| | | | | |  | | By Bryan Bender | Presented by |  | | | With Connor O'Brien Editor's Note: Morning Defense is a free version of POLITICO Pro Defense's morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro. | | | — President Joe Biden orders a retaliatory airstrike against Iranian-backed militias in Syria after rocket attacks in Iraq. — The Space Force chief says an "alternative acquisition proposal" is in the final stages and the plan for a Space Systems Command will be out in a few weeks. — U.S. Central Command is being sued for documents about its communications with mercenary contractor Erik Prince. HAPPY FRIDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, on the 86th anniversary of inventor Robert Watson-Watt's demonstration of radio detection and ranging , or radar, using a Royal Air Force Heyforth bomber. The breakthrough was later perfected and credited with saving Britain from defeat in World War II. "Many things were adopted in war which we were told were technically impossible, but patience, perseverance, and above all the spur of necessity under war conditions, made men's brains act with greater vigour, and science responded to the demands," Winston Churchill wrote in "The Gathering Storm." But how to ignite that vigor short of war? We're always on the lookout for tips, pitches and feedback. Email us at bbender@politico.com, and follow on Twitter @bryandbender, @morningdefense and @politicopro. | | | | A message from Northrop Grumman: We provide powerful, scalable networks and integrated capabilities that ensure warfighters and the systems they depend on can act as one joint force across every domain, service and mission. Learn more. | | | | | | 'A THOROUGH CONVERSATION': The Top Senate Armed Services Republican, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, has aired his disagreements with Colin Kahl, Biden's pick to lead the Pentagon's policy shop, after the senator raised concerns about the nominee's past positions, our colleagues Connor O'Brien and Lara Seligman report. Kahl spoke with Inhofe on Wednesday, one day after the Republican senator revealed he has "serious concerns" with some of the nominee's past positions. And Kahl may have won Inhofe over, according to a person familiar with their conversation, ahead of a confirmation hearing next week. "Kahl's call with Inhofe went very well," the person said, adding that the nominee "said all the right things," and "may have flipped Inhofe and his concerns." A spokesperson for Inhofe didn't say whether Inhofe would support Kahl, but a thumbs-up from the ranking Republican would likely assure his confirmation. Questions remain: Other SASC Republicans still have questions over his record on Middle East policy. Nate Adams, spokesperson for Sen. Dan Sullivan, noted the Alaska Republican supported both Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who he said "exhibited a great deal of experience and seriousness on national security issues — qualities the senator will be looking for in future nominees." However, Adams said Sullivan would not support "nominees who are political hacks." Conservative Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), meanwhile, "has a number of concerns" with Kahl, according to his office, which did not elaborate. Related: Granholm confirmed to lead Energy Department, via POLITICO's Anthony Adragna and Eric Wolff. STIMULUS VOTE: The House votes today on Democrats' $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill. Read the full text of the relief package. | | | | NEW - "THE RECAST" NEWSLETTER: Power dynamics are changing. "Influence" is changing. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is our new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. And POLITICO is recasting how we report on this crucial intersection, bringing you fresh insights, scoops, dispatches from across the country and new voices that challenge "business as usual." Don't miss out on this important new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | | U.S. STRIKES BACK IN SYRIA: "President Joe Biden ordered an airstrike on facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in eastern Syria on Thursday night in response to three separate rocket attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq," our colleague Lara Seligman reports. "The strikes destroyed several facilities at a border control point used by a number of Iran-backed militia groups linked to the attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq, including Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement." The decision to strike in Syria instead of Iraq was likely made to avoid causing issues for the Iraqi government, which remains a partner in the counterterrorism fight against ISIS, said Mick Mulroy, a former Pentagon official who oversaw Middle East issues. Mulroy advised the Biden team during the transition at the Pentagon. The strikes were likely "calculated and scaled" to avoid any escalation, while sending a message that "Iran's use of militias as proxies will not allow them to avoid responsibility," Mulroy added. What's the legal basis? We'll see. But it probably won't sound like this, from current White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki back in 2017 when the Trump administration launched a salvo at Syria government forces in retaliation for a chemical attack on civilians. SPACE ACQUISITION PLANS INCOMING: The Space Force plans to soon report back to Congress on an "alternate acquisition proposal" for the new branch and will also be rolling out in "the next couple weeks" how it plans to stand up a Space Systems Command, Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations, tells our colleagues Jacqueline Feldscher and Lara in a new POLITICO Pro Q&A. A primary rationale for splitting the Space Force off from the Air Force was to take a new approach to the development and fielding of new space technologies that avoids the often cumbersome and overly costly Pentagon process for new weapons. And lawmakers are eagerly awaiting the acquisition plan, which is months overdue. "This first year of the Space Force was all about establishing or inventing and building this service, and year two is about integrating the Space Force," Raymond said. "There was language in the law that says we were to develop an alternate acquisition proposal which we've done. We're continuing [to] coordinate that throughout the government, and we'll deliver that to Congress when we get through that coordination." One thing that seems imminent is the makeup of a new Space Systems Command, which is intended to include the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, the Commercial Satellite Communications Office, and other related program offices. "The other thing that we've done is, we are in the process of establishing what we call Space Systems Command," Raymond explained. "Over the last few years, we re-engineered the Space and Missile Systems Center to take a more enterprise approach. We've now completed the development plan on what the Space Systems Command is going to look like. We'll probably come out publicly and talk about this in the next couple weeks." Raymond also spoke about plans for the new branch's forthcoming uniforms, why it settled on calling space troops "guardians," and the themes he expects on the Space Force's first budget request as an independent service. Related: Space Force chief sees larger role for commercial industry in its missions, via C4ISRNet. | | | |   | | | | | | CENTCOM IS SUED FOR ERIK PRINCE DOCS: The watchdog group Public Citizen is suing Central Command for failure to fulfill its 2017 request under the Freedom of Information Act to provide communications with Erik Prince, the former head of private military contractor Blackwater. The nonprofit group is seeking "all communications — including but not limited to letters, faxes, and emails, including all attachments to emails — concerning the use of private contractors in Afghanistan from or to any staff or members of the United States Central Command to or from Erik Prince," according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington on Thursday. Prince, who was in talks with the Trump administration about possibly taking over the military mission in Afghanistan, has a history of running afoul of international authorities, including mostly recently being accused by the United Nations of violating an arms embargo on Libya. "Public Citizen has a right under FOIA to the records requested in its FOIA request and to a fee waiver," the legal complaint asserts. "CENTCOM's failure to disclose the requested records has no legal basis." | | | 85 NATIONS AND COUNTING: The Costs of War Project at Brown University is out with a new detailed accounting of the 85 countries where the United States has been engaged in counterterrorism operations over the past three years. "U.S. actions were quite varied, ranging from air strikes against militant targets to training foreign military and police forces," according to the research study. Drilling down: The United States has conducted air or drone strikes against militant groups in seven nations: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. U.S. military personnel, meanwhile, are "engaged in combat, using force on the ground against militants" in eight nations: Afghanistan, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. In four other countries — Cameroon, Libya, Niger and Tunisia — U.S. special operations forces oversee some combat operations of their military hosts. "Thus U.S. service members on the ground in these countries could have used force against militants via surrogates." | | | | TUNE IN TO GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe and start listening today. | | | | | | | | 'FEAST TO FAMINE': The Modern War Institute at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is out with a new study on how the Pentagon can maintain its technological edge in the face of tighter defense budgets. Among the recommendations, it calls for budgets to "prioritize defensive capabilities such as air defense, counterproliferation, intelligence, cybersecurity, and space presence." It also proposes "heavy platforms" that require fewer technological updates, identifying additional "low-technology training opportunities" for troops, better leverage the military strengths of individual NATO countries, and investing in the U.S. defense industrial base so it can more quickly ramp up in a crisis. As for ground forces, it calls for fewer "maneuver units" and more "security assistance brigades" that are tailored to training foreign militaries to better defend themselves. Another recommendation likely to raise eyebrows: Elevate the commander of special operations forces to membership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Special operations may be one of the most expensive components of the Department of Defense, but it is also the most capable and flexible," the report says. "U.S. Special Operations Command is uniquely situated to provide kinetic and nonkinetic support to allies and partners throughout the world and offers a pointed, strategic means with which to shape the international environment before large-scale combat operations begin." Related: Pentagon's dated budget process too slow to beat China, new report says, via Defense News. | | | The Pentagon's former chief management officer, Lisa Hershman, will participate in a discussion on the defense budget on March 11 with the R Street Institute and National Taxpayers Union, two fiscally conservative organizations. | | | Richard Burt, former ambassador to Germany and chief negotiator of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, has been named president of the board of nuclear disarmament group Global Zero. | | | | A message from Northrop Grumman: In modern missions, communication and coordination is always a challenge – and getting it right can mean the difference between mission success and failure. At Northrop Grumman, we've been taking on this challenge for decades and the result is a scalable, adaptable suite of joint all-domain command and control networks and capabilities. Our products ensure the entire joint force, from troops to weapons systems can act as one across every mission and military service. Because tomorrow's mission success depends on acting as one. Learn more about how we're enabling the joint force. | | | | | | — Why so many veterans find the path to extremism: Military.com — Yes. There is a 'pink tax' on women's military uniforms, report finds: Military.com — A liberal case for seapower? War on the Rocks — India, Pakistan agree to ceas-efire along their border: The Wall Street Journal — Armenia accused military of planning coup: The Wall Street Journal — Homeland Security refocuses grants on fighting domestic extremism: The Wall Street Journal — New details of Russian 'doomsday' submarine revealed: USNI News — Military has 'no knowledge' of commercial pilot's report of unidentified object in New Mexico skies: The Associated Press — After 10 Months at Sea, a Giant Carrier Returns to a Changed Nation: The New York Times | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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