An F/A-18 Super Hornet approaches the Gerald R. Ford, lead ship in a new class of U.S. Navy supercarriers.
Loren Thompson, Forbes: What The U.S. Navy's Supercarriers Give America That No Other Nation Has
Imagine a warfighting machine so vast that it stands as tall as an Egyptian pyramid, so powerful that it has unlimited range without refueling for decades, and so lethal that it can destroy hundreds of targets in a hostile country every day for a month.
Now imagine not one such machine, but 11 of them -- because that's how many the U.S. Navy has. They are called supercarriers -- large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers unlike the warships of any other nation. They are, in fact, the largest warships ever built. The 2018 defense appropriations bill signed Friday by the president contains money for constructing a third such vessel in the Gerald R. Ford class -- the first new class of supercarriers developed in half a century.
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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 24, 2018
Joint Chiefs chair sees signs of progress in Afghan war -- AP
Dunford Encouraged by Afghan, Coalition Efforts in Afghanistan -- US Department of Defense
US sanctions on Russia mean Afghan air force must get its new Black Hawks ready -- Stars and Stripes
China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Is About to Become Even More Deadly -- National Interest/Asia Times
China’s military police given control of coastguard as Beijing boosts maritime security -- SCMP
China Unlikely to Match India Strength in Indian Ocean in Near Future - Analysts -- Sputnik
China's Private Army: Protecting the New Silk Road -- The Diplomat
What to Expect When You're Expecting the PLA: A Guide to Meeting With the Chinese Army -- War on the Rocks
Record number of U.S. Marines to train in Australia in symbolic challenge to China -- Reuters
In 2007, Israel Proved to the World How Dangerous Its Military Really Is -- National Interest
This is How Bad Russia Wants Hypersonic Weapons -- Dave Majumdar, National Interest
Russia names Putin's new 'super weapons' after a quirky public vote -- Reuters
Russian spy: Inside UK lab that identified nerve agent -- BBC
Could Poland's Tanks Stop Russia in a War? -- Charlie Gao, National Interest
Extreme misogyny exposed at prestigious French military school -- France 24
Mattis wins big with budget victory -- AFP
Trump, Mattis Hail Spending Bill to Fund Strongest Military Ever -- US Department of Defense
Trump Technology Tariffs Against China Designed to Protect U.S. Military Advantage -- USNI News
Lockheed's Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile Looks Like a Killer. And China Should Be Afraid. -- National Interest
Blue Angels Getting C-130J From Royal Air Force To Replace KC-130T Fat Albert Transport -- The Warzone/The Drive
MHS Fever: Why the Services Will Likely Follow Army on M9 Replacement -- Kit Up!/Military.com
Everyone in the U.S. Military Is Getting a Taste of the Army's New Handgun -- Task & Purpose
Report States That the Army Has Almost No Way to Stop a 'Swarm' Attack -- Michael Peck, National Interest
Military Changing Body Armor to Accommodate Women’s Hairstyles -- Task & Purpose
John McCain presses CIA director nominee Gina Haspel on role in agency's torture program -- Washington Examiner
CIA lobbies for Trump's director pick on Twitter as senators raise concerns -- CNN
AT&T Won Secret $3.3 Billion NSA Contract Despite More Expensive Bid -- NextGov
Trump moves to limit transgender individuals from military service -- Business Insider/Reuters
Fight between elite Army soldiers leaves 1 person dead -- ABC News
Navy Admits It Was Wrong on USS Indianapolis Crew Count -- Military.com
The Era of Urban Warfare is Already Here -- Margarita Konaev & John Spencer, RCD/FPRI
Why Mattis Is One Cabinet Member Trump Won’t Fire Anytime Soon -- Jared Keller, Task & Purpose