THE SLOVAKIA EXPERIENCE: The nation’s top spymaster cited the role of artificial intelligence-generated propaganda in Slovakia’s parliamentary elections last year as a prime example of the pernicious effect AI deepfakes can have on the democratic process, in testimony before a Senate committee on Wednesday.
“In September 2023, two days before the parliamentary elections in Slovakia … a fake audio recording was released online in which one candidate discussed how to rig the upcoming election with journalists. The audio was quickly shown to be fake with signs of AI manipulation,” Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, said during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign threats to U.S. elections. “But under Slovakia law, there is a moratorium on campaigning and media commentary about the election for 48 hours before polls open. And since the deepfake was released in that window, news and government organizations struggled to expose the manipulation, and the victim of the deepfake ended up losing in a very close election.”
The election, and the Russian influencing effort that permeated the campaign, turned Slovakia from a NATO ally that solidly backed Ukraine to a country led by pro-Russia Prime Minister Robert Fico, who pledged to cut off all aid to Ukraine and said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been “wrongly demonized” by the West.
“When Russia invaded, 75%-plus of Slovaks supported Ukraine,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) noted. “A few years later, due to Russian efforts, Slovakia now has a pro-Russian president, and literally 55% of those Slovaks have been told, and say they think, the United States started the war in Ukraine.”
“Propaganda has always been a weapon of war. I think today, you can do it at scale, faster, more convincing, and in ways that spread very quickly and are difficult to contain,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said. “And in particular, we’ve seen this globally.”
SLOVAKIAN PRIME MINISTER ROBERT FICO AIRLIFTED TO HOSPITAL AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
RUSSIA AND CHINA TAKE DIFFERENT APPROACHES: In her testimony, Haines drew a distinction between how Russia and China have sought to influence U.S. public opinion.
“Russia relies on a vast multimedia influence apparatus, which consists of its intelligence services, cyber actors, state media proxies, and social media trolls,” Haines said. “Moscow most likely views such operations as a means to tear down the United States as its perceived primary adversary, enabling Russia to promote itself as a great power.”
“Whereas Beijing seeks to promote support for China’s policy positions and perspectives, including in the context of specific elections; portray the U.S. democratic model as chaotic, ineffective, unrepresentative; and magnify U.S. societal divisions,” Haines said, noting China has been more cautious, “concerned about the possible blowback in the event their efforts are disclosed.”
Haines said that unlike Russia, China did not attempt to influence the outcome of the 2020 elections and, thus far, there is no evidence this election will be any different “even as they continue to engage in efforts to promote politicians at all levels who are taking positions favorable to China on key issues.”
US INTEL OFFICIALS WARN CONGRESS THAT ELECTION INTERFERENCE WILL BE ‘MORE COMPLEX THAN EVER’
IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE: “I think we’re going to be struggling with this for a very long time because the Russians are the best at it. They’ve been doing it a long time, and so they know and they’ve perfected it,” Rubio said. “But every election cycle, more and more cast of characters are joining the parade here in terms of getting into this business.”
“Foreign influence efforts go well beyond simple online trolling or traditional propaganda,” Warner said. “Foreign election efforts in the last eight years have, among other things, involved efforts to infiltrate both online and in person a range of U.S. organizations on both sides of the political spectrum, with the goal of stoking political polarization in the United States and promoting social and racial strife.”
“The truth is the kind of audio and video manipulation that even as recently as four years ago and clearly eight years ago was still a challenge, now can happen at a speed and scale due to AI tools that’s unprecedented,” he said. “And literally, there’s not a week or month that goes by that those AI video and audio tools don’t continue to improve.”
SCHUMER LEADS BIPARTISAN CHARGE TO DEVOTE $32 BILLION FOR GUIDANCE ON AI
Good Thursday 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 Stacey Dec. 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 me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE
HAPPENING TODAY: The Pentagon will release its Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military this morning, which will reportedly show a 19% drop in the number of service members who said they had “unwanted sexual contact” last year, the first decrease in eight years.
“More than 29,000 active-duty service members said in the survey that they had unwanted sexual contact during the previous year, compared with nearly 36,000 in the 2021 survey,” according to the Associated Press, which cited “several defense officials.”
President Joe Biden credited military leadership when he hosted the Joint Chiefs and combatant commanders at the White House yesterday. “I’m proud that for the first time in nearly a decade, rates of sexual assault and harassment are, within the active-duty forces, are down. They’re down. That’s because of your leadership,” Biden said.
The Pentagon has scheduled a media roundtable for 10:30 a.m. in which a panel of officials led by Beth Foster, executive director of the DOD Office of Force Resiliency, will discuss the report’s findings.
GAZA PIER IN PLACE: The U.S. Central Command announced this morning that the floating pier and causeway the United States has been assembling for weeks is finally in place and ready to begin channeling humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“Today at approximately 7:40 a.m. (Gaza time) United States Central Command personnel supporting the humanitarian mission to deliver additional humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in need anchored a temporary pier to the beach in Gaza,” CENTCOM said in a news release. “As part of this effort, no U.S. troops entered Gaza. Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days. The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”
The Pentagon insists the renewed fighting on the outskirts of Rafah, which has displaced some 600,000 people, does not pose a threat to the humanitarian relief operation.
