been loaded on unsuitable trailers.

Army challenges Vegas Golden Knights hockey team over its name
(Army Times) The Army is officially challenging the Vegas Golden Knights more than a year after the hockey team revealed its name.

Body found on Fort Bragg identified as 18-year-old civilian
(Army Times) Authorities have identified the body found Tuesday on the east side of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, according to a news release.

Navy

Yokosuka Naval Base cashier sentenced for theft
(Navy Times) Filipino woman arrested last year in Kansas has been sentenced to prison for stealing nearly $100,000 from a U.S. Naval base in Japan.

Sailors must 'be able to handle fatigue,' top admiral says
(Navy Times) As the Navy attempts to roll out guidelines to get surface fleet sailors better, more consistent sleep, the head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command said this week that being tired is often simply part of the job and needs to be further assessed.

CMC fired over sexual misconduct allegations
(Navy Times) The acting command master chief of a Submarine Force Pacific unit was relieved Dec. 17 following reports of sexual misconduct, Navy officials confirmed Friday.

Navy welcomes new air boss at North Island
(Navy Times) Naval Air Station North Island has a new head honcho.

Warrant officer sentenced in Navy's first ‘Fat Leonard’ court-martial
(Navy Times) The Navy’s first court-martial in connection with the Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis scandal ended with a guilty plea Jan. 11 in a military courtroom at Norfolk Naval Station.

American sailor freed from Belgian custody as Pentagon takes over homicide probe
(San Diego Union-Tribune) Accused by Belgian investigators of murdering his wife more than two years ago, Navy Lt. Craig Becker was freed from house arrest last week and turned over to American military authorities, who have not charged him with a crime.

Air Force

A 90-year-old is suing the Air Force — 62 years after she was kicked out for being a lesbian
(Air Force Times) Airman Second Class Helen Grace James wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father and her great-grandfather and serve in her country’s military.

Vice President Pence at Nellis: The era of military budget cuts is over
(The Associated Press) Vice President Mike Pence offered prayers and a pep talk Thursday to military service members during a visit to an Air Force technology incubator in Las Vegas and a brief speech at nearby Nellis Air Force Base.

Marine Corps

Robot dog helps handlers practice for battlefield injuries
(Marine Corps Times) A pooch-like robot to help canine handlers practice medical procedures was used recently by Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, for the first time.

The Marine Corps wants rifle-mounted, video-streaming surveillance tech
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps is looking for rifle-mounted surveillance technology that can provide real-time streaming video directly to the user or another distant display.

Marines hunt for new thermal and night vision goggles for grunts
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps is looking to equip infantry Marines with binocular goggles capable of both night vision and thermal imaging.

US ambassador to Panama, a Marine vet, says he can’t serve under Trump, resigns
(Marine Corps Times) John Feely, the U.S. ambassador to Panama, has told Reuters that he felt “honor bound to resign” as of March 9 because he felt he could no longer serve President Trump.

National Guard

Air Force selects locations for two Air National Guard F-35 bases
(Daily Star Journal) The Air Force has selected Truax Field Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin, and Dannelly Field, Alabama, as the preferred locations for the next two Air National Guard F-35A bases.

Coast Guard

What’s in the Coast Guard’s secret sauce for high retention?
(Federal News Radio) The Coast Guard touts some of the highest retention rates in the military. The rate usually clocks in the mid to upper 90 percent range.

Coast Guard, police search for overdue kayaker
(Boston Globe) The Coast Guard and Providence police are searching for a 46-year-old man who is overdue from a kayaking trip on the Providence River.

Watch: Coast Guard hoists stranded tourist to safety near Cannon Beach
(The Oregonian) The man became stranded by the tide at Hug Point, an outcropping inside a state recreation site of the same name, the Coast Guard said in a news release. He called 911, and an aircrew that had already been in the air headed his way.

Defense Industry

Leonardo to head EU research program on unmanned naval systems
(Defense News) The first research project to be carried out by the European Union’s new defense fund will cover unmanned naval systems and be led by Italy’s Leonardo, the firm said Friday.

Denmark will increase defense spending to counter Russia: PM
(Reuters) The Danish government expects to win backing for a substantial increase in defense spending next month, to counter Russia’s intensified military activity in eastern and northern Europe, the NATO-member’s prime minister said Monday.

Saudi Arabia to receive 17 Blackhawk helicopters from Sikorsky
(UPI) The U.S. Army has awarded Sikorsky a contract worth nearly $200 million for 17 unique UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for Saudi Arabia.

Pentagon awards contract to Gulfstream for service on C-20, C-37
(UPI) The U.S. Air Force has awarded Gulfstream Aerospace a contract for two different twin-engine, turbofan aircraft used for transporting high-ranking government and Defense Department officials.

China inducts Type 054A frigate into North Sea Fleet
(IHS Jane’s 360) China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its latest Jiangkai II (Type 054A)-class guided-missile frigate on 12 January, according to a report published on the PLA-sponsored China Military Online website.

Veterans

Navy veteran sues SC VA hospital over cocaine misdiagnosis
(Navy Times) A U.S. Navy veteran is suing a hospital that he says misdiagnosed him as being a cocaine addict instead of suffering from gallbladder and pancreas disease.

Kevlar for the Mind: Why veterans shouldn't shy away from political careers
(Military Times) The military is only the first career stop for most service members.

Survivor benefits: How to choose for your spouse when retiring
(Federal Times) Registered Financial Consultant Ann Vanderslice explains the pension and health insurance choices you will be asked to make in regard to your spouse when retiring from the federal government.

Bipartisan Senate bill targets predatory home-loan practices aimed at vets
(Military Times) A Senate bill would prevent homeowners with VA-backed loans from refinancing their deals within six months of signing them, one of multiple ways its authors hope to limit loan “churning” and prevent veterans from succumbing to loan scams.

Historian pleads guilty to stealing dog tags, military records from National Archives
(Military Times) A researcher and historian from Maryland pleaded guilty to stealing military records and artifacts from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Congress & Politics

Chelsea Manning announces she's running for Senate seat
(Military Times) Chelsea Manning will run for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, according to federal election filings.

Trump gets 'excellent' health report from White House doctor
(Military Times) President Donald Trump’s White House physician declared him in “excellent health” after the president received his first medical checkup at Walter Reed military hospital on Friday, undergoing a physical examination amid suggestions in a recent book and by his detractors that he’s mentally unfit.

Shutdown clouds gathering, but Paul Ryan's upbeat
(Defense News) House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday that Congress will likely have to pass another stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown and buy time for more 2018 spending negotiations.

Agencies failed to identify over a quarter of IT contracts in 2016
(Federal Times) A recent Government Accountability Office report has found that within 22 federal agencies reviewed, 31,493 IT contracts accounting for $4.5 billion went unidentified by those agencies in 2016.

Lack of political appointees gives career feds opportunities for disruption
(Federal Times) The lack of presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed leaders in the federal government gives career civil servants the opportunity to take risks to disrupt the culture, workforce and priorities of their agencies, according to a recent survey co-produced by the Association of Government Accountants and Grant Thornton.

New bills would give big bump to federal employee pay in 2019
(Federal Times) On Thursday Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI, and Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., introduced bills in their respective chambers that would provide salaried and hourly federal employees with a 3 percent pay adjustment in 2019.

National Security

Ballistic missile alert in Hawaii was false alarm, officials say
(Military Times) A push alert that warned of ballistic missile heading straight for Hawaii and sent residents into a full-blown panic Saturday was a mistake, state emergency officials said.

Steve Bannon expected to meet with House Intel Committee
(ABC News) Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon is expected to meet behind closed doors with the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday, a congressional source and two sources close to Bannon tell ABC News.

Hope Hicks expected to talk to Hill committee
(CNN) White House Communications Director Hope Hicks is expected to meet with the House Intelligence Committee as soon as this week, making her one of President Donald Trump's closest confidantes to be privately interviewed in the panel's Russia investigation, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told CNN.

Cyber, Space & Surveillance

Cybersecurity firm: US Senate in Russian hackers' crosshairs
(The Associated Press) The same Russian government-aligned hackers who penetrated the Democratic Party have spent the past few months laying the groundwork for an espionage campaign against the U.S. Senate, a cybersecurity firm said Friday.

Protecting against known DoD vulnerabilities is posing a challenge
(Fifth Domain) One of the main areas of focus both during and after the May 2017 global ransomware attack, dubbed WannaCry, was that it exploited a known Microsoft vulnerability for which the company released a patch three months prior to the attack.

Carbonite-2 satellite enters orbit to test British intel-gathering capability
(C4ISRNET) A British-built satellite set to be used by the Ministry of Defence to test whether constellations of small spacecraft can provide tactical intelligence has been successfully launched on an Indian-built rocket.

Shake-up at Pentagon intelligence agency sparks concern
(Foreign Policy) When Kim Jong Un gears up to launch a ballistic missile, analysts at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency comb through satellite imagery, looking for distinct signs on the the ground in North Korea indicating test preparations are underway.

Why it's a bad idea to launch rockets over land
(The Atlantic ) On Friday morning in China, a rocket blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the Sichuan province with a pair of navigation satellites bound for orbit around Earth. As the rocket climbed higher and higher, the four strap-on boosters that launched with it began to fall away. This is supposed to happen; the boosters provide extra lift in the minutes after launch, and when they burn through their fuel, they separate and fall back down to Earth.

International Affairs

Russia will not support U.S. bid to change Iran nuclear deal: Lavrov
(Reuters) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday Moscow will not support attempts by Washington to modify the Iran nuclear deal, arguing such a move could also complicate diplomacy over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Palestinian leader rebukes Trump
(Politico) The Palestinian president railed at President Donald Trump in a fiery, two-hour-long speech on Sunday, saying “shame on you” for his treatment of the Palestinians and warning that he would have no problem rejecting what he suggested would be an unacceptable peace plan.

