PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – As Trump talks about US needing military dominance of the Arctic, Canada says it will spend billions to defend the region, including buying new radar technology from Australia.
The $4.2 billion deal to develop a cutting-edge radar for the Arctic will be able to detect hypersonic missiles and other threats over the curvature of the earth.
It will also spend hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending to carry out year-round military exercises in the Arctic.
The new Canadian funding and operational plans come amid Trump’s continued threats to crush the Canadian economy through tariffs and to annex it to the U.S. and signals Canada’s renewed interest in asserting its sovereignty over its immense Arctic territory.
Trump has also expressed an interest in annexing Greenland, part of a broader play for dominance in the Arctic, where Russia and China are also flexing their muscle as the region emerges as a new frontier for global competition.
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:
HOMELAND SECURITY
Lawmakers seek drone-fighting abilities for federal nuclear facilities. A bipartisan group of lawmakers want to give the Energy Department component charged with managing the country’s nuclear stockpile more power to protect against unmanned aerial systems flying nearby.
POLITICS
More than 24,000 probationary employees fired from federal jobs in a massive workforce reduction were reinstated after a pair of federal court rulings ordered them back to work. And then placed on paid leave.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
Openly lesbian federal judge blocks Trump administration from banning transgender people from military service.
US POWER OVERSEAS
CHINA THREAT
An unusually large number of Chinese military ships, planes and drones entered airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan between Sunday and Monday, holding air and sea drills allegedly in response to U.S. and Taiwanese statements.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
President Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed during a lengthy call Tuesday to an immediate pause in strikes against energy and infrastructure targets in the Ukraine war, but the Russian leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that Trump is pushing. (RELATED: World Leader Bombs Hospitals Hours After Making Grand Promises To Trump)
Putin just called Trump’s bluff on Ukraine, with the Russian art of the ‘no’ deal.
Russia escalated sabotage to pressure US and allies on Ukraine, study says. Anger at Russia’s covert efforts, which included targeting undersea cables, warehouses and railways, has the potential to influence European reactions to the U.S.-led push for an end to the war.
Germany prepares constitution change to enable it to finance historic defense spending increase.
IRAN THREAT/ISRAEL WARS
Latest US military attacks on Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen came with more firepower and less hesitancy to strike in populated areas than under Biden administration. (RELATED: Terror’s Worst Nightmare? Trump Supercharges US Commanders With Newly Granted Powers)
Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing hundreds of Palestinians. The surprise bombardment shattered a ceasefire in place since January and threatened to fully reignite the 17-month-old war.
SPACE THREAT
Dolphins greet astronauts as SpaceX capsule splashes down
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) March 18, 2025
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/HYvfC8wjic pic.twitter.com/tGzzfnTwvg
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Istanbul mayor and Erdogan rival arrested in major crackdown in Turkey.
US MILITARY
The Army wants AI to take physical risk off of its soldiers, wholeheartedly embracing the idea that artificial intelligence will play a role on the battlefield—but don’t expect robots to replace soldiers everywhere. (RELATED: Artificial Intelligence Won’t Control US Nukes, Yet)
Navy to acquire two more high-flying, long range Triton surveillance drones.
The Air Force needs a high-end penetrating aircraft that can operate in contested environments and work with new Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) semi-autonomous drones, the service chief says—requirements that still may be met by the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter.
The Air Force will send small teams to “validate” compliance with Trump’s executive orders. The groups will visit nine bases before the end of the month following direction from a Pentagon task force.
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.
READ NEXT: Convenient Chunk Of Change Turns Up Heat On Ashley Biden
Trump is certainly causing change. Much of it for the better in getting other countries to fund their own defense against Russia and China rather than loading it on the U.S. taxpayer as they’ve been doing since 1945.