Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 26, 2014

U.S. Lays Groundwork for Syria Strike -- Wall Street Journal

Pentagon Seeks to Gather Intelligence on Islamic State Targets With Surveillance Flights

The Pentagon is preparing to send surveillance aircraft, including drones, into Syrian airspace to gather intelligence on Islamist targets, laying the groundwork for a possible expansion of the limited U.S. military air campaign beyond Iraq, senior U.S. officials said.

The decision amounts to an acknowledgment that U.S. intelligence-collection efforts must be expanded to provide a better picture of the threat posed by the group calling itself the Islamic State, which holds large swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory. It is also one of the first tangible signs that the Obama administration may be preparing for military operations in Syria against the group, which is also known as ISIS.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 26, 2014

US surveillance planes fly over Syria -- AP

US launches reconnaissance flights over Syria -- The Guardian

U.S. prepares military options in Syria against Islamic State -- Reuters

White House: Obama has not made a decision on military action in Syria -- Washington Post

Here’s everything the U.S. military has hit with airstrikes in Iraq -- Washington Post

The Problem With Bombing ISIS -- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic

US needs more information on Islamic State, Dempsey says -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Islamic State might have taken advanced MANPADS from Syrian airfield -- Washington Post

North Korea Building Missile Submarine -- Washington Free Beacon

Naval Air: The Indian Navy Runs Out Of Helicopters -- Strategy page

Russia Prepares to Launch Third Varshavyanka-Class Submarine -- RIA Novosti

Canada Concerned About Russia’s Military Expansion in Arctic -- IBTimes

Morale: China Goes To War With Its Generals -- Strategy Page

US, Chinese Officials to Meet at Pentagon After Jet Intercept -- VOA

U.S., Chinese officials to meet at Pentagon after jet intercept -- Reuters

SAS and US Special Forces Forming Hunter Killer Unit to 'Smash Islamic State -- FOX News/Mirror

Research raises concerns for new Army helmet design -- USA Today

New Army helmet fails brain injury protection test, may cause worse injuries -- Washington Times

Concept for XS-1 Military Space Plane Unveiled -- Discovery

Northrop Grumman unveils concept for XS-1 military space plane -- FOX News/Space.com

Feds Creating Database to Track ‘Hate Speech’ on Twitter -- Washington Free Beacon

The Surveillance Engine: How the NSA Built Its Own Secret Google -- The Intercept

NSA built “Google-like” interface to scan 850+ billion metadata records -- Ars Technica

Senate torture report didn’t interview responsible CIA officers -- Washington Times

Obama to announce new efforts for vets as military engagements loom -- CNN

How one female officer won over her skeptical combat-arms Marines -- Marine Times

7 Steps The US Military Should Take To Be More Like The IDF -- Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, Forbes

Sandhurst's sheikhs: Why do so many Gulf royals receive military training in the UK? -- BBC

In Photos: Elite Soldiers Compete in a Special Forces Olympics -- Vice News