Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 15, 2015

Washington Post: Obama vows to keep Arab allies secure amid Iran deal fears/AP

WASHINGTON — Charging toward an Iran nuclear agreement, President Barack Obama is assuring Arab allies that they are safe from the threat of an empowered Tehran as he seeks to shore up some of America’s most critical security partnerships. However, Obama’s claim of winning Arab support for his nuclear diplomacy appears far from certain.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 15, 2015

Obama: U.S. would consider military force if needed to defend Gulf states -- Reuters

US, Gulf States To Deepen Military Ties -- Defense News/AFP

Vietnam Goes Shopping for U.S. Military Hardware -- Bloomberg

Indonesia’s crudely invasive ‘virginity tests’ for female military recruits -- Washington Post

Afghanistan, Pakistan Security Pledge -- Defense News

N. Korea Holds Live-Fire Drill in Yellow Sea -- Defense News/AFP

Japan Cabinet OKs Military Expansion Rules -- Defense News/AFP

China Absent as Japan Parades Gear at First Defense Show -- Bloomberg

China and India to set up military hotline -- Financial Times

China Military Recruiters Make Push For College Students, Offering New Incentives -- IBTimes

China issues warning after U.S. warship sails near man-made islands -- UPI

Pentagon Building Up Forces, Alliances in South China Sea -- Washington Free Beacon

DoD Outlines Strategies to Counter Chinese Aggression -- US Department of Defense

Russian, Chinese combat ships enter Aegean Sea for Mediterranean joint drills -- ITAR-TASS

Russian, Chinese Warships Enter Mediterranean to Hold Joint Naval Drills -- Sputnik

Russia Close to Signing Arms Deals in Latin America -- Sputnik

Russian battle robots shoot armored targets during field trials -- RT

Russian Navy Aircraft Carrier Kuznetsov in Dry Dock for Unknown Reasons and Length of Time -- Navy Recognition

No bans exist on Russia’s deployment of certain weapons in Crimea — envoy to NATO -- ITAR-TASS

Baltics To Ask NATO For Thousands Of Troops -- Defense News/AFP

Germany to Decide on MEADS Missile Systems Purchase by Late June -- Sputnik

Australia Dials Back U.S. B-1 Bomber Talk -- WSJ

House defies Obama veto threat, approves $612B US defense bill -- The Hill

US Coast Guard Lacks Funds to Buy Needed Ships, Planes -- Sputnik

Senate targets Pentagon spending on sports, recruiting -- USA Today

F-22 notches first guided AIM-9X Sidewinder firing -- IHS Jane's 360

GAO: Pentagon has ‘challenges’ training drone pilots -- The Hill

Official: Bodies found with wreckage of missing U.S. helicopter in Nepal -- CNN

Navy to double maternity leave, make fitness changes and ease body fat restrictions in bid to recruit more women -- Daily Mail

GOP rejects U.S. military service for Dreamers -- MSNBC

Pentagon hosts first Lab Day to highlight gadgets -- Defense News

DARPA wants to take clearer pictures of objects 22,000 miles away -- Business Journal

What is a littoral combat ship? -- Brad Lendon, CNN

A Disconnected Military -- Tom Risen, US News and World Report

Mattis: U.S. Suffering ‘Strategic Atrophy’ -- John Grady, USNI News