The U.S. has an estimated 200 tactical nuclear weapons, with roughly half deployed in Europe. The U.S. is believed to have around 100 tactical bombs deployed in five NATO countries on the continent, including in Turkey, Germany and Belgium.

Beijing and Washington may be set to revive dormant military communication channels, but it is just a first step and the two sides are still some way from genuine trust, an observer has cautioned. The assessment followed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement on social media on Sunday that the two countries had "agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise".

Washington wants deeper military cooperation with Vietnam, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday during a visit to Hanoi, where he is set to meet leaders of the Southeast Asian nation.

The U.S. military has built up an unusually large force in the Caribbean Sea. The Navy has eight warships in the region.

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The Trump administration said Monday it has provided seven separate classified briefings on US military strikes on alleged drug boats, even as lawmakers have said they have not received the information they want.

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. military officials involved with President Donald Trump's expanding operations in Latin America have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, three U.S. officials say, a development that raises new questions about a military buildup that Venezuela fears may lead to an invasion.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth says he had a "positive" meeting with China’s defense chief Dong Jun as both sides agreed to open military channels to ease tensions.