The Obama Administration’s pursuit of missile defense cooperation with Russia endangers US security and invites a diplomatic rupture in the future, said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) Thursday. “The danger of pursuing cooperation . . . is that it’s going to increase the likelihood that we will weaken or compromise the [US ballistic missile defense] system, delay the system’s deployment, and drive up cost—and more cost is bad,” stressed Sessions during a National Defense University Foundation-sponsored address on Capitol Hill. Russia has repeatedly pressed to limit US missile defense plans, regarding US missile defenses near its borders as a direct threat. Furthermore, cooperation may actually have a “pernicious effect” on US-Russia relations, he asserted. Russia appears to believe that, following the New START agreement, “the United States had agreed to entertain the Russian approach to cooperation,” said Sessions, “which means to them limitations on US missile defense.” When they come to the “realization that this is not the case, . . . relations between Russia and the West could become strained,” he warned.
The Air Force’s plans for its portion of joint all-domain command and control have taken a major step forward. The service awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, multiple-award contract worth up to $950 million to 27 companies. The IDIQ deal will give 27 contractors the opportunity to compete for work…