Russian Pilots Harass US Drones Less After F-35s Arrive In Mideast

TUESDAY PDB – The Kremlin seems to see that having Russian jets interfering with U.S. drones can lead to engagement by U.S. F-35 stealth fighters.

Russian harassment of US drones over Syria drops after F-35s arrive in the Middle East. 

After a series of incidents in the skies over Syria, Russian pilots now appear less aggressive toward U.S. drones and aircraft.

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:

POLITICS

RIP, JOE – Joe the Plumber, Air Force vet who questioned Obama's tax policies, has died at 49. Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic proposals during the 2008 presidential campaign.

DO BETTER – Fox News apologizes for false Gold Star family story. It issued a public apology Saturday for a recent false story about a Gold Star family after it was revealed that the Marine Corps had privately urged the network to pull the article.

PENTAGON WOKE WATCH

Why is the reputation of the US military going south so fast? Republicans are worried about the politics that shape our armed forces. Several recent books look at the good, the bad and the ugly of American military leadership and culture.

NATIONAL SECURITY

House, Senate GOP set for internal fight over Ukraine. They are girding themselves for an internal battle over Joe Biden's request for another $24 billion to continue funding the war in Ukraine.

Inside the Navy's largest exercise: In command and under pressure. At a building on this southeastern Virginia naval base, dozens of sailors, officers, civilians and retired admirals roamed around a large room filled with computers and televisions.

Cruz and Malliotakis demand answers from Pentagon on 9/11 defendants' plea deal. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) are denouncing any plea deal that could ensure the architect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and his fellow terrorists never face the death penalty.

An Iran mouthpiece's ‘scoop' draws Republican ire. The Tehran Times, a state-controlled outlet, has been ahead of other media reporting on the investigation into Biden's troubled Iran envoy Rob Malley.

CHINA THREAT

Carrier strike groups should be ready to go dark in conflict with China. The multiple “Taiwan war” games now being fought at think tanks across the U.S share something in common: A Chinese missile strike on a U.S. aircraft carrier during the war's opening volleys.

Pentagon unveils ‘Replicator' drone program to compete with China. The Pentagon has committed to fielding thousands of attritable, autonomous systems across multiple domains within the next two years as part of a new initiative to better compete with China.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

New friends changed my mind about Ukraine. A visit to Finland and the Baltic states helped me appreciate the Russian threat.

Putin, stained by Prigozhin's death, faces calls for military funeral. Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who was likely assassinated last week, secretly received Russia's highest honor, but it is unclear if he will have the ceremonial funeral normally granted to state heroes.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of events, day 552. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister said the country's armed forces had broken through Russian defences in the southeastern village of Robotyne, adding that troops were trying to push further south in their counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Russia scrambles jets in response to US drones over Crimea. Russia scrambled two fighters on Monday to prevent two U.S. drones from allegedly violating its border over the Black Sea.

Russian who worked at US consulate is accused of collecting information for US. The detained former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok is accused of collecting information about Russia's action in Ukraine.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

US holds drills with allies off Korean peninsula, Pyongyang vows to bolster navy. The U.S. South Korea and Japan staged joint naval missile defense drills off the Korean peninsula on Tuesday, as North Korea accused them of creating “the most unstable waters with the danger of a nuclear war.” 

US helps South Korea recover wreckage from North's failed spy satellite launch. Together they are retrieving wreckage of the failed reconnaissance satellite launch.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Texas National Guardsman fires into Mexico, wounds man. The Texas Military Department isn't identifying the Guard member or providing details about the Saturday shooting. 

Texas Guardsmen spied on migrants via WhatsApp, mishandled secret docs.  The rise and fall of a military intelligence directorate gone rogue on the border.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Japanese F-35s make first foreign visit, landing in Australia. As Australia hails the Japanese F-35s' arrival, it's also working with the US, on the much more somber task of investigating the deadly crash of a US Marine V-22.

BIDEN'S AFGHAN DISASTER

2 years after deadly Kabul attack, Pentagon chief ‘stands in sorrow.' On Aug. 26, 2021, a suicide attack in Kabul killed 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman and one soldier, and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.

If they recognize me, they will kill me. The grinding terror of an Afghan interpreter who helped the US. Ahmad Jawed wakes at 7 a.m. in a daily routine that has so far kept him alive.

US MILITARY

SEMPER FI AND RIP, BROTHERS – 3 Marines who died in Osprey crash in Australia identified. Of the 20 other Marines who were in the Osprey when it crashed, three remain hospitalized.

The Army wants to slap a Next Generation Squad Weapon on a robot dog. It is considering outfitting an unmanned robot with its new infantry rifle to “explore the realm of the possible” for future close combat.

Bring it: Adm. Aquilino open to greater directed-energy trials. The U.S. Indo-Pacific commander wants more experimenting with and deploying directed-energy weapons designed to zap electronics or incinerate incoming threats. 

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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