RACE TO REOPEN, JOB ONE: CLEAR THE CHANNEL: The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest on the East Coast, with between $100 million and $200 million in cargo moving through the port every day. There are 10 cargo ships trapped by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Wednesday and 8,000 dock and other workers idled representing about $2 million in wages. So the race is on to reopen the port to minimize disruption to global supply lines.
“No matter how quickly the channels can be reopened, we know that it can’t happen overnight. And so, we’re going to have to manage the impacts in the meantime,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a White House briefing. “It’s America’s largest vehicle-handling port, which is important not only for car imports and exports but also for farm equipment.”
The Coast Guard is the lead agency, but the literal heavy lifting falls to the Army Corps of Engineers. “We’re going to go about this in three steps. The first is to get the steel truss out of a 700-foot wide by 50-foot deep channel,” Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, commander and chief of engineers for the corps, told CNN. “Then we’re going to look at the bottom and see what concrete members are down below. When these ships come into Baltimore harbor, there’s anywhere between a foot and a foot and a half of clearance from the bottom. So any piece of concrete, any piece of steel on the bottom is just as much a hazard.
“So that’s Step 1. That’s going to allow us to get one-way traffic going in and out of the Port of Baltimore again,” he said.
STEP 2, MOVE THE SHIP: To restore two-way traffic the Corps has to figure out how to extricate the 984-foot long, 100,000-ton container ship Dali safely from the wreckage of the bridge that has pinned the ship against the support beam it struck two days ago.
“The vessel bow is sitting on the bottom because of the weight of that bridge debris,” Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Gautier, deputy commandant for operations, said at the White House. “The vessel is stable, but it still has over 1.5 million gallons of fuel oil and lube oil onboard. And it does have 4,700 cargo containers on board — 56 of those contain hazardous materials and 2 are missing overboard.”
“We have a very specialized hazmat team onboard,” Gautier said. “And we have air monitoring them — there to detect if there are anything that are coming off of those containers. … Most of these things are things like mineral oils, and even though they’re hazardous, we’ve determined that there really isn’t any kind of threat to the public.”
“We’ve got to lift that truss bridge that’s overlaid over the top of that vessel,” Spellmon said. “Get that off so it can be tugged to a safe part of the port.” That job, he says, is no small feat. “What you don’t see on the footage is what’s underneath the water and the conditions that these divers will be working in — a lot of sharp, razor-sharp steel that can be lethal to our divers, and certainly their equipment.”
“We have a lot of underwater technology and cameras at work right now, just outlining that [in] the work ahead, we’ve got to figure out how we’re going to cut those members, how we’re going to lift them out of the channel safely.”
Then the Army engineers will have to use specialized equipment to remove the remaining 2,900 feet of steel, associated concrete, and roadway that has settled on the river bottom. “We’re up to this task. We have all that we need,” Spellmon said.
THEN, REBUILD THE BRIDGE: The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977, and there have been some changes in bridge design since then. The National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of determining if there are design changes required to prevent a repeat disaster.
“What we do know is a bridge like this one completed in the 1970s was simply not made to withstand a direct impact on a critical support pier from a vessel that weighs about 200 million pounds, orders of magnitude bigger than cargo ships that were in service in that region at the time that the bridge was first built,” Buttigieg said.
But it’s too soon to say how long it will take to design, fund, and build a new bridge span. “We need to get a sense of the conditions of the parts that look OK to the naked eye, but we just don’t know yet, especially in terms of their foundational infrastructure,” Buttigieg said. “The original bridge took five years to construct. That does not necessarily mean it will take five years to replace. But that tells you what went into that original structure going up.”
As for the funding, there is some emergency money available to get started, but Congress will likely be asked to appropriate more. “Last I checked, there was about $950 million available but also a long line of needs and projects behind that,” Buttigieg said. “So, it is certainly possible — I would go so far as to say ‘likely’ — that we may be turning to Congress in order to help top up those funds. But that shouldn’t be a barrier to the immediate next few days beginning to get the ball rolling.”
“Our country put its arms around Florida when the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapsed in 1980. America rallied around Minnesota after the bridge there collapsed in 2007,” Buttigieg said. “This will be a long and difficult path. But we will come together around Baltimore, and we will rebuild together.”
WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘TOO SOON’ TO KNOW COST AND TIME FRAME FOR BALTIMORE BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION
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HAPPENING TODAY: Vice President Kamala Harris in conjunction with the White House Office of Management and Budget is unveiling a new set of directives aimed at mitigating risks of artificial intelligence and protecting the privacy of citizens.
“I believe that all leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector have a moral, ethical, and societal duty to make sure that artificial intelligence is adopted and advanced in a way that protects the public from potential harm while ensuring everyone is able to enjoy its full benefit,” Harris said on a call with reporters. “When government agencies use AI tools, we will now require them to verify that those tools do not endanger the rights and safety of the American people.”
The new safeguards include restrictions on how algorithms can be used in law enforcement and require that people be informed when and how the government uses AI. Some examples provided in a White House fact sheet:
- When at the airport, travelers will have the ability to opt out of the use of TSA facial recognition without any delay or losing their place in line.
- When AI is used in the federal healthcare system to support critical diagnostics decisions, a human being is overseeing the process to verify the tools’ results and avoid disparities in healthcare access.
- When AI is used to detect fraud in government services, there is human oversight of impactful decisions, and affected people have the opportunity to seek remedies for AI harms.
ALSO TODAY: The Heritage Foundation is releasing a new research report: “The American Case for Taiwan,” which focuses on why America “has a vested interest in protecting Taiwan from Chinese aggression.”
The report’s author, Michael Cunningham, a research fellow at Heritage’s Asian Studies Center Research Fellow will be in conversation with Center Director Jeff M. Smith at 10 a.m. The discussion can be viewed here.
TRYING AGAIN: An Israeli delegation may visit Washington after all, reports the Washington Examiner’s Haisten Willis, from the White House.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said yesterday that talks have restarted aimed at getting a high-level delegation to come to discuss the Biden administration’s concerns over Israel’s plans for a major military operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled this week’s planned visit after he was angered by U.S. abstention on a United Nations ceasefire resolution.
“So we’re now working with them to find a convenient date that’s obviously going to work for both sides,” Jean-Pierre said.
A U.S. official told the Associated Press that Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi would be among the delegation to come to Washington.
No date has been set.
BIDEN AND NETANYAHU SQUARE OFF AS BOTH FACE DOMESTIC HEADWINDS
HOUTHIS TARGET US SHIP: The U.S. Central Command isn’t saying which one, but it reports that in the early hours of yesterday morning, Houthi terrorists in Yemen fired drones in the direction of one of the U.S. warships operating in the Red Sea.
“Between 2:00 and 2:20 a.m. (Sanaa time) on March 27, United States Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed four long-range unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen,” the command said in its daily update on Red Sea Operations. “These UAS were aimed at a U.S. warship and engaged in self-defense over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported to U.S. or coalition ships.”
OPINION: IS ISRAEL HEADING FOR WAR WITH THE LEBANESE HEZBOLLAH?
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Two bodies pulled from Baltimore bridge wreckage as officials warn of hazardous materials aboard ship
Washington Examiner: White House says ‘too soon’ to know cost and time frame for Baltimore bridge reconstruction
Washington Examiner: Rep. Andy Harris calls for the lifting of red tape to help rebuild Baltimore bridge
Washington Examiner: White House working to reschedule visit with Israel delegation
Washington Examiner: Biden and Netanyahu square off as both face domestic headwinds
Washington Examiner: Poll shows dramatic drop in American support of Israel’s actions in Gaza
Washington Examiner: Hamas leader threatens not to release hostages unless Israel meets full demands
Washington Examiner: Fetterman says Hamas is group of ‘rapists and cowards’ in wake of sexual assault details
Washington Examiner: Xi Jinping fumes over US-Europe moves to limit technology access
Washington Examiner: Trump links bring Paul Manafort’s ties to Russian spy back to spotlight
Washington Examiner: Illegal immigration at Canadian border has northern lawmakers on high alert
Washington Examiner: Next Boeing CEO needs to be ‘1,000%’ on top of safety and culture: Buttigieg
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The intelligence community can balance individual needs without DEI absurdity
Washington Examiner: Opinion: China claims US executives salute Xi’s ‘outstanding leadership’ in Beijing
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Is Israel heading for war with the Lebanese Hezbollah?
