TUESDAY PDB – From Civil War to mattress sales, Memorial Day full of contradiction. Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawnmowers.
Sharing pride in their service, pain over their loss. On this upcoming Memorial Day, we unite to honor the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.
Memorial Day is for those we’ve lost on the battlefield and at home. In July 2015, on a typical Sunday night at home in Wilmington, North Carolina, I prepared to attend a suicide prevention course the next day as part of my National Guard duties.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories from national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
POLITICS
Biden, GOP reach debt-ceiling deal, now Congress must approve it to prevent calamitous default. An “agreement in principle” between Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would raise the nation’s legal debt ceiling, but now Congress has only days to approve a package that includes spending cuts and would avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Ukraine’s Kinzhal intercepts should cool hypersonic hype. In the past two weeks Ukraine reportedly intercepted seven Russian Kinzhal missiles – which travel at hypersonic speeds – using its Patriot missile defense system.
This drone-on-drone dogfight in Ukraine is a glimpse of the future of war. High-tech tactics of war.
COLOSSAL WASTE – At GEOINT, Space Force and NGA lean into the metaverse, whatever that means. “I would … argue that metaverse in itself is overplayed. It’s a construct. It really is distracting in many cases from what we’re trying to achieve,” said the chief of digital infrastructure and SpaceVerse at the Space Force.
CHINA THREAT
Taiwan says Chinese warships pass through Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s defense ministry said it detected three ships from the Chinese navy, including the Shandong aircraft carrier.
As GOP frustration mounts, officials eye ways to get weapons to Taiwan ‘more quickly.’ “We agree that there is urgency to make sure that Taiwan is prepared as part of deterrence to keep China from moving forward,” said State Department’s Assistant Secretary Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russia launched ‘largest drone attack’ on Ukrainian capital. The attack lasted more than five hours, with air defense reportedly shooting down more than 40 drones.
Ukrainians have started training on tanks in Germany. About 200 Ukrainian soldiers have begun training on Abrams tanks at military ranges in Germany, the U.S. Army in Europe said Sunday.
PODCAST: Allies to unite to train Ukraine on F-16s. Pentagon leaders reveal new information about the plan to train Ukraine pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
Czechs buy CV90 infantry fighting vehicles; Ukraine ‘days’ from getting them. The Czech Republic recently announced the finalization of a plan to buy 246 MkIV CV90s, while separately sources say other CV90s are on their way to the front lines in Ukraine.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
CONFLICT IN BALKANS – Kosovo: Fresh clashes as NATO troops called in to northern towns. Police and NATO troops clashed with Serb protesters in the north where there has been unrest over the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors. Tear gas and stun grenades were used to deter protesters after they tried to invade a government building. NATO troops also formed a security cordon around two other town halls.
Military leaders look to Singapore for lessons in the Pacific. Last week at a training range just north of Schofield Barracks, U.S. Army Apache helicopters laid down fire from the sky as Singaporean and American soldiers moved on the ground below.
Military prepares for disaster relief on Guam after massive typhoon. The military is launching disaster and humanitarian relief efforts on Guam after Typhoon Mawar ravaged the island earlier this week, causing massive damage, power outages and water shortages.
Swarms of AI-fueled drones, vehicles track targets in AUKUS tests. A swarm of Australian, U.K. and U.S. artificial intelligence-enabled air and ground vehicles collaboratively detected and tracked targets during testing overseas.
French military intelligence office reorganizing post-Ukraine, with ‘360 degree’ threat analysis. French Maj. Gen. Cyril Carcy said that his intelligence office can “no longer focus on a 60-degree angle between Western Africa and the Middle-East dictated by the fight against terrorism.”
US MILITARY
Franchetti viewed as likely choice to lead Navy, would be first woman on Joint Chiefs. A career surface warfare officer, Franchetti is currently Vice Chief of Naval Operations and previously commanded the Naples, Italy-based US 6th Fleet.
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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Let’s see if I got this right. There were local elections in an area of Kosovo that has an ethnic Serbian majority. The Serbs boycotted the elections, and now are rioting because ethnic Albanians won the elections. What did they think would happen if they didn’t vote? Is there something I’m missing?