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01 Feb 24. Paparo Says Ukraine Aid Will Help Deter China in Indo-Pacific. It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the most important things the United States can do to promote peace in the Indo-Pacific is to support Ukraine in its battle against Russia half a world away, Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
President Joe Biden nominated Paparo, currently the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, to replace Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino as commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The command is the largest combatant command in the U.S. military and contains China, America’s “pacing challenge.” It is a sign of the interconnections in the world that the first question senators asked Paparo was what Russia’s war on Ukraine means to China.
The admiral said China is studying the invasion in Europe and “instead of seeing the Ukraine conflict and deciding this is too hard, intention … is to take note of the actions of Russia in order to effect a short, sharp conflict that presents a fait accompli to all of the world.”
Russia’s failure to achieve its aggressive intent in Ukraine is directly “a deterrence in the western Pacific and directly reassures partners,” he said. “The most decisive thing we can do at the moment, is to pass the supplemental ” that would fund capabilities for Ukraine to defend itself.”
Chinese leaders look at the war and do not seem to see the futility of aggression. “Instead, is doubling down on their ability to shrink strategic, operational and tactical warning and act quickly,” he said.
As a result, support to Ukraine is a pillar of deterrence not only in Europe, but in the Indo-Pacific region, the admiral said.
Overall, Paparo said support of U.S. forces in the region has never been more critical for the joint force. That support has to stretch to include allies and partners that make up the main asymmetric advantage that the United States has over China, he said.
The United States must work with our allies and partners “to operate confidently, professionally and responsibly,” Paparo said. “Together, we strive to maintain regional stability in this consequential theater and safeguard the sovereign rights of nations through posture and dynamic operations and exercise.”
“Our joint and combined operations are increasingly frequent, complex, multilateral, interoperable and interchangeable,” he continued. “But … we must never consider ourselves ready enough, we must always be improving our position. If confirmed, I pledge to work with this committee to ensure that we meet the top defense priorities in the national defense strategy, and most especially deterring conflict .”
China has continued to escalate its aggressive behavior in and around the Western Pacific. Chinese leaders are also seeking to use economic, diplomatic and military efforts to reshape the international order to suit its autocratic preferences,” he said. “We’ll work closely with our interagency teammates and our allies and partners, as we also face the challenge of Russia, of North Korea and violent extremist groups.”
If he is confirmed by the Senate, Paparo said he will work to “maintain the overmatch that preserves stability today, tomorrow, next week and for the decades to come.”
Paparo has spent 37 years in the Navy as an aviator, but has held a variety of positions. He commanded the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. He also served in an exchange program and flew Air Force F-15C fighters in Saudi Arabia and Iceland.
In his testimony before the Senate panel, he thanked the many mentors he has had during his career and singled out the NCOs who guided his path. “Most of all, I’d like to thank the senior noncommissioned leaders, the chief petty officers, the sergeants major, the gunnies and the first shirts,” he said. “The senior NCO corps is the strength of the joint force, and is the asymmetric advantage of the American joint force.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
31 Jan 24. Army announces spring deployments for seven units. The Army has announced spring deployments for seven units to Europe and U.S. Central Command.
The announcement, released today, shows the following rotations:
- The 10th Mountain Division Combat Aviation Brigade will replace the 82nd Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade in CENTCOM.
- The 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters will replace the 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters in Europe as part of a regular rotation of forces to support the U.S. commitment to NATO.
- The 1st Cavalry Division Artillery will replace 3rd Infantry Division Artillery in Europe, also part of the NATO support mission.
- The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division will replace the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division in Europe for the NATO support mission.
- The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division will replace the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division in Europe for the NATO support mission.
- The 1st Cavalry Division Combat Aviation Brigade will replace the 1st Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade in Europe under the NATO support mission.
- The 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade will replace the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade in Europe as part of the NATO support mission.
The deployments will occur between April and June, according to the release.
In December 2022, the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division ended a 6-month rotation in Zagan, Poland.
