The Insider

Expiration Extension
By John Liang
January 23, 2012 at 8:52 PM

The Pentagon has extended the expiration date of guidance issued in July 2011 outlining when U.S. government agencies may convert intercontinental ballistic missiles into space-launch platforms to haul payloads into orbit.

Inside the Air Force reported last year that Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn on July 5 signed a directive-type memorandum outlining Pentagon responsibilities and procedures for utilizing excess ballistic missiles for space launch. The document presaged an update to the Defense Department's September 2000 policy on military missions to support space activities.

The new, updated memo incorporates a change made on Jan. 18 that extends the missive's expiration date from Jan. 9, 2012, to Nov. 9, 2012. As ITAF reported last July:

"Acquisition of space launch services using converted excess ballistic missile assets shall ensure required competition at the prime and subcontract level necessary to sustain and enhance the U.S. space launch industry base, and limit the impact on the U.S. space transportation industry," the eight-page document states. "Impact on the U.S. space transportation industry shall consider the broader launch industrial base and viable, established and emerging providers."

The directive codifies practices under which U.S. government agencies -- including the Air Force, the National Reconnaissance Office and NASA -- may use modified ballistic missiles to move satellites to space.

Decommissioned ICBMs may be used for such purposes on a "case-by-case basis," the directive states, requiring the approval of the defense secretary and two other conditions. One condition is "cost savings" to the government when compared to the price tag for space-launch services offered by commercial providers. As for the second condition, the payload slated for launch must support the mission of the sponsoring agency and the "modified excess ballistic missile" must meet the mission's performance, schedule and risk requirements, states the new directive.

These criteria reflect U.S. space transportation policy goals set by former President Bush in National Security Presidential Directive-40, signed on Dec. 4, 2004. "In order to prevent the proliferation of missile technology and to limit the adverse impact of use of excess ballistic missiles on U.S. space transportation capabilities," states the directive, "excess U.S. ballistic missiles shall either be retained for government use or destroyed."

The use of a modified ballistic missile must comply with U.S. obligations under treaties and international agreements, including the Missile Technology Control Regime guidelines, the follow-on Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Non-Lethal Book
By John Liang
January 23, 2012 at 5:57 PM

The Pentagon just released its 2012 "Non-Lethal Weapons For Complex Environments" report in the form of an ebook. According to a program office statement:

The ebook highlights today's DoD non-lethal weapons and capabilities. The eBook features the following: conversion of PDF to page-flipping eBook; text search, share capabilities via email and social media; full-screen shot; thumbnails; sound; zoom in/out and autoflip. The initiative improves the DoD Non-Lethal Weapons Program's efforts in both cost-efficiency and readability.

Inside the Pentagon reported in November that the Defense Department had begun to look to industry to develop directed-energy capabilities and a high-gain antenna system for small tactical vehicles to provide troops with a non-lethal weapon. DOD made the announcement in a series of listings posted on Federal Business Opportunities. ITP further reported:

The first request for information states the Defense Department's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate would like to develop a prime power system "that can achieve the required performance in a compact size" so that it can be integrated onto a small tactical vehicle.

The second RFI states the directorate would like industry to research "compact, lightweight, steerable and high-gain antenna systems" that could stand-alone or be integrated onto a small tactical vehicle.

The third RFI asks industry to develop a "compact, lightweight and efficient high-power microwave and radio frequency source technologies that will enable the development of directed energy non-lethal capabilities."

No specific vehicles have been targeted to incorporate these new technologies, Scott Griffiths, counter-materiel directed-energy officer of primary responsibility at the directorate, wrote in a Nov. 9 email.

There is no formal analysis of alternatives planned. An AOA usually takes about a year to complete.

"The JNLWD will review the responses to the RFI to determine if there are any sources that can provide technologies capable of achieving the desired performance," he wrote. "The JNLWD will assess options for developing technologies of interest, but no predetermined time line has been established."

JSF Weapons Testing
By Christopher J. Castelli
January 20, 2012 at 8:31 PM

Weapons testing is on the agenda for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter this year, according to test pilot Lt. Col. Matthew Kelly, the program's flight operations leader.

Tests on the ground will be followed by weapons-separation tests in the air, he told reporters today, noting the first drop is likely to happen in the second half of this year.

Kelly, who spoke at Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, MD, also said the program's main carrier-suitability test aircraft is slated to get the first redesigned tailhook later this year.

