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Defense Spending Bill Acknowledges Major Threats, Part 2

On Saturday, The New York Analysis of Policy and Government provided a general outline of the National Defense Authorization Act recently passed by the House of Representatives.  In today’s article, we provide specifics. 

Spending for Specific Weapons Systems in the NDAA

  • Authorizes $360.0 million, an increase of $338.1 million, for Stryker A1 combat vehicles, the most survivable and advanced version of the Stryker combat vehicle. ● Supports the President’s budget request to modernize Army Armored Brigade Combat Team vehicles, including 135 M1 Abrams tanks, 60 Bradley fighting vehicles, 197 Armored multi—purpose vehicles, 38 Improved Recovery Vehicles, and 3,390 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. ● Authorizes multiyear procurement authorities for F/A—18E/F Super Hornet aircraft, C— 130 Super Hercules aircraft, E—2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, advanced missiles and amphibious ships to generate better cost savings for the taxpayer and provide needed capability to the Navy; ● Supports the President’s budget request for the F—35 Joint Strike Fighter and authorizes 77 aircraft. The bill also authorizes the Department to procure additional F-35 aircraft, if additional funds become available, utilizing cost savings and program efficiencies. ● Authorizes an additional $85.0 million for additional UH—60M Black Hawk utility helicopters for the Army National Guard. The most modern Black Hawk version. ● Supports additional funding to maintain the maximum production rate of critical munitions, such as small diameter bombs, joint direct attack munitions, hellfire missiles, advanced precision kill weapon systems, long range anti—ship missiles, tomahawk missiles, advanced medium—range air—to—air missiles and torpedoes. ● Mandates recapitalization of the Navy’s 43—year old auxiliary fleet which would help to transport Army and Marine Corps forces in times of conflict. ● Encourages the rapid development and fielding of interim maneuver short range air defense capabilities and indirect fire protection solutions to address current deficiencies in air and missile defense. ● Fully supports funding for the Columbia—class ballistic missile submarine and the B—21 Raider bomber programs. ● Adds $150 million to accelerate U.S. efforts to field a conventional prompt strike capability before FY22, in response to the critical advances Russia and China have made in developing their prompt global strike hypersonic weapons.

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STRATEGIC READINESS

The NDAA supports the Nuclear Posture Review’s recommendation to pursue a lower—yield ballistic missile warhead to strengthen deterrence. ● Supports the President’s budget request to restore the nuclear arsenal and adds $325 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s nuclear weapons activities and defense nuclear nonproliferation program, including efforts to modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile and address NNSA’s aging facilities and other infrastructure. ● Provides increased funding to accelerate two key Air Force nuclear modernization programs: The Ground—Based Strategic Deterrent and the Long—Range Standoff cruise missile

Missile Defense

The HASC believes the threats from North Korea and Iran demonstrate that the time to debate the utility or practicality of missile defenses has passed. Again, building on the work of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, the NDAA: ● Supports the President’s request for missile defense and adds $140 million to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for development of critical directed energy, and Space sensing projects, and the acceleration of hypersonic defense capabilities. ● Adds $175 million to accelerate integration of Patriot (for lower altitudes) andTerminal High Altitude Area Defense (higher altitudes) missiles to meet the requirements of the Commander of U.S. Forces in Korea. ● Requires the director of MDA establish a boost phase intercept program using kinetic interceptors, initiate development of a missile defense tracking and discrimination Space sensor layer and continue efforts to develop high power directed energy for missile defense applications. ● Requires the Director of MDA to continue development for the homeland defense radar in Hawaii, and that it be operationally capable by FY23. ● Provides increased funding to address cyber threats to our missile defense systems. ● Supports the President’s request of $500 million for co—development of missile defense systems with Israel, and co—production of Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow weapons systems.