While Israeli forces are in charge of security on the beach, the U.S. is keeping two warships nearby to protect the pier. “We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a CENTCOM deputy commander.
NETANYAHU FACES MOUNTING PRESSURE OVER ISRAEL’S POSTWAR PLAN FOR GAZA
US, JAPAN COOPERATE ON HYPERSONIC DEFENSE: The Pentagon has announced an agreement with Japan to develop defenses against hypersonic missiles jointly, which would intercept the missiles in the glide phase before they can hit their targets.
The Glide Phase Interceptor will “deliver a regional defensive capability over time as part of a holistic layered defensive architecture,” the Pentagon and Japanese Defense Ministry said in separate statements. “By pursuing an agreement on GPI development, the U.S. and Japan will strengthen regional deterrence while enhancing long-standing missile defense cooperation between the two countries.”
“The interceptors will be designed to fit into the U.S. Navy’s Aegis ballistic missile defense-equipped destroyers,” Defense News reported. “The weapon will fire from the standard vertical launching system and be integrated with the modified Baseline 9 Aegis Weapon System that detects, tracks, controls and engages hypersonic threats.”
WICKER ON PUTIN-XI MEETING: ‘NOT JUST TWO FRIENDS CATCHING UP OVER COFFEE’: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is accusing the Biden administration of ignoring a “blinking red light” on the Korean Peninsula as Russian President Vladimir Putin meets in Beijing today with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“This is not just two friends catching up over coffee. Putin is running to his big brother to have a meeting of the world’s most dangerous minds. Will the gang be getting together next week in Pyongyang? Is the Tehran visit in June?” Wicker said in a press release. “American leaders need to be taking these growing relationships more seriously. That includes enhancing our military strength with a greater sense of urgency and pushing forward a level of defense investment that meets the moment.”
In an opinion essay published on Fox News, Wicker wrote, “Pyongyang has taken advantage of recent events, like the war in Ukraine, to forge a strong bond with Beijing and Moscow,” with Xi and Putin “stuffing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s pocketbook.”
“The warning light on the Korean peninsula is blinking red,” Wicker said. “American defense leaders are finding our nation unprepared for North Korea’s growing military capabilities and its strategic alignment with Russia and China. Choosing to ignore the issue, as the Biden administration has done, is no longer an option.”
RISCH, McCAUL: US ‘FICKLE FRIEND’ TO ISRAEL: Meanwhile, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, are blasting Biden over his decision to pause delivery of some high-payload bombs to Israel.
“Unfortunately, the failure to respect congressional prerogatives has risen to new levels with your recent decision to unilaterally pause a shipment of weapons to Israel without any prior notification or consultation with Congress,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Biden. “Despite numerous requests from our respective chambers, we still don’t have basic answers to questions about the weapons you have stopped from shipping.”
“Make no mistake, America’s allies and adversaries are watching,” they added. “Partners straddling the fence between the United States on the one hand and China and Russia on the other are watching. They’re drawing the conclusion that the United States is a fickle friend and cannot be relied upon to follow through on its commitments in their hour of need.”
The House is scheduled to take up the “Israel Security Assistance Support Act,” which seeks to force Biden to provide all the arms authorized by Congress to Israel.
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Blinken says Ukraine ‘has to make decisions for itself’ about strikes in Russia
Washington Examiner: Netanyahu faces mounting pressure over Israel’s post-war plan for Gaza
Washington Examiner: Jewish Biden appointee resigns over president’s stance on war in Gaza: ‘Blood of innocent people on his hands’
Washington Examiner: Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico airlifted to hospital after assassination attempt
Washington Examiner: US intel officials warn Congress that election interference will be ‘more complex than ever’
Washington Examiner: Schumer leads bipartisan charge to devote $32 billion for guidance on AI
Washington Examiner: Prosecutors accuse Bob Menendez of putting power ‘up for sale’ in bribery trial
Washington Examiner: Border Patrol insider says Biden officials disagreed on ‘right outcome’ for migrant crisis
AP: Putin thanks Xi for China’s initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict
Reuters: Blinken Offers New U.S. Aid As Kyiv Reels From Renewed Russian Attacks
New York Times: Ukraine Fights to Hold Off Fierce Russian Assaults in Northeast
AP: Russia Says It Downed 10 U.S.-Supplied Missiles Over Crimea As Blinken Visits Kyiv
The Economist: What are the Russian “turtle tanks” seen in Ukraine?
