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22 Feb 24. United States, Canada and Mexico Hold the 5th North American Defense Ministerial to Discuss Key Defense Priorities.
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh provided the following readout:
On February 22, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III participated in the 5th North American Defense Ministerial (NADM) virtually, hosted by Mexico’s Secretary of the Navy Admiral José Rafael Ojeda Duran in Mexico City, and attended by Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense General Luis Cresencio Sandoval and Canada’s Minister of National Defence Bill Blair, to discuss opportunities to strengthen North American defense cooperation.
Established in 2012, NADM is the premier forum to define and advance continental security with Canada and Mexico, develop a layered and integrated defense of North America, and enable trilateral collaboration on security and defense issues with two key partners in the Western Hemisphere. NADM is an opportunity to discuss strategic-level defense issues and identify priorities for future cooperation.
The NADM co-chairs discussed deepening regional defense cooperation, developing a continental threat assessment, fortifying cyber defense, and supporting trilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster response and strengthening climate security and resilience. Secretary Austin and his Mexican and Canadian counterparts re-affirmed the importance of the North American defense relationship, and Secretary Austin agreed to host the 6th NADM in 2025. (Source: U.S. DoD)
22 Feb 24. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and DoD Senior Leaders Attend 28th Council of Governors Plenary Meeting.
Attributable to Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon: On Thursday, February 22, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks delivered closing remarks via video teleconference at the 28th Council of Governors plenary meeting being held in Washington, D.C.
In the session, she participated alongside Council Co-Chairs Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Governor Phil Scott of Vermont; Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Executive Director Brandon Wales; White House Deputy Homeland Security Advisor for Resilience and Response Ms. Caitlin Durkovich; and White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Tom Perez.
The Deputy Secretary emphasized the importance of these meetings for exchanging information and ideas on how to better collaborate to address national security matters- especially as they apply to states across the country.
She highlighted efforts by the Council and Federal partners to prioritize topics critical to homeland defense and security, to include emergency management and disaster response, workforce issues, and cybersecurity.
Deputy Secretary Hicks cited the Joint Action Plan for State-Federal Cybersecurity Unity of Effort as one example of those efforts, which will improve the nation’s collective response to cyber threats and prevent attacks that have the potential to degrade our capabilities.
She also noted that the Department is now in its second quarter of a continuing resolution and a holding pattern with its supplemental request, and described those actions as “devastating…to our ability to advance our national security priorities.”
The 28th plenary meeting of the Council focused on the progress made pursuing priority issues concerning cybersecurity; emergency management and disaster response; military matters; and workforce matters. They also discussed strategic budget trends, the newly-approved Homeland Defense Policy Guidance, and governors’ views on homeland defense and homeland security matters in their states.
Deputy Secretary Hicks was joined by other senior DoD leaders during the plenary meeting, including: Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Mike McCord; Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish S. Vazirani; Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Daniel Hokanson; North American Aerospace Defense Command-U.S. Northern Command Commander Gen. Greg Guillot; Grier Martin, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Grier Martin; Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Agnes Schaefer; Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment Dr. Ravi Chaudhary; Director of the Army Staff LTG Laura Potter, and Director of the Air Staff Lt Gen Scott Pleus.
Additional representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Army, Air Force, and National Guard Bureau also attended.
Rebecca Zimmerman, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, serves as Executive Director of the Council.
Required by law and established in 2010 by executive order, the Council of Governors is a bipartisan council of 10 state governors appointed by the President to exchange views, information, or advice with federal officials on homeland defense, the National Guard, civil support, and other matters of mutual interest to protect our nation and its people and property.
Members of the Council of Governors include: Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), Co-Chair; Governor Phil Scott (R-VT), Co-Chair; Governor John Carney (D-DE); Governor Brad Little (R-ID); Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN); Governor Maura Healey (D-MA); Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI); Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM); Governor Henry McMaster (R-SC); and Governor Mark Gordon (R-WY).Deputy Secretary Hicks last addressed the Council of Governors Plenary in July, 2023. (Source: U.S. DoD)
22 Feb 24. Cuts to weapons spending underscore budgetary scrutiny in wake of new spending deal. According to reports on 21 February, the US Department of Defense (DoD) will slash around USD 10 bn in spending for weapons modernisation programmes to ensure the budget remains below a new congressionally mandated spending cap. Spending cuts will apply to all military services and a breadth of programmes, including F-35 fighter jets, drones and air force overhead costs. In March, the Pentagon plans to submit a USD 850 bn budget request for FY2025, which is in line with President Joe Biden’s agreed debt limit signed in June 2023. DoD budget planning is already strained by inflation, a troop pay rise and increased operations in the Middle East. In the short term, the DoD will likely face increased scrutiny over spending in the run-up to 8 March, when Congress must pass another funding bill to avert a government shutdown. If full FY2024 funding is not passed by the end of April, all federal agencies (including the Pentagon) will be hit with a mandatory budget cut of 1%. We assess that increased budgetary constraints will possibly elevate tensions between the DoD and Congress and strain the US military’s capacity for future global operations. (Source: Sibylline)
22 Feb 24. Senate probe into US chip use in Russian weapons will increase reputational, compliance risks. On 21 February, Senator Richard Blumenthal announced that the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold a hearing on the use of US chips in Russian weapons systems. The hearing is scheduled for 27 February. The panel aims to address how Moscow is evading export controls intended to block Russia from using US technology in its war with Ukraine. As such, the subcommittee has sought to obtain information and documents from four large US semiconductor makers: Advanced Micro Devices, Analog Devices, Intel and Texas Instruments. In the near term, these firms, as well as the broader sensitive technology and defence sectors, will face increased government scrutiny and reputational risks regarding exports to countries that are potentially being leveraged by Russia to evade export controls. In the short-to-medium term, we assess that it is highly likely President Biden will impose additional sanctions on Russia, increasing compliance risks. (Source: Sibylline)
20 Feb 24. Singh Makes Case for ‘Sustained, Timely Funding.’
In less than three weeks, on March 8, the continuing resolution currently funding the Defense Department will expire.
“The department is still operating under a third extension of a continuing resolution, a stopgap funding measure that prevents any new starts and limits our ability to implement a fully resourced national defense strategy,” said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing today. “No amount of money can buy back the time we lose when we are forced to operate under continuing resolutions.”
A continuing resolution is temporary funding for federal agencies in lieu of an appropriations bill having been signed into law. For fiscal year 2024, that bill should have been signed into law before Oct 1, 2023.
This isn’t the first time the DOD has gone for a significant amount of time without an approved budget. Since 2011, the DOD has had appropriations at the start of the year for only one fiscal year — FY2019.
“If you add up the total time spent under a CR going back to 2011, we’ve spent nearly five years under CRs,” Singh said. “That puts our national security at risk and prevents the department from modernizing as we continue to be constrained to existing funding levels and prevented from launching new programs.”
Continuing resolutions, such as the one DOD is currently operating under, are a short- term effort, and make it difficult for the department to do its job. Lacking a continuing resolution or a full appropriation, the government is also at risk of shutting down.
“This brinkmanship creates uncertainty, increased costs and delays missions, and most importantly, it’s a distraction for the force,” Singh said. “We will continue to defend the nation and conduct ongoing military operations. But the impact of a government shutdown will be widespread and devastating to our service members, their families and DOD civilians who work every day in support of our national security.”
Singh said the Defense Department will continue to defend the nation, but that without an approved budget, it will be increasingly difficult to do what’s being asked of it.
“We must break this pattern of inaction,” Singh said. “We can’t out-compete the PRC with one hand tied behind our back three, four, five or even six months of every fiscal year. The best way that Congress can support the department is to pass appropriations bills into law as soon as possible. We need predictable, adequate, sustained and timely funding.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
20 Feb 24. Defense Science Board Discusses Emerging Threats, Begins 2024 Summer Studies. The Defense Science Board (DSB) concluded its Winter Quarterly Session in a series of closed meetings — Feb. 6 – 8 — focusing on critical matters of national defense. Led by Elizabeth Kowalski, the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) and DSB executive director, along with Dr. Eric Evans, the DSB chair, the gathering also marked the commencement of the 2024 Summer Study on Advanced Capabilities for Potential Future Conflict.
During the Winter Quarterly on Feb. 6, the agenda included discussions with several senior Department of Defense (DoD) officials. The DSB’s study products covering a wide range of topics were presented for board deliberations and approval. Evans highlighted that over the past 20 months, the DSB successfully completed 11 studies. These studies delved into crucial areas such as DoD dependencies on critical infrastructure; position, navigation, and timing; commercial space system access; and microelectronics; among other topics.
The 2024 Summer Study, which was the focus of the last two days of the meeting, explored new strategies, capabilities, and technologies geared towards countering both current and future threats. Expert panelists and senior officials from the Pentagon, including Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Board’s sponsor, provided insights during the session.
“The study brings together participants with diverse experience from across the DoD community,” said Shyu. “As the DSB continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of defense capabilities, these quarterly sessions and summer studies serve as critical forums for collaboration, analysis, and strategic planning in the interest of national security.”
Evans also expressed optimism about the Summer Study, emphasizing the importance of staying ahead in an ever-evolving landscape of defense challenges.
“The study aims to address emerging threats with innovative solutions and to ensure the United States maintains technological and strategic superiority,” he said.
For more information on the Summer Study, the Defense Science Board, or its members, visit dsb.cto.mil. (Source: U.S. DoD)
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