FLEXING HIS FLEXIBILITY: At the end of yesterday’s marathon news conference, President Trump answered the big question on everyone’s mind, namely was French President Emmanuel Macron truly a “Trump Whisperer” who could leverage his budding bromance with Trump to actually talk the American president down from some of his most extreme positions?

THE ‘HONORABLE’ MR. KIM: North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un, who has imprisoned more than 100,000 of his own people in brutal labor camps and executes his political rivals, is not perfect, but according to Trump is an honorable man, at least when it comes to behavior during talks with the U.S. about denuclearization.

“He really has been very open and, I think, very honorable from everything we’re seeing,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Now, a lot of promises have been made by North Korea over the years, but they have never been in this position.”

MOON-TRUMP SUMMIT: Reports from Seoul indicate South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump will meet sometime after Moon’s summit with Kim on Friday. Reuters is quoting a South Korean presidential official who spoke on condition of anonymity saying the meeting will occur mid-May.

Moon and Trump are also scheduled to speak by phone shortly after Friday’s Moon-Kim summit, the presidential Blue House said.

Good Wednesday 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.

HAPPENING TODAY: Macron wraps up his remarkable visit to Washington with a speech before both houses of Congress around 10:30 this morning. It’s the first time in nearly two years a foreign leader has spoken before the entire Congress, and Macron is expected to make the same arguments he did to the president about staying in the Iran deal and in Syria. He’s not the first French president to address the American lawmakers. Charles de Gaulle did it 58 years ago.

NDAA MARKUP BRIEFS: The House Armed Services subcommittees will brief the press today on each of their markups for the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. It will be the first detailed look at the state of this year’s bill so far. The subcommittees are set to hold individual hearings and votes on the markups Thursday.

NETHERLANDS SALES: The State Department has greenlit a potential $70 million sale of 3,500 M1156 Precision Guided Kits to the Netherlands, which is a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State and in stability operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Orbital ATK kits allow standard munitions to be converted into smart bombs. The department has also approved selling a $110 million U.S.-based F-16 fighter jet training unit to the Netherlands.

BIG SALES FOR LOCKHEED: Lockheed Martin is boosting its 2018 profit target despite the government’s decision to halt deliveries of the F-35 fighter, the largest U.S. weapons program, over a contract issue.

The Bethesda, Md.-based aerospace company expects segment earnings of $5.32 billion to $5.47 billion, an increase of 2.2 percent, following sales growth of 7 percent in its aeronautics business driven by the high-tech jet.

Lockheed executives, who characterized the military’s move as a “temporary suspension,” said the firm is maintaining current production levels and still expects to deliver more than 90 F-35 jets this year.

MORE EARNINGS NEWS: Northrop Grumman reported this morning that its first quarter sales went up 5 percent to $6.7 billion, from $6.4 billion this time last year. Net earnings increased 14 percent to $739 million.

‘I WOULDN’T DO IT’: Despite Trump opening the door for his nominee for Veterans Affairs secretary to make a graceful exit amid allegations of professional misconduct, White House physician Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson wants to fight for the job.

“I wouldn’t do it. What does he need it for? To be abused by a bunch of politicians that aren’t thinking nicely about our country?” Trump mused at his afternoon news conference. “I really don’t think personally he should do it, but it’s totally his … decision.” Trump acknowledged that Jackson has “an experience problem, because lack of experience,” but said he knew nothing of the allegations against him, calling Jackson “one of the finest people that I have met.”

THE ‘CANDY MAN’ FIGHTS: Those allegations were detailed yesterday on NPR and CNN by Sen. Jon Tester, ranking Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Tester says 20 people who worked with Jackson allege that during the Obama administration the doctor improperly handed out prescription sleep aids and drank heavily during social occasions on overseas trips to the point he was not always available if the president had needed his services.

“That’s the reports we got from the people, the 20-some people who got ahold of us and said, we got a problem. This doctor has a problem because he hands out prescriptions like candy. In fact, in the White House, they called him the candy man,” Tester told CNN’s Anderson Cooper last night. The drugs were identified as Ambien and Provigil.

