| ESCAPE FROM SUDAN: It was early evening Saturday when three U.S. Army MH-47 Chinook twin-rotor heavy-lift helicopters landed next to the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum and special operations commandos shepherded just under 100 American diplomats and their families on a three-hour flight to safety out of Sudan. "None of us ever want to take the flag down and have to depart, and we are always eager to get back," said John Bass, the State Department's undersecretary for management, in a late-night briefing for reporters Saturday. "We continue to have a substantial number of our local staff supporting the embassy in a caretaker status, and we would anticipate they'll continue to do that for the period of time that we're out." But left behind are an estimated 16,000 or more Americans or Sudanese dual nationals, who have no prospect of being evacuated as a civil war between rival generals rages and all commercial air traffic is halted. The lone way out is over a perilous 19-hour overland journey from the land-locked capital Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. "That appears to be a quite challenging journey given the lack of predictably available fuel, water, food, other essentials," said Bass. "We're not advising anyone to undertake that route necessarily. But we understand if people are going to do that, and we're going to continue to look for ways to try to help them." US EMBASSY IN SUDAN EVACUATED AFTER FAILED CEASEFIRE SPARKS WORSENING UNREST TRAPPED BY WAR: The U.S. Embassy in Sudan is telling Americans they are on their own for now but is advising them to keep checking for updates with the State Department over the internet for possible future options. "Due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens," the U.S. Embassy in Sudan said on its website. "However, we remain dedicated to assisting U.S. citizens remaining in Sudan." "I am receiving regular reports from my team on their ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan, to the extent possible. We are also working closely with our allies and partners in this effort," said President Joe Biden in a statement praising the performance of the U.S. military evacuation operation. The Pentagon said it is looking at ways to improve safety on the 500-mile land route to Port Sudan, where U.S. Navy ships could potentially take on American evacuees. "DOD is at present considering actions that may include: use of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats," said Joint Staff Operations Director Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims at Saturday night's briefing. Other steps would include "the employment of naval assets outside the Port of Sudan to potentially help Americans who arrive at the port," and "the establishment at the U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart of a deconfliction cell focused particularly on the overland route," Sims said. US MILITARY WILL NOT BE AIDING AMERICANS STUCK IN DETERIORATING SUDAN CRISIS 'FAST AND CLEAN,' A TEXTBOOK OPERATION: Sims painted a picture for reporters of how the risky "NEO," or noncombatant evacuation operation, went down without a hitch despite the threat of random groundfire from forces on the ground. First of all, Marine Gen. Michael Langley, head of the U.S. Africa Command, talked to both of the warring generals and warned them not to take any hostile actions or else they would face severe consequences. The three-ship Chinook helicopters carried 100 U.S. commandos, reportedly from the Navy's SEAL Team 6 and the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group, and were accompanied by an AC-130 gunship which has the ability to deliver devastating ground fire from a side-mounted cannon. The helicopters flew from Djibouti but had to land and refuel in Ethiopia near the border with Sudan in order to make the 800-mile flight. "The operation was fast and clean, with service members spending less than an hour on the ground in Khartoum," said Sims, who said the evacuation force got in and out without taking any fire. "Anytime you're flying at 100 knots very close to the ground in pitch-black, there's certainly some risk there," Sims told reporters. "I have been blown away watching and listening [to] what has occurred in Khartoum … And I'll tell you I've seen a couple of these … it just reminded me how proud I am to be a member of the military but really how grateful I am to be an American. This is the only country that can do what occurred tonight." WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SUDAN FOLLOWING US EMBASSY EVACUATION Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Conrad Hoyt. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what's going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue! AUSTIN: 'WE HAVE MET OUR INITIAL GOALS': After Friday's meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact group in Germany, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said with the training, arming, and equipping of nine armored combat brigades, the U.S. has met its initial goal to prepare Ukraine for its upcoming offensive. "We know that combat is dynamic, complex, and so we understand that we're going to have to continue to sustain Ukraine's efforts going forward when the fight starts and long after the fight continues," Austin said. "But we have met our initial goals to provide what's required to get started.' "The Contact Group has delivered more than 230 tanks, more than 1,550 armored vehicles and other equipment and munitions to support more than nine new armored brigades," Austin told reporters in a post-meeting