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30 Jul 20. Tenets of National Defense Strategy at Heart of Defense Department CIO Efforts. The National Defense Strategy, which provides momentum to the Defense Department, also drives its information technology efforts, DOD’s chief information officer said.
“The efforts of the NDS are all about getting modern, effective technologies into the hands of our warfighter,” Dana Deasy said during a conference call today. “Our program … covers cloud, artificial intelligence, command, control and communications — or C3 — cybersecurity, and our latest effort, data.”
Efforts in all of those areas, he said, address and advance National Defense Strategy priorities, which include lethality, partnerships and enterprise reform.
Cloud efforts such as the commercial virtual remote environment, which enables online collaboration between both teleworking and in-office department employees, is now enabled for more than 3 million DOD employees. It has contributed significantly to lethality by ensuring the work of defense employees around the globe has not been stymied by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deasy said department personnel were able to roll out that program in less than 60 days and delivered it in late March.
“Normally a program of this scale and complexity would take over a year to design, engineer and deploy,” he said.
Also supporting lethality are department efforts to push the latest, most secure software to warfighting systems as quickly as possible.
“Our software modernization effort, which is being worked collaboratively across many offices of the DOD, works backward from the goal of delivering new capabilities directly into the hands of the warfighter and addresses both the technical and, I must emphasize, … the nontechnical obstacles to that vision,” Deasy said.
One example there, he said, is his office’s designation of the Air Force’s DevSecOps platform, “PlatformONE” as an enterprise service for the Defense Department, which Deasy said ensures departmentwide availability of that capability.
Efforts at the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center are “laser-focused on the priorities of the National Defense Strategy,” Deasy said.
Using AI-predictive analysis, he said, the JAIC is working to develop an “operations cognitive assistant” to enhance human-machine teaming and to drive faster and more efficient decision-making in direct support of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept, or JADC2.
In support of the NDS’s partnership focus, the JAIC’s international engagement team is facilitating discussion with allies and partners, he said— including those in NATO, the European Union, and the Indo-Pacific region — about how AI can shape security cooperation and defense partnerships.
“AI is just one example of how the department is preserving its military and technological advantage as outlined in the National Defense Strategy, as well as leveraging the innovation of America’s technology industry to deliver safe, responsible and effective solutions to our warfighters,” Deasy said.
The “Mission Partner Environment,” with the Air Force as the executive agent, will also facilitate stronger relationships with partnerships with allies, Deasy said.
“When fully deployed in fiscal year 2028, it will provide information sharing, command and control, intelligence collaborative capabilities, supporting the full range of military operations,” he said.
Deasy said this office is running a robust digital modernization program focused on delivering the capabilities that are called for in the National Defense Strategy.
“Each element of that program builds upon the next element,” he said. “We face a future battlefield environment across all domains that will be more complex, more lethal, and more dynamic than ever before. We also know that competitors including China and Russia are pursuing many of the same technological advances that we are. To maintain our edge, we have to adapt to this future in a way that is faster, smarter and more flexible than our adversaries.” (Source: US DoD)
29 Jul 20. DDTC Extends Certain COVID-19 Temporary Suspensions, Modifications, and Exceptions to the ITAR – (85 Fed. Reg. 45513) – The U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) is informing the public of an extension to certain temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions for the durations described herein to certain provisions of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) in order to provide for continued telework operations during the current SARS-COV2 public health emergency. These actions are taken to ensure continuity of operations within the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and among members of the regulated community. DDTC published at 85 Fed. Reg. 25287(May 1, 2020) a notification of certain temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions to the ITAR, necessary to ensure continuity of operations within DDTC and among entities registered with DDTC pursuant to ITAR Part 122. DDTC took these actions pursuant to ITAR § 126.2, which allows for the temporary suspension or modification of provisions of the ITAR, and ITAR § 126.3, which allows for exceptions to provisions of the ITAR.
These actions were warranted as a result of the exceptional and undue hardships and risks to safety caused by the public health emergency related to the SARS- COV2 pandemic. Subsequently, DDTC published at 85 Fed. Reg. 35376 (June 10, 2020) a request for comment from the regulated community regarding the efficacy and termination dates of the temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions provided in 85 Fed. Reg. 25287 and whether additional measures should be considered in response to the public health crisis. DDTC received comments from several individual entities and from an industry association. In the interest of providing this notice as expeditiously as possible, DDTC will not address each of the comments in turn but will provide this abridged response. Of the four temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions to the ITAR announced in the May 1 notice referenced above, DDTC is allowing number 1 (extension of registrations) and number 2 (duration of ITAR licenses and agreements) to terminate in accordance with the timelines provided therein. The remaining two temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions, number 3 (Sec. 120.39(a)(2) allowance for remote work) and number 4 (authorization to allow remote work under technical assistance agreement, manufacturing agreement, or exemption) are extended and shall terminate on December 31, 2020. The majority of the commenters requested that the telework provisions (numbers 3 and 4) be extended and DDTC agrees. DDTC further notes that several commenters requested additional measures be taken by DDTC. DDTC is not adopting any of those measures at this time. Although DDTC is not providing individual responses to those requests, DDTC notes generally that several of the requests would involve major infrastructure revisions to DDTC automated systems and are therefore not feasible as temporary suspensions, modifications, or exceptions; others were outside the scope of the request; and others involved matters of internal policy and practice and not regulatory matters. (Source: glstrade.com)
28 Jul 20. Missile Defense Becomes Part of Great Power Competition. All aspects of the military are engaged in great power competition, but while most analysts focus on developments in offensive missiles, Chinese and Russian defense leaders are developing even more capable missile defenses, Defense Department officials said.
“China and Russia are developing increasingly capable and numerous missile defense systems, and integrating them into their defense strategies as they compete with the United States,” a DOD official said.
The United States pioneered missile defense systems. Then-President Ronald Reagan proposed missile defense systems in the early 1980s. His ‘Strategic Defense Initiative’ was dubbed the ‘Star Wars Initiative’ — sometimes derisively.
The laughing stopped during Operation Desert Storm, when Patriot missile defense batteries based in Saudi Arabia and Israel stopped Iraqi Scud missile attacks.
Russia is a long-time player. The former Soviet Union created a ring of anti-ballistic missile batteries around Moscow during the Cold War. These nuclear-tipped missiles still exist as part of Russia’s A-135 anti-ballistic missile system. The system consists of 68 nuclear-armed interceptors. As part of President Vladimir Putin’s military buildup, the system has received new radars and updated electronics. The beauty of this system is that the Russians have only to be close to an incoming threat. The downside is radiation from an intercept would contaminate thousands of acres of countryside.
The Russians are getting ready to field the S-500 system. Designed to intercept short- to medium-range threats, they say the system will defend against ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles. The system’s initial operating capability is set for some time in 2025.
The other main threat comes from the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese see missile defense as a key cog in their military ambitions. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is accelerating the transition of its tasks from territorial air defense to both offensive and defensive operations, according to a Chinese white paper on the subject. China’s air force is also improving its capabilities for strategic early warning, air strikes, and air and missile defense.
Right now, the Chinese are heavily dependent on Russian missile defense capabilities. The Chinese have invested in the Russian S-300 and S-400 systems – missile defense capabilities. The Chinese are assiduously studying the problem and have invested in research to build their own capabilities, DOD officials said.
This includes the HQ-19 missile defense system, which could be used against incoming, medium-range ballistic missiles. Initial operating capability is set for next year.
China is also developing a mid-course interceptor. The Chinese government said they tested that capability in February 2018. U.S. officials say initial operating capability is not likely until the late-2020s. They anticipate it would have good capability against intermediate-range ballistic missiles and could be adapted to target intercontinental s and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The United States homeland’s missile defense system is in place to defend against accidental launches or attacks from rogue states such as Iran and North Korea. Unlike Russia, the U.S. uses non-nuclear ‘kinetic kill’ vehicles, which destroy incoming warheads using their speed and mass to collide with the threat. (Source: US DoD)
28 Jul 20. Nominees for Northcom, Spacecom Posts Testify at Confirmation Hearing. Air Force Lt. Gen. Glen D. VanHerck and Army Lt. Gen. James H. Dickinson testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the confirmation process to be U.S. Northern Command commander and commander of the U.S. Space Command, respectively. VanHerck is currently the director of the Joint Staff in the Pentagon, and Dickinson serves as Spacecom’s deputy commander.
