JUST IN CASE: With the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt effectively out of commission in Guam and a handful of COVID-19 cases reported among crew members of two other carriers currently in port, the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, the Navy is keeping an as yet uninfected carrier at sea off the east coast of the United States on standby for further assignment.
The USS Harry S. Truman and its attendant ships have been designated the “certified carrier strike group force ready for tasking” for at least the next three weeks instead of returning to their home port of Norfolk, Virginia, at the end of a scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf region.
“The ship is entering a period in which it needs to be ready to respond and deploy at any time,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet. “Normally, we can do that pierside, but in the face of COVID-19, we need to protect our most valuable asset, our people, by keeping the ship out to sea.”
“The demand for naval assets remains high,” said the Navy in a news release. “The Navy is taking this measure to maintain the strike group’s warfighting capability while ensuring the safety of the crew.”
FIRST SAILOR FROM ROOSEVELT DIES: There was only one change to the latest numbers reported by the Navy of COVID-19 case among the crew of the Roosevelt — the one sailor who was found unresponsive and rushed to intensive care at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam on April 9 died yesterday of coronavirus-related complications.
The sailor tested positive for COVID-19 on March 30 and had been in isolation, where he received medical checks twice daily from Navy medical teams, the Navy said in a release. He was found unresponsive during a daily medical check, and CPR was administered by fellow sailors and onsite medical team in the house.
The name of the sailor is being withheld until later today.
DEATH TOLL NOW 15: The Pentagon reports that as of Monday, there have now been 4,528 cases of COVID-19 reported among U.S. military personnel, Department of Defense civilians, family members, and government contractors. Of those cases, 618 people are reported to have recovered, and 15 have died, including the sailor who died Monday.
“The entire department is deeply saddened by the loss of our first active-duty member to COVID-19,” said Defense Secretary Mark Esper in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the family of the USS Theodore Roosevelt sailor who lost his battle with the virus today. We remain committed to protecting our personnel and their families while continuing to assist in defeating this outbreak.”
“We mourn the loss of the sailor from USS Theodore Roosevelt who died today, and we stand alongside their family, loved ones, and shipmates as they grieve,” said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday in a statement. “This is a great loss for the ship and for our Navy. My deepest sympathy goes out to the family, and we pledge our full support to the ship and crew as they continue their fight against the coronavirus. While our ships, submarines, and aircraft are made of steel, sailors are the real strength of our Navy.”
Good Tuesday morning, and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by David Sivak and Tyler Van Dyke. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: Former National Security Council Director Condoleezza Rice will discuss “COVID-19 and National Security” on a Hoover Institution webcast at 2 p.m.
THIRD TIME THE CHARM? In Iraq, hopes are high that intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi will be able to form a new government after two previous candidates tried and failed. Iraq has been overseen by a caretaker government after Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned last December following protests that were put down by security forces.
At the State Department, Mike Pompeo issued a statement of support. “The United States looks forward to the formation of a new Iraqi government capable of confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, ameliorating the country’s current economic distress, and bringing arms under state control.”
“We welcome that Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish political leaders seem to have arrived at a consensus on government formation and hope the new government puts Iraq’s interests first and meets the needs of the Iraqi people,” he said. “The Iraqi people demand genuine reform and trustworthy leaders. These demands deserve to be addressed without violence or suppression. We stand with Iraqi people as they seek a sovereign, prosperous Iraq, free of corruption and terror.”
‘THAT’S SCIENCE … NOT POLITICAL’: In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Pompeo said there will come a time when China will be held accountable for its failures concerning the coronavirus pandemic.
“This virus, this epidemic that began in Wuhan, China, wasn’t known quickly enough, that the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party, didn’t provide that information in a timely fashion,” he said. “There’ll be a time to make sure that we all understand what happened and that those who are responsible are held accountable for that.”
“It’s important to understand how this began, where this began, where it originated, and that’s science. That’s fact-based. That is not political,” Pompeo said. “It’s absolutely essential that we understand how these viruses grew, how they began, where they began, to take down this risk. We’ve seen these stories about Chinese wet markets. We’ve seen stories about precisely where this virus originated, and it’s important that the whole world gets this.”
ZALMAY KHALILZAD MEETS WITH TALIBAN: U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad was in Doha, Qatar, yesterday to meet with Taliban representatives. The stated purpose of his trip, according to the State Department, was “to discuss current challenges in implementing the U.S.-Taliban agreement.”
COVID-19 DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT TRACKER: The American Enterprise Institute has set up a “COVID-19 Manufacturing Tracker” designed by defense expert Mackenzie Eaglen to track businesses that have made alterations to their production lines and supply chains to manufacture new goods that they were not previously making before the COVID-19 crisis.
