Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 8, 2017

CNN: US warships begin Hurricane Irma relief operations

Washington (CNN)The US military began supporting relief operations for Hurricane Irma on Thursday as helicopters deployed from the USS Wasp amphibious warship started assisting with damage assessment and medical evacuations for critical care patients from St. Thomas to St. Croix, according to US Northern Command.

The USS Wasp was the first Navy ship to arrive in the US Virgin Islands and is providing medium and heavy lift helicopters to transport people and supplies, the service said in a statement.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 8, 2017

US military preparations for Hurricane Irma now include 5 Navy ships and thousands of troops -- Virginia Pilot

Fleeing F-5 Fighters, Devastated Airports, And Packed Hangars As Irma Slams Caribbean -- The Warzone/The Drive

Amphib USS Wasp Offers Hurricane Irma Recovery Assistance to U.S. Virgin Islands -- USNI News

Irma: UK military to provide emergency support to hurricane victims -- The Independent

Air Force's 'Hurricane Hunters' Now Stalking Irma -- Military.com

Coast Guard trains future officers for hurricane missions -- FOX News

Trump Triggers Speculation on New Arms Deals to Deter North Korea -- RCD

North Korea Plans to Launch Full-Range ICBM on Saturday -- Scout Warrior

Russia Has 100K Troops On the Move. Here’s Why NATO Can’t Do the Same -- Elisabeth Braw, Defense One

Chinese Military's Secret Weapon Against U.S. -- Scout Warrior

Watch: Chinese special forces shoot apples off each other’s heads with service pistols -- SOFREP

Top Israel general: We need US support to fight Iran -- Defense News

Afghanistan Is Getting More Ill-Suited Attack Choppers it May Not Even Be Able to Fly -- The Drive/Warzone

Rep. Ted Yoho: North Korea threat means more F-35s to Japan -- Washington Examiner

Navy Upgrades Attack Submarine Weapons Controls, Sensors -- Scout Warrior

New Report Finds Navy Crews Are Undermanned, Overworked, And Lack Training -- Task & Purpose

US Navy worked around its own standards to keep ships underway: sources -- Defense News

Navy to Use Heavy Lift Ship to Bring Stricken USS John S. McCain to Japan -- USNI News

Littoral Combat Ship Program Vastly Different a Year Into Major Organizational, Operational Overhaul -- USNI News

Marine Corps Plans Weapons & Tech for Osprey - beyond 2030 -- Scout Warrior

USMC should drop the F-35 and V-22 — and perhaps the F-18 while it’s at it -- Thomas Ricks, Foreign Policy

A Dozen Reasons Small Aircraft Carriers Don't Make Much Sense -- Loren Thompson, Forbes

Next US ICBM Intercept to Use New Technology -- Scout Warrior

White House Brushes Off Calls For Updated AUMF To Place Limits On Global War on Terror -- Task & Purpose

Pentagon to Make Fresh Appeal to Congress for Base Closures -- RCD

SpaceX Launches Air Force’s Super-secret Minishuttle -- AP

The Air Force’s Secret Space Plane Is Headed Back Into Orbit. Here’s What It’s Probably Up To -- Jared Keller, Task & Purpose

DARPA's "Flying Missile Rail" Seems To Be More About Manufacturing Than Combat -- The Warzone/The Drive

A-29 Super Tucano – A Force Multiplier in COIN -- Daniel Gouré, RCD

7 Important Weapons Used By the United States in the Vietnam War -- Sam Bocetta, SWJ

The Suicide Contagion: How The Effort To Combat Veterans’ Suicide May Be Making It Worse -- Adam Linehan, Task & Purpose

Book Review: “Chinese Intelligence Operations” -- James Torrence, SWJ

This Northrop Grumman Exec Has Some Very Interesting Airplane Models On His Desk -- The Warzone/The Drive