Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 25, 2016

The Washington Post. By Laris Karklis/The Washington Post.

Wall Street Journal: Australia Takes Steps to Counter China’s Rising Military Power

Government deepens U.S. alliance and funds major military expansion

CANBERRA, Australia—Australia’s government is strengthening its U.S. alliance and plowing ahead with a 10-year, $140 billion military expansion amid rising regional tensions over China’s muscle-flexing on key trade routes in the South China Sea.

A defense blueprint released by Australia’s conservative Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday urged Beijing to be more forthcoming about its security intentions in the South China Sea, where China is building artificial islands on disputed reefs.

“We are a maritime power, we are an island nation,” Mr. Turnbull said. “We operate in a region where sea lanes, freedom of access to navigation, where maritime assets in a naval sense are growing, both submarine and surface vessels.”

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 25, 2016

US, Russian Military Unlikely to Operate in Syria Side by Side - Army Chief -- Sputnik

Top NATO Official: Assertive Russia Threatens European Security -- Defense News

Russia’s Pacific Fleet ships to take part in international drills in Indian Ocean -- TASS

How Putin Made Russia’s Military Into a Modern, Lethal Fighting Force -- Mitchell Yates, National Interest

China’s not-so-wonderful weapons -- Asia Times

THAAD, South Korea and China -- Rod Lyon, The Strategist

Australia's Planned Military Buildup Focuses on Navy -- AP

Indian armed forces to open all combat roles to women -- Al Jazeera

French special forces 'in Libya' -- AFP

Egyptian Navy To Receive Mistral Warships by September -- Defense news

NATO Ships to Cooperate With Greece, Turkey in Curbing Illegal Migration -- Sputnik

Chinese, Russian Subs Increasingly Worrying the Pentagon -- Foreign Policy

U.S. to boost South China Sea freedom of navigation moves, admiral says -- Reuters

China accuses US commander of using smears to seek funds -- AP

American Military Contractors Surge By Eight Times In Iraq In Only A Year -- Daily Caller

STRATCOM Haney Concerned About Russian Surveillance Flights Over U.S. -- USNI News

Navy engineer with secret access accused of concealing double life as Iranian citizen -- Navy Times

Boeing racing clock to deliver 18 KC-46 tankers by next August -- Flight Global

McCain Threatens To Block New Air Force Bomber -- Defense News

Special: The Future of Aircraft Carriers -- Scout

Navy Pondering Helicopter Future After MH-60 Seahawk -- USNI News

As Pentagon overhauls nuclear triad, critics advise caution -- PBS News Hour

Meet 'Captain Crunch,' the Pentagon gun muncher that has destroyed 1M firearms -- FOX News

Service Chiefs Reject Proposal to Develop New Military Cyber Force -- Military.com

Behind the Air Force’s Fast-Growing Cyber Research Budget -- Next Gov

The making of America's cyberweapons -- Michael V. Hayden, CSM

New GPS 3 ground system is the Pentagon’s “most troubled” program -- Space News

ONR Winter to Congress: Navy Making Progress on Developing High-Energy Laser Weapons -- USNI News

'Star Wars' lasers coming to military vehicles soon (maybe) -- Military Times

Kendall lays out Pentagon thinking on future space programs -- Space News

Former Navy Secretary to Brass: Stop Focusing on 300-Ship Fleet -- Military.com

Connecting The Dots: SU-35s Over Taipei, DPRK Rockets Over Okinawa -- Peter Navarro, RCD

America's Security Deficit: Addressing the Imbalance Between Strategy and Resources in a Turbulent World -- RAND