US, Pacific Allies Respond To Growing China Threat

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Thousands of airmen have poured into the Indo-Pacific region over the past few weeks for Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025, the Air Force’s largest-ever contingency-response exercise in the region.

In the Pacific, Army leaders expect today’s fiction to be near-term reality.

U.S. Pacific Fleet commander says that despite an ongoing campaign of intimidation against its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea, “China’s pressure has failed to intimidate Southeast Asian claimants.”

Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang drills demonstrate its quills are growing sharper. The 41st iteration and the most extensive in recent years demonstrates Taipei’s important but still lacking progress toward building defense capabilities essential to deter Beijing military aggression.

Japan reports rare sighting of Chinese navy submarine support ship. The Dakai-class submarine rescue ship sailed through the Tsushima Strait, the first time a Chinese submarine support vessel has been spotted in the area.

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

DOD has not been ensnared by a broad intrusion into on-premises versions of Microsoft Sharepoint, says chief information officer.

U.S. has seven high-end THAAD missile-defense systems. During the 12-day war with Iran in June, two were deployed to Israel — and it wasn’t enough.

HOMELAND SECURITY

In March, the government conducted a wargame on how to defend military bases in the U.S. from drone attacks. Just three months later, what had seemed a theoretical possibility came close to reality.

DOD to reallocate $200 million in funding for barriers to seal off areas surrounding Arizona’s Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range, long used as a narcotics trafficking corridor.

Under new Trump rules, U.S. troops sound the alarm on border crossings. Inside an armored vehicle, an Army scout uses a joystick to direct a long-range optical scope toward a man perched atop the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

DEFENSE POLITICS

Hegseth’s use of polygraph tests to search for people leaking information to the news media was stopped at the direction of the White House after a senior adviser to Hegseth raised alarm about being targeted.

Defense authorization bill will wait until September. Senators have one more week of work on Capitol Hill before their August recess, but the to-do list doesn’t include the annual defense bill anymore.

White House’s CNO pick to lead naval operations wants to double sub production capacity to honor the trilateral agreement with Australia and the UK.

DOD WOKE WATCH

The removal of the first female head of the U.S. Naval Academy is the latest in a string of top military women who have either been fired or moved to largely invisible roles under the Trump administration.

Multiple defense bills on Congress’ post-recess agenda would cement in law the Trump administration’s restrictions on health care for ‘transgender’ members of the military community.

IRAN THREAT/MIDDLE EAST

Layers of several U.S.-made weapon systems played a central role in Qatar’s recent interception operation, forming a layered line of defense against Iranian-launched missiles during last month’s attack.

CENTCOM strike kills ISIS leader and his two adult sons during an operation in Aleppo, Syria, amid U.S. troop drawdown.

No proof Hamas routinely stole UN aid, Israeli military officials now say.

Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas for 10 hours a day to allow ‘minimal’ aid, including airdrops, as concerns grow over surging hunger and as Israel faces criticism.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks Europe to help boost wages of Ukrainian troops to bolster military recruitment amid growing fatigue in the war-torn country.

Zelenskyy’s anti-corruption policies have already provoked Ukraine’s first anti-government protests since the Russian invasion. They may also cost the country a portion of its foreign aid from the EU, in a clear rebuke from the bloc, once a staunch ally.

In Russia, corruption cases follow battlefield failures. The increasing cases against regional and military officials are putting the elite on guard and may also be aimed at quelling public anger about battlefield failures.

Mounting evidence that the R-77M — a significantly upgraded version of the R-77 beyond-visual-range missile known to NATO as the AA-12 Adder — is not only operational but being employed in combat.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

State Department will pay up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of seven North Korean nationals accused of operating criminal schemes that generate revenue for Pyongyang’s weapons programs.

SPACE THREAT

Space Force confirms that Starlink outage impacted Starshield, its defense communications service, taking it offline.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end hostilities, following pressure from President Trump to end a deadly border dispute, which has killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 218,000.

U.S. reaches preliminary trade deal with EU. The 27-nation bloc also agreed to increase its investment in the U.S. by more than $600 billion above current levels, Trump said, adding that the EU would buy military equipment.

After decades being denied access to U.S.-made AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), the weapons, Washington has finally cleared the way for Egypt to receive them.

US MILITARY

Marine Corps is using Ospreys in the hunt for submarines. Zipping through the air somewhere off the East Coast a Marine dumped little parachutes from cream-colored tubes out of the aircraft’s rear ramp and into the water below.

A second B-21 bomber will fly soon, and production increases are a recognition of a changing global environment and the importance of long-range strike.

Air Force creates new deputy chief of staff role focused on command, control, communications and cyber — a move meant to devote more attention to missions at the core of modern warfare.

After axing the M-10 Booker ‘not-so-light’ tank, the Army’s not sure what happens next.

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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