The project is in response to President Trump invoking the Defense Production Act last month to compel American companies to make essential products to aid in the national response to the coronavirus.
“At least one conclusion is immediately clear: The private sector has taken rapid, agile, and independent action in response to the crisis and on behalf of a grateful nation,” AEI said. “An overwhelming number of companies have acted of their own initiative to produce needed medical supplies without explicit guidance from the U.S. government.”
INDUSTRY WATCH:
United States Marine Inc. of Gulfport, Mississippi, has been awarded a $108 million defense contract to produce vessels for the U.S. Special Operations Command. “This is excellent news for the talented craftsmen at USMI,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, one of Mississippi’s two Republican senators. “This Mississippi-based company has grown to be one of the premier suppliers of special warfare boats to our nation’s military, and the Combatant Craft Assault continues that legacy.”
“United States Marine Inc. has earned a solid reputation in support of our national defense, and this award will allow it to continue that important mission,” added Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Anniston Army Depot has been selected as the “deprocessing” site for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program, which is replacing thousands of the Army’s Vietnam-era M113 armored personnel carriers.
The Army and BAE Systems are currently in low-rate production of the five AMPV variants. The variants include a general purpose vehicle for troop transport along with mission command, mortar carrier, medical evacuation, and medical treatment versions.
“Deprocessing” is a step that occurs prior to fielding vehicles for the first time. “Think of it as the Army’s version of “dealer prep” when you buy a new vehicle,” said Maj. Gen. Brian Cummings, the Army’s program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems. “Combat vehicles are sent from the production facility to a dedicated location to complete any required updates and stage vehicles for final shipment to a unit.”
The Rundown
San Diego Union-Tribune: Navy Battling Growing COVID-19 Outbreak On Hospital Ship Mercy As 7 Test Positive
San Francisco Chronicle: Roosevelt Revealed: Behind-The-Scenes Stories Of Sailors On The Coronavirus-Stricken Carrier
Marine Corps Times: The Corps Expects To Hit Recruiting Goals Despite Pandemic
AP: North Korea fires barrage of missiles from ground and air
Breaking Defense: PRC, Russian Subs May Soon Face UUV-Launched US Sea Mines
Defense News: Boeing To Reopen The KC-46 And P-8 Production Lines
Just the News: China set to launch new satellite named “Wuhan”
Reuters: Putin Says Russia May Need The Army To Help Battle Coronavirus
New York Times: Putin’s Long War Against American Science
Stars and Stripes: She’s Back: Cyber Awareness Challenge Star Tina Returns In Coronavirus Security Video
Military.com: It’s Official: Most Zoom Versions Now Off-Limits to the Military
Calendar
NOTE: Many events in Washington have been canceled or moved online in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Pentagon has been conducting almost daily pop-up briefings, which are often only announced at the last minute. Check https://www.defense.gov for updates to the Pentagon’s schedule.
TUESDAY | APRIL 14
9 a.m. — United States Institute of Peace webcast: “The Impact of Coronavirus on North Korea.” with Jessica Lee, senior research fellow in the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft’s East Asia Program; Keith Luse, executive director of the National Committee on North Korea; David Maxwell, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Scott Snyder, director of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Program on U.S.-Korea Policy; and Frank Aum, senior expert on North Korea at USIP https://www.usip.org/events
11:30 a.m — Atlantic Council webinar with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on “What needs to be done now to define tomorrow?” with Ali Cinar, president of the Turkish Heritage Organization; Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council; and Defne Sadiklar Arslan, director of the “Atlantic Council IN TURKEY” program. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event
1 p.m. — The Navy League of the United States Sea-Air-Space 2020 webinar, “U.S. Maritime Administration, with retired Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, administrator of Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation, and panel discussion with John McCown, founder, Blue Alpha Capital; former Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla.; Anthony Fisher, deputy associate administrator for commercial sealift, Maritime Administration. Broadcast locally on WJLA-TV, Washington and streamed live FedInsider.com. Register at: https://www.fedinsider.com
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “Synthetic Biology and National Security: Risks and Opportunities,” with Tara O’Toole, senior fellow and executive vice president of In-Q-Tel https://www.csis.org/events
2 p.m. — Hoover Institution webcast: “COVID-19 and National Security” with former National Security Council Director Condoleezza Rice, professor in global business and the economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://www.hoover.org/profiles/condoleezza-rice
2 p.m. — Woodrow Wilson Center’s Canada Institute webcast: “COVID-19 and the Northern Border,” with Assistant Homeland Security Secretary for International Affairs Alan Bersin; Laurie Trautman, director of the Western Washington University Border Policy Research Institute; Kathryn Friedman, director of cross-border and international research at the University of Buffalo; and Solomon Wong, president and CEO of InterVISTAS https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 15
All Day. Brussels, Belgium — Meeting of NATO defense ministers, including U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, via secure teleconference. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s press conferences will be broadcast live on the NATO website as well as on social platforms Twitter and Facebook. No physical access to NATO headquarters will be allowed for news media, who will be able to ask questions remotely.