Macron slams door on Erdogan's EU ambitions
(Al-Monitor) In Turkey, almost all print media outlets are under the strict control of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. That’s why every presidential trip abroad is hailed as a great triumph. Erodgan's recent trip to Paris was no exception.

At least five dead in southwest Pakistan ambush
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Pakistani authorities say at least five members of the country's security forces were killed and several others wounded in an ambush in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

North Korea sets agenda as pre-Winter Olympics thaw gathers steam
(Asia Times) A second round of pre-Winter Olympics inter-Korean talks took place on Monday, but the topic of the negotiations was Pyongyang’s choice, not Seoul’s: Instead of talking sportive exchanges and related logistics, which the South had wanted to discuss, the agenda focused on the visit of North Korean performers to the Games.

Israel touts 'steel dome' as answer to terror tunnels
(Defense News) For the fourth time in three months, Israel employed what is being called here its “steel dome” to detect and destroy a cross-border tunnel from the Gaza Strip.

Afghan government employee accused of spying for Iran
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Afghan officials say the country's main intelligence agency has arrested a government employee in the western province of Herat for alleged spying for Iran.

National Campaign to Purge ‘Non-socialist’ Elements Terrifies North Koreans
(Radio Free Asia) North Korean residents are terrified that leader Kim Jong Un’s recent call to eliminate remaining “non-socialist” elements in society will mean a return to the bloody executions and fearful politics of the past when nonconformists were weeded out and brutally neutralized, sources inside the country said.

UAE says Qatari jet fighters intercepted civilian flights
(Reuters) The United Arab Emirates said on Monday Qatari air force jets had twice intercepted its civilian aircraft during routine flights to Bahrain, but Qatar called the claim “completely untrue."

Is Chinese investment taking over the Mekong?
(Deutsche Welle) Last week, China and Cambodia signed 19 agreements during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's meeting in Phnom Penh with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that will heavily increase Chinese investment in Cambodia.

EU: Serbia, Montenegro 'Could Join In 2025'
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Montenegro and Serbia should be ready for EU membership in 2025 and Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Macedonia should be well-advanced on their path to EU accession by then, according to a draft of the European Commission's Western Balkans strategy seen by RFE/RL.

International Business

The US didn’t sell a fictional 'Call of Duty' jet to Norway, here’s what the ally did buy
(Defense News) The U.S. hasn’t sold any F-52s – ever. So what did President Trump mean when he said they were sold to Norway?

China Development Bank commits $250bn to Belt and Road
(Nikkei Asia Review) China may have become more cautious on its mounting corporate debts, but it has no intention of slowing its investments in the Belt and Road Initiative, with the country's biggest foreign investment bank committing $250 billion in loans to the trade plan -- an amount larger than the annual gross domestic product of Greece or Finland in 2016.

Keep an eye on the yuan as China’s economy slows down
(Asia Times) Next week’s data on Chinese GDP, industrial output and retail sales figures are expected to confirm a very modest slowdown is taking place in the world’s second largest economy.

EU to remove Panama, Korea, UAE, 5 others from tax haven blacklist
(Reuters) European Union officials have proposed removing eight jurisdictions from the blacklist of tax havens the bloc adopted in December, in what critics may see as a blow to its campaign against tax avoidance.

Commentary & Analysis

Trump's immigration slurs make America less safe
(Bloomberg) President Donald Trump’s vulgar comments at an Oval Office meeting on Thursday -- which he is now somewhat denying, despite highly credible reporting from several people in the room, including a Democratic senator -- have not only done significant moral damage to a nation already terribly divided over race. They also reverberate through the international scene. This just makes the jobs of our men and woman around the world -- service members, diplomats, aid workers and so on -- much harder, in turn making all of us less safe.

Nations are wielding their sovereign wealth funds as tools of power
(Foreign Policy) A year ago, in Seychelles, an Indian Ocean archipelago, the leader of the United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting between Erik Prince — founder of the security firm Blackwater, Trump supporter, and brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos — and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. As reported by the Washington Post and in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, the purpose of the meeting was to set up backchannel communications between then President-elect Donald Trump and Moscow.

Why more sanctions won’t help Venezuela
(Foreign Policy) During the first year of his administration, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken an increasingly hard line against the government of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro. Washington has tightened sanctions on Caracas and even suggested a military intervention to remove the Venezuelan leader from office. Twelve months into Trump’s term, Maduro seems even more entrenched in power, and Venezuela’s opposition is more fractured than ever.

How does Obama’s foreign policy look a year into Trump?
(Politico) A few months before President Barack Obama wrapped up his tenure in the Oval Office, he and his foreign policy team had a pointed argument over his final speech to the United Nations General Assembly, a fight that centered on just what kind of world he would be leaving behind when he stepped down.

How the Tet Offensive undermined American faith in government
(The Atlantic ) When Americans wince upon hearing presidents make proclamations about foreign policy, the legacy of the 1968 Tet Offensive looms large.

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