Rapid Fire July 12, 2013: US Bill Introduced to Get DoD Civilians Unfurloughed

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* US congressman John Barrow [D-GA, centrist voting track record] introduced a bill (H.R. 2613) to exempt civilian DoD staff from furloughs, in addition to military personnel already exempt since before the furloughs started. That bill does not look very likely to get traction on its own. * US Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of PACOM, […]

* US congressman John Barrow [D-GA, centrist voting track record] introduced a bill (H.R. 2613) to exempt civilian DoD staff from furloughs, in addition to military personnel already exempt since before the furloughs started. That bill does not look very likely to get traction on its own.

* US Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of PACOM, told reporters that “the US isn’t going to open any more bases in the Asia-Pacific, just we’re not in that business.” Instead they’re looking for access to infrastructure from allies such as the Philippines.

* In the latest Joint Forces Quarterly, Enhancing the U.S. Rebalance Toward Asia by Elevating Allies:

“A new U.S.-led information-strike complex would establish a new level of nonnuclear deterrence in Asia that could increase the effectiveness of Asian missile programs. […] For the United States and its Asian allies, a movement toward new classes of missiles would constitute a measured nonnuclear response to China’s emerging ISR/strike A2/AD combine.”

Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert and General James F. Amos discussed the Future of maritime forces at CSIS yesterday. Video:

* The US Navy published its list of the 12 ships scheduled for inactivation in FY14. 7 of them are Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. Related: solicitation for the towing and dry-docking of 3-5 FFG-7s.

* The Pentagon announced the next forthcoming unit rotations to Afghanistan.

* Germany’s KSK Commandos are buying 15 EC645 T2 helicopters, for use as light transports and gunships. Eurocopter touts them as UH-72A Lakota derivatives, but that’s a stretch. Where the T2 is used, is as the base for EADS NA’s AAS-72X Armed Aerial Scout entry.

* From the latest Army Sustainment, an article [PDF] on how to make theater closing operations more efficient, with pictures of dozens of welding gas cylinders piled up before further handling.

* DynCorp’s protest of a USAF award to L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace for maintenance services at Columbus AFB was denied.

* Boston Dynamics’ ATLAS humanoid robot, funded by DARPA, is developing a good sense of balance, a strong preference for loud techno music, and apparently infinite patience for lab staff trying to make it/him/her fall. Which is good, given the robot’s 6’2, 330-pound stature (1.89m, 150kg). Video below:

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