Admiral James Stavridis

4/21/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3vYE5Cv 1. Niger’s Eviction of U.S. Commandos, Drones Derails America’s Counterterror Strategy 2. Army SOF use video game skills to launch drones strikes and more in new course 3. USSOCOM inducts 18 new members into Commando Hall of Honor 4. Great power competition is back. What does that mean for US special operations forces? 5. The True Story Behind “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare ”and“ ”History's First Special Forces Mission 6. The US Debt Clock 7. Inside the White House’s Frenetic Scramble to Avert a Full-Blown Middle East War 8. U.S. Aid Is a Lifeline for Ukraine’s Struggle to Hold Off Defeat 9. U.S.-China Internet War Intensifies as House Passes TikTok Ban 10. Things Worth Remembering: ‘We Will Fight with Stones in Our Hands’ (Israel) 11. The American Myths Dividing Contemporary Politics 12. Give Me Liberty or Give Me … What? 13. "We're Going To Lose A Major War": US Navy Deletes Photo Of Ship Commander Shooting Rifle With Backwards Scope 14. Northern Virginia serves as the world’s internet hub. Its neighbors are paying a price. 15. Blinken will be the latest top US official to visit China in a bid to keep ties on an even keel 16. Are Iran’s leaders losing their grip on reality — and the country?

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8/21/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3X1HzOa 1. Biden Approved Secret Nuclear Strategy Refocusing on Chinese Threat 2. How a General’s Blunder Left Russia��s Border Vulnerable 3. China's 'growing authoritarianism' won't stop with Taiwan: Lai 4. IRGC founder to ‘Post’: Iran unable to sustain long-term war with Israel 5. Tough U.S. Sanctions Packages Are Here to Stay—Whether It’s Harris or Trump 6. China says it is 'seriously concerned' about US nuclear strategic report 7. Commentary: Is Japan ready for a female prime minister? 8. Walmart sells $3.74 billion JD.com stake to focus on its own China operations 9. ‘War Game’ Review: It Can’t Happen Here (Right?) 10. Haniyeh Was Killed by an F-35 11. Let the Marine Corps Test Force Design in the Grey Zone 12. U.S. military unprepared for nuclear escalation in war with China, Pentagon-funded study warns 13. Taiwan’s ‘China-free’ Drone Program May Not Be 14. War Is Draining Ukraine’s Male-Dominated Work Force. Enter the Women. 15. The Pentagon Is Planning a Drone ‘Hellscape’ to Defend Taiwan 16. Israel Is Winning 17. The Return of Hamiltonian Statecraft 18. U.S. Army Has A Plan For Paragliding Paratroopers

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8/22/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/4dzU7Df 1. SOF in Competition Special Project Announcement 2. Army puts new unit loaded with cutting-edge tech to the test 3. China Has Built the Strongest Military in the Indo-Pacific 4. US warship sails through sensitive Taiwan Strait 5. Ukraine's Invasion of Kursk by Sir Lawrence Freedman 6. Why Everyone’s Suddenly Talking About Iranian Election Hacking 7. The Least Risky AI Strategy Is a Bold One 8. US charges former democracy activist with spying for China 9. U.S. Officials Meet Dalai Lama in New York, Triggering Protest From China 10. Who Could Serve in Harris’s Cabinet? 11. How Russian Trolls Are Trying to Go Viral on X 12. Exploring a PRC Short-of-War Coercion Campaign to Seize Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands and Possible Responses 13. The Green Beret Affair: A Tarnished Chapter in Special Forces History 14. Kursk Was the Site of a Massive World War II Tank Battle - Now It’s at the Heart of Ukraine’s Counterattack 15. From Middle-earth to Ukraine, the Enduring Value of Wylie’s General Theory of Power Control 16. Industrial Policy Needs an Immigration Policy 17. The Case for a Clean Energy Marshall Plan 18. Trump 2.0 Would Get Mixed Responses in the Indo-Pacific

