Tag Archives: Military

U.S. Officials Report that Russia’s Forces in Syria have Grown to 4,000 People

U.S. security officials told Reuters on Thursday that Russia has doubled its military personnel in Syria in its campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

On September 30 when Russia began its recent wave of airstrikes in Syria, there was an estimated 2,000 personnel. Now, they have not only doubled their people, but have also approximately doubled the number of bases they are using. Security officials stated that an exact number of personnel cannot be known since the Kremlin has suffered combat casualties in Syria.

Russian officials have declined to comment regarding the size of their military forces in Syria and did not answer any questions that were sent by Reuters.

However, they did state that no Russian troops have been in combat in Syria, although there are advisers and trainers working with the Syrian military. Reuters also reports that Russian forces are guarding the bases in western Syria.

The Kremlin further states that since they have been in Syria, they have only lost one soldier who committed suicide. The parents of the serviceman have stated they doubt this claim.

The U.S. has criticized Russia over their recent involvement in the Syrian civil war. While Russia has stated numerous times that they are there to fight the Islamic State, numerous reports have indicated that Syrian rebels have been the main targets of their airstrikes in order to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S. believes that Assad should step down from his leadership role in order for the Syrian civil war to end.

White House Reports U.S. Jets Intercept Russian Warplanes near Korean Peninsula

Four fighter jets were launched by the U.S. Navy to intercept Russian warplanes that were flying one nautical mile away from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

According to White House spokesman Josh Earnest, the USS Ronald Reagan was performing a military exercise with South Korea in the Sea of Japan. Korean jets first intercepted the Russian warplanes. The Navy also stated they tried to communicate with the Russian planes, but never received a response.

Yahoo! News reports that Earnest stated the situation was “not a particularly threatening encounter,” as there was no evidence that the Russian planes posed any threat to the aircraft carrier or the ships that were escorting it.

The situation comes after an agreement was signed between Russia and the United States on October 10 that established protocols for flying over Syria. The agreement was to avoid any crashes between pilots.

Today’s incident isn’t the first time the U.S. and Russia has experienced encounters like this in 2015. A video was released by the Navy in June that showed Russian jets flying near the guided missile destroyer USS Ross. On July 4, Russian fighter jets located off the coasts of Alaska and California were intercepted by the United States, according to CNN.

Bulgaria Places Troops on Turkish Border

Bulgaria announced they are sending their military to secure the border with Turkey as migrants continue to flood into the nation.

“There is a change in the situation in the past few days and it is hard to predict where the refugee wave will head…so we are standing ready,” Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev told public BNR radio.

Nenchev said up to 1,000 troops could end up along the border.

The chief secretary to the interior ministry told reporters that around 660 migrants tried to illegally cross the nation’s border but turned back after they discovered it was heavily guarded.

Bulgaria is not the only nation bordering Turkey facing migrant problems.

Greece is blocking migrants at their border with Turkey, resulting in protests from the migrants who depend to be allowed to cross.  Many are refusing the food given out by a Turkish agency and say they will conduct a hunger strike until they get their desires.

“We are not going back,” Ahmed El Latif told the AP. “Either we all die here or we will go to Greece.”

Japan Abandons Pacifism

Japan has moved away from their stance of post-World War II pacifism by voting to end the ban on troops fighting on foreign soil.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing for the easing of the rules on the military, allowing the nation to now provide support to an ally who is coming under attack.  The move has been criticized by Chinese officials and is not popular with many Japanese voters.

“There is no change in the general principle that we cannot send troops overseas,” Abe told a televised news conference.

The decision has caused the largest protests in Toyko in decades.

Japanese officials say the move allows the nation to be more of an influence in the Asia/Pacific region.  The move was hailed by U.S. officials who want to see Japan become more of a player in the region’s politics.  The U.S. maintains a treaty to defend Japan if attacked.

“This decision is an important step for Japan as it seeks to make a greater contribution to regional and global peace and security,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement.  “The United States has an enduring interest in the Asia-Pacific’s peace and prosperity, and our alliance with Japan is critical to our strategy in the region.”

Analysts say that the move shows the growth of the nation since World War II.

“Japan is like the 42-year-old kid still living in the basement of the United States,” longtime Asia strategist Keith Henry told CNN.

“Conservative governments have pushed the envelope hard and often to get the public to agree to a more elastic interpretation of article 9 (which renounces war). Abe is taking a bigger leap and getting away with it, thanks to the Chinese,” Columbia University political science professor Gerry Curtis told Reuters.

North Korea Satellite Launch Possibly Cover for Missile Test

North Korea has announced they will be launching satellites to mark the 70th anniversary of the country’s ruling party.

“Space development for peaceful purposes is a sovereign state’s legitimate right … and the people of (North Korea) are fully determined to exercise this right no matter what others may say about it,” the director told Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency.

The National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) released a statement saying that  “the world will clearly see a series of satellites soaring into the sky at times and locations determined” by the ruling Workers’ Party.

“The NADA is pushing forward at a final phase the development of a new earth observation satellite,” KCNA quoted NADA’s director.

“Successful progress made in reconstructing and expanding satellite launching grounds for higher-level satellite lift-off has laid a firm foundation for dynamically pushing ahead with the nation’s development of space science,” the director added.

The launches will be carried out with missiles that are causing concern around the world.

The U.S. and South Korean militaries both report the satellite launches are being used as methods to test long-range missiles that could deliver a nuclear payload to South Korea or surrounding nations.

China Showing Off Military Might

China is making a demonstration of its military might both through ocean maneuvers and a parade of new technology.

The first major flexing of China’s military muscle came during the incident of ships off the coast of Alaska during a visit by President Obama.  The ships entered US territorial waters for the first time, passing within 12 nautical miles of the Alaskan coast.

US military officials say the ships complied with international law despite their proximity to Alaska.

“They already had one of their icebreakers up in that area, and they weren’t that far away with an exercise, and they’ve already started their return transit,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert told Reuters.

Meanwhile, the military used the anniversary of the ending of World War II to display in a parade a missile that’s designed to take out an aircraft carrier.

The missile, called the Dongfeng DF-21D, is designed to enter space like an intercontinental ballistic missile but the warhead will detach and use radar to target a ship.

“The significance of that weapon is that its warhead, once it detaches from the launching vehicle, is able to slow its descent, turn on a radar seeker, and maneuver to engage a moving ship if it is in the radar “footprint” of the seeker,” Michael McDevitt, a retired United States rear admiral and analyst at CNA Strategic Studies, told the New York Times.

“This is unusual because normally ballistic, by definition, means that once fired, a weapon goes straight to where it was aimed. Heretofore, a ballistic missile with a conventional warhead would not be effective against a moving target because during the time of flight of the missile the target would have moved. The maneuvering warhead is Cold War technology, first introduced as I understand it with the Pershing II land-based missiles Reagan stationed in Europe.”

The missiles have a range of about 900 miles, meaning China could use them to keep American naval vessels out of the South China Sea in the event China attacks Taiwan.

North Korea Attacks South Korea over Broadcasts

North Korea has fired artillery across the South Korean border in response to broadcasts made from the South exposing the North Korean government’s brutality.

The North Korean government called the broadcasts “a declaration of war.”  The North Korean volley was aimed at the broadcast locations.  The attack happened about 4 p.m. local time.

The South Korean military responded with artillery fire.  The North did not retaliate but sent a warning that they would carry out military action within 48 hours if the broadcasts did not stop.

“Our military has stepped up monitoring and is closely watching North Korean military movements,” South Korea’s defense ministry said.

The U.S. government, who has about 28,500 military personnel in South Korea, said they are “monitoring” the situation.

“Such provocative actions heighten tensions, and we call on Pyongyang to refrain from actions and rhetoric that threaten regional peace and security,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Katina Adams said.

The nations last traded fire in October 2014 when two patrol boats in the Yellow Sea exchanged fire and was followed by North Korean gunfire later that week.

ISIS Group Sends Threat to U.S. Military Members

A hacking group connected to the Islamic terrorist group ISIS is sending a threat to members of the U.S. military and government workers, saying that they’re being watched in their own homes.

The group published a list on Tuesday that they claim contains personal information of soldiers and government employees.  The hackers for ISIS told The Blaze that they are continually spying on Americans.

(All grammatical errors in the quotes below are directly from the terrorists.)

“Just like they spy on the muslims,” the terrorists stated, “we are spying on them, watching their employees, watching their soldiers, recording their movements and taking their location information and passing it on the soldiers of the islamic state.”

The terrorists focused on what they say is the fact they don’t need to attack military facilities.

“the brothers don’t need to attack them in military bases or secured buildings,” the hacking group member added. “they can now turn up in their houses. in their homes. this is war, what did you expect? u think u can bomb the islamic state and we don’t do nothing back? soon, very soon you will see.”

The hackers said this is “war.”

“this is what, what did you expect?” the hacker wrote.  “u think u can bomb the islamic state and we dont do nothing back?”

The declaration comes just days after a Mississippi couple was arrested for attempting to fly to Turkey to join the terrorist group.

U.S. To Send More Weapons, Soldiers to NATO

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday that the U.S. will send weapons, aircraft and troops as needed to NATO’s new rapid reaction force.  The force will defend Europe in the event of an aggressive move by Russia or ISIS.

President Obama made the commitment last year during a NATO summit but Carter is revealing the details of the plan.

“We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia,” Carter said at Atlantik Brucke, a Berlin think tank that focuses on the German-U.S. relationship. “We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake: we will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us. We will stand up to Russia’s actions and their attempts to re-establish a Soviet-era sphere of influence.”

The U.S. will provide intelligence and surveillance capabilities, special operations forces, transport aircraft and a range of weapons from bombers and fighters to ship-based missiles.  A large ground force is not part of the U.S. commitment.

Carter is attending his first NATO meeting as Defense Secretary and plans to bring a two-pronged approach to NATO’s needs:  the first is a strong defense against Russia in an attempt to stop them from establishing a Soviet-era influence on the region while partnering with Russia to fight Islamic terrorism.

President Orders More Troops To Iraq

President Obama has ordered 450 more U.S. troops to Iraq, saying that they will not engage ISIS but train the Iraqi army.

The move by the White House will also including sending weapons to Sunni tribes and the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters that are operating under the Iraqi command structure.  An administration official said the hope is that a new “Sunni uprising” will take place against the terrorists.

The order comes after President Obama admitted last week ahead of the G7 conference that the U.S. did not have a cohesive plan to stop the Islamic terrorists.

The additional troops will be based at Taqaddum military base in Anbar province.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey told reporters the President asked military leaders to “take a look at what we’ve learned over the last eight months in the train-and-equip program and make recommendations to him on whether there are capabilities that we may want to provide to the Iraqis to actually make them more capable.”

Great Britain said they would be sending an additional 125 troops to help in training.

Currently, there are approximately 3,050 U.S. forces in Iraq. The majority support Iraqi security forces, about 450 train Iraqi troops, and roughly 200 fill advising and assisting roles.