Daily News Roundup

US troops doubled in Syria before Assad’s overthrow, Pentagon says

The surge of 1,100 troops to the country has been going on for months without being disclosed publicly.

New US Space Force jammers aim to disrupt China’s SATCOM signals

The Remote Modular Terminals, which disrupt adversary satellites by "yelling in their ear," as one official put it, are cleared for initial fielding,

Germany triples submarine order to six boats in joint buy with Norway

The extra boats are in line with Germany's expanded defense and naval aspirations.

India commissions Russian-built warship amid enduring ties with Moscow

India has been trying to diversify its weapons portfolio, as Russian-made equipment permeates the country's armed forces.

Italy bristles at prospect of Russia moving ships from Syria to Libya

Leaders in Rome fear Moscow's warships could be parked "two steps" from Italian shores, as Defense Minister Guido Crosetto put it.

US Army extends Palantir’s contract for its data-harnessing platform

The Army is poised to grow Vantage, its major data platform, by awarding Palantir a $400 million contract to continue its expansion across the force.

US Navy ‘wasted’ $1.8 billion on cruiser modernization program: Report

The report found that the Navy’s cruiser rehab program has had “weak oversight” and been “plagued with ... delays, wasted costs and poor-quality work.”

Special ops leaders eye alarming levels of adversary collaboration

China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are all finding ways to antagonize U.S. efforts.

Corruption may slow China’s ability to one day invade Taiwan, DOD says

But the Pentagon's annual report on China's military still tracked advances.

Slovakia buys Black Hawk helicopters, leaving Vipers up for grabs

Ukrainian officials have long had their eyes on a dozen Viper attack helicopters for which the U.S. government has yet to find a customer.

Opinion

Make Putin an offer he can’t refuse

Since Ukraine controls part of Kursk, it is in a position to barter over the details, argue analysts Alexander Vershbow and Hans Binnendijk.

Ursa Major tests long-range rocket motor for Army as firm eyes growth

Ursa Major said it developed this solid rocket motor from scratch and brought it to test in four months.

Space Force must grow to counter China and Russia, lawmaker says

House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said the service is not sized to meet increasing threats from China and Russia.

Combatant commands mishandled classified mobile devices, audit finds

Inventory records of devices with sensitive intel weren't maintained, and in some cases, contained inaccurate information, according to a DOD OIG report.

SpaceX launches rapid response GPS mission

The effort, dubbed Rapid Response Trailblazer, was meant to demonstrate the ability to quickly plan and launch a mission in around six months.

Opinion

No runways, no sorties: Chinese missiles threaten US airpower plans

American warplanes could be kept from joining the fray of a conflict with China for days or weeks, analysts have concluded.