Space Warfighting

Russia and China are developing capabilities to deny the United States the advantages it derives from operating in space. Equally concerning is the inability of the organizations responsible for the nation’s national security—related space activities to prepare for Space to become a warfighting domain and to adequately develop and/or acquire essential national security Space systems. Efforts to reform the Department’s approach to Space issues can be summarized in four equally important elements: acquisition reform, resources, cadre development, and joint warfighting. The NDAA comprehensively addresses each one of these lines of effort to ensure that our Servicemembers are ready to defend our vital national interests in space. The bill also ensures that the Department’s Space investments are being executed in a way to ensure increased agility, lethality, and accountability by the Department of Defense. The NDAA: ● Directs the Department of Defense to develop a plan to establish a separate alternative acquisition process for Space acquisitions. ● Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to develop and implement a plan to increase the size and quality of the Space cadre within the Air Force. ● Establishes a new numbered Air Force responsible for carrying out Space warfighting. ● Establishes a sub—unified command for Space under the Strategic Command for carrying out joint Space warfighting. ● Directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan that identifies joint mission—essential tasks for Space as a warfighting domain. ● Supports the President’s request for Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared, Protected Satellite Communications, and the Air Force’s Space launch efforts.

FACING NEW THREATS

Russia and China are reasserting their power and leveraging new technologies, The U.S. competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare, air, land, sea, Space, and cyberspace, and it is continuing to erode. The NDAA includes threat—specific initiatives designed to maximize defense resources and keep America safe.

Emerging Technologies

America’s security is challenged by our strategic competitors’ advances in Artificial Intelligence, Space and counter—Space capabilities, Cyber, Influence Operations, and Hypersonics, among others. To address these threats, the NDAA: ● Places emphasis on policy and programs to advance Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, and other critical national security technologies; ● Fully supports innovation efforts of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Defense Innovation Unit Experimental to ensure our technological superiority and dominance over current and future threats; ● Advances hypersonic and directed energy weapons research, development, and transition efforts within DoD; ● Provides additional funds to accelerate Artificial Intelligence, machine learning programs, as well as directed energy, and hypersonics programs.

Photo: U.S. DoD

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Defense Spending Bill Acknowledges Major Threats

The United States has never faced a collection of opponents more dangerous than that of the Russian-Chinese Axis, with Iran and North Korea thrown in for added problems.

Despite that, as Moscow and Beijing have dramatically upgraded their armed forces and engaged in aggressive acts, Washington, during the Obama Administration, depleted the nation’s defenses, reducing even further a military that was decimated following the end of the cold war in the mistaken belief that the end of the USSR meant that peace was at hand.

There is, finally, a growing sense of urgency within the government about the decline of American strength even as the threat expands. According to the House Armed Services Committee,(HASC)  “America’s military is facing challenges on multiple fronts, including the troubling increase in serious training accidents in all the military services; the re—emergence of competitors like Russia and China; the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea; and the imperative to keep up the pressure on ISIS, al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups.”

The HASC notes that “Competitors like Russia and China are investing in new strategic weapons designed to challenge America’s credible nuclear deterrent, undermine missile defense capabilities, and erode the advantages the U.S. derives from Space.” According to the Congressional Committee, “…The NDAA takes a comprehensive approach to ensuring U.S. security by answering each one of those these challenges. Russia and China are building new modern nuclear weapons. At the same time, America’s nuclear deterrent has been neglected.”

In response, The House of Representatives has passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which reflects that growing concern.

If passed by the Senate and approved by the President in its current form, the spending bill would authorize $717 billion in spending for defense needs, including significant increases for readiness recovery, and fully fund a 2.6 percent pay raise for servicemembers, the highest increase in 9 years. It also extends special pay and bonuses for servicemembers in high-demand fields to combat the high turnover of these jobs.

The HASC notes that “While the world has grown more dangerous, our military has grown smaller. Rebuilding the U.S. military must begin with growing the number of uniformed personnel. To help alleviate the stress on the force, the NDAA authorizes increases in the size of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Naval and Air Reserve, and Air Guard commensurate with the threats we face. …Continuing to recruit and retain America’s best…The NDAA also takes steps to address the ongoing pilot shortage, which is hampering readiness in every Service. In an effort to address the persistent pilot shortage in the Air Force, the NDAA requires the Service to evaluate all pilot staff requirements to maximize pilots’ time in the cockpit. Similarly, the bill extends the National Guard recruiting pilot program, which is designed to use retired senior enlisted members to fill recruiter positions so that current National Guard members can focus on their primary mission.”