11 a.m. — Heritage Foundation webinar: “Examining the Trump Administration’s Recent Actions on Venezuela” with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Cuba and Venezuela Carrie Filipetti; Ana Quintana, senior policy analyst for Latin America and the Western Hemisphere at Heritage; and David Shedd, visiting fellow at Heritage. https://www.heritage.org/global-politics/event
1 p.m. — The Navy League of the United States Sea-Air-Space 2020 webinar “U.S. Navy” with Adm. James Foggo, commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Africa and James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, acquisitions, and development. Broadcast locally on WJLA-TV in Washington and streamed live at FedInsider.com. Register at: https://www.fedinsider.com
2 p.m. — The Project On Government Oversight discusses findings of a new report about key lessons learned during the course of the war in Afghanistan with Dan Grazier, the Jack Shanahan military fellow at the Project On Government Oversight. Register for the Zoom briefing here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register
THURSDAY | APRIL 16
11 a.m. — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs webcast: “Why Has Data Become a National Security Issue?” with Carrie Cordero, senior fellow and general counsel at the Center for a New American Security; Army Col. Sarah Albrycht, senior military fellow; and Susan Aaronson, senior fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation. https://elliott.gwu.edu/event-calendar
12:30 p.m. — The AFA’s Mitchell Institute “Aerospace Nation” speaker series, with Lt. Gen. David Nahom, Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs. Livestream at: https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/aerospace-nation
1 p.m. — The Navy League of the United States Sea-Air-Space 2020 webinar “Modern Warfighter” with a space panel featuring Rear Adm. Marcus Hitchcock, director of strategy, plans and policy, U.S. Space Command; Dr. Derek Tournear, director, Space Development Agency; Christian Zur, executive director, procurement and space industry council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an artificial intelligence panel featuring Jennifer Edgin, assistant deputy commandant for information, U.S. Marine Corps; and Rear Adm. David Hahn, chief of naval research. Broadcast locally on WJLA-TV in Washington and streamed live at FedInsider.com. Register at: https://www.fedinsider.com
2 p.m. — Bloomberg Government webcast: “Cyber Defense Acquisition and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification” with Katherine Arrington, chief information security officer with the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and Laura Criste, IT analyst at Bloomberg. https://about.bgov.com/event/cyber-defense-acquisition
3 p.m. — The Middle East Institute webinar: “The Middle East in an Era of Great Power Competition,” with Barry Posen, political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stephen Walt, international affairs professor at the Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government; and Bilal Saab, senior fellow and director of the MEI Defense and Security Program. https://www.mei.edu/events
4 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “Implications of Growing U.S.-China Friction: Perspectives from East Asia,” with Ben Bland, director of the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Program; Rory Medcalf, head of the Australian National University’s National Security College; Sheila Smith, senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Bonnie Glaser, director of the CSIS China Power Project. https://www.csis.org/events
6 p.m. — Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies webcast: “Wargaming Gone Wrong: Contemporary Applications and Lessons Learned from Millennium Challenge 2002,” with Micah Zenko, author of Red Team: How to Succeed By Thinking Like the Enemy; Jeremy Sepinsky, lead wargame designer at CNA; and Rebecca Wasser, senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events
FRIDAY | APRIL 17
9 a.m. — Center for a New American Security webinar: “U.S. Sanctions Policy and COVID-19” with Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control; John Smith, partner and co-head Morrison and Foerster LLP National Security Practice; and Juan Zarate, chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center on Economic and Financial Power. https://www.cnas.org/events
1 p.m. — The Navy League of the United States Sea-Air-Space 2020 webinar “Cyber” with Rear Adm. Kathleen Creighton, navy cyber security division director, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; and Gregg Kendrick, executive director, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. Broadcast locally on WJLA-TV in Washington and streamed live at FedInsider.com. Register at: https://www.fedinsider.com
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 29
8 a.m. — Northrop Grumman Corporation webcasts its first-quarter 2020 conference call with Kathy Warden, chairman, chief executive officer, and president; and Dave Keffer, chief financial officer. http://investor.northropgrumman.com.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The president of the United States calls the shots. They can’t do anything without the approval of the president of the United States.”
Donald Trump, President of the United States
