The Insider

This week's successful shoot-down of a ballistic missile target by a Standard Missile-3 Block 1A interceptor in the Pacific Ocean has boosted the confidence of the missile's builder in the development of the next-generation SM-3 Block 1B missile.

"The Block 1B is very common to the Block 1A, so from the booster system and the flyout systems -- both first stage, second stage and third stage -- they are exactly alike, so it builds more confidence . . . as we evolve the SM-3 system," according to Raytheon's SM-3 Program Director Mitch Stevison. As InsideDefense.com reported yesterday:

"We push technology where we have to -- we have a very rapid and evolving threat out there in this world, and we push technology to deal with that threat, but we don't push technology in areas where we have a very good understanding and characterization of the system," Stevison said. "So from that aspect, every SM-3 flight that we do builds confidence on the next block evolution that we are doing.

"So for the 1B missile, we'll learn from this test, even the engagement endgame pieces of what we do, we will pull the data from this test, and use it to continue to build robust sensor discrimination algorithms in the future," he continued. "So yes, the short answer is it's very, very important, we use all the data from Block 1A to build upon to ensure that we will have more robustness in the Block 1B missile, as we now transition it from a development program into a production program."

The fourth-generation version of that missile meant for deployment in Europe -- and still under development -- doesn't inspire much confidence in the Government Accountability Office, though. In a report released on Monday, GAO states:

While [the Missile Defense Agency's] initial assumption was the missile was to be land-based, the program is now requiring the SM-3 Block IIB to be ship and land compatible. However, if the SM-3 Block IIB is sea based and uses a liquid propellant, there are significant safety risks and unknown but likely significant cost implications. Navy has stated that the program may develop concepts with liquid propellants, but it has not made a final decision regarding whether it will overturn its 1988 ban on liquid propellants on ships and allow a sea-based SM-3 Block IIB to use liquid propellants.

To some extent, this progression has been driven by the early decision to narrow solutions to an Aegis-based missile without the benefit of a robust analysis of other alternatives. While this does not mean the SM-3 Block IIB is not a viable choice, we have previously reported that without fully exploring alternatives, programs may not achieve an optimal concept for the war fighter, are at risk for cost increases, and can face schedule delays or technology maturity challenges.

Read the full GAO report.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert told reporters today that even though several deployments have or will soon be cut to save what's left of the service's operations and maintenance fund for the remainder of the year, the first overseas deployment of a Littoral Combat Ship will not be on the chopping block.

Greenert testified before the House Armed Services Committee on the effect of the continuing resolution and the possibility of sequestration.

Asked what the United States' allies should think of the canceled deployments of ships and air wings to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in light of North Korea's nuclear test earlier this week, Greenert said:

"One of my key tenets is to operate forward -- a key piece of that are things like Forward Deployed Naval Force, forward-stationing ships. We have 40 ships out in the Asia Pacific. They don't depend on the rotational deployment. Of the 50 we have out there, 40 are out there all the time. That's very reassuring, especially to the Northeast Asia and to a certain extent Southeast Asia. We'll go forward with the deployment of the Freedom to Singapore, we're going to do that, we're committed to that. We'll obviously sustain the ships that are in Japan and we'll work very hard, Asia is very important."

Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller gave a speech this week on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.

"The road ahead can seem daunting," she said. "Some states continue to forsake their freely taken and legally binding obligations. Proliferation is aided by the speed and anonymity provided by the information age. Conflicts around the globe make cooperation difficult or dangerous. Even in the face of these challenges, it is incumbent upon us to find ways to strengthen nonproliferation norms, bolster compliance and quickly adapt to ever-changing circumstances and security needs."

Gottemoeller also touched on "some new tools" that could aid the United States and other NPT adherents in curbing the spread of nuclear weapons:

The United States is and has always been committed to innovation, and the arms control and nonproliferation arenas are no exception. To respond to the challenges we face, we are thinking about creative ways to use technologies -- including open source technologies -- to tackle long-standing verification and monitoring problems. We hope that other states will join us in this endeavor.

View the full text of her speech.

The Senate Appropriations Committee today released the names of the subcommittee members for the 113th Congress. Here are the defense subcommittee members, according to the statement:

Democratic Members

Senator Dick Durbin (Chairman) (IL)

Senator Patrick Leahy (VT)

Senator Tom Harkin (IA)

Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA)

Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD)

Senator Patty Murray (WA)

Senator Tim Johnson (SD)

Senator Jack Reed (RI)

Senator Mary Landrieu (LA)

Senator Mark Pryor (AR)

Republican Members

Senator Thad Cochran (Ranking) (MS)

Senator Mitch McConnell (KY)

Senator Richard Shelby (AL)

Senator Lamar Alexander (TN)

Senator Susan Collins (ME)

Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK)

Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)

Senator Daniel Coats (IN)

Senator Roy Blunt (MO)

The Defense Department's installations and environment office this week released its "Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan," originally submitted to the White House Council on Environmental Quality in September 2012.

The plan "lays out our goals and sustainability performance expectations over the next decade, establishing the path by which the Department will enhance technologies and practices that further the sustainability goals of the Nation." It also includes as an appendix a "Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap" that provides an overview of the steps DOD "will take to ensure the sustainability of its operations and infrastructure under climate change."

The Pentagon's installations and environment office will be accepting public comments on the roadmap until April 9, according to the office's website.

Don't expect Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) to do any funny stuff like walking out of tomorrow's confirmation vote of defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel.

"I share many of the concerns expressed by my colleagues regarding Senator Chuck Hagel's positions on many national security policy issues," McCain says in a just-released statement. "His performance before the Senate Armed Services Committee was discouraging and disappointing, and his often adversarial attitude toward legitimate questions from Committee members was troubling."

The senator added:

At the same time, I have full confidence in the Committee's rigorous process for vetting nominees, which has been developed and relied upon for decades by Members of both parties. This process ensures a comprehensive and thorough examination of every aspect of a nominee's history, including but not limited to personal and public records, tax returns, potential conflicts of interest, and an FBI background check, all carried out by highly experienced professionals from both parties. As a member of the Committee for 26 years, and most recently as Ranking Member, I have always been confident that no matter how I personally felt about a particular nominee, the Committee's process produced the information that Members needed to make up their minds on the President's nominees and to vote on them within the Committee.

The integrity of the Armed Services Committee's nomination process is vitally important. It ensures that no matter which party holds power in the White House or the Senate, nominations for critical national security positions are handled in a fair and appropriate manner that is mindful of the enormous responsibilities these positions hold for our nation's defense.

With this in mind, I have examined the information and responses to Members' questions that Senator Hagel has provided to the Committee, and I believe that he has fulfilled the rigorous requirements that the Committee demands of every Presidential nominee to be Secretary of Defense. As a result, I believe it is appropriate for the Armed Services Committee to vote on Senator Hagel's nomination and determine whether to move this nomination to the Senate floor where Members can debate and express their own judgments on Senator Hagel. I will not participate in any walkout of tomorrow's Committee vote -- an action that would be disrespectful to Chairman Levin and at odds with the best traditions of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Finally, I share Senator Graham's deep concerns about unanswered questions regarding the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. The American people deserve to have all the answers about why four brave Americans died in Benghazi, and this Administration's actions - including those of the President - before, during and after that tragic day.