Testor said one allegation was that on a presidential trip, Tester was passed out in his hotel room, and was therefore unavailable in case of an emergency. “If you’re drunk and something happens with the president, it’s very difficult to go in and treat the president,” Tester said. “This is totally unacceptable under this environment. And that’s what multiple people told us this was the case on several different trips.”

STANDING BY HIS NOMINEE: But after an Oval Office meeting between Trump and Jackson, the White House said it would not be withdrawing the nomination.  

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Having logged more than 500,000 miles and visited more than 65 countries on official travel with senior Pentagon and military officials, I can attest to the fact it is common practice for a flight surgeon to prescribe on-the-spot sleeping pills and melatonin to aid the official party in adjusting to jet lag, especially went a flight leaves late from Washington and arrives in Europe early in the morning and work begins immediately. While I personally have never availed myself of any sleep aids, I know many others swear by them, insisting it’s the only way they can get a few hours sleep in the Spartan condition on military jets.

As for after-hours drinking, It’s certainly not uncommon for off-duty officials to have a few drinks at the end of a long day’s work, at dinner or in the hotel bar. The question for doctors is whether they are ever really off-duty.

NAKASONE CONFIRMED: The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone to head the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. He will now take over the country’s leading intelligence and cyberspace agencies from Adm. Mike Rogers, who held the dual-hatted post for four years and is retiring. The confirmation was no surprise. Nakasone cruised through two Senate committee confirmation hearings and enjoys wide bipartisan support at a time when numerous Trump nominees have hit opposition in the chamber.

Nakasone honed his cyber warfighting skills as commander of Joint Task Force Ares, a special cell formed in 2016 to disrupt the Islamic State, and comes to the new jobs as the country faces a plethora of new security threats. Nakasone said during a March confirmation hearing that Russia and China do not fear the U.S. and proposed a new cyber doctrine to counter them. “Basically, I would say right now they do not think that much will happen to them. They don’t fear us,” he said at the time.

SASC MOVES MORE NOMINEES: Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted by voice Tuesday to advance the nominations of Adm. Philip Davidson, who has been tapped to lead U.S. Pacific Command, and Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, the pick for U.S. Northern Command. Now, both could be teed up for a final confirmation vote on the Senate floor. Davidson is currently the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Va., and O’Shaughnessy is in charge of air power in the Pacific. Both had been whisked through the process and a smooth confirmation hearing after being named this month.

CONGRESS HAS NIGER REPORT: Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, confirmed yesterday that Congress has been given the final report on the Oct. 4 attack in Niger that claimed the lives of four U.S. soldiers, which means the findings will soon be made public.

“The Committee has received and is currently reviewing the Department of Defense’s report on the October 2017 attack on U.S. service members in Niger. The Committee looks forward to holding an unclassified public hearing to examine the report’s findings after the Committee of primary responsibility and jurisdiction, the House Armed Services Committee, holds their hearing.”

AFGHANISTAN ROLES: An international security bloc dominated by Russia and China may ‘redouble’ its involvement in Afghanistan, according to Russia’s top diplomat.

SERVICE CHIEFS: NO TRANSGENDER MORALE ISSUES: On Tuesday, Gen. David Goldfein became the fourth service chief to testify this month that he has seen no reports of morale, unit cohesion or disciplinary problems related to transgender troops. In Senate Armed Services hearings, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has asked Goldfein and the uniformed leaders of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps whether they had seen any such reports. “Not the way you’ve presented the question, ma’am, I have not. I will tell you that I’ve talked to commanders in the field, first sergeants, senior [noncommissioned officers], and I’m committed to ensure they have the right levels of guidance to understand these very personal issues that they are dealing with,” Goldfein said Tuesday. The other service chiefs said they had seen zero reports of those issues, which had been cited by the Pentagon as a concern and reason for rolling back the Obama administration’s policy of open service.

