The Pentagon’s IPO for War: Now With 100% More Cowbell

The Pentagon’s acquisition system is being overhauled into a “Warfighting Acquisition System,” turbocharging weapons production, slashing bureaucracy, and empowering officials to deliver arms at “wartime speed.” Portfolio Acquisition Executives now wield sweeping authority, startups are courted like prom queens, and the defense industrial base is being rebranded as Silicon Valley with missiles.

So much for the “peace president”—Trump’s arsenal of freedom looks more like an IPO for war, where venture capital meets missile launchers and bureaucrats cosplay as battlefield commanders.

Forging the Arsenal of Freedom

Related:

FoRGED Act Documentation

China’s new hypersonic missile-capable submarine challenges US in Philippines

China’s new hypersonic missile-capable submarine challenges US in Philippines: Report

According to the report, the new submarine is capable of carrying advanced hypersonic missiles, allowing for covert strikes beyond enemy defenses and the option to deploy nuclear warheads if needed. Working with other military forces, it will help deter enemy carrier groups and bases within the first island chain.

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China’s stealth destroyer lurks 124 miles off Sydney’s coast

A Chinese naval task force, consisting of the Type 055 guided-missile destroyer Type 055, a Type 054A frigate, and a Type 903A replenishment ship, has been spotted operating approximately 124 miles [200 kilometers] east of Sydney, Australia.

China’s stealth destroyer lurks 124 miles off Sydney’s coast

Previously:

Chinese Navy Helicopter Intercepts Philippine Cessna Over Scarborough Shoal + Embedded Journalism

The aerial incident follows a week of multilateral activities between the Philippines and its allies in the South China Sea. These drills included back-to-back joint patrols with American, Japanese, Australian and Canadian forces. A U.S. Air Force bomber task force mission composed of two B-1Bs and Philippine Air Force fighter jets drilled off Luzon earlier this month. The Royal Australian Air Force also reported an unsafe interception incident with a People’s Liberation Army Air Force J-16 fighter over the contested waters last week.

US Missile Agency Scales Back Guam Defence Plans + More

Source

US Missile Agency Scales Back Guam Defence Plans

The project is designed to create “360 degree” protection for the U.S. Pacific territory from missile and air attacks of all kinds, the agency said. Plans include integrating Raytheon’s SM-6, SM-3 Block IIA, Lockheed Martin’s THAAD, and the Patriot PAC-3, which uses components from both companies, over about 10 years.

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US To Convert Pacific Oil Rigs Into Floating Targets for China

US To Convert Pacific Oil Rigs Into Military Bases as Part of Anti-China Buildup

Related:

Criticism:

In December 1999, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in response to a congressional mandate issued a report which delineated the impracticality of MOBs, “the largest floating offshore structure ever conceived by maritime engineers”, on the grounds of high cost and vulnerability to threats such as missile attack.

Wikipedia

Whac-A-Mole is fun!