Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 1, 2014

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey participates in a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on Friday. Larry Downing /Reuters

Islamic State Fighting Strains Pentagon Budget -- Wall Street Journal

President, Congress Pressed to Join Forces to Reconsider Spending Caps

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama's expansion of airstrikes in the Middle East is creating new strains on Pentagon planners who thought the days of costly military operations in that region were over—at least for now.

The U.S. military campaign is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars in the short-term, creating new demands on a tightening Pentagon budget.

That volatile combination is certain to put renewed pressure on Mr. Obama and Congress to come together and reconsider spending caps on the U.S. defense budget that resulted from a bitter and protracted budget standoff in 2011.

But deep partisan divisions over the budget may resist even the widespread political support for taking on Islamic State militants controlling large chunks of territory in Iraq and Syria.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 1, 2014

U.S. Campaign Against ISIS Has Cost Nearly $1 Billion So Far, Report Says -- Time

Airstrikes in Iraq, Syria launched amid intelligence gaps, officials say -- AP

RAF strikes in Iraq: analysts say Isis defeat will mean lengthy campaign -- Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian,

Russian Land Forces to be Equipped With 70 Percent Modern Military Hardware by 2020 -- RIA Novosti

Russia to Start Field Tests of ‘Future Soldier’ Gear in December -- RIA Novosti

NATO Aspires to Build Constructive Relationship With Russia: New Secretary General -- RIA Novosti

Russia Expects Mistral Warships to Be Delivered on Schedule: Diplomat -- RIA Novosti

Official: THAAD missile defense system being considered for South Korea -- Stars and Stripes

Central Asian States Seek To Stem Military Draft Evasion -- Radio Free Europe

Australian Intelligence Agencies Get More Powers with New Laws -- VOA

Egypt offers military training to Libya, cites Islamic State threat -- Reuters

The German military faces a major challenge from disrepair -- Washington Post

Eurofighter hull hitch: Germany halves fighter flying hours -- RT

Poland's new prime minister will strive for greater US military presence in country -- FOX News/AP

US Deploying Battle Tanks, Some 700 Troops to Baltic States, Poland: Reports -- RIA Novosti

US State Department Clears Saudi Patriot Missile Sale -- Defense News

Pentagon upbeat on U.S.-India bid to deepen defense ties -- Reuters

Japan To Make Major Switch on Sub Propulsion -- Defense News

Work: Sixty Percent of U.S. Navy and Air Force Will Be Based in Pacific by 2020 -- USNI

Top DoD official: U.S. will 'respond' if Japan-China dispute escalates -- Navy Times

DoD Plans Next Stage Arms Race With China; Deputy Secretary of Defense Work Speech To CFR -- Forbes

The US Navy May Battle Deadly Naval Mines With Quadcopter Drones -- Ryan Faith, Vice

U.S. Air Force to recommend plan for alternative to Russian rocket engines -- Reuters

LCS Test-Fires New Norwegian Missile -- DoD Buzz

Tab for trucks Pentagon doesn't need could top $100M -- USA Today

Pentagon Promises to Try to Cut Pay and Benefits Again -- Military.com

Pentagon spokesman moonlighted as provocative photographer, took nude pictures -- Washington Times

Army opens Ranger School to women, a historic leap toward equality -- Anna Mulrine, CSM

White House Stands by Dempsey After McCain Questions General's 'Credibility' -- Defense News

Americans Split on Military Force -- AP

Pentagon Warns It Can't Continue to Police the World -- Sandra I. Erwin, National Defense

America's Big Military Mistake: Cutting Land Forces Too Quickly -- Michael O'Hanlon, National Interest

Air Force KC-135 Refuels F-22 Raptors In Mid-Air (Video)

How An Eisenhower-Era Jet Refuels An F-22 -- Stars and Stripes

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — The F-22 Raptor may be the most technologically sophisticated fighter plane ever to serve in combat. But when it gets thirsty, it relies on a plane that has been doing its job since the Eisenhower administration.

In September, the Air Force KC-135 tankers deployed to Guam for the Valiant Shield exercise stayed busy, meeting the mid-air refueling needs of Air Force, Navy and Marine aircraft.

The eight-day exercise included 18,000 servicemembers on land, sea and in the air. U.S. pilots engaged in scenarios that required inter-service operations against U.S. counterparts, who played the role of enemy forces.

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Update: Cool photos of the F-22 refueling at night on its way to Syria -- Sploid/Gizmodo

Pentagon: We Can't Continue To Police The World

SUPPLY LINE: A line of Lockheed C-130 Hercules waiting for take-off at Balad Air Base in Iraq. (Photo: James Gordon/Flickr)

Pentagon Warns It Can't Continue To Police The World -- Sandra I. Erwin, National Defense

The Defense Department has concluded it can no longer afford to satisfy current demands for military forces from overseas commanders. As a result, it is considering cutting back on forward-stationed forces and deployments, said Deputy Defense Secretary Robert O. Work.

"We are really taking a hard look at our whole global posture," Work said Sept. 30 at the Council on Foreign Relations, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. military has maintained forces around the world consistently since the Cold War, but as budgets decline and forces shrink, the Pentagon has to rethink its commitments, Work said. "It will be different," he added. The details of the plan are still under debate.

While there is a big appetite around the world for American leadership, the Obama administration believes that other countries need to step up and share the security burdens, said Work.

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My Comment: A lack of political will in Washington. A sizable (if not a majority) part of the American public trending towards isolationism. No money for Pentagon budget increases .... but instead being faced with budget sequestration. All of these factors .... and more .... are having their intended effect .... a diminished U.S. diplomatic and military presence in the world.

RT Sends A TV Crew To The ISIS-Kurdish Frontline

Driving Through Ghost Town: RT's Risky Ride Deep Into ISIS-Kurdish Frontline -- RT

Kurdish fighters have driven ISIS from key town of Rabia on the Iraqi border, with 120,000 Kurds currently on the frontier. RT’s Paula Slier made a hazardous journey to the border to find out what’s happening.

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters took control of Rabia, “the most important strategic point for crossing” the border, in a battle that began before dawn, an Iraqi Kurdish political source told Reuters. Earlier, the IS fighters had the possibility to cross the border without any interference.

On Tuesday, two villages 40km south of Kirkuk have been freed by Peshmerga.

All in all, about half of the territory has been regained by Kurds, according to Peshmerga Secretary-General Jabbar Yawar, which triggered the US-led strikes.

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My Comment: It is reassuring to hear Kurdish resistance fighters say they can beat Islamic State forces without help from foreign boots on the ground. Is this possible? .... I hope so but I doubt it .... especially in the non-Kurdish contested regions in Iraq.

Iraq's Military Accidentally Dropped Supplies For Islamic State Terrorists

Tech. Sgt. Lynn Morelly, 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, C-17 Globemaster III loadmaster, watches bundles of halal meals parachute to the ground during a humanitarian airdrop mission over Iraq in this August 9, 2014 photo (Reuters / Vernon Young Jr. / U.S. Air Force / Handout)

Iraq’s Bumbling Military Accidentally Gave ISIS Supplies -- NYMag

President Obama’s line in Iraq has been “We can’t do it for them” when it comes to fighting ISIS and fixing the country, stressing the need for Iraqi forces to step up and defend themselves, too. But the problem is that they can’t do it for themselves, either: NBC News reports that a recent load of food, water, and ammo that was supposed to go to its own struggling soldiers was instead air-dropped into the hands of Islamic State militants. They all look the same from way up there!

“Some pilots, instead of dropping these supplies over the area of the Iraqi army, threw [them] over the area that is controlled by ISIS fighters,” explained a member of the Iraqi parliament. “Those soldiers were in deadly need of these supplies, but because of the wrong plans of the commanders in the Iraqi army and lack of experience of the pilots, we in a way or another helped ISIS fighters to kill our soldiers.”

Read more ....

Update #1: Iraqi pilots mistakenly drop supplies — instead of bombs — on Islamic State terrorists -- Washington Times
Update #2: Mix-up sees Iraq pilot drop aid, ammo for ISIS instead of govt troops -- RT

My Comment: My eyes are rolling .... again.

East Ukraine Facing A 'Long And Frozen Conflict'

'Frozen Conflict' Looming In East Ukraine, EU Diplomats Say -- EU Observer

BRUSSELS - EU countries have decided to uphold Russia sanctions for now, despite a “weakening appetite” for the measures.

The EU foreign service on Tuesday (30 September) said that “while encouraging developments have been registered in the political process and in the implementation of some aspects of the Minsk protocol, relevant parts of the same protocol will need to be properly implemented” before sanctions are lifted.

It added that if things go well, the EU will in future consider proposals “to amend, suspend or repeal the set of sanctions in force, in all or in part”.

The communique was published after a debate by EU countries’ ambassadors in Brussels.

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My Comment: This conflict screams for a political solution .... but both sides are preparing for even more war. It is an understatement when I say that I am not optimistic on the future of this conflict.

Ukraine Ceasefire On The Verge Of Collapsing. Fighting Is Intensifying Over Control Of Donetsk Airport

Ukrainian Truce Frays as Rebels Step Up Airport Attacks -- Bloomberg Businessweek

The cease-fire in Ukraine that curtailed casualties for four weeks is starting to fray as the military said pro-Russian insurgents intensified their efforts to take control of the airport in Donetsk.

