Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 8, 2016

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter holds a joint press conference with Afghanistan Defense Minister Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai on Forward Operating Base Fenty on Dec. 18, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen

US News and World Report: Ash Carter Once Advocated First-Strike on North Korea

The Pentagon chief declined in October to elaborate on a controversial 2006 opinion.

The White House has denounced North Korea for its “increasingly provocative” behavior in expanding its nuclear capabilities and promised unspecified “additional measures” against Pyongyang even as officials acknowledge there is little they can do.

But forgotten in the halting Western response to North Korea’s claims it detonated a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday was that President Barack Obama’s top military adviser once put forth a suggestion for stemming their belligerence: Bomb the hermit kingdom.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 8, 2016

US Noncommittal on Strategic, Missile Defense Assets for Korea -- Defense News

The U.S. has a plan to evacuate troops’ families and pets from Korea in case of nuclear attack -- Military Times

Chinese Military reform is not a song-and-dance party -- Washington Times

China and Pakistan Join Forces Under the Sea -- The Diplomat

India Commissions Second Submarine-Killer Stealth Warship -- The Diplomat

Afghan Air Force to Take Delivery of New Light-Attack Plane -- Bloomberg

RAF jets may head for Japan as UK seeks Asia influence -- RT

UK military experts allegedly aiding Saudi military campaign in Yemen -- RT

Israel Stands Up New Commando Brigade -- Defense News

Israel's 5-Year Plan Bulks Up Combat Capabilities; Cuts Manpower -- Defense News

Russians Have Learned How to Hack Power Grids -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Eagle Eye: Russia Testing New Generation Missile Warning Satellite -- Sputnik

France Sets Up Research Body to Study Russian Military, Political Strategy -- Sputnik

U.S. firm blames Russian 'Sandworm' hackers for Ukraine outage -- Reuters

Sweden shuts defense export agency -- UPI

Oman Requests 400 TOW 2 Missiles -- Defense News

Iraq approved for 5,000 Hellfire missiles as US boosts output -- Flight Global

US Hellfire missile mistakenly shipped to Cuba -- The Guardian

The U.S. Is Running Low on Hellfire Missiles -- Fortune

Boeing delivers record number of aircraft in 2015 -- BBC

Lockheed To Upgrade US Army Apache Displays to Color -- Defense News

Navy Aims to Install Over-the-Horizon Missile on Littoral Combat Ship by End of 2016 -- USNI

Sinking Ship: US Navy 'Unable to Meet Rising Global Dangers' -- Sputnik

Defense Department's love affair with the Super Hercules continues -- Fox News

Pentagon: US troops in 'combat situation' in Afghanistan -- The Hill

Navy SEAL congressman to probe US soldier's death in Afghanistan -- The Hill

August court-martial set for Bergdahl on desertion, other charge -- Military Times

Pentagon's medal review to take 21 months -- USA Today

Medals policy overhaul includes new 'C' device for combat -- Military Times

Military Doctors Fault Pentagon on Battlefield Casualty Care -- WSJ

Twenty-six percent of veterans wait more than 30 days for appointments -- NBC

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 7, 2016

Ryan Faith, VICE News: Yes, North Korea Probably Tested an H-Bomb — Just Not the Kind You’re Thinking Of

The rumbling started early Wednesday morning when a small earthquake was detected near a known nuclear test site in North Korea. Not long after, North Korean state media broadcast the announcement that the country had successfully tested a small hydrogen bomb. The alarming headlines that followed could mostly be divided into two categories: The North Koreans are delusional and there's no way they have H-bombs, or we're all gonna die.

Here are the facts as we now know them: North Korean state media has insisted that the test was of a hydrogen bomb, and monitoring stations around world picked up seismic activity consistent with a small-yield nuclear test coming from an area where the North Koreans have done all their previous nuclear bomb testing.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 7, 2016

Monitors Will Determine if North Korea's Nuke Blast Was an H-Bomb -- USA Today

Pentagon chief, South Korean counterpart huddle over nuclear test -- The Hlll

Fusion or Fission: What To Do About NK’s Bomb? -- Aaron Mehta and Wendell Minnick, Defense News

After North Korea's nuke test, 25,000 U.S. troops wait to see what happens next -- Military Times

Washington, Seoul Discuss Deployment of Nuke Sub, F-22 and B-52 to S Korea -- Sputnik

