TARGET PRACTICE: The U.S. has a crucial test of its ground-based national missile defense scheduled for today, conditions permitting. The test, scheduled more than a year ago and delayed a few times, wasn’t all that crucial months ago before North Korea ramped up its provocative missile tests. But instead of being the latest in a series of demonstrations of the system’s capability to hit an incoming warhead with a non-explosive kill vehicle in space, the test is now laden with significance. It will either send a strong message to North Korea that the U.S. has a strong defense against its threat to target an American city with a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile, or that the U.S. missile shield is still a work in progress.
The Missile Defense Agency says the test of what’s officially known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) “will involve launching a threat-representative intercontinental ballistic missile-class target from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, and a ground-based interceptor from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.” This is the first intercept test since 2014, which was reported to be a success, following two failures, giving the GMD program an overall record of nine hits out of 17 attempts, a success rate of just over 50 percent. Today’s test will cost an estimated $244 million, and according to the MDA, the U.S. has spent $28 billion on anti-missile systems through fiscal 2106.
THE NORTH FIRES AGAIN: North Korea fired off another ballistic missile Sunday evening, a short-range missile, which fell into the Sea of Japan. In a statement, U.S. Pacific Command confirmed the missile was launched from near Wonsan, on North Korea’s eastern coast. “The missile was tracked for six minutes until it landed in the Sea of Japan,” the statement read. “We are working with our interagency partners on a more detailed assessment. We continue to monitor North Korea’s actions closely.” The Wall Street Journal reports Pyongyang is claiming the missile had “a speeded-up launch process and a precision-control guidance system that can zero in within 23 feet of a target.”
On “Face the Nation” on CBS Sunday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the threat from North Korea’s missile program is very real, and that if diplomacy fails to rein in Kim Jong Un, the prospect of a second Korean war is grim. Even though the North’s latest test was of a shorter-range Scud-like missile, Mattis said the escalating missile tests are a “direct threat” to the U.S. “We always assume that, with a testing program, they get better with each test,” Mattis said. “They have been very clear in their rhetoric. We don’t have to wait until they have an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear weapon on it to say that now it has manifested completely.”
But Mattis said the U.S. would not be drawing any “red lines,” saying it’s important to leave President Trump “political maneuver room” in dealing with the North. “We do not draw red lines unless we intend to carry them out. We have made very clear that we are willing to work with China, and we believe China has tried to be helpful in this regard.” But Mattis repeated his warning that all-out war on the Korean peninsula would be “catastrophic,” and “the worst kind of fighting in most people’s lifetimes.”
“Why do I say this? The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely populated cities on Earth, which is the capital of South Korea,” Mattis said on CBS.
MATTIS’ FIRST FORMAL SIT-DOWN: In what was his first formal sit-down interview, as well as his first appearance on a Sunday talk show, Mattis touched on a wide range of subjects in his “Face the Nation” appearance. And he lived up to his reputation as straight-talking and quotable. Here’s quick sample:
Defeating ISIS: “The way we intend to do it is to humiliate them.”
“We have already shifted from attrition tactics, where we shove them from one position to another in Iraq and Syria, to annihilation tactics, where we surround them.”
When will the U.S. win? “This is going to be a long fight. And I don’t put timelines on fights.”
Avoiding civilian deaths: “We are the good guys. We are not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys.”
Delegation of authority: “You have to get the big ideas right. You have to determine, what is the policy, what is the level of effort you are willing to commit to it, and then you delegate to those who have to execute that strategy to the appropriate level.”
“There is no corporation in the world that would, in a competitive environment, try and concentrate all decisions at the corporate level.”
What does Russia want? “Beats me.”
“And that is admittedly a strategically uncomfortable position, engaging diplomatically, trying to find a way out of this situation, but confronting them where we must. And we are going to continue in this mode, and, hopefully soon, our diplomats will work their magic and start moving us out of this quandary we find ourselves in.”
Does the president support NATO’s Article 5? “I think, when President Trump chooses to go to NATO personally and stand there alongside the other more than two dozen nations in NATO, that was his statement, not words, actions.”
What keeps you awake at night? “Nothing. I keep other people awake at night.”
MATTIS TO SINGAPORE: Mattis will head to Singapore this week for the annual meeting of national security officials known as the Shangri-La Dialogue. He will make a stop at U.S. Pacific Command to consult with PACOM commander Adm. Harry Harris about China and Korea. In that CBS interview, Mattis dropped a cryptic reference to U.S. intelligence about North Korea saying, “At this time, what we know, I would prefer to keep silent about, because we may actually know some things the North Koreans don’t even know.”
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 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: Trump is back at the White House after his nine-day, five-nation trip, and he has a lot of decisions to make. Will he pull out of the 2015 Paris climate accord? Is he ready to approve more U.S. troops for Afghanistan, as his generals are recommending? Will there be a shake-up of White House staff, as has been widely reported? And what’s happening with the search for a new FBI director, now that former Sen. Joe Lieberman is out of the running?
GERMANY OVER US? In a speech in Italy Saturday, Trump declared his first foreign trip to have been a “home run,” but some of America’s allies — Germany in particular — were not so enthusiastic with their praise. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said yesterday that Trump’s “short-sighted” policies have “weakened” the West.
“Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk,” Gabriel said, according to Agence France-Presse. “The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union,” he said, adding that “the West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker.”
The remarks come one day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of the strain between the U.S. and Europe, and said Europe could no longer fully rely on Washington. “The times when we could fully rely on others are to some extent over — I experienced that in the last few days,” Merkel told her supporters. “We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.
