Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Tuesday, 29 March 2022. You can receive this daily briefing by signing up at https://forwardobserver.com/daily-sa
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- White House wants $813B for Defense
- Biden retains key Trump warfighting strategy
- Finland prepares for future Russian war
- Hazards Warning
UPGRADE TO EARLY WARNING AND GET THESE BRIEFINGS:
- In Focus: DOD Critical Supply Chain Resiliency
- Far Left Activity Rollup & Outlook
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
WHITE HOUSE WANTS $813 BILLION FOR DEFENSE: President Biden is asking Congress for $813 billion for national defense with $773 billion to the Pentagon. This number falls short of Congressional expectations and marks a 1.5% increase after adjusting for inflation. The final funding amount is unlikely to be settled before the November elections. A Republican sweep in Congress may result in a higher topline amount but risks a Biden veto. (Analyst Comment: Notable funding items include nearly $30 billion in space missile warning, tracking, and launching programs. The Army is funding 252 Patriot missiles, 120 unspecified long-range missiles, and air defense systems. The administration’s defense request indicates a strike against the U.S. homeland is a possibility. Increased funding for legacy missile and weapon delivery platforms signals their near-term necessity over future hypersonic systems. – D.M.)
BIDEN RETAINS KEY TRUMP WARFIGHTING STRATEGY: Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, revealed the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) is adopting key Trump administration national objectives for non-nuclear forces. The planned force structure provides a framework to defeat aggression of a major power while also deterring aggression by a second major adversary. (AC: Looking at the DOD FY23 proposal shows force modernization against near peer adversaries that will be ready this decade. Air Force proposed divestments of 150 aircraft to complement the reduction of F-35 purchases and doubling orders for F-15EX aircraft. Rapid acquisition, affordable life cycle costs, and reliably proven platforms with modernized systems are a growing trend among proposals for the future fight. – D.F.)
FINLAND PREPARES FOR FUTURE RUSSIAN WAR: Finland is updating its informal networks between the elites of the political, business and non-governmental-organizations to prepare for an invasion by Russia. The government used its pandemic authorities to modernize strategic stockpiles, and leadership is openly discussing NATO membership. (AC: Finland is likely to become a new target of Russian aggression, but time is on Finland’s side in approaching NATO or other bilateral security agreements. Their path toward membership is unlikely to be fraught with corruption scandals, and their national defense capabilities exceed some existing NATO members. – D.M.)
HAZARDS WARNING
Upgrade your Situational Awareness to Early Warning and continue the brief here: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe