Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 5, 2020

Katie Bo Williams, Defense One: Pentagon Downplays National Security Concerns From Trump’s Diagnosis 

....and some experts say they’re probably right. 

Top Pentagon officials on Friday morning moved quickly to dispel fears that President Donald Trump’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis has put the United States at greater risk from attack by foreign adversaries or required any emergency shifts in the U.S. defense posture. 

Alarmist and inaccurate reports that the United States had launched nuclear command-and-control planes in connection with Trump’s Thursday diagnosis quickly proliferated on Twitter, while on cable networks and news sites, national security analysts said the diagnosis put the United States into “uncharted territory” and “deep into the danger zone.” 

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 Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 5, 2020 

Trump team on watch for adversaries seeking to exploit the president's illness -- Politico 

 

No changes to DoD alert levels after Trump's COVID-19 announcement -- UPI 

Military leaders: We’re not freaking out over Trump coronavirus news -- Military Times 

Trump Implied Hope Hicks Might Have Caught Covid-19 From Military, Police -- Forbes 

Democratic Armed Services chairman predicts defense budget fight if Biden wins -- The Hill 

US Army discontinues Rapid Equipping Force -- Defense News 

In Major Shift, US Army to Shut Down Asymmetric Warfare Group and Rapid Equipping Force -- Military.com 

Space Force Nears Year Mark, Acquisition Remains A Quagmire -- Breaking Defense 

US Army Inks $1.2 Billion Deal to Equip Strykers with Short-Range Air Defense Weapons -- Military.com 

Navy Retools COVID Rules for Ships After 6 Months of Practice -- USNI News 

U.S. Navy to homeport USS Hershel 'Woody' Williams in Greece -- UPI 

Eye On Africa, Navy’s New Ship Homeports in Crete -- Breaking Defense 

Senators promised a ‘new command climate’ at Fort Hood in 90 days -- Army Times 

Esper signs 10-year US military cooperation deal with Morocco -- Military Times/AP 

Trump executive order targets rare earths minerals and China -- Defense News 

Nuclear Arms Race, Weaponization of Outer Space High on US Disarmament Agenda -- VOA

‘Lipstick on a Pig:’ Plan to Pull US Troops from Germany Under Fire on Capitol Hill -- Military.com

Estonia moves to fortify its coastline with missiles and sea mines -- Defense News 

Britain unveils new operating concept for a ‘fundamental transformation in the military’ -- Defense News 

HMS Queen Elizabeth: On board the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier -- BBC 

France plans 4.5% defence budget increase for 2021 -- Janes 

Russian defense firm to develop new 9x19mm pistol round with stronger lethal power -- TASS 

Chinese military media told to steer clear of US election stories -- SCMP 

China says US and Indian bans on TikTok, WeChat broke WTO rules -- SCMP 

PLA troops eat mooncakes and tell Chinese not to worry in message from Indian border -- SCMP 

North Korea spotlights Iran's weapons in state media -- UPI 

Taiwan prepares a weapons shopping list to hand US at defence conference -- SCMP 

Israeli defense giant picks five startups to develop future tech -- Defense News 

How An Amateur Planespotter Sparked Nuclear Dread -- Defense One 

How the US military is prioritizing great power competition -- Brookings Institute 

Irregular warfare strategies must move beyond special forces, Pentagon says -- Aaron Mehta, Defense News