Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 26, 2018

Flickr

Dave Majumdar, Business Insider: U.S. Military Battle with Possible Russian Mercenaries: 'Our Strikes Were Done out of Self-Defense'

The Pentagon is reiterating that a battle in Syria that allegedly left some number of Russian mercenaries dead was purely an act of self-defense on the part of U.S. forces. Indeed, the Pentagon still does not know exactly who it is that American forces targeted during their retaliatory strike on Feb. 7.

“Our strikes were done out of self-defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Dana W. White told reporters on Feb. 22. “We were very clear about that. We saw that group moving towards us. We still don't know, and I won't speculate, about the intentions or the composition of that group.”

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 26, 2018

USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier sails through South China Sea in defiance of China -- ABC News Online

First US Navy carrier to visit Vietnam since war in wake of humanitarian mission -- Defense News

US and French Fighters Contend for a Place Aboard India's New Aircraft Carrier -- The Diplomat

MSDF helicopter flattop Izumo designed as aircraft carrier -- Asahi Shimbun

US intelligence agencies step up warnings on Beijing influence -- The Australian

China plans sea-based anti-missile shields 'for Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean' -- CNBC

Major Expansion Of Chinese Marines -- Strategy Page

Xi Looks to China’s Private Sector as He Pursues a Slimmer, Smarter PLA -- Meia Nouwens and Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, War On The Rocks

China's terrifying and deadly arsenal of weapons -- NEWS.com.au

Chinese military drone sales hover over Middle East -- South China Morning Post

Putin Signs New State Arms Program Focused on Cutting-Edge Weaponry -- Sputnik

Russian Military Spies Reportedly Hacked the Olympics and Tried to Blame It on North Korea -- Complex

Armor: Ukraine Revives Armor Industry -- Strategy Page

Rare video appears to show destruction of Russian-backed separatists infantry fighting vehicle on Ukraine frontline -- Business Insider

Norway Shelves Decision to Join NATO's Missile Shield -- Sputnik

Want to be a female soldier in Saudi Arabia's military? Here are the rules --Al-Arabiya

Iran looking to build nuclear submarines, watchdog says -- Times of Israel/AFP

Will the US Help the Saudis Get a Nuclear Weapon? -- New York Times

How Many Nuclear Weapons Do the US and Russia Have? Here's What You Need to Know -- Newsweek

UN report: Afghan JTACs needed to curb civilian deaths -- Defense News

Special Forces troops train Nigerian infantry for fight against Boko Haram, ISIS -- Military Times

We tested out an F-35 simulator -- CNBC

Air Force’s grounded T-6 trainers could fly again next week -- Air Force Times

Navy Budget Adds 14 F/A-18 Super Hornets -- Fly to 2040s -- Warrior Maven

Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilder Nears Completion of Future JFK Aircraft Carrier -- Executive Biz

Trump administration: Troops can stay in Iraq, Syria indefinitely -- Defense News

Special Operations Command asks for more troops, biggest budget yet -- Military Times

The Pentagon shifted $20 billion from OCO to base budget. Here's what it included. -- Defense News

U.S. Cyber Command: 'When Faced With a Bully…hit Him Harder.'-- Jason Healey, The Cipher Brief

We’ve Lost the Opening Info Battle against Russia; Let’s Not Lose the War -- Dan Mahaffee, Defense One

These are the 25 most powerful militaries in the world -- Christopher Woody, Business Insider