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BAGHDAD, Nov 21 (Reuters) - U.S. forces were attacked at an airbase west of Baghdad early on Tuesday and a U.S. military aircraft responded in self-defence, U.S. officials said, in the first U.S. retaliation on Iraqi territory to dozens of recent militant drone and missile attacks. Ain al-Asad airbase was attacked by a close-range ballistic missile which resulted in eight injuries and minor damage to infrastructure, two U.S. officials said. The U.S. had so far limited its response to numerous recent attacks against its forces in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, claimed by Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups, to three separate sets of strikes in Syria. U.S. and international forces that make up the global coalition to fight the remnants of Islamic State have been targeted more than 60 times in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, U.S. officials say. Dozens of U.S. servicemen suffered minor injuries in the attacks but have all returned to duty, U.S. officials say.

Persons: Asad, Timour Azhari, Phil Stewart, Ali Idrees, Andrew Heavens, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: U.S, Israel, Hamas, Washington, Hezbollah, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Baghdad, U.S, Ain, Iranian, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Gaza, Israel, State, Washington

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, took down the drone early morning local time. The officials did not say whether the drone was armed or how close it came to the ship before being shot down. Last month, another U.S. warship intercepted four cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen towards Israel. Last week, the Houthis shot down a U.S. military MQ-9 drone while it was in international airspace. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say.

Persons: Thomas Hudner, Arleigh Burke, Yemen's, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Navy, Reuters, United, U.S, Pentagon, Israel, Thomson Locations: Yemen, United States, Israel, Washington, Iran, U.S, Mandeb, Saudi, Syria, Iraq, Gaza

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to the media during a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that Russia would be successful in Ukraine unless the United States kept up its support for Kyiv. "I can guarantee that without our support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be successful," Austin said during the hearing. Congress has already approved $113 billion for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. Democrats solidly back Biden's strategy of combining Ukraine aid with support for Israel, as do many Republicans in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Johanna Geron, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden's, Vladimir, Putin, Austin, Biden, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Chizu Nomiyama, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Defence, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, Rights, . Defense, Kyiv, Israel, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Austin, Israel, U.S, Bakhmut

As tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas conflict, U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 19 times in Iraq and in Syria by Iran-backed forces in the past week. The targets were weapons and munitions storage facilities, the official added, speaking late on Thursday to reporters in Washington. The United States has occasionally carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed forces in the region after they attack American forces. In March, the U.S. military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria against Iran-aligned groups that it blamed for a drone attack that killed an American contractor. There is growing concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread through the Middle East and turn U.S. troops at isolated bases into targets.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin III, Olivier Matthys, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, Abu Kamal, Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Asad, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jamie Freed, Michael Perry Organizations: Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Rights, U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, . Defense, United, Iranian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Syria, Iraq, Israel, U.S, Iran, Iranian, Syrian, Washington, United States, Tehran, State, East, Yemen

Jacquelyn... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - About 900 more U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there to bolster air defenses for U.S. personnel amid a surge in attacks by Iran-affiliated groups, the Pentagon said on Thursday. A total of 21 U.S. forces have suffered minor injuries, the vast majority of them traumatic brain injuries. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say. During a false alarm at Al-Asad air base in Iraq on Thursday, a civilian contractor died from cardiac arrest. Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chris Reese and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Patrick Ryder, Ryder, I'm, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Asad, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Chris Reese, Howard Goller Organizations: Ben Gurion, Hamas, Pentagon, United, U.S, Reuters, Area Defense, Patriot, Iranian, United Nations, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, WASHINGTON, Iran, Iraq, Syria, U.S, United States, Gaza, Yemen, Iranian

REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and additional Patriot air defense missile system battalions to the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Saturday, in response to recent attacks on U.S. troops in the region. The United States has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in recent weeks, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines. "Following detailed discussions with President (Joe) Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the Department of Defense posture in the region," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. The deployments come two years after Biden's administration withdrew air defense systems from the Middle East, citing a reduction in tensions with Iran. The Patriot, considered one of the most advanced U.S. air defense systems, is usually in short supply, with allies around the world vying for it.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Joe, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Israel, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Area Defense, Pentagon, United, Defense, U.S, Gaza's Health, Thomson Locations: Gaza, U.S, United States, Washington, Iran, Israel, East, South Korea, China, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Yemen

After the coup, the United States paused certain foreign assistance programs for Niger and military training has been on hold. "The leaders of this attempted coup are putting Niger's security at risk, creating a potential vacuum that terrorist groups or other malign groups may exploit," the official said. The United States has been pressing for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis that erupted on July 26 when Niger military officers seized power, deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and placed him under house arrest. Military juntas have come to power through coups in Mali and Burkina Faso - both neighbors of Niger - in recent years. But so far, Paris has rejected calls by the coup leaders to withdraw their 1,500 troops.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mohamed Bazoum, Kathleen FitzGibbon, Nusrat al, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jonathan Oatis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Pentagon, Reuters, American, Air Base, Islamic State, Troops, United, Niger, Thomson Locations: Niger, U.S, Niamey, Agadez, West, al Qaeda, United, Washington, United States, State, Mali, Burkina Faso, France, Paris

However, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said that North Korea only acknowledged the U.N. Command's request for information about U.S. Army Private Travis King and stopped short of offering detailed information about him. When pressed, Ryder said that North Korea's message back to the U.N. Command was just "an acknowledgement" of the U.N. Command's inquiry. King sprinted into North Korea on July 18 while on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone on the border, landing the United States in a new diplomatic quandary with nuclear-armed North Korea. After his release from the prison, which is designated for U.S. military members and other foreigners, King stayed at a U.S. base in South Korea for a week, Yonhap said. U.S. officials have expressed deep concern over King's fate in North Korea.

Persons: Travis T, Sarah Leslie, Handout, Patrick Ryder, Travis King, Ryder, King, Yonhap, Otto Warmbier, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Grant McCool Organizations: Security Area, REUTERS, United Nations Command, Pentagon, U.S, Army, DPRK, Democratic People's, Command, U.S . Army, Cavalry, Korean, Force, Fort Bliss , Texas ., Thomson Locations: Panmunjom, South Korea, REUTERS WASHINGTON, North Korea, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, United States, Cheonan, U.S, Fort Bliss , Texas, Fort Bliss , Texas . U.S

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia is far from a failure, but the fight ahead will be long and bloody, the top U.S. general said on Tuesday, even as casualties on both sides mount and the front lines have moved only incrementally. The United States and other allies have spent months building Ukraine a "mountain of steel" of weaponry and training Ukrainian forces in combined arms techniques to help Kyiv pierce formidable Russian defenses during its counter-offensive. Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "It is far from a failure. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast.

Persons: Mark Milley, Milley, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Staff, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk

Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "It is far from a failure. Speaking after another round of talks on arms for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's now nearly 17-month invasion, Milley said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be slow. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast. Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine defence minister, said after the Tuesday talks that "supply of weapons and equipment urgently needed" is a priority for Ukraine.

Persons: Mark Milley, Russia's, Milley, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler, Michael Perry Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Staff, Kyiv, European Union, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk, Reznikov, Melbourne

Relations between the superpowers are increasingly acrimonious, with friction over issues from Taiwan and China's military activity in the South China Sea to U.S. efforts to hold back China's semiconductor industry. China's leaders, by contrast, have been slow to establish military contacts and quick to shut them down during periods of diplomatic tension. This has frustrated the United States. Then there is China's view of how military talks fit into the broader U.S.-China relationship. From that perspective, military talks are something to bargain with.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, China's, ", Ely Ratner, National Defense Li Shangfu, Li, Zhu Feng, Zhu, Jacob Stokes, Yun Sun, ”, Daniel Russel, William Burns, it’s, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Yew Lun Tian, Martina Pollard, Laurie Chen, Don Durfee, Alistair Bell Organizations: Pentagon . U.S . Defense, U.S . Army, U.S, National Defense, School of International Studies, Nanjing University, Center, New, New American Security, Stimson, East Asia, Obama, Asia Society Policy Institute, CIA, Washington, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, BEIJING, Singapore, Beijing, United States, China, Taiwan, South, U.S, Austin, New American, East Asia, Washington, Ukraine, States, East, Hainan

