Trump gives Mattis authority over troop caps in ISIS fight

The change “enables military commanders to become more agile, adaptive and efficient in supporting our partners,” spokesman Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway told CNN. The troop caps have made life difficult for overseas commanders, forcing them to keep certain troops at home or out of the war zone and use contractors instead. Lawmakers have pointed out that the workaround is expensive and degrades the skill levels of the service members who don’t deploy. The caps were also another facet of what many viewed was an overbearing White House under President Obama that was micromanaging too many aspects of military operations. The caps are 5,262 troops in Iraq and 503 in Syria, but at times the number of actual troops was higher because those troops were on temporary duty.

SHORT-TERM SHUTDOWN REPRIEVE: The House Appropriations Committee released a continuing resolution late Wednesday that would keep the federal government funded through May 5. “This Continuing Resolution will continue to keep the government open and operating as normal for the next several days, in order to finalize legislation to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year,” House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen said in a statement.

The funding bill would buy Congress another week past Friday to work out a long-term budget deal.

SMALLER SUPPLEMENTAL: Capitol Hill appropriators on Wednesday appeared to be closing in on a deal to boost supplemental defense spending for fiscal 2017, but Rep. Mac Thornberry the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, batted down reports the amount could be $15 billion. The Republican chairman said negotiations were still ongoing between Republicans and Democrats and lawmakers had not locked down an agreement. President Trump requested a $30 billion boost for the military this year as lawmakers scurry to pass annual spending legislation to keep the government funded through September. Thornberry and other lawmakers said they have already accepted the fact that any supplemental defense funding will be less than the Trump request, which included $3 billion for immigration and a border wall. But the chairman said he was not willing to draw a “red line” on any funding amount. A final proposal could be released by Congress in the coming days.

SOME VACANCIES COULD STAY VACANT: Trump said Wednesday that he does not plan to fill many of the vacancies left by departing political appointees in his administration, arguing the federal government could survive without some of the staff positions awaiting appointees. “We don’t need so many people coming to work,” Trump told Sarah Westwood in an interview at the White House Wednesday. “When they say about putting people in, there are so many jobs in Washington, we don’t want so many jobs. You don’t need all of those people.”

The White House has faced questions about its slow pace of nominating people to fill the hundreds of open positions across the government. Administration officials have countered that Senate Democrats are to blame for stonewalling the nominees who have made it into committees. During the first month of Trump’s presidency, for example, the administration managed to fill just 14 of the 1,212 positions that require Senate confirmation.

“Even me, I look at staffing, and I look at the numbers of people, and many of the people that they complain don’t have, you know, where certain positions aren’t filled, in many cases you don’t need those positions to be filled,” Trump said. “You know, a good example is Rex [Tillerson] over at State, got so many people, and he likes to do things himself, and he likes to take meetings himself, he doesn’t necessarily need the kind of numbers that you’re talking about.”

Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Travis J. Tritten (@travis_tritten) 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, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @dailyondefense.

WAR TALK ON NORTH KOREA SOFTENS: A joint statement put out by Mattis, Tillerson and DNI Dan Coats last night said the U.S. “seeks stability and the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. We remain open to negotiations towards that goal. However, we remain prepared to defend ourselves and our Allies.”

A few hours earlier, Pacific Commander Adm. Harry Harris told House lawmakers “We want to bring Kim Jong Un to his senses, not his knees.”

A Chinese official said the tone and willingness to negotiate is welcome. “We have noted these expressions, and have noted the message conveyed in these expressions hoping to resolve the Korean nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue and consultation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told Reuters. “We believe this message is positive and should be affirmed.”

WHAT’S NEXT: Trump wants Congress and international partners to target North Korea with new sanctions and moves to isolate the regime internationally, his team told senators Wednesday. “The president’s approach aims to pressure North Korea into dismantling its nuclear, ballistic missile, and proliferation programs by tightening economic sanctions and pursuing diplomatic measures with our allies and regional partners,” the Tillerson-Mattis-Coats statement said, following a special briefing of the full Senate at the White House.

LOW MARKS FOR THE BRIEFING: Lawmakers from both sides, but mostly Democrats, seemed unimpressed with the rare briefing, which saw senators load up onto buses and drive across town to the White House grounds to hear from Tillerson, Mattis, Coats and JCS Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford.

“It was an OK briefing,” said Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker. “I’m not sure I would have had it.” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, who predicted the meeting would be a “photo op” before the briefing took place, said the national security team emphasized that North Korea is at the top of their agenda. “No, it was not a lot of new information,” he told Connecticut Public Radio. “Maybe there was no new information today. But they clearly have this at the top of their foreign policy agenda.”

“I seriously felt like I could have gotten all that information by reading a newspaper,” Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said. “I did not see any new information coming out of that briefing at all. It felt more like a dog and pony show to me more than anything else.”

NORTH KOREA ON TERROR LIST? The United States is considering putting North Korea on its state sponsors of terrorism list, multiple news outlets reported a senior White House official saying Wednesday. According to the State Department website, “Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism are designated pursuant to three laws: section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act.”

“Taken together,” the State Department says, “the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.” Iran, Sudan and Syria are on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

HAPPENING TODAY: After his House testimony yesterday, Pacific chief Harris moves on to the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning at 9:30. Yesterday, Harris told the House that Hawaii needs protection from a growing North Korean missile threat. He said he has recommended missile interceptors and upgraded radars to shield the Pacific island state, similar to the interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California guarding the U.S. mainland. As its missile program advances, North Korea could overwhelm the current system and force the United States to choose which missiles it shoots down — or doesn’t shoot down, Harris told lawmakers.

CARL VINSON MEA CULPA: As expected, the PACOM chief did not make it through his testimony without being questioned about the recent confusion over the USS Carl Vinson strike group’s movements toward North Korea. “That’s my fault on the confusion and I’ll take the hit for it,” Harris said. A series of public statements by the Navy, Mattis and Trump left the mistaken impression the strike group was approaching the Korean peninsula this month when in fact it was thousands of miles away at an exercise near Singapore. “Where I failed was to communicate that adequately to the press and the media,” Harris said. Early, inaccurate reports on the carrier movements ratcheted up tensions, including North Korean threats of nuclear war.

WHERE’S CARL? The Vinson strike group, by the way, is still in the Philippine Sea, according to a photo released yesterday by the Navy. The carrier, along with destroyer Michael Murphy and cruiser Lake Champlain, was accompanied by two Japanese destroyers.

ALSO TODAY: Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, visits the Brookings Institution this morning at 8. The discussion will focus on the priorities for the fleet and how it maintains readiness.

FRUSTRATION OVER TURKISH STRIKES: Turkey attacked U.S.-backed forces in Iraq and Syria without giving American troops enough advance warning to leave the area, the Pentagon revealed Wednesday, Joel Gehrke writes. “We had forces within six miles of the strikes,” Air Force Col. John Dorrian, the spokesman for the counter-Islamic State efforts in Iraq and Syria, told reporters Wednesday. “It was an unsafe way to conduct operations.”

Turkish officials alerted the U.S. military to the impending strike “less than an hour” before the raids on U.S.-backed Kurdish forces took place, while adding only a vague description of where the attack would occur. That ensured that American leaders wouldn’t be able to warn the targets of the strikes, but it also meant that troops on the ground in Syria couldn’t take defensive moves.

IT’S Q1 EARNINGS WEEK: Three of the top five defense firms reported earnings yesterday:

Boeing: Earnings and operating cash flow were higher than the same quarter last year. Earnings per share increased to $2.34 from $1.83, but revenue dropped to $20.9 billion from $22.6 billion. On the military aircraft side, the division was awarded a contract for “268 AH-64E Apache helicopters from the U.S. Army, a contract for 17 P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the U.S. Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, and the U.K. Royal Air Force, and a contract from the U.S. Air Force for an additional 15 KC-46 Tanker aircraft,” a statement said. “We also achieved major milestones, including the certification of the new 737 MAX 8 and first flight of the 787-10 Dreamliner, and we captured a $3.4 billion contract award for 268 Apache helicopters,” CEO Dennis Muilenburg said.

Northrop Grumman: Sales went up to $6.3 billion from $6 billion a year ago while earnings increased from $556 million to $640 million. Earnings per share also increased, from $3.03 to $3.63. “First quarter results are a strong start to the year, with solid operational performance from all three of our businesses. We continue to position our company for long-term profitable growth,” said Wes Bush, chairman, chief executive officer and president. Sales went up due to increased F-35 deliveries and Triton UAVs.

General Dynamics: Earnings jumped to $763 million from $654 million a year ago. Revenue dropped slightly from $7.476 billion last year to $7.441 this year. Earnings per share were $2.48, compared to $2.08. Orders included support for Stryker vehicles and Abrams tanks, ammunition for the Army, ground mobility vehicles for special operations forces and gun systems for the F-35. “We are on track for a productive 2017 as we continue our focus on operational improvement and successful execution on our robust backlog,” said CEO Phebe Novakovic.

Next up: Raytheon reports its results today.

ICBM TEST: The Air Force released video of its test of an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California yesterday morning. The launch had been planned years in advance, yet Pyongyang was almost certainly watching.

THE RUNDOWN

New York Times: On the Mosul front, a brutal battle against ISIS and time

DoD Buzz: F-35 won’t fly to Paris as auditors warn of program delay

War on the Rocks: Read any good books lately? Adm. Jim Stavridis (ret.) has some suggestions

USA Today: President Trump to sign executive order creating VA accountability office

Reuters: China flags global naval role after new carrier launch

CNN: NK: Military drill a response to US aggression

USNI News: VIDEO: China launches first domestic aircraft carrier

Task and Purpose: The Army is preparing to field this electromagnetic rifle against ISIS drones

Wall Street Journal: White House intervened to toughen letter on Iran nuclear deal

Defense News: F-35 logistics system all set for US Air Force and Navy, not yet for Marines

Defense One: Can Trump’s Defense Department get more for less?

USA Today: Kremlin bans ‘Open Russia’ movement ahead of weekend protests

Fox News: North Korea’s soldiers: A closer look at the military’s ‘fake’ capabilities

Military.com: Congress moves to reduce loss of Guard technicians

Navy Times: Seahawk helicopter crashes in the Pacific, crew recovered safely

Task and Purpose: National Enquirer’s Trump Cover Mistakes Russian Warship For US ‘Destroyer’

Calendar

THURSDAY | APRIL 27

8 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. A discussion with Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, on how to maintain a ready fleet. brookings.edu

9 a.m. Capitol Visitor Center 217. All-day conference on a fundamental change in nuclear weapons policy. sgi-usa-washingtondc.org

9:30 a.m. Dirksen G50. Adm. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, testifies on the Pacific region and U.S. Forces Korea. armed-services.senate.gov

10 a.m. Rayburn 2172. Policy options in Syria after the missile strikes. foreignaffairs.house.gov

10 a.m. Rayburn 2154. Strengthening national security with a border wall. oversight.house.gov

10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Lawmakers speak on various defense issues for member day. armedservices.house.gov

10:30 a.m. Dirksen 124. Veterans Health Administration officials testify about preventing suicide. appropriations.senate.gov

12:30 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. U.S. entry into World War I and the lessons 100 years later. cfr.org

2 p.m. Rayburn 2118. Defense health officials testify on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury treatments. armedservices.house.gov

2 p.m. Rayburn 2172. Afghanistan’s terrorist resurgence: Al-Qaeda, ISIS and beyond. foreignaffairs.house.gov

2 p.m. Hart 219. Closed intelligence hearing. intelligence.senate.gov

2 p.m. House Visitor Center 210. The Transportation Security Administration’s Innovation Task Force demonstrate new and innovative airport security technologies. homeland.house.gov

2:30 p.m. Russell 222. Experts discuss cyber-enabled information operations. armed-services.senate.gov

FRIDAY | APRIL 28

10 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Key Congressional staff members examine the big questions in U.S.-Asia policy. heritage.org

SATURDAY | APRIL 29

2:30 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. Discussion of the world’s hotspots for the Trump administration with Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and other experts. cfr.org

MONDAY | MAY 1

10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Three former Japan defense ministers discuss the country’s strategy toward the Trump administration. csis.org

12 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. Trump’s first 100 days and what is next. atlanticcouncil.org

TUESDAY | MAY 2

8 a.m. 300 First St. SE. A discussion with Vice Adm. Charles Richard, vice commander of U.S. Strategic Command, about nuclear deterrence.

8:30 a.m. 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. Sasakawa USA’s fourth annual security forum with former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Itsunori Onodera, former Japan minister of defense. spfusa.org

11 a.m. Rayburn building foyer. Missile Defense Day exhibit. ndia.org

11 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. The future of U.S. seapower with Rep. Rob Wittman and Rep. Joe Courtney. csis.org

3:30 p.m. Rayburn. 2118. Overview of the annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies from superintendents. armedservices.house.gov

WEDNESDAY | MAY 3

8:30 a.m. 1201 M St. SE. Systems engineering division meeting. ndia.org

9:30 a.m. 1307 L St. NW. Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and others discuss new terrorism threats and counterterrorism strategies. cnas.org

11 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. On America’s Arctic frontline: A conversation with Adm. Paul Zukunft, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. csis.org

3:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118. Rear Adm. John P. Neagley, program executive officer for Navy littoral combat ships, and Rear Adm. Ronald Boxxall, director of Navy surface warfare, testify about littoral combat ships and the transition to frigate class. armedservices.house.gov

THURSDAY | MAY 4

9 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. John Negroponte, former secretary of state, discusses a new strategy for U.S. engagement in Central America. atlanticcouncil.org

9:30 a.m. 901 17th St. NW. A conversation with Gen. Mark Milley, Army chief of staff. atlanticcouncil.org

9:30 a.m. Dirksen G50. Testimony by Gen. Raymond Thomas III, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, and Theresa Whelan, acting assistant secretary of defense for special operations. armed-services.senate.gov

1 p.m. House Visitors Center 304. Closed hearing on ongoing intelligence activities. intelligence.house.gov

2:30 p.m. Russell 232-A. Testimony by Vice Adm. James Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency, and Gen. James Dickinson, commander of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. armed-services.senate.gov