IT’S A MATTER OF PRIORITIES: In a conference call with reporters yesterday, Rep. Adam Smith said he does not favor increasing the Pentagon’s budget as part of the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m not saying that I’m not convinced that there are places within the broad Defense Department obligations where more money needs to be spent,” said Smith, a Democrat from Washington state. “What I’m saying is I have yet to be convinced that that money cannot be found within the areas of DOD where less money is now being spent.”
Speaking on the call sponsored by George Washington University’s Defense Writers Group, Smith argued that the economic slowdown means that the Pentagon won’t be spending appropriated funds as fast, and therefore, there will be pots of money that can be reprogrammed for COVID-19 priorities.
“I don’t think that we should, in a stimulus package, put money in for DOD at this point in terms of the basic $740 billion budget,” Smith said. “You know, fuel costs are coming down dramatically, production hits — I don’t see a need right now, with all the needs that we face in this country, to spend more money on basic DOD to go buy more planes or ships or boats or anything like that.”
LESSONS FROM THE WALL: Smith, a consistent opponent of President Trump’s efforts to construct more barriers along the southern border, nevertheless points to the reprogramming of funds within the Pentagon budget as an example of how existing appropriations can be moved to meet new priorities.
“There are plenty of places within the Pentagon, particularly in light of the slowdown, in light of the fact that there is going to be a record amount of unexecuted money within DOD because of how everything has slowed down,” Smith said. “We’ll take some of that unexecuted money and use that to pay it forward.”
And he suggested the first place to look is the $2.5 billion in the Pentagon’s budget that has been reallocated for what he called Trump’s “vanity wall” but has not yet been spent. “It is uncosted and unobligated just sitting there,” Smith said. “Why not take some of that?”
‘DOD CAN PLAY A ROLE’: Smith says Congress should consider funding in a supplemental budget for urgent needs that the Pentagon is uniquely positioned to provide. “What we do need to spend money on in the supplemental is whatever necessary to help us deal with the virus,” he said. “I think DOD can play a role in that.’
As an example, Smith cited more aggressive use of the Defense Production Act to increase production of personal protection equipment, such as N95 face masks.
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HAPPENING TODAY: The Pentagon will release its annual report on sexual assault in the military, covering fiscal year 2019, later today. The report should be available on the website of the DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office after 12 p.m.
ALSO TODAY: Army Futures Command’s Long-Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team will be conducting the third test of the Army’s next-generation Precision Strike Missile, or “PrSM,” at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, later this morning.
The PrSM is a surface-to-surface, all-weather, precision-strike guided missile, according to the Army, designed to engage a variety of targets at extended ranges, including defeating threat air defense, missile launchers, command-and-control centers, assembly/staging areas, and high payoff targets at all depths of the multidomain battlefield. “The missile is designed to exceed a range of more than 500km and double the volume of fire over currently fielded systems,” the Army says.
Observing today’s test firing will be Gen. John Murray, commanding general of the Army Futures Command, and other top Army officials.
NEW INTERCEPTOR: Ousted former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy John Rood surfaces today for an online discussion on the state of U.S. missile defenses with Riki Ellison, of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, at 11:30 a.m. One of the topics will no doubt be last week’s request from the Missile Defense Agency for proposals to build the Next-Generation Interceptor, or “NGI.”
“The NGI could not come soon enough, it’s been a long time coming,” writes Ellison on his website, which he says will feature a “brand-new set of capabilities that will incorporate the best lessons learned” from three generations of prior technology, including “the concept of swarming of multiple smart exoatmospheric kill vehicles on one NGI.”
KIDD COUNT ENDS: The Navy is no longer reporting how many sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Kidd have contracted COVID-19, now that the ship is back in port in San Diego.
At last count, 64 of the ship’s 350 crew members tested positive for COVID-19, an infection rate of about 18%. With the rate threatening to eclipse the 20% infection rate experienced on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the latest Navy update includes no numbers.
“100% of USS Kidd’s crew have been tested for COVID-19, and all sailors testing positive and all close contacts have been moved off-ship for quarantine and isolation after arrival at Naval Base San Diego yesterday,” the Navy says. “Medical professionals, a resiliency counselor, chaplains, and a psychologist are supporting sailors in isolation and quarantine.”
TWISTING IN THE WIND: Meanwhile, Capt. Brett Crozier, who was relieved of command of the USS Roosevelt for allegedly improperly sounding the alarm about the coronavirus outbreak on his ship, will have to wait a bit longer to learn his fate.
Despite recommending, along with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday, that Crozier get his job back, acting Secretary of the Navy James McPherson now says he’s not yet onboard with reinstating Crozier. “I have unanswered questions that the preliminary inquiry has identified and that can only be answered by a deeper review,” McPherson said in a statement released by the Navy.
“Therefore, I am directing Adm. Gilday to conduct a follow-on command investigation. This investigation will build on the good work of the initial inquiry to provide a more fulsome understanding of the sequence of events, actions, and decisions of the chain of command surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt,” McPherson said.
REACTION: McPherson briefed key members of Congress on his decision, including Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“I reiterated that the removal of Captain Crozier was highly unorthodox and the recommendations of the military leadership on his reinstatement should be heavily weighed,” said Reed in a statement in which he urged that the new investigation be “thorough and expeditious.”
“I share the frustrations of the American people, the crewmembers of the Roosevelt, and the entire United States Navy. We all want this matter resolved in a just and timely manner based on the facts,” he said.
On the House side, Smith said that after talking to McPherson, he agreed it was “perfectly legitimate” to extend the investigation to look into “everything that happened with the Roosevelt.” But he said, “I personally think that Capt. Crozier should be reinstated.”
COMFORT DEPARTS: The hospital ship USNS Comfort departs New York City today, its 1,000 hospital beds no longer needed for COVID-19 patients in the New York and New Jersey areas. As of Saturday, the Comfort had treated 182 patients. The last patients were discharged this week, according to the Navy.
On the West Coast, its sister ship, the USNS Mercy, continues to treat patients in Los Angeles, California.
INDUSTRY WATCH: Boeing was the loss leader in yesterday’s first-quarter financial results. Here are the numbers:
Boeing reported first-quarter 2020 revenue of $16.9 billion, down 26% from the same time last year, and blamed the impacts of COVID-19 and the grounding of its troubled 737 MAX. Defense, Space, & Security first-quarter revenue decreased to $6 billion, down 6%, primarily driven by a charge on the KC-46A Tanker.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every aspect of our business, including airline customer demand, production continuity, and supply chain stability,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun. “Our primary focus is the health and safety of our people and communities while we take tough but necessary action to navigate this unprecedented health crisis and adapt for a changed marketplace.”
General Dynamics reported first-quarter 2020 net earnings of $706 million, down 7.2% on $8.75 billion in revenue, down 5.5% from last year. The defense businesses on a combined basis posted revenue of $7.1 billion, a slight increase over the year-ago quarter; operating earnings of $705 million, 2.2% above the year-ago quarter.
Northrop Grumman reported first-quarter 2020 sales increased 5%, to $8.6 billion from $8.2 billion in the first quarter of 2019, while net earnings increased 1%, to $868 million.
“Our results this quarter reflect the strength of our business, our portfolio’s alignment to the highest-priority global security threats, and the dedication of our team to deliver for our customers and our shareholders in a challenging environment,” said Kathy Warden, chairman, chief executive officer, and president.
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Pompeo prepared to kill the Iran nuclear deal to block arms sales to Tehran
Washington Examiner: Armed Services chairman slams border ‘vanity wall,’ wants USS Theodore Roosevelt commander reinstated
Washington Examiner: Navy delays decision on fired captain and launches follow-up inquiry into USS Roosevelt fallout
Washington Examiner: Pompeo says US hasn’t seen Kim Jong Un amid reports of deteriorating health
Washington Examiner: ‘Leisure boat movements’ suggest Kim Jong Un may be at favored resort: Report
Military Times: Slowed Increase Of DoD Coronavirus Cases Hints At A Flattened Curve
AP: Many Field Hospitals Went Largely Unused, Will Be Shut Down
Popular Mechanics: When It Comes To Supersonic Flight, The F-35’s Wings Are Clipped
USNI News: USS Bunker Hill Conducts 2nd South China Sea Freedom of Navigation Operation This Week
Stars and Stripes: Chinese Carrier Sails Between Okinawa Islands For Second Time In April
Reuters: Pompeo Pushes China To Provide Access To Wuhan Labs Over Coronavirus Outbreak
AP: Russia Slams U.S. Arguments For Low-Yield Nukes
Navy Times: Naval Academy To Graduate The Class Of 2020 Over A 10-Day Period
Military.com: Court Overturns Marine’s Attempted Manslaughter Conviction in Barracks Room Knife Fight
Calendar
NOTE: Most events in Washington have moved online in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Pentagon has been conducting frequent daily briefings, which are often announced after 9 a.m. Check https://www.defense.gov for updates to the Pentagon’s schedule.
THURSDAY | APRIL 30
10 a.m. — Brookings Institution webinar: “What Role Will the Army Play in Great Power Competition After COVID-19?” with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy; Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville; and Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow at Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/events/webinar
10 a.m. — Atlantic Council webinar: “The Future of Idlib and Syrian Internally Displaced Persons,” with James Franklin Jeffrey, State Department special representative for Syria engagement and special envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS; Ibrahim Kalin, deputy chairman of the Turkish Presidency’s Security and Foreign Policy Council; and Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council. https://atlanticcouncil.org/events/#allevents
11 a.m. — Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance online discussion: “The Missile Defense Review: One Year Reflection and Outlook to the Future,” with John Rood, former undersecretary of defense for policy; and Riki Ellison, founder and chairman, Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. https://www.youtube.com/watch
11 a.m. — Washington International Trade Association webinar: “COVID-19 and Trade: The Defense Production Act and Buy American Provisions.” https://zoom.us/webinar/register
WEDNESDAY | MAY 6
11 a.m. — Space Foundation webinar: “America’s Space Force: Building the Future Today,” with Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett and Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond. Registration at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I don’t see a need right now, with all the needs that we face in this country, to spend more money on basic DOD to go buy more planes or ships or boats or anything like that.”
Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, arguing the Pentagon does not need additional funding in next year’s budget.