If confirmed, VanHerck will also command the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He would also be the third Air Force officer in a row to hold the position. He would succeed Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy.
Dickinson would replace Space Force Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond. Raymond currently serves as chief of space operations and Spacecom commander.
While Space Command is DOD’s newest combatant command, established just last year, Northcom is not that much older, standing up in October 2002 in response to the attacks of 9/11.
The command is responsible for the defense of the homeland, and at today’s hearing, VanHerck said “no mission is more sacred.”
The command is also the military lead for support to civilian agencies and has provided aid during Hurricane Katrina, fires in the western U.S. and the current response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The global situation is much more complicated than when the command was formed with very real threats from actors across all domains, VanHerck said. “We must remain prepared to meet the threats head on defend our homeland from an increasingly assertive set of peer competitors, rogue nations and nonstate actors, who are committed to creating a new world order and influencing our freedoms and our way of life,” he told the Senate panel.
With his NORAD hat, VanHerck will command a binational agency that has defended North America for 62 years. If confirmed, he will work closely with Canadian defense officials to strengthen the already strong bonds between the two countries. He also pledged to continue outreach to Mexican defense officials.
“If confirmed, I commit … that I will provide my best military advice and candid views on the issues and challenges we face, and I will ensure that Northcom remains postured to defend the homeland and ready to provide timely support to civil authorities in order to eliminate suffering and ensure the safety of the American people,” he said.
Dickinson has been intimately involved with the setup of Spacecom since it was a proposal. The command is less than a year old, but it had to hit the ground running, he noted. “I know well the tremendous responsibilities levied upon this command and it’s incredible joint warfighters as I reflect on the responsibilities of the new position for which I’ve been nominated,” he told the senators.
It is not that long ago that the idea of space as a warfighting domain would have been denigrated, he said. “Frankly, I’m amazed at where we are today,” the general said. “Just over a year ago, during General Raymond’s nomination hearing, he testified of the great alignment in our nation with acknowledging space as a warfighting domain, just like land, air, sea and cyber. Based on that alignment. We as a nation took bold steps towards protecting and defending our critical space capabilities by establishing U.S. Space Command and subsequently standing up the U.S. Space Force to better organize, train and equip our space warfighters.”
Dickinson said the new domain is facing “the most significant transformation in the history of U.S. national security space programs. The scope, scale and complexity of the threats to our space capabilities are real and concerning.”
Space is not a benign environment, he said, with near-peers and others threatening the foundational domain. “We no longer have the luxury of assuming our access to an ability to leverage the space domain is a given,” he said.
The goal for the new command is deterrence – Dickinson said he wants to ensure conflict does not extend into space. “The best way I know how to prevent that from happening is be prepared to fight and win if deterrence were to fail,” he said. (Source: US DoD)
28 Jul 20. GOP coronavirus bill includes at least $7bn for weapons programs. Senate Republicans’ proposed $1trn coronavirus relief package includes at least $7bn for weapons programs, part of $29bn for defense overall. The 177-page draft appropriations legislation unveiled Monday would include funding for military helicopters, aircraft, ships and missile defense systems.
The bill also includes $11bn to reimburse defense contractors for coronavirus-related expenses, as authorized by Section 3610 of the CARES Act. Defense firms and trade associations have lobbied for the funding, fearing the Pentagon would otherwise have to tap modernization and readiness accounts.
The legislation’s release marks the end of weeks of wrangling between the White House and congressional Republicans, who are still divided over its price tag. It also kicks off the start of formal negotiations with Democrats.
“The American people need more help. They need it to be comprehensive. And they need it to be carefully tailored to this crossroads,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Monday.
The inclusion of defense spending, which Republicans have reportedly touted as essential for the economy and national defense, was just one aspect criticized by Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who said the overall package was inadequate to protect Americans
“If all of this were not bad enough, the bill contains billions of dollars for programs unrelated to the coronavirus, including over $8bn for what appears to be a wish-list from the Department of Defense for manufacturing of planes, ships, and other weapons systems,” Leahy said in a statement.
The pandemic has created weapons program slowdowns, temporary factory closures and cash flow problems, particularly for smaller firms. The Pentagon was been working in close communication to respond to the problems, largely by making billions of dollars in advance payments to contractors.
Congress previously sent the Defense Department $10.5bn under the CARES Act.
Defense primes Boeing and Lockheed Martin appear to be the major beneficiaries of procurement dollars in the proposed bill.
The bill includes more than $1bn for Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol planes for the Navy.
The Air Force would receive $686m for additional Lockheed F–35A jets, $720m for Lockheed C–130Js and $650m for A–10 wing replacements―which Boeing is contracted to perform.
Shipbuilding funds include $1.45bn for four expeditionary medical ships, $260m for one expeditionary fast transport ship, with $250m for amphibious shipbuilding and $250 for the surface combatant supplier base program.
The Army would receive $375m more to upgrade the Double V-Hull Strykers and $283m for new AH–64 Apache Block IIIB helicopters.
The bill would boost missile defense accounts, with more than $300m for the Lockheed Martin-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) program and its Raytheon-made AN/TPY-2 radar. Another $200 m would be to extend the life of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, for which Boeing is the prime contractor. (Source: Defense News)
27 Jul 20. US Congress, White House face standoff over Confederate names for military bases. US President Donald Trump and Congress are headed for a showdown over a USD740.5bn fiscal year 2021 defence authorisation bill if lawmakers maintain a provision to remove Confederate names from military bases.
The House and Senate have passed, with veto-proof majorities, their respective versions of the pending legislation and both include provisions requiring the Pentagon to rename bases named after generals who fought on the pro-slavery side of the US Civil War. Conferees now need to reconcile the two bills and send a single version back to the chamber floors for final approval before sending the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk. However, the White House has already threatened to veto several provisions in the legislation, including the base proposal.
“The administration strongly objects to section 2829 of the [House] bill, which would require renaming of any military installation or defence property named after any person who served in the political or military leadership of any armed rebellion against the United States,” the White House told lawmakers on 21 July.
The Trump administration added that it opposed measures to destroy or rename other controversial monuments and memorials inside the nation.
“President Trump has been clear in his opposition to politically motivated attempts like this to rewrite history and to displace the enduring legacy of the American Revolution with a new left-wing cultural revolution,” the White House added.
If the president does veto the bill and the House and Senate can muster the necessary two-thirds supermajority to override his veto, a number of bases would needed to be renamed, including: Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Fort Rucker, Alabama. (Source: Defense News)
27 Jul 20. Extend contractor reimbursement period, trade groups urge Congress. Trade groups are urging lawmakers to extend the window for reimbursing government contractors for costs related to COVID-19 as Congress works to reach a deal on its next stimulus package.
The current window is set to close Sept. 30.
Government contractors, “are continuing to face the same ‘ready state’ workforce sustainment challenges that justified” the initial authorization of reimbursements under Section 3610 of the CARES Act, the National Defense Industrial Association and seven other groups said in the latest letter Friday to lobby top congressional leaders.
The group called for the deadline to be moved to Dec. 31, 2020, in the letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
“Such an extension will support the continuity of government operations while preserving the option to assess the impact of COVID-19 on federal operations in the new fiscal year,” the letter reads.
The trade groups also asked that Congress use the next aid package to fund a request for $11bn from the Defense Department, and a less publicized request from the intelligence community, to make reimbursements from. Defense officials have warned they cannot absorb the costs without jeopardizing modernization and readiness accounts.
Among the Washington trade groups that signed the letter: the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, Center for Procurement Advocacy, Associated General Contractors of America, Computing Technology Industry Association, Intelligence and National Security Alliance, Professional Services Council and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The pandemic has created weapons program slowdowns, temporary factory closures and cash flow problems, particularly for smaller firms. The Pentagon was been working in close communication to respond to the problems, largely by making billions of dollars in advance payments to contractors.
Because the federal government has only in recent weeks released guidance for the 3610 reimbursements, and Congress has not appropriated for them, companies have held back filing applications, according to NDIA’s director of legislative policy, Kea Matory.
“Once that expiration has transpired, if you have to have a closure, you have to eat that cost, which will further damage companies already struggling to survive with all the impacts of COVID,” Matory said. “Companies need this money and they need the extension.” (Source: Defense News)
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