CARTER IN BRUSSELS: Defense Secretary Ash Carter is in Brussels for a full day of meetings to talk about NATO’s “new playbook,” the amped-up U.S. air campaign in Afghanistan, and NATO’s nuclear posture.
You can add Carter to the long list of U.S. officials calling for NATO allies to pick up more of their share of the bill. Carter told reporters traveling with him he will “absolutely for sure” be pressing NATO members to live up to their commitment to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
“You can bet that a continuing theme here and in Warsaw will be the need for all countries to meet their pledged 2 percent and, of course, ideally more,” Carter told reporters on the plane just before landing in Brussels on Monday night.
Carter says he will also to ask NATO to step up involvement in the campaign against the Islamic State. While Carter says the investigation of the Orlando massacre is in the hands of law enforcement, the attack should underscore how critical it is to defeat the terrorist group. “It certainly should further steel everyone’s resolve to defeat ISIL in its parent tumor in Iraq and Syria,” he said.
Jacqueline Klimas is among the reporters traveling with Carter, and breaks it all down for Jamie McIntyre in this podcast.
NOT SPOILING FOR A FIGHT: Klimas reports that NATO SecGen Jens Stoltenberg kicked off the ministerial with a promise to counter Russian aggression, but tempered his remarks indicating NATO has no desire for military confrontation with Moscow. “Our message is that NATO will continue to protect and defend all allies against any threats coming from any direction,” Stoltenberg said.
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Jacqueline Klimas (@jacqklimas) and Senior Editor David Brown (@dave_brown24). Email us here for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work for whatever reason, shoot us an email and we’ll be sure to add you to our list.
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IT’S ELECTION DAY: The final presidential primary is today in the District of Columbia. No indication yet whether presumptive Democratic second-place finisher Bernie Sanders will make any adjustment to his campaign now that all the primaries will be over and he has fewer votes and delegates than Hillary Clinton. Some reports hint Sanders may meet with Clinton tonight, after the last votes are in.
REACTIONS TO ORLANDO: On the first full day after the mass shooting, the reactions of Clinton and Donald Trump could not have been more different in both substance and tone. Here is a rundown of the Washington Examiner’s coverage:
Let’s start with Trump. First off he called for more bombing, (Trump calls for retaliation in wake of Orlando shooting), then he suggested maybe President Obama had some ulterior motive for not getting tough on the Islamic State (Trump: Obama could have ‘something else in mind’ about Islamic extremism), then he said Clinton was conceding he was right, (Trump takes credit for Clinton’s use of ‘radical Islam’ label), and he tripled down, expanding his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. (Trump reaffirms Muslim ban to fix ‘dysfunctional’ immigration rules).
And then there was Clinton. The Democrat hit more traditional themes, including a call to ban assault-style weapons, (Clinton: ‘Weapons of war’ must be banned after Orlando), and that all the fuss about the term “radical Islam” is meaningless, (Clinton: ‘It matters that we got bin Laden, not what name we called him’). Mainly she tried to draw a contrast with Trump, (Clinton hits back at Trump: ‘We cannot demonize Muslim people’) while not mentioning his name too much, (Clinton tries to differentiate herself from Trump on terror).
THE INVESTIGATION: FBI Director James Comey and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson are on the Hill today, (FBI, DHS to brief lawmakers Tuesday on Orlando attack), while the Justice Department is looking harder at who might have helped gunman Omar Mateen, (DOJ: Others are being investigated in Orlando attack). The current thinking is he was “self-radicalized,” (Obama: Orlando killer motivated by ‘extremist’ Internet information), and in avoiding the “radical Islam” descriptor, Obama insists he’s in good company (White House: Bush also refused to say ‘radical Islam’).
CONGRESS REACTS: There was no shortage of reaction from members of Congress. Democrats were quick out of the gate to revive a proposal to ban gun sales to anyone on the terror watch list (Dems to push new gun law in wake of massacre), even as one Democrat said a moment of silence sends the wrong message (Dem boycotts moment of silence for Orlando shooting victims). Not all Republicans can endorse the idea of barring Muslims entry to the U.S. (Ron Johnson breaks from Trump on Muslim ban). Meanwhile questions are being raised about the attacker’s Afghan father, (Sessions: Omar Mateen’s father ‘Taliban member’).
ULTRA-MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT: Former top U.S. commander retired Gen. David Petraeus made a rare public appearance yesterday, and while not mentioning Trump by name, he rejected the key tenets of Trump’s foreign policy. “Our country has very very clear basic principles and I think this is the time to return to those,” Petraeus told the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. “We have been an inclusive society. We have welcomed immigrants from around the world.” As for Trump’s call to step up the bombing, Petraeus said “This is a matter for everyone to pull together. And certainly this is much much more than just trying to kill or capture your way out an industrial-strength problem. That doesn’t work.”
WHY DO THEIR PLANES LOOK LIKE OURS? North Korea stole plans for a U.S. F-15 fighter jet by hacking into more than 100 South Korean firms and government agencies over a two-year period, Rudy Takala reports. South Korea says the intrusion resulted in the theft of 42,000 documents from 140,000 computers held by 160 entities.
ENTER THE APACHES: Those U.S. Apache helicopter gunships that have been waiting in the wings for months now to give the Iraqi Security Forces more firepower, finally got to see some limited action. Several flew, and a single Apache conducted a strike for the first time on Monday morning near Mosul, taking out an ISIS vehicle, according to senior defense official. The U.S. keeps offering Apaches for close-air support of the Iraqi offensive against the Islamic State, and Iraq keeps saying “no thanks, maybe later.”
SENATE TO WRAP UP NDAA: The Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act is scheduled for a final vote this morning, sometime after 11 a.m. As of this morning there were only two minor amendments left. The $602 billion authorization includes major reforms to the military’s organizational structure, makes changes to the Pentagon’s sluggish acquisition system and requires women ages 18 to 26 to sign up for the draft. The votes comes as Obama is threatening a veto over numerous objections, including a prohibition on closing the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a provision to limit the size of the president’s National Security Council staff.
MEANWHILE OVER IN THE HOUSE: The House Rules Committee, which was expected to approve amendments to be added for consideration in the fiscal 2017 defense appropriations bill last night, ended up pushing off a final vote until tomorrow. That means actual voting on the bill probably won’t happen until later this week.
As of last night, 99 amendments had been submitted for consideration. Among them:
— A proposal by Rep. Jackie Speier to cut funding for the littoral combat ship program and put that money toward readiness for the four services.
— A prohibition on spending money on finding an alternate site for the Guantanamo Bay prison in the U.S., or on using funds to transfer anyone from the prison (submitted by several congressmen).
— A block on funding on naming a Navy ship after a member of Congress unless that person served in the military or was the president of the U.S. That was submitted by Rep. Steve Palazzo. This year, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus named a destroyer after former Sen. Carl Levin.
On the subject of ship names: Mabus is scheduled to announce tonight who will have the honor of having the next Arleigh-Burke class destroyer named after them, and then tomorrow he announces the name for the next Virginia-class attack submarine.
HE’S GOT THE EX-CNO’s ENDORSEMENT: Recently retired Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert has endorsed Republican Randy Forbes in Virginia’s newly-redrawn 2nd congressional district race. The primary election is today. Forbes who currently serves the 4th District, will face Virginia Beach state Del. Scott Taylor, a former Navy SEAL, and a lawyer from Virginia Beach Pat Cardwell. The winner will face Democrat Shaun Brown in November. Forbes is chairman of the House Armed Services’ seapower subcommittee.
MORE BENGHAZI: House Benghazi Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy has subpoenaed Pentagon official Stephen Hedger suggesting that he tried to prevent an Air Force sergeant from providing testimony about the night of the 2012 attacks. Gowdy is skeptical of the Pentagon’s claim that it could not find the witness who was known as “John from Iowa” after he called into a radio show. “Mr. Hedger will now have the opportunity to detail exactly what ‘resources’ he ‘expended’ and how,” Gowdy says.
GIVE A KIDNEY, GET A KIDNEY: Officials at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center are starting a pilot program to pioneer what is called “kidney paired donation chains.” Under the program, families of active-duty service members donate one of their kidneys to patients listed for transplant at the medical center’s campus. The idea is help some of the hardest-to-match veterans and their dependents to receive transplants using kidneys from the military share program, while facilitating life-saving kidney-paired donation chains for civilian patients.
HAPPY 241ST BIRTHDAY U.S. ARMY! According to the Army’s website, “Two hundred forty-one years ago, our nation’s leaders established the Continental Army. Today, the Army is the strategic landpower of the joint force; called upon to prevent, shape, and win against our adversaries.”
THE RUNDOWN
Combat Aircraft: Obituary: Robert F. Dorr
Washington Post: Former Afghan leader Karzai: Military action cannot resolve conflict in Afghanistan
Wall Street Journal: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Welcomes Increase in Military Spending by Europe and Canada
Politico: Pentagon rebukes Trump proposal for more airstrikes
Reuters: Second U.S. Aircraft Carrier Enters Mediterranean: U.S. Navy
Military.com: Army Reserve Captain Killed in Mass Shooting at Orlando Nightclub
Scout.com: Marine Corps to Arm Osprey With New Weapons
Breaking Defense: Army Wants To Buy Back Guard Apaches In 2018: VCSA Allyn
Seapower: Naval Aviation Vision: Legacy Navy Hornets Gone By 2026
The Atlantic: GPS Doesn’t Work Underwater. So the U.S. Navy is developing a new kind of system – built specifically for drone submarines.
New York Times: Heavy Gunfire Traded Across Afghan-Pakistan Border, Escalating Tensions
Asahi Shimbun: China Sending Remodeled Navy Warships Near Senkaku Island
Washington Post: Court throws out $1.8 million judgment against ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle’s estate
Tech Insider: The Pentagon has a little-known Silicon Valley team with big plans to bring futuristic tech to the military
National Interest: The Pentagon Will Test-Fire its New Larger SM-3IIA Interceptor Missile in Space
Des Moines Register: Meatless Monday for military? No way, Ernst says
Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Native To Become Navy’s New Top Enlisted Sailor
Calendar
WEDNESDAY | JUNE 15
8:45 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. The Atlantic Council hosts two panels to discuss security implications in the Black Sea for NATO and its regional partners. atlanticcouncil.org
9 a.m. 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Cato Institute hosts a day-long event on the case for restraint in U.S. foreign policy. cato.org
10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. House Armed Services committee hears from top DoD comptrollers on the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness plan. armedservices.house.gov
THURSDAY | JUNE 16
9 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. The Atlantic Council will discuss the progress of the Iran nuclear deal. atlanticcouncil.org
9:30 a.m. Dirksen G50. Senate Armed Services Committee will consider the nomination of General David Goldfein to be the next Air Force Chief of Staff. armed-services.senate.gov
3 p.m. 1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., keynotes a discussion on Desert Storm and its veterans. brookings.edu
6 p.m. 1301 K St. NW. Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of defense for policy, and Kathleen Hicks, former principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, discuss Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy platform. hillaryclinton.com
FRIDAY | JUNE 17
1 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. The Atlantic Council discusses a new national security space strategy. atlanticcouncil.org
MONDAY | JUNE 20
All day, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The Center for a New American Security hosts its annual conference in D.C. conference.cnas.org
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. CSIS hosts a discussion on anticipating moves and countermoves in the South China Sea. csis.org
1 p.m. Los Angeles, CA. The Atlantic Council hosts Dr. Gregory Treverton, chairman of the U.S. National Intelligence Council, to discuss long-range global trends for the next president. atlanticcouncil.org
2 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Brookings Institute hosts Robert McDonald, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to talk about departmental reforms. brookings.edu
TUESDAY | JUNE 21
9:30 a.m. 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, Va. Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, talks about acquiring capabilities more quickly. mitchellaerospacepower.org
12 p.m. SVC 208-209. Lexington Institute hosts a Capitol Hill Forum on the National Guard’s role in cybersecurity for the U.S. power grid. lexingtoninstitute.org
12 p.m. 1150 17th St. NW. The Armed Service Committee staff members discuss challenges facing the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. aei.org
