MONDAY PDB – Without U.S. Funding, Ukraine's Defense Will Likely Collapse. Despite generous military support for Ukraine by allies and partners, unless Congress passes the Defense Department's supplemental funding request, Ukraine will not be able to defend itself against Russian aggression, a senior U.S. defense official said today.
Can Ukraine still win? Long before Volodymyr Zelensky decided to replace his popular Army chief, the Ukrainian counter-offensive of 2023 had devolved from attempted maneuvers to mutual recriminations.
Zelensky thought his top commander was being defeatist; the commander thought that his President was refusing to face reality. And there were also arguments between Ukraine and its allies.
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
LIARS – White House urges calm over Russian space weapon threat. White House officials on Thursday downplayed reports from Republican lawmakers about a “serious national security threat,” saying it does not pose any immediate danger to the American public.
Leader hints at plan to continue Air Force's boost-glide hypersonic missile efforts. “Let's just say that there is a plan. It's not something we can talk about in this open session,” Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition told lawmakers.
Should Navy hospital ships be armed? The threat of hybrid warfare increases hospital ships' need for defense measures.
POLITICS
Ukraine backers in House explore bypassing Johnson to secure more aid. The speaker has rejected a Senate bill that would approve billions in new funding, but he's offered little clarity on what he deems a viable alternative.
Tom Cotton Responds: Strip Nondefense Spending From Ukraine Aid. Your editorial “The Senate Rejects American Retreat” (Feb. 14) asserts that I opposed the supplemental spending bill because it spends $7.9 billion on budget assistance to Ukraine, which is true but omits other grounds I cited in my Senate speech.
DELUSIONAL JACKASS – Biden defends disastrous and deadly 2021 Afghanistan retreat — doesn't think anyone made a mistake. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Joe Biden is privately defiant that he made the right calls.
US POWER OVERSEAS
US, Japan tightening military bond, Pacific Fleet admiral says. He said a modernized military and industrial base relationship with Japan is one outcome of an Indo-Pacific Strategy released two years ago.
‘Consequential command': Surface warfare officer takes over Navy's largest overseas fleet. He took the helm of the U.S. 7th Fleet on Thursday amid a flurry of naval activity in the South China Sea and beyond.
Marine task force expands recon role in European operations. It coordinates Marine units in Europe and Africa. Its next rotation is scheduled for May.
IRAN THREAT
MAYBE JUST SINKING IT IS BETTER – US conducted cyberattack on suspected Iranian spy ship. The covert operation was intended to inhibit the ship's ability to share intelligence with Houthi rebels who have been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea.
Sailors' endurance tested amid 4 months of constant Red Sea threats. Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower and its task force have been defending against ballistic missiles and flying attack drones from Iranian-backed Houthis. Now they are also defending against fast unmanned vessels fired at them through the water.
US Coast Guard seizes Iranian missile components bound for Houthi militants. It recently seized advanced weaponry stashed aboard a ship from Iran headed to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
It's not time for our troops to leave the Middle East. Last month three U.S. service members at Tower 22 in the Jordanian desert were killed by a drone from an Iranian-backed militia. Their deaths prompted more than 80 retaliatory strikes by the U.S. against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and militias operating in Iraq and Syria.
CHINA THREAT
Cotton probes DOD on security risks of Chinese-owned tutoring company for US military families. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is urging the Pentagon to share information about the agency's contract with the Chinese-owned financial corporation.
How to end China's chokehold on the Pentagon's supply chains. America's hard power is at risk not only because of our ailing defense-industrial base but because of China's vise-like grip on supply chains for U.S. military munitions and platforms.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russia ups cash reward for capturing Estonian ground robot in Ukraine. As ground robots become prized assets on the battlefield, a Russian defense industry think tank has upped a cash reward for the capture of these unmanned ground vehicles operating in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy will sign security pacts with Germany, France as Kyiv shores up support. He is expected to sign the bilateral agreements on Friday.
European coalition to rush first-person-view drones to Ukraine. The drone coalition, led by Latvia and Britain, will supply and support thousands of these drones.
Russia takes full control of Avdiivka coke plant. Russian forces on Monday claimed full control of the vast Soviet-era coke plant in the ruined Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, cementing the biggest battlefield gain in nine months after one of the most intense battles of the war.
European coalition bids to deliver 1 million drones to Ukraine. The pledge comes as a top Ukrainian military official described the criticality of drones in combat, along with other high-tech software known as “Neon.”
How Russia recruits soldiers from Cuba to fight in Ukraine. Eager to escape Communist island's poverty, Cubans are joining the Russian army.
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS
HAMAS USES HUMAN SHIELDS – Israeli forces storm the main hospital in southern Gaza, saying hostages were likely held there. This, hours after Israeli fire reportedly killed a patient and wounded six others inside the complex. The Israeli army said it was seeking the remains of hostages taken by Hamas.
Egypt is building a new walled buffer zone more than 2 miles wide on Gaza border, satellite images show. This, as fears grow over Israel's planned ground offensive in Rafah where more than half of Gaza's population is sheltering.
US MILITARY
USAF plans stealthy tankers for ‘extreme threat areas.' Next-gen aerial refueling program will be “a system,” not just one aircraft.
Munitions stockpile issue persists 2 years into Ukraine conflict: Marine Corps general. A top Marine general remains concerned about the service's ability, or lack thereof, to maintain its munitions stockpiles while continuing to aid Kyiv and fight Houthis in the Middle East.
DOD looks to revamp housing, facilities on military installations. The Pentagon owns 538 installations across 26 million acres of land, much of it developed before 1970 and either outdated or falling apart. But it wants to turn that around with its new Strategy for Resilient and Healthy Defense Communities.
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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