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaWASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force's 102nd Intelligence Wing, which the alleged leaker of classified information belonged to, has been ordered to halt its intelligence mission as the service's inspector general carries out an investigation, the Air Force said on Tuesday. The Air Force said all units would also have to carry out a "security-focused standdown" sometime in the next 30 days. "The 102nd Intelligence Wing is not currentlyperforming its assigned intelligence mission," Air Force Spokesperson Ann Stefanek said in statement. The Air Force inspector general would investigate the unit's "compliance with policy, procedures, and standards...related to the release of national security information," Stefanek added. If the accusations against Teixeira are correct, the Air Force will be under pressure to explain how he could have smuggled and disseminated highly classified intelligence for months without being noticed.

Just a day after the deadly attack on U.S. personnel in Syria, which Washington blamed on a drone of Iranian origin, sources said a U.S. base in Syria's northeast was targeted with a new missile attack. The U.S. strikes were in response to an attack earlier on Thursday by an attack drone against U.S. personnel at a coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria. Three service members and a contractor required medical evacuation to Iraq, where the U.S.-led coalition battling the remnants of Islamic State has medical facilities, the Pentagon said. NEW ATTACK INEFFECTIVEA U.S. base at the Al-Omar oil field in Syria was targeted with a missile attack on Friday morning, according to Lebanese pro-Iranian TV channel Al Mayadeen and a security source. U.S. forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama administration's campaign against Islamic State, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. surveillance drone brought down over the Black Sea after a Russian military intercept probably broke apart and would be difficult to recover given the depth of the water in the area, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday. Russia's defense ministry blamed "sharp maneuvering" by the drone for the crash and said its jet did not make contact. Milley said the United States had already taken measures to guard against a loss of sensitive intelligence if the drone were to be recovered by Russia. The State Department on Tuesday summoned Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, to express U.S. concerns over the encounter. Antonov after the meeting said the drone "deliberately and provocatively was moving toward Russian territory with transponders turned off."

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - Australia is expected to buy up to five U.S. Virginia class nuclear powered submarines in the 2030's as part of a landmark defense agreement between Washington, Canberra and London, four U.S. officials said on Wednesday. U.S. President Joe Biden will host leaders of Australia and Britain in San Diego next week to chart a way forward for provision of the nuclear-powered submarines and other high-tech weaponry to Australia. In the early 2030's, Australia would buy 3 Virginia class submarines and have the option to buy two more. AUKUS will be Australia's biggest-ever defense project and offers the prospect of jobs in all three countries. Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Steve Holland; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A suspected Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the United States for a few days, and senior U.S. officials have advised President Joe Biden against shooting it down for fear the debris could pose a safety threat. The old-fashioned spy-movie-like intelligence collection method recalls lengths to which Beijing and Washington have been willing to go to spy on each other amid increased tensions. China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, have experienced tensions of late, clashing over Taiwan and China's human rights record and its military activity in the South China Sea. Spy balloons have flown over the United States several times in recent years, but this balloon appeared to be lingering longer than in previous instances, the official said. "Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective, but we are taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information," the official said.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters. It was not clear how the discovery of the spy balloon might affect those plans. Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the spy balloon was alarming but not surprising. A separate U.S. official said the spy balloon had been tracked near the Aleutian Islands and Canada before entering the United States. Spy balloons have flown over the United States several times in recent years, but this balloon appeared to be lingering longer than in previous instances, an official said.

