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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US Military: IS Still Poses Threat in Iraq, Syria VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- Despite the anti-Islamic State campaign being waged in both Iraq and Syria, the terror group can still attack coalition forces and their local partners in both countries, Col. Sean Ryan, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, said.
• Pakistan Rejects Afghan Claim Of Involvement In Kandahar Attack RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- Islamabad has dismissed the Afghan president's "baseless and unfounded" allegations that last week's killing of a powerful provincial police chief in southern Afghanistan was planned in Pakistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Army developing new enhanced night vision goggles, squad rifles to increase Soldier lethality Army News 24 Oct 2018 -- The Army is slated to release the newest Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular to a select number of combat units sometime in fiscal year 2019, according to the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team officials.
• Future Vertical Lift projects to build on recent progress Army News 24 Oct 2018 -- Future Vertical Lift projects are primed to expand on recent progress this fiscal year as the Army searches to replace its aging fleets of helicopters.
• Pence, Shanahan Detail Progress Made in Space Force AFPS 24 Oct 2018 -- Space is a crucial domain that the United States must continue to exploit and lead in, said Vice President Mike Pence at the fourth meeting of the National Space Council at Fort Lesley J. McNair here yesterday.
• Pence Says U.S. Aims To Create New Space Force By 2020 RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- The White House says it is pushing ahead with plans to establish a new U.S. space force, but the first steps will stop short of creating a sixth branch of the military as touted earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
• America Must Guard Transportation/Logistics Advantage AFPS 24 Oct 2018 -- America's military advantage lies in its ability to project power and sustain forces.
• Department of Defense Expands 'Hack the Pentagon' Crowdsourced Digital Defense Program DoD 24 Oct 2018 -- The Department of Defense announced today efforts to expand its successful 'Hack the Pentagon' crowdsourced security program. DOD awarded contracts to three private-sector Silicon Valley firms to boost the Department's capacity to run bug bounties aimed at strengthening security for internal DOD assets.
• Department of the Navy Releases Business Operations Plan to Further Reforms NNS 24 Oct 2018 -- The Department of the Navy (DON) released its business operations plan Oct. 24, establishing the framework for the department's continuing business reform agenda.
• New US Nuclear Cruise Missile Still Almost 10 Years From Completion Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- US President Donald Trump recently warned China and Russia that the US would build up its nuclear arsenal until the two nuclear powers "come to their senses," but it will be at least eight years before the US finishes developing a new nuclear weapon.
• NATO Set To Start 'Biggest Military Exercise Since The End Of The Cold War' RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- NATO is launching its largest military exercise since the collapse of the Soviet Union, mustering tens of thousands of troops in what the head of the Western alliance called a "strong display" of its capability, unity, and resolve at a time of growing danger in Europe.
• NATO Secretary General briefs on exercise Trident Juncture NATO 24 Oct 2018 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg briefed media on Wednesday (24 October 2018) ahead of Trident Juncture, NATO's biggest exercise since the end of the Cold War. Trident Juncture will include around 65 ships, 250 aircraft, 10,000 vehicles and 50,000 personnel from across the Alliance. All 29 Allies are participating, as well as NATO partners Finland and Sweden. "This is a strong display of our capabilities and of our resolve to work together," said the Secretary General.
• Stoltenberg Says NATO Doesn't Want New Arms Race While Siding With Trump on INF Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Moscow has warned that a US withdrawal from the landmark agreement on ground-based intermediate-range nuclear weapons would prompt Russia to do what's necessary to preserve strategic stability; Washington's European allies have voiced concerns about the impact a US withdrawal from the INF Treaty would have on European security.
• Scale of NATO Practice Offensives Near Russia Growing – Defense Minister Shoigu Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- NATO's military activity near Russia's borders has reached a level not seen since the Cold War, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
• NATO Chief Does Not Foresee New Nuclear Deployments In Europe RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says European members of the military alliance are unlikely to deploy new nuclear weapons on their soil in response to an alleged violation of a treaty between Washington and Moscow that bans medium-range missiles.
• Russia to reciprocate if US pulls out of INF nuclear treaty: Putin Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow will respond in kind very quickly and effectively if the United States decides to quit a landmark nuclear arms control pact.
