Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban Says Closing Afghan War Needs 'Actions Not Words' From Trump VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump in the State of the Union address has endorsed peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying his administration is working to end America's longest war to bring troops back home from that country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Statement on use of Camp Ashland, Nebraska in Support of HHS DoD 05 Feb 2020 -- On Feb. 3, Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper, in response to a request for assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), approved housing support at Camp Ashland, Nebraska for up to 75 people who may need to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas travel due to the novel coronavirus. This is a DoD-owned facility that is leased to the State of Nebraska. The approval was done in consultation with the Governor of Nebraska.
• U.S. Navy deploys low-yield nuclear warhead on missiles: Pentagon People's Daily 05 Feb 2020 -- The Pentagon said on Tuesday that U.S. Navy had deployed low-yield nuclear weapons, a move that critics believed will not contribute to strategic stability.
• US deploys submarine-launched low-yield nuclear weapon in Atlantic Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- The United States has announced the deployment of a new long-range nuclear missile aboard its stealth submarines to deter what it calls Washington's potential adversaries.
• U.S. Deploys New, Low-Yield Nuclear Submarine Warhead To Deter Russia RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- The U.S. Navy announced it has put into operation a low-yield, nuclear ballistic missile aboard a submarine as it seeks to deter adversaries like Russia.
• Defense Secretary Esper Meets With Israeli Minister of Defense Bennett DoD 05 Feb 2020
• Readiness, Safety Top Priorities of Navy, Marine Corps DoD News 05 Feb 2020 -- The readiness of sailors and Marines, along with ensuring their safety, is the premier concern of leadership of the two sea services, senior officials from both services said at a joint hearing of two House Armed Services Committee subcommittees.
• U.S. Marine Corps 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 12th Infantry Regiment complete Exercise Forest Light Western Army USMC News 05 Feb 2020 -- The bilateral U.S.-Japan training Exercise Forest Light Western Army has concluded with a closing ceremony here, Jan. 30.
• USS Gerald R. Ford Passes Aircraft Compatibility Testing NNS 05 Feb 2020 -- The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completed Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT) Jan. 31, following 16 days at sea, during which the crew launched and recovered 211 aircraft, testing five different airframes, using first generation, state-of-the-art flight deck systems.
• Navy Awards First Performance-Based Logistics Contract to Supply H1, Other Helos NNS 05 Feb 2020 -- Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) recently awarded the first Performance Based Logistics contract in support of the H-1 helicopter platform.
• US Army Expanding Stockpiles of Combat Equipment in Europe, Pacific Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- American Army prepositioned stocks (APS) in the Pacific will receive an upgrade following an upcoming US-led, multinational exercise with NATO allies, according to the head of US Army Materiel Command (AMC).
• AFGSC tests Minuteman III missile launch from Vandenberg AFB US Air Force 05 Feb 2020 -- A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana; the 90th MW at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming; and the 91st MW at Minot AFB, North Dakota, launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle, Feb. 5 from Vandenberg AFB, California.
• Russia alarmed by US deployment of low-yield nuclear missiles on submarines Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- A Russian official says Moscow is alarmed by the US Navy's decision to deploy low-yield nuclear missiles on submarines since they heighten the risk of a limited nuclear war.
• Type 15 tank runs extreme challenge, shows high accuracy Global Times 05 Feb 2020 -- China's recently debuted tank, the Type 15, has a very powerful fire control system to enable a very high accuracy, experts said on Tuesday, as the tank recently run through a challenge to demonstrate its gun stability.
• White House Official: China Should Join Nuclear Arms Talks With Russia VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said Wednesday that China should join the United States in trilateral arms talks with Russia.
• PLA mobilizes members to fight virus PLA Daily 05 Feb 2020 -- The People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force has issued a full-scale mobilization order to its members in response to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak across the country.
• Official: Russia To Begin S-400 Missile Delivery To India By End Of 2021 RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- Russia will begin delivering surface-to-air missile systems to India by the end of 2021, state news agency RIA Novosti quoted a Russian official as saying on February 5.
• India, Israel to Build 2000 kilo class Drones for Maritime, Land Based Military Operations Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- India's military is seeking to extend its use of drones for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance .
• Erdogan Sets Date for Production of Turkish 5-Gen Jets Amid F-35 Row With US Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- Turkey will begin producing its own five-generation fighter jets by the year 2033, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
• US Scrapped Secret Drone Intel Program With Ankara Over Turkey's Syria Invasion - Reports Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- In October, Turkey launched an abortive invasion of northern Syria, attacking positions held by US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces that Ankara has claimed are linked to Turkish Kurdish militants waging a decades-long insurgency in south-eastern Turkey.
• Cambodia Must Investigate Drone Crash Amid Report of Secret Visit by Chinese Military: Analyst Radio Free Asia 05 Feb 2020 -- Cambodia's government should launch a "full investigation" into a mysterious drone crash nearly three weeks ago in Koh Kong province, a regional analyst said Wednesday, following media reports that a team of Chinese military officials made a secret visit to the country ahead of the incident.
• Trump Touts Military Rebuilding, Space Force, Strikes Against Terror DoD News 05 Feb 2020 -- The rebuilding of the U.S. military, the creation of the U.S. Space Force and attacks on terrorists were among the topics President Donald J. Trump covered in his State of the Union address.
• Trump Touts U.S. 'Comeback' During State Of The Union Address RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- President Donald Trump on February 4 touted the U.S. economy's achievements under his leadership during his third State of the Union address and said he would protect social and health-care benefits as he seeks reelection later this year.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Feb. 5, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 5 February 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Feb 2020
• Refugee resettlement: 'Tremendous gap' persists between needs, and spaces on offer UN News 05 Feb 2020 -- Although around 1.4 million refugees are estimated to be in urgent need of resettlement worldwide, only 63,696 were resettled through the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) last year - that's only 4.5 per cent - due to a continuing shortage of offers of sanctuary from governments across the world.
• Half of all violent deaths involve small arms and light weapons UN News 05 Feb 2020 -- Nearly 50 per cent of all violent deaths between 2010 and 2015, more than 200,000 each year, involved small arms and light weapons, the Security Council was told on Tuesday, during a briefing by UN disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu.
• American plot of 'Deal of the Century' will die before Trump dies: Supreme Leader ISNA 05 Feb 2020 -- Ahead of the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution, thousands of people from various groups met with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei at the Hussayniyeh of Imam Khomeini on Wednesday.
• Zarif denounces Trump's so-called peace plan as 'big plot of century' Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has underlined the need for unity and solidarity among the Palestinian groups to counter the US's recently unveiled pro-Israel plan which he described as "the big plot of the century."
• Ayatollah Khamenei: Trump deal to die sooner than Trump himself Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Donald Trump's pro-occupation plan for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will suffer demise even before the US president himself.
• Sudan leader says stance on Palestine will not change amid anger over Netanyahu meeting Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- Sudan's ruling council chief says Khartoum's stance on the issue of Palestine will "remain firm," and that his secret talks with the Israeli premier were meant to "protect national security," amid anger at home against what is largely seen as a radical change in the African state's longtime anti-occupation foreign policy.
• Iran's President Rouhani Brands Trump's Israeli-Palestinian Deal 'Crime of the Century' Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the so-called 'deal of the century' in late January. The plan was harshly criticised by a number of states and human rights groups which said it was biased towards Israel.
• Yemeni forces, allies shoot down Saudi-led reconnaissance drone in Hudaydah Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition as it was flying in the skies over the country's western coastal province of Hudaydah.
• Syrian govt. forces give chance to militants in northwestern Saraqib city to surrender Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- The Syrian army has given Takfiri foreign-backed militants holed up in Saraqib city of the country's embattled northwestern province of Idlib a chance to lay down their weapons and surrender, as it further tightens the noose around the extremists in their last major bastion.
• UN: Scale of Idlib Humanitarian Crisis 'Overwhelming' VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- U.N. agencies report hundreds of thousands of civilians in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib are facing a humanitarian emergency and are in desperate need of life-saving assistance. The United Nations is appealing for $336 million to assist 800,000 people over the next six months.
• Erdogan Threatens Response to Syrian Gov't Troops if They Fail to Exit From Turkish Posts in Idlib Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- On Monday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the current developments in the Syrian province of Idlib as "unmanageable", adding that about one million refugees from the province have started moving north, towards the Turkish border.
• Erdogan Issues Ultimatum to Damascus on Idlib VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued an ultimatum to Damascus warning of military action if the Syrian government does not withdraw its armed forces from Turkey's observation posts in Syria's Idlib province. Erdogan's threat is the latest ratcheting up of tensions following Monday's killing of Turkish soldiers by Syrian forces.
• UN chief says fighting has escalated in Libya Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep frustration with the situation in Libya, where he says fighting has escalated.
• EU states in UNSC call on Myanmar to protect its Rohingya Muslims Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- The European Union (EU) member states in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have urged Myanmar's government to prosecute those involved in committing human rights violations against the nation's minority Rohingya Muslims.
• Europeans Press For Action on Rohingya After China, Vietnam Shield Myanmar at UNSC Radio Free Asia 05 Feb 2020 -- European member states of the United Nations called for Myanmar on Tuesday to take measures to hold to account those responsible for committing human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims after the Security Council failed to support an order by the international body's top court to protect members of the minority group.
• Uneasy Limbo For Rohingya Who Stayed in Myanmar Despite 2017 Expulsion Radio Free Asia 05 Feb 2020 -- Rohingya Muslims who live in Myanmar's northern Rakhine say their already restricted living conditions have worsened in the aftermath of a 2017 crackdown on their community, amid ongoing armed conflict between government forces and an ethnic rebel group in the region.
• WTO Delivers Mixed Ruling In Russia, Ukraine Rail Feud RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- The World Trade Organization (WTO) on February 4 ruled largely in favor of Ukraine in a dispute with Russia over railway equipment exports -- one of several rows between the two rival neighbors in their broader geopolitical spat.
• Three Terrorists, One Soldier Killed in Major Gunfight in Indian Kashmir Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- Last month, 21 terrorists and four security personnel were killed in 11 major encounters in Kashmir. Newly-appointed Indian Army vice Chief Lt. General Satinder Kumar Saini had claimed several terrorist staging grounds have been re-occupied in the Pakistan-administered Kashmir region.
• Africa's Sahel: Act now before the crisis 'becomes unmanageable', urges Grandi UN News 05 Feb 2020 -- The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is stepping up response in Africa's Sahel region where escalating violence has forced a rising number of people to flee their homes.

News Reports

• US Senate Acquits Trump of 2 Articles of Impeachment VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- The U.S. Senate acquitted President Donald Trump of two articles of impeachment – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – concluding a nearly four-month effort by congressional Democrats to remove Trump from office.
• 5 Takeaways From Trump's Impeachment Acquittal VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- More than four months after House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump's conduct, the Senate on Wednesday voted along near party lines to acquit the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
• U.S. Senate Seen Acquitting Trump In Vote Likely To Follow Strict Party Lines RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- The Republican-dominated U.S. Senate appears set to acquit President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in a vote expected to follow party lines.
• Trump Found Not Guilty by US Senate on Both Articles of Impeachment Sputnik 05 Feb 2020 -- The US Senate has voted in favor of acquitting US President Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
• Expanded US Travel Ban Renews Fierce Debate VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- The United States will begin enforcing an expanded travel ban on February 21, a move that the Trump administration says is critical to national security. But critics question the rationale behind the amended policy.
• FBI Director: 2019 'Deadliest' Year for Domestic Terrorism VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday that 2019 was the deadliest year for domestic terrorism since the Oklahoma City truck bombing in 1995, adding that he'd raised combating racially motivated violence to a national priority for the bureau.
