Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense...SpaceWar Sept 30, 2015: First US-China Space Dialogue Meets; Lockheed moves forward with Space Fence; US bombers re-aligned under 1 command

September 30, 2015

The First Meeting of the U.S.-China Space Dialogue Washington DC (SPX) Oct 01, 2015 - Pursuant to their shared goal of advancing civil space cooperation as agreed upon in the Strategic Track of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in June 2015, the Government of the United States of America and the Government of China convened their inaugural Civil Space Dialogue on September 28, 2015, in Beijing, China. The meeting was co-chaired by the Department of State for th ...more

Lockheed Martin moves forward with Space Fence program Moorestown, N.J. (UPI) Sep 28, 2015 - U.S. government officials approved Lockheed Martin's design for their Space Fence system, which includes a large-scale digital radar and a turn-key facility, the company announced today. The Space Fence is a next-generation space surveillance system being built by the U.S. Air Force. Its purpose is to monitor both artificial satellites and space debris that orbit Earth. The plans were b ... more

U.S. bomber fleets re-aligned under single command Barksdale Afb, La. (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - All U.S. Air Force bomber fleets are being re-aligned under a single command, officially effective Oct.1, the Air Force announced. The move moves joins B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and Ellsworth AFB, S.D., with B-52H Stratofortresses and B-2 Spirits of the Eighth Air Force, which is part of the Air Force Global Strike Command. A ceremonial re-alignment of the Se ... more

US gathers great Asian democracies to its side New York (AFP) Sept 29, 2015 - The United States took a moment Tuesday to gather the great Asian democracies to its side to reassure them of the strength of their ties in the face of North Korean threats and an assertive China. New threats from Pyongyang, ominous economic signals and China's aggressive stance on its territorial claims in the South China Sea and the Pacific have sent jitters through the region. Preside ... more

Report: Marine Corps may expand training in Ukraine Washington (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - U.S. Marine Corps officials are considering beefing up their training program for local troops in Ukraine who may take on Russian-backed separatists. The original mandate for U.S. Armed Forces in Ukraine was to train national guardsmen. This mission was expanded by the U.S. State Department on July 25 to include conventional forces. U.S. Marine Corps leaders now want this to include nav ... more

Leidos and Boundless Enter Strategic Relationship New York NY (SPX) Oct 01, 2015 - Leidos and Boundless has announced they have entered into a strategic relationship to collaborate on cybersecurity and geospatial solutions. Leidos and Boundless will collaborate on joint business development efforts to market and identify opportunities. Boundless will provide Leidos with open-source geospatial software development and expertise in support of integration efforts addressing ... more

After Astrosat success, India set to launch 23 foreign satellites Sriharikota, India (IANS) Oct 01, 2015 - India has signed up contracts to launch 23 foreign satellites soon, an official of Antrix Corporation said on Monday. Antrix Corporation is the commercial arm of Indian space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "Out of 23 foreign satellites, two will go in two separate rockets. The remaining 21 satellites will piggy-back on bigger Indian satellite," the official told IANS. He ... more

Forty years of European space tracking Paris (ESA) Sep 25, 2015 - ESA celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Agency's ground station network, the indispensable link to spacecraft that are helping us to learn about our planet, our Solar System and our Universe. Over four decades, Estrack has expanded globally and today employs cutting-edge technology to link scientists and mission controllers with spacecraft orbiting Earth, watching our Sun, studying star ... more

France to hold crunch talks in India on Rafale deal: official New Delhi (AFP) Sept 29, 2015 - French and Indian defence officials are to hold fresh talks Tuesday on the purchase of 36 Rafale jets, with hopes drawn-out negotiations on the multi-billion-dollar deal are close to concluding, an official said. The talks are going ahead in New Delhi after the French side agreed to an Indian government demand for future investment in the country as part of the deal, the Economic Times said. ...more

Gilat to supply dual Ku/Ka-band terminals to major ISP Petah Tikva, Israel (SPX) Sep 25, 2015 - Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has announced that it has signed a long-term agreement to develop and supply high-performance dual Ku/Ka-band terminals for in-flight connectivity (IFC) on commercial aircraft. Benefitting from Gilat's longstanding expertise in high-performance and low-profile antenna design, the new Ku/Ka-band in-flight connectivity solution will enable IFC service providers ... more

AgustaWestland partners for Czech military contract Rome (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland is teaming with Czech firm LOM Praha s.p. in its bid for a Czech military helicopter contact. Under the memorandum of understanding signed Monday, LOM Praha would provide maintenance, training and servicing for AgustaWestlands AW139 aircraft, as well as the manufacturing of the helicopter kits. "The partnership would be firmly established in the event ... more

