Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 25, 2014

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140224-D-HU462-063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140224-D-HU462-063.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief reporters on the fiscal year 2015 defense budget proposal at the Pentagon, Feb. 24, 2014. DOD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">'American Dominance In The Seas, Sky And Space can No Longer Be Taken For Granted,' Admits Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel As He Slashes Army To Smallest Size In 74 YEARS -- Daily Mail</span></b></div><br />* Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel seemed to throw in the towel on Monday as he advocated for a smaller standing army and fewer military bases<br />* One out of every seven slots for Army soldiers will be eliminated under his plan, putting the armed forces on their smallest footing since before WWII<br />* He also aims to completely eliminate several lines of aircraft from American military fleets, including the Air Force's U-2 spy plane<br />* Congress could tinker with Hagel's plan or reject it entirely, as Republicans are complaining about cuts that result from a failure to rein in entitlements<br />* The House Armed Services Committee chairman slammed the White House for 'trying to solve our financial problems on the back of the military.'<br /><br />Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has proposed shrinking the Army to its smallest size in 74 years through a series of base closures and troops cuts, and by completely eliminating several Air Force aircraft fleets.<br /><br />The move comes as the U.S. Army moves into the final phases of a massive troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and Congress raises new red flags about American deficit spending.<br /><br />Hagel surprised some observers on Monday when he outlined a global military philosophy that removed America from the center of its universe.<br /><br />'The development and proliferation of more advanced military technology of other nations – it means that we are entering an era where American dominance on the seas, in the skies, and space can no longer be taken for granted,' Hagel said.<br /><br />'As a consequence of large budget cuts, our future force will assume additional risks in some areas,' he added.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2566638/Hagel-proposes-big-cuts-Army-2015-budget.html#ixzz2uH9GdzNZ">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Military And Intelligence News Briefs</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2014/02/congress_skeptical_about_plan_to_shrink_military">Congress skeptical about plan to shrink military</a> -- AP<br /><br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240030/US-Lawmakers-Push-Back-Against-DoD-Budget-Plans">US Lawmakers Push Back Against DoD Budget Plans</a> -- Defense News<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dodbuzz.com/2014/02/24/winners-and-losers-in-the-2015-budget/">Winners and Losers in the 2015 Budget </a>-- DoD Buzz<br /><br /><a href="http://defensetech.org/2014/02/24/hagel-moves-to-kill-cold-war-aircraft-fleets/#more-22401">Hagel Moves to Kill Cold War Fleets </a>-- Defense Tech<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stripes.com/news/navy/hagel-orders-cut-to-lcs-plans-reduced-operations-for-carriers-1.269789">Hagel orders cut to LCS plans; reduced operations for carriers</a> -- Stars and Stripes<br /><br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240026/Pentagon-Changes-Course-Halts-LCS-32-Ships">Pentagon Changes Course, Halts LCS at 32 Ships</a> -- Defense News<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/hagels-cuts-us-military-retain-nuclear-triad/">Nuclear Triad to Survive Hagel Cuts in Pentagon Spending </a>-- Global Security Newswire<br /><br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240032/Ayotte-Decision-Cut-10-Serious-Mistake-">Ayotte: Decision To Cut A-10 'Serious Mistake' </a>-- Defense News<br /><br /><a href="http://rt.com/usa/us-military-cuts-budget-423/">US military plans steep cutbacks, roils ranks </a>-- RT<br /><br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240029/Pentagon-Ground-Forces-Can-Fight-One-Theater-Support-Air-Sea-Forces-Another">Pentagon: Ground Forces Can Fight in One Theater, Support Air, Sea Forces in Another</a> -- Defense News<br /><br /><a href="http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/24/hagel-cuts-would-reshape-military-after-longest-war/">Get real, Hagel tells nation in proposing military cuts</a> -- CNN<br /><br /><a href="http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russia_to_map_out_next_ten_year_space_program_999.html">Russia to map out next ten-year space program</a> -- Space Daily/Voice of Russia<br /><br /><a href="http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20140223.aspx">Surface Forces: China Rebuilds The Nigerian Navy</a> -- Strategy Page<br /><br /><a href="http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Japans_ruling_party_seeks_to_ease_ban_on_arms_exports_999.html">Japan's ruling party seeks to ease ban on arms exports </a>-- Space Daily/UPI<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/02/22/will-chinas-new-aircraft-carriers-spark-a-multi-bi/">Will China's New Aircraft Carriers Spark a Multibillion-Dollar Weapons-Buying Bonanza?