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Presented by Northrop Grumman: Delivered daily by 10 a.m., Morning Defense examines the latest news in defense policy and politics. | | | | | |  | | By Bryan Bender | Presented by |  | | | With Jacqueline Feldscher and Connor O’Brien Editor’s Note: Morning Defense is a free version of POLITICO Pro Defense's morning newsletter, which is delivered to our s 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. | | | — The Pentagon orders a wide-ranging review of weapons systems as it shapes the new administration's first defense budget request. — Republicans fire back at a proposal to expand the authority to order a nuclear strike beyond the president. — Satellite imagery suggests that China is doubling the size of its nuclear missile silos with new construction at a training site. HAPPY THURSDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where 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 FAIR SHOT': Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) came to the aid of Colin Kahl, President Joe Biden's pick to be Pentagon policy chief, in the face of new resistance to his nomination. "I'm hopeful he can get through," Reed told reporters on Wednesday. "I think he's a very talented individual, no question about that. And he's got great experience. I think he'll get a fair shot at the hearing.” Reed's backing comes amid potential opposition from the panel’s top Republican, Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, who is expressing “serious concerns” over Kahl's role in the 2015 nuclear pact with Iran and other Middle East policies. It’s unclear how entrenched GOP opposition is to Kahl. But the 50-50 split means nominees without bipartisan support could face a tough Senate confirmation process. But Reed argued Kahl’s confirmation would be an asset. "I think he brings to the job several key factors,” he said. “One, knowledge. Two, experience. And three, he's had a long relationship with the president, and I think that'll help the department in terms of working more closely with the White House." The panel plans to hold Kahl’s confirmation hearing on March 4. TODAY: SASC holds a hearing on the Pentagon's role in the coronavirus response at 9:30 a.m. Related: Senate Armed Services chair expects 'some extension' of troops in Afghanistan, via The Hill. And: Bipartisan escape hatch emerges as Tanden totters, via POLITICO's Marianne LeVine and Caitlin Emma. 'UNILATERAL RESTRICTION': Top House GOP hawks have fired back after nearly three dozen House Democrats this week called for Biden to relinquish his sole authority to launch nuclear weapons. Reps. Mike Rogers of Michigan, Mike Turner of Ohio and Liz Cheney of Wyoming said changes to nuclear command and control proposed by Democrats "will undermine American security, as well as the security of our allies." "The ability to take action during an attack is imperative to deterring a preemptive strike from our adversaries," they said in a statement. "America should never adopt policies or create bureaucratic impediments that would give our adversaries an advantage." Democratic Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Ted Lieu, both of California, spearheaded a letter to Biden urging him to modify the decision-making process, such as requiring other officials in the line of presidential succession to concur with a launch order. Rogers and Inhofe are also out today with an op-ed in Breaking Defense urging Biden to ignore arms control advocates who are lobbying for major cuts in nuclear modernization programs. “… If we listen to the radical groups who want our nuclear deterrent to wither away,” they warn, “we will have nothing of value to negotiate and nothing but bad options if we are threatened by a nuclear-armed power ...” Related: Air Force launches unarmed Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg AFB, via Air Force Times. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | | | 
Ben Margot/AP Photo | BUDGET REVIEW EYES BIG TARGETS: The Pentagon has ordered a review of several big-dollar programs — from warships to nuclear weapons to the F-35 fighter jet — as it seeks to "highlight key investments" in the Pacific and accelerate the development of autonomous weapon systems, according to an internal memo, your Morning D correspondent and David Brown report. "Due to the limited amount of time available before the Department must submit its FY 2022 President's Budget request, the process to re-evaluate existing decisions will focus on a very small number of issues with direct impact on FY 2022 and of critical importance to the President and the Secretary," states the Feb. 17 memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks to Pentagon leaders, which was obtained by POLITICO. The memo reflects an aggressive effort to determine where cuts might be made in order to finance what the new administration considers more pressing needs. The programs will be reviewed against three "cross-cutting" priorities . They are "investments to deter aggression in the Pacific"; "acceleration options" for developing more autonomous and "remotely crewed systems"; and identifying "near-term options" for getting rid of older aircraft and ships. Among the portfolios getting new scrutiny are shipbuilding, nuclear weapons, the Air Force's KC-46 aerial refueler and MQ-9 Reaper drone programs, the F-35 fighter, and “long-range fires," such as artillery and ground-to-ground missiles. What’s the timeline? According to a separate Feb. 11 memo from Hicks that was shared with POLITICO, the budget “relook” is supposed to be completed by late March so that the request can go to the White House Office of Management and Budget by mid-April and up to Capitol Hill in early May. Both memos included sections that were labeled CUI, for “controlled unclassified information,” the designation that used to be “for official use only.” NEW: “Defense Budget: Opportunities Exist to Improve DOD's Management of Defense Spending,” via the Government Accountability Office. ROLLBACK OR REVENGE? “Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is considering undoing his predecessor’s last-minute decision to elevate the top civilian Pentagon official overseeing special operations matters, signaling his intent to continue rolling back the policies of the Trump administration,” our colleague Lara Seligman reports. The initial policy change, made in December by former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, elevated civilian oversight of America’s commandos to be on par with the civilian leaders of the military branches. “Austin is weighing the move as he reassigns the senior official who most recently held that special operations role in the Trump administration, and looks to replace another official who served under Trump's former Pentagon chief.” Related: “U.S. Special Operations Forces: Background and Issues for Congress,” via Congressional Research Service. | | | |   | | | | | | SAFE AND EFFECTIVE: With up to a third of military personnel declining to get vaccinated for Covid-19, Austin is making the pitch in a new video to the troops to get inoculated, couching it in terms of the military’s duty to help the nation get through the pandemic. “We’re part of a larger team of federal and state agencies, and we are working hard — leaning in — to be productive members of that team,” he says in the new message. “We’re also working hard to make vaccines available to every member of the DoD family who wants one.” Austin made the case that “these vaccines have undergone intensive safety monitoring” and that they are “safe and they are effective.” And ultimately, he argued, getting vaccinated is about being prepared to carry out the military’s mission. “You know, I’ve taken it myself,” Austin said. “After talking with my doctor, I believed it was the right thing to do — not only for my health, but also for my ability to do the job and to contribute to our readiness.” | | | ‘A UNIQUE WINDOW’: New satellite imagery indicates that China is nearly doubling the number of missile silos with new construction at the Jilantai training site in north-central China, according to a new analysis from Hans Kristensen , director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. The new information “provides a unique window into China’s nuclear posture,” he writes. “China currently operates 18-20 silos, a number that could nearly double with the construction of the silos in the Jilantai training area.” Nonetheless, such an expansion “would only constitute a fraction of the number of ICBM silos operated by the United States and Russia,” he adds. So what might be the rationale? Kristensen posts that Beijing could be seeking to reduce the vulnerability of its missile force, overcome an adversary’s missile defenses or increase its strike capability. Another possibility: that China is taking additional steps to place its nuclear arsenal on alert status. “China’s missiles are thought to be deployed without nuclear warheads installed under normal circumstances,” Kristensen writes. “U.S. and Russian ICBMs are deployed fully ready and capable of launching on short notice. Because military competition with the United States is increasing, China can no longer be certain it would have time to arm the missiles that will need to be on alert to improve the credibility of China deterrent.” | | | | 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. | | | | | | | | AFA UPDATE: Here are a couple of takeaways from the first day of the Air Force Association’s Aerospace Warfare Symposium: No digital divide: The push by former Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper to use more digital tools to design and test weapons and vehicles will continue, said Darlene Costello, the principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics. Tanker anyway: The Air Force will begin “limited, operational use” of Boeing’s troubled KC-46 aerial tanker, despite a series of developmental problems and program delays, reported Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, the commander of Air Mobility Command. Day Two of the virtual conference features the Space Force’s second-ranking officer and top enlisted leader, a fireside chat with Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. | | | — Biden’s CIA pick vows to focus on a rising China: POLITICO — CIA launches task force to probe invisible attacks on US diplomats and spies as one victim finds some relief: CNN — Key senator urges Pentagon to finish F-35’s combat tests quickly: Bloomberg — North Korea enslaving political prisoners to fund weapons program, human rights group says: Reuters — Two pilots lost consciousness while flying. Their F-16s saved them: Popular Mechanics — FAA releases statement on airliner’s encounter with unidentified flying object over New Mexico: The Drive — The mysterious origins of the secretary of Defense ‘exclusion’ clause: War on the Rocks — LISTEN: Tim O'Brien on late-in-life fatherhood and the things he carried from Vietnam: NPR | | | | 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. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
