Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 25, 2019

Spanish frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS John C. Stennis, French frigate FS Languedoc, USS Leyte Gulf, USS Bainbridge, USS Mobile Bay, British destroyer HMS Duncan, and USNS Arctic in the Mediterranean on April 24, 2019.

Breaking Defense: Allies Diplomatic Note To Moscow: 2 Carriers, 7 Ships, 1 Ambassador

While two carriers attracting most of the attention, a smaller US footprint is being established between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, where Russia -- and Turkey -- are raising concerns.

PENTAGON: As two US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier strike groups staged a very public show of force in the Mediterranean this week, nearby, a much quieter deployment of US assets appears to be expanding.

Since last May, two MQ-9 Reaper drones previously based at an undisclosed location in Africa have instead operated out of Larissa Air Base in Greece, close to the Aegean coastline. The deployment, which continues while the drones’ home base undergoes unspecified repairs, is the subject of new talks between the US and Greek governments about options for more US involvement in the future.

The current agreement to keep the Reapers at Larissa expires in August, but Greek media reports say the US and Greece are discussing options for a more robust US presence at the base in the future, including possibly stationing KC-135 tankers there.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 25, 2019

Why the US Navy has 10 ships, 130 aircraft and 9,000 personnel in the Mediterranean -- Navy Times

Army and Air Force draft new combined 'war attack plan' -- FOX News/Warrior Maven

Marine pilots lack airspace, ordnance to realistically train for a near-peer Pacific fight, watchdog says -- Marine Times

The Army wants robots to help soldiers map underground tunnels, and it wants them ASAP -- Task & Purpose

The Army is looking for a sensor to detect small drones and protect vehicles from Humvees to tanks -- Army Times

Can this tracked robot haul as much as a mule and as quietly as a bear? -- C4ISRNet

Marines to field enhanced handheld targeting system later this year -- UPI

Lockheed, Frustrated with US Air Force, Eyes Foreign F-35 Sales -- Defense One

Trump to give Air Force Academy commencement address -- The Hill

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan cleared in ethics probe -- UPI

DoD Officials Make Case for Keeping the Draft, Women Included -- Military.com

NSA recommends dropping controversial mass surveillance program, report says -- FOX News

CIA’s recruitment campaign hits a bump with bad grammar -- BBC

'I spy': CIA is officially on Instagram -- ABC News

It’s Getting Harder to Track US Progress in Afghanistan -- Defense One

Is the U.S. Military About To Be Left Behind Thanks to a Technology Revolution? -- Morgan Deane, National Interest

The U.S. Military: Like the French at Agincourt? -- The New York Times

US military, allies in Romania stage largest-ever combined NATO medical exercise -- Stars and Stripes

Runaway F-35 Bill to Impair Norway's Defence Capacity - Report -- Sputnik

Did Russia Just Concede a Need to Regulate Military AI? -- Samuel Bendett, Defense One

US builds nuclear shield to deliver surprise nuclear strike on Russia — Russian General Staff -- TASS

China and Russia to hold joint navy drills next week -- AP

China withdraws PLA Navy anniversary invitation to French warship after Taiwan Strait trip -- SCMP

‘A Very Big Gap’: China’s PLARF Outclasses US Missiles, Puts Carriers At Risk -- Sputnik

Tehran appoints new IRGC chief commander -- Long War Journal

Israel Air Force opens second F-35 squadron -- Jerusalem Post

Pressing the Button: How Nuclear-Armed Countries Plan to Launch Armageddon (And What to Do About the U.S.) -- Jeffrey Lewis and Bruno Tertrais, War On The Rocks