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9/6/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3XhlURT 1. The Putin Propaganda Chief Who the U.S. Says Is Now After American Minds 2. Reagan Didn’t Win the Cold War by Max Boot 3. Planning for a Post-American NATO 4. Russia pulls 60,000 troops to counter Kursk incursion, Zelensky claims 5. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 5, 2024 6. Israel–Hamas War (Iran) Update, September 5, 2024 7. Mongolia refuses to arrest Putin during visit, choosing economic ties over international law 8. The Russian Propaganda Attack on America 9. Ukraine’s top commander defends Kursk offensive 10. The Future of Warfare Is Electronic 11. U.S. Maritime Policy Needs an Overhaul 12. Antony Blinken Dragged US Diplomacy Into the 21st Century. Even He’s Surprised by the Results 13. A ramp-up in nuclear weapons is not always a bad thing 14. SOF 2050: How Robotics, AI, and Human Augmentation Will Redefine Special Operations of the Future 15. Green Berets are integrating cyber warfare into their training. Here is why it matters 16. Ex-Green Beret Behind Failed Venezuela Raid Released Pending Trial 17. Malaysia says it won't bow to China's demands to halt oil exploration in the South China Sea 18. Indonesia continues ‘rowing between 2 reefs’ amid US-China rivalry, security expert says 19. Ukrainian AK-74-Equipped FPV Drone Engages Russian Forces for the First Time 20. Russia dismisses charges of election meddling; Putin claims he backs Harris 21. Accelerated Training in the Spotlight After Ukrainian F-16 Crash 22. Exclusive: US sees increasing risk of Russian ‘sabotage’ of key undersea cables by secretive military unit 23. US military draws up plans for collapse of Gaza ceasefire talks 24. Demographic Diversity Is Not Our Strength 25. What’s behind conservative opposition to DEI? Take a look at this study 26. Deepfakes deepfail: Russian propagandists turn away from generative AI 27. MC-130J Crews Earn Award for Supporting Longest US Army Helicopter Mission Relying on Aerial Refueling

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7/11-12/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/4cBmIHH 1. Justice Sotomayor dangerously misunderstands our military 2. President Joe Biden Launches the Ukraine Compact 3. Remarks by President Biden on the Ukraine Compact 4. Back to the Basics: How Many People Are in the People’s Liberation Army? 5. The Ukraine War Proves Europe Must Spend More on Defense Now 6. Far from a “Burden,” NATO Has Delivered a High Return on Investment 7. The West Is Misreading China in the South China Sea 8. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 11, 2024 9. Israel–Hamas War (Iran) Update, July 11, 2024 10. Exclusive: US and Germany foiled Russian plot to assassinate CEO of arms manufacturer sending weapons to Ukraine 11. The Gray Zone Darkens: Russian Assassination Plot Foiled in Germany 12. Russian influence ops are the ‘preeminent threat’ to November's elections, US officials say 13. Army graduates its first cohort of new warrant officer recruiters 14. NATO de facto fueling Indo-Pacific's re-militarization 15. 3rd Plenum will treat economy with Chinese medicine 16. At NATO summit, a question of what the alliance wants from the Pacific 17. ‘America’s Cold Warrior’ Review: The Legacy of Paul Nitze 18. .Fish Wars: How to Prevent Conflict Over an Increasingly Scarce Resource 19. What the Lebanese People Really Think of Hezbollah 20. US plan to boost Pacific air power seen as counterbalance to China 21. The Roots of World War III 22. Okinawa protests parachute training while US works on alternative site 23. Operational Misconceptions: A Response to Operational Incompetence 2030 24. China's newest military base is up and running, and US officials see more of them on the horizon 25. Addressing the Root Cause of Our Veterans’ Suicide Epidemic 26. You might have just missed Earth-shattering economic news

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6/4/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/4eabJ9q 1. Reflections on America’s Military Recruiting Crisis: A View from the Edge 2. Perspectives Apart: Unveiling the Indo-Pacific Understanding of Irregular Warfare 3. THE SLAUGHTER AND THE SPRING 4. Focus on Russia and China threat rather than terrorists, MI5 told 5. THE MAN BEHIND OPERATION OVERLORD 6. A GOP Hawk Tries to Reassure a World on Edge About Trump 7. AI and the Art of War in Ukraine 8. Israel–Hamas War (Iran) Update, June 3, 2024 9. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 3, 2024 10. Unleashing innovation: The case for a drone operator branch in the US Army 11. China's defense minister hammers away on Taiwan, says peaceful unification chances 'eroded' 12. NATO to unveil Ukraine security package as ‘bridge’ to membership 13. The Dalai Lama Is Landing in the Middle of the 2024 Election 14. Pentagon looks beyond primes for cheaper drones 15. 'I feel really good' about election security, former NSA chief says 16. Trump Joins TikTok and Calls It ‘An Honor.’ As President He Once Tried to Ban the App 17. China: Closing Off Memory of Tiananmen Massacre 18. Secret Cyber Wars: Why States Are Increasingly Turning to Economic Espionage and How Cyber Proxies Play a Key Role 19. The Dangerous Myth of Deglobalization 20. News site editor’s ties to Iran, Russia show misinformation’s complexity 21. Opinion | How do we want America to be? By William McRaven

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https://lnkd.in/ewtn5Yx2 I am the eternal optomist, but this does not bode well .... "The US Marines’ China-fighting, island hopping Q Ship plan is in trouble" The US Marine Corps has a new island-hopping strategy for a possible war with China. But the strategy requires a new ship – an easy-to-hide medium landing ship that’s cheap enough for the US Navy to buy quickly and in large numbers. But the Medium Landing Ship – or LSM in Navy parlance – is two years behind schedule, and costs are rising. The delays and increasing cost aren’t isolated problems – they’re endemic to the whole portfolio of Navy shipbuilding programs as the Pentagon grapples with serious labor issues. Right now the Americans are struggling to acquire any warships, even the simplest and cheapest ones. And that could jeopardize the Marines’ Pacific war strategy. The Medium Landing Ship shouldn’t have been so difficult to build. The requirements the Marines hashed out with the Navy, shortly after then Marine commandant General David Berger announced the Corps’ new island-hopping strategy five years ago, weren’t terribly ambitious. The Medium Landing Ship would be just 200 to 400 feet long with a loading ramp, a helicopter pad, a few light guns for self-defence and space for 70 crew, a platoon of 50 Marines as well as 650 tons of weapons and supplies. It would sail for 3,500 miles at 14 knots and, with its innocuous appearance, be very difficult to pick out from among civilian sea traffic – the key to its stealth and survival in waters near China without heavy Navy protection. Like the Q-ships of the World Wars, LSMs are intended to carry out their mission by disguising themselves as merchant vessels. The idea is for the LSMs to land Marines on remote islands inside the so-called “first island chain” stretching from the Philippines to Japan. The Marines would launch drones and missiles to hound Chinese warships, using their island bases as unsinkable weapons platforms – and then climb back aboard their landing ships and depart before the Chinese could arrive in force. The plan, as recently as 2023, was for the Navy to buy at least 18 and as many as 35 Medium Landing Ships for $150 million apiece starting that year. Instead, keel-laying for the first ship has slipped to 2025 at the earliest – and the cost could rise to $400 million per ship. Inflation accounts for some of the price boost, but the design is a factor, too. The Navy is leaning toward the larger version of the vessel. The price could inflate or deflate before workers cut the first steel, according to a recent report from the US Congressional Budget Office."

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After thinking, "Hey! That's my idea for an article!" (...that I failed to write), I saw that Dan Hough wrote it better than I ever could! Too often US planners either assume that #AccessBasingAndOverflight (#ABO) in #Japan is assured, either because US forces have been based in Japan since the end of WWII or because Japan is closely aligned with the US in its perception of the threat posed by the #PRC across the #TaiwanStrait. While both of these things are true, ABO in Japan is one of the major operational challenges to the US #JointForce in any #TaiwanContingency. While ABO impacts all parts of the Joint Force, it is often felt most acutely by land forces, like #IIIMEF. Whether in exercises during competition or in delivering combat power during conflict, air and sea forces can adjust their operating locations outside of Japan if ABO is late-to-need. Not so with land forces. Land forces like the #Marines face two ABO-based challenges in operating from Japan, dispersing off of concentrated and fixed locations like US and #JSDF bases, and the #PriorConsultation required between the US and Japan before any combat operations are conducted from (or through or terminating in) Japanese airspace and territory. While access to private land in competition is understandably difficult (who wants a bunch of Marines and their equipment traipsing through their fields, after all!), the US and Japan too infrequently rehearse the crisis procedures to grant such access in a conflict. Such rehearsals are essential to identify #policy gaps (and solutions) to procedures that are too slow for a fast-moving crisis and also crucial opportunities for #diplomats, #policymakers, and other #alliance managers to see exactly what the ABO needs are and what the risks and opportunities are of granting such ABO in a timely fashion (or failing to do so). Policymakers are not the only beneficiaries. Tactical and operational commands can use such rehearsals to (in)validate their assumptions about authorities, develop branch plans if such authorities are limited or granted later than expected, and to gain critical insights into national decision-making processes that help tactical commands, like III MEF, ensure their requests for authorities are realistic, timely, and supported with sufficiently detailed justifications and identified risks. Dan provides an excellent summary of such matters and explores what can be done to strengthen the alliance and, in so doing, strengthen #deterrence.

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With renewed calls by some for a nation-wide system of missile defense, it's worth reviewing why Ronald Reagan thought such a system was feasible 40 years ago - and why despite the expenditure of $415 billion and the efforts of America's top military contractors such a defense has proved impossible. I review a new book on the subject in the current issue of Arms Control Today. I conclude that despite decades of technical failures, missile defense proponents are very likely to push bothersome scientific facts aside. They would much prefer to let abstract policy assertions decide budgets and programs. https://lnkd.in/eShqC6s4

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7/15/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/4cFo5Fp 1. The NATO Summit 2024 - Summary 2. Trump Shooting Is Secret Service’s Most Stunning Failure in Decades 3. Quarantining the Conspiracy Swamps 4. An Assassination Attempt That Seems Likely to Tear America Further Apart 5. Trillions in Hidden Debt Drove China’s Growth. Now It Threatens Its Future. 6. Trump’s ‘luck’ and American ‘violence’ are the talk of China’s internet 7. Israel’s military, worn down by Gaza, looks warily toward war in Lebanon 8. If You Love America, Turn Down the Temperature. Plus. . . 9. Opinion | Nato barbarians are expanding and gathering at the gate of Asia 10. The Problem With Blaming Words for Political Violence 11. Botched Army Security Briefing Labeled Anti-Abortion, Animal Activist Groups as Potential Terrorists 12. How Can Europe Reduce Its Military Dependency on the United States? 13. After embrace at NATO summit, Zelenskyy takes his case for US military aid to governors 14. How SECNAV’s claims about S. Korean, Japanese shipbuilders do and do not line up 15. Evan Wright, journalist and 'Generation Kill' author, dead at 59 16. A Globally Integrated Islamic State 17. Minimizing Collateral Damage with the Surgical Application of Force: Applying Lessons from the Post-9/11 Wars to Israel’s War Against Hamas 18. The Vicious Cycle of American Political Violence

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https://lnkd.in/gZ3h-9tU https://lnkd.in/gZ3h-9tU There is an urgent as well as critical need to look at Chinese border villages differently especially when China is in adverse possession of our territory of Aksai chin. A more nuanced approach is needed to mitigate this new nature of threat in the form of dual use infrastructure equipped villages close to LAC on the India-Tibet border. Do read the article with my detailed content quote.

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9/4/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3XvEZRW 1. Opinion Tomorrow’s Army is here. Can it get past yesterday’s bureaucracy?   2. ‘Trade steel for blood’ — The Army’s plan to bring soldiers into the 21st century 3. The US Army’s Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company: Weapon of the week 4. U.S. Army eyes drone-soaked Middle East to refine energy weapons 5. Exclusive: US expected to send senior Pentagon official to China military forum 6. The US Navy Is Going All In on Starlink 7. To Remain Relevant the Marines Must Adapt to a Changing World 8. The Evolving Context for Deterrence 9. Ukraine's Kursk Offensive: One Giant Blunder? 10. The U.S. Marine Corps Forest Warfare Legacy Intertwines with Finland and the Baltics 11. Commander of Navy Warship Relieved of Duty Months After Backward Rifle Scope Photo Flap 12. The U.S. Navy’s Chief Supplier Is in Peril 13. Warfighting, quality of life prioritized in USMC commandant guidance 14. Analysts: China tests US commitment to Indo-Pacific with maritime operations 15. NEWSFLASH: Zelenskyy shakes up cabinet, ministers resign 16. CISA moves away from trying to influence content moderation decisions on election disinformation 17. Trump’s Foreign-Policy Influencers 18. The US Should Support the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan 19. Operation Neptune Spear: The Most Important American Special Operation 20. Windows, not Walls: Conceptualizing Air Superiority for Future Wars 21. China’s new global charm offensive: Vocational training for the world, but is there a catch? 22. The War on Excess: The Army Has an Equipment Management Problem and Needs a Culture Change to Solve It 23. A Revolution Begins in Austin, Texas 24. China-linked 'Spamouflage' network mimics Americans online to sway US political debate 25. The Year of Elections Has Been Good for Democracy 26. How to Keep the Peace in Gaza

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Stepping into the future with #DISANext - a comprehensive 5-year blueprint from the Defense Information Systems Agency. Spearheading industry change through its 4 fundamentals: Secure Capabilities, Strategic C3, Modernization, and Data. Hear from the visionary himself, Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner about the strategic imperatives of this plan: https://bit.ly/3WcCrb2. Paving the way for advanced #Cybersecurity and #strategy!

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5/23/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3WSVmrH 1. Ukraine, U.S. Say Russia Is Deploying Banned Toxic Gas in Battle 2. Inside the White House, a Debate Over Letting Ukraine Shoot U.S. Weapons Into Russia 3. With Ukraine losing ground, allies debate how to squeeze cash for Kyiv out of frozen Russian assets 4. Wary of China, American military plans return to Peleliu in Western Pacific 5. This summer’s RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii drawing 30 nations and 40 ships 6. More military veterans and active duty service members are dying by suicide than in battle – understanding why can help with prevention 7. Navy looks to Army for more data analytics capability 8. DOD: Russia’s use of Starlink will be a ‘continuous problem’ in Ukraine 9. Army brass opposes drone branch 10. Airmen, guardians could skip shaving under congressional plan 11. Poland spends $1 billion on US-made surveillance aerostats 12. First aid from US pier in Gaza has reached starving Palestinians, the UN says 13. How Soda, Chocolate and Chewing Gum Are Funding War in Sudan 14. China 'PUNISHES' Taiwan: Huge military drills are launched around the island three days after the island's new president - detested by Beijing - took charge 15. Army unveils colorful new patch for soldiers assigned to US Forces Japan 16. A Nuclear Iran Has Never Felt More Possible 17. A Taliban revenge killing prompts questions, removal of an acclaimed documentary 18. Asia starting to feel like 1997-98 all over again - Asia Times 19. Philippines picked as regional HQ for US civil nuclear work group 20. The U.S. Military Needs a Better China 'Messaging' Strategy 21. Iran’s Nuclear Threshold Challenge 22. The Failure of Israel’s “Strategy” in Gaza Continues 23. Coast Artillery Reimagined: The Mid-Range Capability’s First Deployment to the Indo-Pacific 24. Can America’s Special Relationship With Israel Survive? 25. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 22, 2024 26. Israel–Hamas War (Iran) Update, May 22, 2024

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9/10/24 National Security New and Commentary https://conta.cc/3XDYQ12 1. H.R. McMaster: America’s Weakness Is a Provocation 2. Tactical Solutions Will Not Fix a Strategic Defect 3. Uprooting the Enemy: A New Paradigm for Irregular Warfare Analysis 4. China to hold military drills with Russia in September 5. Hezbollah relies on 'sophisticated' tunnel system backed by Iran, North Korea in fight against Israel 6. Japan warns of ‘new era of crisis,’ asks for record defense budget 7. Eyeing more special forces business, GDIT acquires AI, tech firm Iron EagleX 8. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 9, 2024 9. Israel–Hamas War (Iran) Update, September 9, 2024 10. Russia’s Espionage War in the Arctic 11. Diplomacy Beyond the Elections: How China Is Preparing for a Post-Biden America 12. China says top diplomat Wang Yi to visit Russia this week  13. Time to retire ‘Arab-Israeli conflict’? 14. Ukraine hits MOSCOW in huge drone attack, killing at least one woman 15. How the Space Force Can Better Tell Its Story 16. The Long Shadow of Biden’s Afghan Withdrawal Debacle 17. Ukraine Launches 144-Drone Barrage on Russia, Targeting Moscow and Key Regions 18. Don’t Hype the Terror Threat 19. Europe Takes a Trumpian Turn 20. Dissecting China’s purported carrier strategy against Taiwan 21. How our military can deter foreign conflicts and win future wars 22. Hawks want a new Cold War but are cagey about the cost. So we did the math. 23. Sen. Tuberville blocks promotion of Lloyd Austin’s top military aide 24. Watchdog challenges SOCOM’s plan to buy new armed aircraft to watch over special ops troops

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https://lnkd.in/eatW5Z2k With a VERY limited SCN Budget lets hope SECNAV gets it right .... "Marines getting new amphibious ship designed for critical China mission Marines expected to counter Chinese military operations in the Indo-Pacific region must shuttle troops from island to island across a vast maritime expanse while bottling up Beijing’s navy. Gen. David H. Berger, as Marine Corps commandant, proposed a concept for a light amphibious warship in 2019 as part of his plan to realign the Marines for amphibious-based missions. The Corps is now rushing to implement the plan. The Medium Landing Ship (LSM) is how Marine littoral regiments armed with anti-ship and anti-air weapons will maneuver throughout the first island chain, the strategically crucial arc of countries on China’s immediate periphery in the South China Sea. It includes Japan, Taiwan, parts of the Philippines and Indonesia. The LSM was formally included in the Navy’s budget request for fiscal year 2025. The vessels are designed to fill a gap between basic landing craft, a central component of Marine Corps lore, and the Navy’s fleet of amphibious warships, some of which are the size of small aircraft carriers. “We need Marines in combat, and [Gen. Berger] realized the key wasn’t large amphibious ships carrying tanks and howitzers,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, now with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. “What was needed were Marine littoral regiments being moved around pre-combat by small watercraft.” Navy and Marine Corps leaders called for 18 to 35 LSMs, with life spans of about 20 years. The Congressional Budget Office said 18 of the amphibious warships would cost $6.2 billion to $7.8 billion, or about $340 million to $430 million per vessel. The cost of a 35-ship LSM program would be $11.9 billion to $15 billion. The Navy’s current amphibious force comprises large vessels, including “Big Deck” vessels such as the America-class helicopter assault ships and smaller but sizable warships such as the San Antonio class of amphibious transport docks Despite the compelling need for the LSMs, analysts wonder whether Navy and Marine Corps leaders expect the ships to deploy and resupply Marines only before a conflict or even after fighting has commenced and whether they would be vulnerable to detection and attack by opposing military forces. “A ship that is not expected to face enemy fire in a conflict could be built to lesser survivability standards, with fewer defensive systems than a ship that would sail in contested waters during a conflict,” CBO analysts said in their report. “Recent experiments by the Marine Corps suggest that the naval services are still determining what the capabilities of the LSM will be.” So there’s this friction between designing specifically for an area versus the Navy, which is the overarching mother service for shipbuilding.”

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