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Presented by Lockheed Martin: From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward and Quint Forgey | Presented by Lockheed Martin | With help from Connor O’Brien, Daniel Lippman and Andrew Desiderio | 
A B-2 Bomber flies overhead. | Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images | Welcome to National Security Daily, your guide to the global events roiling Washington and keeping the administration up at night. As we embark on our 10th week here at NatSec Daily, we’re soliciting your feedback on what you like and dislike about the newsletter, what you want to see more or less of, and anything else you think your hosts should know. Find our contact info below. So, which section do you like the most, and which one(s) do you hate? Tell us! (And be cruel; we can take it. Well, Quint can.) Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Quint A funding battle over America’s largest nuclear weapon is quickly turning into a proxy fight over China and Russia — potentially leading to an explosive debate during the National Defense Authorization Act conference process. The B-83 is a 1.2 megaton gravity bomb, meaning it lacks the precision and guidance of other weapons as it falls to Earth (with destructive power 80 times that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima). President JOE BIDEN’s budget called for $52 million in life-extension funding for the weapon, which the Senate approved. But House Armed Services Chair ADAM SMITH (D-Wash.) ripped it out of his chamber’s annual defense policy bill, and Republican attempts to reinstate the funding by Reps. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) and MICHAEL TURNER (R-Ohio) failed on a party-line vote. While Smith believes the United States needs a strong nuclear deterrent, he’s skeptical that all systems require upkeep — especially the B-83. “[A]cross the Navy and Air Force programs, we are advancing not only an unprecedented number of new weapons under development, but also maintaining costly systems, such as the B-83 gravity bomb, that have questionable operational relevance in today’s environment,” he wrote to Biden last month. “When asked about the requirements for all of these systems, the Department of Defense quickly points to Russian and Chinese investment in nuclear weapons, which I fear leads us down the path to a newly invigorated and very dangerous arms race.” Smith has a point. A July document sent from U.S. Strategic Command to HASC states that “the B83-1 is needed to meet current policy guidance and Operation Plan objectives. Adversaries protect much of what they value most in hard and deeply buried facilities, and adversaries continue to grow this class of targets. The B-83-1 is the best weapon in denying this sanctuary to adversaries.” The contents of the document, obtained by NatSec Daily, have not been previously reported. Republicans now plan to argue that Democratic opposition to the B-83 is symbolic of their unseriousness toward deterring threats from great powers. With the Senate and House divided on the weapon, GOP lawmakers want to use the conference process to maximize this issue and turn a vote on the bomb into a pseudo-China debate. "On deterring both China and Russia, there’s talking the talk, and there’s walking the walk. We hear a lot of tough talk on giving our military the tools it needs to prepare for China. In this case, our military commanders are saying they need this system, and on the B-83 Democratic actions failed to match their rhetoric,” a House Republican staffer told NatSec Daily. “Let’s see if that continues on the upcoming ICBM debate,” the staffer added. Democrats, of course, feel differently. “There is more than enough deterrence without the B-83,” said Rep. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-Calif.), a HASC member and leading nuclear-modernization critic. “Are Republicans going to get in a B-2 and deliver that bomb to China? … It’s a ‘Doctor Strangelove’ thing. It makes no rational sense.” “It is clearly a legacy weapon,” he concluded. | | | BIDEN TELLS UNGA U.S. IS MOVING PAST WARS: The president said Tuesday that America was “opening a new era of relentless diplomacy” after its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, telling the United Nations General Assembly his administration would work closely with other world powers to confront growing global threats, our own NAHAL TOOSI and Quint reported. “Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past,” Biden said, “we are fixing our eyes on devoting our resources to the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future: Ending this pandemic, addressing the climate crisis, managing the shifts in global power dynamics, shaping the rules of the world on vital issues like trade, cyber and emerging technologies, and facing the threat of terrorism as it stands today.” Tackling those problems requires foreign governments to “engage deeply with the rest of the world” and “work together with our partners toward a shared future,” Biden said, adding: “Our security, our prosperity and our very freedoms are interconnected, in my view, as never before. And so, I believe we must work together as never before.” TRIED AND TRUDEAU: Canadian Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU won his nation’s parliamentary election but didn’t get the firm grip on power he wanted. Now, his Liberals will return to Ottawa with roughly the same number of seats as they had before, putting Trudeau in charge of a minority government once again. What does the result mean for U.S.-Canada relations? “Trudeau and Biden can quickly pick things back up,” wrote POLITICO Canada’s ANDY BLATCHFORD . However, Trudeau must reassure a public that criticizes him for “allowing Canada to be an afterthought for the U.S. president.” Read Blatchford’s list of nine policies that might make Biden-Trudeau relations tricky here. MEMBER OF BURNS’ TEAM SUFFERS “HAVANA SYNDROME”: As CIA Director WILLIAM BURNS traveled to India earlier this month, a member of his team felt the symptoms of what some colloquially call “Havana Syndrome.” The staffer required medical attention, CNN’s KYLIE ATWOOD first reported. Burns was “fuming” in anger, one source told Atwood. After all, the spy chief is in charge of the administration’s probe into what — and potentially who — is responsible for these effects. IT’S TUESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at award@politico.com and qforgey@politico.com, and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @QuintForgey. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @woodruffbets, @politicoryan, @PhelimKine, @BryanDBender, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmccleary, @leehudson, @AndrewDesiderio and @JonnyCustodio. Make sure to join POLITICO on Thursday, Oct. 7, for our inaugural defense forum, where we’ll talk to the decision-makers in the White House, Congress, military and defense industry who are reshaping American power abroad and redefining military readiness for the future of warfare. Assure your spot now by registering here. | | A message from Lockheed Martin: Going beyond manufacturing optimization to the next digital revolution.
Lockheed Martin’s mission-driven transformation includes the entire system lifecycle to connect everything with a digital thread—from early design and rapid prototyping through to production and sustainment. The result? Faster deliveries, agile responsiveness and data-driven insights for the warfighter. Learn More | | | | | | ALL THE TALIBAN’S MEN: Despite international outcry, the Taliban have once again only appointed hardline males to Afghanistan’s interim Cabinet — keeping women out of the government entirely. The United States, along with other nations, have said the militants must form a more inclusive leadership team should it seek formal recognition. The growing list of ministers and deputies makes that prospect less likely, though. Last week, a fight broke out among Taliban leaders over the makeup of the government, though participants in the reported dust-up dispute that happened.
| | | AIR FORCE DEFENDING WEAPONS FROM CYBER PROBES: The Air Force is worried adversaries are using cyber methods to spy on American weapons systems and military targets. The service’s information warfare team is fighting back. “How do we generate the right intelligence to understand the threat to those weapon systems and then how do we bring together the capabilities that we have to defend our networks and our weapon systems in a way that buys down the risk for operational commanders?” Lt. Gen. TIMOTHY HAUGH, the 16th Air Force commander, told C4ISRNET’s MARK POMERLEAU in an interview. According to Haugh, “the defensive cyber teams within 16th Air Force are able to defend the entirety of the network all the way down to a particular enclave or a specific weapon system. The organization can ensure everyone has a common picture of the threat as well as the intelligence of what the threats look like, he said, adding they can help make those systems more defensible and less vulnerable,” Pomerleau reported. | | | | INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada’s future. Every day, our reporting team pulls back the curtain to shed light on what’s really driving the agenda on Parliament Hill, the true players who are shaping politics and policy across Canada, and the impact it all has on the world. Don’t miss out on your daily look inside Canadian politics and power. Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today. | | | | | | | | ERRANT KABUL STRIKE PROBE: The Air Force’s inspector general, Lt. Gen. SAMI SAID, has been tapped to investigate the Kabul Hellfire missile strike that accidentally killed 10 civilians. He has only 45 days to complete the probe, per Air Force Times’ LEILA BARGHOUTY. After first calling the bombing “righteous,” Pentagon leaders said last week they had made a “tragic mistake.” That admission came soon after a New York Times visual investigation showed the target of the strike wasn’t a member of ISIS-K threatening Kabul’s airport, but an aid worker and his nine family members.
| | | PROGRESSIVES STOP $1B FOR IRON DOME: “Temporary funding legislation released Tuesday in the House would allocate $1 billion in emergency cash for the Pentagon to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system,” reported our own CONNOR O’BRIEN . This provision followed the Biden administration’s promise to help Israel restock its interceptors after the deadly fighting in the Gaza Strip in May. That’d be the story, except progressives caught wind of the funding and vowed to vote against the continuing resolution unless the money was stripped out. The kerfuffle led Democratic leaders to strip the measure from the final package, and the money will now be in the annual defense bill. “[T]he episode resurfaced the long-simmering internal tension among Democrats when it comes to supporting a longtime U.S. ally in the Middle East. And it comes as Republicans have already sought to portray the majority party as anti-Israel due to progressives’ long-standing skepticism of the U.S.-Israel security relationship,” our own CAITLIN EMMA, JENNIFER SCHOLTES and ANDREW DESIDERIO reported. GROUPS PUSH FOR END TO U.S. ROLE IN YEMEN: A coalition of 56 organizations sent a letter to members of Congress on Monday urging them to support an NDAA amendment that would end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen. If adopted, the measure — filed by Rep. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.) — would prohibit the use of federal funds to provide intelligence, maintenance and other logistical support to Riyadh. Khanna’s amendment goes further than one proposed by Rep. GREGORY MEEKS (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which cuts off support for a coalition unit determined to be culpable for the deaths of innocent civilians. That’s why the 56 organizations support Khanna’s measure. “It’s now critical Congress support Representative Khanna’s amendment to the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act and finally terminate U.S. participation in Saudi’s aerial operations for the sake of millions of Yemenis in desperate need,” said HASSAN EL-TAYYAB, legislative director for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation lobbying group. “Members of Congress have two choices: vote for this amendment, or vote for an active U.S. role in crimes against humanity for millions of people, including children.” | | | |   | | | | | | OH NIKKI, YOU SO MAD: NIKKI HALEY, the first U.N. envoy of Donald Trump’s presidency, had some pointed critiques of Biden’s UNGA speech today. “China unleashed COVID-19 on the world, and by not holding them accountable or having a credible investigation, you’re only putting the world at risk once again,” she tweeted. Haley also blasted the president for wanting the United States to rejoin the U.N. Human Rights Council: “We left the council because we should never lend America’s credibility to a sham made up of the worst human rights abusers including China, Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela.” She later released a broader statement: “President Biden's speech ignored the reality and seriousness of America's threats and enemies. China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and terrorism to name a few. Under the Trump administration the world knew where we stood. At the U.N. we took the names of our enemies and had the backs of our allies. With Joe Biden asleep at the switch our friends don’t trust us, and our enemies are rejoicing.” Keep these comments in mind as we approach the year 2024 for, um, no particular reason. | | | — The Center for Internet Security announced three new additions to its team. KATHY BOOCKVAR, the former Pennsylvania secretary of state, will be the vice president of elections operations and support. JARED DEARING , the Kentucky State Board of Elections executive director, will be the senior director of elections security. And MARCI ANDINO, South Carolina’s elections director, will serve as director of the elections infrastructure information sharing and analysis center. — KIM JOINER is now vice president of TeamWorx Security, a data science and software engineering company. She most recently was deputy assistant secretary of Defense for military community and family policy. | | | | JOIN THURSDAY FOR A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION ON ENDING SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY: Sexual assault in the military has been an issue for years, and political leaders are taking steps to address it. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) proposed bipartisan legislation to overhaul military sexual assault policies, but still face opposition. Join Women Rule for a virtual interview featuring Sens. Ernst and Gillibrand, who will discuss their legislative push and what it will take to end sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | — YASCHA MOUNK, The Atlantic: “The World Won’t Miss Angela Merkel” — HANIN GHADDAR, POLITICO Magazine: “ Opinion | Hezbollah’s Grip on Lebanon Is Weakening. Here’s How Washington Can Help.” — VIVIENNE WALT, Time: “America’s Defense Pact with Australia and the U.K. Has Humiliated France's Macron. But It Might Also Help Him”
