Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 2, 2014

Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers take part in a training exercise at a military base in Kabul November 23, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Insight - Afghan Forces Ill Equipped To Fight Taliban Without NATO -- Kay Johnson and Mirwais Harooni, Reuters

(Reuters) - Afghan district police chief Ahmadullah Anwari only has enough grenades to hand out three to each checkpoint in an area of Helmand province swarming with Taliban insurgents who launch almost daily attacks on security forces.

"Sometimes up to 200 Taliban attack our checkpoints and if there are no army reinforcements, we lose the fight," said Anwari, in charge of one of Afghanistan's most volatile districts, Sangin.

"It shames me to say that we don't have enough weapons and equipment. But this is a bitter reality."

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 2, 2014

NATO, Afghan leaders: Ready to move to new phase -- AP

NATO to launch new Afghan mission, rapid-reaction force -- Stars and Stripes

82nd Airborne pathfinders on call to move quickly in Afghanistan -- Stars and Stripes/The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. (TNS)

Heeding defense needs, China’s aircraft carrier ambitions appear to move closer to reality -- Global Times

China dispatches escort fleet to Somali waters -- Ecns.cn

North Korea Is In The Process Of Developing A Fleet Of Nuclear Missile-Capable Submarines -- Business Insider

Israel Air Force to get only 14 F-35 fighter jets, not 31 as planned -- Haaretz

Mystery Plane Makes Secret Trips Between Israel and Gulf State: Reports -- Sputnik

IS Claims to Have Constructed ‘Dirty Bomb’ After Stealing 40 Kg of Uranium -- Sputnik

Air Force pilot killed participating in Operation Inherent Resolve -- Stars and Stripes

Iraqi army 'had 50,000 ghost troops' on payroll -- BBC

Russia announces war games; UK worried by 'extremely aggressive' probing of air space -- Reuters

Russia's Northern Fleet Ships Leave English Channel, Enter Bay of Biscay -- Sputnik

Russia launches ‘wartime government’ HQ in major military upgrade -- RT

Russian Strategic Missile Forces to Get New Military Equipment: Ministry -- Sputnik

Russian Air Force to Get Over 150 Planes, Copters in 2015: Defense Ministry -- Sputnik

Russian jets pose threat to civilian planes, U.S. envoy says -- Daily Mail/Reuters

The US Fifth Generation Fighter F-22 At Japan Joint Exercise Was A Warning To China And Russia -- IBTimes

Agni-IV launch successful -- The Hindu

NATO Struggles to Muster ‘Spearhead Force’ to Counter Russia -- WSJ

Stoltenberg: NATO Spearhead Force to Become Fully Operational in 2016 -- Sputnik

NATO Ministers To Plot Course On Ukraine, Afghanistan -- Defense News

Nigeria tells US to halt training of battalion -- Stars and Stripes/AP

US Army Labs Test DARPA's Load-Lightening Exosuits -- Defense News

Lawmakers reach breakthrough on defense bill -- The Hill

This Week: 'It Is All Up in the Air' With Defense Bills Still Pending -- Defense News

Congress Has Less Than 10 Days To Make All of These National Security Decisions -- Defense One

Top US Spy Agency Creates Counterintelligence and Security Center -- Sputnik

CIA Torture Report ‘Days’ Away, Feinstein Says -- Daily Beast

NSA Opens Up Data Automation Software For Public Use -- Forbes

Edward Snowden wins Swedish human rights award for NSA revelations -- The Guardian

Can PTSD symptoms be traced to concussion-induced pituitary damage? -- Alan Zarembo, Stars and Stripes/Los Angeles Times (Tribune News Service)

Pentagon budget efforts trapped by a cycle of ‘madness’ -- Walter Pincus, Washington Post

Analysis: War contractors ready for battle against Islamic State -- Stars and Stripes/CQ Roll Call (Tribune News Service)

Hybrid warfare used by Islamic State fighters is nothing new -- Howard Altman, Stars and Stripes/Tampa Tribune, Fla. (TNS)