Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 24, 2016

U.S. soldiers serve food to fellow soldiers as they celebrate Thanksgiving Day inside the U.S. army base in Qayyara, south of Mosul, Iraq November 24, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Reuters: U.S. soldiers celebrate thanksgiving in a military base north of Iraq

U.S. troops celebrated Thanksgiving at an Iraqi army base in Qayyara, some 60 km (38 miles) south of Mosul, where a U.S.-led coalition is helping Iraqi forces battle Islamic State.

Dozens of soldiers lined up, rifles slung over their shoulders and heads bowed, as one member recited a Thanksgiving prayer.

Around 5,000 soldiers are currently in northern Iraq, assisting and advising Iraqi forces participating in the offensive to recapture Mosul from Islamic State.

"I want to tell my family now to be thankful that all these people out here and be thankful for being alive... That's all," said Joe Hamilton one of the soldiers at the base.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 24, 2016

US Navy Serves up Turkey Alongside Sorties on Thanksgiving -- AP

DoD Sends 63 Tons of Thanksgiving Meals to Troops -- Military.com

Russian new generation satellites to undergo first flight tests in 2020 -- Space Daily/Sputnik

The Real Reason Russia Deployed Advanced Coastal Defense Weapons to the Kurils -- Sputnik

Russia Has Contracts on Sales of Combat Robots -- Sputnik

Weapons: Russians Build The Ultimate Sniper Rifle -- Strategy Page

US Special Operators Want a New Sniper Rifle in This Rare Caliber -- We Are The Mighty

Tunisia confirms U.S. drones over Libyan border, monitor Islamic State -- Reuters

‘Dagger pointed at heart of NATO’ – US secretary of state contender on EU army -- RT

NATO Ends Anti-Piracy Mission in Indian Ocean -- VOA

NATO chief urges EU to increase military budgets to maintain bond with US under Trump -- RT

Switzerland's Defence minister lays out fighter jet plan -- Swiss Info

Royal Navy’s hi-tech destroyer breaks down in NATO wargame, towed back to port -- RT

Estonian navy chief resigns over contraband scandal -- BBC

US, South Korea Discuss Status of Forces Agreement Ahead of Trump -- DoD Buzz

The F-35 and the US's newest carrier are getting ready to dominate the seas -- Business Insider

Lockheed Martin Wins $7.1 Billion US Navy Contract For 90 F-35 Fighter Jets -- Defense World

Pentagon Advances $1.3 Billion to Lockheed for Biggest F-35 Job -- Bloomberg

Best Of: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Game-Changer or Procurement Nightmare? -- Will Edwards, Cipher Brief

America's B-2 stealth bomber is unlike any military aircraft in the world -- Business Insider

Marines: Tankers Modified As Floating Bases -- Strategy Page

Marine Grunts Will Start Getting ATVs in January -- Defense Tech

Meet The Biggest And Baddest Ships In the US Army -- The War Zone

Navy Reports More Than One Hundred Thousand Sailors Hacked -- NBC

Mattis: Time for a 'Mad Dog' at Pentagon? -- Jeanette Steele, Military.com/San Diego Union-Tribune

Gen David Petraeus opens door to Trump administration -- BBC

Trump's Parade of Retired Generals Raises Questions -- AP

Forget About Too Big To Fail, America's Military Has Become Too Small To Succeed -- Dan Goure, National Interest