Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 5, 2014

Obama Set to Introduce Carter as Nominee for Defense Secretary -- Bloomberg

The pick won’t bring the independent political power base of his three immediate predecessors, reflecting the president's determination to maintain tight White House control over military matters.



Dec. 5 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama plans to name today his fourth defense secretary, who officials say will be Ashton Carter, a seasoned Pentagon official expert in budgeting and weapons systems who would take over as the military confronts Islamic State extremists amid spending restraints.



Carter, 60, spent more than two years as the Defense Department’s No. 2 civilian leader under former Secretary Leon Panetta and then Chuck Hagel, the current defense secretary. He also served under Obama’s first Pentagon chief, Robert Gates, as the military’s top weapons buyer.



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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 5, 2014

Obama picks former Pentagon official Ashton Carter to be Defense secretary -- FOX News



White House: Obama to nominate Ash Carter to lead Defense -- CNN



Chuck Hagel Explains Why He Resigned as Secretary of Defense -- US News and World Report



Boost development of modern weapons: Xi Jinping to China's PLA -- Economic Times



Report: Chinese Air Force Closes Gap With U.S. -- Defense Tech



Inside the Ring: China: A Cyberwarring State -- Washington Free Beacon



North Korea Has An Elite Group Of Military Hackers Who Carry Out Cyber Warfare -- Business insider/Reuters



Western Ministers Urge NATO to Rebuild Military Contacts With Russia -- WSJ



France taking no steps for Mistral's delivery to Russia — French defense minister -- ITAR-TASS



No Deal? France Says it Might Never Deliver Mistral Ships to Russia -- Sputnik



Lavrov: France 'Must Fulfill Obligations' Over Warship Delivery -- Defense News/AFP



Putin: ‘No One Will Succeed In Defeating Russia Militarily’ -- CBS/AP



West behind falling ruble, oil prices - Russian spy chief -- RT



Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov enters Syrian port - ITAR-TASS



Russia’s Navy to be Fully Modernized by 2050, Get Next-Generation Warships -- Sputnik



Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet to make maiden flight in 2017 -- ITAR-TASS



Russia to start new military hardware trials in Arctic on December 8 -- ITAR-TASS



Russian Navy Improvements Raise Concerns in US Congress -- Sputnik



Face to Face with Europe’s Military Cadets -- Time



Canada’s decision to withdraw from AWACS program causes problems for NATO -- Ottawa Citizen



4,350 Israelis have evaded military service -- Middle East Monitor



Corker: US military was poised to launch 10-hour attack on Syria -- The Hill



Lack of coordination among local forces remains 'biggest hurdle' to Afghan security -- Deutsche Welle



US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan practically completed — commander -- ITAR-TASS



Nigerian Military Training Cancellation Baffles US Experts -- VOA



US troops fighting Ebola peak at 2,900 -- The Hill



Lawmakers Agree to Block Retirement of A-10 Fleet -- DoD Buzz



House Passes US Coast Guard Bill -- Defense News



US Congress passes $585B defense bill -- The Hill



Congress Places Potential Freeze on LCS Construction -- Defense Tech



Congress Pushes to Keep an 11 Carrier Navy in Budget Agreement -- DoD Buzz



The Navy's Smart New Stealth Anti-Ship Missile Can Plan Its Own Attack -- Jalopnik



Forbes: Congress Must Fund Ohio Replacement Program, Increase Fleet Size -- DoD Buzz



Reported US military sex assaults rise -- BBC



Almost 6,000 military employees reported sexual assault last year - Pentagon -- RT



U.S. Navy strips Bill Cosby of honorary title amid rape allegations -- Daily Mail



Study Reveals Mental Cues, Conditions That Affect Performance -- Defense News



Grassley: CIA ‘bungled’ report on 'Zero Dark Thirty' -- The Hill