TUESDAY PDB – ‘Weapons hot': Lessons and mistakes on a B-52 bomber training flight. A B-52H Stratofortress' hulking gray frame rumbles through the cloudless blue sky, closing in on targets 19,000 feet below.
The new B-52: How the Air Force is prepping to fly century-old bombers. As it idled on the flight line here, a B-52H Stratofortress known as the Red Gremlin II looked much the same as it did in the 1960s.
Can the Air Force keep B-52 bombers in service for 100 years? The long-range bomber designed in 1948 has been in service since the 1960s. Here's what it will take to keep it flying.
‘More with less': Lacking parts, airmen scramble to keep B-52s flying. As the bomber tops more than six decades in service, it's grown increasingly temperamental.
Gallery: Take a flight in the US Air Force's B-52 bomber. The moment the aged bomber's wheels leave the ground, anything can happen.
What you need to know before going on a bombing run in a B-52. How do you eject if something goes wrong? Go inside the training that air crews receive to fly America's largest and oldest bomber.
Ride along for a simulated bombing run in a B-52 Stratofortress.
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
Lloyd Austin undergoes procedure, expected to resume duties Tuesday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remained hospitalized Monday, following a non-surgical procedure for a bladder issue.
WHO? THE CHAIRMAN OF JCS? – With Austin recuperating again, who would advise the president on a nuclear strike? Only the president can authorize a nuclear strike, but the defense secretary is a key advisor.
Joint chiefs chair on Trump's NATO threats: US ‘credibility is at stake.' Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. made his remarks when asked about Trump's recent comments admitting he once threatened NATO that he would “encourage” Russian aggression if they failed to spend enough on collective defense.
‘Everyone should be scared as hell': Democrats call for Trump-proofing NATO. Congress needs to take new steps to protect NATO, several Democratic senators said Monday.
Lessons for US Navy from sinking of Russian ship by surface drones. The missile corvette was sunk by a swarm of Ukrainian surface drones, suggesting to some that (again) the traditional surface warship is obsolete.
POLITICS
Nikki Haley hits Donald Trump over comments about veterans, days after he attacked her husband. The Republican presidential candidate is doubling down on her condemnation of Trump for comments he's made ridiculing military veterans.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?! – Deployable voting machines could bring Election Day tallying to far-flung troops. The prototype of a deployable voting machine unveiled last week could one day allow service members around the world to transmit a signed, encrypted digital ballot to their home precinct.
IRAN THREAT
All the Houthi-US Navy incidents in the Middle East (that we know of). Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, Iran-backed Houthi militants have sent a relentless barrage of missiles and attack drones at commercial vessels and Navy ships in the region.
OOOPS – Yemen's Houthi rebels fire 2 missiles at ship bound for Iran, their main supporter. The ship was carrying corn bound for a port in Iran on Monday. The attack caused minor damage but no injuries to its crew.
With Argentina's help, US seizes Boeing 747 used by Iran's military. The Justice Department said it has seized a cargo plane used by Mahan Air to transport supplies and fighters for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force.
IRAN IS THE REAL THREAT – Iraq says US troop drawdown talks will go on ‘as long as nothing disturbs the peace of the talks.' U.S. troops have been deployed there for years combating the Islamic State.
ISRAEL'S WAR ON TERROR
US, allies hope to soon announce steps to end Israel-Hezbollah fighting. The two mortal enemies have reportedly made a series of commitments to diffuse tensions at the Israel-Lebanon border.
EU's Josef Borrell suggests US cut military aid to Israel. European Union's foreign policy chief made the thinly veiled call due to high civilian casualties in its war in Gaza.
CHINA THREAT
Understanding the deterrence gap in the Taiwan Strait. In the past, China lacked the capabilities to execute a swift conquest of the island, but the military balance has shifted decisively, enabling an amphibious invasion in the not-too-distant future. A Chinese invasion has now become much more likely.
China's shipyards are ready for a protracted war. America's are not. While Chinese shipyards are thriving and primed to build at wartime rates, U.S. shipbuilding is in disarray.
U.S. Air Force unveils big changes to outpace China. It will create a new ‘forward-looking capabilities' planning command, refocus its training, and rethink deployments as part of 24 initiatives designed to outpace China's military and prevail in future conflicts.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Short on soldiers, Ukraine debates how to find the next wave of troops. A potential expansion of the nation's military draft to replenish the exhausted, battered army has become an emotional, politically charged issue.
Ukraine claims Russia used an advanced hypersonic missile for the first time in recent strike. Experts say this hypersonic missile really is almost impossible to shoot down.
Elon Musk denies selling Starlink to Russia after Ukraine claims use in war. Moscow says SpaceX's internet service ‘cannot be officially used here in any way.'
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
UK Royal Navy carrier HMS Prince of Wales gets underway for massive NATO exercise. The warship departed in place of carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, which was sidelined for repairs.
South Africa to deploy 2,900 troops to fight armed groups in eastern Congo. This, as part of its contribution to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) force.
US MILITARY
Army fielding new helmet that protects against small arms fire. Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division received the new helmet today.
RTX to supply 600 Coyote drone killing interceptors to Army. This, to fortify its ability to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Brrr! Navy runs Arctic explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training exercise. EOD units and divers concluded the 7th iteration of Exercise Snow Crab at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minnesota.
Lawmakers question how ‘Havana syndrome' is affecting DOD. See text of the Initiating Imperative Reporting on Anomalous Health Incidents Act.
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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