</a> -- Daily Finance/Motley Fool<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1101&MainCatID=11&id=20140223000089">Vietnam joins submarine arms race amid South China Sea tensions </a>-- Want China Times<br /><br /><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/us-south-korea-begin-joint-military-drills/1857740.html">US-South Korea Joint Military Drills Begin</a> -- Voice of America<br /><br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10656958/1bn-HMS-Dauntless-abandons-training-exercise-after-power-trouble.html">£1bn HMS Dauntless abandons training exercise after technical trouble </a>-- The Telegraph<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26328398">Millions paid to consultants as MoD jobs go unfilled, MPs told</a> -- BBC<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/02/25/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iran-military.html?ref=world">Official: Iran Has Studied Israeli Strike Tactics</a> -- New York Times/AP<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/heli-expo-israel-could-double-v-22-order-size-bell-396274/">Israel could double V-22 order size, Bell says</a> -- Flight Global<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101438440">India becomes biggest foreign buyer of US weapons </a>-- CNBC/Financial Times<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/mckeon-us-should-formally-accuse-russia-violating-arms-control-pact/">McKeon: U.S. Should Formally Protest Russian Arms Control Breach</a> -- Global Security Newswire<br /><br /><a href="http://rt.com/news/french-extend-car-mission-672/">France to vote on extending Central African Republic military mission</a> -- RT<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/report-iran-pursue-iraqi-arms-sale-violation-un-sanctions/">Iran-Iraq Weapons Deal a Possible U.N. Sanctions Breach: Report</a> -- Global Security Newswire<br /><br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240036/US-Presses-Iraq-Reports-Arms-Deal-Iran">US Presses Iraq on Reports of Arms Deal with Iran</a> -- Defense News/AFP<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stripes.com/news/soldiers-getting-new-mountain-climbing-gear-from-army-1.269633">Soldiers getting new mountain climbing gear from Army </a>-- Stars and Stripes<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stripes.com/news/us/for-f-a-18-super-hornet-the-end-may-be-on-horizon-1.269851">For F/A-18 Super Hornet, the end may be on horizon</a> -- Stars and Stripes/L.A. Times<br /><br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240033/Pentagon-Air-Force-Doubles-Down-Engine-Technology">Pentagon, Air Force Doubles Down on Engine Technology</a> -- Defense News<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/pentagon-confirms-requested-missile-decommissioning-study/">Pentagon Confirms it Requested Missile-Decommissioning Study </a>-- Global Security Newswire<br /><br /><a href="http://rt.com/news/five-eyes-online-manipulation-deception-564/">Western spy agencies build ‘cyber magicians’ to manipulate online discourse</a> -- RT<br /><br /><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/199009-clapper-says-us-might-not-be-prepared-to-stop-another-edward">US not ready for another Edward Snowden?</a> -- The Hill<br /><br /><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/199080-gop-block-votes-on-military-sexual-assault-bills">GOP block votes on military sexual assault bills</a> -- The Hill<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2566892/Extraordinary-wartime-service-one-Britains-greatest-fighter-aces-shot-23-planes-career-spanning-Battle-Britain-North-African-campaign-Normandy-landings.html">For sale, the medals of RAF ace who shot down 25 planes in a career spanning the Battle of Britain, North African campaign and Normandy landings </a>-- Daily Mail<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/stripes-central-1.8040/what-happens-when-a-navy-officer-gets-real-on-china-1.269604">What happens when a Navy officer gets real on China?</a> -- Stars and Stripes<br /><br /><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2014/02/24/weapons-cuts-in-2015-budget-leave-soldiers-marines-at-risk/">Weapons Cuts In 2015 Budget Leave Soldiers, Marines At Risk</a> -- Loren Thompson, Forbes

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 25, 2014

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief reporters on the fiscal year 201...

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