RED STORM RISING: It been a few days since China rolled some of its new ballistic missiles through the streets of Beijing in a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of communist rule. And experts who have examined the video footage from the event are now warning China is beginning to surpass the United States in several areas, including developing nuclear missiles designed to evade U.S. defenses; a supersonic attack drone that is virtually unstoppable; and stealthy underwater drone.

“The parade featured a number of formidable weapons systems that demonstrate the growing capability of the Chinese military, the erosion of U.S. military superiority, and the need for continued action by Washington and its partners,” according to an analysis released yesterday by the The Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“The U.S. military has struggled to receive the timely, sufficient, and predictable funding necessary to support current operations, maintain readiness, and modernize the force. Meanwhile, Beijing has studied how America fights and has modernized its military accordingly,” said the analysis, written by FDD’s Bradley Bowman and Andrew Gabel. “As a result, in some areas, U.S. military superiority has eroded or vanished.”

HYPERSONICS ARE HERE: Among the weapons on display was the Dong Feng-17, a ballistic missile booster and hypersonic glide vehicle, which appears ready to deploy.

Riki Ellison, of the independent Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, calls the DF-17, a first of its kind” weapon, “the first deployable Hypersonic Weapon System that is immune from any defensive system known to mankind.”

“China leads the world in developing, proving and deploying these indefensible offensive missile systems that can be fitted with nuclear warheads and can strike with invulnerability ... Taiwan and U.S. bases in South Korea, Japan and Guam as well as U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups operating within the first and second island chains,” writes Ellison

“The Chinese DF-17 defies ballistic trajectories by skipping to increase its speed and maneuvering at will during the majority of its flight time, operating in lower space and the upper atmosphere, and making it unpredictable in flight with speeds over 20 times the speed of sound,” Ellison says. “The United States nor any country in the world has space-based discriminating sensors that can locate and track a hypersonic glide vehicle from very long distances to establish battle space to engage this target.”

THE GROWING CHINESE ARSENAL: The DF-17 wasn’t the only advanced weapon on display. In addition, the parade included an array of missiles and new unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles aimed at ending U.S. military superiority.

The Foundation for The Defense of Democracies lists these:



DF-21D anti-ship or “carrier killer” ballistic missile

anti-ship or “carrier killer” ballistic missile DF-26 ground mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile

ground mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile DF-41 a ground-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile with a maximum range of 9,300 miles, capable of carrying multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles and of reaching the United State

a ground-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile with a maximum range of 9,300 miles, capable of carrying multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles and of reaching the United State JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile, which has a range nearly three times greater than that of its predecessor, the JL-1.

submarine-launched ballistic missile, which has a range nearly three times greater than that of its predecessor, the JL-1. GJ-11 “Sharp Sword,” a stealthy underwater drone or UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle)

“Sharp Sword,” a stealthy underwater drone or UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle) HSU-001 , a large UUV featuring dual screws to enhance cruising speeds

, a large UUV featuring dual screws to enhance cruising speeds WZ-8, a rocket-powered, high-altitude reconnaissance vehicle

“These systems enable Beijing to target ships and bases in the region, potentially creating no-go zones for the U.S. military and its partners. If successful in this effort, Beijing may conclude it could successfully undertake military aggression, for example against Taiwan,” the FDD concludes.

IN RELATED NEWS: The Iranian attack on Saudi oil facilities Sept. 14 pulled the curtain back on one of the Pentagon's inconvenient truths, namely that despite untold billions spent on missile defense, the United States does not have a reliable shield against low-flying cruise missiles and small, hard-to-detect drones.

All the U.S. technology employed by the Saudis, including early warning radars and Patriot anti-missile missiles, are useless in the age of cruise missiles and cheap, relatively low-tech drones.

In the attack, none of the 18 drones or seven cruise missiles were detected, much less engaged by Saudi air defenses, leaving various U.S. officials sputtering to explain the embarrassing failure.

Read more in this week’s Washington Examiner magazine: Iran’s attack on Saudi Arabia revealed a glaring gap in American missile defenses .

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!

HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Mark Esper is visiting Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where he will be joined by Republican Rep. Mike Turner for a town hall with senior leaders service members and their families.

Later, Esper travels to Kentucky, where he is scheduled to meet with Fort Knox area community leaders in another town hall event, and then with McConnell Scholarship students at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

IRAQ BURNING: As Iraq is dealing with an escalating popular uprising against its government over unemployment, corruption, and general lack of services, Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley met with Iraq’s national security adviser Falih Al-Fayyad at the Pentagon.

At least 27 people have been killed so far in violent demonstrations, and Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, in a televised address to the nation, said there is “ no magic solution ” to Iraq’s problems but promised to work on the “legitimate demands” of the people.

Publically, the Pentagon says the internal unrest is “a domestic issue,” and spokesman Jonathan Hoffman referred questions about the political situation to the State Department.

“In terms of the U.S. and coalition military mission there, it continues,” said Air Force Col. Pat Ryder who was briefing reporters along with Hoffman. “There's been no impact on that ... we continue to stay focused on the – the Defeat ISIS mission.”

