Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 25, 2018

BBC: Russia and Taliban deny US claims of working together

Russia and the Taliban have separately rejected comments made by the head of US forces in Afghanistan that Moscow has been supporting, and even supplying weapons to, the insurgent group.

Gen John Nicholson told the BBC last week he had seen "destabilising activity by the Russians".

The Russian embassy in Kabul in a statement dismissed the general's claim as "baseless" and "idle gossip".

A Taliban spokesman said they had not "received assistance from any country".

The spokesman told the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency: "The enemy has no evidence in this regard."

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 25, 2018

Russia denies aiding Afghan Taliban in wake of U.S. general's comments -- Reuters

Russia 'arming the Afghan Taliban', says US -- BBC

German defense minister tells troops in Afghanistan to prepare for long haul -- DW

Bundeswehr in Afghanistan: What you need to know -- DW

PLA conducts spring drills in West Pacific, S.China Sea -- Global Times

Chinese bombers & fighter jets conduct drills in South China Sea & Western Pacific -- RT

Chinese Air Force to Hold Drills in Western Pacific -- Sputnik

Japan’s new ‘marines’ fill important hole in military capabilities -- Asia Times

Turkey Successfully Test-Fires First Domestically Developed Air-to-Air Missiles -- Sputnik

Israeli Army Sets Up 'Consciousness Ops' Unit to Influence Enemy Armies, Foreign Media and Public Opinion -- Haaretz

Analysis With Top Recruits Opting Out of Combat Roles, Israeli Army Must Set Firm Rules -- Amos Harel, Haaretz

Hamas announces live-fire military exercise in Gaza amid heightened tensions -- Times of Israel

Hamas launches large-scale military exercise in Gaza -- YNet News

America Just Sold Nearly 7000 Tank Killer Missiles to Saudi Arabia -- National Interest

NATO's AWACS give U.S. eyes in the sky over Syria -- NBC

Here's Why Russia's 'New' Tu-160M2 Could Be NATO's Worst Nightmare -- National Interest

Police probe Sandhurst instructor's 'sexual assault on officer cadet' as he is removed from the Army academy -- Daily Mail

United we fall: a European army is a really bad idea -- Colonel Tim Collins, The Spectator

France tests radar to detect and track ballistic missiles, satellites -- Defense News

Trump touts $1.3 trillion budget as win for military; vows more money for border wall -- FOX News

Mattis holds firm as chaos engulfs Trump national security team -- Stars and stripes/Bloomberg

Navy Virgina Attack Subs Will Fire Nuclear Warhead, Expand Mission -- Warrior Maven

Video Analysis - Air Force B-21: Will Stealth Survive? -- Warrior Maven

U.S. showcases stealth fighter training on amphibious carrier -- Reuters

Navy Wraps Up Testing on Drone-Based Minehunting System -- DoD Buzz

Air Force stakes future on privately funded launch vehicles. Will the gamble pay off? -- Space News

13 Ways to Use AI in Military Intelligence -- SAS

Notes of Caution on the Navy’s Forthcoming Force Structure Assessment -- Bryan McGrath, War On The Rocks

How the U.S. Military Went to War against Vietnam's Radar and Air Defenses -- National Interest

Here is the Mattis guidance and Pentagon study behind the Trump transgender decision -- Military Times

The war isn’t over. After military service, veterans still fight to endure -- CNBC

Best bad idea ever? Why Putin’s nuclear-powered missile is possible… and awful -- Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica