Page 9 - Us Pentagon

Musk's refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine's attack raises questions

SpaceX founder Elon Musk's refusal to allow Ukraine to use Starlink internet services to launch a surprise attack on Russian forces in Crimea last September has raised questions as to whether the US military needs to be more explicit in future contracts that services or products it purchases could be used in war, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said on Monday. Excerpts of a new biography of Musk published by The Washington Post last week revealed that the Ukrainians in September 2022 had asked for the Starlink support to attack Russian naval vessels based at the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Musk had refused due to concerns that Russia would launch a nuclear attack in response. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and claims it as its territory. Musk was not on a military contract when he refused the Crimea request; he'd been providing terminals to Ukraine for free in response to Russia's February 2022 invasion. However, in the months since, the US military has funded and ...

Elon Musk told Pentagon that he spoke to president Putin directly: Report

Musk made the comments during an October conversation with Colin Kahl, then the Pentagon's top policy official, about Ukrainian forces losing connection to Space X's Starlink service

Plea negotiations could mean no 9/11 defendants face death penalty: US

The suspected architect of the September 11, 2001, attacks and his fellow defendants may never face the death penalty under plea agreements now under consideration to bring an end to their more than decadelong prosecution, the Pentagon and FBI have advised families of some of the thousands killed. The notice, made in a letter that was sent to several of the families and obtained by The Associated Press, comes 1 1/2 years after military prosecutors and defence lawyers began exploring a negotiated resolution to the case. The prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others held at the US detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been troubled by repeated delays and legal disputes, especially over the legal ramifications of the interrogation under torture that the men initially underwent while in CIA custody. No trial date has been set. The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been negotiating and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements, or PTAs, the letter said. It to

US Pentagon warns of disruptions as army, marines lack confirmed leaders

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that troop readiness and retention is at risk as the Army's chief stepped down Friday, leaving the military's two ground combat forces without Senate-confirmed leaders for the first time in history. Speaking during a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Austin said the Senate's failure to confirm the services' new leaders is disruptive to the force and could impact relationships with allies and partners around the globe. The confirmation of the next Army chief and Marine commandant are among more than 300 military nominations stalled by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican, over the Pentagon's policy to pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Today for the first time in the history of the Department of Defense, two of our services will be operating without Senate confirmed leadership, said Austin. Great teams need great leaders, and that's central to maintaining the

US will support allies as they resist China's 'bullying': Pentagon chief

Senior US officials have visited China recently, including Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in an effort to improve relations between the two nations and prevent a conflict

US working with India on co-producing extended-range artillery: Pentagon

The US is working with India on proposals to co-produce extended-range artillery and infantry vehicles to meet its operational requirements along its border with China and address its "coercion and harassment", a top Pentagon official said on Thursday. The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over-three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh. This is part of the unprecedented steps being undertaken by the Biden administration to enable its allies and partners to contribute to deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, said Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, in prepared opening remarks for his Congressional hearing on China. The hearing is taking place at a time when relations between the US and China have been hit badly amid disputes over human rights, access to technology, China's territorial claims in the South China and East China seas and threats against self-governing Taiwan. Pentagon, he said, is supporting

US approves $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid for Ukraine

The Pentagon announced a new USD 1.3 billion package of long-term military aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, including four air defense systems and an undisclosed number of drones. The new assistance comes on the heels of a meeting Tuesday by defense and military leaders from around the globe to discuss ongoing efforts to give Ukraine the weapons it needs in its battle to retake territory seized by Russian forces. Included in the aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will be funding for four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, and munitions for them, as well as Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade drones. Unlike the presidential drawdown authority that the Pentagon has used repeatedly over the past 17 months to pull weapons from its own stocks and quickly ship them to Ukraine, the USAI-funded equipment could take a year or two to get to the battlefront. As a result, this new package will do little to help Ukraine in its current ..

