44 responded Thursday with a high-visibility flyover of South Korea by two B-2 stealth bombers, part of joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises that were long-planned. This is the first time B-2s have flown in the open over Korea, and the extra show of force is exactly the right signal to send. Young Kim needs to understand that starting a war will mean nothing short of his and his regime's extinction. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos, has said he is confident that women can begin joining some combat jobs, including in tank and artillery units, by early next year. But with infantry — the foot warriors who since ancient times have been called upon to march across hills and deserts, carry heavy weight and bear the brunt of fighting and death — the corps is proceeding with much caution. – New York Times
Furloughs and other temporary budget patches could become a way of life for the Pentagon unless congressional Republicans and the White House reach a long-term budget deal. – DEFCON Hill
A recent U.S. Army war game against a North Korea-like failed nuclear state with powerful ground forces has exposed some materiel capability gaps that deeply worry Army planners, service leaders said. – Defense News
The U.S. operation to remove military hardware and vehicles from Afghanistan as troops withdraw after 12 years of war will cost between $5 billion and $6 billion, officials said Sunday. - AFP
The U.S. military's efforts to ship out the mountains of equipment it accumulated over 11 years of Afghan war began in earnest this month, when a trial load of military hardware trucked through Pakistan set sail from the port of Karachi. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The American and British militaries are examining ways to preserve critical warfighting capabilities honed over the past decade of fighting side-by-side in Afghanistan and Iraq, as combat operations wind down and defense spending declines on both sides of the Atlantic. – Defense News
The Pentagon is projecting a $22 billion shortfall in its operations-and-maintenance budget, despite receiving an appropriations bill that funds the Defense Department for the remainder of the fiscal year, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. – Defense News
With his retirement from Lockheed Martin looming at the end of the month, Tom Burbage, one of the leading figures of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program over the last decade, took some time to reflect on the fifth-generation fighter. – Defense News
The War
For an administration that is determined not to add to the detainee population at Guantanamo, the handling of the Somali’s case has become something of a template for other terrorism suspects captured overseas. – Washington Post
Nuclear Weapons/Nonproliferation
House Republicans are investigating proposed revisions to an Energy Department rule that nuclear industry officials say could stifle trade and limit U.S. influence on international nonproliferation policy. – Global Security Newswire
In the name of opposing nuclear proliferation, promoting international cooperation and championing peace, the administration has embraced “nuclear zero” and a set of nuclear policies that risk spurring proliferation, harming U.S. alliances and increasing the danger that nuclear war someday will occur. The worst error of governments is not failing to achieve their purposes; it is achieving the opposite of what they properly intend. – Washington Post
Missile Defense
NATO hopes a U.S. change to global missile defenses will dispel Russian concern and foster cooperation on an issue that has long strained relations, alliance Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said in an interview. - Reuters
Foreign Armies East
North Korea's massive but poorly trained and equipped military could cause significant damage in the early stages of an attack on its southern neighbor. But any attack would ultimately be repulsed by superior U.S. and South Korean forces, military analysts say. – USA Today
The U.S. flew F-22 stealth fighter jets to South Korea Sunday for joint exercises, a further demonstration of advanced military capabilities meant to deter provocations from Pyongyang. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
France is abandoning plans to ship weapons to rebel forces in Syria, backing off a proposed deal with Britain to directly supply arms to opposition forces in the country. – DEFCON Hill
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