⏱ 7 minute read
PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – The powerful sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un dismissed U.S. intent to resume diplomacy on North Korea’s denuclearization, as she urged the U.S. to find a new approach to restart talks.
She said Kim-Trump ties are “not bad” but it’s not giving up its nuclear weapons, adding that if their personal relations are to serve the purpose of North Korea’s denuclearization, North Korea would view it as “nothing but a mockery.”
Kim Yo Jong’s statement suggested North Korea would only return to talks if the U.S. rewarded it for a partial surrender of its nuclear capability. Some experts say Trump could still pursue talks with North Korea to make a diplomatic achievement.
A former head of a think tank run by South Korea’s spy agency said Trump’s likely desire to win a Nobel Peace Prize would prompt him to seek talks with Kim Jong Un and give him benefits for taking phased denuclearization steps.
He added that North Korea would likely want broad sanctions relief, a suspension of U.S.-South Korea military drills that it regards as invasion rehearsals and other economic incentives.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Doubtful. Trump suggested he could be flying on a refurbished Air Force One, gifted to the U.S. by the Middle Eastern country of Qatar, as soon as February of 2026.
Secretary of Defense Hegseth has scanned the horizon for threats and has found a new group of dangerous adversaries: think tanks that do policy research and advocacy.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Marine veteran helped stop Walmart mass stabbing with shopping cart.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) plans to release a 2022 report on telecommunications industry security vulnerabilities that a Dem lawmaker had said he would use as leverage to block Trump’s nominee to lead the agency.
Marine Corps veteran’s immigrant wife has been released from ICE detention following advocacy from Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican who backs Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown.
Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will introduce a bill that would force changes to military use of helicopters around congested airports, including prohibiting the Army from turning off location-transmitting technologies.
Army aviation unit expands use of navigation devices. The unit involved in January’s deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport received new navigation devices last month to improve pilots’ awareness around them.
VA would have to establish an officer to assist with fraud and scam response and prevention under a new bill in the Senate.
How SpaceX’s rocket diplomacy backfired in the Bahamas. While negotiating a deal last year to allow its Falcon 9 rocket boosters to land in the island nation’s territory, Elon Musk’s company offered a sweetener: complimentary Starlink internet terminals for the country’s defense vessels.
Fort Cavazos, Texas, has been renamed Fort Hood, this time honoring World War I soldier.
‘Transgender’ troops describe indignities as they’re kicked out of the military. Trump administration leaders have minced few words in articulating how they feel about these mentally ill troops.
US POWER OVERSEAS
Marines drive into the Coral Sea in Pacific in Amphibious Combat Vehicles. The ACVs provide Marine Expeditionary Units with ship-to-objective amphibious capability, land mobility, survivability and flexibility.
DOD directive implementing longer tours of duty in South Korea to reduce moves will improve force stability, support service members’ quality of life and enhance readiness in the face of regional threats.
IRAN THREAT/MIDDLE EAST
Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill are keeping their criticism of Israel Gaza war measured — even as they faced loud pressure from the MAGA base to rethink their support for Israel amid humanitarian crisis.
Support for Israel’s military action in Gaza has declined substantially among U.S. adults, with only about one-third approving, according to new poll — a drop from the beginning of the war with Hamas, when about half approved.
Trump said the U.S. will partner with Israel to run new food centers in Gaza to address the worsening humanitarian crisis but offered few details about the plan or how it would differ from existing food distribution centers.
Germany intends to set up an airlift operation with Jordan to provide humanitarian aid to the civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Houthis will attack commercial ships in the Red Sea if those ships have ties to companies that work with, or travel to, Israeli ports.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats. Glide bombs and ballistic missiles struck a Ukrainian prison and a medical facility overnight as Russia’s relentless strikes on civilian areas across the country.
Ukraine is focusing attacks on a rail line deep inside Russia’s Rostov region that moves troops, equipment and supplies to the front lines.
CHINA THREAT
U.S. military is investing in this Pacific island. So is China. It will next year upgrade Palau’s main harbor so U.S. warships can enter the Pacific island nation’s narrow channels and dock here.
US, allies drill pop-up missile positions to keep Chinese ships at bay. Various anti-ship missile firings at Exercise Talisman Sabre demonstrated the ability of the U.S. and its allies to hit maritime targets from land-based launchers.
China has watched and learned from America’s space startups to accelerate its own dynamic commercial space sector.
SPACE THREAT
Defense startup Slingshot Aerospace has created an AI capability that allows Space Force to train guardians for real-life satellite tactics and maneuvers.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Sixth-Largest Earthquake on Record Triggers Global Tsunami Warnings, mostly in Pacific region.
Louisiana shipbuilder Bollinger is teaming with Finnish and Canadian shipyards for a bid to build the new medium class of Arctic Security Cutter for the Coast Guard.
Europe is finally putting real money behind defense, but who or what will coordinate this new security effort?
Germany prepares huge orders for jets, armored vehicles.
US MILITARY
Crucial, cost-effective Black Hawk updates will deliver more range, payload, and connectivity – and give Soldiers the edge they need in the Indo-Pacific.
Army tested an M1 Abrams tank armed with a 7.62x51mm M134 Minigun in place of one of its secondary machine guns.
Army is shelving its plans to pursue a new variant of the M88A3 Hercules recovery vehicle and will pursue upgrades to the older version.
More than 7,500 armed forces members in one part of Michigan in August will attend Northern Strike (NS) 25-2, one of DOD’s largest reserve component readiness exercises.
Boeing and the Navy are hopeful that a production version of the MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based uncrewed tanker will fly for the first time this year after repeated delays.
Navy unveiled its new Modular Attack Surface Craft program, which would likely see unmanned fast attack surface vessels carrying missiles long distances at sea.
Air Force creates warfighter communications office dedicated to communications and cyber systems, marking what was hailed “as one of the most significant reorganizations of the Air Staff in over 30 years.”
END of PDB
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