FRIDAY PDB – China has been trying to find ways to gain access to critical infrastructure in the U.S. to threaten them during a war. China Could Threaten Critical Infrastructure in a Conflict, N.S.A. Chief Says. Gen. Timothy Haugh, who is also the head of the U.S. military's Cyber Command, said Beijing was “sending a pretty clear signal.”
Other U.S. officials have said that if China gained access to critical infrastructure near military bases, it could disrupt or shut down systems to sow chaos and slow response time to a crisis in the Pacific or over Taiwan.
MEANWHILE, FBI director implies Chinese hackers are targeting infrastructure to ‘induce panic.' “The [People's Republic of China] has made it clear that it considers every sector that makes our society run as fair game in its bid to dominate on the world stage and that its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic and break America's will to resist,” Wray said.
AND WAR IS BREWING – China sounds warning after Philippines and US announce most expansive military drills yet. Exercises starting on Monday will be the first to be held outside Philippines' territorial waters and come amid a rise in tensions in the South China Sea.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Pentagon takes AI dogfighting to next level in real-world flight tests against human F-16 pilot. Officials provided an update on DARPA's Air Combat Evolution program.
HOMELAND SECURITY
January 6 convict asks for light sentence in order to remain in Navy. An active-duty service member who was convicted for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol is now pleading for home confinement, rather than probation, so that he's allowed to remain in the Navy.
POLITICS
The real path to an American civil war. This week Donald Trump was put on trial by a liberal prosecutor on what seems like the most nakedly political of the multiple charges that he's facing. To protest this outrage against their glorious leader, the MAGA faithful gathered outside the New York courthouse in the thousands, ready to storm into the halls of justice … or maybe not.
OR MAYBE JOHNSON KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT PATH BY HIMSELF – How Johnson and Biden locked arms on Ukraine. The planned vote on a foreign aid package is validation of a White House strategy to court the speaker behind the scenes while letting him find his own path.
GOP-led House panel uses Democratic votes to push foreign aid bills, setting up confrontation with conservatives. This is a sign that Republican leaders will need votes from across the aisle to pass the legislation.
These are the 14 lawmakers who voted against condemning Iran's attack on Israel. An overwhelming majority of the House voted Thursday on a resolution to condemn Iran's recent attack on Israel.
US POWER OVERSEAS
Chad's government threatens to kick out US troops as Russia expands influence in Africa. The US risks losing its military presence in another African country, a move that threatens to cede more US influence in the region to Russia.
Would you take this dive? See Marines conduct free fall jumps over India. Watch here.
Pentagon's regional fentanyl interception efforts face operational challenges: watchdog. The three combatant commands involved in the Pentagon's counternarcotics mission in the Americas need more defined roles in their joint operations.
IRAN THREAT
Iran fires at suspected Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site. Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
US, UK issue sanctions on Iran over drone and missile attack on Israel. This, as concern grows that Tehran's unprecedented attack on Israel could fuel a wider war in the Middle East.
THANK TRUMP'S ABRAHAM ACCORDS! – US, Israeli, Arab coordination in Mideast against Iran comes to fruition. The Iranian attack on Israel last weekend showed the contribution made by the region's nascent air and missile defense alliance in neutralizing the barrage of over 300 projectiles. U.S. efforts by Team Trump to foster better cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors against the mounting Iran threat paid significant dividends.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Pence warns that Putin will attack a NATO nation if he overruns Ukraine. Former Vice President Mike Pence warned that if Vladimir Putin were to “overrun” Ukraine, he would then attack a NATO nation, forcing the US to become directly involved.
Russia ramps up weapons production, using mass quantity to outgun Ukraine. It is replenishing stocks of standard weapons and ammunition and probably can sustain its onslaught in Ukraine for at least the next two years, analysts say — a sobering assessment for Kyiv, which is short on weapons and soldiers and losing ground on the battlefield.
SPACE THREAT
How the Space Force is making its systems more resilient. It will focus on proliferation — distributing capabilities across large constellations of small satellites — as central to their approach to making it harder for adversaries to disrupt U.S. operations.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Norway's air defense priorities: Volume first, then long-range capabilities. “We need to increase spending in simple systems that we need a huge volume of that can, basically, counter very low-tech drones that could pose a threat,” Norway's top officer said, “so we don't end up using the most sophisticated missile systems against something that is very cheap to buy.”
Australia targets major spending boost for Asia-Pacific defense. Australia simultaneously unveiled two pivotal documents on April 17 – its inaugural “National Defence Strategy 2024, and the “Integrated Investment Program 2024 – with a promise that defense spending will reach around US$491 billion over the ensuing 10 years.
US MILITARY
How Army special operators use deep fakes and drones to train for information warfare. One soldier helped create a voice-cloning program using off-the-shelf AI.
See Army paratroopers shred drones during air defense exercise. Watch now.
B-52 bombers make rare landing at civilian airport to practice landing at non-military airfields. The jets, operated by the 20th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., landed at Chennault International Airport, La. This is about 200 miles south of Barksdale, the home of the Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees the service's bombers.
VA may fast-track disability benefits for Air Force missile community. A review by the Department of Veterans Affairs could lead to automatic disability benefits for troops who served in the nuclear missile community, including at Air Force bases where the service is studying if airmen stationed there have been disproportionately diagnosed with cancer.
NOT GOOD – Navy gives itself ‘C+' on ability to repair warships. Outdated public shipyards would get a low grade for the ability to repair warships damaged in a major conflict.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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