Pentagon chief confident in Afghan strategy despite latest fatality -- The Hill

GEN Keane on Afghanistan: Security Situation Deteriorating -- The Cipher Brief

Afghan War Returns to Blood and Shadows -- Nancy Youseff, Daily Beast

Universal Soldiers: Combat Robots to Join Russian Army in 2016 -- Sputnik

Russian military in past year trace about 40 missile launches -- TASS

Officials Confirm Construction of First Domestic Chinese Aircraft Carrier -- USNI News

China’s Non-Kinetic 'Three Warfares' Against America -- Peter Navarro, National Interest

Sleepless in Seattle: Chinese Nukes At Sea -- Peter Navarro, RCD

Indonesia, S. Korea sign $1.3B fighter jet development deal -- AFP

Saudi Arabia will give $22 billion to Morocco to improve its military industry -- New Europe

Canada Going Ahead With Massive Saudi Arms Deal Despite Executions Row -- Sputnik

Britain’s Daring Defense Review -- Daniel Keohane, Carnegie Europe

Amid Russian Tensions, NATO Scrambled Jets 160 Times In 2015, Lithuania Says -- IBTimes

Video: Sentinelle, the military operation guarding Paris -- France 24

U.S. officials look toward Russia while investigating cyberattack on Ukraine’s power grid - report -- Washington Times

Experts Think They’ve Found The First International Cyberattack To Cause A Blackout -- Buzz Feed

US Joint Chiefs Head in Ankara to Discuss ISIS, Sectarian Tensions -- Defense News

SECDEF Carter Clarifies South China Sea Freedom of Navigation Operation in Letter to McCain -- USNI News

Report: Special Operations Head Next CENTCOM Chief -- Defense News

Marine Corps boot camp, job titles to be gender neutral by April -- Marine Times

Army submits plan for women in infantry, armor, special operations -- Military Times

Female Army vet leads 'dream team' to fight ISIS in Iraq -- Army Times

Military suicides increase in 2015 -- Washington Examiner

Military considering upgrades to Medals of Honor -- CNN

Pentagon may upgrade hundreds of troops to possible Medals of Honor -- USA Today

DoD rejects 'Nintendo medal' for drone pilots and cyber warriors -- Military Times

LCS: No Way to Run a Multi-Billion Dollar Acquisition Program -- Daniel Gouré, Lexington Institute

Do U.S. military commands really need reorganizing? -- Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings

SECDEF Carter’s Plan to Trim U.S. Navy Fleet Size is Dangerous -- Steve Cohen, USNI News

America Must Build More Icebreakers or We’ll Lose the Battle for the Arctic -- Wired

This small airstrip is the future of America’s way of war -- Joseph Trevithick, Reuters

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 6, 2016

FOX News: 'It changes things': Successful North Korean H-bomb test raises threat to US and Asia, expert says

If North Korea is confirmed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, as the country's Stalinist dictatorship claimed Wednesday, it would signify that Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program is far more advanced than most analysts have imagined, a veteran North Korea watcher told Fox News late Wednesday.

"If in fact it was a hydrogen test, this means the North Koreans are advancing their nuclear weaponization program at a faster and more efficient (and deadly) pace than most analysts have predicted in the past," Dr. Bruce Bechtol wrote in an email.

"Thus, yes, it changes things," Bechtol added. "It increases the possibilities regarding the threat that North Korea can pose to South Korea, the region, and the U.S."

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 6, 2016

Seoul Increases Combat Readiness After North Korea Test of Hydrogen Bomb -- Sputnik

Institute: NKorea develops sub missile despite setback -- AP

US launches airstrikes in Afghanistan after deadly firefight, evacuations -- FOX news

U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan -- CNN

2 wounded US soldiers evacuated from Afghan battlefield. -- NYT

Afghan forces claim advances in Taliban-held district. -- VOA

Pentagon chief confident in Afghan strategy despite latest fatality -- The Hill

Middle East dispute not hurting ISIS fight — yet -- The Hill

Footage of ISIS weapons lab shows construction of heat-seeking missiles, car bombs -- FOX news

Iran Airs Footage of New Missile in Underground Bunker -- AFP

Algeria Orders 12 Su-34 'Fullback' Fighter-Bombers from Russia -- Defense News

Going Global: Russian Su-34 on the Way to Become Export Bestseller -- Sputnik

Russian Aerospace Forces get another S-400 missile regiment for Moscow defence - ministry -- TASS

Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces to Go All-Digital by 2020 -- Sputnik

Russia, Allies To Start New Military Exercises In Tajikistan -- Eurasianet.org

Former Nigerian defence minister charged with money laundering -- Reuters

Pakistan Seeks Closer Military Ties With Sri Lanka -- AFP

Polish defense minister wants to double size of army -- Newsweek

Poland Wants 'to Leave Dirty Work' of Defense to Washington -- Sputnik

Lithuania Says NATO Jets Scrambled More Often in 2015 -- AP

China Defends Airstrip Construction in the South China Sea -- The Diplomat

Welcome to New Reality: Russia and China Challenge US Naval Supremacy -- Sputnik

US Pacific fleet smaller, even as China's military grows -- AP

US Navy's Pacific Fleet Shrinks in Face of Rising China -- Sputnik

Navy to reconsider Fleet Forces relationship with Pacific Fleet -- Virginia Pilot

US Unveils New Strategic Plan to Keep Command of Oceans in 21st Century -- Sputnik

Pentagon Approves Request For Proposal For Nuclear Submarine -- Bloomberg

Jedi Knights wanted for the military’s fight with ISIS -- Marine Times

Exclusive: CIA Eyes Russian Hackers in ‘Blackout’ Attack -- Shane Harris, Daily Beast

DoD has key role in Obama's new gun control plans -- Defense News

US Military Academy Swears In First Female Commandant of Cadets -- VOA

Inside the Decision to Open Up the Frontlines to Women -- Jay Newton-Small, Time

Ethicists say military doctors shouldn't force-feed prisoners -- FOX News

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 5, 2016

An MQ-9 Reaper with an extended range modification takes off for a sortie from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 6, 2015. The Reaper is assigned to the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert Cloys

Washington Post: Pentagon shutters African drone base, moves aircraft to other hotspots

The Pentagon has closed a drone base in Africa and moved the unmanned aircraft to other locations as it strains to cope with a surge in demand for drones from military commanders fighting the Islamic State and other militant groups.

The U.S. military has stopped flying unarmed Reaper drones from an airfield in Ethi­o­pia that had served as a key hub since 2011 for collecting surveillance on al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate in neighboring Somalia, U.S. officials said.

U.S. troops and contractors packed up the Reaper drones and dismantled their small base of operations in the southern city of Arba Minch in September. But the move was kept quiet until last weekend, when U.S. diplomats confirmed it in a report by an Ethio­pian news website.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 5, 2015

Taliban gaining ground in Afghanistan: Ex-CIA director -- Washington Times

What a US Military Veteran Learned From Serving in the IDF -- Algemeiner

Despite dangers, US military continues use of burn pits in Iraq -- Stars and Stripes

Pentagon: Work in Ramadi 'far from over' -- The Hill

DoD, Navy: U.S. 5th Fleet Operations Not Affected By Regional Tensions -- USNI News

Pentagon: 'No Reason' for Russia To View US as Threat -- AFP

US Military Chief Seeks Face to Face Meeting With Russian Counterpart - DoD -- Sputnik

Head of Russia's military intelligence dies -- AP

The Russian security chief who just died helped transform one of the country's most feared intelligence agencies -- Business Insider

Get Over It: Iran Will Have Missiles -- National Interest

2nd Chinese aircraft carrier to have military focus -- Xinhuanet

The New Military Force in Charge of China’s Nuclear Weapons -- The Diplomat

Military Burden: North Korea Spends Quarter of GDP on Armed Forces -- Sputnik

N. Korea spends quarter of GDP on military from 2002-2012: US data -- Korea Times

Japan's 5th Generation Stealth Fighter to Take Off Next Month -- Sputnik

Japan to deliver 12 amphibious aircraft to Indian Navy -- UPI

South Sudan army admits acquisition of surface-to-air missiles -- Sudan Tribune

Portsmouth aircraft carriers will house more assault troops than HMS Ocean -- Portsmouth News

Canadian Aerospace firms eye pilot training even as Liberals unsure of new fighter jet -- Ottawa Citizen

BAE to Develop Electronic Warfare Suite for Special Ops C-130Js -- Defense News

Lockheed Secures $528 Million US Army Contract for More THAAD Interceptors -- Defense News

