Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  1,100 more US troops in Syria than previously disclosed The U.S. for months has had more than 2,000 troops inside Syria, more than double the 900 troops the Defense Department previously said are on the ground there. © AP The increased force presence has “been going on for a while,” with Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder estimating that the troops have been there “at a minimum, months.” But he stressed the extra troops are supporting the counter-ISIS mission and were unrelated to the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s regime two weeks ago.   The new figures are particularly notable as the Pentagon in recent days and weeks has been asked repeatedly about its troop presence in Syria, with the stark increase never disclosed.    A “core 900” U.S. service members are in the country as part of an official nine to 12 month deployment, with another 1,100 troops there on a temporary basis for 30 to 90 days “to address shifting mission requirements,” Ryder told reporters. He added that Army conventional and special operations troops make up most of the extra forces.  Pressed on why the Pentagon did not reveal the updated numbers until now, Ryder said he had only learned of the new figure earlier Thursday and cited “sensitivity from a diplomatic and operational security standpoint.”  He also noted that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was aware of the increased forces but has not spoken about it with Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who oversees U.S. Central Command.    It's also unclear as to whether President Biden was aware of the extra forces, as Ryder said he would not speak for the White House. Assad was overthrown Dec. 8 after rebels entered the capital of Damascus, ending the family’s 50-year rule in the war-torn country. Israel and Turkey have since launched separate military operations inside Syria.  The U.S., meanwhile, has increased its airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria to prevent a resurgence of the group amid concerns of a power vacuum.  Watch for how President-elect Trump will react to the increase when he returns to the White House, given that he tried to withdraw forces from Syria during his first term. Earlier this month, he also said the U.S. military should stay out of the escalating conflict in the country.  Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Ex-Pentagon official on drones: ‘Feds have gotta be more open’A former senior Pentagon official who led investigations into unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) — the government’s preferred term for UFOs — is criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of recent drone sightings, saying their assurances of safety lack credibility. “The federal government is not being honest with the American people,” Lue Elizondo, who previously ran a secret Pentagon program …  Full Story  FAA temporarily bans drones in multiple New Jersey cities The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday issued temporary bans on drone activity in cities across New Jersey, citing “special security reasons” for the restrictions.  Full Story   5 takeaways from Putin’s annual press conferenceRussian President Vladimir Putin talked for more than three hours during an annual news conference in Moscow on Thursday, discussing key topics including the war in Ukraine, his interest in dialogue with President-elect Trump and an openness to asking about detained journalist Austin Tice in Syria. Putin’s end-of-the-year news conference has always attracted a large audience but has been followed more intensely since …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  President Biden is expected to sign the National Defense Authorization Act before the end of the week after in passed in the Senate Wednesday.  In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Blinken says ‘pressure is on Hamas’ to move forward with ceasefire in Gaza Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the pressure is on the Palestinian militant group Hamas to move forward with the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, arguing the group’s support from its allies in the region has dwindled in recent months.   Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold a conversation on “What’s next for South Korea?’ at  9:30 a.m. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will discuss “What does the fall of the Assad regime mean for Syria and the Middle East?” at 10 a.m. The Atlantic Council will have a talk on “How should the U.S. respond to events in Georgia?” at 10 a.m. The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft will host a discussion on “The aftermath of South Korea’s martial law fiasco,” at 1 p.m.  What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: West Point colonel arraigned again for alleged misconduct with cadets (Military Times) Military pay during a government shutdown: What service members should know (USA Today) Gov. Hochul to deploy 250 more National Guard troops in NYC subways (New York Daily News)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Live updates: Dems slam Trump-backed spending bill before House vote House Republicans say they have a deal for a new spending plan after the first one, a bipartisan effort, went down in flames when it was rejected by … Read more Dems say ‘hell no’ to GOP plan B on government funding, debt ceiling House Democrats are rallying in overwhelming opposition to the Republicans’ second stab at a government funding bill, vowing to sink it on the … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-ed related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Only acceptable outcome for Putin: Ukraine’s complete destruction  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe