A US Marine infantry team leader providing speed-reload training during Exercise African Lion 2018 in Tifnit, Morocco. A recently released report sheds light on the extent of US operations in Africa. Lance Cpl. Tessa Watts/US Marine Corps
Business Insider/Military Times: Here's what we know about the US military's expanding counterterrorism war across Africa
* A Department of Defense Inspector General report notes the creation of new operations in Africa, despite an official push to reduce US presence there.
* The counterterrorism operations detailed include efforts to degrade networks affiliated with Al Qaeda and ISIS.
* The report also showed that the Defense Department had been classifying information it would normally acknowledge.
As the Pentagon was reviewing new plans for special operations missions in Africa, reducing overall troop numbers on the continent, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis designated three new named contingency operations.
The most recent quarterly report from the Department of Defense Inspector General notes the creation of Operation Yukon Journey, a counterinsurgency operation, and counterterrorism operations in both northwestern and eastern Africa.
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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 8, 2018
Smith officially announces run for Armed Services chairman -- The Hill
U.S. Navy Wants Aggressor Submarine Unit To Mimic Russian and Chinese Subs In Training -- Warzone/The Drive
HII contracted by GenDyn for early work on Columbia-class submarine -- UPI
U.S. Scraps Boeing Upgrade of E-3 Sentry (AWAC) Radar -- A. Capaccio, Bloomberg
Space expertise isn’t necessary to run the Space Development Agency, says Pentagon deputy -- Defense News
Exciting new medical 'silver bullets' will save military lives -- FOX News
Two Marine aviators grounded after flight pattern 'resembled a phallic image' -- The Hill
To draw more soldiers, the Army wants more recruiters, bigger budgets and a better slogan -- Army Times
Department of Defense drops 'Operation Faithful Patriot' title from military border mission -- NBC
Army Secretary: Troops 'getting training' out of Trump's border deployment -- The Hill
US Navy Confirms Arctic at Low Conflict Risk - Report -- Sputnik
Dunford warns that Russia, China are near-peer military competition -- UPI
Russian intercept marks a return to Cold War behavior in Europe’s skies -- Defense News
Russian diplomat dismisses US claims of ‘irresponsible’ behavior in Black Sea airspace -- TASS
Russia’s new military transport helicopter performs debut flight -- TASS
Russia Admits It Doesn't Have Any Dry Docks That Can Fit Its Lone Carrier After Accident -- Warzone/The Drive
Russian hi-tech firm to team up with China to develop liquid rocket propellants -- TASS
China scales back its biggest air show as trade war forces cost cuts -- SCMP
China is recruiting its brightest high schoolers to build AI bots for the military -- Business Insider/SCMP
Chinese scientists enlist giant whales to send secret military signals, report says -- FOX News
All the New Tech From China's Big Air Show -- Popular Mechanics
North Korea could be 'moving forward' with nuclear program, analysts say -- UPI
UK Plans a Decade of Weapons Purchases As Auditors Sound Warning Bells -- Defense One
Ottawa on track to invest less on new military kit than promised for second year -- Ottawa Citizen/Canadian Press
Canadian Commercial to provide spare parts for U.S. Navy surface ship sonars -- UPI
Navy warship collides with oil tanker off Norwegian coast -- UPI
Defence Giant BAE Systems Brushes Off Saudi Turbulence Angst, Brexit Worries -- Sputnik
Dassault withdraws from Canada’s fighter jet competition -- Defense News
Why the U.S. Military Is Completely Obsessed with 1 Word: 'Lethality' -- Jeff Schogol, National Interest/Task and Purpose
Here’s how the Trump administration plans to increase American weapon sales abroad -- Aaron Mehta, Defense News