Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 4, 2018

CNBC: Top US nuclear commander: Russia is 'the only existential threat to the country right now'

* "Russia is the most significant threat just because they pose the only existential threat to the country right now. So we have to look at that from that perspective," Air Force Gen. John Hyten said.
* Hyten is America's top nuclear commander, leading the U.S. Strategic Command, or STRATCOM.
* He called North Korea the "most dangerous near-term threat" and said China "is the adversary that is moving the fastest."

While the special counsel's investigation tries to determine whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, America's top nuclear commander described the nation as a paramount threat to the United States.

"Russia is the most significant threat just because they pose the only existential threat to the country right now. So we have to look at that from that perspective," the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, or STRATCOM, Air Force Gen. John Hyten said during the Association of the United States Army's Air and Missile Defense conference Wednesday.

Hyten noted that Russia, China and North Korea each assert distinct threats at varying tempos and yet, the U.S. is responsible for dealing with all of them at the same time.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 4, 2018

Key facts about Russia’s advanced Sarmat ICBM system -- TASS

Russia completes trials of miniaturized nuclear reactor for missiles, underwater drones -- TASS

Russia's Avangard Hypersonic Glider Warhead Enters Production – Source -- Sputnik

Russian Navy Chief Lifts Veil on Capabilities of Russia's New Stealth Underwater Drone -- Sputnik

Russia undertakes mirror response to US' deployment of 400 ABM defense missiles -- TASS

Putin has touted an 'invincible' nuclear weapon that really exists — here's how it works and why it deeply worries experts -- Dave Mosher, Business Insider

Are Putin’s New Nukes a Real Threat? -- Jonah Shepp, NYMag

US more than doubles hypersonic missile budget to catch up to Russia's mach 10 missile -- Next Big Future

Hypersonic weapons can make virtually all missile defenses useless — and destabilize the world order -- Ben Brimelow, Business Insider

Putin’s nuclear-tipped hybrid war on the West -- Peter Apps, Reuters

Why Putin Is Obsessed with America's Missile Defense -- Eric Gomez, The National Interest

Will the US Be Able to Stop Russia's New Arsenal of Missile Defense-Piercing Nukes? -- Live Science

U.S. Conducts North Korea War Games Showing Conflict Like We've Never Seen Before, Report Says -- Newsweek

At Kadena Air Base, the elephant in the room is North Korean -- Defense News

This photo reveals a surprising amount about North Korea's missile capabilities -- NBC News

US continues diplomatic push with North Korea, but military preps for potential strike: report -- The Hill

China to develop its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier -- Defense News

Beijing Equipped to Build Bigger, More Advanced Aircraft Carriers -- Sputnik

National People's Congress — more money for Chinese military? -- DW

Strengthening Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security: Is it Equipped to Counter ‘Emerging’ Threats? -- Anant Mishra, Small Wars Journal

Turkey Expects F-35 Delivery Soon, But Greeks, Armenians Seek to Block Deal -- Sputnik

Norway Used NSA Technology for Potentially Illegal Spying -- The Intercept

Trump's tariff plan could create costs for Pentagon -- CNN

'We're Gonna Do What International Law Says We Can Do.' Aboard the USS Carl Vinson in the South China Sea -- TIME

Pilots are flying 17 hours per month, but it’s still not enough, Air Force secretary says -- Air Force Times

Pentagon Official Says U.S. Hypersonic Weapons Research Underfunded -- Foreign Policy

Pentagon to spend up to $1bn on drone-blinding laser -- RT

SOCOM Grappling With New Counter-WMD Mission -- Military.com

Countering WMDs cannot be on SOCOM alone, experts contend -- Kyle Rempfer, Military Times

Big SOCOM Budget Boost Goes To People, AI — & More -- Breaking Defense

New Simulators Give Naval Aviators an Edge in Training for High-End Fight -- USNI News

Two Six Labs to support SIGMA anti-nuclear terrorism program -- UPI

The Army radio that could work in cities, caves and tunnels -- C4ISRNet

Congress could give fitness waivers to more troops as it targets high-demand skills -- Military Times

Seven Marines court-martialed in wake of Marines United scandal -- Marine Times

The Integrated Joint Force: A Lethal Solution for Ensuring Military Preeminence -- RCD

'This is off the charts': Intelligence veterans sound the alarm over the House Intelligence Committee's partisan war -- Michal Kranz, Business Insider