| | | — Biden will convene a virtual Covid-19 summit on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, per the White House. — The Finnish Institute of International Affairs, 7 a.m.: “EU Climate Policy: An Effective Transition? — with ALVIINA ALAMETSÄ, EMMA HAKALA, ELLEN OJALA and ISMO ULVILA” — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 8 a.m.: “Press Briefing: Previewing the Quad Leaders Summit — with MICHAEL J. GREEN, BONNY LIN and RICHARD M. ROSSOW” — Chatham House, 9 a.m.: “Is the age of globalization over? — with RENATA DWAN, BEN HORTON, MARKUS KORNPROBST, T.V. PAUL and STEPHANIE STROBL” — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9 a.m.: “ Russia’s Strategic Role in Afghanistan and Central Asia — with PAVEL BAEV, HEATHER A. CONLEY and ERICA MARAT” — House Homeland Security Committee, 9 a.m.: “Full Committee Hearing: Worldwide Threats to the Homeland: 20 Years After 9/11 — with CHRISTINE ABIZAID, ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS and CHRISTOPHER WRAY” — Chatham House, 10 a.m.: “What’s next for the WTO: Priorities and deliverables — with ANABEL GONZÁLEZ, MERIT JANOW and MARIANNE SCHNEIDER-PETSINGER” — House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, 10 a.m.: “Full Committee Hearing: Veteran Suicide Prevention: Innovative Research and Expanded Public Health Efforts” — Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10:15 a.m.: “Full Committee Hearing: Nominations — DAVID L. COHEN, THOMAS R. NIDES and CYNTHIA ANN TELLES” — Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 10:30 a.m.: “Full Committee Hearing: Nominations — with CATHY A. HARRIS, TRISTAN L. LEAVITT and RAYMOND A. LIMON” — The Atlantic Council, 12 p.m.: “Latin America and the Caribbean’s recovery: A global priority — with JOSÉ MANUEL ALBARES, EPSY CAMPBELL-BARR, RUSSELL CONTRERAS, MARINA E. FRANCO, ANABEL GONZÁLEZ and more” — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 12 p.m.: “ Five Years of U.S.-Laos Comprehensive Partnership — with KHAMPHAN ANLAVAN, BRIAN EYLER, MURRAY HIEBERT, SERA KOULABDARA, GREGORY B. POLING and BEN RHODES” — The Middle East Institute, 12:30 p.m.: “The Politics, Economics and Regional Dynamics of Lebanon’s Power Crisis — with CHRISTOPHE ABI-NASSIF, ISHAC DIWAN, JESSICA OBEID and RANDA SLIM” — The European Council on Foreign Relations, 1 p.m.: “The Geopolitics of Tech: How Technology Affects European Power — with GIORGIA ABELTINO, VINCENZO AMENDOLA, ELISABETTA ROMANO, MARIOLINA SATTANINO and ALESSANDRO SPECIALE” — House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, 2 p.m.: “Subcommittee Hearing: Creating a Welcoming VA and Building Equity for Veterans Through Legislation” — Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 2:30 p.m.: “Full Committee Hearing: Nominations — with CLAIRE D. CRONIN, ATUL ATMARAM GAWANDE and VIRGINIA E. PALMER” — Senate Intelligence Committee, 3 p.m.: “Closed Briefing: Intelligence Matters” — The Brookings Institution, 6 p.m.: “ To Rule the Waves: How Control of the World’s Oceans Shapes the Fate of the Superpowers — with BRUCE JONES and EVAN OSNOS” | | A message from Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin’s mission-driven transformation embraces disruptive processes, technology and tools to drive faster deliveries, agile responsiveness and data-driven insights for the warfighter, including:
• Digital Engineering Model -based engineering optimizes design and links design, manufacturing and sustainment teams on a common digital thread to save costs and speed program lifecycles.
• Next-Gen Software A company-wide Software Factory is deploying DevSecOps approaches and enabling fast development and continuous deployment of software to advance customer missions.
• Digital Enablemen t Company-wide investments in process reinvention, business system modernization, 5G networking, cyber and cloud are laying the foundation for transformational capabilities.
• Data as a Strategic Asset Building the global infrastructure to share data instantly and securely, and the AI-powered, predictive analytics to glean insights that advance performance.
• Advanced Production Revolutionizing factories with smart tools, connected machines, networked supply chains and mixed reality tools for technicians to speed production and improve quality.
See our transformation in action | | | Have a natsec-centric event coming up? Transitioning to a new defense-adjacent or foreign policy-focused gig? Shoot us an email at award@politico.com or qforgey@politico.com to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. And thanks to our editor Ben Pauker, who we don’t consider a legacy weapon. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
