Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 2, 2015

F-35 2014 End of Year Wrap-Up

From YouTube: 2014 for the F-35 program was all about momentum, maturity and meeting our milestones. The enterprise was expanded with maintenance and training depots stood up around the U.S., the program met its production goal of 36 aircraft delivered, the first F-35C sea trials were completed with 100% success, and new commitments were received from international partners and foreign military sales nations.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 2, 2015

Iraqi general warns of military woes in fighting Islamic State militants -- AP

Syrian rebels say US ignored their early plan to stop Islamic State -- Stars and Stripes/McClatchy news

U.S. Congress Slaps Restrictions on Most Iraqi Training Funds -- Defense News

Top Lebanese defense officials meet Iran ambassador over Army support -- Daily Star

Afghanistan marks takeover of security responsibility from NATO -- Deutsche Welle

Russia Remains World Leader in Space Launches: Roscosmos -- Space Daily/Sputnik

Boeing, Airbus, Korean Air Join To Bid For KF-X -- Aviation Week

Nigerian Army Dismisses 203 Soldiers After Secret Night Trial -- AllAfrica.com/Premium Times

iSpy: GCHQ targets tech grads for fast track scheme -- RT

Despite sequester cuts, Pentagon still splurges on Bowl games as recruiting tool -- Washington Times

Businesses, Pentagon agree this program doesn’t work. Congress saved it anyway. -- Washington Post

How the Pentagon's Quest For Insect-Sized Combat Drones Could End Up Saving Lives -- Vice

Pentagon IG to query five in Bergdahl ransom probe -- Washington Times

Iran Depicts American Navy as Weak, Cowardly -- Michael Rubin, Weekly Standard

USS Abraham Lincoln sailors get in shape with the 'fit boss' -- Stars and Stripes/(Newport News, Va.) Daily Press

The Army may ditch fitness tests for unfit, 'ponytail-wearing' hackers -- Endgadget

Needed Now: A Realistic Strategy Force Structure for the 21st Century -- Harlan Ullman, War On The Rocks

The CIA Has a Problem With Biometric Surveillance -- Aliya Sternstein, Defense One/Nextgov

A Mach 5 Arms Race? Welcome to Hypersonic Weapons 101 -- Robert Farley, National Interest

Rethinking The Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent -- Robert Spalding and Adam Lowther, Breaking Defense

China's Nuclear Upgrade Raises Concerns in the West -- David Oualaalou, Huffington Post

A Vital Nuclear Agreement, at Risk -- New York Times editorial

Visiting Europe’s military museums -- Miami Herald