FW: Early Bird Brief

   

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From: no-reply@militarytimes.com
Subject: Early Bird Brief
Date: Thu, 14 May 2015 05:30:18 -0600

Having trouble viewing this email? | View it in your browser May 14, 2015 May 14, 2015     FOLLOW US Good morning and welcome to the Early Bird Brief. Please send news tips and suggestions to Early Bird Editor Oriana Pawlyk: opawlyk@militarytimes.com. Today's Top 5 1. Milley, Richardson Tapped for Top DoD Posts (Defense News) Gen. Mark Milley, commander of Army Forces Command, was nominated to become the next Army chief of staff, and Adm. John Richardson, current head of Naval Reactors, was nominated to become the next chief of naval operations, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Wednesday. 2. Saudi Arabia Promises to Match Iran in Nuclear Capability (New York Times) As President Obama gathered Arab leaders over dinner at the White House on Wednesday and prepared to meet with them at Camp David on Thursday, he faced a perverse consequence: Saudi Arabia and many of the smaller Arab states are now vowing to match whatever nuclear enrichment capability Iran is permitted to retain. 3. PACOM: Missing Marine helicopter in Nepal not spotted (Marine Corps Times) More than 24 hours after a Marine helicopter disappeared in flight over Nepal, a search and rescue effort has found no sign of the missing aircraft and its crew of six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese soldiers, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. 4. The Middle East Has Four Minutes To Act If Iran Fires a Missile (DefenseOne) The United States is renewing its push during this week's Gulf Cooperation Council summit outside Washington to get Arab states to link-up missile interceptors and radars into a single Middle East missile shield. 5. 12 Years Later, a Mystery of Chemical Exposure in Iraq Clears Slightly (New York Times) Since moving abandoned barrels out of an Iraqi warehouse in 2003, a number of soldiers complained of health effects. But they found the Army evasive. Advertisement Nepal earthquakes Nepal villagers demand help after 2nd quake; search continues for US helo (Associated Press) Thousands of villagers jammed the streets of this small Himalayan town Thursday, demanding government help after Nepal suffered its second major quake in less than three weeks. And while there have been occasional food handouts here, there was nowhere near enough supplies for all the people who kept arriving. Yemen Saudi airstrike hits Yemen rebel convoy, strains cease-fire (Associated Press) A jet-fighter from a Saudi-led coalition struck a military convoy belonging to Shiite rebels and their allies in southern Yemen on Wednesday, straining a humanitarian, five-day cease-fire that took hold the previous day. Yemen truce broadly holds, but few signs of humanitarian aid (Al Jazeera America) A five-day truce in Yemen appeared to be broadly holding on Wednesday, despite reports of airstrikes overnight by Saudi-led forces and continued military activity by the country's dominant Iranian-allied Houthi group. Iran says its navy will protect aid ship heading to Yemen (Associated Press) Iran's navy said xit will protect an aid ship traveling to Yemen amid a five-day humanitarian cease-fire between a Saudi-led coalition and Shiite rebels and their allies. The U.S. quickly warned against the move, which comes amid heightened tensions after the Islamic Republic seized a cargo ship. Islamic State NATO Seeks Cooperation in ISIL Fight (Defense News) NATO allies discussed potential means to fight radical Islamist terrorism at a summit in Turkey, agreeing to seek a more concerted action in their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). US military denies it targeted Islamic State's deputy emir in airstrike on mosque (Long War Journal) US Central Command, which is coordinating the air campaign to "degrade and defeat" the Islamic State inside Iraq and Syria, denied that it launched an airstrike on a mosque near the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar that is rumored to have killed the jihadist group's deputy emir. Pentagon hunts for ISIS on the secret Internet (CNN) After months of bombing by the U.S. and coalition forces, ISIS remains undefeated on the ground and has now entered a new phase, using the cyber-world as a weapon. Iraq's B.S. About Killing ISIS Bosses (Daily Beast) What's going on here? The Iraqi government may want to give its troops any edge it can as they take on ISIS, some analysts suggested to The Daily Beast. One recent technique is to claim greater success against terror leaders than the evidence supports. ISIS Makes a Fortune From Smuggling Migrants Says Report (Time) Migrants pay thousands of dollars to armed groups in Africa and the Middle East on their journey to Europe. How the Islamic State Is Disrupting Online Jihad (Quartz) The Islamic State group's use of social media for messaging has drawn plenty of attention. But their use of the web to mount terrorist attacks is just as revolutionary. Russia-Ukraine NATO, Ukraine Urge Russia To Stop Destabilizing East Ukraine (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) NATO and Ukraine are calling on Russia to stop its "continued and deliberate destabilization" of eastern Ukraine. Advertisement In New Role, US Army Prepares Ukrainians for Different Type of War (Daily Signal) For one, unlike U.S. missions to train Afghan and Iraqi soldiers, the U.S. Army paratroopers will not be fighting alongside Ukrainians, leaving the U.S. soldiers in the unfamiliar position of training for a fight in which they don't expect to have a direct role. In Ukraine, Bones of War Dead Re-emerge to Stir Political Passions (New York Times) In the separatist east, many people view the Soviet Union as a virtuous force in the defeat of the Nazis. Urged on by Russian propaganda, they tend to view western Ukrainians as Nazi sympathizers complicit in the killing of Poles and others, reinforcing their case to separate from the west. But in Lviv and other parts of western Ukraine, where people are still finding their grandparents' bones in mass graves dug by Soviet soldiers, each discovery confirms deeply held resentments of Russia as a brutal imperial power. Kerry fills in NATO allies on Putin meeting (Associated Press) A day after lengthy talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was filling in allies during a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in the southern Turkish town of Antalya. Russia To Hold Military Exercises With Belarus, China, India, Mongolia This Year (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Russian says the country's land forces will join troops from Belarus, China, India, and Mongolia in a series of joint military training exercises during the second half of this year. Romania turns hacking crisis into advantage, helping Ukraine (Associated Press) Ukraine is turning to an unlikely partner in its struggle to defend itself against Russian cyber warfare: Romania. Evidence Mounts That Russia Supplied Buk Missiles To Ukraine Separatists (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) More and more evidence is emerging that seems to document a large Russian military convoy that traveled to eastern Ukraine in June 2014 and brought Buk antiaircraft systems to Russia-backed separatists fighting against Kyiv. Industry U.S. Air Force kicks off first satellite launch tender in over decade (Reuters) The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday kicked off its first major satellite launch competition in over a decade, issuing a draft request for proposals for the launch of a next-generation Global Positioning System satellite. White House Says F-35s Not For Sale to Gulf Arab States (DoDBuzz) President Obama's Camp David summit with the Gulf Arab states on Thursday will seek to boost arms sales to the Gulf neighbors but the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been taken off their wish list. Defense Contractor 'Reinvents Itself' to Operate Under Foreign Ownership (National Defense) At a time of heightened concern about attacks on U.S. computer networks, the federal government might be expected to frown on a foreign takeover of one its cybersecurity contractors. New bomber on track despite possible $460M cut, USAF says (Flightglobal) The two-star general in charge of the US Air Force's nuclear mission says the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) programme is "going exceedingly well" and meeting its major milestones despite a four-month delay to downselecting a prime contractor. U.S. experts may travel to Gulf to look at expediting arms sales (Reuters) The United States and its allies in the Gulf will discuss ways to expedite weapons sales during high-level meetings in Washington this week, followed by a likely trip to the region by a team of U.S. arms sales experts, U.S. and Gulf officials said. Japan Hosts First Global Arms Fair (Agence France-Presse) Japan on Wednesday began its first ever military trade fair, with a particular focus on maritime security at a time of rising regional tensions over territorial squabbles. F-22 notches first guided AIM-9X Sidewinder firing (IHS Jane's 360) The US Air Force's (USAF's) F-22 Raptor combat aircraft has fired a guided Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile for the first time, the USAF announced in a 6 May statement. Lockheed not ditching agile fighter designs (Flightglobal) Lockheed Martin says it is too early to discount highly maneuverable fighter aircraft designs for future US Air Force and Navy warplanes, even as advances in long-range air-to-air missile technology makes dogfights less likely. Army envisions nanosatellite swarms (C4ISR & Networks) The Army is looking for sensors to guide swarms of nanosatellites. The goal is a distributed aperture electro-optical sensor that will be carried in formations of nanosatellites, according to the Army research solicitation. A Chinese company bets on a Ukrainian cargo plane (Popular Science) Beijing A-Star is currently in talks