Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 18, 2020

© Courtesy James Griffin/US Navy/Handout via REUTERS 

RT: China & Russia listed as main rivals in new US maritime strategy aimed at shaping ‘balance of power for the rest of the century 

The US Navy will adopt a more ‘assertive’ approach to China and Russia, according to the country’s new maritime strategy, which says that actions taken in the next decade will determine power dynamics for the rest of the century. 

Titled ‘Advantage at Sea’, the document, authored by the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, calls for greater integration of US naval forces in order to counter “determined rivals” Beijing and Moscow. 

Describing the nations as “the two most significant threats to this era of global peace and prosperity,” the maritime strategy prioritizes competition with China due to the country’s “growing economic and military strength,” as well as its alleged efforts to “remake the international order in its favor.”

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 Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 18, 2020 

New Naval Strategy Zeroes in on China as Biggest Long-Term Threat to the US -- Military.com 

U.S. maritime forces to focus on China, Russia, new strategy doc says -- UPI 

US Navy Threatens to Take 'More Assertive Posture' Against Russian, Chinese Warships -- Sputnik 

US Navy to be ‘more assertive’ in countering China in Pacific -- Al Jazeera 

New ‘tri-maritime strategy’ released, but leaders struggle to explain certain key points -- Defense News  

Army issues combat face masks for soldiers in 2021 -- The Hill 

The U.S. Army Will Continue to Issue Face Masks Into 2021 -- National Interest 

Possible design flaw in littoral combat ships under investigation -- UPI 

This new Marine Corps live-fire range has it all: robot enemies, rockets, mortars, breaching -- Marine Times 

Female Marine recruits to start training at San Diego in February -- UPI 

Biden team expresses concern over 'abrupt halt' in cooperation with Pentagon -- The Hill 

Exclusive: For years, the Pentagon sits on racial discrimination survey data -- Reuters 

Pentagon Memo Maps Out Plan to Expand Diversity in the Force -- Military.com/AP 

Trump vows to veto $740B defense spending bill over tech dispute -- UPI 

U.S. Air Force Ready to Conduct Hypersonic Missile Test -- National Interest

Air Force Plans A ’21st Century IT Store’ -- Breaking Defense 

‘It’s going to take a lot of digging’: The Pentagon’s long search to see if anyone’s hiding in its networks -- C4ISRNet 

Space Force airman demoted for skipping training to buy PlayStation 5 -- NYPost 

SpaceX aborts launch attempt of U.S. government spy satellite -- UPI 

Space Force trying to change negative perceptions about military procurement -- Space News 

U.S. Forces Korea tightens coronavirus restrictions amid outbreak -- UPI

Report: U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flies over Korean Peninsula -- UPI 

U.S. response to Putin may close door to more arms control talks under Trump -- Reuters 

Russia is capable of killing thousands with a new chemical weapon attack on the streets of Britain, warns Defence Secretary - as family of Salisbury poisoning victims sues Putin over 'state sponsored' Novichok death -- Daily Mail 

Russia has tested anti-satellite missile, US Space Command says -- The Hill 

Russia is developing a helicopter drone to destroy other drones -- Defense News 

Taiwan suggests it could become an arms supplier for the West as it launches new warship -- CNBC/Reuters 

Japan calls on Germany to send warship to East Asia -- DW 

Residential houses and a mounted machine gun manned by an Afghan National Army soldier is pictured during a helicopter flight. File photoPentagon Can Not Track Lost Weapons, Billions in Aid to Afghanistan - SIGAR Report -- Sputnik 

Pentagon lost track of over HALF of ‘sensitive’ equipment provided to Afghanistan’s military – watchdog -- RT 

Israel’s Elbit Enters US Howitzer Shoot Off -- Breaking Defense 

Greece: French-made jets, upgrades will cost $2.8 billion -- AP