Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 24, 2020

The Hill: Top Pentagon officials estimate coronavirus crisis could last months

Top Pentagon leaders on Tuesday estimated that the coronavirus outbreak could last months, as the number of military service members with confirmed cases continues to climb.

“I think we need to plan for this to be a few months long, at least, and we're taking all precautionary measures to do that,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said during a virtual town hall meeting at the Pentagon.

“I'm fully confident that at the end of the day, in a period of months, we will get through this.”

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley estimated that it might be as late as July before the crisis abates.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 24, 2020

Boeing suspends Washington production, GE Aviation lays off thousands -- The Hill

Boeing shuts down KC-46, P-8 plants for two weeks because of COVID-19 -- UPI

The U.S. Navy's Seawolf Class Submarine: When the Best is Just Too Expensive -- National Interest

Why U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers Aren't Obsolete Just Yet -- Peter Suciu, National Interest

Marines Plan to Retool to Meet China Threat -- The Wall Street Journal

Marine Corps Changes Inch U.S. Closer to a Restraint‐​Friendly Military Posture -- CATO Institute

Here's Who Will Battle to Build the Army's Next Assault Helicopter -- Motley Fool

An F-117, a stealth jet that retired in 2008, was spotted flying over California again -- Business Insider/The Aviationist

Future Virginia-class submarine USS Vermont completes alpha sea trials -- Naval Technology

Raytheon nabs $392.4M for tactical missiles -- UPI

Grenell taps new acting director of National Counterterrorism Center -- The Hill

Lora Shiao to Be Acting Head of U.S. Counterterrorism Agency -- Bloomberg

The trouble when military robots go underground -- C4ISRNet

Why The Pentagon’s THAAD Missile Defense System Is Becoming Critical To Protection Of The U.S. Homeland -- Loren Thompson, Forbes

Author Reveals Why Boeing E-6 is ‘America's Deadliest Plane Ever’ -- Sputnik

A new training system for the Air Force’s airborne ICBM launch center is coming soon -- Defense News

US, UAE troops Hold Major Exercise amid Virus, Iran Tensions -- Military.com

US, Israel Holding Joint Military Exercises Observing Coronavirus Rules of Social Distancing -- Sputnik

IDF, US military conduct joint aerial drill -- i24 News

North Macedonia's President Signs NATO Accession Document -- RFE

Europe is losing the battle to unite its military efforts -- European CEO

Spain seeks NATO help as virus death toll touches 2,700 -- France 24

Warplanes: French Fortitude Foils Chinese Power Play -- Strategy Page

Yes, the British Royal Navy Does Want Two Aircraft Carrier Battlegroups -- David Axe, National Interest

Chinese warplanes to get new coatings to make them harder to detect -- SCMP

Author Reveals Y-20 Plane’s ‘Strategic Impact’ on Chinese Aviation -- Sputnik

Russian Patrol Planes Are Probing NATO’s Radar Gaps -- National Interest

Pair of Russian Tu-95 Bombers Escorted by Japanese Fighters During Routine Flight - Defence Ministry -- Sputnik

Russia Has New Tool For Massive Internet Shutdown Attack, Leaked Documents Claim -- Defense One

Russian Navy frigate to track NATO ships in Black Sea -- TASS

Russian Arms Exports in 2019 Surpassed $15.2 Billion -- Sputnik

Weeks after Thai soldier kills 29, Amnesty report describes conscript abuses -- Reuters

The Elite Spanish Army's Very Revealing Uniforms Are Twitter's New Obsession -- Newsweek

Countries Spending the Most on Their Military -- The Street