FRIDAY PDB – Why the US military needs to imitate Ukraine’s drone force. Imagine it is 2028 and there is a coordinated parallel attack executed by Russia on one of the Baltic states and by China on Taiwan.
Under such a scenario, Russia would attempt to seize NATO territory and China would blockade Taiwan as a fait accompli to undermine alliance cohesion.
As things stand, NATO’s conventional forces would struggle to withstand such a Russian assault. And it would take weeks, if not months, to deploy American troops to the Indo-Pacific region.
Would whoever is U.S. President in 2028 be willing to meet such challenges with tactical nuclear weapons, and all the associated risks of escalation, as now predicted, to stop the advances?
Have we no better deterrent than the old threat of Armageddon?
The good news, as Ukraine has shown, is that we do now. A massive force of potentially millions of drones.
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
Pentagon needs to speed up its integrated-deterrence efforts, Joint Chiefs chair says.Gen. Brown says sending stealth fighters to the Middle East will deter broader conflict.
SOCOM commander calls for ‘convergence’ of Pacific-based special operations forces. The decade ahead will require an exclusive international group of special operations forces to counteract malign advances by the likes of Russia and China.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Lawmakers push Pentagon for clarity on domestic military deployments. A pair of Democrats want the DOD to clarify the rules for deploying military personnel on U.S. soil amid increasing political rhetoric about changing such restrictions so that units can respond to immigration or protest problems.
The Army sacks another senior enlisted leader in the Washington, DC, area. The top enlisted leader for the Army’s 1st Information Operations Command, was relieved Tuesday, for undisclosed reasons. That follows the firing of the senior enlisted leader in charge of the Army branch that oversees operations across the greater D.C. last week.
Top Democrat urges defense secretary to undo 9/11 plea deal revocation. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill) is urging Lloyd Austin to reconsider a decision to revoke the plea deals reached with accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two of his accomplices.
US POWER OVERSEAS
The US must take the lead in a destabilized, increasingly militarized Arctic. The end of an era of cooperation is turning the Arctic region into an unsettled proving ground for nations competing for access to natural resources, trade routes and military advantage.
Space Forces Europe and Africa elevated to one-star command, gets new boss. Less than nine months after standing up, Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton succeeded Col. Max Lantz—an especially noteworthy move given the Space Force’s small pool of general officers.
Navy’s Project Overmatch steams ahead at RIMPAC. The recently concluded Rim of the Pacific exercise included 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel.
US bases in Tokyo area pause, prepare for approaching Typhoon Ampil. Warships of the 7th Fleet quickly made their way toward open ocean Thursday as their homeport prepared for Ampil’s arrival on Friday.
ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST TERROR
Gaza cease-fire, hostage release negotiations to continue in Qatar. The U.S., Qatar and Egypt return to the negotiating table in talks that are “moving forward,” though Hamas has not attended.
IRAN THREAT
HIT THEM NOW. HIT THEM HARD – Iran is weaker than we think. It’s time to take advantage. The Islamic Republic of Iran is weak and vulnerable, far more than the regime would have us believe.
CHINA THREAT
China will limit exports of antimony, a strategic mineral used in products from batteries to weapons.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine gambled on an incursion deep into Russian territory. The bold move changed the battlefield. The stunning incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region committed limited resources to a risky assault on a nuclear-armed enemy with no assurance of success.
Zelenskyy says Ukrainian troops have taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha. This is the largest Russian town to fall to Ukraine’s forces since the start of their cross-border incursion more than a week ago.
What military history tells us about Ukraine’s Kursk invasion. The Ukrainian ground offensive into the southern Kursk region of Russia is as bold an operation as they come.
RUSSIA PREPARING COUNTER PRESSURE? – Belarus says there is a high chance of armed provocation from neighboring Ukraine. It added that the situation at their shared border “remains tense.”
COWARDLY INCREMENTALISM – Biden ‘open’ to sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. The Pentagon is already working through fixes to allow Ukraine to launch the weapons from its fighter planes.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
Army brigade with no ‘luxury of time’ rehearses sudden deployment to South Korea.Anti-tank rounds flew from a column of M1A2 Abrams tanks Wednesday at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, a short drive from the border with North Korea.
SPACE THREAT
Maxar lofts WorldView Legion satellite duo for new dawn-to-dusk coverage. Maxar Intelligence, in partnership with the Space Force’s Commercial Integration Cell (CIC), today launched its second pair of remote sensing satellites — stationed in a new orbital configuration that will enable dawn-to-dusk coverage.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
SURPRISE, BIDEN-HARRIS! – The Taliban and IS-K may not be opposed after all. The prevailing Western narrative of distinct entities with conflicting agendas works to both groups’ advantages.
A ‘breakthrough’ moment for Polish military aviation as Apache deal is signed. The purchase of 96 AH-64E helicopters for the Polish Land Forces marks a major step forward on its “Kruk” Attack Helicopter program.
Poland showcases its growing army on a holiday that celebrates its historic defeat of the Red Army. While the NATO member honors fallen Poles in WWII, it also shows off modern tanks and other equipment that it hopes will deter the threat it sees in modern-day Russia.
AUKUS countries update rules on sharing defense gear. The U.S., Australia and UK have agreed to new rules for sharing arms — a major step in the ongoing effort to make their defense industries more accessible to one another.
Australia, US look to joint production of hypersonic missile. Joint production could reduce strain on the U.S. defense industrial base and boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
AUKUS pact will boost allies’ submarine numbers in Pacific by 2027. Allied firepower in the Western Pacific will get a significant boost with as many as five U.S. and British submarines operating from Australia.
US MILITARY
Navy notifies Congress of pending $11.5B, 4-ship amphibious warship deal. This, to bolster the Marine Corps’ stagnant expeditionary capabilities.
Kirtland Air Force locked and loaded with new aerial gunnery unit tucked within the mountains. It’s the first-ever aerial gunnery live-fire training facility, overseen by the 58th Special Operation Wing.
WATCH – Enjoy the sights and sounds of Marine armor unleashing ammo on a live-fire range.
Coast Guard names Juneau, Alaska as home port for new icebreaker. This, for its commercially procured icebreaker named Aiviq. Built as a support vessel for Arctic oil exploration, the service plans to convert the ship into a medium polar icebreaker, a two year process.
STILL FUNNY – Navy tells aircrews to question ‘inappropriate’ call signs after lewd flight name. This, after the crew of an E-6B Mercury — sometimes called a “Doomsday” plane — had to change a lewd call sign IDICK69 mid-flight this week.
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.
US needs:
Combined Cybercommand
Robotic Forces
Drone Air Force, Navy
Hypersonics
SDI update from 80s
alone
Or Lose