US Embassies Around The World Are Flying 'Black Lives Matter' Flags

Zero Hedge: US Embassies Worldwide Are Flying BLM Flags This Week 

US embassies and consulates across the globe this week flew Black Lives Matter (BLM) flags after being authorized and encouraged to do so for the first time ever in a memo by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It's now expected to be a regular practice, particularly in instances of race-related events or memorials. 

Just ahead of the May 25 one-year anniversary of George Floyd's death, a State Department memo was sent to all diplomatic staff worldwide saying that it "supports the use of the term 'Black Lives Matter' in messaging content". It further encouraged speeches and commemorative events related to diplomatic engagements on the anniversary "and beyond". Subsequently on Tuesday BLM flags were photographed flying at various US diplomatic compounds across the globe, stretching from east Asia to Greece to Spain and Latin America.  

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WNU Editor: Displaying a private NGO’s flag like the BLM logo on US embassies is unprecedented. But to support an organization that openly calls for the de-funding of police?!?!?!?

Biden Admiinstration Confirms It Will Not Rejoin The 'Open Skies Treaty' With Russia

US OC-135B Open Skies surveillance plane, pictured at RAF Mildenhall in February 2010 © Flickr/Airwolfhound  

NBC: U.S. tells Russia it won't rejoin arms control pact that was 'undermined by Russian violations' 

WASHINGTON — The United States has told Russia it will not rejoin an arms control agreement that allows member countries to conduct surveillance flights over each others' territory, accusing Moscow of violating the accord. 

The decision not to re-enter the Open Skies Treaty came only weeks before a planned summit between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva. 

The U.S. move leaves only one major arms control agreement in place between the two nuclear-armed powers, the New START treaty. Biden has agreed to extend that accord another five years.  

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Update #1: US tells Russia it won’t rejoin Open Skies arms control pact (Military Times/AP)  

Update #2: Biden administration won't seek to rejoin Open Skies Treaty after 2020 exit (CNN)  

WNU Editor: The Kremlin has responded .... Russian foreign ministry puts responsibility for collapse of Open Skies Treaty on US (TASS).  

Update #3: Yup. This treaty is not going to be brought up .... Putin, Biden unlikely to discuss Treaty on Open Skies, says senior Russian diplomat (TASS).

New Study Says The US Marines And Taiwan Could Repel A Chinese Invasion

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, demonstrate advanced basing capabilities as part of Exercise Noble Fury. The Marines rapidly inserted via an air assault, defeated simulated adversary forces, secured the airfield, and established defensive positions around the island (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Josue Marquez)  

Asia Times: US Marines, Taiwan could repel invasion: study 

INDSR researcher says Taiwan military capabilities would complement US Marine operations 

As the US Marines face their biggest reorganization in 100 years, shifting from a second land army to smaller amphibious units stationed strategically, a new study suggests that Taiwan could play an important role in that transformation, in the case of a conflict with China, Taiwan News reported. 

Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) cybersecurity researcher Hsieh Pei-hsueh presented an analysis in the think tank’s biweekly report, examining the US Marines’ presence in the Taiwan Strait and the role of Taiwan in the event of a regional conflict.  

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WNU Editor: This study may say that The US Marines and Taiwan could repel a Chinese invasion. But this Pentagon nominee has doubts that repelling an all-out Chinese assault will be successful .... Pentagon Nominee Tells Congress US Should Train Taiwanese for Guerrilla War Against China (Sputnik).

Tweets Of The Day

Weekend Reads:
• AP Investigation: Myanmar's junta using bodies to terrorize.
• Roaring '20s visions beckon as pandemic ebbs.
• Deep-rooted racism permeates U.S. military.
• Who's an astronaut as private spaceflight picks up speed?
More @AP coverage: https://t.co/6hQuVXTNss

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 29, 2021

Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a hybrid of strains first found in India and the U.K. The Vietnamese health minister said the new variant could be responsible for a recent surge in the country. https://t.co/VPXU70Mu9P

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 29, 2021

Vietnam business hub Ho Chi Minh City to enact social distancing https://t.co/neRpQ3HJiO pic.twitter.com/Oq52gKwV9o

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 30, 2021

Israeli opposition inch closer to deal to oust Netanyahu https://t.co/vdBjX1akwl

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 30, 2021

Bashar al-Assad won the election in Syria by a 95.1 percent majority. How? Watch the soldiers handle the ballots. pic.twitter.com/dlXQ38csmy

— Mike (@Doranimated) May 29, 2021

VIDEO: Russia's presidential regiment, a prestigious regiment responsible for keeping watch over the Kremlin in Moscow, hosts a changing of the guard ceremony pic.twitter.com/4lsHxYkc1K

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 30, 2021

NEVER FORGET

"This is a mass burial at sea, on the USS Intrepid in 1944 following a kamikaze attack. I've never seen this photo, and I figure most of you probably haven't either. I posted so people can see, and remember the incredible sacrifices made on our behalf." pic.twitter.com/PZ9CkXklal

— BraveHeart (@Braveheart_USA) May 30, 2021

Picture Of The Day

Strait to the Sea The USS Iwo Jima and the USS San Antonio transit the Strait of Gibraltar before entering the Mediterranean Sea, May 22, 2021.  

WNU Editor: The above picture is from the US Defense Department (link here).

U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For The U.S. Army

Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division use a prototype of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System during a trench-clearing exercise in October 2020 at Fort Pickett, Va. (Bridgett Siter/U.S. Army)  

Defense News: US Army’s FY22 budget backs modernization, cuts ‘down into bone’ of legacy fleet 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is taking a hit in the president’s fiscal 2022 defense budget request compared to the other military services, but the land force continues to staunchly guard its ongoing modernization efforts intended to provide overmatch against adversaries like China and Russia by 2035, according to documents released May 28. 

The Army’s budget request of $173 billion for FY22 represents a $5 billion reduction compared to last year’s request of $178 billion. 

Congress enacted $176.6 billion in FY21. Different this year is the lack of wartime funding — also known as the overseas contingency operations account — that, for the first time since it was created, is rolled into the base budget. 

The OCO account is now referred to as direct and enduring contingency costs. That was reduced by $5 billion from FY21, Army comptroller Lt. Gen. Thomas Horlander told a small group of reporters.  

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U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For The U.S. Army  

Army Modernization Budget Drops $4.2B; Budget Drops $3.6B Overall -- Breaking Defense  

Army Grunts May Get More Guns, But Less Ammo Next Year -- Military.com  

Army cuts procurement of airborne jammer in smaller electronic warfare budget -- C4ISRNet 

Afghanistan, Iraq Drawdowns Cut $3.2B From US Army Costs, Officials Say -- Defense One

U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For The U.S. Navy

The aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman transits the Elizabeth River on May 12, 2021, as it departs Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va., after completing a 10-month scheduled extended carrier incremental availability. (MC2 Class Steven Edgar/U.S. Navy) 

Defense News: US Navy FY22 budget request prioritizes readiness over procurement 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy has asked for a budget that would boost near-term readiness by investing in ship and aircraft maintenance but shrinks procurement and force structure, again pausing plans to grow the fleet. 

The Navy’s fiscal 2022 budget request, released May 28, addresses future requirements through a beefed-up research and development account, and the Marine Corps is moving out on some acquisition efforts that support its Force Design 2030 effort. 

But the actual size of the Navy fleet was a lower priority given the top line spending levels in FY22, the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget told reporters in a May 28 press briefing.  

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U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For The U.S. Navy 

Navy aims to reduce end strength, cut higher education funding in new budget request -- Military Times  

Navy Speeds Up Ship Retirements as It Ramps Up Investment in New Platforms -- Military.com  

Amid worries about China's growing navy, the US Navy is only asking for 4 new combat ships next year -- Business Insider  

Navy Tries to Cut Four Littoral Combat Ships to Save $186M in FY 22 Budget -- USNI News  

Navy Plans To Cut Ships, But Fleet Plan Remains MIA -- Breaking Defense  

Naval Spending Proposal Defies Calls to Buy Extra Ships, Boost Marines’ Budget -- Defense One

U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For Space Force

Acting Secretary of the Air Force John Roth visits the launch operations center at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., May 17, 2021. Credit: U.S. Space Force  

C4ISRNet: Space Force seeks sizeable budget increase, reflecting the domain’s importance  

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force asked Congress Friday for $17.4 billion in its 2022 budget request, a bold 13 percent increase for the smallest service when overall military spending is expected to be nearly flat. 

The $2 billion increase is driven by both additional proposed investments in capabilities and the transfer of space-related funding from the other services to the Space Force — ostensibly beginning the long-awaited consolidation of space programs within the new service. 

The budget would invest in space launch vehicles and GPS and missile defense satellites for the domain that’s increasingly important to future conflicts and joint war fighting.  

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U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For Space Force  

Space Force’s 2022 Budget Adds Satellites, Warfighting Center, More Guardians -- Air Force Magazine  

Space Force Is the Only Military Service Set to Grow Under Biden's Budget Plan -- Military.com  

Biden seeks $2 billion funding boost for U.S. Space Force -- Space News  

US Space Force Seeks 2,020 Civilian Acquisition Staff in 2022 -- Defense One

U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For The U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force wants to send more than 200 aircraft to the boneyard. Will lawmakers push back? (Senior Airman Kristine Legate/U.S. Air Force) 

Defense News: US Air Force to mothball dozens of A-10s, F-15s and F-16s in FY22 budget 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force wants to send more than 200 aircraft to the boneyard with its fiscal 2022 budget request, freeing up $1.3 billion in savings that it can reinvest in cutting-edge technologies like its sixth-generation fighter and hypersonic weapons.

The Department of the Air Force, which released its budget request on May 28, requested a total of $173.7 billion — $156.3 billion for the Air Force and $17.4 billion for the Space Force. 

Although research, development, test and evaluation costs for the Air Force increased from $26.6 billion to $28.8 billion, procurement fell from $26.1 billion to $22.9 billion.

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U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request For The U.S. Air Force  

Air Force Will See Substantial Cuts to Aircraft Fleets in Biden's First Budget -- Military.com  

Most Air Force manning remains flat while Space Force spikes in $174 billion budget request -- Air Force Times  

US Air Force Details Proposed Cuts to Planes, Flying Hours -- Defense One  

Air Force Asks to Retire 201 Aircraft in 2022 and Will Buy 91 New Ones -- Air Force Magazine  

Air Force Hopes To Retire 201 Planes; Space Force Ask Up $2.2B -- Breaking Defense  

Air Force Pushes to Counter China in 2022 Budget -- Air Force Magazine  

Air Force seeks to cut dozens of aircraft, invest in the future in $156.3 billion spending plan -- Air Force Times  

Why the Air Force wants to cut dozens of A-10s, everyone’s favorite close air support aircraft -- Task & Purpose

U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request

 

Defense One: Eyeing China, Biden’s First Pentagon Budget Would Cut Troops, Buy Future Weapons 

DepSecDef Hicks called the president’s $715 billion spending request “a foundation for fielding a full range of needed capabilities.”

Republicans called it “a cut.” The Biden administration is proposing cuts to the military’s ranks and arsenals in an effort to invest in a new generation of high-tech weapons to counter China. 

In a $715 billion spending plan sent to Congress Friday, the Biden administration proposes sidelining ships and hundreds of aircraft to pay for fast-flying hypersonic missiles and newer generation warships. 

“To defend the nation, the department in this budget takes a clear-eyed approach to Beijing and provides the investments to prioritize China as our pacing challenge,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said Friday. 

“The PRC has become increasingly competitive in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world. It has the economic, military and technological capability to challenge the international system and American interests within it.”  

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More News On The U.S. Department Of Defense Proposed FY22 Budget Request  

DOD Budget Request Boosts Research, Nuclear Modernization and Includes 2.7% Pay Raise -- US Department of Defense  

Austin, Milley: President's FY22 Budget Request Sufficient for Defense Mission -- US Department of Defense  

Biden Defense Budget: Secretary Austin Defends $715 Billion Request -- Bloomberg  

Austin, Milley say $715B defense budget is ample for DoD's needs -- UPI  

Pentagon pitches $715B budget with cuts to older weapons -- The Hill  

Biden focuses on China in $715B defense budget request -- FOX News  

Eyeing China, Biden defense budget boosts research and cuts procurement -- Defense News  

GPS, subs and microelectronics: Biden defense budget is all China -- Nikkei Asia  

Here’s the firepower the Pentagon is asking for in its $715 billion budget -- CNBC  

Biden Requests Less Than 1% Boost to Pentagon R&D, Despite Hyping New Defense Tech -- Defense One  

Pentagon wants to spend big on joint war-fighting systems -- C4ISRNet  

Goodbye A-10s, hello pay raise: Inside the Pentagon’s $715 billion budget wishlist -- Task & Purpose  

Troops Would See 2.7% Pay Raise Under Proposed DoD Budget -- Military.com  

MDA’s $8.9B FY22 request focuses on next-gen defense against emerging threats -- Defense News 

Pentagon chief defends $715 billion budget GOP calls inadequate -- Bloomberg  

Pentagon budget will shake up ‘legacy’ systems. Lawmakers are shaking back. -- Defense News