TURKEY MUST PAY: A growing number of lawmakers want Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to expel Turkish officials from the United States in response to an attack on protestors outside Turkey’s embassy in Washington, Joel Gehrke writes. “Allies do not threaten U.S. troops and allies do not attack U.S. citizens on American soil,” Florida Republicans Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Gus Bilirakis wrote in a letter Thursday to the Trump administration.
The letter, signed by 40 House Democrats and Republicans, reflects deep desire for retribution against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following a violent clash during his latest trip to the United States. Erdogan watched as members of his security detail attacked anti-Erdogan protesters outside the embassy, an assault captured on video that outraged American officials. The State Department offered a verbal condemnation of the violence, but House and Senate lawmakers want a more substantive response.
MCCAIN ON THREATS: Sen. John McCain declared Russian President Vladimir Putin the “premier and most important threat, more so than ISIS,” during a local interview with Australia’s ABC on Monday. “I think ISIS can do terrible things. But it’s the Russians who tried to destroy the fundamental of democracy and that is to change the outcome of an American election,” McCain said. “They just tried to affect the outcome of the French election. So I view Vladimir Putin — who has dismembered Ukraine, a sovereign nation, who is putting pressure on the Baltics — I view the Russians as the far greatest challenge that we have.”
KELLY ON KUSHNER: Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly doesn’t have a problem with reports of a previously-proposed “backchannel” of communications between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin, saying, “I don’t see a big deal.”
“I think any channel of communication, back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing,” Kelly began on Fox News Sunday. “I mean, multiple ways to communicate back and forth is a good thing with any country I think, and particularly a country that’s like Russia, so it doesn’t bother me. You just have to assume, obviously, that what you are getting is — may or may not be true, they may be working you, but that’s the whole point. That communication then goes into the White House as a data point in terms of discussion. I don’t see a big deal.”
BRING HIM TO THE HILL: The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee wants Jared Kushner to come before lawmakers to talk about his dealings with Russian diplomats over backchannel proposal. Rep. Adam Schiff said on ABC Sunday that Kushner needs to face questioning over his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office.
Schiff said Kushner needs to answer questions about his motivations and he must be questioned over whether he disclosed the conversations while applying for a security clearance. “We’re going to want Mr. Kushner to come before our committee, I fully expect that will happen,” Schiff said.
ON THE SENATE SIDE: Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker said Kushner is fully cooperating with his committee. “Look, I think Jared has said that he’s more than willing to answer any and all questions. [The White House] reached out to us yesterday to make sure that we knew that was the case and I’m sure he’s willing to do so,” Corker told NBC “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd.
LEAP FROG DEATH: A member of the elite U.S. Navy parachute team the Leap Frogs has died after his parachute malfunctioned and he crash-landed in the Hudson River in New Jersey. The incident took place at 12:10 p.m. Sunday during an event at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The event was part of the annual Fleet Week New York event.
According to the Navy, the service member jumped out of a plane and his parachute malfunctioned, causing him to land in the river. He was immediately retrieved by the U.S. Coast Guard, who were on hand supporting the event. The service member was taken to Jersey City Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m. Sunday. He was later identified as Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Remington Peters, according to a statement from Peters’ family, reported by USNI News.
SOLDIER IDENTIFIED: The Department of Defense identified the soldier killed in northern Syria on Friday when a vehicle rolled over as Spc. Etienne Murphy, 22. The incident remains under investigation. Murphy, of Loganville, Ga., was assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment out of Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia.
THE RUNDOWN
USA Today: Allies distance themselves from U.S. after Trump’s first foreign trip
Washington Post: Bin Laden Son Calls For Attacks As Al-Qaeda Tries Comeback
The Weekly Standard: Mulvaney Seems to Have Pulled a Fast One on the Pentagon
Wall Street Journal: Macron, Putin hold tense first meeting
War on the Rocks: Missile defense can’t save us from North Korea
Defense One: Pentagon Accelerates Work on Multi-Warhead Interceptor
The Daily Beast: The Purple Heart recipient hunted by the FBI
New York Times: Philippine forces struggle to retake city held by Islamist militants
Defense One: Russian lawmaker: We would use nukes if U.S. or NATO enters Crimea
Washington Post: U.S. soldier who fought with Russian-backed militants has been discharged from the Army
Newport News Daily Press: Navy: Ford Clears Acceptance Trials. Delivery ‘Close At Hand’
Calendar
TUESDAY | MAY 30
5:30 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The future of Iranian power in the Middle East with Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Trask, U.S. Special Operations Command, and retired Vice Adm. Mark Fox. aei.org
WEDNESDAY | MAY 31
8 a.m. 1700 Army Navy Dr. Defense leaders forum breakfast with Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson. ndia.org
5 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave NE. The Asia-Pacific and the growth of the Vietnam and U.S. comprehensive partnership with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. heritage.org
THURSDAY | JUNE 1
7:45 a.m. 901 17th St. NW. S&ET executive breakfast with Mary Miller, acting assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering. ndia.org
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. The Navy’s maintenance challenge in resetting the fleet with Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, of Naval Sea Systems Command. csis.org
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Assessing risk in the 21st Century. csis.org
FRIDAY | JUNE 2
8 a.m. 300 1st St. SE. Nuclear deterrence series with Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs. Mitchellaerospacepower.org
MONDAY | JUNE 5
9 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The stunning inside story of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida in flight. brookings.edu
3:30 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. All measures short of war: The contest for the 21st century and the future of American power. brookings.edu
TUESDAY | JUNE 6
8:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. The 6th annual symposium on the European Union’s common security and defense policy. csis.org
2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. A new nuclear review for a new age. csis.org
2:30 p.m. Russell 232-A. Marine Corps ground modernization. armed-services.senate.gov
