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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Bomb attack hits near HQ of Afghan election commission, kills police officer Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- A bomb attack hits near the head office of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) in the capital, Kabul, leaving multiple casualties.
• 5,200 Active-Duty Personnel Moving to Southwest Border, Northcom Chief Says AFPS 29 Oct 2018 -- The Defense Department will deploy more than 5,000 active-duty personnel to aid the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection "to harden the southern border," said Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, the commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Command.
• Homeland Security and Defense Department Officials Joint Press Conference on the Defense Department Deployment to the Southwest Border DoD 29 Oct 2018 -- Kevin McAleenan, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner; Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Successfully Conducts SM-3 Block IIA Intercept Test NNS 29 Oct 2018 -- Sailors aboard USS John Finn (DDG 113) and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully conducted an intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target with a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile during a flight test off the west coast of Hawaii, Oct. 26.
• JCAT Airman uses combat forensics to evolve the AFCENT mission AFNS 29 Oct 2018 -- The ideal outcome of any conflict is to achieve victory and come out the other side unscathed. However, an undesired outcome does not mean lessons cannot be learned and applied for future conflicts. The United States military has used this mentality since its inception and applies it today in the form of the Joint Combat Assessment Team.
• Sentinel Radar Operators Participate in Combined Avenger Training Event Army News 29 Oct 2018 -- Air defenders from The 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade maintain readiness through constant training.
• Northern Screen: Joint CAS training USMC News 29 Oct 2018 -- U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force–Europe 19.1 and Norwegian Army soldiers conducted close-air-support drills in during Exercise Northern Screen in Setermoen, Norway, Oct. 25, 2018.
• HSC-3 Reaches 300,000 Class A Mishap-Free Flight Hours NNS 29 Oct 2018 -- Sailors assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 "Merlins" celebrated reaching 300,000 Class A Mishap-free hours, October 25.
• USS Farragut Conducts Lisbon Port Visit NNS 29 Oct 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, Oct. 28, for a scheduled port visit.
• Chief of Naval Operations Visits Philippines, Highlights Importance of U.S.-Philippine Alliance NNS 29 Oct 2018 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John M. Richardson visited the Republic of the Philippines Oct. 28 and 29, highlighting the importance of the U.S.-Philippine alliance to the Indo-Pacific region.
• U.S. and Japan Kick Off Exercise Keen Sword NNS 29 Oct 2018 -- Units from the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) began exercise Keen Sword at military installations throughout Japan and surrounding waters, Oct. 29.
• NS Newport NGIS facility nears completion, paves way for future construction NNS 29 Oct 2018 -- The Navy Gateway Inns & Suites (NGIS) transient lodging facility on Naval Station (NAVSTA) Newport, R.I. is nearing completion and making final preparations for its first guests. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for Nov. 1, with doors opening to guests in the very near future.
• MQ-9 Reaper Kills Drone in Air Combat Test Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- The US Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper drone has accomplished its first ever air-to-air kill in what could mark a revolution for the future of aerial combat.
• Extended Deterrence Dialogue Between the United States and Japan US Dept. of State 29 Oct 2018 -- The United States and Japan will hold a session of the Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD) on October 29-31 in Tokyo, Japan.
• NATO Official Defines Role of Disarmament in Alliance Strategy AFPS 29 Oct 2018 -- NATO has been a bulwark of defense and deterrence in the world for almost 70 years, and disarmament is part of that equation, the NATO deputy secretary general said today at an alliance conference in Reykjavik, Iceland.
• NATO arms control experts discuss Weapons of Mass Destruction, disarmament and non-proliferation NATO 29 Oct 2018 -- A major NATO arms control conference got underway in Iceland on Monday (29 October 2018), as senior experts from more than 50 countries and organizations gathered to discuss the state of global arms control treaties. The two-day conference will cover topics ranging from ballistic missile proliferation and the use of chemical weapons by states and terrorists, to the future of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• Russian FM asks U.S. to clarify future arms control policy People's Daily 29 Oct 2018 -- The United States should reveal its arms control plans since it has decided to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday.
• Russia Plans Missile-Firing Exercise Off Norway Amid NATO Drills RFE/RL 29 Oct 2018 -- The Russian Navy plans to test missiles in international waters off Norway's coast this week, Norwegian and NATO officials say, as the Western military alliance conducts its largest military exercise since the end of the Cold War.
• Russia Alarmed by NATO's Policy to Militarize Europe - Russian Defense Minister Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- Russia is alarmed by NATO's policy to actively militarize the European continent, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday.
• American business leader forecasts upcoming U.S. arms sale to Taiwan CNA 29 Oct 2018 -- The head of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council has forecast that the United States will approve another round of arms sales to Taiwan by the end of the year, following a US$330 million deal in September.
• Chinese Spy Plane Crosses South Korean Airspace Without Notice Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- Once again, a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft has set off alarms in South Korea by flying near Ieo Island, a submerged rock in the Yellow Sea that houses a South Korean research station. South Korean interceptors were mobilized to track the plane.
• India Finalizes the Deal for Two Russian Frigates Off the Shelf for $950 Million Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- Sputnik had reported on 4 October that India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the procurement of four frigates from Russia at a cost of around $2 billion. While two of them are being purchased directly from Russia for $950 million, the other two will be built in India under a separate deal, which is expected later this year.
• Japan Set to Build Military Base in East China Sea to 'Deter Beijing' – Report Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- Tokyo and Beijing have long been involved in a territorial dispute over the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea which are referred to by China as the Diaoyu Islands and which are located next to important shipping routes, as well as potentially large oil and gas fields.
• Israel sells advanced spy systems to Saudi Arabia under $250 million deal: Report Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Saudi Arabia and Israel have secretly reached an estimated $250-million deal, which includes supplying the kingdom with Israeli espionage technologies, a report says.
• Ministry of Defense to Participate in "Arab Shield-1" Drill SPA 29 Oct 2018 -- The Saudi Armed Forces is set to participate in the "Arab Shield-1" drill, scheduled for Egypt from October 30 and lasts for three weeks in the participation of armed forces of the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and host Egypt, it was reported here today.
• Greece Seeks to Continue Defense Industry Cooperation With Russia –- DM Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- Greece wants to further maintain defense industry cooperation with Russia, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said on Monday during a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
• India, Japan Sign Maritime Pact to Monitor Chinese Warships in Asia-Pacific Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- This agreement will shore-up the monitoring wherewithal of the two countries against the backdrop of the increased presence of Chinese warships in their respective waters. The two countries have also instituted Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) on the line of a similar kind of arrangement between India and the US.
• EU Ramps Up Navies to Counter Russia, Germany Takes the Lead – Reports Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- The European states have started major naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, with Germany taking a leading role; they are preparing themselves for – you guessed it – the Russian threat.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders The White House 29 Oct 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 29, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 29 October 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 29 Oct 2018
• China Ready to Produce Oil, Gas With Philippines in South China Sea – Minister Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- China is ready to study the possibility of joint oil and gas production with the Philippines in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.
• Beijing Warns US Against 'Showing Off Force' in S China Sea Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- The remarks came after a US Pacific Fleet spokesperson said in late September that a Chinese destroyer had allegedly approached the USS Decatur in an "unsafe and unprofessional maneuver", which prompted the US warship to maneuver so as to prevent a collision.
• Analysts: Taiwan's Sea Drills to Raise South China Sea Tensions VOA 29 Oct 2018 -- Taiwan, normally quiet in the tense six-way South China Sea sovereignty dispute, is likely to raise suspicion among the other claimants with a live-fire drill near the sea's biggest natural island, observers say.
• Yemeni forces shoot down Saudi reconnaissance drone over Hudaydah Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- The Yemeni army has shot down a Saudi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as it was on a reconnaissance mission in Yemen's western coastal province of Hudaydah.
• US-led coalition uses white phosphorus bombs against Syrian city: Damascus Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Ja'afari says the so-called international coalition led by the United States has once again used white phosphorus bombs against Hajin city in Syria's troubled eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.
• Syria will not allow anyone to interfere in its national affairs: FM Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem says his country's constitution is a purely sovereign matter and that Syrian people will not allow anyone to interfere in their national affairs.
• Israel Has Conducted Strikes in Syria Since Downing of Russian Plane - Reports Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- Earlier, Israeli military officials said they would not target the S-300 air defense systems given to Syria by Russia if they were not used in a way that poses a threat to Israel.
• Aid convoy for north-east Syria postponed over security concerns - UN relief chief UN News 29 Oct 2018 -- A humanitarian convoy carrying relief aid for tens of thousands of "desperate" civilians in north-eastern Syria who have not received aid since January this year, has been postponed owing to security concerns along its route, the United Nations top humanitarian official said on Monday.
• Fear of Deportation Drives Some Rohingya Refugees from India VOA 29 Oct 2018 -- India's recent deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar has triggered a panic among the country's Rohingya Muslim refugee community.

News Reports

• US Authorities: Mail Bomb Suspect Had List of Other Potential Targets VOA 29 Oct 2018 -- Cesar Sayoc, the man accused of mailing at least 13 packages containing explosive devices to critics of U.S. President Donald Trump, had a list of more than 100 other potential targets, law enforcement officials said Monday.
• Russia successfully tests key element of nuclear propulsion spacecraft People's Daily 29 Oct 2018 -- The cooling system of a Russia-developed nuclear-powered spacecraft has passed ground tests, according to materials published on the government procurement website on Monday.
• Russia Successfully Tests Nuke Propulsion Spacecraft's Key Element – Authorities Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- The cooling system, which is the most important element of the Russian space transport and energy unit developed on the basis of megawatt-class nuclear electric propulsion, has been successfully tested in Russia, materials published on the government procurement website on Monday stated.
• S. Korea makes efforts to declare end to Korean War within 2018: minister People's Daily 29 Oct 2018 -- South Korea has been making efforts to declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War within this year, the country's unification minister said Monday.
• US Envoy to N. Korea Expresses Confidence About Denuclearization VOA 29 Oct 2018 -- The U.S. special envoy for North Korea has expressed confidence about achieving the communist country's nuclear disarmament.
• Zarif: US sanctions against Iran futile IRNA 29 Oct 2018 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that imposition of the second round of US sanctions against Iran on November 4 will prove that nothing new will happen and the US will fail to attain its goals.
• US will fail to achieve goals by imposing fresh sanctions: Iran FM Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has shrugged off the forthcoming US sanctions against the Islamic Republic, saying Washington would fail to achieve its goals by imposing new bans on Iran.
• Trump of the tropics Bolsonaro wins Brazil presidential polls in blow to left Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Brazil's presidential polls in a body blow to the country's left-of-the-center politicians, who were in the saddle for the most part of its most recent history.
• Presidential Elections in Brazil US Dept. of State 29 Oct 2018
• Far-Right Candidate Wins Brazil's Presidential Election VOA 29 Oct 2018 -- Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro has won Brazil's presidential election, raising fears of a rollback of civil rights and free speech.
• German chancellor Angela Merkel not to seek re-election in 2021 Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will step down and not seek re-election when her term expires in 2021, ending her 13-year era of dominance in European politics.
• Germany's Merkel To Step Down As Chancellor At End Of Current Term RFE/RL 29 Oct 2018 -- Angela Merkel has told her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) that she will step down as Germany's chancellor at the end of her current term in 2021 and will not seek reelection as a CDU lawmaker.
• Germany's 'Iron Lady' Begins Descent After Coalition's Electoral Setback VOA 29 Oct 2018 -- For the second time in a month, voters in a regional election in Germany have rebuffed Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition, further confirming that the political landscape in the country is transforming rapidly.Merkel has announced she will not seek reelection as chair of her party and said her current term as chancellor will be her last.
• Murdered journo was to reveal info on Saudi chemical raids in Yemen: Paper IRNA 29 Oct 2018 -- The Saudi critic journalist, who was murdered last month in Saudi consulate in Istanbul, had planned to disclose details of Saudi Arabia's use of chemical weapons in Yemen, a London-based paper quoted informed sources as saying.
• Turkey says wants Saudi Arabia to reveal 'whole truth' on Khashoggi killing Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Turkey has called on Saudi Arabia to reveal the "whole truth" about the murder of dissident Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in the Arab kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, as Saudi public prosecutor held talks in the Turkish city.
• Saudi Arabia's prosecutor meets Istanbul's in Khashoggi case Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has traveled to the Turkish city of Istanbul and met with the city's Chief Public Prosecutor Irfan Fidan for deliberations on the killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabian agents inside Riyadh's consulate there.
• Trump Administration Weighing Options for Response to Khashoggi Murder Sputnik 29 Oct 2018 -- US President Donald Trump is considering different options in response to the murder of Saudi journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a briefing on Monday.
• Nigerian army opens fire on Muslim protesters demanding Sheikh Zakzaky's release Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Nigeria's military has opened fire on hundreds of Muslim protesters calling for the release of imprisoned cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, who is still in prison despite a 2016 high court ruling ordering his unconditional freedom.
• Sri Lanka crisis could turn into bloodbath: Parliament chief Press TV 29 Oct 2018 -- Sri Lanka's parliament speaker has warned that the political crisis unfolding in the country could turn into a "bloodbath" on the streets unless the parliament is empowered to intervene and resolve the standoff between the president and the sacked premier.
• In Setback For Pashinian, Armenian Parliament Again Fails To Pass Election Bill RFE/RL 29 Oct 2018 -- The Armenian parliament has again failed to muster enough votes to approve changes to the Electoral Code drafted by acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's government ahead of snap general elections expected in December.
• Russia Accuses U.S. Of Trying To Drive Wedge In Relations With Armenia RFE/RL 29 Oct 2018 -- Russia has chided the United States, alleging Washington is trying to drive a wedge between Moscow and former Soviet republic Armenia.
• Georgian Presidential Vote Held On 'Unlevel Playing Field,' Goes To Runoff RFE/RL 29 Oct 2018 -- Georgians will choose a new president in a runoff after a very close, inconclusive first-round vote in an election that international observers say was competitive but clouded by "an unlevel playing field" and private-media bias.