Lithuania buys self-propelled howitzers from German Army Vilnius, Lithuania (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - Lithuania on Tuesday signed an agreement to procure 21 PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers from the German Armed Forces. The deal for the 155mm guns, as well as vehicles and other equipment, is worth nearly $65 million. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense said 16 of the guns will be usable for combat purposes, two will be used for training firing and driving skills, and three for spa ... more

Finland eyes building new combat vessels Helsinki, Finland (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - The Finnish Navy has been given the go-ahead to begin a program to replace six combat ships. The program is called Flotilla 2020 and will lead to the procurement of four vessels. The ships will replace four Rauma-class fast attack missile craft and two Hameenmaa-class mine-layers. Both classes of ships date from the 1990s and their life-cycles "cannot be extended in a cost-effici ... more

Textron supplies armored vehicles to Afghanistan New Orleans (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - Textron Systems Marine & Land Systems is to supply additional four-wheeled armored vehicles to the Afghan National Army. The contract for 55 Commando Select vehicles was issued through by the U.S. Army for a Foreign Military Sales deal and is worth $56.2 million. "Since being put into service by Afghan National Army Kandaks (battalions) several years ago, ANA soldiers have experi ... more

USS Cowpens holds cruiser modernization induction San Diego (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - The guided-missile cruiser US Cowpens (CG 63) was inducted as the first naval ship to undergo a significant modernization effort, the U.S. Navy announced on Monday. The ship went through the Phased Modernization Program. This is designed to balance the Navy's long-term requirement for a carrier strike group air defense commander platform. The ship's capabilities have been refitted for m ... more

131 dead in alleged strike on Yemen wedding Sanaa (AFP) Sept 29, 2015 - The death toll from an alleged air strike on a Yemeni wedding soared Tuesday to 131, including women and children, as the Saudi-led coalition denied it was behind the incident. UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned Monday's reported bombardment, saying intentional attacks on civilians were considered a "serious violation of international humanitarian law". Residents said the Arab coalition, whi ...more

Obama draws pledges of 30,000 troops for UN peacekeeping United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 28, 2015 - More than 50 countries pledged 30,000 troops for United Nations peacekeeping on Monday at a US summit called to shore up missions under strain from the rise in global crises. China scaled up its contribution, taking the lead in setting up an 8,000-strong standby police force while Colombia made a first-time offer of up to 5,000 troops. The pledges represent a major boost to UN peacekeep ... more

Obama says Assad must go, pushes campaign against IS United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 29, 2015 - US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad must go if the Islamic State group is to be defeated, as he rallied world leaders to revitalize the coalition campaign against the jihadists. A day after clashing with Russian President Vladimir Putin over how to handle the crisis in Syria, Obama hosted a counter-terrorism summit at the United Nations to take stoc ... more

At UN, Obama marches on with coalition against Islamic State United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 29, 2015 - President Barack Obama sits down with more than 100 leaders at the United Nations on Tuesday to push ahead with the US-led campaign against the Islamic State group despite Russia's rival plan. Russia has been invited to the counter-terrorism summit held a day before Moscow hosts a special UN Security Council meeting on the same issue, two events bound to highlight sharp differences in approa ... more

China possibly building its own aircraft carrier Washington (UPI) Sep 28, 2015 - Satellite images obtained by Airbus Defence and Space imagery show an unidentified hull in an advanced state of construction of what may be China's first home-made carrier. While the images, captured on September 22, are inconclusive, the slow pace of assembly shown is consistent with a military hull under construction. The dock in question is associated with refit and repair of a Sovie ... more

Russia's First Reported Air Strikes in Syria Assist Regime with Targeting Broader Opposition... Obama failed again!

Russia's First Reported Air Strikes in Syria Assist Regime with Targeting Broader Opposition ISW will continue to provide updates on all of these issues at www.understandingwar.org.   By Genevieve Casagrande An alleged Russian airstrike hit the rebel-held town of Talbisah north of Homs City. Talbisah is home to Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, hardline Islamist Ahrar al-Sham, Western-backed TOW anti-tank missile recipients, and a number of other local rebel groups, all of which are active in local governance efforts in the area. Both Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) have claimed a number of vehicle-borne IEDs (VBIEDs) in Homs City, located only 12 kilometers south of Talbisah. Following reports of U.S. and Turkish efforts to establish an ISIS "free zone" in the northern Aleppo countryside, JN withdrew from the border and reportedly enforced position in this rebel-held pocket north of Homs city. Notably, the airstrike did not hit ISIS militants and rather resulted in the a large number of civilian casualties. If confirmed, the airstrike would signal Russian intent to assist in the Syrian regime's war effort at large, rather than securing the regime's coastal heartland of Latakia and Tartous. Read this post online here ISW will continue to provide updates on all of these issues at www.understandingwar.org. ### The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization. ISW advances an informed understanding of military affairs through reliable research, trusted analysis, and innovative education. We are committed to improving the nation's ability to execute military operations and respond to emerging threats in order to achieve U.S. strategic objectives. Visit us at www.understandingwar.org.