press conference. "We've also expedited our M1 Abrams timelines to supply Ukraine with more armored capability in the coming months, and the M1s that the Ukrainians will use for training will arrive here in Germany in the next few weeks." "Those brigades are trained, they're manned and they're equipped, and they are prepared for combat operations," said Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. "So whenever and wherever Ukraine chooses to use them ... I am very confident in those units' ability to succeed." AUSTIN ANNOUNCES ABRAMS TANKS WILL ARRIVE IN GERMANY FOR UKRAINIAN TRAINING IN WEEKS AHEAD ABRAMS TANK 'NO SILVER BULLET': While the M1 Abrams, built by General Dynamics Land Systems in Lima, are arriving ahead of schedule, it will still be weeks before Ukraine will be able to send them into battle. "In a couple of weeks you're going to get training tanks — those aren't quite combat-capable — and they'll be used to train the crews on how to shoot, maneuver and maintain these tanks," said Milley. "That'll be part of the sustainment package to get them trained up as the other tanks are being refurbished in order to accelerate their delivery." "I'm biased, but I think the M1 tank's the best tank in the world. There are other tanks that are quite good. Leopards, for example, are being provided, as well, but I do think the M1 tank, when it is delivered, will make a difference," Milley said. "There is no silver bullet in this case, but I do think the M1 tank, when it's delivered and it reaches its operational capability, will be very effective on the battlefield." WHY NO PLANES: Austin and Milley continue to argue that providing Ukraine with the modern fighter jets it's begging for would not be the most cost-effective or efficient way to deny Russia access to the skies over the battle space. "Russians have not done battlefield air interdiction deep into Ukraine territory, except through missiles and rockets that have been fired from over Russian territory. Why is that?" said Milley. "Because the Ukrainians are shooting Russian aircraft down." "How you control that airspace can be done in many, many different ways," he said. "The most cost-effective, efficient way to do that right now for Ukraine and the fastest way to do that for Ukraine is through air defense … That is the most critical thing right now, is that air defense system, to make sure that it is robust, it's rigorous, it's deep, and it's layered from high-altitude to mid-altitude to low-altitude and from short-range, mid-range to long-range." Building up Ukraine's air force, Milley argued, is a mission for another day. "On the F-16 or any other fourth-generation aircraft from any other country … those are policy questions that'll be made by political leaders," he said. "To take the Ukrainian Air Force from where it is today and to build it up to match the Russian Air Force, that's a significant level of effort by lots of countries, and those policy choices may or may not be made down the road, and we'll see where that goes." GAO RECRUITING REPORT CARD: The Government Accountability Office, in a report card on the military's recruiting woes, said the Pentagon "does not have sufficient plans, goals, and strategies to guide its recruitment and retention efforts." "The Department of Defense has not collected or tracked sufficient data to help support decisions related to its recruitment and retention efforts," said the two-page report, which therefore concluded the "DOD is not positioned to fully monitor the effectiveness of its recruitment and retention efforts." The report recommended the Pentagon do a better job of collecting information on "the cost to replace current personnel, acceptance rates for retention bonuses, and private sector wages for military physicians and dentists" It noted, "In some career fields, DOD makes substantial investments both in terms of the length of time and cost of training personnel. For example, the cost to train some cyber professionals is estimated at $220,000 to $500,000 over a period of 1 to 3 years." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The Rundown Washington Examiner: What to know about Sudan following US Embassy evacuation Washington Examiner: US Embassy in Sudan evacuated after failed ceasefire sparks worsening unrest Washington Examiner: US military will not be aiding Americans stuck in deteriorating Sudan crisis Washington Examiner: Airman accused of leaking Pentagon documents previously shared other classified information: Report Washington Examiner: Warner says US should 'classify less' after documents leak Washington Examiner: Austin announces Abrams tanks will arrive in Germany for Ukrainian training in weeks ahead Washington Examiner: Russian plane drops bomb over own city, injuring three Washington Examiner: DeSantis heads to Israel with Netanyahu meeting not on the agenda Washington Examiner: China tells US and allies to stop talking about 'status quo' around Taiwan Washington Examiner: Opinion: China unleashes the wolf warriors against South Korea and the Philippines Washington Examiner: Editorial: No more Chinese secret police on American soil Washington Examiner: Opinion: How America's literacy crisis will cripple our ability to combat China AP: Lawmakers War-Game Conflict With China, Hoping To Deter One AP: Australia plans major overhaul of defenses as China rises Bloomberg: Philippines, China To Open More Lines To Resolve Sea Conflict AP: Ukrainian troop positions spark counteroffensive speculation Wall Street Journal: Ukraine Gears Up To Hit Russians, Show It Can Win New York Times: Kyiv Accuses Russian Soldiers of Evacuating