with Antonov to license produce the An-178 in China, and may directly buy two An-178s from Ukraine. RNLAF pilots to train on Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master jet (Airforce-technology.com) The Royal Netherlands Air Force's (RNLAF) pilots are set to commence a military training with the Italian Air Force on the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 (T-346) Master jet. U.S. Air Force to re-evaluate radar bids after Raytheon suit denied (Reuters) The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday said it would re-evaluate bids received in a $1 billion long-range radar competition after a federal court dismissed a Raytheon Co lawsuit that sought to halt a fresh look at the bidders of its losing rivals Northrop Grumman Corp and Lockheed Martin Corp. Saudi Arabia and Ukraine cement transport aircraft co-development agreement (IHS Jane's 360) Ukrainian aerospace group Antonov has signed an agreement with a Saudi Arabian investment group to develop and manufacture a variant of the An-32 light military transport aircraft in the Kingdom. Raytheon successfully tests APG-79 (V) X AESA radar (Naval-technology.com) Raytheon has successfully completed the flight test of its APG-79(V) X AESA radar system, demonstrating the functions required to extend the combat relevance of F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft for 15 to 20 years. India's Plan To Buy Airbus Refueler Aircraft On Course (Aviation Week) India's plan to procure midair refueling aircraft is progressing well, the country's defense minister says, marking a major step to increase the operational reach of the Indian air force. Trinidad and Tobago orders 12 Damen coastguard vessels (IHS Jane's 360) The Government of Trinidad and Tobago signed a contract with Damen Shipyards for 12 new vessels for its coastguard, officials announced on 13 May. Congress HASC's Ranking Dem Will Oppose Its NDAA (Defense News) In a rare move, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith announced Wednesday he will oppose the panel's 2016 Pentagon policy bill. Service group: Senate bill 'disappointing' on military benefits (The Hill) A key service organization is criticizing a Senate Armed Services Committee subpanel for its changes to troop pay and benefits in the annual defense policy bill. 10 members of Congress took trip secretly funded by foreign government (Washington Post) The state-owned oil company of Azerbaijan secretly funded an all-expenses-paid trip to a conference in Baku, on the Caspian Sea, in 2013 for 10 members of Congress and 32 staff members, according to a confidential ethics report obtained by The Washington Post. Three former top aides to President Obama appeared as speakers at the event. McCain rejects Pentagon push for more Russian rocket engines (Reuters) U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain on Wednesday rejected a request by U.S. officials for changes in federal law to let the two largest U.S. arms makers use more Russian rocket engines to compete for military satellite launches against privately held SpaceX. Defense budget hits resistance in House (Stars & Stripes) Rising Democratic opposition threatened the House's 2016 defense budget Wednesday, just a week after Defense Secretary Ash Carter called it a "road to nowhere." House passes bill to end bulk collection of U.S. phone records (Associated Press) The House voted by a wide margin Wednesday to end the National Security Agency's bulk collection of Americans' phone records and replace it with a system to search the data held by telephone companies on a case-by-case basis. McCain: SASC Discussing Drone-Shift Language (Defense News) Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain says the panel will include language that would shift America's armed drone program to the Pentagon, rather than leave the matter to the full chamber. The 'Rubio Doctrine' Is a Rerun (DefenseOne) For all his attempts to position himself as a fresh-faced foreign policy leader, Marco Rubio stands on the same national security stool the GOP recycles roughly every four years. US defense budget already counting on Japan self-defense plan (Stars & Stripes) The latest 2016 U.S. defense bill assumes Japan will adopt government-backed proposals on defending its allies, even though Japanese lawmakers have yet to vote on them. Sen. Corker: NSA Should Do Far More with Your Phone Data (National Journal) The NSA's bulk-data collection program is so scaled down that it's not nearly as effective as it should be, the Senate Foreign Relations chairman says. The Republicans' Iraq Trap (Time) As a result, GOP candidates have embraced anew a muscular foreign policy that had atrophied for much of the Obama presidency. Promises to calm the chaos of the Middle East have dominated early candidate cattle calls, while tough talk on Iran has taken the place of Obamacare as a stump speech fixture. Veterans Uber hopes to draft more military families (USA Today) Since last September's launch of UberMilitary, the ride-hailing company's