Military And Intelligence News Updates -- October 31, 2018

Taiwan Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly during the annual Han Kuang military exercise at an army base in Hsinchu, northern Taiwan on July 4, 2015. Reuters

SCMP: Pentagon official urges Taiwan to boost defence spending in face of possible attack by mainland

* David Helvey says the self-ruled island ‘must have resources to modernise its military’
* Accuses Beijing of attempting to ‘erode Taiwan’s diplomatic space’ at defence industry conference

A Pentagon official is urging Taiwan to ramp up its defence budget to protect against potential attacks from mainland China.

David Helvey, US principal deputy assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific security affairs, told a conference in Annapolis, Maryland on Monday that the self-ruled island “must have resources to modernise its military and provide the critical materiel, manning and training needed to deter, or if necessary defeat, a cross-strait invasion”.

Helvey said “Taiwan’s current efforts will falter” unless its defence budgets keep growing, according to a transcript of his remarks released by the US-Taiwan Defence Industry Conference on Tuesday.

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Military And Intelligence News Updates -- October 31, 2018

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US Defense Secretary Mattis: Khashoggi killing, support for Saudis in Yemen are 'separate' issues -- The Hill

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Russia Sets Up Commission to Investigate Admiral Kuznetsov Incident -- Sputnik

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Israeli company to outfit Indian Navy, Army after $1.3 billion in defense deals -- Defense News

Report: How the West’s Research Aids China’s Military -- National Interest

Chinese troops in Hong Kong and Macau ‘will join more overseas war games’ -- SCMP

Lockheed nabs $366M award for South Korean navy weapons system -- UPI

Turkey Starts Development of Long-Range Air Defense System - Erdogan -- Sputnik

U.K. boosts military spending on cyber security, nuclear submarine builds -- UPI

RAF Typhoon fighters scrambled to escort Russian bombers -- TASS

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Venezuela Names New Spy Chief After Uproar Over Politician's Death -- VOA

Venezuela a threat to regional stability, security: senior U.S. official -- Reuters

Brazil’s Military Is Not the Problem -- Foreign Policy

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