Government forces still hold the airport of the biggest city in the combat zone after repelling a one-hour separatist assault this morning, the army said on Facebook. Ten civilians were killed and nine wounded today in Donetsk, the local council said on its website. A shell exploded meters from a school where 70 children were in attendance, it said.

Read more ....

More News On The Ukraine Ceasefire Being On The Verge Of Collapsing

Ukraine rebels close in on Donetsk airport -- AP
Donetsk airport shelling violates east Ukraine truce -- BBC
EU monitors claim Ukraine truce is holding despite fresh shelling at Donetsk airport -- Euronews
Rebels close in on Donetsk airport -- Belfast Telegraph
Ukraine truce in tatters as pro-Russian rebels kill troops, civilians -- AFP
At least 10 people killed in shelling on and near school in east Ukraine -- Reuters
Ukraine cease-fire pressured by pro-Russia attacks, weapons buildup -- L.A. Times
Russia Said to Risk More Sanctions If Ukraine Rebels Gain -- Bloomberg Businessweek
EU keeps Russia sanctions in place for now -- AP

REPORT: U.S. Navy Sailors Harbor Widespread Distrust Of Senior Leadership. Many Cite Excessive Political Correctness

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan travels through the Pacific Ocean with other ships assigned to the Rim of the Pacific 2010 exercise, north of Hawaii, July 24, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dylan McCord

Navy Sailors Mistrust Leaders, 90 Percent See Admirals As ‘Risk Averse’ -- Washington Post

Complain of zero-tolerance disciplinary environment, excessive political correctness

Navy sailors harbor “widespread mistrust” in the admirals who command them, complaining of poor leadership and a disciplinary environment that tolerates absolutely no mistakes, says a survey of the fleet.

The disgruntlement runs deepest in the officer corps, where scores of commanders have been relieved of duty in recent years.

Read more ....

My Comment: Everyone is looking behind their back .... if this report is even half true .... this is not a good environment to work in.

U.S. And Coalition Airstrikes Continue To Escalate In Iraq And Syria

A U.S Air Force KC-10 refuels an F-22 Raptor fighter jet after strike operations in Syria, Sept. 23, 2014. The United States and partner nations launched the largest combined single day of airstrikes on Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, striking 13 times in Iraq and 11 more in Syria. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Jefferson S. Heiland)

U.S. And Britain Combine To Launch The Largest Day Yet For Airstrikes In Iraq And Syria -- Washington Post

The United States and Great Britain launched 24 more airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, defense officials said on Tuesday, making it the biggest day yet in the air war against the Islamic State militant group.

Eleven airstrikes each were conducted in Iraq and Syria by U.S. warplanes, officials with U.S. Central Command said in a statement. Separately, British officials said they conducted their first two airstrikes in Iraq since joining the military campaign. Combined, the action surpassed Sept. 23 — the first with strikes in Syria — as the day with the most airstrikes in the two countries.

Fourteen airstrikes were launched in Syria on Sept. 23 as the U.S. and partner nations began their air war there, and four more were carried out at the same time in Iraq. Eight further strikes were carried out that day in Syria, but they came from 47 Tomahawk missiles launched by the U.S. Navy from ships in the Persian Gulf, rather than warplanes. Most of those were aimed at the Khorasan group, which U.S. officials said is an al-Qaeda affiliated group that was planning “imminent” attacks against U.S. and Western targets.

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My Comment: And there are no signs that they will scale back these airstrikes. And it is not going to be cheap .... The colossal cost of the battle against ISIS: Operations in Syria and Iraq will cost $2.4BILLION per year...and that's IF Obama doesn't ramp up strikes .... The colossal cost of the battle against ISIS: Operations in Syria and Iraq will cost $2.4BILLION per year...and that's IF Obama doesn't ramp up strikes -- Daily Mail

Is The U.S. Prepared For An Ebola Pandemic

After First Ebola Case, Red Flags Emerge That U.S. Unprepared For Pandemic -- Washington Times

Federal reports raise concerns US defenses stagnated, waning

The confirmation Tuesday of the first Ebola case on U.S. soil emerges against a backdrop of increasing concern in America’s medical community that preparedness for a pandemic has stagnated or slipped in recent years because of tough economic times and increasing malaise since the 2001 anthrax threat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, America’s premier disease fighter, offered an air of confidence Tuesday in declaring that the first Ebola patient in Dallas was carefully contained.

Read more ....

My Comment: What does not help the situation is the position that the country's leadership has taken.

Update: The Department of Homeland Security Is Not Prepared for a Pandemic -- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic