Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 14, 2020

 

CNN: Biden's pick to lead Pentagon faces questions about whether he's right for the job 

Washington (CNN)President-elect Joe Biden's choice to lead the Pentagon is already facing critics, who question his judgment while he served as the top US commander in the Middle East, an issue that could complicate Gen. Lloyd Austin's path to confirmation. 

Biden has called Austin "the person we need in this moment," and other retired four-star generals have praised the "superb choice," but critics are asking if the former battlefield commander has the political chops to fight military budget cuts. 

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 Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 14, 2020 

Biden defense pick allegedly sought intel painting 'rosier picture' of ISIS threat -- Washington Examiner  

We need a civilian, not a soldier, in charge of defense -- Lionel Beehner, USA Today 

In defense of Lloyd Austin -- Sean McFate, The Hill 

Who could be Lloyd Austin’s deputy defense secretary? -- Defense News 

Will The US Military Become Just Another Politicized Institution? -- Walter Haynes, War On The Rocks 

Timing on defense bill veto could cause problems for Congress, military -- Military Times 

Acting US defense secretary's chief of staff Kash Patel files $50M defamation lawsuit against CNN -- FOX News 

Pentagon weighs cutting most of its support to CIA's counterterrorism missions -- ABC News 

Gen. Mark Milley: The Biggest Security Challenges for the U.S. -- Wall Street Journal 

US Army general says COVID-19 vaccines will begin arriving across the country as early as Monday -- Military Times 

US Military Starts Vaccinating Troops, Behind Russia and China -- Defense One 

West Point Cadets Are Donning Smartwatches for a Military Contact-Tracing Test -- Military.com 

Corps to shrink by 5,000 Marines under defense compromise bill -- Marine Times 

Navy arms first new Flight III destroyer with next-gen weapons -- FOX News 

B-1B Lancer completes successful external release demonstration -- US Air Force 

Special Forces soldier, 37, and Army veteran, 44, found dead at Fort Bragg were BOTH facing criminal charges and 'had been under investigation for selling narcotics' - as it's suspected they may have been murdered in a 'drug deal gone wrong' -- Daily Mail 

Navy Ends Search for Sailor who Fell Overboard From Ship -- Military.com/AP 

F-16 pilot died in U.P. fighter jet crash, military says -- Michigan Live 

Meet a Navy pilot who's landed on 6 different aircraft carrier classes -- Business Insider 

The SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane Flew Faster Than You Could Imagine -- David Axe, National Interest 

US Sub Fleet to Be Surpassed by China’s Before the End of the 2020s, Report Claims -- Sputnik 

Chinese military using virtual reality to boost their combat readiness -- SCMP 

China boosts nuclear strike capability in face of US rivalry, report says -- SCMP 

Russia Suspects NASA's Artemis Moon Program Might Pursue Military Goals, Roscosmos Says -- Sputnik 

Russia Is Using Augmented Reality To Produce Its Su-57 Fighter -- Warzone/The Drive 

Japan suspicious about Chinese, South Korean land buys near bases -- Business Insider 

Britain's Special Forces could offer £15,000 bonus to entice new members -- Express 

EU to discuss arms exports to Turkey with NATO and U.S., Merkel says -- Reuters 

Turkey, Ukraine seeking broader space cooperation -- Defense News 

Ten Secrets From the Life of British Thriller Writer and Spy John Le Carre -- Sputnik