Early Bird Brief

Today's Top 5

1. U.S. and Russian troops are now in the same Syrian city (Military Times) The U.S. military's "reassurance and deterrence" mission in the Syrian city of Manbij is achieving its goal of preventing key American allies from battling one another, the Pentagon said Monday, but what's already a tense situation could become more complicated with the arrival of Russian troops and continued advances by Turkish-backed rebels.

2. Inside Marines United: Infighting roiled the group that sparked the military's nude photo scandal (Military Times) Months before the U.S. military's nude photo scandal was unveiled, an intense internal feud had erupted inside one of the main groups known for sharing explicit imagery of their female co-workers.

3. In huge show of force, Japan to send helicopter carrier Izumo to South China Sea (South China Morning Post) Japan plans to dispatch its largest warship on a three-month tour through the South China Sea beginning in May, three sources said, in its biggest show of naval force in the region since the second world war.

4. As overseas ambitions expand, China plans 400 per cent increase to marine corps numbers, sources say (South China Morning Post) China plans to increase the size of its marine corps from about 20,000 to 100,000 personnel to protect the nation’s maritime lifelines and its growing interests overseas, military insiders and experts have said.

5. Gray Eagle drone system to be permanently stationed at Kunsan (Army Times) The Army, in coordination with the Air Force and Korean military officials, has begun the process to permanently station a Gray Eagle Unmanned Aerial Systems company at Kunsan Air Base in Korea,” according to officials at United States Forces Korea.

Early Bird Brief - Military Times