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CNN —The Pentagon announced Tuesday that the accounting error revealed last month was significantly more than previously stated and aid provided to Ukraine was overvalued by $6.2 billion rather than $3 billion. The final calculation of the accounting error is far higher than the Pentagon previously estimated in May, when it first revealed the miscalculation as $3 billion. “We have confirmed that for FY23, the final calculation is $3.6 billion, and for FY22 it is $2.6 billion, for a combined total of $6.2 billion,” Singh said. “These valuation errors in no way limit or restricted the size of any of our PDAs or impacted the provision of support to Ukraine,” she added. The first accounting error of $3 billion revealed last month triggered frustration from Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees, who believe the mistake reduced the amount of US support that went to Ukraine leading up to the counteroffensive.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, ”, Michael McCaul, Mike Rogers Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, ”, White House, House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, House Foreign, House Armed Locations: Ukraine

Lockheed and Airbus will tout their LMXT tanker at the Paris Airshow this week, bringing U.S. reporters onboard the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport on which the new plane is based. In 2011, Boeing won the first of a three-phase procurement to replace the Air Force's aging tanker fleet, securing a contract for 179 KC-46s. But Larry Gallogly, Lockheed’s director of LMXT business development, said Lockheed and Airbus "are most definitely still in this competition." Lockheed and Airbus sought a program of at least 120 aircraft, but “the business case can certainly close below that,” Gallogly said. Boeing Defense CEO Ted Colbert said the KC-46 "has proven to be highly capable" and is ready for the threats of the 2030s.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Larry Gallogly, ” Gallogly, Ted Colbert, Jerry Carl, Carl, Valerie Insinna, Tim Hepher, Mark Potter Organizations: Pentagon, Aerospace titans Airbus, Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed, U.S, U.S . Air Force, Air, KC, Capitol, Air Force, General, Armed Services, Alabama Republican, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, PARIS, U.S, United States, Alabama, Georgia, American

☆ A Nevada Air Force base planned a drag show to celebrate Pride Month. Pentagon leaders said no.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Pentagon canceled a drag show scheduled for the first day of Pride Month at a Nevada Air Force base. Defense Department officials told the Air Force base their Thursday show couldn't take place, NBC News first reported, citing two defense officials and a US official. Representatives for Nellis Air Force Base and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. "Drag queen story hours is not something that the department funds," Austin told the committee at the time, NBC News reported. "Consistent with Secretary Austin's congressional testimony, the Air Force will not host drag events at its installations or facilities.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Mark Milley, Austin, —, Milley, Lawanda Jackson, CoCo Montrese, Carnie, Carnie Asada, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz Organizations: Pentagon, Nevada Air Force, NBC, Service, Privacy, Nellis Air Force Base, Pride, . Defense Department, Air Force, NBC News, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Austin, Nellis, Representatives, Facebook, Florida Rep, Armed Services Committee, Nellis Air Force, Twitter Locations: Nevada, Vegas, Austin

The error – which lawmakers and congressional staffers were briefed on Thursday – triggered frustration from Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees. “The revelation of a three-billion-dollar accounting error discovered two months ago and only today shared with Congress is extremely problematic, to say the least. Now, due to this revelation, there is about $5.3 billion still available, far more than even the largest single package provided to Ukraine. But now that there is more funding available, congressional sources said they are less concerned about the immediate need for a new funding package for Ukraine. The accounting error occurred because when the US transferred weaponry to Ukraine, they counted the value of replacing the weapon instead of the value of actual weapon, defense officials explained.

House of Representatives Armed Services subcommittees had been scheduled to begin debate this week on the closely watched NDAA, which determines how the military spends its nearly-trillion-dollar annual budget. But it was put off at least temporarily as lawmakers and the White House hold talks on raising the government's $31.4 trillion debt. House Republicans passed a bill last month, with no support from Democrats, that would raise the debt ceiling only in exchange for sweeping spending cuts, including sharp reductions in "discretionary" spending on social programs. Democrats criticized the bill and said it would not be considered in the Senate, where their party controls a majority of seats. At the same time, Republicans have been pushing for an increase in defense spending, which exceeded $850 billion in the NDAA that passed last year, drawing criticism from Democrats.

☆ Ukraine's special operators have been 'taking it to the Russians,' the head of US Special Operations Command says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special operators have been putting their US-provided training to use against Russia. Ukrainian special-operations forces will also have a key role in the outcome of those battles. Ukrainian commandos on the jobRomanian, Ukrainian, and US Army Green Berets train in Romania in May 2021. Roxana DavidovitsAs Russian forces poured into the country at the start of the war, Ukrainian special operators went hunting. SOCOM had also incorporated a focus on unconventional warfare, a specialty of US Army Special Forces, into its training.

☆ Armed with tanks and heavy armor from NATO, Ukraine says it's about to hit Russian forces with an 'iron fist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is almost ready to launch a long-awaited spring counteroffensive, its defense minister said. "We are to a high percentage ready," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday. Reznikov said Western-supplied weapons would serve as an "iron fist" against Russian forces. Stoltenberg said the aid provided to Ukraine included over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other military hardware, as well as "vast amounts of ammunition." Meanwhile, the Ukrainian people continue to face the deadly consequences of the Russian onslaught, which targets not just the Ukrainian armed forces but also civilians.

☆ US general cautions against writing Russia's army off in Ukraine: 'It is bigger today than it was at the beginning of the conflict'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's ground forces are bigger than they were when they first invaded Ukraine, a top US general said. "Much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively by this conflict," said Gen. Christopher Cavoli. He continued: "The Air Force has lost very little, they've lost 80 planes — they have another 1,000 fighters and fighter-bombers. Earlier in the hearing, Cavoli noted that "much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively by this conflict." Russia has also continued to combine this military power with cyber attacks and manipulation of the global energy supply, Cavoli said.

☆ US Air Force secretary says it's time to move on from the A-10 Warthog because it 'doesn't scare China' and has only 'limited usability'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US Air Force has been trying for years to retire its aging fleet of A-10 Warthog planes. During a Thursday hearing, the service secretary said the aircraft "doesn't scare China." I was an advocate for that program for a long time, but it doesn't scare China." US Air Force maintainers work on an A-10 Warthog at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, September 2, 2011. In December 2021, the Air Force secretary lauded the Warthog, C-130 transport aircraft, and MQ-9 Reaper drone for their past effectiveness.

☆ Russian ground forces 'bigger today' than at start of the war in Ukraine, general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“The Navy has lost one ship.”Classified military documents allegedly leaked by a junior enlisted National Guard airman for months gave a snapshot of where Russia’s ground forces were committed in the war. One document, dated February and March, said that 527 of 544 of available Russian battalions have been committed to the war against Ukraine; 474 of them are already in the country, the intelligence said. One document also estimated that between 35,000 and 43,000 Russian forces have been killed in action during the conflict. “For about the last 20, 21 days, the Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut. Asked about Russia’s submarine patrols in the Atlantic, Cavoli said that “much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively” by its invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Russia's President Vladimir Putin could be a 'dead man walking,' a former CIA counterintelligence chief told an interviewer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former CIA official laid out why he believes Putin will be 'eliminated' as leader of Russia. In an interview with The Sun, James Olson said, "I think Putin will be taken out." Olson said there is a "strong undercurrent of opposition to Putin" in the military and among oligarchs. He would not discount the most dramatic option in this possibility, saying, "I think Putin will be taken out. Olson believes Putin's generals are "disgusted" by the futility and the carnage of the fighting in Ukraine.

☆ Matt Gaetz's legislative aide is a convicted war criminal who murdered an Afghan civilian and dumped his body in a latrine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sonam Sheth | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A legislative aide who works for GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is a convicted war criminal, The Intercept reported. The aide, Derrick Miller, spent eight years in prison after murdering an Afghan civilian, the report said. Gaetz's office defended its decision to hire Miller, saying he was "wrongfully convicted." According to The Intercept, Miller shot Mohammed in September 2010. The Florida congressman also repeatedly criticized the war in Afghanistan before President Joe Biden withdrew US troops in 2021.

☆ The battle for Bakhmut has turned into a 'slaughter-fest' for Russia, says top US general
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's efforts to take Bakhmut have become a "slaughter-fest" for its troops, Gen. Mark Milley said. Russia likely wants a symbolic victory in Bakhmut, but its progress there has been slowing. "They are getting slaughtered, the Russian troops are" he said. Milley went further, describing Bakhmut as a "slaughter-fest for the Russians. The UK Ministry of Defence said last week that Russia's progress in Bakhmut appeared to have slowed.

[1/2] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks with U.S. forces in Syria during an unannounced visit, at a U.S. military base in Northeast Syria, March 4, 2023. The attack against U.S. personnel took place at a coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. (1038 GMT) on Thursday, it said. The other two wounded American troops were treated at the base in northeast Syria, the Pentagon said. Thousands of other Islamic State fighters are in detention facilities guarded by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, America's key ally in the country. American officials say that Islamic State could still regenerate into a major threat.

☆ Top US general says Iran could produce a nuke within 'several' months
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen. Mark Milley told lawmakers it would take Iran "several" months to produce a nuke. Before then-President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — formally known as the JCPOA — in May 2018, Iran's breakout time to a nuclear weapon was roughly a year. "Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA, it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb's worth of fissile material," Kahl said. Iran has repeatedly maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, an assertion that has been met with widespread skepticism in the West. During a visit to the Middle East last July, Biden said that the US would use military force as a "last resort" to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

☆ Republican lawmakers press Biden to send cluster bombs to Ukraine -letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Four Republican members of Congress urged U.S. President Joe Biden to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, alleging in a Tuesday letter to the White House that the administration fears doing so would be seen as an escalation by Russia. Kyiv had urged members of Congress to press the White House to approve sending the weapons. The letter criticized Biden for "reluctance to provide Ukraine the right type and amount of long-range fires and maneuver capability to create" a breakthrough against Russian forces. It urged Biden to send the Dual-Purpose Conventional Improved Munitions (DPICM) found in several types of U.S. munitions, including 155 millimeter artillery, GMLRS and ATACMS. Cluster munitions, banned by more than 120 countries, normally release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians.

Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene have both inadvertently slammed the Trump administration in recent weeks. Greene falsely blamed the Biden administration for fentanyl deaths that happened while Trump was in office. MAGA-faithful Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene have both inadvertently slammed the Trump administration in recent weeks while trying to take shots at President Joe Biden. Rep. Matt Gaetz, meanwhile, got schooled for unknowingly basing a critique of Biden's policies on a Communist newspaper. Gaetz tried to recover, pressing Kahl to "just tell me if the allegation is true or false."

☆ Two Ukrainian pilots are in the U.S. for training assessment on attack aircraft, including F-16s
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Courtney Kube | Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. authorities have approved bringing up to 10 more Ukrainian pilots to the U.S. for further assessment as early as this month, the officials said. The arrival of the first two pilots marks the first time Ukrainian pilots have traveled to the U.S. to have their skills evaluated by American military trainers. Officials said the effort has twin goals: to improve the pilots' skills and evaluate how long a proper training program could take. Asked about the assessment of two Ukrainian pilots, a defense official described it as "familiarization event." This event allows us to better help Ukrainian pilots become more effective pilots and better advise them on how to develop their own capabilities."

☆ Russia will emerge from the Ukraine war a 'shattered military power,' top Pentagon official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia will emerge from war in Ukraine a "shattered military power," a senior Pentagon official said. Colin Kahl told lawmakers that Russia lost the war — echoing a similar remark by the top US general. He added that US military support for Kyiv has been, and will continue to be, flexible and dynamic. "They intended for Russia to emerge out of this war a great power in a multi-polar world — they will emerge from this conflict a shattered military power," he added. His remarks in November, and again on Tuesday, echo what other top US officials and generals have said in stating that Russia has already lost and failed in Ukraine.

