Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 10, 2013

The exterior of the Afghan Ministry of Defense headquarters. (Photo: Tim Craig/The Washington Post)

U.S. Needs Millions More To Complete Afghanistan’s ‘Pentagon’ -- Washington Post

KABUL — The Afghan “Pentagon” being built here is a sprawling symbol of U.S. generosity.

The American government has already spent about $107 million — double the initial estimate — on the five-story Defense Ministry headquarters, which will include state-of-the-art bunkers and the second-largest auditorium in Kabul.

But now, four years after the groundbreaking, construction crews have had to effectively halt their work. The reason: The U.S. government has run out of money for the project.

For years, audits and inspector general’s reports have documented waste and mismanagement in American aid projects in Afghanistan. But the Defense Ministry building is a dramatic example of how poor oversight continues to plague the massive U.S. investment here.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Putin orders Russian military to boost presence in Arctic -- AFP

Russia Activates Arctic Air Base. Kremlin getting serious about polar ops -- Jacek Siminski, War is Boring

Russia Activates Aerospace Defense Radar Aimed at Europe -- RIA Novosti

China holds war games near Korean border -- Washington Free Beacon

China’s First Stealth Drone – Analysis -- Eurasia Review

INS Vikramaditya and the Aircraft Carrier Debate -- Abhijit Singh, The Diplomat

Did DOD Mislead Congress Over Russian Helicopters? -- Richard Lardner, Real Clear Defense

Group of 15 British soldiers jailed following court martial after staging sit-down protest during military parade: Troops complained they were being 'led by muppets' -- Daily Mail

US to add $173 million for Israel missile defense -- Times of Israel

US medevac crews still play a major role in Afghan conflict -- Stars and Stripes

Pentagon chief affirms Qatar, US defence ties -- Daily Star/AFP

Army Plans To Scrap Kiowa Helo Fleet -- Army Times

Navy Cagey, Boeing Cocky, Over F-18′s Future -- Breaking Defense

Boeing must decide on F/A-18 production in March 2014: executive -- Reuters

Electromagnetic Catapults Are Emblematic Of U.S. Navy's All-Electric Era -- Forbes

Meet the Navy's New $150M Submarine-Destroying Jet -- Navy Open Source INTelligence

USS Theodore Roosevelt Launches New Aircraft -- Military.com/Navy News

Not your average drone: new technology the US military is developing -- Christian Science Monitor

Analysis: Secret UAV Revelation Raises More Questions than Answers -- Dave Majumdar, USNI

Ohio Study to Guide Air Force UAS Flights over U.S. -- DoD Buzz

Agencies collected data on Americans’ cellphone use in thousands of ‘tower dumps’ -- Washington Post

Techies, Uncle Sam wants you for the U.S. Army -- Washington Post

More than 500 of the world's most famous writers sign petition calling for end to 'mass surveillance' of NSA spying program -- Daily Mail

Lawmakers expedite process to get Pentagon spending bill before year end -- Stars and Stripes

U.S. negotiators Reach Compromise on Defense Bill -- New York Times

Hagel Offers Troops Glimmer Of Hope On Military Budget -- CBS/AP

Year 2 of sequestration: Gloom looming -- Politico

Under Obama, troops forced to rely on welfare, holiday charity to make ends meet -- Washington Times

Navy to review port contracts in light of bribery scandal -- Stars and Stripes

Air Force removes Nativity scene -- Todd Starnes, FOX News

Hero Marine who fought back attack on Afghan base while Prince Harry was there is awarded Silver Star -- Daily Mail

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