Civilians From Territory Near Kherson New York Times: Airman Shared Sensitive Intelligence More Widely and for Longer Than Previously Known Washington Post: Afghanistan has become a terrorism staging ground again, leak reveals Washington Post: Wagner group surges in Africa as U.S. influence fades, leak reveals Red Snow: Pentagon again sends land mines to Ukraine with a wink and a nod AFP: Highest Military Spending In Europe Since Cold War: Study 19fortyfive.com: Artillery Paradox: How Ukraine Does More Damage With Fewer Rounds Than Russia Fox News: U.S. Navy To Use Unmanned, AI-Driven Ships To Counter Smuggling, Illegal Fishing Air & Space Forces Magazine: As Kadena Hosts a Farewell Ceremony to the F-15, Lawmakers Question Force Size in Pacific Air & Space Forces Magazine: T-7 Trainer's IOC Slips Again, This Time to Spring 2027 Air & Space Forces Magazine: Latest AMRAAM Cleared for Deployment; Multiyear Buy Bridges the Gap to JATM Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Space Force PT Gear Coming Soon; Service Dress Skirt Hits Space Symposium Washington Post: Rear admiral picked to be first female leader of U.S. Naval Academy 19fortyfive.com: How to Get Americans to Support a Bigger Navy Task & Purpose: Former Afghan Interpreter Says Becoming A Marine Is A Dream Come True Stars and Stripes: U.S. Navy Not Reporting Many Ship Fires Or Learning Lessons From Them, GAO Finds 19fortyfive.com: The Big Picture Behind the Discord Leaks 19fortyfive.com: Are You Willing to Die for Taiwan? Calendar MONDAY | APRIL 24 10 a.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: "Elections in Turkey: A Post-Erdogan Future?" with Nevsin Mengu, independent journalist; Sinan Ulgen, director of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies; Alan Makovsky, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress; and Nicholas Danforth, senior nonresident fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy https://www.brookings.edu/events/elections-in-turkey-a-post-erdogan-future 3 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: "The challenge posed by China, ongoing support to Ukraine, the AUKUS trilateral security pact, and the health of the defense industrial base," with Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI); and Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director of the CNAS Defense Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-fireside-chat-with-senator-jack-reed 12 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute debate: "Winning in Ukraine Is Critically Important for Deterring a War in Taiwan," with John Walters, president and CEO of Hudson; and Elbridge Colby, co-founder and principal of the Marathon Initiative https://www.hudson.org/events/debate 4 p.m. — Wilson Center Nuclear Proliferation International History Project virtual book discussion: Ploughshares and Swords: India's Nuclear Program in the Global Cold War, with author Jayita Sarkar, associate professor of economic and social history at the University of Glasgow https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/ploughshares-and-swords TUESDAY | APRIL 25 7 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. — Association of the U.S. Army "Coffee Series" in-person event with Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy Army chief of staff for installations; Sgt. Maj. Michael Perry, his senior enlisted adviser https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/ltg-vereen-sgm-perry 1 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: "Building Tomorrow's Workforce," with Brig. Gen. Scott Cain, director of air, space, and cyberspace operations at Air Force Materiel Command; and R. Dan Aldrich, deputy director of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Detachment https://events.govexec.com/tomorrows-workforce/ WEDNESDAY | APRIL 26 9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: "Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration Atomic Energy Defense Activities," with testimony from Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm; and Jill Hruby, administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings 10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: "Department of the Navy FY2024 Budget Request," with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger http://www.armedservices.house.gov 10 a.m. — SETA Foundation at Washington D.C. virtual discussion: "Turkiye-Iran Relations and the Regional Dynamics," with Hakki Uygur, president of the Center for Iranian Studies; Alex Vatanka, founding director of the Middle East Institute's Iran Program; and Kdir Ustun, executive director of SETA https://tinyurl.com/mrxks9v7 10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute forum: "A New Architecture for Northern Eurasia: The Sixth Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum," with a debate on "Free Russia vs. Post-Russian Independent States: After Putin or After" https://www.hudson.org/events/new-architecture-northern-eurasia 10:30 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: "U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in Europe," with testimony from Celeste Wallander, assistant defense secretary for international security affairs; and Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander, U.S. European Command https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings 2 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: "FY2024 National Security Space Programs," with testimony from John Plumb, assistant defense secretary for space policy; Frank Calvelli, assistant Air Force secretary for space acquisitions and