SHANAHAN ON THORNBERRY CUTS: Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan insisted Tuesday that he is on the same page as Rep. Mac Thornberry when it comes to the congressman’s newly unveiled effort to slash billions of dollars in spending on military support agencies. “What I would say in terms of Chairman Thornberry, and I’ve met with him a number of times on this subject, is we are aligned in our thinking about the opportunity and potential to streamline the Fourth Estate,” Shanahan said during a breakfast with defense reporters Tuesday. But it was less clear whether the Pentagon’s No. 2 and the House Armed Services chairman had reached any understanding on the depth of cuts to the 28 Pentagon agencies and activities that comprise the so-called Fourth Estate and spend about $100 billion per year.

“The degree and the timing, I’m not really familiar with what’s been outlined by him … I don’t know what the final number will be, but he’s been at this a lot longer, so I would trust his judgment about the potential,” Shanahan said. He said the Pentagon is hoping to wring out savings through consolidation and modernization. Meanwhile, Thornberry wants to impose a mandatory 25 percent, across-the-board cut on the Fourth Estate and eliminate seven of those agencies. He says it would slash about $25 billion in annual spending. “If there can’t be 25 percent savings that they do on their own, then we will enforce it ourselves,” Thornberry said during a Facebook Live chat with Citizens Against Government Waste on Tuesday.

SPACE CORPS REVIEW COMING: During the breakfast, Shanahan also said he plans to wrap up a review on space operations and the possibility of a new Space Corps military service by June and hand it to Congress in August. Lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee who are worried that the Air Force is bungling space security requested the review. But Shanahan held off on making any final pronouncement about the need to create a space service. “I don’t think it needs to happen at this point but I think we need to finish the study and stare hard into the facts,” Shanahan said.

F-16 PILOT EJECTS: An Air Force pilot safely ejected from an F-16C on Tuesday during an emergency landing at Arizona’s Lake Havasu Airport, according to the Air Force. The jet, which was assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing, had been diverted and was trying to land, according to the official Twitter account at Luke Air Force Base.

“During landing the aircraft departed the prepared surface and the pilot ejected from the aircraft. The pilot is in good condition and is being transported to Havasu Regional Medical Center,” the base tweeted.

NAVY ACCEPTS STEALTH DESTROYER: The Navy accepted the Zumwalt-class destroyer Zumwalt from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works yesterday, the Navy announced. Monsoor is the second of three ships in the stealth destroyer class.

“Delivery of DDG 1001 marks the culmination of years of dedication and hard work from our Navy and industry team,” said Capt. Kevin Smith, DDG 1000 program manager. “We have incorporated many lessons learned from DDG 1000 and are proud of the end result. DDG 1001 will be a tremendous asset to the Navy.”

THANKS COL. DILLON: Yesterday was likely the last Pentagon briefing by Army Col. Ryan Dillon, chief spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, who is rotating out of Baghdad, and will be taking a less hazardous and lower profile assignment as chief of public affairs for U.S. Army Africa.

In his last briefing, Dillon joked that he doesn’t discuss future operations, but said it’s been an honor to represent all of the men and women who represent the U.S.-led coalition. “I hope that I have been able to do them justice by standing up here and briefing you and talking to you on the phone.”  

In the past year, Dillon developed a reputation as one of the hardest working public affairs officers in the military, one who always returned calls even though he was often in a war zone. Thanks, Colonel.

THE RUNDOWN

Defense News: JEDI cloud contract ‘fair and open’ competition, Shanahan says

Military Times: Commentary: Congress must act to rein in DoD waste, red tape

Foreign Policy: How AI Could Destabilize Nuclear Deterrence

New York Times: American Warplanes Shift Tactics to Target Last ISIS Pockets in Eastern Syria

Breaking Defense: Sen. Reed Presses Wilson, Goldfein On JSTARS Plans

The Hill: Dems warn school vouchers for military families could ‘derail’ annual defense bill

AFP: Hosting France’s Macron, Trump calls Iran deal ‘insane’

Air Force Times: Goldfein: Air Force still looking for ‘smoking gun’ causing hypoxia problems

Defense One: The Pentagon Is Making a Ray Gun to Stop Truck Attacks

USA Today: Why Kim Jong Un is hard — but not impossible — to read ahead of North Korea summit

Task and Purpose: How The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter May Have Benefited from Soviet Technology