Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 17, 2019

Time: Exclusive: U.S. Military Officials Say There Is No Actual Plan to Confront Iran

The Trump Administration is turning up the heat on Iran, broadcasting a new plan to send as many as 120,000 U.S. forces to the Middle East to counter purported “identified, credible threats” from Iran.

But in the world of the Pentagon, there are plans you present to politicians, and then there are real plans. And three U.S. military officials involved in planning and overseeing military forces in the region tell TIME that no actual, executable plan, or anything like it, exists for a large-scale troop deployment to the Gulf.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 17, 2019

The Pentagon is preparing evidence to support its claims of a growing military threat from Iran -- Task & Purpose/Bloomberg

Iran Military Leader Says, ‘This Is the Most Decisive Moment for the Islamic Revolution’ as U.S. Tensions Rise -- Newsweek

Iran could rally regional proxies in case of war with the US -- AP

Iran ambassador to UN accuses U.S. of using flawed intelligence -- CBS

Intelligence Suggests U.S., Iran Misread Each Other, Stoking Tensions -- The Wall Street Journal

U.S. guided-missile destroyers McFaul, Gonzalez enter Persian Gulf -- UPI

USS Abraham Lincoln on station in Arabian Sea two weeks early to deter Iran: officials -- FOX News

Navy Must Retain 80 Percent of Sailors Annually to Grow Fleet -- USNI News

What’s next for the carrier John C. Stennis? -- Navy Times

Coast Guard visits Philippines for first time in seven years after training in South China Sea -- Stars and Stripes

US special ops command at odds with Air Force over need for light-attack aircraft -- Defense News

Boeing Choppers the Army Wants to Cut Are Backed by House Panel -- Bloomberg

Army Fields Tiny Pocket Drones to Paratroopers at Fort Bragg -- Military.com

US Army’s jumping to the next level in virtual training -- Defense News

Here’s what the Army secretary has to say to contractors upset about their canceled programs -- Army Times

Pentagon’s ‘on-demand’ space launch challenge presents host of challenges -- Politico

Conservatives ask White House to abandon Amazon talks over Pentagon contract -- The Hill

EXCLUSIVE: Shanahan Keeping Top Staff If Confirmed -- Breaking Defense

The Pentagon AI center wants to solve these 4 problems -- Mark Pomerleau, C4ISRNet

Sailors Created 'Rape List' Aboard Navy's 2nd Sub to Integrate Women -- Military.com

Flight Sim Developer Arrested For Selling F-16 Manuals [Update] -- Kotaku

Navy SEAL Sentenced to Year in Military Prison for Hazing Death of U.S. Army Green Beret -- Time

KISS frontman Gene Simmons delivers briefing at Pentagon podium that has not seen a spokesperson in almost a year -- CNN

Why is the Pentagon interested in UFOs? -- Iain Boyd, PyshOrg/The Conversation

Military development America’s military relationship with China needs rules -- The Economist

Military Pressure and Body Counts in Afghanistan -- Jonathan Schroden, War On The Rocks

Bulgaria reveals why it might stop talks to buy F-16 fighter jets -- Defense News

Germany informs NATO of huge defense budget increase: report -- DW

NATO fighters scrambled to intercept Russian jets during ‘professional’ encounter -- Stars and Stripes