☆ Matt Gaetz unknowingly cites Chinese Communist newspaper during Ukraine military funding hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Matt Gaetz unknowingly cited from a Chinese propaganda outlet during a congressional hearing. Gaetz asked Colin Kahl, the US's undersecretary of defense for policy. Gaetz asked Kahl. "Is this the — I'm sorry, is this the Global Times from China?" Watch the exchange below:Asked for comment, a spokesman for Gaetz told Insider: "Congressman Gaetz wanted to ask if the report was true.

☆ Iran can make fissile material for a bomb 'in about 12 days' - U.S. official
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Iran could make enough fissile for one nuclear bomb in "about 12 days," a top U.S. Defense Department official said on Tuesday, down from the estimated one year it would have taken while the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was in effect. Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb's worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days," Kahl, the third ranking Defense Department official, told lawmakers. U.S. officials have repeatedly estimated Iran's breakout time - how long it would take to acquire the fissile material for one bomb if it decided to - at weeks but have not been as specific as Kahl was. While U.S. officials say Iran has grown closer to producing fissile material they do not believe it has mastered the technology to actually build a bomb.

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The United States does not expect Russia to make significant territorial gains in Ukraine in the near-term, a senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday, describing the front lines in the year-long war as a "grinding slog." Kahl made the remarks during a hearing focused on oversight of the billions of dollars in military aid Washington has provided to Kyiv. In October, the U.S. restarted on-site inspections in Ukraine to help keep track of the billions of dollars of weapons being provided to Kyiv. One of the weapons the U.S. has not provided -- despite public appeals by Ukrainian officials -- are F-16 fighter jets. Kahl was asked repeatedly by lawmakers about sending the jets to Ukraine.

☆ Teams are searching for Yukon UFO debris, Trudeau says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media before discussing healthcare with Provincial and Territorial premiers in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA/WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that investigators are hunting for wreckage of the mysterious flying object shot down by a U.S. fighter jet over Yukon territory the day before. "Recovery teams are on the ground, looking to find and analyze the object," Trudeau told reporters before departing for a previously scheduled fund-raising event in Yukon. Schumer said American officials were "focused like a laser" on figuring out what the objects were and what if any threat they posed. "They do appear somewhat trigger-happy," Turner told CNN on Sunday.

☆ The US military says China now has more ICBM launchers than it does, but the US still has the nuclear edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US military says that China now has more ICBM launchers than Washington does. However, the US still has an edge in the number of ICBMs and nuclear warheads it has. "The number of land-based fixed and mobile ICBM launchers in China exceeds the number of ICBM launchers in the United States," Cotton wrote in letters sent to the respective committees on January 26, letters obtained by Insider. He also said that the "number of nuclear warheads equipped on such missiles of China has not exceeded the number of nuclear warheads equipped on such missiles of the United States." That said, China's edge in land-based fixed and mobile launchers does bring Beijing closer to fielding a more robust ICBM capacity.

☆ Matt Gaetz revels in his slackerdom while other House speaker vote rebels assume flashier roles: 'I'm making back benching great again'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Warren Rojas | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Matt Gaetz was one of 20 House Republicans who challenged Kevin McCarthy's speaker bid. Gaetz told Insider that he's happier cruising along than climbing the political ladder. Earlier this week McCarthy named the 12 House Republicans spearheading a new "weaponization of federal government" subcommittee that was one of Gaetz's top priorities during the speaker vote negotiations. Jordan and other House Republicans are already stepping all over each other to chip away at President Joe Biden's reelection prospects ahead of the 2024 election. As one GOP strategist told Insider earlier this month about Gaetz: "I don't think this guy's looking to be a policymaker."

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