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Both cases are different: Pentagon on treatment meted out to India, Turkey

Pentagon's Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh explained the different treatment being meted out to Turkey and India for getting delivery of Russia's S-400 missile system

An accounting error by US frees up arms worth $6.2 billion for Ukraine

The United States said that the valuation errors did not limit Washington's provision of support to Ukraine

Not Accurate: Pentagon on reports about China's Spy Station in Cuba

Ryder added that the Pentagon was not aware of China setting up any type of military base in Cuba or elsewhere in the region

Trump described Pentagon plan of attack, shared classified map: Indictment

Former President Donald Trump described a Pentagon plan of attack and shared a classified map related to a military operation, according to an indictment unsealed Friday. The document marks the Justice Department's first official confirmation of a criminal case against Trump arising from the retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. Trump disclosed the existence of the indictment in a Truth Social post Thursday night as well as in a video he recorded. The indictment accuses Trump of having improperly removed scores of boxes from the White House to take them to Mar-a-Lago, many of them containing classified information.

PM Modi's US visit will set new benchmarks for bilateral ties: Pentagon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US this month will set new benchmarks for bilateral ties and big announcements are likely to be made on defence industrial cooperation and boosting India's indigenous military base, the Pentagon has said. Prime Minister Modi will embark on his first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden this month. During his four-day visit starting on June 21, the US president and the First Lady will host Modi for a state dinner on June 22. When Prime Minister Modi comes here to Washington for a State Visit later in the month, I think it will be a historic visit setting new benchmarks for the relationship, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said during a panel discussion at the Center for New American Security on Thursday. I think it (the visit) will be looked back upon similar to how the Japan two plus two earlier this year was a pivotal moment in the relationship

Fake AI image of Pentagon explosion puts paid Twitter Blue in question

Several media outlets and millions of Twitter users took the fake verified Twitter account 'Bloomberg Feed' for a real Bloomberg-affiliated account, as it had a blue check

Have communicated with China: Pentagon on stopping weapons supply to Russia

However, Pentagon does not have any indications that China has provided lethal assistance to Russia

Pentagon leaks suggest China developing ways to attack satellites

The idea of physically capturing or taking over a satellite has been considered a largely impossible task, although it has featured, famously, in the film such as "You Only Live Twice"

US embarrassed after 21-year-old arrested in classified documents leak

As Pentagon jobs go, Teixeira's was pretty junior and his job description says workers like him "keep our communications systems up and running and play an integral role in our continuing success"

Leak of classified documents a deliberate criminal act, says Pentagon

Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, 21, had been detained by authorities in connection with the document breach

Leaked documents about Ukraine war very serious risk to security: Pentagon

The online leaks of scores of highly classified documents about the Ukraine war present a very serious" risk to national security, and senior leaders are quickly taking steps to mitigate the damage, a top Pentagon spokesman said Monday. Chris Meagher, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, told reporters that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin first became aware on Thursday that a number of classified briefing slides detailing the U.S. military efforts in the Ukraine war and intelligence involving other nations were leaked. In the days since Austin was notified, he has reached out to allies, held daily meetings to assess damage and set up a group not only to assess the scope of the information lost but review who has access to those briefings. The department is looking closely at how this type of information is distributed and to whom, Meagher said, but would not say if steps had already been taken to tighten control over who can access it. At the State Department, ..

Defence budget readies US for possible China confrontation: Pentagon

The US military must be ready for possible confrontation with China, the Pentagon's leaders said Thursday, pushing Congress to approve the Defence Department's proposed USD 842 billion budget that would modernize the force in Asia and around the world. "This is a strategy-driven budget and one driven by the seriousness of our strategic competition with the People's Republic of China," Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in testimony before the House Appropriations subcommittee on defence. Pointing to increases in new technology, such as hypersonics, Austin said the budget proposes to spend more than USD 9 billion, a 40 per cent increase over last year, to build up military capabilities in the Pacific and defend allies. The testimony comes on the heels of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, amid concerns China will step up its support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine and increasingly threaten the West. China's actions, said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman o