Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 27, 2015

New York Times: ISIS, Facing Losses, Releases Recording Said to Be of Leader

BAGHDAD — The Islamic State on Saturday released an audio recording of a speech purportedly made by the organization’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in which he implored more Muslims to fight on behalf of his increasingly besieged group.

The authenticity of the recording could not be confirmed. It appeared to be Mr. Baghdadi’s first public address since May, and it followed reports that he had been either killed or gravely wounded by airstrikes.

The speech was released on jihadist social media accounts after a string of defeats for the Islamic State in Iraq and amid intensifying bombardment by an American-led military coalition in both Syria and Iraq.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 27, 2015

ISIS peddles instructions online for downing jet fighters with homemade weapons -- Washington Times

How American weapons are ending up in the hands of IS -- Wilson Fache, Al-Monitor

Russia Says North Caucasus 'Terrorist' Was Trained In Syria -- RFE

US Refuses To Share Intel With Russia On Islamic State Unless Changes Stance On Assad -- Eurasia Review

Russia strengthens defence in light of Turkey incident, Moscow claims to destroy 'Islamic State oil empire' -- IBTimes

Russia to establish anti-terror HQs in key coastal areas -- RT

Russia Creates Secretive New Missile for Iskander-M System -- Sputnik

Russian S-300 Missile Defense Systems To Be Dispatched To Iran In January: Report -- IBTimes

Russia defense spending hits 10-year high -- CNBC

Cluster munitions - insidious weapons of war -- DW

First Afghan Super Tucano pilots declared 'combat ready' -- IHS Jane's 360

Xi calls for army paper loyalty amid military reforms and job cuts -- South China Morning Post

Pakistan’s army is building an arsenal of ”tiny” nuclear weapons—and it’s going to backfire -- C. Christine Fair, Quartz

Emerging Cracks in South Asian Nuclear Deterrence -- Ayush Midha, Harvard Political Review

British troops celebrating Christmas Day in Kabul are forced to flee as 6.3-magnitude earthquake shakes Afghanistan -- Daily Mail

UK Defence secretary Michael Fallon: suspend the human rights act to protect our troops -- The Telegraph

NATO to Deploy Airborne Warning Aircraft in Turkey – Reports -- Sputnik

U.S. remains top supplier of weapons in the world -- Seattle Times/NYT

Navy Invests In Powerful Laser Weapons System -- Maritime Executive

DARPA Plans GPS Replacement With Atomic Clocks For Military Applications -- Defense World

Army infantry, armor, spec ops units open to women in 2016 -- Army Times

How the U.S. Missile Defense Agency burned $231 million on a program that never should have left the drawing board -- L.A. Times

Marine Corps Shelves Futuristic Robo-Mule Due to Noise Concerns -- Military.com

Obama to service members: We never take you for granted -- CNN

Obama Admits to Feeling 'Small' Alongside Marines -- AP

Authorities search for Marine missing from NJ base for nearly a week -- FOX News

Here’s What Happened When Three CIA Officers Played Homeland: The Game .... The terrorists won. -- Alex Finley and Aki Peritz, Slate

We're Not Prepared for a Biological Attack -- US News and World Report

NASA Turns to Navy and Marine Corps for a Few Good Astronauts -- Military.com

The US military’s real problem: Fewer Americans are joining -- John Spencer, Politico