U.S. now says it ‘engaged’ 2 Iranian drones, not 1
The U.S. military says that when it destroyed an Iranian drone last week over the Strait of Hormuz, it also took aim at a second drone.
Iran denies it lost any drones.
U.S. Central Command says that one Iranian drone crashed into the sea after the USS Boxer took what Central Command called “defensive action” against it last Thursday. It said the Boxer also “engaged” a second Iranian drone at the same time, but could not confirm it was destroyed.
Officials have said the Boxer used an electronic jamming device on the ship to attack the drones, rather than fire missiles at it.
U.S. officials say the drones acted aggressively toward the Boxer in international waters and were part of a pattern of efforts by Iran to disrupt navigation. AP
China says it won’t rule out using force to reunify Taiwan
China says it will not “renounce the use of force” in efforts to reunify Taiwan with the mainland and vows to take all necessary military measures to defeat “separatists.”
In a national defense white paper released July 24, China listed among its top priorities its resolve to contain “Taiwan independence” and combat what it considers separatist forces in Tibet and the far west region of Xinjiang.
Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said the threat of Taiwan separatism is growing and warned that those who are seeking Taiwan independence will meet a dead end.
The white paper also pointed to U.S., Japanese and Australian moves to beef up their military presence and alliances in the Asia-Pacific as bringing uncertainties to the region.
The U.S. deployment of a missile defense system in South Korea has severely undermined the regional strategic balance, the report said. It further noted Japan’s reinterpretation of its post-World War II constitution to allow its military to operate farther from its shores.
China’s military expansion in recent years has prompted concerns among other Pacific countries in a region long dominated by the U.S. Navy. AP
New German defense minister backs higher military spending
Germany’s new defense minister is underlining her commitment to long-term military spending targets and says that financing must keep rising in order to meet the country’s needs.
NATO members in 2014 agreed to “aim to move toward” increasing defense spending to 2 percent of their gross domestic product by 2024, though Germany has already said it doesn’t expect to meet that goal. The U.S. has criticized Berlin’s spending.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who also leads Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, told lawmakers after being sworn in as defense minister July 24 that she’s committed to the 2 percent target and Germany must reach 1.5 percent by 2024. She said spending needs to remain on “a reliable constantly growing path.”
The junior partners in Merkel’s coalition, the Social Democrats, question the 2 percent target. AP
Northrop Grumman releases second quarter earnings
Northrop Grumman on Oct. 24 reported second-quarter profit of $861 million.
The Falls Church, Va.,-based company said it had net income of $5.06 per share.
The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $4.64 per share.
The defense contractor posted revenue of $8.46 billion in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $8.4 billion.
Northrop Grumman expects full-year revenue of $34 billion.
Northrop Grumman shares have climbed 32 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has climbed 20 percent. The stock has increased slightly more than 2 percent in the last 12 months. AP