The program's next round of shipboard testing, which will involve the Marine Corps and Air Force variants, is slated for 2013. Sometime before that, the program will have to conduct the first nighttime flights of those variants, which should not be a problem, Kelly said.

Today's announcement by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that the Pentagon is taking the F-35 short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant (STOVL) off probation would not significantly impact ongoing test activities here, he added, declining to comment on whether the program will achieve clearance for unmonitored flights of the STOVL variant by the end of the year.

All Systems Go
By Titus Ledbetter III
January 20, 2012 at 3:58 PM

Boeing received the first on-orbit signals from the fourth Wideband Global SATCOM satellite last night, which indicates that the satellite is healthy and ready for operational testing, according to a Jan. 19 company press release.

The satellite was successfully launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV launch vehicle at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, at 7:38 p.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 19, according to an Air Force statement. Controllers first confirmed contact with the satellite at 8:36 p.m. Eastern Time at a ground station in Dongara, Australia, according to the Boeing statement. Executives from Boeing's mission control center in El Segundo, CA, confirmed that the satellite is “functioning normally,” according to the company statement.

Boeing will conduct on-orbit testing over the next eight weeks to verify performance, according to the company statement.

Air Force officials also awarded Boeing a $377 million contract modification for starting work on the WGS-9 satellite on Jan. 12, according to a service statement. Boeing is the prime contractor for the WGS system. The satellite will provide more flexible execution of command and control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance while also supporting battle management objectives, according to Boeing.

Budget Day: Feb. 6
By Jason Sherman
January 20, 2012 at 2:58 PM

While the Pentagon has not formally announced when it will release full details of its fiscal year 2013 budget request, the most likely date is clear: Monday, Feb. 6. The Senate Armed Services Committee this morning announced Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will testify on Feb. 7 on the FY-13 budget request. Such hearings traditionally follow the public presentation of the Pentagon's budget, often held the day before. In keeping with tradition, the top two DOD officials appear first before the congressional defense authorization committees, alternating each year between the Senate and House.

In breaking with tradition, the Pentagon's No. 2 uniform officer said yesterday that the Defense Department on Jan. 26 plans to reveal some key components of the FY-13 budget request -- a highly anticipated event that is expected to set forth major changes in spending priorities, including adjustments to program investment plans.

No GMD Protest
By John Liang
January 19, 2012 at 9:28 PM

Lockheed Martin will not protest the Missile Defense Agency's awarding of a multibillion-dollar contract to develop and sustain the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system to Boeing.

"We will honor the decision that the Missile Defense Agency has made," a Lockheed spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.

The development and sustainment contract's (DSC) total value is nearly $3.5 billion, according to a Dec. 30 Defense Department statement, which adds:

This contract was competitively awarded following the receipt of two proposals.  The scope of work under this contract includes, but is not limited to:  future development; fielding; test; systems engineering, integration and configuration management; equipment manufacturing and refurbishment; training; and operations and sustainment support for the GMD Weapon System and associated support facilities.  Work will be performed at multiple locations, including:  Huntsville, Ala.;  Fort Greely, Alaska;  Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.;  Schriever Air Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Tucson, Ariz.; other government designated sites and other contractor designated prime, subcontractor, and supplier operating locations.  The DSC period of performance is seven years; December 2011 through December 2018.

Fear not, though, for Lockheed's missile defense work, for in that same contract announcements list MDA awarded the company a four-and-a-half-year, $1.96 billion contract to supply two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems and support services to the United Arab Emirates.

Space Facts
By John Liang
January 18, 2012 at 5:18 PM

The State Department just released a fact sheet titled "An International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities: Strengthening Long-Term Sustainability, Stability, Safety, and Security in Space":

Benefits of Space Systems

Space is vital to protecting U.S. economic prosperity and the national security interests of the United States, its allies, and partners. The benefits derived from space-based systems permeate almost every aspect of our daily life. The utilization of space helps by: warning of natural disasters; facilitating navigation and transportation globally; expanding our scientific frontiers; providing national decision makers with global communications, command, and control; monitoring strategic and military developments as well as supporting treaty monitoring and arms control verification; providing global access to financial operations; and scores of other activities worldwide. However, space, a domain that no nation owns but on which all rely, is becoming increasingly congested and contested.

