| PRELUDE TO BIDEN-XI MEETING: After meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department yesterday and national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House today, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to get a short, informal audience with President Joe Biden today. There is nothing on Biden's public schedule except for an evening campaign reception in Washington before he decamps to Delaware for the weekend, but published reports — including in Reuters and Bloomberg — say Biden will drop in on today's meeting with Sullivan. The flurry of diplomacy is intended to pave the way for Biden to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco and comes as friction between the two countries continues to increase, with the U.S. accusing China of coercion in the South China Sea and preparing to take Taiwan by force. "China and the United States need to have dialogue," Wang said before meeting with Blinken at the State Department yesterday. "The dialogue should be in-depth and comprehensive so that with dialogue we can increase mutual understanding, reduce misunderstanding and misjudgment, constantly seek to expand common ground and pursue cooperation that will benefit both sides." "I agree with what the foreign minister said," Blinken responded. PROVOCATIONS CONTINUE: Wang arrived in Washington earlier this week around the time a Chinese J-11 fighter jet buzzed a nuclear-capable Air Force B-52 bomber flying in international airspace over the South China Sea. The Pentagon released a video of the nighttime intercept yesterday. "The PRC pilot flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrated poor airmanship by closing with uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of collision," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. "We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision." The reckless aerial game of chicken is just the latest in what the recently released Pentagon report on Chinese Military Power called a dramatic increase in "dangerous, coercive, and provocative actions" by China as it seeks to intimidate the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region. "Between the fall of 2021 and fall of 2023, the United States has documented over 180 instances of PLA coercive and risky air intercepts against U.S. aircraft in the region — more in the past two years than in the previous decade," the report said. Earlier this month, the Pentagon released a series of declassified images and videos documenting China's dangerous uptick pattern of coercive and risky operational intercepts of U.S. aircraft operating lawfully in international airspace CHINESE WARPLANE FLIES 'WITHIN 10 FEET' OF US B-52 BOMBER OVER SOUTH CHINA SEA A STARK WARNING: With tensions with China on a slow boil, a report from the congressionally-mandated U.S. Strategic Posture Commission is warning that the U.S. is unprepared for war with China and says the U.S. needs more conventional and nuclear forces to deter and, if necessary, fight both China and Russia at the same time. "Today, the U.S. is on the cusp of a fundamentally different global setting for which we did not plan, and we are not well prepared. We are facing, confronting if you will, two nuclear peers, and this is unprecedented," Madelyn Creedon, chairwoman of the commission, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week. "The nation must act now and with a sense of urgency that the Commission did not always see." "This report, first and foremost, is a bipartisan call to action," Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking member of the committee, said. "Beijing has more than doubled the size of its nuclear arsenal. It has expanded its shipbuilding capacity so it is now more — so that the capacity to build ships is now more than 230 times that of the United States — more than 230 times that of the U.S., and it has increased its space-based military capabilities. All of this shifts the orbital balance of power." "It is incumbent on legislators to commit today to a program of sustained innovation and investment. This is the only way we can reclaim lost ground," Wicker said. READ MORE: AN URGENT WARNING: THE US NEEDS TO PREPARE TO FIGHT RUSSIA AND CHINA SIMULTANEOUSLY Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Conrad Hoyt. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what's going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue! THE US STRIKES BACK: After warning for days that the U.S. would respond to attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. dispatched a pair of F-16s to destroy what was described as two weapons and ammunition storage areas used by Iranian-backed proxy forces. "These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a late-night statement after the strikes. "They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict." "The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop," Austin said. "Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran's proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people." US MILITARY TARGETS TWO SYRIAN-BASED FACILITIES USED BY IRAN IN RESPONSE TO ATTACKS ON AMERICAN TROOPS 12 ATTACKS, 19 TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES: The Pentagon says that since Oct. 17, there have been more than a dozen attacks targeting U.S. troops, with one resulting in 17 "minor injuries." "As a result of these attacks, one U.S. citizen contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place; 21 U.S. personnel suffered from minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty," Austin said. "Between October 17 and 26, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least 12 separate times in Iraq, four separate times in Syria, by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets," Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at yesterday's Pentagon briefing. The most serious attacks were directed against U.S. troops based along the Syrian border with Iraq at al-Tanf and at the Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq in the middle of last week. "During those two days at al-Tanf Garrison, there were 17 U.S. personnel who sustained minor injuries, 15 of whom were diagnosed with TBI, traumatic brain injury," Ryder said. "At Al-Asad Air Base, four personnel were diagnosed with TBI but no other injuries. And again, in all cases, members returned to duty." Congressional critics have called on the Biden administration to take decisive action to deter Iran. "Enhancing our force posture in the region is good, but more needs to be done to deter Iran and its proxies from continuing to put the brave men and women who serve this nation at further risk," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement issued before last night's strikes were announced. The U.S. response strikes Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, as mere pinpricks. "A narrowly tailored strike followed by a press release that borders on apologia is likely insufficient to deter [Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah] Khamenei