DoD Buzz

F-22 Mission Rate “Troubling;” Faces Huge Upgrade Costs

Colin Clark — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:33:48 +0000

What would cost $8 billion, has a mission capable rate that is a "troubling" 62 percent and "is proving very expensive to operate?" The answer: 100 upgraded F-22s. John Young, the Pentagon's acquisition czar, also said the plane "still does not meet most of its KPPs (Key Performance Parameters)."

CIA Scandal Erupts

Colin Clark — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:15:15 +0000

It must be the worst nightmare of every CIA director -- the agency ignores its own rules and regulations and kills innocent Americans, and then the people in charge of the operation lie to Congress and cover up what happened. The nightmare has apparently come to life and it became public today when Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) announced that a report by the CIA's own inspector general found that agency officers apparently ignored standing rules and regulations governing when they could shoot at aircraft in the drug war in Latin America.

CSBA: Army in Crisis

Greg Grant — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:29:12 +0000

The highly influential Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Pentagon funded think tank, recommends that the Army cut its planned force expansion of 65,000 new soldiers and comes mighty close to saying the service should axe its prized Future Combat Systems modernization program.

OSD Outmanuevers HASC on F-22

Colin Clark — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:16:09 +0000

It's not often anyone on the House Armed Services Committee invokes the constitution, but today's hearing on the F-22 featured repeated mentions of the founding document by frustrated lawmakers who knew the Pentagon had outflanked them on the controversial program. "You are acting in defiance of the law and the will of Congress," Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) hurled at John Young, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

Update on Osprey Deicer, Hydraulic Probs

Colin Clark — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:30:41 +0000

The main problems afflicting the Marines' vaunted V-22 Ospreys have been fixed, according to one of the Marines' most experienced V-22 pilots. During a Monday visit to MCAS New River, Lt. Col. A. J. Bianca, the CO of VMM-261, explained the fixes to the deicer systems and the hydraulic systems.

Army Wants Lots of Lightweight MRAPs

Greg Grant — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:37:50 +0000

The Army has requested bids from industry for up to 10,000 lightweight versions of its Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle, dubbed MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), a lighter, off-road capable and more maneuverable vehicle than the monstrous MRAPs the Army bought to shuttle soldiers around Iraq.

Intel, AF Sats Must Go Separate Ways: Kehler

Colin Clark — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:03:20 +0000

The end of black-white space integration may be at hand. The man long identified as one of its most devoted followers, Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, the head of Air Force Space Command and former deputy commander at Strategic Command, told the intelligence community that "this approach is posing insurmountable problems, and those problems are going to get worse as we look to the future."

A Brown Water Navy?

Greg Grant — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:47:24 +0000

In a new paper, analyst Frank Hoffman dissects the Navy’s current maritime strategy and finds it wanting, particularly in terms of resources, which the strategy barely mentions. He proposes a new approach based on partnering with foreign navies and large numbers of small "streetfighter" ships.

Obama’s Intel Possibilities

Colin Clark — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:51:57 +0000

Names for likely members of the team to head President-elect Barack Obama's intelligence team are quietly leaching out of the gray world. One top possibility is former Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.), who helped sponsor the legislation that created the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, known as the 9/11 Commission.

Obama Fills DoD Transition Jobs

Colin Clark — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:50:24 +0000

The nascent Obama administration has filled the job of lead for the Pentagon transition and it isn't Sam Nunn, as earlier reported by some media outlets. Because of all the fog surrounding this story, I checked with a source familiar with Obama's defense team to confirm that Michele Flournoy, co-founder of the Center for a New American Security thinktank and former head of strategy under Clinton, is joining former Deputy Defense Secretary John White to head the team reviewing the Pentagon. White is now head of the Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative.

Wynne Criticizes Young’s F-22 Decision

Colin Clark — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:32:37 +0000

UPDATED: Mike Wynne, former secretary of the Air Force, sharply criticized John Young's decision to approve advanced funding for a small number of F-22s. "This gives efficient acquisition a very bad name, as everyone knows this level of quantity will lead to high prices.."

Army Re-Competes Recon Chopper

Greg Grant — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:47:09 +0000

The Army has asked industry to re-compete for the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Program that was cancelled last month due to cost overruns and schedule delays. The Army says it is "reassessing" ARH performance requirements.

Navy Fighter Gap: Which Way Obama?

Colin Clark — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:31:36 +0000

The fighter gap. Sounds scary, doesn't it? If things go as they are, the US will not have enough air-to-air attack aircraft to deploy the full complement required for its aircraft carriers. Boeing is making a valiant effort to convince the Pentagon and the public that the Navy's fighter gap should be closed using F-18 E/Fs.

Morgan Stanley On Obama’s Pentagon

Greg Grant — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:57:10 +0000

Morgan Stanley’s defense industry analysts, led by sharp veteran Heidi Wood, have written up their initial thoughts on “Obama and Defense.” They said the “leanings” of players in the Obama administration will be to cut back on defense spending following a “reasonable” time in office, which in their accounting equals around 18 months into his term.

JLTV Protest: Big Contract, Big Stakes

Colin Clark — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:21:34 +0000

In these days of tanker, CSAR-X and other protests it will probably come as small surprise that Northrop Grumman has filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office since it lost on its bid to gain part of the $100 billion or so Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program. "After careful examination of the data presented at the Nov. 5 [bid] debriefing, it is apparent that inconsistencies in the bid and evaluation process unfairly placed the Northrop Grumman team at a competitive disadvantage," the company said in a press release.

Hamre Says He’s Staying Put

Greg Grant — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:54:28 +0000

Continuing with Washington’s favorite parlor game of who will be named to an Obama cabinet, according to sources, John Hamre, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, assured staffers there that he was not going anywhere and would continue to lead the highly regarded think tank. Hamre, a former deputy secretary of defense, has been considered a strong contender for Defense Secretary to replace Gates.

Machetes vs. Cruise Missiles: Army Weighs Which Matters Most

Greg Grant — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:28:01 +0000

The Army is examining emerging concepts of human security and their application to defense and security strategies for the 21st century, with people such as Maj. Shannon Beebe, who spends time in Africa exploring the nexus among development, environment and security in areas such as Darfur and Congo.

Obama Tightens Ethics for Appointees

Colin Clark — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:44:44 +0000

The Obama transition team has issued ethics guidelines that are likely to make it extremely difficult to attract defense industry appointees. "You can understand the motivation behind it, but it’s not clear that you will get the best and brightest people who understand what needs to be done to serve in the government," a procurement expert with experience in and out of government told me this morning.

Gates Less Likely for Obama? More on Other Top Jobs

Colin Clark — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:52:43 +0000

Defense Secretary Robert Gates may be fading as an easy choice for the top defense job in the Obama administration. But like all the reports on this issue right now, no one but President-elect Barack Obama and a few aides actually know what is likely. And anyone who has direct knowledge isn't talking until the boss does. A source with contacts among senior Obama security officials says the job is Richard Danzig's for the taking, should he want it.

Cordesman Offers Obama Realism Check

Greg Grant — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:47:22 +0000

CSIS analyst Anthony Cordesman says the Obama team must restore reality based strategies, plans and budgets to repair the damage done to the military and U.S. power by an overly ideological Bush administration. Dealing with the defense "cost containment crisis" is a top priority.