integration; Christopher Scolese, director of the National Reconnaissance Office; and Navy Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings 2:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing: "FY2024 Army Modernization Programs," with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of the Army Futures Command; and Lt. Gen. Erik Peterson, deputy chief of staff (G-8) of the Army https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/tal 2:30 p.m. 232A Russell — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: "Air Force Modernization in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2024," with testimony from Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, deputy Air Force chief of staff for plans and programs; Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, deputy Air Force chief of staff for strategy, integration, and requirements; Lt. Gen. James Slife, deputy Air Force chief of staff for operations; and Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings 3 p.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee hearing: "Public Integrity and Anti-corruption Laws at the Defense Department," with testimony from retired Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Danielle Brian, executive director and president of the Project On Government Oversight; Peter Beshar, Air Force general counsel; John Coffey, Navy general counsel; Carrie Ricci, Army general counsel; and Caroline Krass, DOD general counsel https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings 4 p.m. 4131 Campus Dr., College Park, Md. — University of Maryland Physics Department discussion: "The Future of Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control," with former White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren; Richard Garwin, fellow emeritus at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center; Frank von Hippel, senior research physicist at Princeton University; and Roald Sagdeev, former director of the USSR space agency IKI https://umdphysics.umd.edu/events THURSDAY | APRIL 27 7 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va. — Potomac Officers Club 2023 Industrial Space Defense Summit, with Assistant Air Force Secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli; Vice Adm. Jon Hill, director of the Missile Defense Agency; and Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Space and Missile Defense John Hill https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/poc-2023 10 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the U.S. virtual discussion: "The Elections in Turkey and Poland: How Domestic Corruption Undermines Democracy," with Cassandra Emmons, democracy data analyst at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems; Lisel Hintz, assistant professor of European and Eurasian studies at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies; and Josh Rudolph, senior fellow for malign finance at the GMFUS Alliance for Securing Democracy https://www.gmfus.org/event/elections-turkey-and-poland 12 p.m. — Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments report release webinar: "Air Power Metamorphosis: Rethinking Air Force Combat Force Modernization," with author Chris Bowie, CSBA non-resident senior fellow; Thomas Mahnken, CSBA president and CEO; and moderated by air power analyst Jeremiah Gertler https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register 12:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: "Department of the Air Force FY2024 Budget Request," with testimony from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown; and Space Force Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings 1 p.m. 2020 Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: "Church, State, and Russia's War on Ukraine," with Epiphanius I, metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine; Most Rev. Yevstratiy Zoria, metropolitan of Bila Tserkva; Most Rev. Borys Gudziak, archbishop of Philadelphia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Rev. Dr. Igor Bandura, vice president of international affairs at the Baptist Union of Ukraine https://www.youtube.com/watch 3:20 p.m. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to the Pentagon FRIDAY | APRIL 28 10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: "Department of the Navy FY2024 Budget Request," with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings 4 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee hearing: "A Review of the Defense Intelligence Enterprise's Posture and Capabilities in Strategic Competition and in Synchronizing Intelligence Efforts to Counter the People's Republic Of China," with testimony from Ronald Moultrie, undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security; Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director, National Security Agency; and Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director, Defense Intelligence Agency https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/iso | | | "I have been blown away watching and listening [to] what has occurred in Khartoum with our diplomats … I've seen a couple of these, a bunch of these over 30-plus years … It just reminded me how proud I am to be a member of the military but really how grateful I am to be an American. This is the only country that can do what occurred tonight."
| Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of operations for Joint Staff, on Saturday's evacuation of 100 U.S. diplomats and their families from the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum.
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