Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 14, 2018

U.S. Air Force: Air Force outlines future of bomber force

he Air Force outlined plans for its bomber fleet in its Fiscal Year 2019 President’s Budget Request February 12, 2018.

In line with the service’s bomber vector, the budget request detailed the Air Force plan to update the B-52 Stratofortress fleet and continue modifications to the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets while continuing to acquire B-21 Raiders.

“As part of our decisions presented in the FY19 President’s Budget, the Air Force will update the B-52 bomber fleet and fund development of replacement engines,” said Secretary of the Air Force Heather A. Wilson. “We will also continue necessary B-1 and B-2 modifications to keep them relevant until the B-21s come on line.”

Once sufficient B-21 aircraft are operational, the B-1s and B-2s will be incrementally retired. Delivery and retirement timelines are dependent on the B-21 production and delivery schedules.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 14, 2018

Air Force makes way for the B-21 Raider to replace B-1B, B-2 bombers -- UPI

USAF's New Bomber Roadmap Could Bust-Up Key Arms Control Treaty With the Russians -- The Warzone/The Drive

Don’t Retire Our Stealth Bombers -- Jerry Hendrix, NRO

Russia is using mercenaries to make it look like it's losing fewer troops in Syria -- Business Insider

Putin unveils his upgraded anti-missile system as dramatic footage shows test launch of powerful rockets designed to protect the Kremlin -- Daily Mail

Putin Holds Military Exercises on Islands Claimed by Japan -- Bloomberg

How new Russian submarine tactics are threatening to overwhelm aging U.S. fleet -- Washington Times

New fighter jets will be used in ‘more regular’ patrols over South China Sea -- SCMMP

China Develops New Amphibious Ships -- China Christian Daily

Who will be China’s next defense minister? -- Adam Ni, Asia Times

India Fast Tracks Procurement of Thousands of Machine Guns, Sniper Rifles -- Sputnik

Turkey to bolster fight in Syria with new armored vehicles, helicopters -- Defense News

NATO Will Put New Command Centers in US and Germany, Officials Say -- Bloomberg

Royal Navy ship 'sails within METRES of Russian boat' during show of force NATO mission -- Daily Star

More nations on track to meet NATO's 2% spending goal -- UPI

U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis to press European allies on military spending -- Reuters

Terrorism challenges in Africa take back seat in U.S. to other threats -- Defense News

US Navy to add 46 ships in five years, but 355 ships won’t come for a long time -- Defense News

Naval Intel Must Do Ocean Surveillance Better -- US Naval Institute

The Navy Is Now Funding 4 Different Laser Weapons -- Popular Mechanics

Righting the Listing Ship of Navy Readiness — Without Sinking the Pentagon -- War on the Rocks

TX Trainer Is Coming But What About Light Attack? -- Military.com

The Air Force isn't worried its new light attack aircraft might be more vulnerable -- Washington Examiner

With new weapons, F-15s will now fly into the 2040s -- We Are The Mighty

US Seeks New Sensors & Weapons to Destroy Hypersonic Missile Attacks -- Warrior Maven

Pentagon requests $74B budget increase for 2019 -- UPI

MDA $9.9 billion budget request geared to address North Korean threat -- Defense News

Experts: Pentagon's 2019 budget plan headed for receptive audience on Hill -- Stars and Stripes

Pentagon budget includes $69M to replace top-secret detainee section at Gitmo -- The Hill

U.S. defense spending bonanza puts niche acquisitions in play -- Reuters

Don’t use Huawei phones, say heads of FBI, CIA, and NSA -- Verge

The Air Force's 'rods from god' could hit with the force of a nuclear weapon — with no fallout -- Blake Stilwell, Business Insider/We Are The Mighty

A New Batch of Grim Warnings from U.S. Intel -- The Cipher Brief