Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 18, 2019

THREAD: Statement by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff #GenDunford on #Syria Troop Numbers: A claim reported this evening by a major U.S. newspaper that the U.S. military is developing plans to keep nearly 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria is factually incorrect. (1/3)

— The Joint Staff (@thejointstaff) March 18, 2019

CNN: Top US general refutes report that military could keep nearly 1,000 US troops in Syria

Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is refuting a Wall Street Journal report that the US military was developing plans to keep up to 1,000 troops in Syria, calling it "factually incorrect."

"There has been no change to the plan announced in February and we continue to implement the President's direction to draw down U.S. forces to a residual presence," Dunford said in a statement Sunday.

The Journal reported Sunday, citing US officials, that the US planned to continue working with Kurdish fighters in Syria who face threats from Turkey. The report said the plans came as talks between the US, Turkey, European allies and the Kurds have failed to establish a safe zone in Syria.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 18, 2019

US planning to leave 1K troops in Syria: report -- The Hill

F-15C Takes Over Anti-ISIS Ops After F-22 Comes Home -- Military.com

US-backed forces admit to ‘difficulties’ defeating ISIS in Syria -- Military Times/AP

New US military budget is focused on China: "We've been ignoring the problem for too long" -- CBS/AP

Pompeo slaps visa restrictions on international court probing US military -- The Hill

Lockheed Martin is Waging War on Boeing’s F-15EX -- Defense One

Lockheed awarded $506.9M contract for PAC-3 missiles -- UPI

Is Germany’s Puma combat vehicle still tickling the US Army’s interest? -- Defense News

When is a killer robot tank not a killer robot tank? When the Army says it’s not -- Quartz

Marines May Practice Attacking Enemy Ships from Shore in Upcoming Exercise -- Military.com

Why the Truman is back at sea, again -- Mark D. Faram, Navy Times

The Navy Is Getting Serious About Crewless Vessels -- Yahoo/Motley Fool

Keel laid on assault warship USS Bougainville -- UPI

Why the US Navy will stop publicizing Admiral promotions -- We Are The Mighty

US, Japan to Develop New Aegis Radar to Counter Chinese, Russian Missiles -- Sputnik

The U.S. Military wants a Ton of Guided Rockets to Strike Russia and China -- National Interest/Task & Purpose

Fort Trump Could Be Traded for Additional US Troop Deployment in Poland– Report -- Sputnik

Joint NATO-Georgia Military Exercises Kick Off Near Tbilisi -- RFE

How NATO is shaping up at 70 -- The Economist

Xi's South China Sea 'Fishermen' Risk Hooking U.S. Into Conflict -- Nikkei Asian Rev.

Beijing plans ‘strategic service and logistics base’ on Woody Island, two islets in South China Sea -- SCMP

From Hardware to Software: China's 2019 Military Budget and Priorities -- The Diplomat

What military hardware will go on show for China’s 70th anniversary parade? -- SCMP

The Japanese Air Force Needs an Upgrade -- David A. Deptula, Foreign Policy

Russia's Black Sea Fleet to get 13 ships, including some armed with Kalibr missiles -- TAA

Canada to extend military training mission in Ukraine: source -- Reuters

S Korean Forces Accidentally Launch Anti-Aircraft Missile During Check - Reports -- Sputnik

Who Are the Private Contractors Fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan? -- Defense One

Is Huawei a Security Threat? Seven Experts Weigh In -- Colin Lecher & Russell Brandom, The Verge

The High Costs of the New Cold War -- Minxin Pei, The Strategist

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