Xi and Putin Forging New Alliance

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POLITICS

How veterans are faring in the 2022 midterm election. Military Times is tracking all races involving vets — on Election Night and in weeks to come.

How the midterms could impact the Russia-Ukraine war. The midterm elections, which are largely being fought over inflation, crime and other domestic issues, could have a huge impact on America's role in the Russia-Ukraine war.

PENTAGON ‘WOKE' WATCH

Pentagon chief has not spoken with White House about leaving post following midterm election. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not spoken with the White House about potentially leaving his post after the midterm election, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. 

NATIONAL SECURITY

Pentagon: Xi and Putin ‘edging toward an alliance.' The Pentagon says Russia and China appear to be “edging toward an alliance” at a time when Western nations are seeking to isolate Moscow over its war on Ukraine. 

US Strategic Command chief: Ukraine ‘just the warmup' for ‘the big one' with China. The question is: is the United States ready for it?

As war rages in Ukraine, the world is realigning. Exhibit A: North Korea. In the international battle for power and influence, North Korea is moving ever closer to Russia and China — and abandoning what was once a desire for engagement with US.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Former Army helicopter pilot sentenced for spying for China. A former U.S. Army helicopter pilot with more than 20 years of military service and additional years as a defense contractor was sentenced Nov. 7 for acting as an agent of China.

CHINA THREAT

Zhuhai Airshow display reveals info on China's J-20, J-16 inventory. China has at least 200 stealthy J-20 fighters and more than 240 J-16 multirole strike aircraft in service, based on analysis of construction numbers painted on the jets by a Chinese military aviation expert. 

Australia moves to block pilots from training Chinese military. Australian parliament told that it costs more than 15 million Australian dollars ($9.75m) to train a jet fighter pilot.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Ongoing Pentagon push to arm Ukraine will have three-star general leading from Germany. A three-star general will lead a new Army headquarters in Germany that will include about 300 U.S. service members responsible for coordinating security assistance for Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 259. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his forces will not yield “a single centimetre” in battles for control of the eastern Donetsk region while Russian-installed officials described Ukrainian forces moving into one southern town with tanks.

Another American killed while fighting in Ukraine: report. Another American was killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia's attack on the country.

Ukraine calls for more anti-drone gear as air-defense missiles arrive. NASAMS are now operational in Ukraine, but a new potential threat looms.

Here are the US weapons Ukraine would need to sink Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The battle for the Black Sea continues.

Aerial war over Ukraine heats up as Russia pounds cities. Ukraine, bolstering its air defenses, says Russia has bought ballistic missiles from Iran to replace the precision weapons it is firing at vital services.

Ukraine's Zelensky sets conditions for ‘genuine' peace talks with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was open to negotiations with Russia if they are focused on safeguarding Ukraine's territorial integrity, involve compensation from Moscow to Kyiv and bring to justice perpetrators of war crimes.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

North Korea launches ballistic missile, says South Korean military. North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward waters off its east coast on Wednesday.

After a record year of arms tests, what is in N Korea's arsenal? North Korea has fired a dizzying array of missiles this year, seeking to develop nuclear-tipped rockets capable of striking the US.

IRAN THREAT

With Netanyahu back in charge, is a solo Israeli strike against Iran in the cards? Just days after Netanyahu's political rebirth, one of his closest political associates said that the military option will be on the table for the new government.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

DR Congo jets bomb M23 rebel targets in east, official says. Air strikes carried out after M23 rebels seize territory in the eastern DR Congo, displacing at least 90,000 people in the past month. 

France calls time on anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane in Sahel. President Macron will use a speech in Toulon on Wednesday to bring to an official end France's eight-year anti-jihadist operation in the Sahel.

Britain vows to flow artillery, helicopters into Estonia. British and Estonian officials have inked a road map for beefing up their military ties that will boost the remaining U.K. contingent in the Baltic nation with short-range air defense weapons and multiple-launch rocket systems.

SPACE THREAT

STARCOM to expand space training exercises in coming months. International personnel will join the Space Force in December for its flagship training series Space Flag, just one new aspect of Space Training and Readiness Command's planned slate of space-oriented exercises.

US MILITARY

Ford Carrier Strike Group teams with Atlantic allies in Silent Wolverine exercise. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group joined six allies in the eastern Atlantic on Tuesday to begin exercise Silent Wolverine.

They said the rise in military suicide is a mystery. Traumatic brain injury may be an answer. He had endured many tough days with a fog descending on his brain — fumbling for words, forgetting the reason he left his house, hellish nightmares.

Army Special Ops is changing psyops training to reflect Ukraine war. Even as some operators chafe at rules that keep them out of the fight, they are keenly interested in how Ukrainians are applying their U.S. training.

Army sees its future in Pacific training grounds. “I'm not entirely sure what ‘it' is, but this ain't it, ” quipped a member of the U.S. Army's Oahu-based 25th Infantry Division as he and his fellow soldiers marched up the road at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island last week. 

Secret SEAL sub suffers secret mishap. A secretive Navy SEAL “Delivery Vehicle,” or SDV, secretly suffered a secret mishap during secret training on Oct. 24.

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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