The Insider

By John Liang
September 3, 2013 at 5:12 PM

With an expected U.S. military strike on Syria looming in the coming weeks, a recently released RAND report looks at five possible options using airpower.

The RAND report, co-authored by Jeffrey Martini and Thomas Hamilton, "warns that destroying or grounding the Syrian air force is operationally feasible but would have only marginal benefits for protecting civilians," according to a RAND statement.

The five options are:

* Negate Syrian airpower by maintaining a "no-fly zone" over Syria, or by destroying the Syrian air force. The likely availability of nearby bases in Turkey and elsewhere make this a relatively easy task for the U.S. and allied forces, although maintaining a prolonged no-fly zone could impose significant burdens on the forces involved. Negating Syrian airpower would have only a marginal direct effect on protecting Syrian civilians, as most civilian casualties have been caused by government ground forces.

* Neutralize Syria's extensive but mostly antiquated air defenses, which is well within the U.S. military's ability. Syria’s integrated air defense system primarily consists of 1970s-era radar and surface-to-air missile technology, which U.S. pilots were able to overcome in Iraq and Serbia. This would begin with intense air and cruise missile strikes against Syrian air bases and air defense systems, followed by a longer hunt for mobile missiles. However, such an effort would be used to facilitate other operations, not an end in itself.

* Create safe areas where Syrian civilians could be largely -- but not completely -- protected from air attack, artillery bombardment and direct ground attack by U.S. and allied air forces. Effectively protecting the civilians in these areas would require competent forces on the ground. If not provided by the U.S. and its allies, the forces would need to be provided by the Syrian opposition, in which case protecting safe areas would also amount to providing air cover for anti-regime forces.

* Enable opposition forces to defeat President Bashar al-Assad's regime, using airpower similar to that employed by the U.S. to overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. Such a mission would require the use of fighters, bombers and remotely piloted aircraft to strike Syrian army and other regime targets. The authors assess that the current balance of the war favors the regime, and that the opposition forces would require substantial military support to defeat Syrian ground forces and gain the upper hand. Such a mission, the authors warn, would help both desirable opposition groups and extremists. Moreover, there is a risk that a successful mission could lead to instability spilling over Syria’s borders to Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq or beyond, and to widespread retribution against populations associated with the defeated regime.

* Prevent the use of Syrian chemical weapons by using air attacks to strike Assad's chemical weapons stockpiles and their delivery systems, or deter future use of chemical weapons. Attacking or threatening to attack targets Assad values more than his chemical weapons stockpile would help avoid creating "use-it-or-lose-it" incentives for additional chemical attacks. The authors warn that while airpower could be used to reduce the Assad regime’s ability or desire to launch large-scale chemical attacks, eliminating its chemical weapon arsenal would require a large ground operation.

By Christopher J. Castelli
September 3, 2013 at 2:48 PM

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little has released a statement confirming widespread reports that the Defense Department and Israel conducted a joint missile defense test today. Little denied the test was linked to preparations for a potential military strike against Syria's government.

Here is Little's full statement:

Early this morning, the United States Department of Defense provided technical assistance and support to the Israeli Missile Defense Organization flight test of a Sparrow target missile over the Mediterranean Sea. The test was long planned to help evaluate the Arrow Ballistic Missile Defense system's ability to detect, track, and communicate information about a simulated threat to Israel. The United States and Israel cooperate on a number of long-term ballistic missile defense development projects to address common challenges in the region. This test had nothing to do with United States consideration of military action to respond to Syria's chemical weapons attack. For more information on the test, please contact the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

By John Liang
August 30, 2013 at 9:32 PM

The Congressional Research Service recently issued a report on the National Security Strategy.

"In principle, congressional oversight of administration strategic efforts can help hold the executive branch accountable for both the content and the rigor of its thinking," notes the Aug. 6 report, first obtained by Secrecy News. "To the extent that strategy actually shapes policy-making and resourcing, such strategy oversight can be a powerful tool for shaping real-world outcomes. In practice, executive branch compliance with statutory mandates -- in terms of both form and content -- has been mixed at best in recent history."

Further:

This report offers a brief overview of the role of strategy in conducting the business of national security; and it reviews the major statutory and non-statutory mandates for national security activities, addressing both requirements and execution to date. It analyzes key issues that may be of interest to Congress in exercising oversight of executive branch strategy-making, including the frequency of strategy updates; the synchronization of timelines and content among different strategies; the prioritization of objectives; the assignment of roles and responsibilities among relevant agencies; the links between strategy and resourcing; and the value of a competition of ideas.

By John Liang
August 29, 2013 at 3:55 PM

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of a possible billion-dollar military aircraft support sale to Saudi Arabia.

According to the Aug. 23 DSCA statement:

The Government of Saudi Arabia has requested a possible sale of follow-on support and services for Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) aircraft, engines and weapons, to include contractor technical services, logistics support, maintenance support, spares, equipment repair, expendables, support and test equipment, communication support, precision measuring equipment, personnel training and training equipment, technical support, exercises, deployments and other related elements of program support services, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $1.2 billion.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia needs this follow on maintenance and logistical support to sustain the combat and operational readiness of its existing aircraft fleet.

The proposed sale of this support and services will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

Inside the Air Force reported last week that the U.S. Air Force had begun training Saudi air force pilots to fly joint missions with the United States military.

The Air Force expects to complete the first round of instruction by the end of 2014, according to the subcontractor tasked with overseeing the education program. Further:

Salient Federal Solutions, a company that specializes in supplying information technology, engineering and intelligence analytic services to the defense and intelligence industries, was awarded a $4.4 million pilot training subcontract in March, according to Scott Seavers, the company's vice president of training and international programs. Seavers told Inside the Air Force in an Aug. 21 email that Salient is training the Royal Saudi air force (RSAF) pilots to fly side-by-side with U.S. Air Force pilots in operational flying squadrons comprised of F-15 fighter jets.

For the past few months, U.S. pilots have been in Saudia Arabia training RSAF pilots at various bases, Seavers said. Typically, only one student pilot flies during any given mission, he said.

By training the Saudi pilots to conduct joint missions, Salient will be "improving the RSAF interoperability with U.S. and other friendly forces to enhance regional stability in accordance with U.S. military objectives," according to an Aug. 20 company statement. Salient has been pairing one RSAF pilot with one Air Force pilot per mission, Seavers said. In all, there are 11 Air Force pilots who are participating in the program, he said.

By Lee Hudson
August 28, 2013 at 8:35 PM

ABOARD THE USS WASP (LHD-1) -- The two F-35B jets undergoing sea trials this month are "in maintenance" today, according to a Navy official.

Reporters were flown to the ship to see one of the two fly, but an issue with a thermal power management system kept it in maintenance longer than anticipated, Navy Capt. Erik Etz, the test director for F-35 naval variants, told reporters during a media day.

Etz said he thought the jet would be ready later today, but after reporters leave the ship. The aircraft is expected to be available for the last day and a half of testing.

The other aircraft, VF-1, is in maintenance to address the compartment cooling fan that cools the engine.

The two F-35B aircraft have been flying twice a day during the test period, called Developmental Test-2, he said.

So far the jets have completed 90 short takeoffs and 92 vertical landings. During DT-1, which was held in October 2011, the jets completed a total of 72 takeoffs and vertical landings, F-35 Lightning II communications director Joe DellaVedova told reporters here.

The two jets are configured differently for testing. VF-1 is using a flight release engine, while VF-5 is equipped with an initial service release engine and carries a pod to account for weapon weight, said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matthew Kelly, a senior official with the F-35 program office and a former test pilot who has flown both the F-35B and F-35C models.

By John Liang
August 27, 2013 at 6:55 PM

Former Air Force Secretary Michael Donley has been selected to lead an upcoming "Organizational Review" of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

That the Defense Department would tap someone for this specific role was previously known, but it was unknown whom that would be.

Pentagon spokesman Mark Wright said in a statement issued today that Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter had sent out a memo yesterday informing Pentagon leadership of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's choice of Donley to run the review effort. Further:

The organizational review, consistent with the findings of the recent Strategic Choices and Management Review (SCMR), will focus on two core areas: (1) achieving a 20 percent reduction in OSD's [Headquarters] budget over the Future Years Defense Program; and (2) reducing the number of direct reports to the Secretary of Defense by further consolidating functions within OSD, as well as eliminating positions.

Secretary Donley will report directly to Deputy Secretary Carter and will submit recommendations for Secretary Hagel's consideration, along with corresponding implementation plans.

Following Secretary Hagel's decisions, action will be assigned to specific offices and individuals to execute the recommendations.

The Director of Administration and Management will monitor overall execution and report monthly to Deputy Secretary Carter.

By Lee Hudson
August 27, 2013 at 3:48 PM

The Joint Strike Fighter Joint Program Office and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney announced this morning that they have reached an agreement on a production contract for the sixth lot of engines for the F-35 aircraft.

The LRIP 6 contract covers 38 engines, including program management, engineering support, sustainment and spare parts, according to a joint statement.

