TUESDAY PDB – Yes, we could lose. Five urgent steps to prevent American military defeat in the Pacific. As Washington finalizes the fiscal 2024 defense budget and annual defense authorization bill, the U.S. is on a path toward military defeat in the Pacific.
China's strategic investments threaten to outpace the Pentagon's ability to expand munitions stocks, integrate emerging technologies and weapon systems, and maintain the ability to fight at long distances from America's shores.
Repeated wargaming of Taiwan conflict scenarios in the 2027 time frame demonstrates that even if the United States acts promptly and decisively once the conflict begins, American military forces would often be stretched too thin to support Taiwan quickly enough to prevent a fait accompli.
The good news is that such an outcome is not inevitable if Washington takes several steps this year.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
GOOD CALL! – DeSantis, Pence campaign on reversing Fort Liberty designation. Two Republican presidential contenders took aim at the Army's recent move to rename military bases that for decades honored Confederates who waged war against the U.S., saying that as president they would return to those rebel namesakes.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY MORE – Ft. Polk to be renamed Ft. Johnson on Tuesday. Fort Polk will officially become Fort Johnson on Tuesday during a redesignation ceremony.
NATIONAL SECURITY
YES – HE DID THAT – Trump will face judge in historic court appearance over charges he mishandled secret documents. Donald Trump was set to make his first court appearance Tuesday in the unprecedented criminal case charging him with hoarding top secret government documents, boastfully displaying them to visitors and trying to hide them from investigators who demanded them back.
HE DIDN'T SPY – BUT WILLFULLY KEPT THE DOCUMENTS – Trump faces Espionage Act charges, which covers a lot more than spying. Spy cases are rare. More typically, the act applies to the unauthorized gathering, possessing, or transmitting of certain sensitive government information.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Two active-duty Marines plead guilty to Capitol riot charges. Both are scheduled to be sentenced in September.
CHINA THREAT
Why the battle for supremacy in Asia begins with China's coast guard. Beijing's patrol vessels often resemble warships. Now other nations are trying to compete with tougher coast guards of their own.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russia's improved weaponry and tactics challenge Ukraine offensive. Ukrainian troops are probing Russian defenses as spring gives way to a second summer of fighting, and Kyiv's forces are facing an enemy that has learned from mistakes made in the 15-month-old war.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 475. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces were making progress and inflicting losses on Russia amid rain and fierce fighting.
Ukraine says counteroffensive has liberated seven villages in southeast. It said they reclaimed four villages in the Donetsk region, and three others in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine's offensive relies on vehicles that don't shoot. In Kyiv's push against entrenched Russian forces, some of its most vital military gear is a collection of vehicles that keeps weaponry operating and helps troops advance.
US set to approve depleted-uranium tank rounds for Ukraine. The powerful armor-piercing ammunition has raised concerns over health and environmental effects.
BUT – OF COURSE – Military can't fully account for Ukraine security aid. A Pentagon watchdog agency has found that the Pentagon has struggled to properly account for some of the billions in security aid that Team Biden has sent to Ukraine.
IRAN THREAT
Jordanian army says it downs drone carrying drugs from Syria. The drone was carrying drugs into its northern frontier region, and it said Jordan would not allow the border area to become a front line in an Iran-linked drug war.
SPACE THREAT
How the Space Force will avoid a ‘Pearl Harbor' in space, according to its No. 2 officer. In its official song, the Space Force touts itself as a ‘mighty watchful eye' keeping watch on both the Earth and space—and the service now has what it needs to live up to that description and avoid any surprise attack.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Marines provide more details on short-notice deployment to Middle East. Seventeen Marines from the 26th MEU's low-altitude air-defense detachment were deployed to Kuwait before they finished pre-deployment training.
Sweden's stalled NATO bid disrupts Nordic defense planning. The hurdles facing Sweden's accession to NATO have delayed talks to elevate Nordic defense cooperation to something of a self-enclosed cluster of nations within the alliance.
NATO's largest-ever air defense exercise starts in Germany. The Air Defender 2023 exercise that is set to run through June 23 serves to showcase the alliance's capabilities amid high tensions with Russia.
Denmark considering military submarines after almost 20-year gap. The Scandinavian nation divested of submarines in 2004 but lawmakers are actively considering whether to acquire them again.
US MILITARY
WELL DONE – CONGRATS! – Separated by decades, Black mother, daughter become first duo to graduate from US Naval Academy. Timika Lindsay and Elise Lindsay recently made history when they became the first Black mother-daughter duo to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in its 177-year history.
Marines want $200M for powerful drone-killing machines. By fall 2024, Marine Corps low altitude air defense battalions will begin receiving a powerful new weapon.
GET SOME! – Air Force women want one thing: ‘Make us more lethal.' Members of Air Force Special Operations Command face plenty of challenges and discomfort.
House lawmakers back plans for biggest military pay raise in 22 years. Service members would see their much higher pay starting in January under budget plans unveiled by a key House committee.
END of PDB
I disagree, our biggest enemy is ‘Deep State’ and the Globalist Corporate Cabal. Without the interference by the Democrat Cultural Revolution the Conservative U.S. can defeat China once their agents, paid and otherwise are expelled and we STOP giving them our secrets and technology.
The indicators are that the JCOS, the Presidency, HSBC Comey FBI, State Dept and Deep State are all run by China.
Try to refute that…please do.
Biden is doing Zero & Deep State allied with Biden=Zero
Hilarious comedy.
China’s attack Taiwan is imminent and chicom pal Gen Milley will what ? Warm China that America. Will respond? Milley has sat on his hands allowing America deterrent ability to erode beyond help.
Every Allie now questions America’s reliability.
When Biden/Harris are impeached, our greatest threat will be gone.