effort to recruit service members as drivers, Uber says some 10,000 veterans have generated more than $35 million in take-home pay working for the $50 billion tech giant. Hearse Stops at Dunkin' Donuts with Veteran's Flag-Draped Coffin in Parking Lot (NBC Miami) Two former funeral home employees are out of a job after they stopped for coffee at a Dunkin' Donuts, leaving a hearse carrying the flag-draped coffin of an Army veteran in the parking lot. Veterans: Serving and Healing in Community (Huffington Post) The nation, as a community, sends service members to war, but tends to forget that word-"community"-when the troops come home. Man suspected of trying to rob 95-year-old WWII veteran turns self in (Associated Press) A man suspected of trying to rob a 95-year-old World War II veteran who used his cane to fight back in Manchester, New Hampshire, turned himself in to police and called the incident a misunderstanding. Veterans, families attend meeting on water contamination (Daily News) About 100 military retirees, veterans and family members attended a meeting Tuesday to get information on the effects of exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, which occurred from the 1950s to 1987. NY Jets should return fee for troops salute, Christie says (Bloomberg) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, R, said the New York Jets football team should return more than $375,000 paid by the Defense Department for honoring military personnel at games. Defense Department & National Security Military sexual assault claims: 1 in 20 lead to jail time (Military Times) The dizzying details underlying that roughly 1-in-20 conviction-and-incarceration rate were buried in the latest annual military sexual assault report released May 1, which reveals how sexual assault complaints were handled by criminal investigators and commanders. More Russian Engines for Launches Sought by Carter, Clapper (Bloomberg) U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and intelligence chief James Clapper are asking lawmakers to clarify restrictions on using Russian-made rocket engines to power American military space missions. Yoda's replacement: Air Force veteran to lead legendary Pentagon office (Washington Post) There's a new Yoda at the Pentagon. Jim Baker, a retired Air Force colonel, has been tapped to run the Pentagon's legendary Office of Net Assessment, taking over from Andrew W. Marshall, who recently retired after four decades running the Pentagon's internal think tank. What the End of Bulk Metadata Collection Would Mean for Intelligence Collection (DefenseOne) The future of the NSA's bulk metadata collection program is in serious doubt, which raises the questions: how useful is it to the intelligence community, and what will they do if it goes away? Benghazi prompts CIA to look at expanding survivor benefits (Associated Press) The family of a CIA operative killed in the 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Libya is in talks with the spy agency to expand survivor benefits for relatives of contractors who die in the line of duty. White House, former CIA No. 2 dispute new claims about tracking bin Laden (McClatchy) A former CIA deputy director and the White House on Wednesday disputed a key claim made in newly published reports on the U.S. operation that killed Osama bin Laden, denying that a former senior Pakistani intelligence officer had defected to the CIA and disclosed the location of the al Qaida leader's hideout. Ex-DoD spokesman Kirby appointed State Dep't spokesman (Associated Press) Secretary of State John Kerry has a new spokesman. Kerry welcomed the former Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, as the public face of the State Department Wednesday. Army Meet your new Army chief of staff: Gen. Mark Milley (Army Times) Gen. Mark Milley, an Ivy League graduate and career grunt, has been nominated to be your next Army chief of staff. Milley took command of Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in August after serving as commanding general of III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas. Case against former Green Beret accused of murder is delayed because of CIA ties (Washington Post) The hearing for a former Green Beret soldier accused of murder by the Army has been delayed in part because of the same organization that brought him scrutiny in the first place: the CIA. August board to select ROTC professors of military science (Army Times) Regular Army and Army Reserve colonels, lieutenant colonels and majors who want to compete for assignment to Cadet Command professor of military science positions in academic year 2016-17 must opt in and indicate their preferences for a school by July 8. Police say Fort Knox lt. col. fatally shot daughter, himself (Associated Press) Kentucky State Police have identified a father who they say killed his 11-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself as a Fort Knox commander. Melvin Garten, Army's most decorated colonel, dies (Fayetteville Observer) When Col. Melvin Garten