Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 2, 2018

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018

Bloomberg: Trump to Hold Pakistan Aid Linked to Action Against Terror

* Trump’s administration has cut off $255 million in funding
* Future Assistance to test ‘trajectory of our relationship’

The U.S. will continue to withhold $255 million in military aid to Pakistan as the White House reviews the nation’s "level of cooperation" in fighting terrorism, a National Security Council spokesperson said.

The announcement came just hours after Trump in a tweet said the U.S. has "foolishly" given more than $33 billion in aid to the country and gotten only "lies and deceit" in return.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 2, 2018

Here’s What Experts Think Are the True Capabilities of the North Korean Military -- Big Think

Trump’s Strategy to Knock Out North Korean Missiles Carries Risk -- Bloomberg

South Korean navy receives first multipurpose training vessel -- IHS Jane's 360

Japan Considering Destroyer Conversion to Counter China, N Korea -- Sputnik

Taiwan Sets Up Elite Unit to Protect President Amid China Invasion Fears -- National Interest

Home-grown aircraft carrier tops list of major additions to China’s navy in 2017 -- SCMP

Chinese navy trains more fighter pilots for expanded aircraft carrier fleet -- South China Morning Post

Chinese robots to TREBLE bomb production as tensions with US grow -- Daily Star

What 2018 Holds in Store for Russia-China Strategic Cooperation -- Sputnik

Size of Russian armed forces decreases by nearly 300 personnel -- TASS

Russia's Plans to Challenge US Military Power -- Scout Warrior

This Russian Rifle Could Cause Trouble for NATO (Think Automatic Weapons) -- National Interest

Russian army demonstrates latest weapon: Cuddly puppies -- Seattle Times/AP

Al Assad promotes top army commander in cabinet reshuffle -- The National

Sudan’s al-Bashir pledges to develop country’s military capabilities -- Middle East Monitor

30,000 Nigerian soldiers homeless – Former Army chief, Ihejirika -- Daily Post

Focus shifts to China Border as Indian army rejigs its 5-year priorities -- Economic Times

Turkey Plans to Hire Nearly 43,000 Military Personnel in 2018 - Reports -- Sputnik

Canadian Navy’s support ship Asterix to join fleet -- Naval Technology

Top US commander wants more aggressive Afghan push this year, “keep the pressure on all the time” -- FOX/AP

THAAD: Reach Out and Touch Ballistic Missiles -- Defense Industry Daily

Army Self-Propelled Howitzers to Outgun Russian Weapons -- Warrior Maven

Mattis: Conventional forces will assume more special operations force roles in 2018 -- Military Times

F-35 could finally see combat as Marines reveals plan for 2018 'baptism of fire' mission -- Daily Mail

The U.S. Navy's 2017 -- Maritime Executive

What Happened To Our Surface Forces? -- US Naval Institute

Marines Size Up Laser Weapons -- Signal

Military Launch Quality Issues Flagged by DoD Watchdog -- Space.com

Why Marines replaced the SAW with the beloved M27 -- Task & Purpose

The Unique Way the Navy Performs Burials Under the Sea -- Military.com/Virginia Pilot

Who Watches the Watchers in the U.S. Navy? -- James Holmes, National Interest

An AI-Powered Network Could Save the US Navy Billions of Dollars -- Futurism

Where We’re Headed in 2018 -- Defense One