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SPECIAL REPORT – AUSTRALIA KEY TO FACE CHINA IN PACIFIC
Is an ‘epoch-making' agreement between Australia and Japan in the works? When Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in Australia on Friday for the first visit by a Japanese Prime Minister since 2018, he and Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese are expected to sign a new defense agreement tightening ties between the two countries in order to better counter Chinese aggression in the region.
‘Eye to a future fight': Marines see Australia as power-projection hub, former officer says. The Marine Corps is looking at northern Australia, where 2,200 Marines wrapped up a six-month training rotation this week, as a hub to launch influence into Southeast Asia, according to a former Marine officer.
Australia, Fiji militaries to work alongside each other. Australia and Fiji have signed an agreement to allow the operation of each nation's militaries in the other country, with ministers describing it as a significant step for security cooperation.
Australia committed to military cooperation with Indonesia. Country seen as an ‘important partner' in a region where China is becoming increasingly assertive.
CHINA THREAT
Worried China might seize Taiwan sooner, Navy chief pushes readiness. The U.S. Navy has adopted a “fight tonight” mentality as both China and Russia grow more aggressive, the chief of naval operations said, meaning the service must become more ready and more lethal for a near-term conflict.
How ‘wet gap' (rivers, marshes and lakes) crossings will help in a fight with China. Gen. Charles Flynn, of U.S. Army Pacific, speaks to Defense News about how the U.S. would have to navigate a country full of waterways in a fight with China.
US lagging China, Russia on hypersonic weapons: Lamborn. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) on Tuesday raised concerns that the United States is falling behind adversaries China and Russia in manufacturing and testing hypersonic missiles.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Armed Services Committee Republican says ‘vast majority' of GOP supports US assistance to Ukraine. Republican Rep. Michael Waltz (Fla.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the majority of the Republican caucus supports U.S. assistance to Ukraine amid concerns that a GOP-controlled House following the November elections may push back on billions of dollars of military and economic aid provided to Kyiv.
WHY?! – House panel may remove Iran drone measure from NDAA. The House Ways and Means Committee may force senators to drop a push to sanction Iran over its drone program as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
YOU WANT TO BE PART OF RUSSIA NOW? Putin declares martial law in annexed regions of Ukraine. The decree orders the creation of territorial defense forces in the four regions of Ukraine that Moscow annexed.
What is martial law, and why did Putin impose it in Ukrainian areas? What will change on the ground in highly militarized regions already under military occupation remains unclear.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 239. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing martial law in four “annexed” regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – and giving additional power to authorities in Russian border regions. The new Russian war commander, Sergei Surovikin, said the situation was “tense” for his forces, especially around Kherson as Russian-installed authorities in the region plan to evacuate about 50,000-60,000 people over the coming days. Ukrainian officials dubbed the evacuation a “propaganda show.”
“As long as it takes”: National Security Council spokesman John Kirby vows continued support for Ukraine. The National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communications says the United States will continue to support Ukraine “as best as we can” in its fight against Russia.
Russians schemed to send US military technology to Russian defense sector, Justice Department says. “Some of the same electronic components obtained through the criminal scheme have been found in Russian weapons platforms seized on the battlefield in Ukraine,” prosecutors said.
A Musk monopoly? For now, Ukraine has few options outside Starlink for battlefield satcoms. Though the recent tumult over whether Elon Musk's SpaceX would continue to fund the operation of its Starlink satellite service in Ukraine appears to be over for now, an uncomfortable question remains: If for some reason Starlink is not available, who else might the Pentagon, or Ukrainian forces for that matter, be able to turn to?
NORTH KOREA THREAT
MESSAGE TO KIM JONG-UN – About 100 US aircraft, including F-35s, to take part in large-scale exercise with South Korea. U.S. and South Korean military aircraft are scheduled to hold a five-day, large-scale air exercise to “improve combat readiness,” a South Korean air force spokesman told reporters at a briefing Tuesday.
IRAN THREAT
MESSAGE TO TEHRAN – Top US general in Middle East on rare visit to nuclear-armed sub. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, boarded the ballistic missile submarine West Virginia in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Pentagon says terror attacks in Africa increased 300% over last decade. Islamic extremism has exploded in Africa despite ongoing efforts by U.S. Africa Command to stifle terrorism on the continent, an August report from the Pentagon revealed.
Russia shrinks forces in Syria, a factor in Israeli strategy there. Moscow withdrew a key air defense system and some troops to bolster its war in Ukraine, officials said, potentially altering Israel's calculations about striking Syria or arming Ukraine.
SPACE THREAT
Space Force may seek commercial fleet to augment wartime needs. The U.S. Space Force may seek to deepen partnerships with private companies by establishing a fleet of commercial spacecraft that could be on standby for military use, much like the Civil Reserve Air Fleet.
VALID OR BS? – White House: Space missions are federal, so no need for a Space National Guard. President Joe Biden's administration is not backing off its opposition to the creation of a Space National Guard, even as a group of lawmakers continue their push for it.
US MILITARY
Pentagon replacing HIMARS launcher and rocket stocks sent to Ukraine. The U.S. military in recent weeks awarded Lockheed Martin $179 million to replace High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems it sent from its own stockpiles to Ukraine.
GLOBAL ALLIES TO FIGHT TOGETHER – US Navy sharing Project Overmatch insights with international allies. The U.S. Navy is sharing information from its secretive Project Overmatch initiative with friendly forces abroad to ensure international communication and collaboration will be possible in large-scale fights of the future.
IS YOUNGER BETTER? The unintended consequences of aging the Marine Corps. A young force is not only more flexible and less costly, but also best suited for the expeditionary nature of the Marine Corps, this retired Marine writes.
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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Yes rerun same in WW2 vs Japan then
God no! Like so many others I served in the Pacific against Japan. We don’t need that.
We don’t need another war. We need a man in the Oval Office instead of what we have. For four years we had a man who’d lived in the real world. At that time we weren’t involved in conflicts, there were no casualties, we were getting along quite well with other countries – even communist dictatorships. Now what do we have with the ‘fearless leader’ we’re stuck with for another two years at least? National defense worse than it’s ever been, an open border with no telling how many anti American terrorists flooding our country, murderers, rapists, all kinds of trash we don’t need. I really want to thank the moronic idiots who didn’t look at Biden’s past record and blindly voted for him.