Space Congestion

Today there are approximately 60 nations and government consortia that operate satellites, as well as numerous commercial and academic satellite operators, creating an environment that is increasingly congested. The Department of Defense tracks roughly 22,000 objects in orbit, of which 1,100 are active satellites. There are hundreds of thousands of additional objects too small to track but still capable of damaging satellites in orbit and the International Space Station. We need to work with the international community to address hazards and concerns that have arisen from this increasingly congested space environment.

Threats to Space

The threats to the space environment will increase as more nations and non-state actors develop and deploy counter-space systems. Today space systems and their supporting infrastructure face a range of man-made threats that may deny, degrade, deceive, disrupt, or destroy assets. Irresponsible acts against space systems will have implications beyond the space environment, disrupting worldwide services upon which civil, commercial, and national security sectors depend. Given the increasing threat—through either irresponsible or unintentional acts—to the long-term sustainability, stability, safety, and security of space operations, we must work with the community of spacefaring nations to preserve the space environment for all nations and future generations.

An International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities

In response to these challenges, the United States reached a decision to formally work with the European Union and spacefaring nations to develop and advance an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. The European Union’s draft Code of Conduct is a good foundation for the development of a non-legally binding International Code of Conduct focused on the use of voluntary and pragmatic transparency and confidence-building measures to help prevent mishaps, misperceptions, and mistrust in space. An International Code of Conduct, if adopted, would establish guidelines for responsible behavior to reduce the hazards of debris-generating events and increase the transparency of operations in space to avoid the danger of collisions.

Protecting National and Economic Security

The Obama Administration is committed to ensuring that an International Code enhances national security and maintains the United States’ inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, a fundamental part of international law. The United States would only subscribe to such a Code of Conduct if it protects and enhances the national and economic security of the United States, our allies, and our friends. The Administration is committed to keeping the U.S. Congress informed as our consultations with the spacefaring community progress.

For more space-related news, check out InsideDefense.com's Space Alert page.

Accessible Concept
By Christopher J. Castelli
January 17, 2012 at 11:08 PM

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey today signed version 1.0 of the Pentagon's new Joint Operational Access Concept, which "proposes a concept for how joint forces will achieve operational access in the face of armed opposition by a variety of potential enemies and under a variety of conditions, as part of a broader national approach."

"This framework describes how we will gain entry and maintain access anywhere and in any domain: land, air, space, sea, and cyber," Dempsey writes today in a blog post about the document. "No matter how formidable our forces, if we are unable to bring our capabilities to bear in any of these domains, we may not be able to complete the mission or meet our nation’s needs. Our adversaries know this as well."

Inside the Pentagon broke news about the high-level document last month, reporting that an unsigned copy of version 1.0 declared that U.S. armed services must achieve unprecedented synergy to ensure access to contested waters, skies, land, space and networks in the face of emerging weapons.

GMD Protest?
By John Liang
January 17, 2012 at 5:13 PM

Lockheed Martin is weighing its options in the wake of losing a billion-dollar Ground-based Midcourse Defense development and sustainment contract to Boeing.

Missile Defense Agency officials briefed Lockheed last Wednesday on why the company lost the competition, Tory Bruno, president of strategic and missile defense systems at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., told reporters during a conference call this morning.

Bruno said it was still "premature" to say whether the company would protest MDA's decision. "We're still digesting the information they gave us and doing our analysis," he said, adding: "Ask me in a couple days."

AfPak Panel Debate
By Christopher J. Castelli
January 17, 2012 at 5:03 PM

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today renewed his call for the Obama Administration to create a panel of experts outside of government to review U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a Jan. 17 letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Wolf noted that a recent National Intelligence Estimate "paints a very bleak picture of the war in Afghanistan."

Inside the Pentagon reported last November that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey agreed that the government should not "divert resources" to establish the study group proposed by Wolf.

"Secretary Panetta feels confident that, given the security progress we are making in Afghanistan, the success we are having in growing a developing the ANSF, and the ongoing assessments we already do -- and are required to do -- for the Congress, the work of such a group would largely be duplicative," a defense official said at the time.

In today's letter, Wolf challenges Panetta’s argument about progress in Afghanistan. “Your November 3, 2011, letter to me stated that coalition troops are making progress against the Taliban and other militants and that progress is being made on our relationship with the Pakistani government and military. I have enormous respect for the men and women serving our country in South Asia and acknowledge that our troops are performing their mission with bravery and resolve, however, the NIE appears to contradict your assessment,” Wolf writes.

From Wolf's Jan. 17 letter:

Dear Secretary Panetta:

As I am sure you are aware, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 contains language providing your office with $1 million to assemble the Afghanistan/Pakistan (Af/Pak) Study Group. I request that you do so immediately.

The Los Angeles Times reported last week . . . that the most recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) paints a very bleak picture of the war in Afghanistan and the future of U.S. operations in that region. It reflects concerns that I have expressed in numerous letters to you over time, especially the importance of understanding Afghan tribal and political structures and the Pakistani military and intelligence services actively cooperating with two of the most deadly terror networks in the region.

Given this stark assessment from our own intelligence community, the need to create the Af/Pak Study Group is clear. The Af/Pak Study Group's analysis and recommendations could bring needed clarity to current and future U.S. military and diplomatic operations. You supported the Iraq Study Group and lent your considerable expertise to that effort, so I am perplexed as to why you do not similarly support the Af/Pak Study Group.

Your November 3, 2011, letter to me stated that coalition troops are making progress against the Taliban and other militants and that progress is being made on our relationship with the Pakistani government and military. I have enormous respect for the men and women serving our country in South Asia and acknowledge that our troops are performing their mission with bravery and resolve, however, the NIE appears to contradict your assessment. . . .

Increasingly we see a trend in Pakistan of moderating voices being marginalized and altogether silenced. While I appreciate that you are "working hard with Pakistan to improve the level of cooperation" so that terrorist and militant groups no longer find safe haven in the country - I am afraid the complexity of the evolving situation in Pakistan necessitates more.

The NIE's assessment could lead to support for the war in Afghanistan eroding among the American people and I feel the same sentiment will soon permeate the halls of Congress. If the president has simply decided that U.S. involvement will end in 2014 and that no further U.S. strategy is needed, he should clearly state that this is his policy and be forthcoming with the American people. If President Obama has not made a final determination on U.S. strategy going forward, I ask again, what harm can come from a group of independent experts using their experience to offer solutions for long-term success?

Following 9/11, I have supported U.S. military actions in the War on Terror. I want to see our soldiers, diplomats and Foreign Service personnel return home with their heads held high, knowing they all played a crucial role in establishing stability in South Asia where countries no longer pose a threat to our national security. I firmly believe that you can help ensure this happens by using the money made available to you to create the Af/Pak Study Group. Establishing this panel quickly will show the American people that the Obama Administration is willing to consider all possible options to achieve success in this volatile region.

I urge you to take these steps immediately before support for our mission in Afghanistan further erodes.

Eyes On China
By John Liang
January 13, 2012 at 5:03 PM

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission plans to hold its first hearing of 2012 later this month, according to a Federal Register notice posted this morning.

On Jan. 26, the panel will hold a public hearing in Washington, DC, to address "China's Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States," the notice reads, adding:

This is the first public hearing the Commission will hold during its 2012 report cycle to collect input from leading academic, industry, and government experts on national security implications of the U.S. bilateral trade and economic relationship with China. The January 26 hearing will examine China's Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States. The hearing will be co-chaired by Commissioners Richard D'Amato and Daniel Blumenthal.

The commission's most recent annual report came out in November. At least one lawmaker has used China's increased military buildup as a pretext for not cutting any more funds to the Defense Department. Citing that latest report, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) said in a Nov. 16 statement:

"This year's U.S.-China Commission report to Congress further confirms that China is strategically positioning itself to militarily and economically challenge U.S. influence and capabilities in the Asia Pacific.  China remains steadfast in its commitment to build up the Chinese military, increasing its defense budget to bolster regional dominance and intimidate its neighbors.  In addition, the report makes it abundantly clear that China is actively seeking to exploit the United States' military vulnerabilities as the U.S. government fails to stop the theft and voluntary forfeiture of American technology to Chinese state-owned companies.

"And while China is building aircraft carriers, stealing American technology, and actively seeking 'space supremacy,' Congress is busy dismantling the United States military with arbitrary budget cuts that could total a trillion dollars, diminishing its Navy to World War I levels, and effectively forfeiting U.S. leadership in space.  Those eager to gut the defense budget ought to think twice before ceding U.S. regional influence in the Pacific to an authoritarian nation that violates basic human rights, flagrantly disregards the very notion of intellectual property, and routinely disregards the sovereignty of other nations," said Forbes.