AP: Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before it collided with Baltimore bridge, officials say
Washington Post: As death toll in Moscow attack rises to 143, migrants face fury and raids
AP: US journalist marks a year in a Russian prison as courts keep extending his time behind bars
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Saltzman Pushes Need for ‘Actionable’ Space Domain Awareness
USNI News: CNO Franchetti Focused On Growing Shipbuilding, Weapons Industrial Base
Stars and Stripes: Creating a ‘Kill Web’: Army Brings Other Services, Allies Together to Test New Tech for a Major Fight
Breaking News: Official Reveals UK Undertaking a ‘Classified’ Future Force Design Review
SpaceNews: On-Orbit Servicing Mission Planned for Military Satellite in 2025
DefenseScoop: DARPA Transitions New Technology to Shield Military AI Systems from Trickery
Defense One: Lawmakers Want Answers from Pentagon on AI Developments with Australia, UK
The War Zone: Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat Getting Facility to Ramp Up Production in Australia
New York Times: ‘Shortcuts Everywhere’: How Boeing Favored Speed Over Quality
Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-22 Retirement in 2030 Unlikely as USAF Looks to Spend $7.8 Billion on It Before Then
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Learning to Win the Electromagnetic ‘Chess Game’ with This Space Force Aggressor Squadron
DefenseScoop: What’s Next for the US Military’s Global Information Dominance Experiments
Defense News: Space Force to Upgrade Sensors for In-Orbit Testing, Training
Military.com: Air Force Colonel Heading Maintenance Group at New Mexico Base Is Relieved of Command
Military Times: Opinion: Despite Common Rhetoric, War with China Unlikely in Near Future
The Cipher Brief: Why China is Cyber-Threat #1 – and What to Do About It
The Cipher Brief: Opinion: What is Putin’s Role in the Terrorist Attack in Russia?
The Cipher Brief: Opinion: The Intelligence Community Would Benefit from Opening the Aperture on China
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | MARCH 28
8 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Forging a New Era of U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Cooperation,” with Duyeon Kim, adjunct senior fellow at the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program; Hannah Kelley, research associate at the CNAS Technology and National Security Program; Evan Wright, research assistant at the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program; and Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director at the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-forging-a-new-era
11:30 a.m. — U.S. Institute of Peace virtual discussion: “The Road to Washington’s NATO Summit,” with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Mirna Galic, chairwoman of the USIP Expert Study Group on NATO and Indo-Pacific Partners https://www.usip.org/events/road-washingtons-nato-summit
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual forum: “State of the Air Force,” with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin; and Gen. Mike Minihan, commander, Air Mobility Command https://events.defenseone.com/state-of-defense
FRIDAY | MARCH 29
2 p.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies book discussion: Living U.S.-China Relations: From Cold War to Cold War, with author David Lampton, director of China studies at SAIS https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events
MONDAY | APRIL 1
April Fools Day — Be extra skeptical today! Daily on Defense goes on spring break vacation for two weeks.
TUESDAY | APRIL 2
2 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution in-person and virtual discussion: “Nuclear challenges for the next U.S. administration,” with Robert Einhorn, senior fellow, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative, Brookings; Amy Nelson, fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow, and Director, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; Caitlin Talmadge, nonresident senior fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; and Melanie Sisson, fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings https://www.brookings.edu/events/nuclear-challenges
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 3
6 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg addresses reporters in “doorstep comments” at the stat of the meeting of foreign ministers at NATO Headquarters April 3-4 https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news Full agenda here
7:30 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken deliver remarks https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
7:45 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army “Coffee Series” in-person discussion, with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/camarillo
8 a.m. 2401 M St. NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group breakfast discussion with Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, Air Forces U.S. Central Command. RSVP: [email protected]
9:30 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “The Navy’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request,” with Assistant Navy Secretary Russell Rumbaugh and Todd Harrison, AEI senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/the-navys-fiscal-year-2025-budget-request
11:45 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference at the end of day one of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
THURSDAY | APRIL 4
4 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO’s 75th Anniversary Celebration with speeches by the NATO secretary-general; chairman of NATO the Military Committee; and foreign ministers from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Belgium https://www.nato.int
5:30 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — Remarks by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba https://www.nato.int
11:25 a.m. EDT Brussels Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference at the close of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters https://www.nato.int
