THURSDAY PDB – President Donald Trump pushed hard to create the initially maligned Space Force. It's now 4 years old. What does the Space Force do? 4 years after its birth, glimpses of the service's mission emerge. On Dec. 20, the Space Force is celebrating 4 years as a service.
MEANWHILE – NASA's moon landing mission will include a non-American, VP Harris says. It's a major U.S. diplomatic move as it attempts to build an international coalition in space to counter a similar initiative being pursued by China, which is gearing up for future battles in orbit.
New Biden space rules framework. The White House released its plan for a future regulatory scheme for activities in space that currently fall outside federal agency authorities, such as in-orbit refueling, and repair capabilities increasingly coveted by the Pentagon.
PLUS – Everything, everywhere, all at once: 5 space stories from 2023. There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on in space, from Geneva to Washington to Colorado Springs to Los Angeles.
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:
OPERATION MERRY CHRISTMAS
US military has Santa's back despite being busy around the world. Now I have a NORAD escort. Ho, ho, ho.
Best Christmas present ever: Deported US veteran returns home after nearly 20 years. Raúl Orlando Calix, a former U.S. Marine and a native of Honduras, returned to the U.S. Tuesday on a one-year humanitarian parole that will allow him to take care of his sister, who has cancer.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, ENEMIES OF AMERICA – The first US Army Christmas: Washington and the Hessians. It is a story so well known it has become a meme. “Americans: Willing to cross a frozen river to kill you in your sleep on Christmas.”
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERROR
Austin makes unannounced visit to aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the unannounced visit while in the region to press Israel to shift to a more limited campaign in Gaza.
US is engaging in high-level diplomacy to avoid vetoing a UN resolution on critical aid for Gaza. The U.S. and key allies want to avoid another U.S. veto.
Egypt seeks to broker Gaza ceasefire as Hamas, Israel assert demands. The U.S. said “very serious” negotiations were taking place on a new Gaza ceasefire and release of more Israeli hostages, but Hamas insists it won't discuss anything less than a complete end to Israel's offensive. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!
POLITICS
Veterans shame Democrat in top 2024 House race for wearing Army uniform during event despite never serving. Former state Sen. Curtis Hertel said the jacket was a gift from his brother-in-law, a US Army officer.
‘Fat Leonard,' fugitive in Navy bribery case, now facing extradition. Convicted defense contractor Leonard Francis is facing extradition to the U.S. as part of the Venezuelan prisoner swap.
TRAGIC – Afghan Air Force pilots who resettled in US killed in plane crash. The three men died in a small plane crash in Oregon over the weekend.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
BASTARDS – Confederate statue at Arlington comes down after legal battle. Removal marks the culmination of a congressionally ordered effort to rid military installations of Confederate names and legacies.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Pentagon is stepping up on-base food options to help troops battle food insecurity. The issue of troops struggling to put food on the table has been a topic of concern for years, but the Pentagon had avoided taking major action to address the issue until recent years.
CHINA THREAT
CHINA WILL SPARK A WAR – China vows to keep up military pressure on the Philippines as territorial dispute grows tenser. This, amid a dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea that could involve U.S. forces defending their treaty partner.
US Senator Marco Rubio calls on Biden to sanction Chinese chip firm. The Republican lawmaker urged Team Biden to sanction Brite Semiconductor over its ties to China's top sanctioned chipmaker and its work for Chinese military suppliers.
War in Ukraine has China cashing in. The country's trade with Russia this year has exceeded $200 billion, and makers of cars and trucks are the big winners.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine's front-line troops are getting older: ‘physically, I can't handle this.' A struggling draft system isn't producing the quantity or quality of troops needed for front-line combat—or sharing the burden fairly across society.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 666. Nine people were injured in Russian shelling of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, as Russia also targeted the capital Kyiv, the second-largest city of Kharkiv and other regions with drones and missiles.
The war in Ukraine is revitalizing Putin, as Zelenskyy struggles with resources and morale. As the warring leaders take stock of the year, a once-triumphant Zelenskyy looks beleaguered while Putin appears to be taking a victory lap.
IRAN THREAT
US forces attacked yet again in Iraq, bringing number of attacks to 102 since Oct. 17. A rocket attack targeted US troops at Iraq's Al-Asad Airbase on Wednesday.
Australia to send military personnel to help protect Red Sea shipping but no warship or plane. It will send 11 military personnel to support a U.S.-led mission.
Tech from Navy's drone task force could support ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian.' Task Force 59's contribution to the new Red Sea Task Force “provides some interesting highlights” about the unit's progress.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
US flies bombers for joint drills with South Korea, Japan. The long-range bomber drills are a show of force against North Korea.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
What does the 2024 election mean for troops at the Mexico border? Republican presidential hopefuls and sitting politicians are ramping up their rhetoric about their military plans for the U.S.-Mexico border.
God save the British military. Spending on welfare and healthcare are crowding out national defense, as in other Western democracies.
Netherlands to boost North Sea surveillance to deter seabed threats. It will spend as much as U.S. $274 million on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to protect the cables and pipelines that crisscross the seabed off its coast.
US MILITARY
Army to field new rifle, machine gun and optic in 2024. The Army's newest rifle and automatic rifle are already in the hands of soldiers for testing.
US Army to trim Black Hawk helicopter fleet. It will reduce its UH-60 utility helicopter fleet by nearly 8% as it prepares to field a replacement.
The Navy has its first giant robotic submarine. The Boeing-made vessel will now undergo trials that will inform future robo-subs.
END of PDB
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