The Insider

SECDEF Schedule
By Christopher J. Castelli
February 18, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Kicking off what promises to be a busy few days, Defense Secretary Robert Gates will return tomorrow to his old stomping grounds at the CIA for the third time since he retired as director -- and the first time since taking over the Defense Department, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said.

“Director ((Leon)) Panetta has kindly invited the secretary to come over for a luncheon meeting, after which he will address agency employees,” Morrell told reporters today. Those events will be closed to the press.

On Monday night, Gates will host a dinner in honor of Anders Rasmussen, the secretary-general of NATO, to continue their discussions from the recent NATO defense ministerial meeting in Istanbul. Guests will include the secretary of state, the national security adviser and the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder.

Rasmussen is in town for the NATO Strategic Concept seminar. On Tuesday, Gates will give the opening remarks for the seminar at the National Defense University. “The Strategic Concept outlines the alliance's security tasks and guides its future political and military development,” Morrell said. “It is being updated and revitalized to address new challenges that have arisen since the current concept was enacted in 1999. The secretary will talk about the ongoing transformation of NATO from a defensive alliance to a more expeditionary force capable of dealing with a range of traditional and nontraditional threats.”

Later that morning, Gates will open the first meeting of the Council of Governors, which is charged with strengthening the partnership between the federal and state governments to guard against natural disasters and acts of terrorism. Also Tuesday, Gates will meet with the minister of defense from Brazil, Nelson Jobim. “This is their third discussion over the last 14 months and will focus once again on increasing defense cooperation and exchanges between our two countries, specifically defense technology and trade. The ongoing humanitarian operations in Haiti will also be high on the list of discussion points,” Morrell said.

Finally, on Wednesday night, Gates will receive the Distinguished Service Award from the Nixon Center.

Fraying Consensus
By John Liang
February 18, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The consensus embodied by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is beginning to fray, Vice President Biden warned today.

In a speech at the National Defense University, Biden said the United States is "rallying support for stronger measures to strengthen inspections and punish cheaters" of the NPT. Specifically, he said:

The Treaty’s basic bargain -- that nuclear powers pursue disarmament and non-nuclear states do not acquire such weapons, while gaining access to civilian nuclear technology -- is the cornerstone of the nonproliferation regime.

Before the treaty was negotiated, President Kennedy predicted a world with up to 20 nuclear powers by the mid-1970s. Because of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the consensus it embodied, that didn’t happen.

Now, 40 years later, that consensus is fraying. We must reinforce this consensus, and strengthen the treaty for the future.

Biden acknowledged the difficulty of negotiating a ban on the production of fissile materials that can be used in nuclear weapons, but said the Conference on Disarmament "must resume its work on this treaty as soon as possible."

The vice president also reiterated the administration's desire to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty:

A decade ago, we led this effort to negotiate this treaty in order to keep emerging nuclear states from perfecting their arsenals and to prevent our rivals from pursuing ever more advanced weapons.

We are confident that all reasonable concerns raised about the treaty back then -– concerns about verification and the reliability of our own arsenal - have now been addressed. The test ban treaty is as important as ever.

As President Obama said in Prague, “we cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can lead it, we can start it.”

Some friends in both parties may question aspects of our approach. Some in my own party may have trouble reconciling investments in our nuclear complex with a commitment to arms reduction. Some in the other party may worry we’re relinquishing capabilities that keep our country safe.

With both groups we respectfully disagree. As both the only nation to have used nuclear weapons, and as a strong proponent of non-proliferation, the United States has long embodied a stark but inevitable contradiction. The horror of nuclear conflict may make its occurrence unlikely, but the very existence of nuclear weapons leaves the human race ever at the brink of self-destruction, particularly if the weapons fall into the wrong hands.

Carter on KC-X
By Christopher J. Castelli
February 17, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter said this morning the Defense Department remains hopeful it will have competition in the Air Force's $35 billion KC-X tanker program, as opposed to having to award a sole-source contract.

DOD believes it has a "fair, transparent, right-down-the-middle approach" to the important and lucrative program, he said at a conference sponsored by Aviation Week.

As InsideDefense.com recently reported, the Air Force will release a request for proposals for tanker competition no earlier than Feb. 23. Once the RFP is out, Boeing and Northrop Grumman-EADS will have 75 days to respond, according to a Feb. 8 Federal Business Opportunities notice. The service plans to award the KC-X contract in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010.

Army Moves
By Marjorie Censer
February 17, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The Army announced earlier this month that Lt. Gen. James Thurman, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and policy (G-3/5/7), has been nominated for a fourth star and assigned to serve as commanding general of Army Forces Command at Ft. McPherson, GA.

Additionally, in the same announcement, the service noted that Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, has been nominated to the rank of lieutenant general. An Army Reserve representative told Inside the Army that Stultz has been nominated for another term as chief of the Army Reserve, requiring him to go through the nomination and confirmation process.

No Peace
By Sebastian Sprenger
February 16, 2010 at 5:00 AM

There's no peace in cyberspace. That's according to the Army's forthcoming Cyberspace Operations Concept Capability Plan 2016-2028, developed by the service's Training and Doctrine Command. In a fictitious operation, the document attempts to apply the yardstick of the Army's full-spectrum operations model to cyberspace operations. Phase Zero of that model normally includes peacetime, or "shaping," operations. But not in cyberspace, the draft document argues.

"There is no traditional phase 0 or peacetime in cyberspace, as adversaries continuously seek to conduct cyberspace operations, particularly exploitation, against the United States and its allies in order to pursue their strategic objective," the document states. There is, however, a cyber equivalent to the "dominate" phase. And that means unleashing what the Army's new nomenclature terms "CyberWar" activities.

"CyberWar and enabling capabilities will exploit and attack computer and telecommunication networks and embedded processors and controllers in equipment, systems and infrastructure, in accordance with appropriate authorities in support of the commander's objectives," the draft Army plan reads. "This is the first time (in the progression of the Army's six-phase full-spectrum operations model) that CyberWar attacks on tactical target embedded processors and controllers in equipment, systems and infrastructure are conducted to disadvantage the adversary," it adds.

SitRep
By Christopher J. Castelli
February 16, 2010 at 5:00 AM

National security looms large on President Obama's agenda this Wednesday, which includes a morning meeting with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Situation Room. The White House released a list of expected attendees for the session, which is closed to the press:

Vice President Biden
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Susan Rice, permanent U.S. representative to the United Nations
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg
Richard Holbrooke, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (via videoconference)
Karl Eikenberry, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan (via videoconference)
Anne Patterson, U.S. ambassador to Pakistan (via videoconference)
Pentagon policy chief Michèle Flournoy
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. Central Command
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Commander in Afghanistan (via videoconference)
Lt. Gen. Dave Rodriguez (via videoconference)
Lt. Gen. William Caldwell (via videoconference)
Vice Adm. Michael LaFever (via videoconference)
Director of National Intelligence retired Adm. Dennis Blair
CIA Director Leon Panetta
Deputy Secretary of Treasury Neal Wolin
National Security Adviser retired Gen. James Jones
Deputy National Security Adviser Tom Donilon
John Brennan, assistant to the president for counterterrorism and homeland security
Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, special assistant to the president for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Robert Nabors, OMB deputy director

In the afternoon, Obama is slated to meet with Clinton, lunch with King Juan Carlos I of Spain and then join Biden to meet with Gen. Raymond Odierno, the commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill in the Oval Office.

Eyes on the Ground
By Christopher J. Castelli
February 12, 2010 at 5:00 AM

National Security Adviser Jim Jones completed a five-day trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan to view first-hand the status of efforts to implement President Obama's strategy in the region, the White House said today.

Jones, a retired four-star general, traveled to the region Feb. 8 to 12. He met in Afghanistan with senior Afghan, U.S., and ISAF leaders and traveled to Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad and Panjshir. "His travels allowed him to personally review our efforts in the critical areas of security, development, and governance," the White House said in a statement.

While in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jones met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani to discuss a variety of "issues of mutual concern to both countries, including the full spectrum of development and security matters," the White House said.

In particular, Jones reiterated America's commitment to a long-term and comprehensive relationship with Pakistan, the White House said. Jones also had the opportunity to travel to the Swat Valley and elsewhere in North West Frontier Province, where he "congratulated" the Pakistani army and paramilitary Frontier Corps on "the success of their security operations in the west and noted the tremendous sacrifices made by Pakistan's security forces," according to the statement.

No Holds Barred
By Christopher J. Castelli
February 12, 2010 at 5:00 AM

This week, the Senate confirmed candidates for several national security posts, but left other key Pentagon nominees on hold. If the vacancies continue, President Obama says he may make recess appointments.

The Senate confirmed 27 Obama administration nominees yesterday, including Douglas Wilson to be an assistant secretary of defense for public affairs; Mary Sally Matiella to be an assistant secretary of the Army for financial management and comptroller; and Caryn Wagner to be under secretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security. Earlier this week, the Senate confirmed Clifford Stanley to be under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness and Philip Goldberg to be assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research.

The confirmations came as Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), who had been holding up numerous nominees in a bid to secure jobs in his state for the Air Force's KC-X tanker program, largely backed off in response to a threat by Obama to use recess appointments. But Shelby is still blocking confirmation of Frank Kendall, who would be the Pentagon's No. 2 acquisition official; Erin Conaton, for under secretary of the Air Force; and Terry Yonkers, for assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics. If the Senate fails to confirm more nominees when it returns from the Presidents' Day break, Obama might make recess appointments when senators leave town again, he said yesterday.

"While this is a good first step, there are still dozens of nominees on hold who deserve a similar vote, and I will be looking for action from the Senate when it returns from recess," Obama said in a statement. "If they do not act, I reserve the right to use my recess appointment authority in the future."

Snow Day
By Marjorie Censer
February 11, 2010 at 5:00 AM

An Army spokesman confirmed to Inside the Army today that the ground combat vehicle materiel development decision review scheduled for today has been postponed until tomorrow due to yesterday's East Coast snowstorm.

The MDD was originally scheduled for Dec. 22 but postponed at the request of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Tomorrow's review is intended to decide whether the GCV program -- the Army’s effort to replace the terminated Future Combat Systems manned ground vehicles -- will begin at milestone A or B.

The Army has previously said it plans to release the GCV request for proposals this month, shortly after the MDD review is held. Contract award is expected in the fall.

Fighting Words
By Sebastian Sprenger
February 11, 2010 at 5:00 AM

A small group of international defense analysts writing for the London-based Centre for European Reform this week published a critique of Germany's proclaimed desire to have all remaining U.S. nuclear weapons removed from its soil.

The problem with Germany piously stepping first in line to renounce nuclear weapons on its territory is that the country has not concurrently renounced nuclear deterrence. It wants to continue to enjoy the protection of America’s nuclear umbrella, without sharing the burden of risk associated with stationing weapons in Germany. In other words, the country wants others to risk nuclear retaliation on its behalf, but it would rather not be a target itself.

That would be a nice deal if Germany could get it. But it is a beggar-thy-neighbour policy. Germany is expecting Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Turkey and the United States to do the hard work of explaining the logic of nuclear deterrence to their own publics so that Germany may enjoy the benefits. Or, worse still, if the German policy were taken up by other governments on the continent, the US would be left alone to bear the burden of defending its European allies. That would not be well regarded by the American public or by their elected representatives. Nor are other allies satisfied with the current arrangement likely to be impressed.

Questions over withdrawing U.S. nuclear arms in Europe also could impact Turkey, another host country of American atomic weapons, the authors argue. With Iran ramping up an alleged nuclear weapons program, and Turkey being within the reach of Tehran's missiles, getting the U.S. warheads out of Turkey might just force the country to pursue its own nuclear weapons program, the report states.

M-ATV: Oshkosh B'Gosh?
By Marjorie Censer
February 10, 2010 at 5:00 AM

If the news out of Toyota and Honda has you looking for a new ride, Car and Driver has nothing but good things to say about one you might not have considered: the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle.

The mag even offers up a new name: The B'Gosh.

While the price is high -- $1.4 million, according to the magazine -- and it might not fit in your garage, the January 2010 article reports that the truck is easy to drive and “rides far better than you’d expect.”

“From the driver’s seat, it feels as if the M-ATV will take you home over any route you choose,” the author adds.

He notes that the truck offered “more than acceptable levels of jounce” over most drops and only “required minor steering inputs to stay the course.”

The truck’s “light steering, chassis stiffness, and lack of bump steer are impressive," he adds. "The thing just chugs over the mess.”

The whole thing's worth a read, but here's a bit more of the bottom line:

On-road, it’ll do a maximum of 65 mph. You wouldn’t call it nimble, but there’s little steering slop and the sense that if you hit something it’s not going to matter so much anyway. Acceleration is tank-like (although 0 to 60 in 32.8 seconds is quicker than an actual tank), and it’s noisy, with a little throttle lag.

Big brake drums require significant pedal pressure, but panic stops are drama-free. The nose dives, and you can actually see the anti-lock brakes pulse the M-ATV to a halt. An ATC test driver managed 0.46 g on our improvised 200-foot-diameter skidpad (an airfield helicopter ordnance-loading pad), the M-ATV tilting obscenely and actually lifting the unloaded front wheel. But really, your mom could drive this thing.

