DefenceTalkThe Pentagon said Thursday that it was tracking a Chinese spy balloon flying high over the United States that appeared to be surveilling highly sensitive nuclear weapons sites. At President Joe Biden’s request, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and top military officials considered shooting the balloon down but decided doing so would endanger too many people […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-tracking-chinese-spy-balloon-over-us-79833/

DefenceTalkThe Pentagon announced Wednesday it has awarded $9 billion in cloud computing contracts to Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle, after scrapping a previous deal during a dispute between two of those firms. The Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) is a “multiple-award contract vehicle that will provide the DoD the opportunity to acquire commercial cloud capabilities […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-splits-9-billion-cloud-contract-among-google-amazon-oracle-and-microsoft-79649/

DefenceTalkThe US Defense Department denied Thursday that it provided intelligence on the locations of Russian generals on the battlefield so that Ukrainian forces could kill them. Reacting to an explosive New York Times report on US support for Ukraine’s military, Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said it was true that the United States supplies Kyiv’s forces […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-denies-helping-ukraine-target-russian-generals-78770/

DefenceTalkUkraine has received fighter planes and aircraft parts to bolster its air force in the face of Russia’s invasion, the Pentagon said Tuesday, declining to specify the number of aircraft or their origin. The announcement comes a week after US President Joe Biden unveiled an $800 million military aid package for Kyiv, including heavier equipment […]https://www.defencetalk.com/ukraine-receives-fighter-planes-parts-to-bolster-air-force-pentagon-78706/

DefenceTalkFour US troops were injured Thursday after rockets were fired at a base housing American forces in eastern Syria, US Central Command said. The rockets struck two support buildings at the Green Village base in Deir Ezzor province run by allied Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, where the US and coalition partners maintain a mission against […]https://www.defencetalk.com/four-us-troops-injured-in-rocket-attack-on-syria-base-pentagon-78648/

DefenceTalkUS officials on Monday called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to mobilize his nuclear forces “dangerous” but said they had not seen any indication of any change in the country’s strategic threat. Officials also said that Russian troops in Ukraine continue to move ahead slowly, hampered by fuel supply issues, and downplayed reports that the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-studying-putin-nuclear-order-78179/

DefenceTalkThe big-spending Pentagon opened a campaign Tuesday against the consolidation of defense contractors, saying competition has dwindled as arms suppliers merge and supersize. In an official report, the Department of Defense (DoD), which has a budget of $768 billion this year, said the shrinking number of suppliers threatens national security and limits the potential for […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-fights-defense-industry-consolidation-77947/

DefenceTalkIn October 2021, Gen. John Hyten, then-vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned that China’s military capabilities would soon surpass that of both Washington and Moscow. Hyten claimed that, within a five-year period, Beijing had conducted hundreds of hypersonic weapons tests, versus the nine completed by the US. As the US attempts to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-hopes-to-light-a-fire-for-hypersonic-development-during-high-level-defense-meeting-77804/

DefenceTalkUS Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered Pentagon officials Thursday to undertake reforms to reduce the number of civilian deaths from military strikes after multiple unjustified fatal incidents. “The protection of civilians is fundamentally consistent with the effective, efficient and decisive use of force in pursuit of US national interests,” Austin said in a directive issued […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-chief-orders-reforms-to-reduce-civilian-deaths-77785/

DefenceTalkThe US military will reinforce deployments and bases directed at China and Russia, while maintaining forces in the Middle East adequate to deter Iran and jihadist groups, the Pentagon said Monday, referencing results of a review. The US Defense Department will be upgrading and expanding military facilities in Guam and Australia, underscoring its focus on […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-plans-stronger-us-posture-toward-china-russia-77519/