MONDAY PDB – US nuke subs, Air Force bombers and Marines using Australia as a massive forward base. Australia offers US a vast new military launchpad in China conflict. This, to counter China’s growing threat. Critics quip it’s become the “51st state.”
Across Australia, less than 2,000 miles from the emerging flash points of the South China Sea, decades-old facilities — many built by the U.S. during World War II — are being dusted off or upgraded amid growing fears of another global conflict.
VIDEO – The Marine Corps looks to expand its footprint in the Pacific. With an eye on an ever more aggressive China, the Marines look to expand their presence and capabilities in Australia.
VIDEO – More Marines to deter China? The Marine Corps looks to expand capability and presence in China’s backyard.
US attack sub pulls into Australia in early AUKUS step. The submarine pulled into the Australian Navy base on a cool winter day in winds gusting at nearly 35 miles per hour.
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
Congressional gridlock leaves key national security posts vacant. China is eager to fill the diplomatic void, officials warn.
When it comes to military AI, there is no second place. When future military capabilities are discussed these days, artificial intelligence and how it will change the nature of warfare is at the top of the list.
HOMELAND SECURITY
DUMBASS – DISCRETION IS BETTER PART OF VALOR – Veteran self-publishes book on his experience at Jan. 6 riot — and gets arrested. Marine Corps veteran Nathan Thornsberry, 42, of North Branch, Michigan, was arrested on Thursday on felony charges of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
Ex-sheriff’s deputy charged in fatal shooting of Florida airman. Former Okaloosa County deputy Eddie Duran was charged Friday in the May 3 shooting death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson. That is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
POLITICS
Former President Donald Trump says he’s refusing intel briefings so he won’t be accused of leaks.
UAP (UFO) government disclosure not ‘a sprint. It’s a marathon’: Ex-Pentagon official.
Subpoenas for 5 Navy admirals requested by defendants in retired Adm. Robert Burke bribery case. This, as they build their defense.
US POWER OVERSEAS
Special operations forces ‘big fan’ of Replicator, especially for Pacific missions.
US-led drone strike in northwestern Syria kills al-Qaida-linked leader. The strike on Friday killed a Saudi terrorist as he was riding on a motorcycle.
Photos: B-2 bombers fly with Australians, land on Diego Garcia. The three Spirits have been making waves across the Indo-Pacific, with show-stopping formation flight and a rare landing at a strategic location.
Air Force’s unmanned Global Hawk aircraft begins debut UK assignment. A remotely piloted, high endurance, American military surveillance and reconnaissance drone is making its first appearance in England on a temporary deployment.
ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST TERROR
Israel and Hezbollah trade their most intense fire in months and then pull back. Thus avoiding, for now, sparking a widely feared all-out war.
THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CHARADE – White House says Gaza cease-fire talks haven’t collapsed. Talks will continue into the weekend, rejecting reports that an agreement was on the verge of collapse.
STILL – Airlines fly over Afghanistan as Middle East becomes the greater risk. Commercial airlines begin flying over Afghanistan rather than Iran, airspace now deemed more hazardous due to its hostilities with Israel, which include missile attacks and assassinations.
CHINA THREAT
How do you change a command’s culture? This general tried being direct about war with China. Gen. Mike Minihan needed people to listen. In 2021, Minihan knew that a massive overhaul of the world order was potentially underway. Air Mobility Command, his new post, needed to prepare to beat China.
MORE BIDEN-HARRIS CHINA ASS KISSING – National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan heads to Beijing to address concerns about Russia ties, South China Sea tensions. This, as Washington seeks to reinforce lines of communication with its top adversary and worries mount about Chinese interference in the U.S. election.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
SOMEONE? RUSSIA – Someone cut a key communications cable to Norwegian Air Force base. It was an intentional and calculated act of sabotage; the Norwegian Police says about the damage to the cable that belongs to the Evenes Air Station in Northern Norway.
BIDEN-HARRIS’ FAILED INCREMENTALISM – Ukraine uses Kursk success to press Biden on lifting long-range weapons restrictions against Russia. Ukraine’s invasion of Russia has flipped the gloomy narrative on the war. But at least for now, the White House still isn’t ready to do it.
Russian cruiser, frigate return from 7-month deployment to Middle East. Meanwhile, the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet from Tuesday to Thursday conducted combat drills for its logistical and support forces in the waters of the Primorsky region.
Indian Prime Minister Modi offers to help ‘as a friend’ to bring peace to Ukraine. This, during a brief visit on Friday that many in the war-battered country hope will pave the way for an Indian role in peace mediation.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korean ‘gray zone provocations’ are targeted during large-scale allied joint drills. The U.S. and South Korea for the first time are developing plans for combatting wartime disinformation as part of a broader military exercise underway throughout the country.
Video ads remind Japanese commuters about North Korean abduction case from 1977. A 15-second video playing every six minutes in the world’s busiest train stations reminds millions of commuters of a 13-year-old Japanese girl kidnapped from her home nearly five decades ago by North Korean agents.
SPACE THREAT
How the Space Force must lead: Forget ‘The Valley of Death.’ The Pentagon will never be able to adapt as modern technology companies must do to survive. The necessary decision-making to develop and deploy innovative technology into the marketplace today occurs on a timeline of weeks and months, while the Pentagon must lock in decisions for five years at a time
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Germans blast “Imperial March” from Star Wars while transiting Thames in London.
The comeback of the German-made armored vehicles. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked a complete transformation of European security policy, ushering in a period of industrial revitalization in the heart of Europe. Germany has been providing steady support to the Ukrainian military since the invasion, providing or committing approximately $32 billion worth of military hardware.
US announces advanced missile sales to European allies Romania and Norway, both on track to meet NATO spending target.
Battlefield surgery, Aussie-style. The Australian Army showcases its highly mobile surgery center, which brings critical care right to the front lines.
US MILITARY
Everything we just learned about the Ghost Shark uncrewed submarine. Anduril has received active interest in integrating more than a dozen new military and commercial payloads onto its Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle (XL-AUV).
WATCH – Witness the view of a chase car guiding a U-2 Dragon Lady along the runway.
Hypersonics and the future of US missile defense. The director of the Missile Defense Agency discusses how the agency has evolved to face current threats over its 20-year history.
Army progressing toward Theater Information Advantage Detachments Deployments (TIADS). This is a new kind of unit that seeks to monitor the information warfare efforts of adversarial nations like China and Russia at the field level.
SEMPER FI – GOD BLESS – RIP – A young Marine makes the ultimate sacrifice. Cpl. Spencer Collart survived an Osprey crash, then went back into the burning wreck to try to save his comrades.
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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