U.S., Russia calls increase to avoid air mishaps in Syria
A senior American Air Force commander says daily U.S. military phone calls with Russia have increased as the two countries work to avoid aircraft mishaps in the increasingly crowded skies over Syria.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, who is in charge of U.S. air operations in the Middle East, says the U.S. has also set up temporary “deconfliction” zones around Syria. Military operations by Russia or its allies are essentially restricted in those zones so American and U.S.-backed forces are protected.
He declined to say how many exist or where they are. But they signal increased military collaboration as the war on Islamic State militants in Syria escalates.
Harrigian says the talks with the Russians aren’t always easy and sometimes it takes several calls to ensure troops are safe. AP
Manning’s conditions of confinement lawsuit dismissed
A lawsuit brought by Pvt. Chelsea Manning over the conditions of her confinement has been dismissed.
Manning, the Army soldier who was sentenced to 35 years in a military prison for giving classified materials to WikiLeaks, was released May 17 from lockup at Kansas’ Fort Leavenworth after President Barack Obama commuted her sentence before leaving office.
One of her attorneys, Chase Strangio, wrote on Twitter May 22 that the case was dismissed because she is free. Strangio wrote: “She fought hard & we all benefited.”
Manning sued in federal court in the District of Columbia in 2014, asking a judge to order the Defense Department to provide hormone therapy and other treatment for her gender identity condition. The Army ultimately allowed her to receive medical treatment for her gender dysphoria. AP
Russian defense minister boasts about arms upgrade
Russia’s defense minister says the military has received a steady flow of new weapons allowing it to maintain a “strategic parity” with NATO.
Sergei Shoigu said in the May 24 speech before lawmakers that Russia’s nuclear forces have been equipped with the new Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles with an enhanced capability to penetrate any potential missile defense.
The navy has commissioned three new Borei-class nuclear submarines armed with the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, and Shoigu said their number will reach seven by 2021. He said that after 2021 the military will also start receiving a modernized version of the Tu-160 long-range bomber.
Shoigu noted that the planned deliveries of the new T-50 fighter jet and the S-500 air defense missile system will significantly strengthen Russia’s air defenses. AP