India Successfully Conducts Fifth Test of Nuclear-Capable ICBM

VOA: India Conducts Fifth Test of Nuclear-Capable ICBM

NEW DELHI — India conducted the fifth test of its nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odhisa’s coast in the east.

The country’s most advanced missile, the Agni V, has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers, and will bring all of China within range when it is inducted into the armed forces.

"We have successfully launched nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V today,” Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. The Defense Ministry called the test a "major boost" to the country's defense capabilities.

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More News On India Successfully Conducting A Fifth Test Of It's Nuclear-Capable ICBM

India test-fires nuclear-capable ICBM Agni-V -- Times of India
India Tests Ballistic Missile, Posing New Threat to China -- New York Times
India successfully tests nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, risking anger from Pakistan and China -- Daily Mail
India tests-fires Agni-V, a nuclear-capable ICBM -- CNN
India successfully test-fires a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile -- CNBC

World News Briefs -- January 18, 2018

A Turkish military tanks arrives at an army base in the border town of Reyhanli near the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province, Turkey January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Reuters: Turkey says could act in Syria unless U.S. withdraws support for Kurdish force

HATAY, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey said on Wednesday it would not hesitate to take action in Syria’s Afrin district and other areas unless the United States withdrew support for a Kurdish-led force there, but Washington denied such plans and said “some people misspoke”.

Turkish President Erdogan has repeatedly warned of an imminent incursion in Afrin after Washington said it would help the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the Kurdish YPG militia, set up a new 30,000-strong border force.

The plan has infuriated Turkey, which considers the Syrian YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group, which has fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. The PKK is considered a terrorist group by the European Union, Turkey and the United States.

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MIDDLE EAST

Tillerson says U.S. military should stay in Syria and vows diplomatic push to end civil war.

Syria responds to Tillerson's US military engagement pledge.

Turkey says could act in Syria unless U.S. withdraws support for Kurdish force.

Damascus warns it may shoot down Turkish planes attacking Kurds within Syrian borders.

Palestinian killed in fire exchange with Israeli army.

Exclusive: Trump denies U.S. embassy to be moved to Jerusalem within a year.

Pence visit showcases dilemma facing Egypt, Jordan leaders.

ASIA

North Korea crisis: South to continue talks with 'clear eyes'.

Tillerson says Russia helps North Korea get fuel.

Japan, Australia eye deeper defense alliance.

China's economy grows by 6.9% in 2017.

China testing facial-recognition surveillance system in Xinjiang – report .

52 killed in bus fire in Kazakhstan.

Sunken tanker Sanchi: Four oil slicks seen, says China.

AFRICA

Sudan opposition leader vows to 'bury regime'.

Suicide bombing in Borno market causes multiple deaths.

Zimbabwe president promises 'free and fair' election in five months. Zimbabwe to hold first post-Mugabe vote in summer.

Ethiopia frees opposition leader Merera Gudina.

Egypt 2018 elections: Sisi expected to announce bid.

Senegal to revamp logging laws after massacre linked to timber trade.

South Africa: Cape Town slashes water use amid drought. Extreme drought grips parts of South Africa.

EUROPE

Merkel and Kurz clash over migrant quota.

UK to pay millions to keep France border agreement.

Russia’s National Guard vows to prevent unauthorized rallies during presidential election.

Russia moves toward creation of an independent internet.

Russia marks 75 years since breaking Nazi siege of Leningrad.

U.S. warns Kosovo against scrapping War Crimes Court.

NATO head urges Macedonia to end dispute with Greece, reform.

Transportation disturbed, flights canceled as storm lashes Europe.

AMERICAS

Trump wall: President denies changing view on Mexico border plan. Donald Trump tweets: Mexico border 'Wall is the Wall'.

Trump 'very eager' to be interviewed in Russia probe.

U.S. jobless claims plunge to lowest weekly tally since 1973.

Trump admin. moves to bar Haitians from agricultural, seasonal worker visas.

Mexico remittances: Transfers from US hit record high.

Pope Francis urges end to Chile's Mapuche conflict.

Pope wraps up Chile stop with visit to migrants, on to Peru.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Drone strikes on both sides of Pak-Afghan border kill 2, injure 1 suspected militant.

As ISIS threat fades, fight over who gets credit rises.

U.S. prosecutors charge German man with supporting al Qaeda.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Is the US a bigger debt risk than Russia and Botswana? A Chinese rating agency thinks so.

Twitter to notify users who were exposed to accounts run by Russian trolls.

Superjumbo jet future secured by Emirates order.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 18, 2018

© Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev

Sputnik: North Korea Reportedly Plans to Hold Military Parade on Eve of 2018 Olympics

A thaw in relations between North and South Koreas began earlier this month, with the two nations reopening a hotline to discuss the participation of DPRK athletes in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Despite an Olympic thaw between Pyongyang and Seoul, North Korea is planning to hold a military parade on the eve of the world's most well-recognized sporting competition, Yonhap News Agency of South Korea said Thursday, citing an unidentified South Korean government source.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 18, 2018

North Korea reportedly plans to hold a military event, one day before the Winter Olympics kick off in South Korea -- Business Insider

S Korea Restores Military Hotline With N Korea - Reports -- Sputnik

How China’s military is girding for battle, and what it means for neighbours -- SCMP

China Ramps Up Its Navy To Challenge The U.S. -- Cipher Brief

The Chinese Are On The Verge Of Dominating A New Domain: Near Space -- Task and Purpose

India test-fires Agni-V ICBM, hails ‘major boost’ to military power -- NBC

India's Most Lethal Nuke Capable Missile Hits Bull's Eye in Pre-Induction Test -- Sputnik

Modi govt saddling India’s military with more bureaucracy -- Asia Times

Japan lodges protest over U.S. military helicopter flying over school again after chopper's window-falling incident -- Xinhuanet

What we’re learning about France’s air special forces as they publicly recruit -- Defense News

Defense Cuts Leave UK Reliant on French, German Militaries - MP -- Sputnik

British submarine HMS Audacious completes first dive -- UPI

Army chief: Future of US troops in Iraq TBD as ISIS crumbles -- Defense News

7th Fleet collisions raise questions about U.S. military readiness in the Pacific -- NBC

Navy Pursues New Amphibious War Strategy With LX(R) -- Warrior Maven

Navy to Deliver 2nd Stealthy Zumwalt-Class Destroyer in March -- Warrior Maven

General Dynamics awarded $33M contract for USS Nimitz upgrade -- UPI

Arctic cold war? Coast Guard prepping to carry cruise missiles on icebreakers amid Russian buildup -- Washington Times

The Army Is Testing A New Rifle With Better Range And Accuracy Than The M4 -- Task & Purpose

Army wants bullets to hit from miles away and its new acquisition office will help -- Federal News Radio

Army Tests Secure Wi-Fi for Future Battlefield -- Defense Tech/Military.com

Which of these leaders will be the next head of Cyber Command? -- Fifth Domain

House Votes to Restore Top Cyber Diplomat’s Office -- NextGov

US Army Rushes to Add Hundreds of Stinger Missile Teams As Threat of Small Drones Evolves -- The Warzone

Latest budget showdown worries Pentagon, risks delaying Trump's military buildup -- CNBC

Military experts beg Congress to quit ‘shenanigans,’ say budget battle hurts readiness -- FOX Business

F/A-18C Hornet crash result of 'below average' pilot’s error and runway lighting -- Marine Times

Marine Stabbed To Death In Fight Between Camp Pendleton Students -- Task & Purpose/The San Diego Union-Tribune

It Wasn’t Just Republicans — Democrats Also Voted to Shut Down Debate on Trump Administration’s Surveillance Powers -- The Intercept

The Pentagon no longer has a leader on space programs. What does that mean? -- Valerie Insinna, Defense News

Don't believe Moby's story about his 'CIA friends' -- Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner

Can Mattis makes the National Defense Strategy great again? -- Aaron Mehta, Defense News

China Wants To Deploy Lasers In Space To Destroy Space Junk. Could This Also Be Used As A Weapon?

Popular Mechanics: Could a Chinese Space Junk Laser Double as a Weapon?

A space laser could be useful for dealing with more than just junk.

There are two reactions to a paper regarding space junk that was published this week by researchers at China’s Air Force Engineering University. One, it seems good that the spacefaring nations of the world are considering ways to clean up an increasingly cluttered low Earth orbit. And the Chinese are putting forward a new plan, one that proposes to use a laser to zap the debris. Then there’s the other reaction—maybe it's not just about space junk.

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WNU Editor: Just a side note, but the biggest creation of space debris came from an anti-satellite missile test by China in 2007 .... 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test (Wikipedia).

More News On China Wanting To Deploy Lasers In Space To Destroy Space Junk

Is China Really Planning to Destroy Space Junk With Lasers? -- Gizmodo
China has a plan to clean up space junk with lasers -- Phys.org
Trash-Blasting Lasers Could Help Clean Up Space Junk, China Says -- Live Science
China Plans to Destroy Space Junk With Giant Lasers -- Newsweek
China plans to destroy space debris using giant orbital lasers -- IBTimes

Update: The Chinese Are On The Verge Of Dominating A New Domain: Near Space (Task and Purpose)

North Korea Is Advancing China's Strategic Objectives In The Region And Against The West

Joseph A. Bosco, National Interest: North Korea Is China's Double-Edged Sword

Keeping the Kim family dynasty in power, economically afloat, and technologically capable has significantly advanced China’s strategic objectives toward the West.

The citizens and government of Hawaii should send a big mock congratulatory lei to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The sheer terror they experienced for the better part of an hour last Saturday morning ultimately came courtesy of China’s longstanding policy of enabling and protecting North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Yes, the immediate cause of the panic was the local government’s erroneous flash warning that the Pacific paradise island was about to be hit by a nuclear missile. Given North Korea’s recent nuclear and missile tests and blatant threats against America, the alert seemed credible.

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WNU Editor: North Korea may have served China's strategic interests in the past, but I certainly do not see it now. The North Korean crisis is forcing Japan and South Korea to start an arms build-up while aligning itself more closely to the U.S., and there is now additional pressure on China to rein in its ally via through sanctions or face potential trade restrictions itself.

Russian Warplanes Use A Highway To Perform A Series Of 'Touch-And-Gos'

The Warzone/The Drive: Watch These Russian Su-30 And Su-34 Jets Do Touch-and-Gos on a Highway

The multi-role fighters took part in the rare exercise in the country's southern Rostov region near Ukraine.

Some of Russia's Su-30M2 Flanker fighter jets and Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber aircraft performed a series of touch-and-gos on a highway, with this reportedly being the first time those two types of aircraft have ever done so. Su-27 Flankers and Ka-27 Helix helicopters also took part in the exercise Rostov region, which included mock air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, as well as simulated combat search and rescue operations.

According to a statement from Russia's Ministry of Defense, "complex weather conditions" prevented pilots from actually landing and then taking off again, but there were no specific details about the conditions. TV Zvezda, the Russian military's official outlet, said it is rare for the country's combat aircraft to practice on roadways during the winter in general. The last such major instance of this type of training occurred during the massive Zapad 2017 drills with Belarus, when Russian Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets, as well as Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft, performed similar maneuvers on a stretch of road near the Belorussian capital Minsk.

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WNU Editor:  This is a rare exercise .... especially in winter.

The U.S. Deploys Its Electronic Warfare Plane To South Korea

Airborne from Yokota AB, Japan routing to Osan AB, South Korea

🇺🇸 US Air Force
EC-130H Compass Call
73-1590 AXIS43 https://t.co/vlZq5M7FZH

— Aircraft Spots (@AircraftSpots) January 14, 2018

Popular Mechanics: The U.S. Has an Electronic Warfare Plane and One of Them Is Headed to Korea

The EC-130H is a C-130 Hercules fitted with electronic jamming devices and a crew of 13.

The U.S. Air Force just sent one of its most advanced electronic warfare aircraft to South Korea.

The EC-130H Compass Call, originally designed to jam enemy radio signals, was recently upgraded with the ability to identify and attack enemy wireless networks. The EC-130H was spotted traveling from Yokota Air Base, Japan to Osan Air Base in South Korea and reported on Twitter by @AircraftSpots.

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Update #1: US Air Force Sends DOS-Attacking Aircraft to Korean Peninsula (Sputnik)
Update #2: US Deploys Tactical Communications-Scrambling Plane To Korean Peninsula (Zero Hedge)

WNU Editor: If the U.S. was really worried on what was happening on the Korean peninsula, they would not be deploying just one of these aircraft.