And that’s the point. The M-ATV is for fighting as well as driving. Ease of operation means experienced MRAP drivers need only about 14 hours of instruction, complete novices just 40 hours. The M-ATV has no formal name yet, but we’re tempted for obvious reasons to call it the “B’Gosh.” In Afghanistan, the M-ATV will endure months and perhaps years of the most arduous duty, where it must bring as many soldiers home as possible. Maybe they should call it the RTB.

About-Face
By Carlo Muñoz
February 9, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has ceded his “blanket hold” on a slate of White House nominees awaiting Senate confirmation, according to a statement released by his office today.

But Shelby, who sought to block confirmation for over 70 of the administration's picks in a attempt to sway the Air Force's next-generation aerial tanker program known as KC-X, now opposes only those nominees “directly related” to the program, it adds.

That list of nominees includes Terry Yonkers, the administration's pick for the post of assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics; Frank Kendall, for principal deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics; and Erin Conaton, for under secretary of the Air Force, according to a congressional source.

A Northrop Grumman-EADS development team vying for the lucrative Air Force tanker contract plans to headquarter its manufacturing facility in Mobile, AL, if awarded the KC-X deal. However, Shelby's office was adamant that the Alabama Republican's actions were not intended “to determine the outcome of the competition,” according to the statement.

Shelby “is seeking to ensure an open, fair and transparent competition that delivers the best equipment to our men and women in uniform . . . ((and)) is fully justified in his concern given the history and current status of this acquisition,” it states.

Nuclear Winter
By Christopher J. Castelli
February 9, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Inclement weather has postponed Vice President Biden's upcoming speech on nuclear defense matters. The speech had been slated for tomorrow at National Defense University, but a blizzard bearing down on the nation's capital has prompted the White House to reschedule the speech for Feb. 18.

In addition to discussing U.S. nuclear deterrent capabilities and plans to implement President Obama's nonproliferation and nuclear security agenda, Biden is expected to address how the administration's fiscal year 2011 budget request and other efforts will support the president’s vision of reducing the nuclear dangers and working toward a world without nuclear weapons.

'Increased Losses'
By Sebastian Sprenger
February 8, 2010 at 5:00 AM

A somewhat tense discussion ensued at a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week when lawmakers questioned two key architects of the Quadrennial Defense Review. Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Ranking Member Howard McKeon (R-CA) pressed Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy and Vice Adm. Stephen Stanley, the Joint Staff's director for force structure, resources and assessment, for details about the new scenario approach underlying the Defense Department's force-sizing model.

The conversation turned to the possibility of a large-scale war breaking out on the Korean peninsula.

MS. FLOURNOY: We did look at that kind of scenario. And while I don't want to get into classified details in this setting, what I can say to you is that in many of those cases we found that a lot of the U.S. contribution would be heavy air and naval-intensive. And there was certainly adequate flex in our forces to provide that assistance to allies on the ground who were engaged. . . .

REP. SKELTON: It sounds like you're not going to put boots on the ground, but rely on the Navy and the Air Force in such a situation. Is that the case?

ADM. STANLEY: Again, we did three cases. Each case had different combinations of scenarios in them. So it's not three scenarios. It's three separate scenario cases that include multiple scenarios. Was Korea part of it? Yes. Okay, do we put boots on the ground in Korea? Yes. The forces --

REP. MCKEON: More than we have there right now?

ADM. STANLEY: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Where would U.S. forces come from if said war was to break out tomorrow, given that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are tying up a lot of resources? Stanley gave this response:

Another operation in the near term the size of a Korea would require the nation to mobilize. Okay, it would take away our ability to rotate the forces even as little as we are now, one to one. Would we still prevail? Yes. Would there be increased losses? Yes.

The two witnesses agreed to give lawmakers classified briefings with details about DOD's scenario approach.

Rep. Murtha: 1932-2010
By Dan Dupont
February 8, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Just released by his office:

Congressman John Murtha Passes Away at Age 77

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. At his bedside was his family.

Murtha, 77, was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in February of 1974, Murtha dedicated his life to serving his country both in the military and in the halls of Congress. A former Marine, he became the first Vietnam War combat Veteran elected to the U.S. Congress.

This past Saturday, February 6, 2010, Murtha became Pennsylvania’s longest serving Member of Congress.