US Military Strength is Insufficient to Global Threats
Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.
The conservative Heritage Foundation reports that US military strength is insufficient to manage contemporary global threats. The 2015 Index of US Military Strength gives the Navy strong scores for readiness, reports Breaking Defense, but notes deferred ship maintenance, old platforms and troubled modernization programs resulting in weak capability, and marginal capacity. Only the Air Force received strong scoring throughout, but its aircraft are aging and its modernization programs also problematic.
The RQ-4B Global Hawk flew into the Australian International Airshow this week, making its first appearance at a civilian airport. The Royal Australian Air Force will purchase four of US Navy’s Triton version of the Global Hawk, said Group Capt. Guy Adams, director of unmanned aerial systems for Australia’s military procurement agency. He anticipates cooperative development between the forces as occurred on the P-8A Poseidon program, reports Defense News. “We would try to do that; [what] we’ve seen out of the P-8A program certainly indicates it is a worthwhile activity,” Capt. Adams said.
Senate Democrats want Republicans to agree to a “clean” Department of Homeland Security funding bill in light of heightened terror threats, including a new one to attack Western malls, reports The Hill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to separate the overturning of the Obama Administration’s recent immigration actions from the DHS funding bill. The House combined the two issues and Democrats in the Senate have blocked the combination bill, reports The Hill. Homeland Security will be partially shutdown if funding is not approved before Saturday.
Frank Kendall, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics, announced during a defense conference in Abu Dhabi he did not see F-35 sales to the Arabian Gulf states in the “near-term,” reports DoD Buzz. Also announced at the conference was the sale of 14 more F-35s to Israel, bringing that country’s total buy to 33 of the fighter jets, the first two to be delivered next year.
Ditch the PowerPoint and talk, new DefSec Ashton Carter told top officials discussing Islamic State threats. Navy Times reports a Pentagon source saying the new secretary wants “thoughtful analysis and discussion, not fixed briefings.”
Navy Times analyzed data to come up with tips on how a sailor can make E-7 and finds they don’t get there alone, needing command leaders to invest in developing top-notch sailors.
MapLight provides the financial contributions as background for the Feb. 25, 2015 – today’s – House Communications and Technology Subcommittee discussion of the Federal Communications Commission’s proposed net neutrality regulations.
DoD will be in budget hearings all week with Senate and House committees. Military Times reports the week’s schedule.