NOT ON THE CALL: At yesterday’s briefing Hoffman also said that Esper did not take part in a July phone call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine. "To my knowledge, no one from the Department of Defense was on that call," Hoffman said. "I've specifically asked [the] Secretary of Defense that question, and he was not on that call."

PRESERVING THE EVIDENCE: Hoffman said the Pentagon is gathering all relevant records relating to the Ukraine assistance program in order to be prepared to respond to any requests from Congress.

“The general counsel of the Department, in keeping with past practice on matters of importance and to ensure that all appropriate department information is available on this matter, directed that DOD offices should provide any pertinent documents and records to the Office of General Counsel for cataloguing and review," Hoffman said.

‘ZERO CONVERSATIONS’: President Trump has repeatedly said one reason he held up nearly $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine over the summer was because other countries aren’t doing their share. But NATO’s top commander, who presumably would be among those requesting other countries to do more, says he’s had “zero conversations” on the topic.

“I haven’t had any conversations with any of my peers from an alliance standpoint about funds or activities on behalf of the U.S. and Ukraine. Zero conversations,” said Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, NATO’s supreme commander at a briefing for Pentagon reporters.

Just this week, Trump reiterated his desire for Germany, France and others to fund military assistance to Ukraine. “I don't like to be the sucker, and European countries are helped far more than we are, and those countries should pay more to help Ukraine,” Trump said during his press conference with the Finnish president.

MORE JAVELINS TO UKRAINE: The State Department has approved the sale of 150 Javelin anti-tank missiles and related equipment for an estimated $39.2 million.

It’s the same weapons system that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested in his July 25 conversation with Trump, who responded by asking for Ukrainian officials to speak with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuiliani, about a potential scandal involving Biden and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, writes Joel Gehrke in the Washington Examiner.

The sale was endorsed by Wolters, who in his briefing told reporters the defensive system gives a needed psychological boost to Ukrainian forces battling Russian-basked separatists.

“It affords a soldier the opportunity to put a resource in his or her hands that affords them the opportunity to protect their sovereign turf. And it's a sophisticated capability, it's a modern capability; it has great precision, it has great speed,” Wolters said. “You see a little bit of a bounce in the step of the Ukrainian soldier, when he or she has had the opportunity to embrace this system that allows them to better defend their turf.”

TALKING TURKEY: Wolters also has his eye on the situation in northern Syria, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Ergogan keeps threatening to send his troops to clear out Kurdish YPG militias that he considers terrorists.

Wolters is walking a fine line, trying to convince Erdogan to rely on the joint “security mechanism” the U.S. and Turkey are slowly implementing in the north. “I am tasked by the president and the secretary of defense to make sure that I can do all that I can in my military lane, to keep the relationship sound,” Wolters said. “And obviously, as we sit today, Turkey is a very, very important partner from a NATO perspective.”

Yesterday, Esper and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar spoke by phone and discussed “the situation in northeast Syria, regional security and bilateral defense cooperation,” according to the Pentagon.

ABOUT THAT NORTH KOREA MISSILE LAUNCH: “I'm not going to get into the specifics of what we believe the actual missile was, other than to say, again, we assess that it was a short- to medium-range ballistic missile,” said Ryder at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing. “And I would say that we have no indication that it was launched from a submarine, but rather a sea-based platform.” The North Koreans call the missile a “new type” of Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile.

JOINING FDD: The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has announced that Andrea Stricker has joined the think tank as a research fellow focusing on nonproliferation, Iran, North Korea, and other security topics.

Stricker moves from the Institute on Science and International Security, where spent 12 years focused on Iran’s nuclear program.

“Andrea has played a critical role in analyzing Iran’s nuclear archive,” said FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz in a statement. “We are looking forward to her contributions to our already deep expertise on Iran’s nuclear program.”

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Texts show Trump officials debating if U.S. withheld military aid from Ukraine for political favors

Washington Examiner: 'Shit just didn't line up': Troops dispute Army claim that wind was factor in botched nighttime parachute jump

AP: Putin: Russia Is Helping China Build Missile Warning System

Washington Post: Iraq is under curfew and Internet blackout as government tries to curb protests

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Officials Are Worried About Turkish Foray Into Syria

Reuters: Iran Says It Foiled Plot To Kill Quds Chief Soleimani

Marine Corps Times: Marine Commandant Considers Major Changes To Improve Force Retention

USNI News: Berger: Marine 2030 Force Design Is Nearly Complete; Concepts Now Being Modeled, Tested

C4ISRNET: DARPA Wants A Robotic Satellite Mechanic Launched By 2022

Seapower Magazine: Future Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy Establishes Crew

The Drive: U.S. Intelligence Agency Eyes The Navy's MQ-25 Drone For Maritime Surveillance Missions

Air Force Magazine: USAF: Balfour Beatty Must Do More to Improve Military Housing at Tinker, Others

USNI News: Navy To Go Green Inside The Pentagon

Calendar

FRIDAY | OCTOBER 4

8 a.m. 2401 M Street N.W. — Defense Writers Group breakfast conversation with Adm. Craig Faller, commander U.S. Southern Command. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu