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Pentagon to deploy 3000 reserve troops in Europe

Beijing's stockpile of nuclear warheads has nearly doubled since 2020: Pentagon

Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of US troops in Europe, which now stands at about 80,000…reports Asian Lite News

President Biden on Thursday authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 military reservists for duty in Europe, signaling the toll that ongoing efforts to deter Russia and reassure NATO allies is taking on a force deployed across the continent since war erupted in Ukraine early last year.

It was not immediately clear when the Defense Department will send additional reservists to Europe under the new authority, which Biden announced Thursday in a statement.

Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of U.S. troops in Europe, which now stands at about 80,000, but would potentially alter its makeup by allowing commanders to deploy additional reservists. Units that will be deployed had not yet been identified, the officials said.

Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, a senior official on the military’s Joint Staff, told reporters in a briefing that “these authorities will enable the department to better support and sustain” the enhanced American presence overseas.

Capt. Bill Speaks, a spokesman for U.S. European Command, said in a statement that the command was preparing to use the new authorities to “ensure long-term resilience in USEUCOM’s continued heightened level of presence and operations.”

The move comes as the United States expands its security aid to Ukraine, which has totaled more than $41 billion with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, to include cluster munitions and other weaponry. Despite the massive support already provided to Ukraine, the Biden administration is facing pressure to send additional equipment including fighter jets and longer-range missiles to help Ukrainian forces claw back territory in an ongoing counteroffensive.

The administration is also designating Atlantic Resolve, an operation that has enhanced the U.S. troop posture in Europe in response to the Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014, as a contingency operation. Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said that move would give activated reservists the same benefits as active-duty troops and accelerate contracting.

“You’re now able to call on [National] Guard or reserve forces to come support Atlantic Resolve and … be entitled to the same kind of benefits as their active-duty counterparts,” Ryder said.

Sims also said that American cluster munitions, which the White House agreed to provide to Ukraine last week following a lengthy internal debate, had already arrived in the war-torn country. Some lawmakers and observers have decried the decision, which they said could endanger civilians.

The U.S. rushed 20,000 more troops to Europe after Russia’s invasion, bringing the total to over 100,000 on the continent. That includes new rotations of 10,000 troops in Poland, which has emerged as a critical hub for supporting and supplying Ukraine.

The potential callups come on the heels of the NATO summit in Lithuania this week, where allies pledged to make 300,000 troops ready for rapid deployment within 30 days or less. It’s a tall order for the 31-member alliance whose individual members struggle with equipment and troop readiness after decades of skimping on military funding.

The news also comes as Ukraine continues to hammer away at Russia’s main defensive lines in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Although senior Pentagon officials express hope that Kyiv’s forces will recapture more significant territory soon, they say progress has been slower than hoped.

New American cluster bombs have arrived in Ukraine, after the Pentagon announced the controversial decision to send them last week, Sims said on Thursday. Officials say they believe the new weapons will prove more effective on the battlefield against dug-in Russian positions and concentrations of troops and armored vehicles.

Meanwhile, expressing hope that Ukraine’s counter-offensive would force Russia to the negotiating table, Biden said Vladimir Putin has already lost the war with the neighbour country

“Putin’s already lost the war. Putin has a real problem,” AFP reported quoting Biden as saying at a press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. “There is no possibility of him winning the war in Ukraine,” Biden added.

The President said there was no real prospect of Putin using nuclear weapons and insisted the war would not drag on for years.

Though the NATO leaders could not give Kyiv a timeline for the group’s membership at the Finland summit this week, but Biden, other members pledged that Ukraine would one day join the alliance

NATO leaders had dashed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s hopes for a clear timeline to join the military alliance, saying at this week’s summit in Vilnius that they would offer an invite only when “conditions are met”.

But while Biden said no country could become a NATO member while it was at war — with Ukraine joining now meaning a “third world war” — he vowed Kyiv would one day join the club.

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-Top News Defence USA

Pentagon error said to overvalue Ukraine arms aid by $3bn

Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie/IANS)

To date, the US has provided Ukraine with nearly $37bn in military aid since Russia invaded in February 2022…..reports Asian Lite News

The Department of Defense overestimated the value of weapons and other military equipment provided to Ukraine by approximately $3bn, officials said, an error in accounting that may lead the way for more arms being sent to Kyiv.

In many of the military aid packages sent to Ukraine, the defence department opted to draw from existing US stockpiles of older, existing items because it should ship them more quickly, officials said.

The accounting error was the result of assigning a higher than warranted value on older weaponry that was taken from those existing stocks.

“During our regular oversight process of presidential drawdown packages, the Department discovered inconsistencies in equipment valuation for Ukraine. In some cases, ‘replacement cost’ rather than ‘net book value’ was used, therefore overestimating the value of the equipment drawn down from US stocks,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on Thursday.

A defence official told the Associated Press that the Pentagon is still trying to determine exactly how much the total value of the surplus will be. The Reuters news agency cited a US defence official who said the amount of overvalued weaponry could possibly grow beyond $3bn as the Pentagon examines the situation more thoroughly.

Addressing the cost anomalies, a senior defence official explained to Reuters that in the case of 155mm ammunition for Howitzer artillery, of which more than 1.5 million shells have been sent to Ukraine, each cost about $800 at current prices. But the actual cost of each of the shells, which have been delivered to US military stockpiles each year over several decades, should be averaged out for a much lower price.

To date, the US has provided Ukraine with nearly $37bn in military aid since Russia invaded in February 2022. The bulk of that has been in weapons systems, millions of munitions and ammunition rounds, and an array of trucks, sensors, radars and other equipment pulled from Pentagon stockpiles and sent quickly to Ukraine.

“The Department of Defense’s change in evaluating the costs of arms sent to Ukraine is a major mistake,” said US Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over Putin. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal,” he said.

Singh, the Pentagon spokeswoman, said the accounting error had not constrained US support to Ukraine or hampered the ability to send aid to the battlefield.

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-Top News Defence USA

B-21 Raider: US unveils high-tech stealth bomber

B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber

Delivering his remarks at the ceremony in California, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the B-21’s edge will last for decades, reports Asian Lite News

The United States has unveiled the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft that will soon be delivered to the US Air Force.

“The Northrop Grumman team develops and delivers technology that advances science, looks into the future and brings it to the here and now,” said Kathy Warden, chief executive officer of Northrop Grumman which developed the bomber. “The B-21 Raider defines a new era in technology and strengthens America’s role of delivering peace through deterrence.” Delivering his remarks at the ceremony in California, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the B-21’s edge will last for decades. Austin explained that the B-21 bomber will not be theater-based, it won’t need logistical support to hold any target at risk, and the most sophisticated air defence systems will struggle to detect the stealth aircraft.

Austin added that the B-21 will be the most maintainable bomber ever built, designed to deliver both conventional and nuclear munitions with formidable precision.

He said the aircraft will be able to gather intelligence to integrate with allies and partners. The aircraft will be able to support joint and coalition forces across the full spectrum of operations.

In a statement, Northrop Grumman described the B-21 Raider forms the backbone of the future for U.S. air power. Its sixth-generation capabilities include stealth, information advantage and open architecture.

“The B-21 Raider is a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation. And it’s proof of the Department’s long-term commitment to building advanced capabilities that will fortify America’s ability to deter aggression, today and into the future. Now, strengthening and sustaining U.S. deterrence is at the heart of our National Defence Strategy,” said Austin.

“This bomber was built on a foundation of strong, bipartisan support in Congress. And because of that support, we will soon fly this aircraft, test it and then move into production,” he added.

The B-21 is capable of networking across the battlespace to multiple systems, and into all domains.

“Supported by a digital ecosystem throughout its lifecycle, the B-21 can quickly evolve through rapid technology upgrades that provide new capabilities to outpace future threats, according to Northrop Grumman’s statement,” the American multinational aerospace said.

The B-21 Raider is named in honour of the Doolittle Raids of World War II when 80 men, led by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers set off on a mission that changed the course of World War II.

The designation B-21 recognizes the Raider as the first bomber of the 21st century, the US company adds. (ANI)

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-Top News USA

Pentagon’s new plan to avoid civilian deaths in strikes

The centre would initially start operations in the 2023 budget year that begins October 1 and would be fully staffed and working by 2025…reports Asian Lite News

The United States Department of Defence (DOD) is planning to launch a new centre to help avoid civilian casualties in military operations around the world through better education and training and increased screening before strikes are launched, media reported.

The latest move, reportedly ordered by Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, is seen as a reaction to the widespread criticism received by the US over the air strike in Kabul last August that killed 10 civilians, including children, during the final days of the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.

According to Associated Press, a senior defence official said the development of a new Civilian Protection Center of Excellence and other improvements will cost “tens of millions of dollars” per year, and the plan more broadly would involve the addition of about 150 staff.

3,500 families flee homes in Syria’s Hasakah amid US airtstrikes

The centre would initially start operations in the 2023 budget year that begins October 1 and would be fully staffed and working by 2025, it was reported.

Laid out in a 36-page action plan, the changes approved by Austin call for updated policies and guidelines for military operations, and steps that must be taken in order to better analyse threats, assess who is on the ground and determine what other civilian structures could be affected.

Meanwhile, the US Air Force has bombed new positions manned by militias loyal to Iran in Syria for the second time in 24 hours, the American military’s Central Command and a monitoring group said on Thursday.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the new airstrikes targeting posts in the countryside of Deir al-Zour resulted in the killing of three Iran-backed militia fighters, reports dpa news agency.

In its report, the US Central Command said there were two or three dead and the bombings were a response to coordinated militia rocket attacks on two American Army facilities in the region shortly before.

On Wednesday, the US Air Force attacked positions also in Deir al-Zour which are manned by a group made up of Shia fighters from Afghanistan.

The Observatory said six people were killed in Wednesday’s strikes.

“The strike was necessary to protect and defend US personnel in Syria, which had been the targets of several recent attacks by Iran-backed militia groups,” top Pentagon official Colin Kahl said Wednesday in Washington.

The US soldiers were fired on several times by the militias, he added.

“This operation is a demonstration (that) the US will not hesitate to defend itself against Iranian and Iran-backed aggression when it occurs,” Kahl said.

US forces deployed in Syria in 2015 to help their allies, especially the Syrian Kurds, in their fight against the Islamic State terror group.

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-Top News Europe USA

US mulls supplying fighter jets to Ukraine

This move would expand US involvement in war and risk significant escalation with Russia.

As the Ukraine-Russia war is set to enter its fifth month, the US is mulling increasing its military aid to the Eastern European country and in the latest announcement by the White House, Pentagon is now considering providing Ukrainian forces with fighter jets, media reports said.

On Friday, John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said that the Pentagon “is making some preliminary explorations into the feasibility of potentially providing fighter aircraft to the Ukrainians,” adding, “But it’s not something that they’re going to be able to execute immediately or even in the short term.”

 This move would expand US involvement in war and risk significant escalation with Russia, reported Wall Street Journal.

The comments from a senior White House national security spokesman are the latest sign of the Biden administration’s growing assertiveness on arms supply for Kyiv.

It suggests an increasing willingness to provide advanced weaponry in an effort to help turn the tide of the war however the outcome is hard to predict as the war prolongs.

Poland, in March, proposed transferring MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine however the Pentagon rejected the offer, calling it “high risk.”

Ukraine war (Photo@zelenskiy.official) (IANS)

The US intelligence community assessed that transferring the Russian-made aircraft would risk a response from Moscow that could result in a direct military conflict with NATO.

Kirby while addressing reporters during a briefing said that the issues that must be addressed before the US is to give Ukrainians training on the jet’s maintenance, and providing spare parts.

However, he did not say anything about the kind of aircraft the US was considering or when the administration would make a decision.

A former Pentagon official said F-15 and F-16 fighter jets have been discussed as options for Ukraine, though both aircraft require significant training and maintenance.

The Pentagon declined to provide details about what it is assessing. “We are certainly engaged in a large discussion with the Ukrainians about their future force needs,” a senior defense official told reporters during a briefing, as per the media portal. (ANI)

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Pentagon dubious of Russia’s withdrawal

The Pentagon’s latest assessment is in line with the White House, where communications director Kate Bedingfield described the moves around Kyiv as a “redeployment” and not an outright “withdrawal.”…reports Asian Lite News

Highlighting that Russian forces have moved away from Ukraine’s capital Kyiv “in the last day or so,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Tuesday (local time) said that he believes this is a “repositioning”, not a “real withdrawal”.

“Has there been some movement by some Russian units away from Kyiv in the last day or so? Yeah. We think so. Small numbers,” said Kirby during a briefing. “But we believe that this is a repositioning, not a real withdrawal, and that we all should be prepared to watch for a major offensive against other areas of Ukraine,” he added.

Kirby spoke several hours after a member of the Russian negotiating team announced that the Ministry of Defense had decided “to radically, at times, reduce military activity in the city of Kyiv and Chernikyiv direction.”

The Russian defense ministry said it was withdrawing forces as “a good faith” measure in the talks. However, Kirby said the move coincided with the Russian military’s lack of success in its moves on the two northern cities.

“Russia has failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv. It’s failed in its objective of subjugating Ukraine. But they can still inflict massive brutality on the country,” he added.

Pentagon press secretary’s remarks come a day after a U.S. senior defense official told reporters that Russian troops are “making really no efforts on the ground to advance on the city,” and days earlier, the same official said the Russians were now “prioritizing the Donbas” region.

The Pentagon’s latest assessment is in line with the White House, where communications director Kate Bedingfield described the moves around Kyiv as a “redeployment” and not an outright “withdrawal.”

“Everyone should expect that we’re going to continue to see attacks across Ukraine,” Bedingfield said.

“Obviously, a key message that the president delivered on his trip to Europe last week was that we are in for a long slog, that our allies and partners need to remain, that our resolve needs to remain strong, and that we need to continue to execute on the strategy of inflicting significant costs on the Russian economy, and again, strengthening Ukraine on the battlefields and at the negotiating table,” Bedingfield added.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia cannot be trusted. He said it was Ukrainian troops who forced Russia’s hand, adding that “we shouldn’t let down our guard” because the invading army still “has a great potential to continue attacks against our country.” Ukraine will continue negotiations, he said, but officials do not trust the word of the country that continues “fighting to destroy us.”

US President Joe Biden, asked whether the Russian announcement was a sign of progress in the talks or an attempt by Moscow to buy time to continue its assault, said: “We’ll see. I don’t read anything into it until I see what their actions are.”

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow. (ANI)

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AFGHAN DRONE TRAGEDY: Pentagon Rejects Punishment

No military personnel involved in a drone strike that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in Afghanistan’s Kabul, in August will face punishment…reports Asian Lite news


US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin approved recommendations from US Central Command Head, General Kenneth McKenzie and US Special Operations Command leader, General Richard Clarke to not take any administrative action against those involved in the August 29 strike, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told the media on Monday.

AFGHAN DRONE TRAGEDY: Pentagon Rejects Punishment

The Defence Department admitted in September that the drone strike — which came in the final days of the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan — was a “tragic mistake” that killed civilians, including seven children, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Pentagon officials had earlier said the strike was necessary to prevent “an imminent ISIS-K threat” to US forces evacuating people at Kabul’s airport.

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Pentagon celebrates life of Indian-born audiologist Deepa Hariprasad

Lt. Col. Deepa Hariprasad is the first Indian-American director of the Audiology and Speech Center at Walter Reed, reports Asian Lite News

Celebrating the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, the US Department of Defense has showcased the accomplishments of Indian origin officer Lt Col Deepa Hariprasad.

The Pentagon on Thursday published an article on the life of Lt Col Hariprasad, director of the Audiology and Speech Center, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

The article ‘Indian-Born Audiologist Says Serving in the Military is Rewarding’ has been authored by David Vergun of DoD News and published on the official website of the US Department of Defence.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have shaped the history of the United States and have had their lives dramatically influenced by moments in its history. In May every year, the US Defense Department joins the rest of the nation in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month,” says the author at the start of the article.

Born in Mysore, India in 1977, Deepa’s parents emigrated to US when she was three years old. While her parents are Tamil and Kannada speakers, Deepa can speak neither of the two as her parents spoke with her in English.

Indian-
Army Lt. Col. Deepa Hariprasad, Air Force Maj. Nkumu B. Mandungu, and their children Samantha and Amanda, pose for a Christmas 2017 photo in New York City. (Courtesy US Department of Defense)

Hariprasad is married to an Air Force Major and is a mother of two. Despite not having chosen an arranged marriage like her parents or having not embraced some of the more traditional aspects of Indian life, there are cultural norms that she does embrace, the article points out.

Deepa loves to cooks vegetarian Indian food with variety and enjoys wearing Indian clothing and watching Indian movies — with English subtitles.

In 2003, Hariprasad received a direct commission into the Army, serving as an audiologist in the medical branch.

“The initial appeal was to try something new, serve my country, and have the opportunity to live in different places,” she is quoted as saying in the article.

An audiologist diagnoses and treats hearing loss and also focuses on the prevention of hearing loss.

Army Lt. Col. Deepa Hariprasad poses for a photo with Charles McGee sometime in 2020 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Md. McGee is one of the last living members of the Tuskegee Airmen. (Courtesy US Department of Defense)

She recounts educating her patients about health and teaching service members and noise-exposed civillians about hearing loss prevention as the favourite part of the job.

“I feel I am making a difference and helping others improve their quality of life. I also enjoy learning about people’s experiences and hearing their perspectives,” she reasons in the article.

Breaking the stereotypes of women in Indian culture of being reserved and shy, she overcame shyness while serving in leadership positions in the military.

Born in a very different belief system, she lacked confidence initially to try new things or stand up for herself or others. But her positions in the Army and Air Force helped shaper her character and personality for the better.

Calling it an honour and privilege for her to serve and provide healthcare for the veterans and their family members who sacrifice so much to serve our country, she said being an officer in the military has helped me develop discipline and improve my physical fitness.

Incidentally, Lt. Col. Deepa Hariprasad is the first Indian-American to serve as director of the Audiology and Speech Center at Walter Reed.

Army Lt. Col. Deepa Hariprasad, Air Force Maj. Nkumu B. Mandungu, and their children Samantha and Amanda, pose for a Thanksgiving 2016 photo at their home in Fort Sill, Okla. (Courtesy US Department of Defense)

The article quoted her saying that serving in the military had also resulted in lifelong friendships and given her travel opportunities she might not otherwise have had. She said she also enjoys the teamwork and camaraderie aspects of service life.

While at WRNMMC, Hariprasad has racked up many accomplishments.

Before serving at Walter Reed, Hariprasad said she provided pre- and post-deployment hearing testing and annual readiness testing for over 100,000 soldiers and noise- exposed civilians.

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Lt. Col. Deepa Hariprasad sustained clinical and readiness operations, serving over 12,000 patients in 2020 and assuming responsibility for hearing readiness exams during audiology clinic closures across the National Capital Region.

(Credit: India News Network)

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