Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- July 21, 2020

U.S. Navy ships from the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, the America Expeditionary Strike Group, and the U.S. 7th Fleet command ship, USS Blue Ridge, transit the Philippine Sea, March 24, 2020.

US News and World Report: China, U.S. Escalate Forces, Threats in South China Sea

Beijing on Monday threatened further action if the U.S. continues to contest its claims over disputed islands in the contentious region.

China on Monday warned the U.S. not to conduct any further military escalation in the South China Sea as both countries dramatically ramp up the presence of their armed forces in the increasingly contested region.

Days after the U.S. redeployed two aircraft carriers to the region in move seen as highly rare – and, to China, provocative – Chinese state media on Monday confirmed it had sent a brigade of aviation forces to two islands it administers in the contested Paracel Archipelago along with a series of warships. They plan to conduct "live-fire maritime target attack drills" in response to the heightened U.S. military presence there, which China claims "is the real pusher of militarization in the South China Sea."

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- July 21, 2020

South China Sea: Chinese air force ‘sends warning’ to US Navy with live-fire drills -- SCMP

US, China may ‘stumble’ into conflict in South China Sea, war game scenarios suggest -- SCMP

Bonhomme Richard Fire Forces Tough Choices On Navy and DoD -- Breaking Defense

The Bonhomme Richard is an Opportunity -- Commander Jared Samuelson, US Naval Institute

USS Porter heads to Black Sea for NATO 'Sea Breeze' exercise -- UPI

USS Carney returns home after five-year deployment -- UPI

Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Operating in Red Sea, Nimitz Exercising with Indian Navy -- USNI News

Rethinking the U.S. Navy’s Carrier Fleet -- Angus Ross, War On The Rocks

U.S. Army requests design proposals to replace M-2 Bradley tank -- UPI

Four Transformational Steps the US Army Should Take to Get Serious about Urban Operations -- John Spence, Modern War Institute

COVID-19 cases rise in military, VA hospitals -- UPI

Esper says he hasn't ordered US troops pulled from South Korea -- The Hill

Mark Esper denies ordering U.S. troop reductions in South Korea -- UPI

US defence secretary Mark Esper plans to visit China this year, amid increased tensions -- SCMP

US House votes to block funding for nuclear testing -- The Hill

NSA head vows to hit back at nations meddling with U.S. vote -- Bloomberg

It’s official: US Air Force to buy Turkish F-35s -- Defense News

Potential Arms Control Violation Could Derail Pentagon’s Next-Generation Missile Defense Interceptor -- Loren Thompson, Forbes

Missile Defense Deserves Top Priority -- John Rossomando, RCD

'Ready for Missions at Moment's Notice': UK Navy Unveils Royal Marines New 'Vanguard Strike' Unit -- Sputnik

British next-generation fighter program taps new suppliers -- Defense News

Greece says 'illegal' actions of Turkey threaten NATO cohesion -- Reuters

China-India border dispute: drones prove their worth at high altitude -- SCMP

New ‘world-leading’ Chinese helicopter missile tested -- Global Times

South Korea, Japan engage in anti-piracy drills near Somalia -- UPI

SpaceX launches South Korean communications satellite -- UPI

India Dumps American Weapon System Proposed to Fill 'Gap' Left in Its Air Defences Despite S-400 -- Sputnik

Indonesia says it wants to buy Austria’s entire Typhoon fighter fleet -- Defense News