Iran Strikes Put US Military Base Network In Europe To The Test

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – How the war in Iran is testing Europe’s U.S. military base network. President Trump has sought to use U.S. military bases in Europe for attacks on Iran – threatening Spain with a trade embargo after it refused.

Other European allies are offering varying degrees of support.

USAF C-17 Shuttle Between Gulf and Ramstein Signals Massive Airlift Effort as Middle East Buildup Expands.

Spain hardened its stance towards Washington over the use of Spanish bases in operations against Iran, defying Trump’s threats of trade reprisals and deepening friction between the NATO allies.

Socialist Prime Minister insists Madrid would not be complicit in the conflict, even as the White House claims Spain agreed to cooperate.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense news from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

THE PDB – Not the President’s Daily Briefing, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

Senate Republicans voted down an effort to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East.

President Trump will convene defense industry executives for a meeting aimed at rapidly replenishing the U.S. stockpile of munitions and weapons expended in the war against Iran.

New report calls E-7 “indispensable.” More than a third of the Air Force’s remaining E-3 AWACS fleet is deployed for the Iran war, demonstrating the Air Force’s unique airborne battle management contributions, as the Pentagon remains cool to buying an E-7 successor.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Senators from both parties criticized the Pentagon, the FAA, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for inadequately coordinating the employment of counter-drone systems after back-to-back incidents in Texas last month.

US POWER OVERSEAS

A small team of U.S. technicians and contractors is working behind the scenes at this year’s Cobra Gold exercise to bring advanced cyber, drone, and communications technology to the multinational drills.

NARCO TERRORIST THREAT

Military forces from Ecuador and the U.S. have begun joint military operations against organized crime groups and drug cartels designated by the U.S. as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) in the South American country.

IRAN CAMPAIGN

Hegseth, Caine lay out Iran goals: “No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire.” War Secretary acknowledges casualties, says goals of Operation Epic Fury are “laser focused.” Joint Chiefs Chairman says more troops are moving to the theater.

The Iranian mastermind of a covert unit accused of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump in 2024 has been “hunted down and killed” amid Operation Epic Fury.

Airstrikes shift deeper inside Iran as the U.S. gains air superiority. Control of skies in Operation Epic Fury enables the Pentagon to rely more on satellite- and laser-guided bombs, throttle back on expensive long-range standoff munitions, and move to a new phase of air war.

The U.S. Air Force just used its oldest bomber to attack Iran.  First flown in 1952, and regularly upgraded and modernized, the Boeing B-52 has seen service in Vietnam, Desert Storm, the Global War on Terror — and now Iran.

U.S. military recently deployed Lockheed Martin’s long-range Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM, for the first time in combat — against Iranian targets.

US CASUALTIES

U.S. troops killed by an Iranian drone strike on their tactical command center in Kuwait are remembered as devoted parents and soldiers.

Dover’s “personal effects” specialist job posting from a veteran-owned military contractor raises alarm on social media over a potential escalation of U.S. military operations abroad.

FIRSTS IN IRAN CONFLICT

Israeli F-35I fighter shot down an Iranian Yak-130 converted trainer in air combat that lasted “a few seconds,” marking the first kill of a manned fighter by an F-35.

U.K. RAF F-35 fighter shot down Iranian drone in first for RAF.

REGIONAL, ALLIED IMPACT OF IRAN CONFLICT

Israel and Iran launch new strikes as the first U.K. flight bringing citizens home is delayed.

Authorities in Gulf states have warned residents and tourists that publishing visual content of Iran-launched strikes online could result in legal consequences, including fines of tens of thousands of dollars and possible imprisonment.

CHINA THREAT

The Philippines extended the reach of a series of naval exercises designed to contest Chinese maritime pressure on the country’s northernmost islands near Taiwan while drilling alongside U.S. and Japanese forces last week.

RUSSIA THREAT/UKRAINE WAR

Russia claims LNG tanker in Mediterranean hit by drones. Arctic Metagaz had been carrying 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas when it exploded; Ukrainian drones also reported to have hit southern Russia.

EUROPEAN DEFENSE BUILDUP

French-German project for future combat air system appeared closer to failure, after aircraft maker Dassault Aviation blamed partner Airbus for no longer wanting to work together on next-generation fighter at the heart of the plans.

Choice for Poland: buy European or U.S.? As Poland advances efforts to absorb loans from the EU to finance purchases of new weapons made in Europe, opposition politicians are concerned that reliance on funds from Brussels could draw the country away from defense companies based in the U.S.

SPACE THREATS

Space Force presses for more personnel and training. At the Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, the vice chief said the service must aggressively increase its end strength and infrastructure.

DEFENSE POLITICS

Pentagon’s innovation hub is looking for stealthy, autonomous vessels to address significant support challenges that naval and Marine units would face across vast, contested ocean spaces in conflict.

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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