Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 15, 2012

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta testifies on the Defense Department's budget proposal before the Senate Armed Services Committee as Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, looks on in Washington, D.C., Feb. 14, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Pentagon Chief, Top Military Leader Say Obama Defense Budget Ensures US Maintains Edge -- Washington Post/AP

WASHINGTON — Brushing aside congressional opposition, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the nation’s top military leader insisted on Tuesday that President Barack Obama’s trimmer, $614 billion defense budget will ensure the U.S. advantage worldwide with acceptable risks to the force and missions.

Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, defended the blueprint that would slash the size of the Army and Marine Corps, cut back on shipbuilding and delay the purchase of some fighter jets and weapons systems. Overall, the budget for 2013 would provide $525.4 billion in base spending and another $88.5 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Panetta answers harsh criticism of defense budget in Senate -- Stars and Stripes

As China's Military Grows, U.S. Assesses Risks -- NPR

U.S. seeks more 'transparency' from China's military -- AFP

Indian Air force expresses interest in acquiring six more C-17 planes: Boeing -- Economic Times

First series production A400M takes shape -- Defence Web

Peru may buy 10 Embraer Super Tucanos -Brazil -- Reuters

Israel's spending cuts hits defense sector -- UPI

Panetta says he doesn’t think Israel has made a decision about military strike on Iran -- Washington Post/AP

Rafael Unveils a New Member of the Spike Missile Family -- Ares/Aviation Week

Problems With Motor Slow U.S. AMRAAM Buys -- Defense News

Amid Image of Ire Toward U.S. Bases, Okinawans’ True Views Vary -- New York Times

21st century airships may join Navy fleet -- The Telegraph

Navy Whacks 'Gator Navy'; Caps Amphib Fleet At 30 Ships -- Aol Defense

Is Boeing Proposing a P-8-Lite? -- Defense Tech

U.S. slowdown on F-35 purchases to raise cost - Lockheed Martin -- Reuters

The Air Force’s simple, no-frills, advanced new bomber -- DoD Buzz

Darpa Budget Supports Hypersonics -- Aviation Week

US weighing steep nuclear arms cuts -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Army Makes Big Bets On Small Programs; Train, Advise Mission May Spread Beyond SOF -- Aol Defense

Navy Discloses $811 Million Overrun on Gerald Ford Carrier -- Bloomberg

Navy plan to move carrier from Va. to Fla. on hold -- Miami Herald/AP

U.S. Navy not serious about cutting budget or improving capability -- Eric Palmer Blog

Report highlights employment burdens on military spouses -- CNN

Sequestration, Not Obama Budget, REAL Threat to Security: Panetta -- Colin Clark, Aol Defense

Senators Hate The Pentagon Cuts They Voted For -- Danger Room

War vets to mark 70 years since 'largest capitulation in British history' in Singapore -- The Telegraph

Do Special Ops Forces Have Too Much Autonomy? -- Andrew Rosenthal, New York Times