retired from the Army in 1968, officials said he was the most decorated colonel in the force. He also was two years removed from death in the jungles of Vietnam. Reserve battalion command zones announced for 2016 (Army Times) Applications are being accepted from qualified lieutenant colonels and majors of the Army Reserve who want to compete for assignment to battalion-level command positions that become vacant in fiscal 2016. Fort Carson loses track of drone, Colorado Springs resident gets a surprise (Colorado Springs Gazette) Ronald Fisk had never seen a drone aside from pictures of the aircraft on the Internet. That changed when one crashed near his backyard on Tuesday. Navy Academy midshipman killed in Amtrak crash (Navy Times) A Naval Academy midshipman was one of the six passengers killed in Tuesday night's Amtrak crash in north Philadelphia, the school announced Wednesday. Navy will not discharge Guantanamo nurse (Military Times) The Navy has decided against discharging a nurse who refused to force-feed detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the officer's attorney said Wednesday. Experts hail Richardson's selection to be next CNO (Navy Times) When Capt. Jerry Hendrix was director of naval history, he was invited to a special dinner party at Adm. John Richardson's house to discuss history and strategy. SECNAV signals sweeping changes to promotion, GMT & PFA (Navy Times) Huge changes are coming to the way sailors and officers pursue their careers, meet fitness standards and conduct their daily lives. Congressman, Former SEAL Pushing to Keep Helicopter Combat Squadrons in Navy Budget (USNI News) The defense authorization bill the House will debate this week includes a provision from a congressman and retired Navy SEAL that prevents the Navy from disestablishing Helicopter Sea Combat Squadrons 84 and 85. Mabus: UCLASS Likely A Bridge to Autonomous Strike Aircraft, F/A-XX 'Should be Unmanned' (USNI News) The Navy's planned carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will help the service in a transition from manned strike aircraft to a future autonomous strike platform, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said on Wednesday. Sea Trials at the United States Naval Academy (Military Times) Naval Academy freshman class enured 14-hours of rigorous physical and mental challeges during the annual Sea Trials training exercise that cuminates their Plebe year. Sea Trials is modeled after the Marine Corps Crucible and Navy's Battle Stations. Air Force 'Boneyard' commander out due to 'loss of confidence' (Air Force Times) The commander of the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., has been fired. 'Good Kill' targets Air Force drone pilots' disconnect (Air Force Times) There will be more Tommy Egans. That's what filmmaker Andrew Niccol and actor Ethan Hawke, who plays a fighter jock reassigned as a drone pilot, want audiences to remember from their film "Good Kill" as the U.S. continues to debate the ethics of drone warfare. If the film gets one thematic element right (as opposed to such faux pas on technical details as Egan pining for the days when he could land his F-16 on aircraft carriers - whoops), it's the drone pilot "disconnect" that resonates within the military community. Lawmakers sponsor measure to protect bomber fleet (Air Force Times) A group of senators from states that are home to aging bombers are supporting a new bill to block retirements of the Air Force's bomber fleet until the service's next-generation aircraft is ready. Gen. Mark Welsh talks ISIS, Russia and Iran (Fox News) Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh speaks to Fox News' Shepard Smith. Whiteman airman charged in shooting death of fellow service member (Air Force Times) An airman from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a fellow airman, officials said. Air Force: 1 dead after accident involving utility vehicle (Air Force Times) An accident involving a small utility vehicle injured two Cannon Air Force base personnel and one later died. Marine Corps SecNav announces sweeping career and fitness changes (Marine Corps Times) The Navy secretary announced huge changes related to policies affecting Marines' fitness, uniforms, career options and promotion opportunities during a speech at the Naval Academy on Wednesday. Massive protest against military runway planned for Sunday on Okinawa (Stars & Stripes) Organizers say Sunday's planned protest rally against a new U.S. military runway being built at Camp Schwab in Okinawa's remote north could draw as many as 30,000 people. Father of missing Marine helicopter pilot confident son is OK (Associated Press) The father of the Kansas man who was flying a helicopter missing in Nepal said Wednesday he is confident his son will be found OK as the search continues for the missing aircraft. Relief for family of Arlington Marine feared missing in Nepal (WFAA 8) Before word spread that a U.S. Marine helicopter disappeared in Nepal this week, the 30-year-old University of North Texas graduate had