Breaking: Russians bombs targets near Homs.

September 30, 2015

Breaking: Russians bombs targets near Homs. "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia suddenly escalated the stakes in his contest with the West over influence in the Middle East on Wednesday, as Russian pilots carried out their first airstrikes in Syria," reports the New York Times this morning. "Russian warplanes dropped bombs near the central city of Homs, according to American officials in Washington." Who did they bomb? "Russian officials and analysts portrayed the move as an attempt both to fight Islamic State militants and to try to ensure the survival of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Russia's main ally in the Middle East. But Homs is not under the control of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL." More, here. No ground troops — yet. "Mr. Putin has repeatedly emphasized that the use of Russian ground forces was not envisioned in the near term." NYT, here. "Sergei Ivanov, the Kremlin chief of staff, said Russia's military involvement would be limited to an air campaign targeting Islamic State, or ISIL," the Wall Street Journal reports. Didn't you try this before? Several "U.S. officials privately laughed and wished Putin luck," The Daily Beast reports. "'If he wants to jump into that mess, good luck,' one official said, noting that Russia had become bogged down in Afghanistan a generation ago in a fight against Islamic radicals." More here. Defense One's New eBook Has Arrived! Read "Harnessing Big Data to Protect the Nation." Get it Now.   But Moscow's moves show the limits of Obama's containment strategy, write Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and Molly O'Toole at Defense One. As much as Washington wants to shape the conflict from afar, Russia is now shaping the facts on the ground. Read their analysis, here. Kerry: put a leash on Assad. Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that Russia and Iran might stop Assad from bombing his own people. In an interview with MSNBC Tuesday, "Kerry suggested that the cooperation might go deeper than that and that Moscow and Tehran, Assad's staunch allies, might also help rein him in." More via AFP here. Enter Saudi Arabia. The U.S. isn't the only nation pushing for Assad to go. Speaking to reporters at the U.N. General Assembly, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said there are two options for Syria: "One option is a political process where there would be a transitional council. The other option is a military option, which also would end with the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power." More from The Guardian here.

The battle for Kunduz. American Special Forces and other NATO troops have been sent to Kunduz, the northern Afghanistan city overrun by the Taliban earlier this week. A coalition spokesman told the Washington Post that American and NATO forces would not be fighting and only "advising and assisting Afghan special forces units in the area who are working to clear the city." A test of Afghan forces: "The fight to reclaim Kunduz — Afghanistan's sixth-largest city and a strategic gateway to Central Asia — is one of the Afghan military's biggest tests in its campaign against the Taliban, and it raises questions about the withdrawal timetable for U.S. and other coalition troops." More here. Three U.S. airstrikes: American warplanes have flown three bombing missions, two Tuesday and one this morning, to protect forces at the city's airport, a key staging area for Afghan troops. The initial strikes Tuesday are said to have killed 83 Taliban, Afghan police told Reuters. More here. Taliban draw on the Islamic State handbook, posting a video showing militants with seized tanks and armored cars. The Taliban also said they would enforce Islamic sharia law in the besieged city. "The 10-minute clip posted on Facebook opens with a shot of Kunduz main square where Taliban cadres cheer as they raise their white flag under the wary gaze of subdued-looking residents," AFP reports. "The video ends with a message from the Taliban's newly appointed leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, though he does not appear on screen." More here.

From Defense One

House, Senate approve defense bill Obama will veto. From Defense One's Molly O'Toole: Last night, the "big four" members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees touted their new $600 billion 2016 defense authorization bill, but it may be more notable for what it doesn't do: "end sequestration, solve the budget impasse over defense spending, or give President Barack Obama the legislative support he sought to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." More here. Meanwhile, troops would get paid under a shutdown — if a bill currently making the rounds gets passed. GovExec has the story, here.

For years, the Pentagon hooked everything to the Internet. Now it's a 'big, big problem.' The Internet of Things is supposed to make life easier. For the Pentagon, the quintessential early adopter, it has made life much harder, writes Defense One's Patrick Tucker. Now the U.S. getting pwnd in cyber. Lawmakers, the Pentagon, and leaders in United States cyber security and intelligence all agree that the United States is getting pwnd online. China and Russia have an unfair advantage, able to steal sensitive United States corporate and governmental data with near impunity. That's where the agreement ends. In a testy Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing yesterday, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., challenged Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work, national intelligence director James Clapper, and NSA head Adm. Michael Rogers to give him a clear answer as to what our nation's policy was for retaliating against China and Russia for info heists like OPM (blamed on China). McCain pointed out that the 2015 defense policy act requires some sort of policy — not a strategy, but a clear deterrent policy allowing the nation to unleash cyber krakens when on other nation states when its data goes missing. Work: we ain't China. "We should strive to establish norms, especially between nation states," the DepSecSef responded, somewhat nervously. "There's an asymmetry with our nation-state potential adversaries." Clapper sounded a similar note: "Should there be red lines on spying?" he asked. "We didn't have red lines during the Cold War. There were no limits… We're in the Wild West with cyber. No limits on collecting information." More here.

