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New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
A Clash Over a Promotion Puts Hegseth at Odds With His Generals
In the spring, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth decided not to promote a senior Army officer who had led troops over five tours in Afghanistan and Iraq because Mr. Hegseth suspected, without evidence, that the officer had leaked sensitive information to the news media, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. When Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II was cleared of the allegations, Mr. Hegseth briefly agreed to promote him, only to change course again early this month, the officials said. This time, Mr. Hegseth maintained that the senior officer was too close to Gen. Mark Milley, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff whom President Trump has accused of disloyalty. Mr. Hegseth's sudden reversal prompted a rare intervention from Gen. Dan Caine, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He urged Mr. Hegseth to reconsider, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Mr. Hegseth met with General Sims one final time but refused to budge. General Sims is expected to retire in the coming months after 34 years in the military, officials said. Through a spokesman, General Sims and General Caine declined to comment. A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on Mr. Hegseth's role. The standoff over his promotion reflects an ongoing clash between Mr. Hegseth's highly partisan worldview, in which he has written that the Democratic Party 'really does hate America,' and the longstanding tradition of an apolitical military that pledges an oath to the Constitution. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
REPLAY: Defense Secretary Hegseth, Chairman Gen. Caine Meet With Leaders From Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine meet with Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds, and Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene at the Pentagon on July 25.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
How Iran Missiles Prepared US Patriot Units for Pacific War
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. U.S. Patriot air defense units stationed in Northeast Asia likely learned valuable lessons from their recent combat experience in the Middle East as they prepare for potential aggression from China and North Korea. Iran's missile strikes on U.S. military positions at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—retaliation for the earlier American bombing of its nuclear facilities—triggered an unprecedented air defense operation on the ground, according to U.S. military leaders who later revealed that Patriot units had been redeployed from Japan and South Korea. The Pentagon did not respond to Newsweek's request for comment. China's Defense Ministry and North Korea's embassy in Beijing also did not respond. Why It Matters Both Japan and South Korea face a growing missile threat from North Korea, while China has steadily expanded its long-range missile arsenal—capable of striking U.S. military bases across Japan. The U.S. has stationed approximately 55,000 troops in Japan and another 28,500 in South Korea, all tasked with defending America's allies in regional contingencies. Among the American forces stationed in Northeast Asia are two Patriot missile units—the U.S. Army's 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in Japan and its 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in South Korea. The air defense system, which gained fame during the Gulf War in the 1990s, can intercept tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. United States Army's Patriot missile launchers assigned to 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade rest in a stand-by position during training in South Korea on March 18, 2023. United States Army's Patriot missile launchers assigned to 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade rest in a stand-by position during training in South Korea on March 18, 2023. U.S. 8th Army What To Know The Army's Air Defense Artillery branch, along with the U.S. Navy's destroyers, will enhance their ability to intercept a range of threats thanks to their operations in the Middle East, said Timothy Walton, a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute who specializes in air and missile defense. Prior to Iran's June 23 attack on the Al Udeid base, all personnel were evacuated except for 44 soldiers who remained to operate two Patriot batteries, according to General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They launched "a bunch" of interceptor missiles to defend the base alongside Qatari Patriot crews, Caine told reporters the following week—the precise number launched is classified. In a July 21 analysis, researchers at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America said that the Army had launched approximately 30 Patriot guided missiles at 14 Iranian ballistic targets heading toward America's largest military facility in the Middle East, at a total cost of $111 million. One Patriot missile battery consists of a power plant, radar, control station, launchers, an antenna mast group, and interceptor missiles, according to the Congressional Research Service. Each launcher can accommodate either four or 16 interceptor missiles, depending on munition type. "Iran's missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base drew a considerable amount of coverage, but less heralded have been other U.S. Army units defending critical assets in Israel and longstanding operations countering rockets and drones in Iraq and Syria," Walton told Newsweek. United States Army soldiers assigned to the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade conduct reload operations on their Patriot air defense system at Misawa Air Base in Japan on October 29, 2024. United States Army soldiers assigned to the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade conduct reload operations on their Patriot air defense system at Misawa Air Base in Japan on October 29, 2024. Staff Sgt. Connor Davis/U.S. Army In addition to the Patriot system, the Army has also deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system to Israel to boost its air defenses amid long-range missiles threats from Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels. At least two THAAD units are currently deployed in the Western Pacific—one in Guam, the U.S.'s westernmost territory, and another in South Korea—providing air defense for the U.S. homeland and for its allies against ballistic missile threats from China and North Korea. What People Are Saying Timothy Walton, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, told Newsweek: "In response to the high demand for air and missile defense units, the U.S. Army plans to grow its force of Patriot batteries and add new Indirect Fire Protection Capability and other counter-air sensors and effectors to its force." General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a news conference on June 26: "We believe that this is the largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history. […] This really demonstrates the combat capability and capacity of our Army air defenders." What Happens Next The U.S. will need to replenish its stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles following operations in the Middle East and after the delivery of air defense systems to Ukraine.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
