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The blueprint for returning America to be the dominant Maritime nation has been released. It will be Down to the Sea in Ships (again)

“A nation secures its borders, makes things, makes things that makes things, and has a maritime fleet in proportion to the size of its economy.
Otherwise you are a nation of coffee shops. No nation grew to greatness based on coffee shops. Greece was once a mighty nation, and became a nation of coffee shops.
Similarly, no nation ever regulated itself to greatness.

The U.S. Air Force has conduced an unprecedented operation to redeploy a micro nuclear reactor from March Air Reserve Base in Southern California using C-17 transports, with the destination being Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Three C-17s will bring the components of the Ward250 reactor, which is split between eight modules, to Utah, marking the first time the aircraft are used to redeploy reactors.

The United States is preparing a large sale of PAC-3 MSE interceptors for the MIM-104 Patriot long range air defence systems to equip the Republic of China Air Force, which are expected to be used to support the formation of at least one new Patriot battalion. According to sources in Taipei, the missiles are part of a package that includes IBCS command systems, NASAMS short range air defence systems, LTAMDS sensors, and vehicle-mounted counter-drone systems. The prospective package is reported by sources in Taipei to be part of a broader arms procurement plan valued at up to $20 billion.

Space Force wants to double the number of guardians in its ranks, and is making progress on that, having already beat its recruitment goals for this fiscal year.
This past week the six senior enlisted leaders for each branch of the military were testifying before Congress about quality of life in the armed forces. They spoke on a range of issues, from housing to women’s capabilities in combat. Along the way, Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna said that the service is currently at 125% of its recruiting goal for the 2026 fiscal year.

Every year in the United States, the U.S. Congress is tasked with creating a federal budget for the next fiscal year. The budget is created in the House of Representatives, sent to the Senate for approval, and finally sent to the president for his signature. 
That is an incredibly simplified explanation of how a budget is created and passed. The actual process is far more complex, time-consuming, and, these days, controversial.

Polish President Karol Navrocki has stated that his country should start developing nuclear weapons, specifying that a future nuclear arsenal would be aimed at Russia. Describing himself as “a great supporter of Poland joining the nuclear project,” he argued that Warsaw should develop its future security strategy “based on nuclear potential.” “We must work towards this goal so that we can begin the work. We are a country right on the border of an armed conflict. The aggressive, imperial attitude of Russia toward Poland is well known,” he added.

Dutch Defence Minister Gijs Tuinman has stated that there is an option for foreign operators of the F-35 fifth generation fighter to ‘crack’ its code, making it accept third party software against the restrictions imposed by its developer Lockheed Martin. “If, despite everything, you still want to upgrade, I’m going to say something I should never say, but I will anyway: you can jailbreak an F-35 just like an iPhone,” he observed.

Russian Ambassador to Norway Nikolay Korchunov has warned that NATO members are planning to impose a maritime blockade of Russia, observing that this was aimed at “restricting freedom of navigation and violates international law norms.” Planned Western operations would involve “putting the Baltic-Arctic region on a barrack-like footing” through expanded military operations and exercises, with NATO members also developing plans for “a partial or complete naval blockade” of Russia.

The lower house of the Polish parliament has adopted legislation to grant amnesty to Polish citizens who have fought in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainain War, where personnel have been deployed for operations both on internationally recognised Ukrainian territory, for incursions into Russia, and for combat on some of the most high-intensity engagements in disputed regions. The decision was interpreted by Russian sources to have formalised Warsaw longstanding endorsement of Polish personnel’s participation in the conflict.

American forces hit dozens of Islamic State positions and storage sites over the last 10 days, U.S. Central Command said. 
CENTCOM reported that it carried out 10 airstrikes within 10 days, from Feb. 3-12, targeting more than 30 ISIS infrastructure and weapons storage locations. The attacks are part of an effort to “sustain relentless military pressure on remnants” of ISIS, CENTCOM said. The U.S. military did not say where in Syria the airstrikes took place, although monitoring groups reported at least some in the desert in eastern Homs.