Breaking Defense's Monday Morning Briefing

A News Roundup for the Week Ahead _________________________________________________________________________

A News Roundup for the Week Ahead Life On Earth Is Dependent On Space. Protect It Accordingly. Binary Armor® Cybersecurity Presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation Space-based tools support our diplomacy, access to information, military operations & the global economy. SNC's Binary Armor provides end-to-end security for space vehicles & respective ground systems. Learn more. The Problem At The Heart of UK Defense By Lee Ferran; Monday, September 13, 2021 5:45 AM Too often political and global power ambitions outstrip funding in the British military, analyst Justin Bronk writes.   Project Convergence: Exercise Shows Value In Data Weapons Check For The Digital Age By Lee Ferran; Friday, September 10, 2021 2:45 PM "Data is the new ammunition, and we have to test fire our digital systems just like we test fire our weapons systems," writes Ret. Gen. Richard Cody.   NC3 Vulnerabilities Risk Nuclear War In Asia, APLN Study Finds By Theresa Hitchens; Friday, September 10, 2021 10:05 AM "There is a reason, however, that David slung his stone into the forehead of Goliath rather than his musculature. Without a head connected to a body, a nuclear force is useless," the new study by the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network states.   A Bipartisan Call To Stay The Course On US Homeland Missile Defense By Aaron Mehta; Friday, September 10, 2021 8:15 AM The Missile Defense Review sets "the stage for a high-stakes policy debate between those who value missile defense as an enabler of US grand strategy, and those who fear enhanced missile defense may start an arms race with Russia and China," write Walter Slocombe and Robert Soofer.   Future Air, Space Force Tech Demos To Focus On INDOPACOM, SPACECOM By Theresa Hitchens; Friday, September 10, 2021 7:15 AM "Our secretary has been very clear that he wants us to move rapidly from experimentation and  demonstration to fielding," says Air Force Chief Architect Preston Dunlap.   Marine Corps' First MQ-9A Takes Flight In Arizona By Justin Katz; Thursday, September 9, 2021 3:36 PM The first flight of a service-owned vehicle is a key step for the Marine Corps to free itself of restrictions associated with civilian contractor operators.   DoD To Update Satellite Cyber Rules For Megaconstellations By Theresa Hitchens; Thursday, September 9, 2021 3:00 PM Space Force's is to allow for "increased trust in industry" to assess their own systems' cybersecurity needs, "while doing due diligence" in reviewing whether those assessments are reliable, said Jared Reece.   Beyond Iran, the US and Israel Must Work Together to Counter China By John Bird; Thursday, September 9, 2021 2:23 PM America should help Israel develop mechanisms for reviewing both inbound investments and outbound commerce to counter Chinese influence, argue three experts from JINSA.   Afghanistan Is Not Done With Us; Four Long-Term Dangers Await By Mark Cancian; Thursday, September 9, 2021 7:30 AM   The message was clear, from the mouths of military officials, the State Department and President Joe Biden himself: Aug. 30 marked the official end of the US war in Afghanistan. But, as Mark Cancian writes below, just because the US has decided it is done with Afghanistan does not mean Afghanistan is done with…   JADC2 Implementation Plan 'Weeks Away': J6's Parker By Brad D. Williams; Wednesday, September 8, 2021 4:42 PM "Joint always seems fun until we get into decisions about who governs this," joked Army CIO Raj Iyer.   Wormuth Hints At Cuts To 35 Core Army Modernization Programs By Colin Clark; Wednesday, September 8, 2021 4:21 PM "Well, I think there are going to be places where we're probably going to have to make choices that we're not thrilled about," Army Secretary Christine Wormuth says.   Like a Cell Phone Plan: Army Tees Up SATCOM Services Pilot By Theresa Hitchens; Wednesday, September 8, 2021 3:34 PM Services bought from industry eventually "could include everything from a piece of hardware to the operations center to the bandwidth," Brig. Gen. Rob Collins told the SATELLITE 2021 conference today.     US 5th Fleet Stands Up Unmanned Panel; CNO Reveals Navy-Wide Effort By Justin Katz; Wednesday, September 8, 2021 1:04 PM The Navy is standing up "task forces" focused on unmanned systems, but its unclear how they'll work together or with the Unmanned Campaign Plan.   Next DoD Budget To Feature Detailed 'Investments' To Battle Climate Change: Hicks By Aaron Mehta; Wednesday, September 8, 2021 11:56 AM "These are not ideological issues of climate versus warfighting," Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of defense, said Wednesday. "This is about ensuring we are resilient and capable for the warfighter of the future, and we'll be making those investments."   Who's Who in Defense: Daniel Sullivan, Ranking Member, SASC Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee By Catherine Macaulay; Wednesday, September 8, 2021 10:22 AM The 11-member Senate subcommittee has oversight over military readiness including: training, logistics, and maintenance; military construction; housing construction and privatization; contracting and acquisition policy; business and financial management; base realignment and closure; and defense energy and environmental programs.   Global Chinese Influence Campaign Sought To Spark Protests In US: Mandiant Report By Brad D. Williams; Wednesday, September 8, 2021 10:00 AM "This direct call for physical mobilization is a significant development compared to prior activity, potentially indicative of an emerging intent to motivate real-world activity outside of China's territories," Mandiant researchers noted.   Small Sats at DoD: Let Hundreds Of Programs Bloom By Theresa Hitchens; Tuesday, September 7, 2021 3:16 PM DoD investments in small satellites to date are mostly in the realm of communications and remote sensing, says OUSDR&E's Doug Schroeder.   DoD Forms New Task Force To Shore Up Supply Chain By Brad D. Williams; Tuesday, September 7, 2021 3:11 PM "A comprehensive strategic approach will take time, dedicated attention, and resources," DoD official Gregory Kausner said.   Navy's Path To Distributed Maritime Operations Unclear: Govini By Justin Katz; Tuesday, September 7, 2021 1:13 PM Analysts from Govini say the Navy's current investments leaves open the question whether the service can fulfill its vision for Distributed Maritime Operations in the next decade.   A Nuclear Cruise Missile Could Be Vital For Arms Control And Nonproliferation Efforts By Aaron Mehta; Tuesday, September 7, 2021 7:45 AM It may seem counterintuitive that America investing in a new nuclear weapon design could help lower the chances of a nuclear conflict. But in this new op-ed, Naval War College professor David A. Cooper argues just that, noting that the concept for a new sea-launched cruise missile could end up benefitting nonproliferation and arms control…   US, India To Co-Develop Military Drones By Aaron Mehta; Monday, September 6, 2021 10:30 AM "The DTTI has struggled to maintain momentum in recent years, but this new project may signal a renewed mutual interest in substantial progress for capability benefits," says Chris Bassler of CSBA.   Breaking Defense 611 Broadway • New York, New York • 10012 unsubscribe