Stalled budget talks in Congress already taking toll on military readiness, modernization

“Such a late date makes a further stopgap beyond the 20th more likely. Every CR is wasteful and damages the ability of our military to carry out their vital missions. There is no excuse for this dysfunction,” Thornberry said in a statement, noting the Pentagon cannot access more than $20 billion of dollars that was committed to defense in a compromise signed into law in July.

“Four months later nothing has happened,” he said. “Congress needs to put aside other considerations, put the troops ahead of politics, and get it done now.”

DEBILITATING: Thornberrry referenced a slew of media reports quoting senior Pentagon and military officials complaining that the temporary measure, which prevents spending above last year’s level, and does not allow for new initiatives or acquisitions, is being felt by all the services.

Navy: “An extended CR risks the delay of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis returning to the fleet following refueling and upgrades. Additionally, training that sailors perform while at sea would be canceled, and ship maintenance periods would be deferred, Navy spokesperson Lt. Timothy Pietrack told ABC News.”

Army: “If there is a yearlong CR, the Army’s breakdown says, there could be a $597 million reduction in active-duty and reserve entitlements — meaning salaries, housing allowances, bonuses, and more,” reported Task & Purpose.

Air Force: “It’s truly damaging for all the services, and certainly the United States Air Force,’ Air Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, said in Air Force Times. “Even if a CR only lasts for six months, the effects would be significant … It would also force the Air Force to keep flying F-15Cs for longer than it expected, resulting in further cost increases due to the extensive maintenance needed to keep the aging fighters, plagued by structural health issues, in the air”

F-35 STILL HAS BUGS: In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday, the Pentagon’s program executive officer for the $400 billion F-35 program said he is “both personally and professionally unsatisfied,” with the ability to maintain and sustain the growing fleet of Joint Strike Fighters, the U.S. military’s premier fighter jet.

Lt. Gen. Eric Fick cited shortages in spare parts and problems with the plane’s on board software for low “mission capable rates,” as the operational fleet continues to experience growing pains.

“As you well know if we’re missing parts, we can’t get our jets airborne. The ability to deliver combat effects on this aircraft are significantly diminished,” Fick testified. And while saying there is “no silver bullet in this area,” he insisted his office is making “steady, measured progress” in bringing down sustainment and operating costs. “While much work remains ahead of us, this program is demonstrating a downward glide slope in this area.”

Good Thursday 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 Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating). 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: The battle against ISIS is far from over as evidenced by this morning’s meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS at the State Department. Secretary Mike Pompeo is scheduled to address the D-ISIS small group ministerial at 10 a.m.

There was concern last month that the coalition of 81 countries might be crumbling in the wake of President Trump’s orders withdrawing all U.S forces from northern Syria, but now that the Pentagon has announced that 500 to 600 will remain, the conference will focus on next steps.

“We are very happy with the decision that the President took to continue our D-ISIS military mission on the ground in northeast Syria, and the members of the coalition are universally supportive of that decision,” a senior State Department told reporters this week. “What we’re going to be doing is essentially recalibrating,” the official said.

“We’re assembling some 35-plus member-states and organizations, the key ones who are involved in operations in Syria and Iraq or otherwise supporting the effort through funding and civilian operations, to meet with us and to go over developments over the past month,” the official said. The agenda includes “the Turkish incursion into northeast Syria; Russian and Syrian regime intervention into that area; status of our partner, the SDF, in the fight against ISIS; and next-ups and where we’re going, including the American presence and the kind of asks we have from the coalition.”

ALSO TODAY — NATO IN TOWN: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today will visit the State Department, where he will attend the D-ISIS meeting, and the White House, where he meets with President Trump, after first delivering a keynote speech at the NATO Industry Forum being held at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel at 9:20 a.m.

At a reception last night, Stoltenberg toasted the defense industry of allied nations for producing “the best weapons, the best equipment and the latest technology.”

“The NATO-Industry Forum helps us to forge new and better ways of working together,” he said. “So you are an integral part of our success. Our challenge now is to continue that success in a more unpredictable world. To maintain our technological edge in time of shifting global balance of power. NATO and industry together.”

Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist also delivers a keynote address to the forum at 9:40 a.m. Pentagon Undersecretary for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord takes part in a news conference at 11:30 a.m., and delivers closing remarks at 4:30 p.m.

NO SYRIA STRIKES IN SEPT: The latest release from the counter-ISIS coalition notes that while airstrikes continue against ISIS forces in Iraq in September, there were no strikes against ISIS targets in Syria.

“Between September 1 and September 30, 2019, CJTF-OIR conducted 28 strikes consisting of 33 engagements,” says the the release by Combined Joint Task Force, Operation Inherent Resolve.

However in Syria, where there are thousands of ISIS fighters, the coalition “conducted zero strikes and zero engagements.

‘WE CONTINUE TO MOW THE LAWN’: Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters traveling with him to Korea that the Pentagon has not taken its eye off the ball when it comes to monitoring ISIS in Syria, Iraq, and Libya.

*We continue, the phrase that people use is ‘continue to mow the lawn,’ right? Pull the weeds. And that means, every now and then, you have to do these things to stay on top of it so that a threat doesn’t grow, doesn’t resurge,” he said in an inflight interview, according to a Pentagon transcript. “My aim is to make sure that, in the context of the enduring defeat of ISIS, that ISIS doesn’t rise up and develop the capability, have the resources to strike the U.S. homeland.”

AFTER MEETING, TRUMP LAUDS ERDOGAN: Over the objections of many members of Congress, Recep Tayyip Erdogan got a warm welcome to the White House yesterday, where President Trump praised the Turkish president who has defied the United States by buying Russian weapons and invading Syria.

“I will say that the relationship with President Erdogan and Turkey has been outstanding,” Trump said at a post-meeting news conference. “You’re doing a fantastic job for the people of Turkey,” he said, turning to the Turkish leader.

Trump said he and Erdogan had “frank and productive conversation on a range of very important topics,” which is standard code for no breakthrough was made, but Trump said he hoped Turkey could be readmitted to the F-35 program, despite its refusal to give up S-400 air defense system purchased from Russia that the U.S. says is “incompatible” with the F-35.

“We’ve asked our secretary of state and ministry of foreign affairs and our respective national security advisers to immediately work on resolving the S-400 issue,” Trump said. “We’ve also recently agreed to work toward a $100 billion two way trade agreement.”

ERDOGAN ON MAZLOUM: President Erdogan confirmed why he was so insulted by President Trump’s October letter urging him to work with Gen. Mazloum Kobani Abadi, the Kurdish commander of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Erdogan considers Mazloum a terrorist leader, which he said he reiterated when Trump “re-presented” the letter in the Oval Office. “I’ve also underlined the fact that a terrorist such as Mazloum should not be considered as an interlocutor by a country such as the United States,” Erdogan said. “This individual has been instrumental in the killings of hundreds of Turkey civilians.”

Trump was effusive in his praise of the Kurds that Turkey considers terrorists, without mentioning Mazloum by name. “I will say that we’ve had a great relationship with the Kurds and we fought with them very successfully against ISIS,” Trump said. “We fought together. We had, we have great generals and we have great equipment, and it certainly helped a lot.”

GRAHAM ON ERDOGAN: Trump invited five U.S. senators to join him for the Erdogan meeting, including Lindsey Graham, who while a Trump supporter, has been sharply critical of Erdogan.

In a statement afterward, Graham said he hoped that “over time,” the meeting “will prove to be productive.”

“I believe it is possible to deal with Turkey’s national security concerns by creating a Safe Zone, but Turkey cannot do it through force of arms,” he said. “The United States cannot and will not abandon our Syrian Democratic Forces allies, as that will undermine our ability to protect our nation going forward.”

Regarding Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 Russian missile system, Graham said, “I’m hopeful we can find a way forward with the S-400 where Turkey’s national security needs can be met without compromising the F-35 program.”

The Rundown

New York Times: Mixed Signals Hurt U.S. Drive to Keep Allies Battling ISIS

AP: Turkey Says It Captured ‘Important’ ISIS Figure In Syria

Reuters: Senior NATO Commander Says Alliance Is Responding to Russian Expansion With Exercises, New Command

Reuters: Russia Sets Up Helicopter Base In Northern Syria After U.S. Exit

The Diplomat: Russia: Avangard Hypersonic Warhead To Enter Service In Coming Weeks

Bloomberg: Stealthy Lockheed F-35 Breaks Down Too Often, Pentagon Says

Reuters: North Korea Warns Of Retaliation Against U.S-South Korea Military Drills

