Pentagon dodges questions on Milley phone calls: 'I can't speak to specifics'
- 3 years ago
PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: There we go. Good afternoon, everybody. A couple things here at the top, if I could. You may have seen last night the DPRK fired two short range missiles towards the Sea of Japan. These launches are in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. And these activities highlight the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's illicit weapons program. Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad and I think you saw the statement earlier today about that.
This morning Secretary Austin welcomed the Australian Minister for Defense, Peter Dutton, here to the Pentagon. We're proud to stand alongside our Australian allies to strengthen deterrence and defend our shared values and our shared interest in the Indo Pacific region. The U.S./Australia relationship is what we're proud to call the “Unbreakable Alliance”. Our increasing convergence and alignment on the most important strategic issues attest to the enduring value of this partnership.
We're cooperating closely on force posture, strategic capabilities, regional engagement and of course military operations. And ultimately we're cooperating on all that strengthens our ability to deter threats to a free and open Indo Pacific.
Tomorrow Secretary Austin and Minister Dutton will join Secretary of State Blinken, and minister of -- Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne for Two plus Two meetings over there at Foggy Bottom at the State Department.
Also this week, the Navy completed a new milestone, the first aerial refueling of an F-35C Lightning II aircraft by an MQ-25 unmanned platform Monday. The milestone is significant because unmanned tanking capabilities will free up the Navy's strike fighters that are currently carrying out the tanking mission delivering greater range and then endurance for the carrier air wing to execute missions. Once operational MQ-25 will refuel every receiver capable carrier based aircraft.
And then finally, more on the schedule for the Navy -- the Secretary of the Navy, and the Chief of Naval Operations are hosting more than 100 international delegates, including heads of navies and coast guards in-person and virtually at the U.S. Naval War College up in Newport, Rhode Island for this year's international Sea Power Symposium. The Symposium provides a forum for dialogue between international navies and coast guards to bolster maritime security.
And with that, we'll take questions.
Bob.
Q: Thanks, John. Thank you. I have a question for you on the August 29 drone strike in Kabul.
MR. KIRBY: Yes?
Q: Was that vehicle tracked and targeted because of its activities and the belief that it was carrying explosives, or was it tracked and targeted because the driver was believed or known to be an ISIS operative?
MR. KIRBY: Yes, Bob, as you know Central Command is continuing to assess this strike, and I just don't want to get out ahead of their work on this.
Q: So you can't say what the reason for
This morning Secretary Austin welcomed the Australian Minister for Defense, Peter Dutton, here to the Pentagon. We're proud to stand alongside our Australian allies to strengthen deterrence and defend our shared values and our shared interest in the Indo Pacific region. The U.S./Australia relationship is what we're proud to call the “Unbreakable Alliance”. Our increasing convergence and alignment on the most important strategic issues attest to the enduring value of this partnership.
We're cooperating closely on force posture, strategic capabilities, regional engagement and of course military operations. And ultimately we're cooperating on all that strengthens our ability to deter threats to a free and open Indo Pacific.
Tomorrow Secretary Austin and Minister Dutton will join Secretary of State Blinken, and minister of -- Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne for Two plus Two meetings over there at Foggy Bottom at the State Department.
Also this week, the Navy completed a new milestone, the first aerial refueling of an F-35C Lightning II aircraft by an MQ-25 unmanned platform Monday. The milestone is significant because unmanned tanking capabilities will free up the Navy's strike fighters that are currently carrying out the tanking mission delivering greater range and then endurance for the carrier air wing to execute missions. Once operational MQ-25 will refuel every receiver capable carrier based aircraft.
And then finally, more on the schedule for the Navy -- the Secretary of the Navy, and the Chief of Naval Operations are hosting more than 100 international delegates, including heads of navies and coast guards in-person and virtually at the U.S. Naval War College up in Newport, Rhode Island for this year's international Sea Power Symposium. The Symposium provides a forum for dialogue between international navies and coast guards to bolster maritime security.
And with that, we'll take questions.
Bob.
Q: Thanks, John. Thank you. I have a question for you on the August 29 drone strike in Kabul.
MR. KIRBY: Yes?
Q: Was that vehicle tracked and targeted because of its activities and the belief that it was carrying explosives, or was it tracked and targeted because the driver was believed or known to be an ISIS operative?
MR. KIRBY: Yes, Bob, as you know Central Command is continuing to assess this strike, and I just don't want to get out ahead of their work on this.
Q: So you can't say what the reason for