Boeing Wins $855Mln US Air Force Contract for T-38 Jet Avionics - Pentagon -- Sputnik

U.S. Navy Plans to Fly First Drone Swarm This Summer -- Defense Tech

The candidates on defense: 14 contenders offer views on national security, military, VA, more -- Military Times

Ex-defense secretaries among toughest critics of Obama’s military strategy -- Washington Times

What comes after NSA bulk metadata collection? -- Digital Journal

Army submits plan for women in infantry, armor, special operations -- Army Times

Admiral outlines push to integrate Navy SEALs, recruit women -- Navy Times

US Military suicides increase among reservists in 2015 -- The Hill

Military Children Sexual Assault Numbers Released -- AP

Has the Navy wasted billions on its new combat ship? -- Martin Matishak, The Week/Fiscal Times

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 4, 2015

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with U.S. Army Gen. John F. Campbell on Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2015. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tony Coronado

Daniel L. Davis, National Interest: It’s Time to Ask the Hard Questions on Afghanistan

General John F. Campbell, commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, recently held a press conference in which he told reporters that he hoped the president would not reduce the number of U.S. troops there from 9,800 to 5,500 by the end of 2016. “My intent would be to keep them for as long as I can,” he said. What the general didn’t say is what he hoped he’d be able to accomplish by keeping those 4,300 troops that he couldn’t without them. The implication—though he is careful to avoid explicitly saying so—is that his strategy will have a better chance of success if he keeps those troops. Evidence strongly refutes this unstated hope. Yet as is all too often the case, Western media organizations fail to ask General Campbell hard questions.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 4, 2015

Taliban gaining ground in Afghanistan, former CIA chief says -- The Hill

U.S. fears Saudi tensions with Iran could affect fight against ISIS -- Washington Post

Five flash points between mortal enemies Saudi Arabia and Iran -- USA Today

Putin points to NATO threat in new security strategy -- CNN

Russia's new national security strategy: Familiar themes, gaudy rhetoric -- Mark Galeotti, War On The Rocks

Varyag cruiser enters into Mediterranean Sea to replace Moskva cruiser off Syrian coast -- TASS

Sea Ghost: New Russian Submarine is Stealthier Than a 'Black Hole' -- Sputnik

New Missile to Boost S-400 Air Defense System Capability -- Sputnik

Russia to Continue Launching Early Warning Defense Satellites -- Sputnik

Russia's military: Don’t believe the hype -- Kyle Mizokami, The Week

No Thanks: Ukraine Won’t Allow US Military Base on Its Soil -- Sputnik

China’s second aircraft carrier to have military focus: researcher -- Asia Times/People's Daily

Electronic Warfare version of China J-16 twin seat fighter similar to USA EA-18 Growler -- Next Big Future

Japan’s master plan to destroy the Chinese Navy in battle -- Harry J. Kazianis, Asia Times/National Interest

Warplanes: India Has The UAV Blues -- Strategy Page

UN envoy expresses support for German military training deployment in Libya -- DW

Majority of Swedes back return to military service -- The Local

Embassy official: U.S. shuts down drone operation in Ethiopia -- AP

Republican: US has ‘no plan at all’ in Syria -- The Hill

F-35 conducts first expeditionary test during Steel Knight 16 exercise -- Yuma Sun

F35 production being rushed to avoid embarassment but will not be truly software or combat ready for several years -- Next Big Future

US Army to Integrate Ground Robots Into Forces -- National Defense

Tampa Firm Makes 75 Percent of the World's Flight Simulators -- Tampa Tribune

'Star Wars' for Real: US Military Wraps Up Space War Games -- Space.com

Need to know, 2016: Air Force Space Command on the final frontier -- Air Force Times

The 10 Most Blatantly Wasteful Defense Items In The Recent $1.8 Trillion Spending Bill -- Forbes

2016 Index of U.S. Military Strength (Video) -- Defense News

Pentagon: Hundreds of Military Kids Sexually Abused Annually -- AP

Some New Year's Thoughts On Aircraft Carriers -- Bryan McGrath, Information Dissemination

21st Century Seapower, Inc. -- Scott Cheney-Peters, War on the Rocks

Veteran Launches 'The War Horse' to Tell Stories of Iraq, Afghanistan -- Military.com