TUESDAY PDB – If China invades Taiwan, it may face a large, lethal drone force meant to make its military “miserable.”
US plans to turn Taiwan Strait into drone ‘hellscape' against China.
But a top U.S. military commander for Asia says time is running out to put the plan in place.
Xi Jinping has called on China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to be ready to take Taiwan by force by 2027. The U.S. and its allies must ensure a Chinese invasion can't succeed.
That plan hinges on quickly building and deploying thousands of new drones that would swarm the Taiwan Strait and keep China's military busy until more help can arrive.
China's likely strategy is to overwhelm Taiwan with a massive attack with little warning, Adm. Samuel Paparo, says the new head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
“They want to offer the world a short, sharp war so that it is a fait accompli before the world can get their act together,” Paparo said. “My job is to ensure that between now and 2027 and beyond, the U.S. military and the allies are capable of prevailing,” he added.
The key to thwarting Xi's assumed strategy is a U.S. plan called “Hellscape.”
The idea is that as soon as China's invasion fleet begins moving across the 100-mile waterway that separates China and Taiwan, the U.S. would deploy thousands of unmanned submarines, unmanned surface ships and aerial drones to flood the area.
This would give Taiwanese, U.S. and partner forces time to mount a full response.
But time is running out to turn these plans into a reality.
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
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN – UN Security Council backs US Israel-Gaza ceasefire plan.
Citizens of US and 3 allies want Ukraine peace talks and Europe to lead its own security affairs, poll finds. A majority of Americans and western Europeans want allies to push for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine while shifting the bulk of the security burden on the Continent from the U.S. to Europe.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT – TOTAL HORSE S**T – Pride Month morale patch gains approval at Air Force base 30 miles south of Seoul in South Korea. Airmen stationed on this installation can wear a Pride morale patch this month.
POLITICS
Trust in government hits fresh lows ahead of US presidential election. Nearly two-thirds of Americans do not trust the federal government, a share that has increased over the last two years and marked a period of near record-low confidence in the country's political institutions.
Trump again denies calling dead soldiers ‘losers and suckers' after Biden visit to cemetery in France. Trump did not visit it during his own trip in 2018.
Judge rejects Trump's effort to dismiss classified documents charges. A federal judge rejected the attempt to have several charges dismissed in his classified documents case while permitting the removal of a single paragraph from the indictment for including allegations relating to an uncharged offense.
Move Guardsmen into the Space Force? You'll lose most of them instead. Senior Air Force officials have scoffed at surveys that show that only 14 percent of Air National Guard space professionals would be willing to transfer to the Space Force if it absorbs their units.
ISRAEL WAR AGAINST TERROR
Aid groups warn they face looting, danger in Gaza after successful Israeli hostage raid. Humanitarian groups said they were struggling to deliver aid in Gaza amid looting of their vehicles.
US POWER OVERSEAS
Pentagon rebuts claims Israel used US pier for hostage rescue mission. It said reports on social media that Israel used the U.S.-built pier off Gaza during a deadly hostage rescue mission over the weekend were “inaccurate.”
US and Israel would conduct annual tunnel exercises under House plan. This would be aimed at improving the countries' ability to fight militants and smugglers in underground tunnels to counter a key advantage of Hamas and other groups.
US Air Force resumes humanitarian aid drops into Gaza. This, after pausing operations for more than a month as Israel's invasion of the city of Rafah unfolded.
US will store aid on Gaza beach as UN pauses distribution from pier. It plans to stockpile aid shipments on a secure beach in Gaza during a U.N. pause on distributing food from the American-built pier.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russian military exercises in the Caribbean: Here's what to expect. Russian ships and a nuclear-powered submarine are expected to arrive in Cuba this week ahead of military exercises in the Caribbean, officials said. American ships have been deployed to shadow the Russians.
Ukraine takes out one of Russia's most advanced fighters in a strike over the weekend.
Ukraine may keep some foreign-provided F-16s at bases abroad for protection from Russian strikes.
US and Poland launch center to fight Kremlin disinformation about Ukraine war. The international operation is based in the Polish capital.
U.S. Army officer confirms Russian A-50 Mainstay AWACS radar plane was shot down with forward deployed Ukrainian Patriot missile. The valuable airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft was downed over the Sea of Azov on January 14.
Giving Ukrainians weapons to strike inside Russia is the ‘right thing to do.' Ukraine's striking airfields and logistics hubs inside Russia “is the right thing to do,” the head of NATO's Military Committee officer said.
US lifts weapons ban on Ukrainian military unit. Ukraine's Azov Brigade, a one-time militia whose founders Washington deemed problematic, are now allowed to use U.S. weapons.
CHINA THREAT
US, Filipino forces end drills that tested endurance in brutal heat. China has vehemently opposed the combat exercises and increased deployments of American forces to Asia, including in the Philippines.
TO DETER CHINA – US ambassador urges Tokyo to help replenish US missile inventory. The U.S. needs Japan's help to quickly replenish missile inventory as conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continue and Washington seeks to keep its deterrence credible in the Indo-Pacific.
Japan for first time joins multinational Valiant Shield exercise near Guam. The USS Ronald Reagan took center stage among eight warships in the Philippine Sea as the U.S. military commenced Valiant Shield, nearly two weeks of drills that included Japan for the first time.
Sophisticated Army training goes mobile to knit a far flung Pacific coalition. The wargames began with a series of air assaults: a “forcible entry” by U.S. and Philippine soldiers swooping in on a dozen U.S. Army helicopters to seize a piece of land and “build up combat power.”
NORTH KOREA THREAT
South Korea, US to hold new round of nuclear planning talks in Seoul. The aim is better coordinating an allied nuclear response during a war with North Korea, amid anxiety over Pyongyang's growing arsenal.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Search continues for missing aircraft carrying Malawi vice president. Search and rescue operations will continue until the missing aircraft carrying Saulos Klaus Chilima, is found.
US MILITARY
The Navy's warships can now fire the Army's Patriot PAC-3 air defense missiles. It could be a game-changer if both the Army and Navy want it.
Coast Guard Academy official resigns before high profile sexual assault hearing. She alleges she was directed to lie and discourage sexual assault victims from coming forward.
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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