Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 18, 2021

A helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 combats a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, July 14, 2020. (Garrett LaBarge/U.S. Navy) 

Military.com: Navy Announces Timeline to Dismantle Fire-Damaged Bonhomme Richard, Sideline 2 LCSs 

The Navy has announced plans to dismantle, sell or sideline eight ships, including one that was ravaged by a devastating fire last summer. 

The amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard will be dismantled starting April 15, according to a Navy-wide administrative message issued Friday. 

The Bonhomme Richard was badly damaged in a July fire that burned for four days 

Read more .... 

 Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 18, 2021 

Dismantling of USS Bonhomme Richard to begin in April -- UPI 

Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Deploys After Extended Scrimmage -- Virginia-Pilot 

Army Prepared to Sacrifice Unit Readiness to Defeat COVID-19, McConville Says -- Military.com 

The Pentagon says there’s no data on troops refusing vaccines. One general just proved them wrong -- Task & Purpose 

One in THREE US military service members refuse to take COVID-19 vaccine, early data shows -- Daily Mail 

Pentagon considers sending more than 18,000 troops to help vaccinate America -- Task & Purpose 

Winter Weather Causes More Than a Dozen Military Bases to Close -- Military.com 

Air Force Pitches 'Armed Overwatch' Planes to Patrol Austere Regions, Police Africa Extremism -- Military.com 

The Air Force’s Two New B-21 Stealth Bombers Are Almost Ready -- National Interest 

Bombers for Days: The B-21 Won’t Replace Other Bombers for Awhile -- National Interest 

Lakenheath's F-35s Get a Nickname: Valkyries -- Air Force Magazine 

‘Clean Sheet’ F-16 Replacement In The Cards: CSAF Brown -- Breaking Defense 

Women in the Air Force are finally getting body armor that fits -- Task & Purpose 

AF, Navy May Both Fly DARPA Missile Mothership -- Breaking Defense 

The Army Is Seeking Firms to Build Highly Mobile Light Tanks for Infantry Brigades -- Military.com 

Gulf War syndrome which left 250,000 veterans suffering long-term fatigue and dizziness was caused by exposure to a NERVE AGENT – and not debris from depleted uranium munitions, study claims -- Daily Mail 

How the National Guard Became the Go-To Military Force for Riots and Civil Disturbances -- Shannon M. Smith, military.com/The Conversation 

Want to Shed Older Weapons? You Need a Solid Plan -- Defense One 

The Pentagon Needs Budget Agility to Compete with China -- Defense One 

Biden admin wants new 'tone' with NATO, but the old challenges remain -- Defense News 

NATO Defense Ministers Aim for New Chapter in Alliance History -- US Defense Department 

NATO allies must all meet spending requirements, says Stoltenberg -- Euronews 

NATO chief urges joint spending as budget debate rolls on -- Stars and Stripes

NATO eyes post-Trump reset as internal challenges loom -- Euractiv 

NATO Chief Says Afghanistan Troop Pullout Depends on Taliban -- VOA 

New Zealand to End Military Deployment in Afghanistan -- AFP 

French military jets cut off village's power supply by flying low -- BBC 

Russian Su-27 fighters intercept French military aircraft over Black Sea -- TASS 

Here's Our Best Look Yet At Russia's Secretive Space Cannon, The Only Gun Ever Fired In Space -- Warzone/The Drive 

Is Russia’s defense industry too busy to take on another fighter jet project? -- Defense News 

Satellite images suggest China’s new tanker aircraft is under production -- Defense News 

China ramps up military build-up in Tibet, Xinjiang -- Phayul 

India Leases Four Heron Drones From Israel To Keep A ‘Hawk-Eye’ On ‘Retreating’ China -- Eurasian Times 

Iran launches new rocket on suborbital test flight: report -- Space.com 

‘Drone swarms’ are coming, and they are the future of wars in the air -- The Print