Pentagon scrambling to learn what U.S. secrets Iraq is telling Russia. After Iraqi leaders unexpectedly entered into an intelligence-sharing agreement with Russia this weekend, "the Defense Department's second-in-command told the Senate on Tuesday, military intelligence and Pentagon teams are scrambling to make sure classified intelligence from the U.S. does not make its way into the hands of Russian, Syrian or Iranian authorities." The good news, if there is any: that there's so much mistrust between the parties involved, the information sharing may not be of much value, or put the United States at much risk, according to National Intelligence Director James Clapper. Defense One Technology Editor Patrick Tucker has the story, here.

Ebook: How the Pentagon is dispelling the fog of information overload. In a new ebook, Defense One looks at the ways that the U.S. military and its partners are looking to turn the rising clouds of data from a distraction into a guide. Download Harnessing Big Data to Protect the Nation, here.

Welcome to Wednesday's edition of The D Brief, from Marcus Weisgerber and Defense One.Want to share The D Brief with a friend? Here's our subscribe link. And please tell us what you like, don't like, or want to drop on our radar right here at the-d-brief@defenseone.com.

Poroshenko mocks Putin at U.N. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Putin's call for an international antiterrorism coalition are hypocritical. "For over 20 months, Russia's aggression against my country has been continuing through financing of terrorists and mercenaries, and supplies of arms and military equipment to the illegal armed groups," Poroshenko told the General Assembly. Reuters reports that all but one member of Russia's delegation left the assembly hall while Poroshenko spoke. They returned when he finished his speech. More here. Tit for tat. Russia says it would close airspace to Ukrainian airlines, beginning on Oct. 25, the same day Ukraine says it would deny two Russian airlines from flying to its cities. More here. Meanwhile, Pentagon's top Russia official leaves. "Evelyn Farkas, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, is leaving her post at the end of next month after five years with the Defense Department, a senior defense official confirmed to POLITICO." More here.

U.S. expanding footprint in Turkey. Having long pressed Turkey to do more for the anti-ISIS campaign, the Pentagon now appears to getting its wish. Turkey is allowing the U.S. Air Force to base personnel-recovery aircraft in Diyarbakir, a city in southeast Turkey, that is much closer to Syria than their current location, Gen. Philip Breedlove, the NATO supreme allied commander, said Tuesday. While a specific type of aircraft were not mentioned, they are likely HH-60 combat search-and-rescue helicopters, elite squadrons that specialize in rescuing downed pilots behind enemy lines guarded by surface-to-air missiles and other types of anti-aircraft weapons. More troops to Incirlik: Breedlove also said "the coalition intends to increase the operational footprint at Incirlik to step up the fight against [the Islamic State] in the coming months," Stars and Stripes reports. More here.

Five years later, hunt for Kony continues. From the Washington Post: U.S. Special Operations forces have opened a new front in their hunt for the African warlord Joseph Kony, moving closer to his suspected hideout in a lawless enclave straddling Sudan and South Sudan, according to military officials and others familiar with the operation." American forces in the Central African Republic are working with the Seleka Muslim rebels "who toppled the central government two years ago and triggered a still-raging sectarian war with a campaign of mass rapes and executions." More here.

Navy's new destroyer: marvel or boondoggle? That's the question posed by the Boston Globe about the newest Navy ship set to begin sea trials in December. "The 600-foot Zumwalt — picture an Aztec pyramid welded atop a machete blade — is an infinitely more elaborate and costly ship, a futuristic showcase crammed with electronic innovations. But it, too, appears destined to fall well short of its promise." More here.

American Legion backs Keystone XL. The largest U.S. veterans service organization wants the Obama administration to approve the controversial pipeline, saying veterans need access to the the estimated 42,000 jobs the project will create. More here.

Need to cross the Bosphorus? There's an app for that. Uber, the popular ride-sharing application now offers speedboat service across the Bosphorus Strait. The journey takes five minutes as opposed to the hour and a half on the two bridges in Istanbul. More here.

Defense One's New eBook Has Arrived! Read "Harnessing Big Data to Protect the Nation." Get it Now.