⏱ 7 minute read
PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Over the past week to see the degree to which NATO leaders appear to have come around to the view that NATO-Russia conflict — hopefully only limited conflict — may be inevitable. Europe is readying for direct conflict with Russia.
The sudden uptick in alleged Russian incursions aligns with the view from some European officials that a belligerent move from Moscow would likely not come in the form of a conventional attack, but rather a hybrid operation with deliberate ambiguity about its origins and motivations, such as the use of cyberattacks or sabotage.
European nations privately warn Moscow they will shoot down Russian combat jets in their airspace.
Perhaps the warnings will be enough to deter future Russian provocations. History suggests they will not. And if Russia persists, we appear to be headed for the type of clash that not so long ago was viewed as the nightmare scenario. The question is whether it can be contained.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any aggressive actions made toward Russia will be met with a “decisive response.” On Thursday, Russia’s ambassador to France warned that if a Russian jet were shot down over NATO territory, “it would mean war.”
The ‘hybrid war’ Europe faces is a gift for Putin. But there are risks too. Without firing a shot, Putin has managed to bring the war in Ukraine to millions of Europeans largely untouched by the conflict.
Denmark’s defense ministry again observed drones at several of its armed forces’ locations overnight, a day after the NATO alliance announced that it would enhance its vigilance in the Baltic Sea region.
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
Government watchdog found that most military ground vehicles used by the Army and Marine Corps are often not ready for combat.
North American Aerospace Defense Command once again launched fighter jets to intercept Russian planes after four were spotted over the waters near Alaska.
Pentagon should have one key priority: getting weapons to warfighters fast and staying ahead of adversaries, especially China.
HOMELAND SECURITY
President Trump will send troops to Portland, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists.”
Trump will speak at meeting of hundreds of top military leaders called by Defense Secretary Hegseth.
What’s in a pin? Trump dons gold F-22 pin during meeting with Turkish leader.
Navy is considering a 10-year-long multiple award contract worth up to $3.5 billion for 2,800 service craft and boats to streamline procurement.
Pentagon considers making portion of Marine base Camp Pendleton available for development. The base has long remained the largest undeveloped stretch of the southern California coastline.
US POWER OVERSEAS
A U.S. special operations mothership is currently deployed to the Caribbean.
U.S. navy killed 17 in three deadly strikes on narco-terror boats. Now Venezuela is giving civilians guns.
U.S. Air Force nuclear weapons specialists this month tested their preparedness to carry out NATO strike missions from a strategic Belgian base, where they partnered with an allied fighter wing.
The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) achieved a breakthrough in global airpower, successfully refueling mid-air from three French-made tankers – a first that dramatically extends the plane’s reach and for seamless joint operations while providing unprecedented airborne surveillance capabilities.
Japanese officials want to ban fixed-wing aircraft training at U.S. Marine Corps Aviation Station Iwakuni after the George Washington Carrier Strike Group’s air wing conducted pre-deployment training during a Japanese holiday.
CHINA THREAT
China remains America’s top threat in space and is catching up to the U.S military’s space capabilities at an “incredible pace,” according to a top Space Force general.
Russia is selling military equipment and technology to China that could help Beijing prepare an airborne invasion of Taiwan, according to leaked Russian documents.
RUSSIA THREAT
There are growing signs of a major shift in Trump’s publicly expressed attitude toward Russia over the conduct of its war in Ukraine and Moscow’s increasing belligerence toward the rest of Europe.
Germany is prepared to host advanced U.S. missiles meant to deter Russia, but final confirmation of the Biden-era move by the Trump administration is still pending.
Moldova’s pro-EU party wins vote mired in claims of Russian interference.
MIDDLE EAST THREATS
Netanyahu says Israel working on ceasefire plan on eve of Trump meeting, but details are still being sorted out.
Hamas has issued a “warning” that the lives of two captives held in Gaza City are in danger as Israeli tanks push deeper inside several neighborhoods of the urban center.
Facing global isolation at UN, a defiant Netanyahu says Israel ‘must finish the job’ against Hamas, in a defiant speech. “Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure,” he said. “And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won’t.”
Widespread UN sanctions against Iran have come back into force for the first time in a decade, prompting anger from Tehran. This, after last-ditch nuclear talks with western powers failed to produce a breakthrough.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Oman — all nations in the thick of the unrest in the Middle East — confronted the crisis at the annual U.N. gathering, with Egypt’s top diplomat warning that the Mideast “is at a point of implosion.”
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has directed top officials to strengthen the nation’s “nuclear shield and sword”, saying only a “nuclear counteraction” could safeguard his country’s security.
SPACE THREATS
Even with dozens or hundreds of sensor satellites in orbit to spot incoming weapons, defending against the most advanced missile threats will require capabilities to disrupt these attacks “left of launch.”
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
For 17 months (500 days), since May 2024, El Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, has been trapped in one of the longest urban sieges of modern warfare, a slow war of attrition.
UK to produce 2 E-7 prototypes for Air Force. The advanced new surveillance plane that Congress seeks to rescue from the chopping block stateside is about to get some new life across the Atlantic Ocean thanks to a recent deal with the UK.
British warship fires anti-ship missile in Arctic. Royal Navy has carried out its first live firing of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during Exercise Aegir 25 in northern Norway.
U.S. approves $567 million AIM-9X Sidewinder missile sale to Belgium.
European navies test new low-observable penguin-like drone tech for undersea operations.
US MILITARY
In a recent Air Force experiment, AI algorithms generated attack plans about 400 times faster than human staff. The catch? Not all the AI-generated plans would actually work.
A business jet converted into a tanker is among the options the Air Force has been considering as part of plans for a future aerial refueling ‘system of systems.’
Air Force should place greater emphasis on exercising and training for long range kill chains to point of failure right now, rather than waiting for new technologies to make things easier.
Some maritime special operators are getting a robotic turret that can turn machine guns into an autonomous drone-killer for boats and other vehicles.
Army closes Training and Doctrine Command to make way for merger with Futures Command to shape how soldiers fight on the world’s ever-evolving battlefields.
After being told to “police that moustache,” Marines in an infantry battalion based at Twentynine Palms, California can once again have fuzz on their upper lips.
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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