Wednesday PDB – Is Pentagon Spying on Its Troops? National Guard Needs a Break, Army Testing Big Guns on Small Trucks, Saving our Loyal Afghan Friends, and Special Ops in Cognitive Warfare
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – With the many national security and intelligence topics that American Defense News (ADN) cannot adequately cover every day – in collaboration with the Center for American Defense Studies (CADS) – we are providing our readers a PDB:
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – Paul’s Daily Briefing.
Today’s PDB Includes a variety of critical issues such as – Is Pentagon Spying on Troops? New world of special operations in tech and ‘cognitive warfare.’ Marine Commandant says competition not war with China. Lawmakers concerned over Team Biden’s lack of urgency in protecting Afghan interests as US pulls out.
National Guard needs a break!
Plus, old Russian base in Arctic grows in importance.
Israeli- Hamas conflict could spread, warns Chairman of JCS.
Are fears of Taliban taking over Kabul overblown?
The Capitol Riot and US military.
And Army testing low recoil cannons on very small vehicles.
TODAY’S PDB HIGHLIGHTS:
National Security
Pentagon pushes back on report of anti-extremism social media surveillance program. The Defense Department is not planning to troll troops’ social media accounts for extremist activity, the Pentagon’s top spokesman told reporters on Tuesday, contrary to a Monday report about a pilot program to that effect.
Homeland Security
Guard leaders eye end to Capitol Hill, border security missions. National Guard leaders expect their mission on Capitol Hill to end this month and expect their deployment on the southern U.S. border to wrap up in September, potentially lessening the grueling operations tempo for the force in recent years.
What we know about the “unprecedented” U.S. Capitol riot arrests. At least 47 of those arrested are current or former military members.
China Threat
Competition, not war, with China is the future, top Marine says. War with China is not inevitable, but it will take an all-of-government approach to deter it, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger said Tuesday.
Russia Threat
Russia’s northernmost base projects its power across Arctic. During the Cold War, Russia’s Nagurskoye airbase was little more than a runway, a weather station and a communications outpost in the Franz Josef Land archipelago.
Middle East Conflict
Top U.S. general warns of broader destabilization risk from Israel-Palestinian hostilities. The top U.S. military officer, Army General Mark Milley, warned on Monday of the risk of broader destabilization beyond Gaza without a de-escalation in the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Afghanistan
Lawmakers frustrated over White House’s ‘total lack’ of urgency in helping Afghan interpreters. Afghans who aided U.S. troops are in danger of being hunted down by the Taliban.
Fear of Taliban conquering Kabul are overblown, says US envoy to Afghanistan. Predictions that the Taliban will quickly overrun Afghan government forces and conquer Kabul once U.S. and coalition forces have fully withdrawn are unduly pessimistic, Washington’s special envoy to Afghanistan said Tuesday.
Military
Army tries out Humvee-mounted howitzer. The Army is checking out two sizes of a unique low-recoil howitzer system: a 155mm gun on a 6×6 truck, Brutus, and a 105mm on a 4×4 Humvee, Hawkeye. That’s an extraordinarily small vehicle to mount an artillery piece, and reducing recoil is the key to making it work
Special Operations
Commander sees new era of ‘cognitive conflict’ for special operators. The withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan later this year will mark the beginning of a new era for Special Operations Forces.
Special operators deploying to US tech hubs. U.S. Special Operations Forces are used to deploying to warzones like Afghanistan and other austere and dangerous regions of the world. Now, some are being sent to innovation hubs in the United States.
END of PDB
PAUL CRESPO
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Defense News. A defense and national security expert, he served as a Marine Corps officer and as a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at US embassies worldwide. Paul holds degrees from Georgetown, London, and Cambridge Universities. He is also CEO of SPECTRE Global Risk, a security advisory firm, and President of the Center for American Defense Studies, a national security think tank.
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