been in contact with family as much as possible. Afghanistan/Pakistan American, four others dead as seige ends at Kabul hotel (USA Today) A deadly siege at a guesthouse in Kabul ended with five people dead, including an American, and six wounded, officials said. NATO to keep some troops in Afghanistan after 2016 (Reuters) NATO will keep some troops in Afghanistan even after its current training mission ends around the end of next year, the alliance said on Wednesday, in a signal of support for Afghan security forces struggling to repel a Taliban offensive. US watchdog: Afghanistan's future threatened by bad intel (Stars & Stripes) Afghanistan's future - and the $62 billion American investment - is threatened by the military's chronically poor intelligence on Afghan security forces and an anemic central government in Kabul that is unable to operate on its own, said John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, during a speech at a Washington think tank. Kidnaps and Murders Could Presage ISIS-Style Slaughter in Afghanistan (Daily Beast) The Shia Hazaras were persecuted by Taliban and are hated by the followers of ISIS now cropping up in Afghanistan. As they're targeted for kidnap, ransom and murder, fear is spreading. Karachi Bus Attack Kills Dozens From Minority Shiite Sect (New York Times) At least 43 people were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a bus in the Pakistani port city of Karachi early Wednesday, police officials said. The gunmen escaped. Middle East Traces of Chemicals in Syria Add to Pressure on Obama to Enforce a 'Red Line' (New York Times) If President Obama hoped that the danger of chemical warfare in the Middle East receded when Syria gave up tons of poison gas, mounting evidence that toxic weapons remain in the strife-torn country could once again force him to decide just how far he is willing to go to enforce his famous "red line." The Overhyping of Iran's Cyber Army (Daily Beast) They said an Iran deal would supercharge Tehran's hacking brigade. But when they showed their data to U.S. intelligence analysts, they were told to get lost. Vatican causes stir with treaty recognizing Palestine as a state (Washington Post) The Vatican announced a treaty Wednesday that reaffirms Palestinian statehood, a step that immediately drew Israeli criticism and stirred alarm that an activist Pope Francis was advancing the Palestinian cause at Israel's expense. Europe Persian Gulf Breach With U.S. Creates Opportunities for France (New York Times) The French have been ideally positioned to take advantage of the growing rift in recent weeks between the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf and the United States. Representatives of those monarchies met with President Obama on Wednesday to discuss their differences and especially their worries over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran. E.U. Proposes Quota System to Address Migration Crisis (New York Times) After months of criticism that it had been too slow and timid in addressing the flood of migrants heading toward its southern shores, the European Union authorities moved on Wednesday to spread the burden of the crisis among member states. Asia-Pacific China, U.S. head toward faceoff in South China Sea (USA Today) The Chinese government gave a stern warning Wednesday that it will protect its sovereignty in the South China Sea after a cat-and-mouse pursuit of a U.S. warship by a Chinese frigate. Some Doubt That North Korea Executed a Top General (New York Times) Even to longtime analysts familiar with the unpredictability of the North Korean government, the news was shocking: a top general, the country's equivalent of a defense minister, who had delivered a speech at an international symposium in Moscow last month, was executed by an antiaircraft gun while hundreds of fellow generals and senior party officials watched. Residents upset by move to base Ospreys at Yokota (Japan Times) Some residents and municipalities near the Yokota Air Base are upset the U.S. military plans to deploy Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to the facility in western Tokyo. Why is North Korea executing high-level officials with anti-aircraft guns? (Vox) North Korea is an information black hole, and the more salacious reports about it - for example, a story last year that Kim had fed his uncle to 120 hungry dogs - sometimes turn out to be false. For some time, there have been rumors of North Korea executing people with anti-aircraft guns, and it looked like those might also be false. Modi Goes to China: What to Expect (The Diplomat) India's prime minister is visiting Xi'an, Beijing, and Shanghai. What's on his agenda in China? While looking for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, team finds uncharted shipwreck (The Week) A search team looking for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the Indian Ocean instead found a shipwreck that likely took place in the 19th century. Africa Burundi Leadership Uncertain After Coup Attempt (Associated Press) The attempted coup took place while President Pierre Nkurunziza was away. Italian Nurse Who Worked in Sierra Leone Tests Positive for Ebola (New York Times) An Italian nurse who returned from Sierra Leone last week was flown to an infectious diseases hospital in Rome on Wednesday after he tested positive for the Ebola virus a day before. Nigeria's push into Boko Haram's forest stronghold fraught with risk (Los Angeles Times) The Nigerian military's push to invade the Sambisa Forest, the last stronghold of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, capture its leader and wipe the group out is delicate, highly dangerous and unlikely to be completely successful, analysts said. The Americas Cuba Ready to Exchange Diplomats, Raúl Castro Says (New York Times) The United States and Cuba appear to be edging closer to an agreement to restore full diplomatic ties, with President Raúl Castro of Cuba saying Tuesday that his country was ready to exchange ambassadors once it was formally removed this month from the American government's list of states sponsoring terrorism. America's supply of IP addresses is about to run out (The Week) Back in 1981, when volunteer engineers designed the internet, they created 4.3 billion Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, assuming the gigantic number would more than suffice. About 20 years later, Europe and Asia exhausted their supply, and America's remaining allotment - about 3.4 million - will likely dry up this summer. Drones Boom Raises New Question: Who Owns Your Airspace? (Wall Street Journal) Communities across the country are grappling with a surge in drone use that's raising safety and privacy concerns-and thorny legal questions-about a slice of sky officials have largely disregarded. Commentary and Analysis The Shifting Public Perception Of America's Veterans (Jason Nulton, Task & Purpose) You can't go to war without public support, and a look into the past reveals a patchwork of sentiments. Navy Opens Fire on Cold-War Personnel System (Brad Peniston, DefenseOne) Armed with an innovative plan for promotions, Secretary Ray Mabus wants to sink industrial-age HR policies and rig his fleet for the 21st century. Time for a Private-Sector Pivot on Military Technology (Ben FitzGerald and Katrina Timlin in War On The Rocks) Carter's trip demonstrates high-level interest in commercial technology within the Pentagon, as senior leaders like Carter, Deputy Secretary Bob Work and acquisitions chief Frank Kendall continue to push the organization to adapt. Big questions remain for this pivot, most notably whether or not the department will be able to undertake the necessary reforms to access the commercial technology it desires. ISIS Are the Biggest Islamophobes (Dean Obeidallah, Daily Beast) In response to Pam Geller, the writer had his own "Draw your favorite Islamophobe" contest. Some conservatives drew ISIS. And they're right. The Accidental Counterinsurgent (Small Wars Journal) SWJ talks with Emma Sky, the author of the just published book "The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq", Public Affairs, 2015. The 3 Areas Where the Navy Is Adjusting Its Operating Strategy (Captain Robert A. Newson in Council on Foreign Relations) Facing threats to its existing operating concept, the Navy is adjusting the way it'll pursue surface warfare in the 21st century. Simple Rules and Tools for Modern Leadership (Chris Miller, Cicero Magazine) A quick browse of the shelves of any academic library, bookstore, or duty-free airport lounge will reveal endless stacks of books written (or ghost-written by someone else) by CEOs, investors, generals, presidents, and senators containing reflections on their actions and their own personal strategies for success in war, business, government, politics, and strategy. Anyone who has picked one up, at least while sitting in a waiting room somewhere, can attest to the fact that most of them are either better than a sleeping pill or better suited for use in an emergency shortage of toilet paper. Stop Calling Servicewomen Girls (Ellen Haring, Task & Purpose) The way we refer to women matters, even if we don't realize it. How did the Navy's Greats become Great? The Power of Career Intermissions (B.J. Armstrong in War On The Rocks) While there are a number of policies that can be changed internally, there are other programs that will require congressional action and reform of laws and statute. Specifically, the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA), which has governed the military's officer personnel system for three decades without change, will need to be updated and improved. No-Show at Camp David: What the Saudi King's Snub Really Means (David Andrew Weinberg, The National Interest) Make no mistake; the king's decision should be read as a snub. Akin to the late King Abdullah's decision to forgo Saudi Arabia's speech at the UN General Assembly in 2013, as well as a seat on the Security Council, this is a public display of dissatisfaction. 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