Al-Monitor: Erdogan’s US welcome sparks fear Trump will halt Turkey sanctions

Breaking Defense: Pentagon’s AI Problem Is ‘Dirty’ Data: Lt. Gen. Shanahan

Washington Post: What a new film gets right about the Iranian hostage crisis

Calendar

THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 14

8:30 a.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. — The Hill discussion on “America’s Veterans: The Next Mission,” with Senate Veterans’ Affairs ranking member Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind.; former Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey; Zack Giffin, co-host of “Tiny House Nation”; Michael Linnington, CEO of the Wounded Warrior Project; Meghan Ogilvie, CEO of Dog Tag Inc.; Susanne Slater, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C.; and Caitlin Thompson, vice president for community partnerships at the Cohen Veterans Network. https://thehill.com/event

9 a.m. 2660 Woodley Rd. N.W. — Day two of the NATO Allied Command Transformation Industry Forum, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg; Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist; and Defense Undersecretary for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord. https://www.act.nato.int/industryforum

9 a.m. 640 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. — Georgetown University Cyber SMART Research Center State of Cyber forum, with Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., chairman of the House Armed Services Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee; Bradford Wilke, assistant stakeholder engagement director at the Homeland Security Department; House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.; and Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary for Export Administration Matthew Borman. https://cybersmart.georgetown.edu/events

10 a.m. 215 Dirksen — The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission releases its Annual Report to Congress. Livestream at https://www.uscc.gov

10 a.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. N.W. — United States Institute of Peace discussion “How to Protect Afghan Women’s Rights and Build Consensus for Peace,” with Afghanistan first lady Rula Ghani; and Nancy Lindborg, president and CEO of USIP. https://www.usip.org/events

10 a.m. 1030 15th St. N.W. — Atlantic Council discussion “The Road to the 2019 NATO Leaders’ Meeting,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event

2 p.m. 2172 Rayburn. — House Foreign Affair Subcommittee hearing, “The U.S. Policy in Sahel Region Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations,” with Whitney Baird, deputy assistant secretary of state for west Africa and security affairs; Cheryl Anderson, U.S. Agency for International Development. http://foreignaffairs.house.gov Live stream at https://www.youtube.com/watch

7 p.m. 4646 Seminary Rd. — The Defense Department holds a public meeting to provide information on the Pentagon’s plans to screen incoming mail and other deliveries at the Mark Center Building in Alexandria, Va.

FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 15

12:15 p.m. 740 15th St. N.W. — New America discussion on a new report, “Decisionmaking in the Counter-ISIS War,” with author David Sterman, senior policy analyst at New America; Joshua Geltzer, fellow in the New America International Security Program; Alexandra Stark, senior researcher in the New America Political Reform Program; and Melissa Salyk-Virk, senior policy analyst in the New America International Security Program. https://www.newamerica.org

2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion on the progress of women and their role in the peace process in Afghanistan, with Afghanistan first lady Rula Ghani; and Earl Anthony Wayne, nonresident senior adviser in the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development. https://www.csis.org/events/conversation

TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 19

2:30 p.m. Rayburn 2212 — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing: “Military Health System Reform: A Cure for Efficiency and Readiness?” with Thomas McCaffery, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs; Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, director, Defense Health Agency; Lt. Gen. Scott Dingle, Surgeon General of the Army; Lt. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, Surgeon General of the Air Force; and Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, Surgeon General of the Navy.

5 a.m. EST, 11 a.m. CET. NATO Headquarters, Brussels — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s pre-ministerial press conference. https://www.nato.int

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 20

2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities hearing: “Climate Change in the Era of Strategic Competition,” with John Rood, under secretary of defense for policy; Michael Griffin, under secretary of defense for research and engineering; Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Pentagon’s director for defense intelligence warfighter support; Maria Langan-Riekhof, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 21

9 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hearing: “The Department of Defense Organic Industrial Base: Challenges, Solutions and Readiness Impacts,” with Lt. Gen. Duane Gamble, deputy Army chief of staff; Lt. Gen. Donald Kirkland, commander, Air Force Sustainment Center Air Force Materiel Command; Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; Vice Adm. G. Dean Peters, commander, Naval Air Systems Command; and Maj. Gen. Joseph Shrader, Commanding General, Marine Corps Logistics Command.