Reuters: U.S. Says Warship Mason Intercepted Houthi Missile, Vessel Destiny Untouched
Stars and Stripes: US Faces Uncertainty in Africa as Forces Gather for Special Operations Exercise
Washington Post: Israel Endgame Questioned As Hamas Returns To North
AP: The top UN court is holding hearings on the Israeli military’s incursion into Rafah
Bloomberg: Lockheed-Boeing Alliance Hit With US Fine for Launch Delays
Breaking Defense: V-22 Osprey Operating with ‘Limited Envelope,’ Required to Stay Near Airfields
Air & Space Forces Magazine: LaPlante: ‘Nunn-McCurdy Or Not,’ US Must Have ICBM Leg of Triad
Breaking Defense: France Undecided on US Offer to Join ‘Olympic Defender’ Space Effort
DefenseScoop: Lawmakers Plan to Press DOD to Accelerate Fielding of AI-Enabled Counter-Drone Capabilities
Defense One: The Air Force Needs More In-House Coders
AP: Who Gets to Claim Self-Defense in Shootings? Airman’s Death Sparks Debate over Race and Gun Rights
Miliary.com: Privatized Barracks Would Get Deeper Look Under House’s Draft Defense Bill
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Deployments of the Future: Here Are the First 6 Air Task Force Locations
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Weapons School Celebrates 75 Years of Adapting to New Challenges
Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-16 Demo Team Rolls Out 50th Anniversary Paint Scheme
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | MAY 16
9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
9:30 a.m. HVC-210, Capitol — House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party hearing: “All Roads Lead to Beijing?” with testimony from David Trulio, president and CEO, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute; Daniel Runde, senior vice president, Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Brad Parks, executive director of AidData, William & Mary Global Research Institute https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov
9:30 a.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Connecting the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific: Northeast Asia’s Growing Cooperation with NATO,” with former European Union Ambassador to South Korea Michael Reiterer, professor, Brussels School of Governance Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy; Bo Ram Kwon, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses associate research fellow; Yuki Tatsumi, director, Stimson Center’s Japan Program; and Jenny Town, director, Stimson Center’s 38 North and Korea Program https://www.stimson.org/event/connecting-the-atlantic-and-indo-pacific
10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “One Year In: Defense Innovation Unit 3.0 and the Path Forward,” with Douglas Beck, director, Defense Innovation Unit https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-one-year-in-diu-3-0
2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee hearing: “Security Risk: The Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration” http://homeland.house.gov
2 p.m — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “The role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in modern conflict, how the Air Force is training ISR operators, and how emerging tech is improving operations,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber effects operations, and Dave Gold, Americas field chief technology officer at SentinelOne https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force
2 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “Closing the Skies, Liberating Ukraine,” with Michael Ryan, former deputy assistant secretary of defense; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council; and Nataliya Bugayova, nonresident fellow, Institute for the Study of War https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force/
3 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “No Invasion Necessary: A Discussion of How China Can Employ a Coercion-Based Strategy to Take Taiwan Without a War,” with Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Frederick Kagan, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Kimberly Kagan, president, Institute for the Study of War; and Bonny Lin, director, China Power Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies https://www.aei.org/events/no-invasion-necessary
FRIDAY | MAY 17
10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Developing Drone and Counter-Drone Capabilities,” with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo org/events/virtual-event-developing-drone-and-counter-drone-capabilities
10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “The upcoming 2024 NATO Summit and allied strategies to counter renewed Russian retaliation amid Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and efforts to modernize the alliance’s capabilities,” with Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of the U.S. European Command and supreme NATO commander; Michael Andersson, head of strategic affairs and international affairs at Saab and board director, Atlantic Council; former Supreme NATO Commander retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council; and Andrew Michta, director and senior fellow of the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Scowcroft Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/road-to-washington-general-christopher-cavoli
12 p.m. 555 13th St. NW — Washington Space Business Roundtable discussion: “Integrating the growing U.S. commercial space sector into our national security space architecture,” with Col. Richard Kniseley, senior material leader, Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office https://www.wsbr.org/events/wsbr-may-luncheon-with-colonel-richard-kniseley
TUESDAY | MAY 21
6:30 a.m Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army “Coffee Series,” in-person event with Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, deputy Army chief of staff for resources and plans
WEDNESDAY | MAY 22
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies in-person and virtual discussion: “The Next Generation of National Security Leaders: A Conversation with Major General Arnold Punaro,” with retired Marine Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, former staff director, Senate Armed Service Committee; former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman and chairman emeritus of the Board, CSIS; former Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, former Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; retired Gen. Jim Jones, former Marine Corps Commandant, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and national security adviser; and moderator Jennifer Griffin, chief national security correspondent, Fox News https://www.csis.org/events/next-generation-national-security-leaders
4:45 p.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “The Department of Energy’s Atomic Energy Defense Activities and Department of Defense Nuclear Weapons Programs in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Jill Hruby; William White, Energy Department senior adviser for environmental management; Navy Adm. William Houston, deputy administrator for the Office of Naval Reactors, National Nuclear Security Administration; Marvin Adams, deputy administrator for defense programs, National Nuclear Security Administration; Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director for strategic systems programs in the Department of the Navy http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