CBO On Sequestration
By John Liang
January 12, 2012 at 10:23 PM

The Congressional Budget Office today released an analysis of the potential effects of sequestration on the federal budget:

That report must provide estimates of the caps on discretionary budget authority for the current year (in this case, 2012) and for each year through 2021.2 In CBO's estimation, a sequestration (cancellation of budgetary resources), which would be triggered by a breaching of the caps, will not be required in 2012. However, CBO's estimates do not govern the outcome because the Administration's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has sole authority to determine whether a sequestration is required and, if so, the proportional allocations of any necessary cuts. Those determinations are based on OMB's own estimates of federal spending.

Some defense-related excerpts from the CBO report:

By CBO's estimates, if the automatic enforcement procedures were implemented, they would reduce the caps on discretionary budget authority by declining amounts during the 2014–2021 period. For 2014, the reduction would total $93 billion (or 8.7 percent); it would fall to about $88 billion (or 7.1 percent) for 2021. The reductions in the caps for defense programs would be proportionately larger than the reductions in the caps for nondefense programs. The defense cap would shrink by $55 billion each year (that is, by 9.8 percent for 2014 and by slightly smaller percentages for subsequent years). The nondefense cap would drop by $38 billion (or 7.4 percent) for 2014 and by smaller amounts for later years.

The combined limit on discretionary budget authority would decline to $973 billion for 2014 and then steadily increase to $1,146 billion for 2021, when the restrictions specified by the Budget Control Act are set to expire. The separate defense and nondefense caps would follow a similar pattern. For 2013, the cap on discretionary budget authority for the defense category is $546 billion (although sequestration would result in funding below that amount). That limit would decline, in CBO's estimation, to $501 billion for 2014 and then gradually increase to $589 billion for 2021. The cap on nondefense funding is $501 billion for 2013 (before any effects of sequestration) and $472 billion for 2014; after that year, the limit would gradually rise to $557 billion for 2021. (Those figures do not include any adjustments that might be made to accommodate appropriations for emergencies, overseas contingency operations, disaster relief, or program integrity initiatives.)

Ship Gap
By Dan Taylor
January 12, 2012 at 10:12 PM

The Navy will take a close look at a looming cruiser and destroyer gap over the next several budget cycles to see how the problem might be mitigated, Vice Adm. Terry Blake, deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources (N8), said today.

Last September, the Senate Appropriations Committee expressed concern that the Navy would fall below its requirement for 94 DDG-51 destroyers and CG-47 cruisers after 2021, dipping to as low as 65 ships in 2034. Blake told reporters following his presentation at the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium that the Navy would tackle that issue over the upcoming budget cycles.

"You are not going to be, at the current prices, going to be able to afford four or five [cruisers or destroyers] per year," Blake said. "So we are going to have to deal with that. And there's a number of ways to look at dealing with issues such as that."

He said the Navy would consider a range of options, including extending the service lives of vessels and implementing rotational crewing.

"We have highlighted the problem," he said. "We're going to have to have a deliberate discussion over the next several POMs [program objective memoranda] to deal with that issue in the 2020 to 2030 time frame."

Panetta Calls Karzai
By Christopher J. Castelli
January 12, 2012 at 3:52 PM

Defense Secretary Panetta this morning phoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai about a video that appears to show Marines urinating on insurgents' corpses.

Panetta, who has ordered an investigation, "expressed his view that the conduct depicted in the footage is utterly deplorable, and that it does not reflect the standards or values American troops are sworn to uphold," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said in a statement.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos also condemned the video in a statement this morning.

DOD & Norway
By Christopher J. Castelli
January 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta hosted the Norwegian defense minister, Espen Barth Eide, this afternoon for their first official bilateral meeting. Panetta "noted that Norway is a strong ally and friend, and he praised Norway's decisive contributions to the war in Afghanistan and to last year's successful NATO operations in Libya," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement, adding the two men discussed the new U.S. defense strategic guidance and bilateral defense cooperation issues, as well as ways of expanding the strong military partnership between the United States and Norway.

"Secretary Panetta affirmed the commitment of the United States to the NATO alliance and to the principles of smart defense," Little said. "He told his Norwegian counterpart that he looks forward to seeing him soon at upcoming NATO meetings in Brussels."