and his proxies," Behnam said in comments emailed to the Washington Examiner. "As the dust clears, Iran is likely to continue its indirect fire on US forces in the region which allow it to strike at the US and avoid direct blame." SENATORS CONSIDER END RUN AROUND COACH TUBERVILLE: Frustrated Senate Democrats are hoping to get 60 votes for a parliamentary maneuver that would temporarily suspend Senate rules that have allowed Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) to block hundreds of military promotions in his dogged fight against the Pentagon's abortion travel policy. The workaround being crafted by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), reported by Politico earlier this week, would bypass Tuberville's monthslong blockade and expire in January. But it's unclear if the gambit can get the nine Republican votes needed to reach the 60-vote threshold. In order to move forward with this method, 60 votes will be needed to move a group of nominees on the Senate floor, which will require votes from nine Republicans to join with all Democrats. "I don't think there's going to be any interest in doing a big block," Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Wednesday. Republicans have publicly backed Tuberville's decision, arguing it's his prerogative as a senator. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) last week defended Tuberville's hold during a press conference criticizing the Biden administration's policies related to Iran. "Democrats could call those up one at a time, and they could have been doing them for months," she said. SENATE REPUBLICANS SPLINTER OVER BIDEN LINKING ISRAEL AND UKRAINE FUNDS The Rundown Washington Examiner: US military targets two Syrian-based facilities used by Iran in response to attacks on American troops Washington Examiner: Chinese warplane flies 'within 10 feet' of US B-52 bomber over South China Sea Washington Examiner: Senate Republicans splinter over Biden linking Israel and Ukraine funds Washington Examiner: Senate overwhelmingly votes down bill pulling US troops from Niger despite coup Washington Examiner: Senate Democrats seek loophole around Tuberville's military promotions blockade Washington Examiner: US announces $150 million aid package to Ukraine Washington Examiner: Number of military suicides decreased in 2022, but rate of suicides increased Washington Examiner: US troops in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 16 times this month Washington Examiner: US claims Russian military has executed soldiers who refuse orders in Ukraine Washington Examiner: Israel conducts limited raid into Gaza ahead of ground incursion Washington Examiner: John Kirby: 'No question' Iran has complicity across the board Washington Examiner: Russia hosts Hamas and Iran for Moscow meetings Washington Examiner: More than 1.6 million displaced in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon due to war AP: Israeli Troops Briefly Raid Northern Gaza To 'Prepare' For An Expected Full-Scale Incursion New York Times: Israel's Army Is Ready To Invade Gaza; Its Divided Government May Not Be AP: China And The US Appear To Restart Military Talks Despite Disputes Over Taiwan And South China Sea Bloomberg: Navy's New ICBM Subs Expected to Cost $20 Billion More Than Budget Air & Space Forces Magazine: Northrop Has to Fly the B-21 to Get the LRIP Contract, Which Will Have 'Zero Profit' Breaking Defense: Newest F-35, F-15EX Contracts Are Set. Here's How Much They Cost. Axios: Electric Plane Lands in Florida for Air Force Testing after 2,000-Mile Journey Defense News: Space Force Sees SATCOM Awards Surging to $20 Billion This Fiscal Year Space News: AFRL, Space Force to Collaborate with Indian Startups on Space Technologies Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Solidifies New JTAGS Mission With Stand-Up of Squadron and Detachment Calendar FRIDAY | OCTOBER 27 9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies in-person and virtual conference: "Transatlantic Defense in an Era of Strategic Competition," with Daniel Fiott, head of the defense and statecraft programme, Center for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy of the Brussels School of Governance; Robert Bell, distinguished fellow, CSDS, Brussels School of Governance-VUB; Kristine Berzina, managing director, Geostrategy North, German Marshall Fund of the U.S.; Jessica Cox, director, Nuclear Policy Directorate at NATO; Katherine Kjellström Elgin, fellow, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; Justyna Gotkowska, deputy director, Centre for Eastern Studies, OSW; Alexander Mattelaer, professor, CSDS, Brussels School of Governance-VUB and senior research fellow, Egmont-Royal Institute for International Relations; Gesine Weber, research analyst and fellow, German Marshall Fund of the U.S.; Max Bergmann, director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center, CSIS; and Sissy Martinez, program coordinator and research assistant, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/transatlantic-defense-era-strategic-competition 10 a.m. — Fort Gordon, Georgia, will be officially renamed Fort Eisenhower at a ceremony attended by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth; retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, chairwoman, Congressional Naming Commission; and granddaughters of Army Gen. and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Susan and Mary Jean Eisenhower https://www.facebook.com/ArmyCyberCoE 12 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute in-person book discussion on Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, with authors retired Army Gen. David Petraeus and historian Andrew Roberts; moderated by Walter Russell Mead, Hudson distinguished fellow https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conflict-the-evolution-of-warfare 1 p.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies media call to discuss "Hamas, human shields, NATO, and what Biden can do," with Jonathan Schanzer, FDD senior vice president for research; and Orde Kittrie, FDD senior fellow, law professor at Arizona State University, and former State Department international lawyer. For Zoom link press@fdd.org 2:45 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: "Indo-Pacific Strategy," with Camille Dawson, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/a-discussion MONDAY | OCTOBER 30 10 a.m. — Air & Space Forces Association virtual fireside chat with Minot wing commanders, Col. Daniel Hoadley, commander of the 5th Bomb Wing; and Col. Kenneth McGhee, commander of the 91st Missile Wing https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register | | | | "The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop. Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran's proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people." | | Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on last night's strikes against Iranian proxy forces in Syria. |
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