Soldiers stand at attention during the training for the military parade of the 60th National Day celebration, Beijing, September 7, 2009. [Xinhua]
China wants to buy new high-tech weapons for its navy and air force, but to do that, it needs to lay off 300,000 troops. The Chinese Defense Ministry announced Thursday that Beijing's plan to reduce troop levels would be completed by the end of the year.
Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said there were "detailed arrangements" to ensure the layoffs would be carried out without delay, Reuters reported. "This year it will achieve its set aims on schedule," Wu told a regular monthly news briefing, without providing further details.
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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 31, 2017
Analysis: The Pace of Chinese Military Modernization is Getting Attention at the Pentagon and in Congress -- Kris Osborn, Scout Warrior
China's Military Says Taiwan Is 'Doomed' and Trump's Weapons Will Be Useless -- Newsweek
From Green to Purple: Can the Chinese Military Become More Joint? -- Joel Wuthnow and Phillip C. Saunders, War on the Rocks
Russian military makes rare visit to Pakistani tribal region -- AP
Russian Military Deal with Serbia Counters Influence of NATO and EU in Balkans -- Newsweek
Russia adds 'Kazan' to its nuclear attack submarine fleet -- Defense News
Royal Marines face frontline axe as military chiefs are forced to make £10BILLION cuts over the next decade amid escalating costs of ships and jets -- Daily Mail
Top Canadian soldier says military not hurting for money -- CTV News/Canadian Press
Finns Mull Co-Housing Male, Female Conscripts to Boost Equality, Morale -- Sputnik
Australia issues tender request for new frigates -- UPI
US gives NATO allies 2 months for defense spending plans -- AP
Tillerson gives NATO two-month deadline on defense spending -- The Hill
Fallon and Mattis discussing Nato spending -- BBC
Britain and U.S. tell NATO allies to 'raise their game' on defense spending -- Reuters
Trump gives military more authority to launch Somalia strikes -- The Hill
US military now authorized to conduct offensive airstrikes in Somalia -- ABC News
Pentagon Responds to Criticism Over Civilian Deaths in Mosul Blast -- VOA
Mosul shows difficulty of removing militants from urban areas -- Military Times
Trump administration stops disclosing troop deployments in Iraq and Syria -- Los Angeles Times
Air Force secretary nominee backs stealth of F-35 jets -- The Hill
Future V-22 Weapons May Range from Lasers to Sonic Waves -- DoD Buzz
Lockheed nears $27 billion helicopter deal with Pentagon -- Reuters
General: Air Force might 'have to stop flying' for six weeks -- Washington Examiner
Military sharply warns Congress against punting on spending -- Jeremy Herb, CNN
Marines to field new revolutionary radar -- C4ISRNET
Army Shows Off Its Lightest Combat Helmet Ever -- Military.com
General Dynamics, U.S. Ordnance share U.S. Army contract for M2 machine guns -- UPI
Air Force Needs Disposable Aircraft, Official Says -- Defense Tech
DoD prepares for more advanced armed drones amid ISIS threat -- C4ISRNet
A more connected military means new battlefield glitches, too -- Aliya Sternstein, Christian Science Monitor
Top U.S. Military Official Says We Need to Prepare for Space Battles -- Futurism
Inside the Ring: Pentagon Tightens Security on China Contacts -- Washington Free Beacon
Pentagon puts Trump’s cost cutting promises to work -- The Hill
U.S. Marines Send F-35 Fighters To South Korea -- And A Signal To The North -- Loren Thompson, Forbes
Marines are once again 'The Few, The Proud' -- Marine Times