General Outline

  • Authorizes $18.5 billion to begin to rehabilitate and replace worn out Army equipment, $39.4 billion to begin address the military aviation crisis, $36 billion to restore sea strength, and $23.3 billion to rebuild military buildings and infrastructure;
  • Funds the growth of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Naval and Air Reserve, and Air Guard;
  • Increases funding for training in each service;
  • Creates a Chief Management Officer (CMO) who will be charged with finding efficiencies and reducing 25 percent of the cost of certain Department-wide activities, enhancing accountability;
  • Provides $21.8 billion for equipment maintenance and $3.7 billion for spare parts;
  • Adds funding to improve America’s missile defense;
  • Makes key investments in other critical military capabilities to confront aggression and address threats around the world, including threats from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran; and
  • Places emphasis on policy and programs to advance America’s security against emerging threats – Artificial intelligence, space and counter-space capabilities, cyber, influence operations, hypersonics, among others.

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The Report concludes Monday.

Photo: U.S. DoD

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House Armed Services Committee begins hearings on Russian aggression

Tensions continue to mount as Russia expands its influence in Ukraine and engages in nuclear-capable bomber flights close to the airspace of NATO members in Europe and North America.

NATO’s Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow maintains that “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not an isolated incident, but a game-changer in European security. It reflects an evolving pattern of behavior that has been emerging for several years, despite our efforts to reach out to Russia and build a cooperative European security system with Russia.”

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In a preliminary statement, the chairman addressed the nature of the threats: “First is the naked aggression of conquest. We have seen this in Europe many times in the past.  History has taught us that aggression, unchallenged in its early days, leads to greater costs and greater misery when it finally must be confronted. “Second is the undermining of the rules-based international system that has existed since the end of World War II.  I am among those who are convinced that President Putin is working to undermine the current international structure, in order to replace it with one more to his liking.  And he has some unsavory allies in that effort.
The third challenge is the tactics that are being used by Russia in Ukraine.  We’ve heard a lot about “little green men,” but the various efforts Russia is using to undermine the Ukrainian security forces –as well as to pull a facade over its own involvement– presents challenges to NATO and the United States.  We do not deal with naked lies, subversion, and other forms of subterfuge very well.”

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Obama’s Stunning Press Conference

It was, arguably, one of the most stunning Presidential press conferences in U.S. history.

As ISIS continues its rampage throughout Iraq and Syria, pillaging, raping and murdering on a massive scale, and threatening to launch a major terror attack on American soil, Mr. Obama openly admitted yesterday that his Administration had not developed any strategy for dealing with the crisis.

At this extreme late date, the President wants his advisers to provide “a range of options,” and admits that his decision is not immediately forthcoming. Various reports indicate that information was available for his review for up to four years.

Now that he cannot escape public knowledge of his negligence, what is his plan going forward? He stated that he plans to meet with his national security team.  This begs the question: Why hasn’t he been meeting with these experts all along? This is a central part of his duties as Commander in Chief.

This isn’t a conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican question.  If, at this very late venture, the President hasn’t already engaged in numerous, intensive discussions with his key personnel on this deadly problem, then he hasn’t just made an incorrect decision on a particular challenge; he has utterly failed to do his job.

House Armed Services Chair Howard McKeon  noted “We need the President to explain to the American people what is at stake, what our objectives are, and the strategy for how to achieve them.”

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Intelligence officials and military affairs commentators note that ISIS’s rise was not unexpected: They emphasize that this disaster had been brewing since 2009.

Mr. Obama’s premature withdrawal of American forces from Iraq directly led to the vacuum ISIS filled. The President’s own defense personnel, including both uniformed members of the military as well as the Secretary of Defense, have voice alarm at ISIS’s progress.  Why has the President ignored these key figures?

What has the President been doing during this period? There is a disturbing pattern discernable in the Oval Office.  We still do not know where the President was during the Benghazi attack. His reaction to Russia’s expansionism in Eastern Europe has been strangely muted. He has yet to admit that the Obama/Clinton “Reset” strategy was a dismal failure, as Moscow arms to the teeth and displays no reluctance to employ its vast military machine.  As this article goes to press, Russian tanks have invaded Ukraine, with no credible reaction from Mr. Obama. (Important note: Mr. Obama withdrew all American tanks from Europe this year; NATO no longer has a credible deterrent to the Kremlin’s military.) He has barely discussed the growing Russian, China, and Iranian influence in Latin America, just as he has failed to address Beijing’s growing aggressiveness and military might in any manner other than the most marginal ways.

The American people face an urgent question. What steps can be taken to deal with a commander in chief who clearly fails to take his duties seriously?

One question can be answered—how the President escapes public rebuke for his complete failure to perform his duties.  Most of the major media, which strongly supported Mr. Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns, has abandoned its journalistic ethics and has, essentially, served as a protective shield for this White House.

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Rebuilding the Taliban Leadership

The return of any American, particularly a member of the armed forces, from enemy captivity is always a cause of great joy.  The U.S. government owes a profound obligation to its citizens to seek their recovery.

But there are substantial questions concerning the matter of Sgt. Bowe Berghdahl. The fact that the five terrorists traded for him included the Taliban army chief of staff, the senior military commander, the deputy intelligence chief, the Herat province governor, and a senior security official means that the forces of the vicious terrorist organization that brought down the World Trade Center have been immeasurably strengthened.  More Americans will die on the battlefield and conceivably around the world as well as a result.

The matter has been further muddied by odd Administration statements concerning Sgt. Berghdahl, who apparently was AWOL at the time of his capture. Their comments that he “served his country with distinction” appear to be incorrect, as was a statement calling him a U.S. Marine instead of a soldier.

And then there is the matter of federal law.  The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) notes that Section 1035 of the National Defense Authorization Act requires both an assessment of the danger posed by released terrorists, and a 30-day advanced notification to specified Congressional committees. HASC also stressed that Section 8111 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act also prohibits funds to be used for the release of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.
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Casting a pall over the entire incident is the unexplained reluctance of the White House to pursue the release of another American service member held captive, in Mexico.  Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi accidentally crossed into Mexico after being unable to make a U-turn. In his truck were with legal, licensed firearms.  Common sense dictated that he be allowed to get back on the correct highway, but for reasons not adequately explained Mexican authorities continue to incarcerate him.

Concerned Americans posted a petition on the White House web site.  But this matter, which could be readily remedied by normal diplomatic contacts, remains unresolved and unaddressed by a presidential administration oddly aloof from the issue.

Both the Berghdahl and Tahmooressi matters require a prompt and thorough explanation from Mr. Obama.

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US Cuts Nuclear Arms as Russia Moves Ahead

President Obama is conducting, without the consent of Congress or the American public, a high-risk experiment in unilateral disarmament.  He is doing so despite all evidence that his concept is fundamentally flawed. His action is exceptionally endangering the safety and sovereignty of both the United States and its allies.

Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, and Elaine Bunn, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy, testified last week before the House Armed Services Committee  that the United States will cut nuclear stockpiles under the New START treaty with Russia.

In October, Russia tested it SS-25 mobile ICBM, the fourth time in the past two years it engaged in tests violative of the 1987 agreement. In January, the treaty was again violated by the deployment of the RS-26 missile test.

In January, it became public that Russia was also violating the 1987 missile treaty. Despite that fact, the U.S. has taken no action.

The Administration’s move comes despite Russia’s placement of nuclear-armed ISKANDER missiles on the border of Europe in response to absolutely no threat from NATO.
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It is done in compliance with a treaty despite Moscow’s obvious current and historical record of treaty violations, in response to a treaty that was bad for the United States since it allowed Moscow a 10-1 advantage in tactical nuclear weapons, and one that is especially inappropriate in the face of the dramatic change in international conditions since the rise of China as a nuclear power that is hostile to the United States and its allies.

In addition to the development and deployment of new atomic weapons systems, Russia has engaged in updating and testing of its nuclear weapons, while the American arsenal has gone untested and un-updated for decades.

President Obama’s planned cutback comes in the face of undeniable evidence of massive Russian cheating.  It comes at a time when Russia has evidenced its hostile intent through its invasion of Crimea, its threats to other parts of the former Soviet Empire, and its return to engagement in military-related activities in Latin America, especially in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. It comes as the United States has slashed its military spending, while Russia and China dramatically expand their armed forces budget.

A full analysis of the nuclear weapons reduction issue will be published Monday, April 14.