Overnight Defense: Putin boasts of new nuclear weapons | US approves sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine | Dem warns of China's influence in Africa

View in your browser     THE TOPLINE: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that his country has developed a new nuclear weapon that makes defense systems "useless," according to multiple reports. Putin told lawmakers and political elites in his annual address that the intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of reaching nearly any target in the world, NBC News reported. "I want to tell all those who have fueled the arms race over the last 15 years, sought to win unilateral advantages over Russia, introduced unlawful sanctions aimed to contain our country's development ... you have failed to contain Russia," he said. He said the new missile is "powerful and modern and defense systems will not be able to withstand it." "Missile defenses will be useless against it," he said. Putin also claimed the West has ignored Russia. "Nobody listened to us. Well listen to us now," he said. Read more about that here.   PENTAGON PUSHES BACK: In response, the Pentagon says it is "not surprised" by Putin's remarks. "We're not surprised by the statement, and the American people should rest assured that we are fully prepared," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White told reporters after the announcement by Putin.  "We need to ensure we have a credible nuclear deterrent, and we are confident that we are prepared to defend this nation no matter what."  Read the rest here.     US TO STEP UP WORK ON HYPERSONIC MISSILES: The Pentagon's high-tech office will more aggressively pursue so-called hypersonic missiles as Russia and China make advances in that area, the office's director said Thursday. "China and Russia are active in the area of hypersonics, have been developing capabilities," Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director Steven Walker told the Defense Writers Group. "DARPA has been developing technology and capabilities in the hypersonics area for a while. ... We do need an infusion of dollars in our infrastructure to do hypersonics." Hypersonics are generally defined as missiles than can fly more than five times the speed of sound. Walker's comments come after Putin earlier in the morning bragged about his country having hypersonic weapons. Walker would not comment on the veracity of Putin's speech, other than to acknowledge open reporting about Russia's capabilities, as well as China's. The Hill's Rebecca Kheel has more here.   US MISSILE SALE TO UKRAINE MAY INFLAME TENSIONS WITH RUSSIA: The State Department has officially approved a possible $47 million sale of Javelin antitank missiles and related equipment to Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Thursday. The move marks a significant escalation of lethal aid to Ukraine in its ongoing struggles against Russia. "This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of Ukraine," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in its official notice. "The Javelin system will help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in order to meet its national defense requirements. Ukraine will have no difficulty absorbing this system into its armed forces. Congress was officially notified of the sale Thursday, according to the notice. That sets off a 30-day clock for Congress to block the sale if it so chooses. But lawmakers from both parties have been broadly supportive of selling lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine. Ukraine has long requested the weapons to bolster its fight against Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country. The Obama administration, however, limited its support to nonlethal aid as it was worried injecting such weapons into the conflict would make an already volatile situation worse. But late last year, the Trump administration said it approved the plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. Read the rest here.   DEM WARNS OF CHINA'S INFLUENCE IN AFRICA: The ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday warned of China's growing influence in Africa after a trip to the region. "Wherever we're going in Africa, they seem to be there, or following close behind," Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said of China. Reed last week took a trip with stops in Djibouti, Somalia and Jordan and spoke with reporters about it Thursday. China's first and only foreign military base is in Djibouti, where the United States also has its only permanent base in Africa. The Chinese base was officially opened in August and was built over the last two years. Additionally, China has lent a "huge amount of money" to Djibouti and is "moving into" northern Kenya with a "major investment," Reed said. The Hill's Rebecca Kheel has the rest here.    ON TAP FOR TOMORROW: The Mitchell Space Breakfast Series will hold a conversation with Maj. Gen. Joseph Guastella, the director of integrated air, space, cyberspace, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations at the Air Force Space Command at 8 a.m. at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington.    ICYMI: -- The Hill: US continues diplomatic push with North Korea, but military preps for potential strike: report  -- The Hill: South Korea tells Trump it plans to send special envoy to North Korea: report  -- The Hill: Dems press Trump on response to Russian cyber threat  -- The Hill: Kelly: I didn't want to leave DHS, but 'God punished me' -- NBC News: New Russian nuke weapons aren't new and may not be ready, say experts     Join The Hill on Wednesday, March 21, for Leadership in Action: The Hill's Newsmaker Series featuring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.). RSVP Here     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @Rebecca_H_K, @EllenMitchell23         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Defense Newsletters     Forward Defense Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.