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From increasing sanctions pressure to energy leverage, the Kremlin has the impression Washington is up to political games in the region, an aide said. Speaking at the start of the year, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said he was expecting more U.S. troops in a country on the edge of the Russian sphere of influence. "I guarantee that this presence could be a success not only for Poland, but also for Central and Eastern Europe," he said. U.S. interests in Poland extend beyond defense into the energy sector. Central and Eastern European countries like Poland have few resources of their own, leaving them dependent on Russia for energy supplies. The U.S. State Department has said it believes U.S. natural resources could contain Russian leverage. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., meanwhile, is pushing his Small Scale LNG Access Act, which would facilitate the approval process for low-volume liquefied natural gas projects in the United States. That could extend the U.S. ...

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis vowed Tuesday that the US would keep confronting China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing has established a significant military presence on contested islands. Mattis's remarks came after Beijing voiced "strong dissatisfaction" Sunday after two US warships sailed by an island in the disputed Paracel Island chain. "You'll notice there's only one country that seems to take active steps to rebuff (such operations) or state their resentment of them, but it's international waters and a lot of nations want to see freedom of navigation, so we will continue that," Mattis told reporters as he flew to Hawaii. The US Navy periodically conducts "freedom of navigation" operations in the contested waterway, where it sails close to island features China has built into military facilities as a way of showing it rejects any territorial claims. "We are going out of our way to cooperate with...

Poland has a proposal to welcome a permanent deployment of US troops to the country, including helping to defray the costs, the defence ministry confirmed Tuesday, amid fears over recent aggression by neighbouring Russia. Pawel Soloch, head of the office of national security at the Polish presidency, had revealed in a television interview that a defence ministry "information document" showed that Poland could spend between $1.5 to $2 billion (1.3 to 1.7 billion euros) to help cover the cost of a US tank unit. "Yes, we are interested in the presence of American forces in our country and we have submitted -- including to think tanks -- some options that we could offer if such decisions were adopted," Soloch said. Contacted by AFP, the defence ministry confirmed the "Proposal for a US Permanent Presence in Poland", which has been passed on to several governmental institutions, Congress and main think-tanks. Moscow's annexation of Crimea and involvemen...

Afghan forces withdrew from Chora district’s governor’s compound and police headquarters in the embattled southern province of Uruzgan early today. The Taliban has claimed that Chora is under its control and it has also taken over large areas in both Tarin Kot and Khas Uruzgan districts. Reuters , based on a statement from a member of the Uruzgan provincial council, reported that “Security forces in Chora district in the middle of the province had abandoned the governor’s compound and police headquarters” however security forces were still battling to control the district. The office of the governor of Uruzgan declared the district is still under government control. In a statement released on Voice of Jihad, the Taliban’s official website that is published in five languages, the group asserted that “Chora district admiration center, NDS district headquarter and all the 17 defensive check posts were overrun by Mujahideen.” The Taliban also stated that 15 security personnel surrendere...

Source:- India’s purchase of Russian S-400 to curb military cooperation: US NEW DELHI: The US has serious concerns about India’s plans to buy the S-400 air defence system from Russia as it will inhibit ability of militaries from the two nations to operate together, chairman of the powerful US House Armed Services Committee has said. Concerns about India’s potential purchase of the S-400 have been conveyed to different levels of the government and the Russian system would also make it difficult for the US to share sensitive technology in the future, committee members who are in India said. “There is a lot of concern in the US administration and Congress with the S-400. There is concern that any country that acquires the system will complicate the ability of interoperability (with US forces),” House Armed Services Committee chairman Mac Thornberry said in response to a question by ET. Making it clear that the question of the S-400 purchase was beyond sanctions planned against Russia, ...

Source:- Indigenous IRST sensors can help Indian fighters detect Stealth aircrafts India has decided to design and develop a long-range dual-band infrared imaging search and track system (IRST) which will strengthen the capabilities of the Su-30MKI in detecting ultra-stealthy aircraft like the F-22 and Chengdu J-20 possessed by its adversaries. Only last year, China operationalized the J-20 fighter jets which are made up of radar-absorbing materials that are supposed to make it hard to detect at long ranges. “The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded approval for undertaking design and development of the Long Range Dual Band Infrared Imaging Search and Track System (IRST) for SU-30 MKI aircraft under the ‘Make II’ sub-category and subsequently, for procurement of at least 100 IRSTs under ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ category.  The system will be able to operate in day and night conditions and wi...