Putin ‘Co-Pilots’ Russian Nuclear Bomber In Message To West

FRIDAY PDB – Vladimir Putin on Thursday took a co-pilot's seat in a strategic bomber on a flight that appeared aimed at bolstering his image ahead of next month's election he's all but certain to win.

Putin's 30-minute flight in a revamped Tu-160M supersonic strategic bomber is also likely intended to send a reminder of Russia's nuclear might amid soaring tensions with the West over the war in Ukraine.

Putin, clad in a flight suit, boarded the warplane at a snow-covered airfield of an aircraft-making plant in the Volga river city of Kazan that has built the heavy bombers since the Soviet times.

The plant is now producing a modernized version of the bomber that first flew in the 1980s and was code-named “Blackjack” by NATO. The aircraft Putin flew was one of the first such revamped bombers built, equipped with new engines and avionics.

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:

HOMELAND SECURITY – LAW ENFORCEMENT

Cyberattack slows prescription processing at military pharmacies. Military clinics and hospitals worldwide have been affected by a cyberattack on America's largest commercial prescription processor, Change Healthcare, according to officials with the Defense Health Agency.

Navy chief could face severe sentence if convicted of espionage. News that a Navy chief is facing espionage charges highlights the rarity of such cases in the military justice system, even as civilian legal analysts warn that Chief Fire Controlman (AEGIS) Bryce Steven Pedicini could face a severe sentence if convicted.

PATRIOT 24 brings National Guard, civilian agencies together for disaster response training. When natural disasters strike in the U.S., the National Guard will be ready to help.

POLITICS

HE DIDN'T DESTROY IT EITHER, LIKE BIDEN HAS – Trump didn't rebuild the military. His first-term defense record isn't nearly as good as his current claims.

Biden lawyers wrestle with lack of congressional blessing for Houthi conflict. Civilian prosecutors took custody of 14 wartime detainees, and an official asserted that a key part of the War Powers Resolution did not apply.

Trump moves to dismiss his classified documents indictment, citing presidential immunity. This, in court papers filed in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida.

US POWER OVERSEAS

Six-nation Air Force exercise wraps on Guam after 3 weeks, more than 1,000 missions. The annual multinational Air Force exercise concluded Friday with training ranging from aerial refueling to simulated air combat.

IRAN THREAT

OOOOOH – “SCARY” – US promises new sanctions on Iran for its support of Russia's war in Ukraine, potential missile sale. The White House is threatening a “swift” and “severe” response if Tehran moves forward with selling ballistic missiles to Moscow.

US charges 4 foreign nationals with shipping Iranian-made weapons to Houthis. This, from a shipment that was seized by Navy SEALS in a daring raid last month off the coast of Somalia.

CHINA THREAT

Pentagon's CJADC2 milestone is signal to China, officials say. The realization of a basic form of Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control shows that the U.S. is making significant strides in military modernization.

US Congress members praise Taiwan's democracy in a visit that's certain to draw China's scrutiny. The U.S. representatives met with Taiwan's president Thursday in a show of bipartisan support.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

The biggest ever sanctions have failed to halt Russia's war machine. Western officials say restrictions are damaging Russia's economy and military output but acknowledge the impact is slower than hoped.

How Ukraine's defense companies have adapted to two years or war. With the third winter of war well underway in Ukraine, the country's military-industrial complex is in a race against the technological clock to out-innovate Russian invaders.

Russia used at least 20 North Korean ballistic missiles in attacks on Ukraine, Kyiv says. This, since late December.

Britain promises Ukraine more Brimstone missiles, training. Britain will supply another batch of multi-role missiles and provide training for thousands of Ukrainian troops.

Putin loses grip on member of his military alliance. After more than two decades as part of a Moscow-led military alliance, Armenia has effectively suspended its membership as a result of a growing rift with Russia.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

US and South Korea fly warplanes in interception drills after North Korea's missile tests. The two nations flew advanced stealth fighters Friday over the Korean Peninsula, an apparent response to a spate of weapons tests this year by rival North Korea.

SPACE THREAT

Space Force, NRO will fly targeting satellites ‘shoulder to shoulder.' The service is making progress on its plan with the National Reconnaissance Office to enable space-based targeting and replace legacy Air Force aircraft.

ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS

Survivors, families of those killed at Nova festival on Oct. 7 file suit against AP. The lawsuit against the Associated Press accuses the news agency of being complicit in the Palestinian terror group's massacre by employing freelance photojournalists embedded with the terrorists who rampaged across southern Israel.

Israel's military draft exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews. The war in Gaza is testing that pact. The Defense Ministry wants troops and reservists to serve longer, sparking demands to end a longstanding exemption for a slice of Israeli society.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

France says Russian forces threatened to shoot down surveillance aircraft patrolling the Black Sea. This, in international airspace over the Black Sea, a signal of increasingly aggressive behavior from Moscow.

UK launches military drone strategy backed by $5.7 billion funding and Ukraine analysis. The UK will spend the additional funds over the next decade on new military drones, pledging to “rapidly” equip its armed forces with advanced air, land and sea based uncrewed systems in the process.

US MILITARY

Why the Army needs a drone branch: Embracing lessons from Ukraine. This op-ed argues the need for the US military to boldly embrace how it approaches uncrewed systems.

Navy introduces new robotics warfare rating. It unveiled the new rating Thursday to oversee robotic and autonomous system operations.

New Navy council to tackle foreign investment risks. The council is meant to counter “adversarial economic activities,” such as intellectual property theft and exploitation of the supply chain, that harm the Navy and Marine Corps.

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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