"Cost details will be released when the LRIP 6 contract is finalized; however, in general, the unit prices for the 32 common configuration engines which are used to power both the [Air Force's] conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) aircraft and the aircraft-carrier variant (CV) aircraft reduced in LRIP 6 by roughly 2.5 percent compared to the previous LRIP 5 contract for 35 engines," the statement reads.

The unit prices for the six short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing aircraft engines reduced in LRIP 6 by roughly 9.6 percent compared to three STOVL engines in the LRIP 5 contract.

"This agreement represents a fair deal for government and Pratt & Whitney," Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 program executive officer, said in the statement. "Driving down cost is critical to the success of this program and we are working together -- in each successive contract -- to lower costs for the propulsion system."

The LRIP 6 contract includes 36 install engines and two conventional takeoff and landing whole spare engines. The contract will also include the first propulsion systems for Italy and Australia, the statement reads.

By John Liang
August 26, 2013 at 8:00 PM

InsideDefense.com is reporting today that the Navy has formally advised Congress that the Northrop Grumman-led MQ-4C Triton program -- a $26.8 billion effort to develop, field and fly a naval variant of the high-flying Global Hawk unmanned aircraft -- will exceed research and development cost targets and miss key acquisition milestone dates set by the service in 2008:

The issues are detailed in a 33-page Selected Acquisition Report dated December 2012 and delivered to Congress in May. "These cost and schedule breaches are based on delays due to technical challenges associated with system integration and developmental testing, which delayed entry into flight test," the report states. As a result, the Navy is preparing a revised acquisition baseline program to reflect new schedule and cost goals, the report states.

The Navy wants to buy a total of 70 MQ-4C aircraft, including the five developmental systems, and plans to spend $3.5 billion on development; $11.3 billion on procurement; and $11.6 billion to operate and sustain the systems through 2039, bringing the estimated cradle-to-grave cost for the capability to $26.8 billion.

The projected research and development costs for the MQ-4C program have grown to $3.5 billion, $335.5 million more than the Navy's original $3.2 billion target -- an increase of 10 percent, according to the report.

In related news, Inside the Navy reports this week that Northrop Grumman is working with the Navy on options for a sense-and-avoid radar on the Triton after the service issued a stop-work order on the radar due to technical challenges and cost growth, according to the company and the service:

On April 25, the Navy issued a stop-work order for Triton's air-to-air radar subsystem, which is made by ITT Exelis. The service is assessing the status of the effort and evaluating alternatives for meeting program requirements, Navy spokeswoman LaToya Graddy wrote in an Aug. 21 email.

"The Navy is working with Northrop Grumman Corp. to review all options that could potentially be leveraged to fulfill this requirement," she added.

ITT Exelis remains committed to developing a leading-edge sense-and-avoid system for unmanned aerial vehicles to help make the skies safer for all aircraft, company spokeswoman Courtney Reynolds wrote in an Aug. 20 email.

For more of our recent Triton coverage, see below:

After First Flight, MQ-4C Triton Slated For First Deployment In 2016
Inside the Navy - 05/27/2013

Official: Germany Seeking Insights On Navy's Triton UAS For Euro Hawk
Inside the Navy - 05/27/2013

MQ-4C Triton Completes First Flight At Palmdale
DefenseAlert - 05/22/2013

By John Liang
August 23, 2013 at 9:48 PM

The Pentagon late this afternoon formally announced a $904 million contract for Boeing to sell 36 AH-46E Apache Block III attack helicopters to South Korea.

Inside the Army reported on the sale in July, albeit for a slightly higher price:

Apaches are seen as a hot ticket item in Army foreign military sales and the demand for this is expected to rise, according to a service official not authorized to speak on the record. The recent sale to South Korea and other impending contracts are evidence that Apache FMS is heating up.

A Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with South Korea was announced on April 17 for 36 Apache helicopters valued at $1.6 billion, Kim Gillespie, spokeswoman for ASAC, wrote in a July 25 statement to Inside the Army. The Apache was ultimately chosen after the South Koreans held a competition to select the attack helicopter.

"We received an LOR (letter of request) to submit a proposal last year, and [Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration] competed these proposals through a very rigorous process," ASAC's Pacific Command Regional Director Col. Stephen Smith is quoted as saying in an ASAC statement provided by Gillespie.

For the Army, according to the statement, the purchase is expected to account for one-tenth of the Army FMS for fiscal year 2013.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale of Apaches to South Korea on Sept. 21, 2012, according to a Sept. 25, 2012 agency statement.

Typically, an increase in FMS of American weapon systems is beneficial to the U.S. government because the purchases help extend production lines and lower unit costs. Foreign countries may also invest in the modernization of certain weapon systems taking some of that funding burden off of the United States.

By John Liang
August 23, 2013 at 9:12 PM

The Pentagon recently issued a joint doctrine document for homeland defense "across the range of military operations."

The July 29 document "provides information on planning, command and control, interorganizational coordination, and operations required to defeat external threats to, and aggression against, the homeland, or against other threats as directed by the president." Further:

It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint homeland defense operations and provides the guidance for US military coordination with other US Government departments and agencies during operations and for US military involvement in multinational operations supporting homeland defense. It provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders (JFCs) and prescribes joint doctrine for operations, education, and training. It provides military guidance for use by the Armed Forces in preparing their appropriate plans. It is not the intent of this publication to restrict the authority of the JFC from organizing the force and executing the mission in a manner the JFC deems most appropriate to ensure unity of effort in the accomplishment of the overall objective.

By John Liang
August 22, 2013 at 9:05 PM

The Pentagon earlier this month released an updated joint doctrine document on "Command and Control For Joint Maritime Operations."

Among the updates:

* Added discussion of [the] Navy's composite warfare doctrine.

* Added discussion of core maritime capabilities and missions.

* Added command and control considerations for specific maritime operations (surface warfare, air and missile defense, antisubmarine warfare, mine warfare, strike warfare, amphibious operations, naval surface fire support, information operations, maritime interception operations, maritime expeditionary security operations, maritime homeland defense, maritime operations threat response plan, counterdrug, noncombatant evacuation operations, protection of shipping, and foreign humanitarian assistance).

* Expanded the discussion on organizing the maritime force.

* Expanded the discussion of joint force maritime component commander responsibilities.

By Christopher J. Castelli
August 22, 2013 at 3:44 PM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) today urged the United States to take military action against the Syria regime following reports suggesting Syrian forces have “escalated their use of chemical weapons.”

Arguing that the “most recent massacre of innocent men, women, and children should shock our collective conscience,” McCain added, “It is long past time for the United States and our friends and allies to respond to Assad's continuing mass atrocities in Syria with decisive actions, including limited military strikes to degrade Assad's air power and ballistic missile capabilities.”

It has been two years since President Obama called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave power and a year since Obama said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would constitute the crossing of a red line, the senator noted. “But, because these threats have not been backed up by any real consequences, they have rung hollow. As a result, the killing goes on, Assad remains in power, and his use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians apparently continues,” McCain said.

By Christopher J. Castelli
August 21, 2013 at 4:21 PM

The White House is "deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of Syrian civilians have been killed in an attack by Syrian government forces, including by the use of chemical weapons, near Damascus earlier today," Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement. "We are working urgently to gather additional information." The U.S. government "strongly condemns any and all use of chemical weapons," he said, adding those responsible for the use of such weapons must be held accountable.

"Today, we are formally requesting that the United Nations urgently investigate this new allegation," Earnest said. "The U.N. investigative team, which is currently in Syria, is prepared to do so, and that is consistent with its purpose and mandate. For the U.N.’s efforts to be credible, they must have immediate access to witnesses and affected individuals, and have the ability to examine and collect physical evidence without any interference or manipulation from the Syrian government." The U.S. government has also called for "urgent consultations in the U.N. Security Council to discuss these allegations and to call for the Syrian government to provide immediate access to the U.N. investigative team."

By John Liang
August 20, 2013 at 7:57 PM

The Senate Armed Services Committee announced this afternoon that it plans to hold a hearing on Sept. 19 to consider the following nominations:

- Deborah Lee James to be Air Force secretary;

- Jessica Garfola Wright to be under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness;

- Marcel Lettre II to be principal deputy under secretary of defense for intelligence;

- Kevin Ohlson to be a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; and

- Frank Klotz to be energy under secretary for nuclear security.

In another personnel move, the Pentagon announced today that Daniel Prieto had been appointed director of cybersecurity and technology in the office of the Defense Department's chief information officer. Prieto had been working as vice president with IBM's Global Business Services unit.

By Christopher J. Castelli
August 20, 2013 at 7:57 PM

Christine Fox, who recently shepherded the Defense Department's Strategic Choices and Management Review before stepping down as head of the Pentagon's cost assessment and program evaluation (CAPE) shop, has joined the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., as a principal technical adviser, the lab announced today. "We are very pleased Christine decided to join APL," APL Director Ralph Semmel said in a statement. "Christine brings to us a wealth of experience and strategic insights that will help us better support our sponsors and the nation."

In her new role, Fox will "provide strategic advice and counsel across the lab's sponsors and stakeholders," according to the statement.

Before being appointed by Obama administration to lead CAPE in 2009, Fox served as president of the Center for Naval Analyses, a federally funded research and development center.