The 1st Cavalry Division Combat Aviation Brigade ended a 9-month tour in Poland in September 2022, which was 16 months ago. During the rotation, the unit flew more than 12,500 hours in 11 different countries, executing 17 “urgent real-world” medical evacuation missions and provided aviation support during four Tier 1 and three Tier 2 NATO exercises, according to the Fort Cavazos Sentinel. (Source: Army Times)
31 Jan 24. DOD Launches Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program to Bolster Domestic Supply Chains. The Department of Defense announced new opportunities for American businesses to advance biotechnology as part of President Biden’s efforts to strengthen and build the resiliency of America’s defense industrial base and secure its supply chains. Biomanufacturing has the potential to support the U.S. military and our allies and partners by generating needed materials — from fuels and chemicals to food and medical supplies — where and when our forces need them has significant implications for our military.
This Request for White Papers (RWP) for the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Investment Program (DBMIP) seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains and sustain America’s global prominence in biotechnology. The DBMIP will execute investments through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), which helps lower barriers to allow DoD to work more expeditiously with small, non-traditional, and large businesses.
“President Biden called on the Department of Defense to assess how the agency can use biotechnology to make our supply chains more resilient, create jobs at home, and strengthen America’s bioeconomy,” said Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “These major investments will help answer his charge to harness the full potential and power of biotechnology to advance national and economic security.”
This RWP lays the foundation for a new era in U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing industry, as directed by President Biden’s Executive Order 14081, “Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy.” It is the first of many opportunities that support the Department’s planned investments over the next five years to catalyze the establishment of a bioindustrial manufacturing base, which were announced in September 2022 following President Biden’s Executive Order.
“This partnership with R&E exemplifies the collaboration called for in the National Defense Industrial Strategy—collaboration that’s required to build the modernized defense industrial ecosystem we need,” said Dr. William LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. “The DIBC OTA helps enable more rapid execution of Defense Production Act funding and can also allow for other federal agencies with similar investments to separately or jointly invest in projects awarded by DoD.”
The Department expects to announce awards in May for approximately 30 proposals, which will each receive up to $2m to deliver a business and technical plan detailing how they intend to build a U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing production facility. Selected proposals will be eligible for follow on efforts as part of the OUSD A&S five year investment plan for the Department’s bioindustrial manufacturing base.
The DIBC OTA is unique in that it allows DoD to rapidly execute prototypes under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 4022, research projects under 10 U.S.C. 4021, and production OTs under 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f). These non-medical investments will build domestic capabilities across the U.S. and will mitigate supply chain risks in five defense material priority areas: Food, Fuel, Fitness, Fabrication, and Firepower. To submit a white paper, please visit https://www.dibconsortium.org/ (Source: U.S. DoD)
30 Jan 24. US Foreign Military Sales deals mushroomed to $80.9bn in 2023. The FY23 total marked a 55 percent hike in weapon sales and deliveries to foreign countries over the previous year.
The United States defense companies delivered and inked weapons deals worth $80.9 bn to other nations last year under the Foreign Military Sales program, marking a 55 percent increase over the year before, the State Department announced this week.
The nearly $81 bn figure is for fiscal year 2023, ran from October 2022 to September 2023 as war raged in Ukraine, friendly nations sought ways to speed their modernization efforts and the Biden administration continued its push to support allies in the Pacific. The year before, FY22, saw $51.9bn in foreign arms sales.
Included in the $81bn was $62.3 bn in arms sales funded by ally and partner nations, $4bn contracted through the Foreign Military Financing program, and $14.7bn under a “other” programs line that includes items like demining and anti-terrorism.
“Arms transfers and defense trade are important US foreign policy tools with potential long-term implications for regional and global security,” the department wrote Monday in a press release.
A few of the big-ticket FMS items last year included $12bn for 96 AH-64E Apache helicopters and $10bn in High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) for Poland, $8.5bn worth of CH-47F Chinook helicopters to Germany, and $5.62bn of F-35 aircraft and munitions to the Czech Republic.
In addition to the FY23 FMS tally, the administration also authorized $157.5bn in direct commercial sales last year, a 2.5 percent increase over the FY22 total of $153.6bn.
That sales pot includes:
- $2.8bn for Italy for the manufacturing of F-35 wing assemblies and sub-assemblies;
- $1.8bn for India for the manufacturing of GE F414-INS6 engine hardware; and
- $1.2bn for South Korea for the F100 propulsion system and spare parts.
