Thursday, October 31, 2013

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 31, 2013



Tap On Merkel Provides Peek At Vast Spy Net -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — It was not obvious to the National Security Agency a dozen years ago that Angela Merkel, a rising star as the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, was a future chancellor of Germany.

But that did not matter.

The N.S.A., in a practice that dates back to the depths of the Cold War and that has never ended, was recording her conversations and those of a range of leaders in Germany and elsewhere, storing them in databases that could be searched later, if the need arose. It is unclear how often they searched the databases for her conversations, if at all.

But once she became the country’s leader, everything she talked about on her personal cellphone — like her support of the Afghan war, the efforts of European allies to halt Iran’s nuclear program, and Germany’s central role in quelling the European financial crisis — took on greater importance for the American eavesdroppers.

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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Google and Yahoo furious at reports NSA secretly taps data centres -- The Guardian

NSA Director Alexander: Defending Against Cyberattacks Requires Collaboration -- US Department of Defense

NSA denials are ‘implausible,’ France says -- Washington Post

China, Other Asians Angry Over Embassy Spy Reports -- New York Times/AP

China is spying on you through your KETTLE: Bugs that scan wi-fi devices found in imported kitchen gadgets -- Daily Mail

Russia Denies Italian Reports it Spied on G20 Leaders -- Voice of America

Edward Snowden to start work at Russian website -- The Guardian

Type 091 and what it tells us about China's nuclear submarine program -- Information Dissemination

Putin oversees maneuvers of Russian nuclear forces -- AP

Russia Test-Fires Range Of Nuclear-capable Missiles -- Defense News/AFP

Russia to Question US-Japan Missile Defense Plans -- RIA Novosti

Russia's Epic Nuclear Bomber Mission -- AP

Eurofighter Announces Typhoon Upgrades -- Defense News

This South Korean Jet Is a Bargain Dogfighter -- War Is Boring

India develops new tactical missile 'Pragati' -- NDTV

INS Vikramaditya to set sail for India on November 30 -- Economic Times

Turkey to renew F-35 order by mid-January -- Hurriyet Daily News

US Congress Plans Series of Asia Pacific Oversight Hearings -- Defense News

Talks break down on sharing costs of U.S. troops in Korea -- Stars and Stripes

U.S. military commandos fought in Benghazi -- Washington Times

Navy: We Never Said We Were Buying More Super Hornets -- Breaking Defense

U.S. F-35 fighter drops first guided bomb against ground target -- Reuters

C-17 Undergoes Upgrades to Extend Life in Pacific -- DOD Buzz

Contracts Awarded to Develop Laser Pods that Shoot Down Missiles -- Defense Tech

U.S. nuclear arms overhaul needed to ensure reliability - officials -- Reuters

US Modernizing Key Nuclear Bomb Amid Funding Concerns -- RIA Novosti

US Tested Soviet MiG Fighters at Mysterious Area 51 -- RIA Novosti

U.S. military wants to create 'Iron Man suit' -- L.A. Times

The US Military Wants an Iron Man Suit? Who Can Make It? -- International Business Times

Report into F-16 crash cites spatial disorientation by pilot -- Stars and Stripes

Four female Marines pass key benchmark at infantry training -- Stars and Stripes/USA Today

Report: Uneven training for guards at US buildings, like Navy Yard -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Replacing the Boomers & Naval Soul-Searching: II -- War On the Rocks

Military spots where spirits are said to roam -- Military Times

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