US admits bunker-buster bombs likely ineffective on Iran Isfahan site
In a significant admission of strategic weakness, the United States military has acknowledged that its most powerful conventional bombs are incapable of reaching Iran's deeply fortified nuclear facilities, particularly the underground complex in Isfahan. The revelation was made during a classified congressional briefing on Thursday, where Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine told lawmakers that the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound bomb engineered to penetrate hardened bunkers, would likely have been ineffective against the Isfahan site due to its extraordinary depth and reinforced structure. According to sources familiar with the briefing, US officials assessed that the site, allegedly housing up to 60% of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, was buried too deep for any known American munitions to reach. Instead of deploying its $27 million-per-round MOP arsenal, the US relied on Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a submarine, an implicit acknowledgment that even some of the most advanced air-delivered munitions were not up to the task. Observers argue that the choice exposes a fundamental limitation in US conventional strike capabilities when confronting Iran's deeply entrenched and strategically dispersed nuclear infrastructure. Contrary to public claims by President Trump that the strikes "completely obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites, satellite images released by Planet Labs and Maxar Technologies reveal that Iran swiftly began clearing damage and restoring access at the Fordow and Isfahan facilities. Recent photos show excavators and vehicles operating near tunnel entrances at Fordow, indicating continued Iranian access and operational control just days after the attacks. Speaking to CNN, weapons expert Jeffrey Lewis noted a "moderate number of vehicles" present at Fordow, while Maxar images documented clear construction activity, casting further doubt on the notion of lasting degradation. Planet Labs pass from 27 June shows the western tunnel at the Esfahan UCF complex cleared and open. The day-earlier Airbus shot had it back-filled and tunnel complex beneath Isfahan is reportedly 100 meters deep, far deeper than Fordow and beyond the effective… the same time, intelligence assessments have steadily undercut the White House's narrative. A Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report leaked to CNN found that the strikes failed to destroy the core infrastructure of Iran's nuclear program or eliminate its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. While some surface-level damage was inflicted, Iran's centrifuges remained largely intact. The report concluded that the attacks set back the nuclear program by "months rather than years." Read more: Trump demands CNN reporter be fired for revealing Iran strike failure The picture emerging from leaked intelligence and visual confirmation is at odds with continued political bravado. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who previously claimed Iran's nuclear program had been "obliterated", later downgraded the assessment to "moderate to severe" damage. Trump, speaking at a NATO summit in The Hague, admitted US intelligence remains "very inconclusive" about the actual results, though he still compared the strikes to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Senators have also begun to acknowledge the mismatch between military claims and reality. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy stated candidly after the briefing, "Some of Iran's capabilities are so far underground that we can never reach them." Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who initially echoed Trump's triumphalism, admitted, "I don't know where the 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium exists." As Iran resumes operations at Fordow and retains unscathed access to its Isfahan complex, the US finds itself confronting not only the limits of its military tools but also a deepening credibility gap between its battlefield rhetoric and strategic outcomes.
South China Morning Post
12-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US calls for closer South Korea-Japan defence ties amid ‘unprecedented' China-North threat
America's highest-ranking military officer has called for closer trilateral defence ties with South Korea and Japan in response to what he described as an 'unprecedented' military build-up by North Korea and China. The remarks by General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, come amid growing pressure on Seoul to shoulder more of the cost of hosting 28,500 US troops and to support their expanded role beyond the Korean peninsula – a move that could test South Korea's willingness to align more closely with US regional strategy. 'Our focus in the United States remains on re-establishing deterrence and doing so needs and requires the trilateral cooperation between our three countries,' Caine said at a meeting on Friday with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Admiral Kim Myung-soo and General Yoshihide Yoshida, in Seoul. 'The DPRK [North Korea] and China are undergoing an unprecedented military build-up with a clear and unambiguous intent to move forward with their own agendas,' he added. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine (left) and Admiral Kim Myung-soo, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, inspect a guard of honour at the Ministry of National Defence in Seoul on Thursday. Photo: AFP Following the meeting, the three military leaders issued a joint statement condemning Pyongyang's 'unlawful' weapons development and reaffirming efforts to work towards the complete denuclearisation of North Korea.