• Russia: US plan to scrap INF extremely dangerous Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- The Kremlin has reiterated that US President Donald Trump's plan to quit a landmark non-proliferation pact with Russia and develop new ballistic missiles is "extremely dangerous."
• Putin: Russia Will Target Nations Hosting U.S. Missiles RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that, if the United States deploys intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Moscow will have to target the countries hosting them.
• Putin: Russia Will Respond 'Swiftly, Effectively' to New US Missiles in Europe Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte have held a joint press conference following a meeting during which the sides discussed the state of relations, prospects for the development of Russian-Italian cooperation, and exchanged views on international and regional issues, including the situation in Syria and Libya.
• US Decision to Withdraw From INF Shows Intention to Start Arms Race - Kremlin Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced US plans to withdraw from the treaty as Moscow was allegedly violating the agreement; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted Trump's claims and stressed that Russia would be forced to take measures to ensure its security.
• Putin: US Exit From Treaty Would Spur New Arms Race VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning of a new arms race if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through with his threat to pull out of a key arms control agreement.
• Will Canceling Joint Exercises Move N. Korea Closer toward Denuclearization? VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- After the United States announced it was suspending a joint air defense military exercise with South Korea, Seoul announced it will conduct its own drill.
• China Adds Powerful Graphene Armor to Z-10 Assault Helicopters - Report Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- An unknown number of China's Z-10 air-to-ground attack helicopters have been upgraded with ultra-thin graphene semimetal to serve as an extra layer of protection from adversaries, according to Asia Times.
• Estonian Defense Forces Chief Proposes Creating Joint Baltic Air Security System Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- The commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, Gen. Riho Terras, suggested on Tuesday that the Baltic nations should create a joint air defense system to boost security capabilities.
• Spain Votes Against Blocking Arms Deal With Saudi Arabia Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Madrid will proceed with a delivery of 400 laser-guided bombs to Riyadh.
• India signs $777 million deal with Israel for Barak 8 missile systems Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- Israel's main firm in developing military and commercial aerospace technology says it has won a $777 million contract to supply Barak 8 long-range surface-to-air missile system (LRSAM) air and missile systems to seven ships in the Indian navy.
• Israel Bags $777 Million Air Defense Systems Contract With Indian Navy Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- The Barak 8 air defense system, with a range of 70 kilometers, makes use of several high-tech, state-of-the-art systems such as digital radar, command and control launchers, interceptors with modern RF seekers, a data link and system-wide connectivity, according to the Israel Aerospace Industries.
• Rafale Deal Takes Center Stage in Intense Infighting in India's Top Probe Agency Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Rahul Gandhi, President of India's main opposition party Indian National Congress has alleged that the head of the country's top investigating agency, the CBI, was removed from his post because he was raising questions over the Rafale fighter jet deal. CBI plays a similar role as that of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
• Berlin's Hard Line on Khashoggi May Doom UK-Led $13 Billion Eurofighter Deal Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has declared that further arms exports to Saudi Arabia would be "impossible" amid continued uncertainty surrounding the murder of Saudi opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Berlin has also urged other European powers to follow suit and halt their own weapons exports to the Kingdom.
• Military closely watching warship movements near Taiwan: official CNA 24 Oct 2018 -- Taiwan's military is closely monitoring waters near Taiwan but has detected no indications of military maneuvers, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) intelligence official said Wednesday.
• Armored vehicles pass tests, to enter mass production soon CNA 24 Oct 2018 -- Prototypes of an armored vehicle produced in Taiwan have recently passed the required tests and will soon enter mass production, a military official said Wednesday.
• Trump: not worried about Chinese reaction to U.S. ship passage CNA 24 Oct 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump is not concerned about possible negative reaction from Beijing after the United States sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait on Monday at a time of growing tensions between the two powers.
• Concerns voiced on warships' Straits passage People's Daily 24 Oct 2018 -- Beijing said on Tuesday that it has expressed concern to Washington after two United States warships sailed through the Taiwan Straits.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 24, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 24 October 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Oct 2018
• Southeast Asia Seeks Solution with Beijing After Near Sino-US Ship Collision VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- A near collision between Chinese and U.S. ships in the contested South China Sea has shaken Asian countries whose economies and military security depend on a tense yet nonviolent Sino-U.S. relationship, and has raised the stakes for a deal with Beijing.
