Nuclear Weapons
44 has decided to seek deeper cuts in deployed strategic nuclear weapons to as few as 1,000 warheads, sharply below the target of 1,550 warheads required under a 2010 U.S.-Russia arms treaty, U.S. officials said Monday. – Washington Free Beacon
Defense
House Democrats are urging 44 to veto the upcoming defense budget bill being worked on by Congress, if the legislation restricts planned reductions to the U.S. nuclear stockpile. – DEFCON Hill
The Pentagon relies more often on multiyear procurement contracts (MYPs) than block-buy contracting (BBC) deals, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). – Aviation Week
Development of the new advanced arresting gear (AAG) for the U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford CVN 78-class aircraft carrier has hit a few snags and delays, the Navy said, but delivery of systems to the carrier’s shipyard should not delay the ship. – Defense News
Two of the Air Force’s premiere unmanned aerial drones are also the service’s top two aircraft that are likely to crash and burn during a given operation. – DEFCON Hill
Instead of loading up hundreds of Marines and their gear from a Marine expeditionary unit (MEU) for extended operations with an amphibious ready group (ARG) — like all other amphibious assault ships — the Norfolk, Va.-based Wasp has been held out of the deployment rotation and generally kept close to home. – Defense News
The Pentagon’s $45 billion investment in armored vehicles to protect troops from roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan has been credited with saving thousands of lives. Now the truck is approaching the end of the road – USA Today
The Navy’s contribution [to the drug war] is mainly from frigates such as Elrod, which are scheduled to be decommissioned in the coming years — faster than the littoral combat ships designed to replace them can come into service. Meanwhile, the service is shifting its focus toward the Pacific at the expense of missions in the Americas, and budget cuts are likely to keep the Coast Guard from taking up the slack. – Military Times
The War
The U.S. military’s new strategy in Africa calls for partnerships with regional governments to disrupt and eventually destroy al Qaeda and its African affiliates, a top Pentagon official said Monday. – Washington Times
While Moammar Gadhafi is gone, the weapons used by the rebels who overthrew him are now a threat to the whole region, according to Amanda Dory, a top Defense Department policy official on Africa. – CNN’s Security Clearance
