WEDNESDAY PDB – These two Pacific allies are critical in U.S. plans to counter Beijing. Philippines starts latest naval modernization attempt amid South China Sea tensions. This, amid increasing tensions with China in the South China Sea and fears of losing the country's territories in the Luzon Strait in any conflict over Taiwan.
Australia to more than double naval surface fleet, grow defense budget. The Royal Australian Navy will have its largest fleet since the end of World War II if it implements the latest plan for growing its surface combat fleet.
BOTH U.S. ALLIES ARE GEARING UP TO HELP AMERICA FIGHT CHINA.
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
Continuing resolution would slow military modernization, services warn. The U.S. military may run out of personnel funds before the end of the year, be forced to scale back operations and see ongoing modernization efforts harmed, if Congress fails to pass a defense spending bill by the end of next week.
Pentagon must move faster to mitigate blast exposure in troops, senators say. The Pentagon must collect better data on troop exposure to blast overpressure and identify those most at risk for traumatic brain injury at a much faster pace.
SEA NUKE – SLCM-N and the deterrence value of ambiguity. Developing a new nuclear sea-launched cruise missile is imperative to deterring China and Russia.
POLITICS
Mitch McConnell will step down as Senate Republican leader in November. He has persisted in face of opposition, including from Trump, to include in any budget, a foreign assistance package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine.
The race is on: Here's who could replace Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader. Three likely replacements: Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and John Barrasso, R-Wyo. But there will likely be others who step forward.
KNUCKLEHEAD SHOULD RESIGN – Defense chief on the defensive: Lawmakers to confront Austin on secret hospital stay. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will face Congress publicly for the first time Thursday to explain his failure to quickly notify the president and other senior leaders about his hospitalization last month.
Congress strikes deal to avert a partial government shutdown — for now. Both parties have reached a deal to fund part of the government and agreed to extend the current deadlines to March 8 and March 22.
HOMELAND SECURITY – LAW ENFORCEMENT
What to know about Texas's militarization of the southern border. Joe Biden and former President Trump are both set to visit the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday, trips that come amid a recent buildup of National Guard troops in Texas.
DID BLM RIOTERS WHO DID SIMILAR THINGS GET THIS TYPE OF SENTENCE? OR ANY SENTENCE? Man who attacked police with hockey stick during Capitol riot gets over 3 years in prison. A former military officer was sentenced on Wednesday.
US Coast Guard seizes more than $143 million worth of cocaine in the eastern Pacific. It seized nearly 11,000 pounds of cocaine.
IRAN THREAT
All the Houthi-US Navy incidents in the Middle East (that we know of). A running list of every instance where a Navy ship or jet has defeated a Houthi attack, and every instance where the U.S. and its allies have hit back in Yemen, since October.
CHINA THREAT
Why Washington should side with Argentina's Milei against Beijing. Javier Milei shouted “long live liberty” to screaming crowds and jokingly described his cloned dogs as his closest advisers. Those idiosyncrasies overshadowed his most radical agenda item — a plan to distance Argentina from China, a top trading partner.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
US Army has funneled $500M from forces in Europe and Africa to train Ukrainian troops. Secretary Christine Wormuth said.
Neither Russia nor the West know how this war will end. This, because neither side has a clear vision of what a victory now even means. Or how to achieve it.
France says any troops in Ukraine would be in non-combat roles. This, following concern among several NATO allies after French President Emmanuel Macron left open the option of putting troops on the ground.
Ukraine asks Australia for tanks, transport vehicles, new authorities. “the biggest hand brake is hesitancy in the [Aussie] Department of Defense.”
Russia seizes more villages in Ukraine, raising fears of growing momentum. After taking the strategic town of Avdiivka two weeks ago, Russian forces have seized three more Ukrainian villages in the past few days. This as Kyiv faces severe ammunition shortages.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
US, South Korea planning major military exercises amid tensions with the North. They will launch an 11-day military exercise next week as tensions continue to rise with North Korea after Pyongyang abandoned reconciliation with Seoul and has remilitarized the border.
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS
Hamas is losing every battle in Gaza. It still thinks it could win the war. On the run, Yahya Sinwar is betting the militant Islamists can achieve a political victory by simply surviving Israel's onslaught.
US wants Israeli written assurances on using US weapons in Gaza by mid-March. Team Biden gave Israel the deadline in a letter on Tuesday. It requires assurances Israel will abide by international law while using U.S. weapons and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
NATO's military has a new nerve center. The alliance has transformed its once sleepy headquarters into a war command focused on Russia.
France orders 3,000 camouflage nets for cloaking foxhole radio signals. The Saab multispectral camouflage nets are designed to conceal troops formations' electromagnetic signature on the battlefield.
WELCOME BACK – German navy ship's strikes on Houthi drones mark historic moment for Berlin's forces. It likely marks the first known use of live weapons in combat by the country's navy since it was rebuilt after World War II.
RUSSIAN AGENT – Sweden charges a man for mapping military installations. He was charged with unauthorized possession of secret information.
US MILITARY
Military prepares to brief a plan to get its V-22 Ospreys flying again. The services will lay out plans addressing safety concerns stemming from a fatal 2023 crash.
SOCOM grants contract for new jammer-proof ‘BlackWave' radio system. The $6.9 million contract will buy a next-generation radio system designed to operate in congested and contested radio frequencies.
Air Force must learn from suicides, chief says in wake of airman's self-immolation over Gaza. “Whether it was politically motivated or other, we lost one of ours,” Gen. Allvin said after being heckled by protesters.
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.
READ NEXT: Controversial Republican Enters Key Race