• Pakistan Mediating Between Saudi Arabia, Iran to End Yemen War VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- Pakistan is mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia in an effort to end the conflict in Yemen, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in a televised address Wednesday night.
• Saudi airstrike on Hudaydah kills 20 Yemeni civilians Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- A Saudi airstrike has claimed the lives of at least 20 Yemeni civilians and 10 others sustained injuries in province of Hudaydah as the regime in Riyadh continues its atrocious campaign against its crisis-hit southern neighbor.
• Syria's foreign minister says only Syrians can determine their own future Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem tells the UN special envoy that the nation's constitution is a purely sovereign matter that can only be decided by the Syrians.
• Syria ceasefire guarantors hold discussions in Russian capital Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- Senior diplomats of Iran, Russia, and Turkey, which act as guarantors of an all-Syria ceasefire, hold consultations in Moscow amid efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in the Arab country.
• UN Official Urges Justice for Myanmar's Rohingya VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- The head of a U.N. fact-finding mission in Myanmar warned Wednesday that if atrocities committed against minority Muslim Rohingya in that country went unpunished, such crimes would be repeated in other countries on new victims.
• Myanmar army still committing genocide against Rohingya Muslims, UN says Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- The head of the UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar says the country's army is still committing war crimes against Rohingya Muslims.
• Accountability for atrocities in Myanmar 'cannot be expected' within its borders - UN investigator UN News 24 Oct 2018 -- Continued denial of the facts and evidence of gross human rights violations by Myanmar is a clear indication of the country's "lack of interest" in establishing a fully functioning democracy based on individual rights and freedoms, two United Nations independent experts have underscored.
• Bolton Says U.S. Will Continue To Support Peaceful Solution Of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- White House national-security adviser John Bolton says the United States will continue to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

News Reports

• Bolton Says He Told Kremlin: 'Don't Mess With American Elections' RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- White House national-security adviser John Bolton says he told top officials in Moscow that Russian meddling in U.S. elections had backfired and that should provide a lesson to the Kremlin: "Don't mess with American elections."
• Explosive devices sent to Obama, Clinton: US Secret Service Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- The US Secret Service has intercepted "potential explosive devices" that were sent to former US President Barack Obama and former presidential candidate and first lady Hillary Clinton.
• US Secret Service Intercepts Suspicious Packages Addressed to Obama, Clintons Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- According to the US Secret Service, one package sent to Clinton residence in Westchester County, New York, was found on Tuesday, while the second one addressed to Obama was found early Wednesday morning.e
• Kremlin says Putin, Trump to meet in Paris on Nov. 11 People's Daily 24 Oct 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump are scheduled to have a full-fledged meeting in Paris on Nov. 11, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Tuesday.
• Russian Lawmakers Expand Scope of 'Undesirable' Groups VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- Russian State Duma lawmakers on Tuesday passed new legislation that would expand the federal government's ability to ban foreign nongovernmental organizations accused of meddling in Russian elections.
• Switzerland to Probe 2 Russians Suspected of "Espionage" on Spiez Chemical Lab Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- The Federal Council has ordered a probe follwing reports that two Russian nationals had allegedly conducted an attack on a chemical laboratory in Spiez that examines nerve agents such as the infamous "Novichok," something that Russia adamantly denies.
• Turkey demands exemption from US sanctions on Iran IRNA 24 Oct 2018 -- Turkey's foreign minister, Mevlut Çavuşoğlu said Ankara had demanded that the United States grant a special exemption to Turkey in pursuit of sanctions against Iran.
• Zarif: US sanctions on Iran aim to deflect attention from Khashoggi's murder, Saudi crimes in Yemen Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the US's fresh sanctions against Iran aim to deflect global attention from the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Riyadh's crimes in Yemen.
• Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia Of Joining U.S. Sanctions To Distract From Journalist's Killing RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- A top Iranian commander is accusing Saudi Arabia of trying to distract from its killing of a prominent Saudi journalist in Istanbul by joining with the United States in a new round of sanctions on Iran.
• HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge opens to traffic People's Daily 24 Oct 2018 -- The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge enters the history of human engineering and connection as a point of pride upon its opening to traffic at 9am Wednesday.