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The United States, in a reversal, appears to be dropping its opposition to sending M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine and an announcement could come as soon as this week, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were not aware of a final U.S. decision to send the Abrams to Ukraine, a move that could encourage Germany to follow. Such a decision by the United States would come just days after Washington argued against sending the Abrams, despite demands from Kyiv and public pressure from Berlin as it faced calls to send German-made Leopard battle tanks. Ukraine says heavily armored Western battle tanks would give its troops more mobility and protection ahead of a new Russian offensive that Kyiv expects in the near future. The disclosure about the softening U.S. position came the same day that Poland said it had submitted a formal request asking Germany to allow the re-export of its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine.

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The United States will significantly increase its anti-ship missile capabilities in Japan as part of a broader effort to deter China, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday. The anti-ship missiles would arrive in Japan under a revamped Marine Corps regiment of 2,000 troops that will focus on advanced intelligence, surveillance and transportation, the officials said. Japan has watched with growing concern China's belligerence toward Taiwan as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims over the island. Japan hosts 18,000 U.S. Marines, the biggest concentration outside the United States. In total, there are about 54,000 U.S. troops in Japan.

REUTERS/Joshua RobertsWASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The United States and Japan on Wednesday announced stepped-up security cooperation in the face of shared worries about China, and Washington strongly endorsed a major military buildup Tokyo announced last month. At the briefing, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced plans to introduce a Marine Littoral Regiment in Japan, which would bring significant capabilities, including anti-ship missiles. A senior administration official told Reuters that Biden and Kishida are expected to discuss security issues and the global economy and that their talks are likely to include control of semiconductor exports to China after Washington announced strict curbs last year. The large U.S. presence has fueled local resentment, with Okinawa's government asking other parts of Japan to host some of the force. In total, there are about 54,000 U.S. troops in Japan.

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - China will likely have a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it continues with its current nuclear buildup pace, according to a report released by the Pentagon on Tuesday. The figure underscores mounting U.S. concerns about China's intentions for its expanding nuclear arsenal, even though the projections do not suggest China is accelerating the pace of its already-brisk warhead development. The report, which primarily covers activities in 2021, said China currently has a nuclear stockpile of more than 400 warheads. The Pentagon's projection for China's nuclear arsenal of 1,000 warheads by 2030 remained unchanged, the official said, adding the projection for 2035 was based on an unchanged pace of expansion. The United States has a stockpile of about 3,700 nuclear warheads, of which roughly 1,740 were deployed, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think-tank.

[1/3] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks during a news briefing after participating a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The top U.S. general on Wednesday said Ukraine's chances of any near-term, outright military victory were not high, cautioning that Russia still had significant combat power inside Ukraine despite suffering battlefield setbacks since its invasion in February. Ukraine has vowed to keep the pressure on Russian forces until it reclaims control of all occupied territory. "The probability of a Ukrainian military victory - defined as kicking the Russians out of all of Ukraine to include what they claim as Crimea - the probability of that happening anytime soon is not high, militarily," Milley told a news conference at the Pentagon. Ukraine is not going to back down," Milley said, adding that Ukraine was free, "and they want to remain free."

The decision to cancel the submarine-launched cruise missile could help President Joe Biden address calls from fellow Democrats to scale back America's nuclear arsenal without sacrificing major components of its nuclear "triad" of nuclear-tipped ground-based inter-continental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable bomber aircraft and submarine-launched nuclear arms. The Biden administration released three documents on Thursday: the National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review. Under President Donald Trump's administration, the military made a decision in 2018 to develop a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, with a focus on the threat from Russia. But the Biden administration said in its review the sea-launched cruise missile program (SLCM-N) was unnecessary and would be cancelled because the United States already had the "means to deter limited nuclear use." U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters the military did not need the SLCM-N because there was enough capability in the nuclear inventory already.

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