TOP NEWS Trump accuses France’s Macron of sending ‘mixed signals’ to Iran Reuters U.S., Canadian fighters intercept Russian bombers off Alaskan coast Stars and Stripes Iran’s military is making strides into twenty-first century technology American Enterprise Institute Middle East Trump accuses France’s Macron of sending ‘mixed signals’ to Iran Reuters8/8/19 U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said no one is authorized to speak to Iran on behalf of the United States, and he accused French President Emmanuel Macron of sending “mixed signals” to Tehran over possible talks. Iran jamming ships’ GPS systems to lure them into its waters, report says American Military News8/8/19 Iran is reportedly jamming ships’ global positioning systems (GPS) in order to get them to wander into Iranian-controlled waters. Europe/Russia U.S., Canadian fighters intercept Russian bombers off Alaskan coast Stars and Stripes8/8/19 American and Canadian fighter jets intercepted a pair of Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers in international airspace off the coast of Alaska on Thursday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Russia: 2 dead, 4 injured by rocket explosion at navy nuke base Associated Press8/8/19 Russia’s Defense Ministry said two people died and four others were wounded Thursday when a rocket engine exploded during a test. Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense system in Romania completes scheduled update NATO9/9/19 NATO’s Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense site in Romania completed a long-planned update on Friday. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary Are we headed for another expensive nuclear arms race? Could be. New York TimesSteven Erlanger 8/8/19 After the recent death of the treaty covering intermediate-range missiles, a new arms race appears to be taking shape, drawing in more players, more money and more weapons at a time of increased global instability and anxiety about nuclear proliferation. PAK-DA: Meet Russia’s ‘6th-Generation’ Bomber (And It Will Be Stealth) National InterestMark Episkopos 8/9/19 As the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter moves into serial production in much larger quantities than previously expected, reports are emerging that the Russian defense establishment has their eyes trained on a “sixth-generation” strategic stealth bomber. How US sub-hunting planes track Chinese submarines Fox NewsKris Osborn 8/8/19 The increasingly global reach of Chinese nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, armed with JL-2 weapons reportedly able to hit parts of the U.S., continues to inspire an ongoing Navy effort to accelerate production of attack submarines, prepare long-dwell drones for deployment to the Pacific and continue acquisition of torpedo-armed sub-hunting planes such as the P-8/A Poseidon. Air Force suppressed Space Force debate, Lt. Gen. Kwast spoke truth to power Breaking DefensePeter Garretson 8/8/19 If the new Acting Secretary of the Air Force, Matt Donovan, is looking for someone who can “unleash the power of space’ he should look to the bold leadership of Steve Kwast and recommend his nomination to be the first Space Force Commander. Special Interest Iran’s military is making strides into twenty-first century technology American Enterprise InstituteMichael Rubin 8/8/19 Recent Iranian ship interceptions highlight Iran’s military challenge and continue to drive a regional arms race. NC3 decision making: Individual versus group process Nautilus InstituteAlex Wellerstein 8/8/19 The report offers a framework for thinking about how concentrated nuclear use authority should be at the top, applicable to all nine nuclear weapons states. Shapes, Part II: The shape of strategy War on the RocksMike Pietrucha 8/8/19 Culturally, airpower advocates are often captured by the possibilities inherent in a specific piece of hardware, rather than the possibilities inherent in a range of airpower capabilities.