Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 18, 2017

Tillerson: Military action against North Korea "on the table" https://t.co/x5a5S1xuGP pic.twitter.com/0iQWLJzCdB

— The Hill (@thehill) March 17, 2017

New York Times: The Risks of Pre-emptive Strikes Against North Korea

A declaration by Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson that the United States would consider pre-emptive military action against North Korea raises a question that has dogged American military planners for 20 years: How could this be made to work?

The United States has long threatened force. The sincerity of such threats has always been ambiguous, as they are often meant less to prepare for war than to act as a deterrent to North Korea and a reassurance of the commitment by the United States to South Korea.

But there is a reason that, even as North Korea’s weapons programs have passed red line after red line, the United States has never followed through.

Almost any plan would bring a high risk of unintended escalation to all-out war, analysts believe. It would place millions of South Korean and Japanese civilians in the cross hairs of North Korean weapons with few guaranteed benefits.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 18, 2017

Here's how a preemptive strike on North Korea would go down -- Business Insider

What would a Trump-Tillerson war with North Korea really look like? -- The Hill

Revealed: North Korea's Forgotten (and Completely Crazy) Shadow War -- Adam Rawnsley, National Interest

War with North Korea would be a 'bloodbath,' says DoD official -- Washington Examiner

GOP rep: North Korean conflict could be 'worst war' since WWII -- The Hill

Amid Tough Talk on North Korea, US Wants More THAAD Interceptors -- Defense Tech

China accused by Taiwan of stepping up spy operations -- BBC

French carrier to lead joint amphibious Pacific drill with Japanese, U.S. personnel in show of force aimed at China -- Japan Times/Reuters

Israel's Arrow anti-missile system 'in first hit' -- BBC

How Russia Is Turning Syria into a Major Naval Base for Nuclear Warships (and Israel Is Worried) -- Michael Peck, National Interest

Masters of the Arctic: Russia to Permanently Station Submarines in Icy North -- Sputnik

Malaysian naval power suffers budget woes -- Defense News

Turkey's Troubled NATO Status -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Saab receives order for anti-armor weapon systems -- UPI

German military to use 13 A400M aircraft after failing to find buyers -- Reuters

Germany owes 'vast' sums of money for NATO, claims US President Donald Trump -- DW

First of 800 UK troops arrive in Estonia to face off against Putin as part of Nato show of strength -- The Independent

Deterring Russia: US Army hones skills to mass equipment, troops in Europe -- Defense News

Lockheed Martin to recoat U.S. Air Force F-22s -- UPI

The First Rule of B-21 Is You Do Not Talk About B-21 -- Defense Tech

Army Leaders Warn of Armor Upgrade, Air-Defense Cuts with Budget Caps -- DoD Buzz

U.S. Army demos laser weapon with Stryker vehicle -- UPI

Admiral: Carrier Gaps Could Return in 2018 -- DoD Buzz

ElectronicsUS Military Pays Roughly $100 Million for 'Leading Edge' Microelectronics -- Sputnik

Marines United Spokesman: Nude Photo Scandal Shows Why Women Shouldn’t Serve -- James Laporta, Daily Beast

Mini-nukes and mosquito-like robot weapons being primed for future warfare -- CNBC

Trump's Defense Budget Boost Raises Questions on Strategy -- Richard Lardner, RCD

Trump’s Bigger Military Won’t Necessarily Make the US Stronger or Safer -- Todd Harrison, Defense One

Why Trump's defense budget is not enough to rebuild America's military -- Mackenzie Eaglen, The Hill

National Military Strategy Development—Time for a Revolutionary Approach -- John Kummer, Brenton Ramsey & Michael Padgett, RCD

How the US Mission in Syria has Evolved And Could Expand -- AP