Overnight Defense: Pentagon says coronavirus-stricken carrier could be back at sea ‘in a few weeks’ | Two US sailors on French carrier have virus | Watchdog could not determine if White House interfered in cloud contract

Happy Wednesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Rebecca Kheel, and here’s your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

 

THE TOPLINE: Another aircraft carrier is being hobbled by a coronavirus outbreak — this time a French carrier that had four U.S. sailors on board.

The U.S. Navy said Wednesday two of the U.S. sailors aboard FS Charles de Gaulle have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Those sailors are “receiving excellent host nation medical care at French facilities,” the Navy said in a news release.

“We are working closely with our NATO ally to fight against the virus, and we are confident that our sailors are in good hands,” the Navy said. “We look forward to continued operations with the Charles de Gaulle and the French Navy in the future.”

The U.S. sailors were serving aboard the Charles de Gaulle as part of the Navy’s personnel exchange program meant to strengthen relationships and communication with U.S. partners and allies.

Later Wednesday, the French Ministry for the Armed Forces said 668 sailors from the Charles de Gaulle strike group have tested positive for the virus, most of them from the carrier itself. Of the positive cases, 31 are hospitalized, including one in intensive care.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier returned to its home port of Toulon on Sunday about 10 days ahead of schedule after the ministry confirmed the first 50 cases aboard the ship.

In a statement over the weekend, the ministry said all personnel from the ship would be quarantined in military facilities for 14 days.

 

In other coronavirus news …

 

Esper says Roosevelt could be back at sea ‘in a few weeks’: Turning back to the U.S. aircraft carrier stricken by the coronavirus, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the USS Theodore Roosevelt could be back at sea “in a few weeks.”

The Pentagon chief said on Fox News that a majority of sailors who have the virus are asymptomatic “and so we’re trying to be doubly careful as we clean that ship up and get the sailors back to sea which we think will happen in a few weeks here.”

As of Wednesday, the Navy said 615 sailors from the Roosevelt have tested positive for the virus, and 4,046 have been moved ashore in Guam.

The sailor who was admitted to an intensive care unit Tuesday for “increased observation due to shortness of breath” remained there Wednesday.

Four other sailors from the Roosevelt are also being treated at the U.S. Naval Hospital Guam, but are not in intensive care.

Pentagon totals: The Pentagon reported a total of 4,766 cases Wednesday. That includes 2,486 service members with active cases and 446 troops who have recovered.

There are also 669 civilians, 558 dependents and 298 contractors with active cases.

An eighth civilian was reported dead Wednesday, bringing the Pentagon’s death toll to 17.

Coronavirus makes NATO go virtual: NATO’s defense ministers held a virtual meeting Wednesday to discuss the alliance’s response to the pandemic.

Speaking to reporters in an online news conference after the meeting, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned about the long-term effects of the crisis.

“The geo-political effects of the pandemic could be significant,” he said. “Some may seek to use the economic downturn as an opening to invest in our critical industries and infrastructure, which in turn may affect our long-term security and our ability to deal with the next crisis, when it comes.”

A Pentagon statement about the meeting said ministers “focused on maintaining a strong NATO deterrence and defense posture to preserve alliance security during our collective battle with COVID-19.”

“Allies reaffirmed their commitment to readiness and to continue ongoing operations,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman added in the statement. “They emphasized the importance of countering disinformation from both state and non-state actors who are using the pandemic to spread false and harmful narratives. The world’s strongest alliance remains ready and vigilant.”

 

IN OTHER NEWS … READ ABOUT THE PENTAGON’S JEDI REPORT, YOU MUST: The Pentagon’s inspector general was out Wednesday with its much anticipated report on the contract for the cloud-computing program known as Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI).

The inspector general was not able to “definitively determine” whether the White House influenced the Department of Defense’s decision to award the $10 billion contract to Microsoft over Amazon, the report said.

The department’s inspector general office said it was unable to rule on the issue because the Pentagon’s general counsel instructed witnesses not to answer questions about conversations between the White House and Pentagon because of “the assertion of a ‘presidential communications privilege.'”

The report did find, however, that department personnel who evaluated proposals and awarded the JEDI contract were not pressured by any senior Pentagon leaders.

The 317-page document also determined that giving the JEDI contract to a single company — Microsoft — rather than dividing it among competitors was “consistent with applicable acquisition standards.”

Pentagon reaction: The Pentagon held the report up as an exoneration, saying it “confirms that the Department of Defense conducted the JEDI Cloud procurement process fairly and in accordance with the law.”

The statement from Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Robert Carver asserted that the “IG’s team found that there was no influence by the White House or DoD leadership on the career source selection boards who made the ultimate vendor selection,” despite the watchdog explicitly saying it could not determine the “full extent or nature of interactions” between administration officials and the Pentagon.

“This report should finally close the door on the media and corporate-driven attacks on the career procurement officials who have been working tirelessly to get the much needed JEDI cloud computing environment into the hands of our frontline warfighters while continuing to protect American taxpayers,” Carver added.

Microsoft reaction: Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw said that Wednesday’s report “makes clear the DoD established a proper procurement process.”

“At this stage, Amazon is both delaying critical work for the nation’s military and trying to undo the mistake it made when it bid too high a price,” he added in a statement.

 

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

The Navy League’s “Sea-Air-Space 2020: Virtual Edition” continues with a panel on space and artificial intelligence with several defense officials at 1 p.m. https://bit.ly/3eqGVm4

The Middle East Institute will host an online conversation on “The Middle East in an Era of Great Power Competition” at 3 p.m. https://bit.ly/3aiKlUR

The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host an online event on the implications of growing U.S.-China tension at 4 p.m. https://bit.ly/3aiKyHD

 

ICYMI

— The Hill: Top Democrats push Trump administration on lapsed cost-sharing deal with South Korea

— The Hill: Trump administration warns of North Korean cyber threats

— The Hill: Pompeo presses Chinese counterpart for needed medical supplies

— The Hill: Opinion: ‘Containment’ again emerges as a dominant theme

— Task and Purpose: The great haircut debate has stoked fears of the military undermining its civilian overseers

— Reuters: Iranian vessels come dangerously close to U.S. military ships

— Navy Times: Russian jet buzzes Navy P-8 Poseidon within 25 feet, intercept lasts 42 minutes

— Space News: U.S. Space Command blasts Russia for anti-satellite missile test