• Embattled Saudi Arabia pledges $6bn in aid for Pakistan Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has received official pledges of a six-billion-dollar loan to his country from Saudi Arabia, whose top leadership is involved in an international crisis of credibility over possible involvement in the killing of a Saudi dissident.
• Saudi Arabia Sends $3 Billion to Pakistan to Deal with Financial Crisis Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Riyadh will also provide Islamabad with a deferred payment facility worth another $3 billion.
• Saudi Crown Prince Calls Khashoggi's Killing a 'Heinous Crime' VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday called the killing of one of his critics, journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a "heinous crime that cannot be justified."
• Crown Prince Calls Khashoggi's Murder a Crime 'Painful to All Saudis' Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Prince Mohammed also insisted that certain actors are trying to drive a wedge between Ankara and Riyadh which cannot be allowed to continue, and that "justice will be seen in the end."
• President at cabinet session: Taking stances on Khashoggi's murder great test for so-called human rights advocates ISNA 24 Oct 2018 -- Iran's President condemned the heinous murder of a Saudi Arabian journalist and said that different countries' stances towards his slaughter would be a great test for so-called advocates of human rights.
• Erdogan says Khashoggi's murder premeditated, demands trial of Saudi suspects in Turkey People's Daily 24 Oct 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was the victim of a premeditated "brutal murder," while demanding that the Saudi suspects be tried in Turkey.
• France to back intl. sanctions against those behind Khashoggi's murder: Macron Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- French President Emmanuel Macron says Paris is prepared to back imposing international sanctions on those involved in the death of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is said to have been murdered on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's orders.
• France to back intl. sanctions against those behind Khashoggi's murder: Macron Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- UK Prime Minister Theresa May has announced the Saudi Arabian men suspected of murdering Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi will not be allowed to enter Britain.
• Saudi allows Turkey to search well in consul's residence after initial rejection Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- Saudi Arabia has allowed Turkish investigators to search a well in the garden of the Saudi consul general's residence in Istanbul, following an initial refusal by the kingdom's officials, a report says.
• Explosive remarks from Turkey: Mohammed bin Salman has 'blood on his hands' Press TV 24 Oct 2018 -- An adviser to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has "blood on his hands" in the murder case of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
• The Kingdom Has Made Great Strides to Develop the Saudi Economy over the Last Three Years as well as to Secure the Governance and Restructure of Many Sectors, HRH Crown Prince says SPA 24 Oct 2018 -- His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers, and Minister of Defense, who is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), affirmed that the incident of citizen Jamal Khashoggi is very painful for all Saudis in particular, and for every human being in the world.
• HRH Crown Prince Makes Telephone Call to Turkish President and Discusses Necessary Steps on Jamal Khashoggi's Case SPA 24 Oct 2018 -- His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers, and Minister of Defense, made a telephone call to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Turkey.
• Erdogan's Aide Says Saudi Crown Prince Responsible for Khashoggi's Death Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is responsible for the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkish presidential aide Ilnur Cevik said on Wednesday.
• Turkish Police Receive Permission to Search Well at Saudi Consulate - Reports Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- Saudi authorities have granted Turkish police permission to inspect the well in the garden of the residence of the country's general consulate in Istanbul as part of an investigation into the murder of opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi, NTV reported Wednesday, citing an investigative source.
• London to Prevent All Khashoggi Case Suspects From Entering UK - May Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- The UK authorities will prevent any suspects in the alleged murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi from entering the country and will revoke their UK visas if they have any, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday.
• WHO: 'Very Serious' Ebola Situation in Eastern DRC VOA 24 Oct 2018 -- Violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is hampering efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak that has already killed more than 150 people, according to the World Health Organization.
• UN agency ramps up effort to counter growing nuclear threat from cyberspace UN News 24 Oct 2018 -- As part of its efforts to strengthen nuclear security worldwide, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced on Wednesday that it has developed a training programme designed to protect facilities from the growing threat of cyber-attacks.
• Pashinian's Bid To Force Snap Elections In Armenia Moves Step Closer RFE/RL 24 Oct 2018 -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's efforts to force early elections cleared another legal hurdle when the country's parliament agreed not to reappoint him as prime minister a week after his tactical resignation.