The State Department noted that such sales figures are not indicative of future sales, but already in FY24 the US has approved a host of high-dollar potential deals, including just this month green-lighting an estimated $23 bn in F-16s for Turkey and $8.6 bn in F-35s for Greece, and finalizing another F-35 deal for the Czech Republic previously estimated to be worth $5.6bn. (Source: glstrade.com/Breaking Defense.com)
31 Jan 24. House eyes higher dollar thresholds for arms sales notices to Congress. A House task force established to speed up the foreign military sales process will debate its first bill in the Foreign Affairs Committee next week, marking what could be the next legislative step in untangling arms deals backlogs.
The bill raises the dollar threshold at which the president can approve an arms transfer without notifying Congress, while requiring the drawdown of weapons from U.S. stockpiles to compensate for delayed foreign military sales. It has generated pushback among some arms control advocates who fear the legislation would chip away at a key congressional oversight mechanism used to track weapons deals with other countries.
As head of the task force established last year, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., introduced the Tiger Act in December.
“The tempo of conventional high-intensity war that we’re seeing means that countries are burning through their defense equipment much faster,” a Waltz staffer told Defense News, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the bill. “That is something that we on the Hill were taken by surprise [by] in places like Ukraine: the shortage of precision munitions, the shortage of 155mm shells.”
In addition to Ukraine, the Biden administration has transferred thousands of munitions to Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks even as it seeks to rush arms to Taiwan to deter a potential Chinese invasion.
The bill raises the threshold for which the executive branch can approve an arms sale of major defense equipment without congressional notification from $14m to $23m. It also raises the threshold for the sale of defense articles, upgrades, related training or other services without congressional notification from $50m to $83m. The staffer said the numbers were selected to reflect inflation since 2003, when Congress last adjusted the thresholds.
“Ensuring that countries have the ability to purchase some of these weapons without, as years go on, being increasingly penalized by rising inflation rates seems to be common sense,” the staffer said.
But arms control advocates argue the bill would cede congressional oversight authority.
“Notification thresholds are really at the core of Congress’ arms sale oversight regime,” John Chappell, an advocacy and legal fellow at the Washington-based Center for Civilians in Conflict, told Defense News.
“Raising the threshold would undercut Congress’ ability to be aware of the proposed arms transfer. That would mean Congress wouldn’t be able to conduct oversight, and they would lose the opportunity to ask questions about specific arms sales, to put informal holds on them and to raise concerns about issues related to civilian harm, human rights, armed conflict and other issues,” he said.
Chappell noted many U.S. arms sales to Israel since Oct. 7 have fallen below the existing notification thresholds. He also highlighted a 2020 State Department Inspector General report, which found the Trump administration approved 4,221 below-threshold arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates amounting to $11.2bn between Jan. 2017 and Aug. 2020.
Waltz’s legislation emerged from a bipartisan taskforce of three Republicans and two Democrats who sit on the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and defense appropriations committees. But Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, declined to comment on the legislation.
Drawdown authority
The Waltz bill also requires the secretary of state to use drawdown authority from U.S. stockpiles to transfer weapons to a security partner or ally if a sale has been delayed for three years or more. However, the secretary of state may waive this provision so long as he or she explains why to Congress.
“What this is saying is if there’s a long-running [foreign military sale], the secretary must explain why it can’t be prioritized,” said the Waltz staffer. “Let’s say you have the sale of Harpoons to Taiwan that have been outstanding for three years, and we have Harpoons in our arsenal.”
The staffer noted the drawdown language is still under negotiation and the legislation may change via amendments in the Foreign Affairs Committee markup next week.
Harpoon anti-ship missiles comprise part of the roughly $19bn foreign military sale backlog to Taiwan, caused in part by contracting delays and U.S. industrial base constraints. Several other U.S. partners, including in the Middle East, have been hit with arms sales delays.
But Chappell argued the provision would make “presidential drawdown authority specifically a routine occurrence” and could be used to circumvent congressional holds on an arms transfers that top lawmakers on the foreign affairs committees sometimes place over human rights concerns.
Additionally, the bill seeks to beef up the Special Defense Acquisition Fund, a revolving account used for foreign military sale procurement that the Pentagon hopes to lean on more as it works to expedite the process. The Pentagon released the results of its own Tiger team task force to speed up arms sales last year and has a separate task force focused on Taiwan. It’s also recently established another Tiger team task force to speed up arms transfers to Israel, according to The Intercept.
The Foreign Affairs Committee will debate and vote on the legislation next week, potentially referring it to the House floor for consideration.
The Waltz staffer noted the task force seeks to make additional legislative adjustments to the foreign military sales process later this year as Congress drafts the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill.
The FY24 defense policy bill, which Congress passed in December, includes a provision authorizing each combatant commander to hire up to two acquisition specialists as part of a bid to speed Pentagon contracting of foreign military sales. (Source: Defense News)
30 Jan 24. The United States and United Kingdom Target Iranian Transnational Assassinations Network. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the United Kingdom have taken joint action against a network of individuals that allegedly target Iranian dissidents and opposition activists for assassination at the direction of the Iranian regime. According to OFAC, the network is led by Iranian narcotics trafficker Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti (Zindashti) and operates at the behest of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). OFAC states that Zindashti’s network has carried out numerous acts of transnational repression including assassinations and kidnappings across multiple jurisdictions in an attempt to silence the Iranian regime’s perceived critics. The network has also plotted operations in the United States. OFAC has taken this action in conjunction with the unsealing of an indictment by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United Kingdom is also designating Mohammad Reza Ansari, who was previously designated by OFAC. As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of the individuals that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. OFAC’s sanctions generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in the property of blocked or designated persons. In addition, persons who engage in certain transactions with the designated individuals may themselves be exposed to designation. Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the designated individuals could be subject to U.S. correspondent or payable-through account sanctions. Click here for further identifying information on the designated individuals. (Source: glstrade.com)
01 Feb 24. Pentagon calls out Chinese companies it says are helping Beijing’s military. The United States on Wednesday added more than a dozen Chinese companies to a list created by the Defense Department to highlight firms it says are allegedly working with Beijing’s military, as part of a broader effort to keep American technology from aiding China.
New additions to the list, opens new tab, first reported by Reuters, were posted on the Department of Defense website and include memory chip maker YMTC, artificial intelligence company Megvii, lidar maker Hesai Technology and tech company NetPosa.
Amid strained ties between the world’s two biggest economies, the updated list is one of numerous actions Washington has taken in recent years to highlight and restrict Chinese companies that is says may strengthen Beijing’s military.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said China opposed the move and called it an abuse of state power, adding that it ran counter to the U.S.’s “alleged commitment to market competition and international fair trade.”
Hesai Group said it does not sell products to any military in any country and it does not have ties with any military. The company said it was disappointed to be added to the list.
YMTC, and Megvii did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While being placed on the list doesn’t involve immediate bans, it can be a blow to designated companies’ reputations and represents a stark warning to U.S. entities and companies about the risks of conducting business with them. It could also add pressure on the Treasury Department to sanction the companies.
In addition, the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act added some teeth to the “Section 1260H” list, prohibiting the Defense Department under Section 805 of the law in coming years from contracting with any of the designated companies.
“The Defense Department’s updated 1260H list underscores China’s unwavering commitment to its military-civil fusion strategy,” said Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“Being listed on 1260H poses major reputational risks to Chinese companies,” he added, noting that some Chinese firms have tried to be removed from the list.
Other firms added on Wednesday include China Three Gorges Corp, China Construction Technology Co and Yitu Network Technology, as well as publicly traded companies Chengdu JOUAV Automation Tech Co (688070.SS), opens new tab, Chengdu M&S Electronics Technology Co (688311.SS), opens new tab, Guizhou Aviation Technical Development Co (688239.SS), opens new tab, and ShenZhen Consys Science & Technology Co (688788.SS), opens new tab.
They join previously listed aviation company AVIC, BGI Genomics Co, China Mobile (0941.HK), opens new tab, energy company CNOOC and China Railway Construction Corp (601186.SS), opens new tab.
Separately on Wednesday, senior U.S. officials, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, warned that hackers linked to China’s government are preparing to cause “real-world harm” by targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, such as water treatment plants, the electric grid, oil and natural gas pipelines, and transportation hubs. (Source: Reuters)
29 Jan 24. US arms exports hit record high in fiscal 2023. Sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign governments in 2023 rose 16% to a record $238bn, the U.S. State Department said on Monday, as countries sought to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and prepare for major conflicts.
The figures underpin expectations of stronger sales for the likes of Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab, General Dynamics (GD.N), opens new tab and Northrop Grumman (NOC.N), opens new tab, whose shares are forecast to rise amid rising global instability.
Arms sales and transfers are viewed as “important U.S. foreign policy tools with potential long-term implications for regional and global security,” the State Department said in a statement.
Sales approved in the year included $10bn worth of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Poland, $2.9bn worth of AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-To-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Germany, and National Advanced Surface to Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine.
Lockheed makes the HIMARS, and RTX, formerly Raytheon (RTX.N), opens new tab makes AMRAAM. RTX and Norway’s Kongsberg (KOG.OL), opens new tab produce NASAMS.
Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics expect existing orders for hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, hundreds of Patriot missile interceptors, and a surge in orders for armored vehicles will underpin their results in coming quarters.
There are two major ways foreign governments purchase arms from U.S. companies: direct commercial sales negotiated with a company, or foreign military sales in which a government typically contacts a Defense Department official at the U.S. embassy in its capital. Both require U.S. government approval. (Source: Reuters)
29 Jan 24. Readout of the Defense Innovation Board Winter 2024 Meeting. The Defense Innovation Board (DIB) held its winter board meeting in the Pentagon on Jan. 26, 2024. At 10 EST, DIB Executive Director and Designated Federal Officer, Dr. Marina Theodotou, called the public portion of the meeting into session.
The DIB Chair, Mr. Michael R. Bloomberg, gave remarks on the state of Department of Defense innovation efforts, and then turned to the DIB Members to discuss findings and recommendations from two studies that were initiated in October 2023, entitled “Lowering Barriers to Innovation” and “Building a DoD Data Economy”.
DIB member, Hon. Susan M. Gordon, briefed key takeaways from the Lowering Barriers to Innovation study. The board identified seven domains of barriers across security, acquisition, information technology, human capital, culture, data, and partnerships; and provided 17 actionable recommendations developed through months-long research with defense, academia, and industry stakeholders. The board concluded that if implemented, these recommendations will facilitate, adopt, and scale innovation across DoD.
The board heard feedback on its first study from Dr. Mark Livingston, Assistant Director of Personnel Security at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), and Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Frank L. Kelley, Vice President of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Dr. Livingston discussed the needed for urgency and speed through changes such as expedited security facility clearance and clearance reciprocity. Brig. Gen. Kelley emphasized the need for enterprise-level cultural change, transformation, innovation, and readiness through decisive and engaged leadership.
DIB member, Ryan Swann, briefed key takeaways from the Building a DoD Data Economy study. Focusing on key objective around people, process, and technology, the board observed the need for immediate action addressing barriers to DoD data access and sharing, breaking silos to data innovation within DoD, and empowering data stewards across the ecosystem to lead more effectively. The board also discussed the need for empowering young digital natives, upskilling data talent in the existing national security workforce, and upgrading DoD contract incentives for industry partners.
Dr. Craig Martell, the Department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO), underscored the importance of emulating industry’s data as a product mindset, addressed the need for collaboration on analytic and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, data access across the services and combatant commands, and digital talent management.
The DIB chair and members voted unanimously to approve their findings and recommendations for Department leadership.
The chair then announced two new studies on “Aligning Incentives to Drive Faster Tech Adoption” (“Incentives Study”) and “Optimizing How We Innovate with Our Allies and Partners” (“Allies and Partners Study”). The board is expected to finalize its next recommendations by April 2024.
Dr. Theodotou adjourned the public portion of the meeting at 11:16 am EST.
Afterwards, in closed sessions, the DIB heard from senior department leaders, met with representatives from international allies and partners, and briefed Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks on the findings and recommendations from their publicly released studies. The board also apprised Deputy Secretary Hicks of its upcoming studies.
The DIB provides the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and other senior DoD leaders with independent advice and recommendations on innovative means to address future challenges and ways to leverage strengths across the public and private sector to advance national security and economic security.
Additional information about the DIB, its newly-released studies, and forthcoming studies can be found on its website. (Source: U.S. DoD)
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