• Britain's Boris Johnson Moves to Keep Terrorists Imprisoned VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- Britain's deradicalization programs are once again in the spotlight after Sunday's terror knife attack in which two people were injured in London, with questions being asked about why they are less successful than those of many other countries – in Europe and the Middle East – in deradicalizing youngsters.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Daily Briefing Online on February 5, 2020 PRC MofA 05 Feb 2020
• China adopts multiple measures to ensure economic stability amid novel coronavirus epidemic People's Daily 05 Feb 2020 -- Relevant government departments in China have taken multiple measures to increase supply, guarantee distribution channels, and stabilize market order to offset the impact of the current novel coronavirus epidemic on the economy, officials said at a press conference held by China's State Council Information Office on Feb.3.
• Mainland spokesperson slams Taiwan's DPP for banking on foreign forces to build itself up Global Times 05 Feb 2020 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday slammed Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for banking on foreign forces to build itself up.
• North Korean Workers Return to China as Coronavirus Epidemic Spreads Radio Free Asia 05 Feb 2020 -- Despite the novel coronavirus (nCoV) epidemic in China, North Korean workers who returned home for the Lunar New Year holiday are returning across the border in large groups, sources familiar with the situation told RFA.
• China Coronavirus Lockdown Complicates North Korea Refugee Journeys VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- A vast transportation lockdown meant to contain the spread of a new coronavirus in central China is complicating the already grueling journey of North Korean refugees, according to two sources who help arrange North Korean defector trips.
• JCPOA dispute settlement mechanism not to be operationalized: Iran ISNA 05 Feb 2020 -- Iran's President chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi said what has been previously told about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action dispute settlement mechanism won't be operationalized.
• Iran to open largest flare gas refinery soon: Zangeneh Press TV 05 Feb 2020 -- Iran will soon bring online its biggest refinery for processing natural gas associated with oil production, built with $3 billion of investment, Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh says.
• Iraqi Protesters Clash With Sadr Backers In Deadly Najaf Standoff RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- At least eight Iraqi protesters were killed in clashes after supporters of influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed an antigovernment protest camp in the southern city of Najaf, medial officials and activists say.
• Former South Africa President Faces Arrest for Trial No-Show VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- A South African court has issued an arrest warrant for former president Jacob Zuma, after his repeated failure to appear for his long-stalled corruption trial. The action raises the stakes on a trial that has dragged on for years, with Zuma due back in court – or else in police custody – on May 6.
• Ankara Urges Brussels Not To Separate Turkey From Western Balkans In Accession Talks RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- Turkey has urged the European Union to remove "the artificial division" between the Western Balkans and Turkey in the bloc's enlargement policy and slammed Brussels' treatment of Ankara in a letter seen by RFE/RL.
• Ukrainian Parliament Paves Way Toward Slashing Number Of Mandates By 33 Percent RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- Ukraine's parliament on February 4 approved a bill in one of two readings that would amend the constitution and reduce the number of lawmakers in the chamber from 450 to 300.
• In Kyiv, Erdogan Said All The Right Things -- Unless You're A Turkish Dissident In Ukraine RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said all the things Ukraine wanted to hear when he visited Kyiv this week, and media outlets in both countries rewarded him with glowing coverage.
• Bold new beginning for Global Britain UK FCO 05 Feb 2020 -- Bold new beginning for Global Britain as Foreign Secretary kicks off Asia-Pacific tour.
• U.S. Blacklists Bulgarian Judge Over Involvement In 'Significant' Corruption RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on Andon Mitalov, a Bulgarian judge that the State Department says is involved in "significant" corruption in the Balkan country.
• Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of Bulgarian Judge Andon Mitalov US Dept. of State 05 Feb 2020 -- "Today, I am designating Bulgarian Specialized Criminal Court Judge Andon Mitalov due to his involvement in significant corruption. In his official capacity, Mitalov was involved in corrupt acts that undermined the rule of law and severely compromised the independence of democratic institutions in Bulgaria."
• Romanian Government Toppled In No-Confidence Vote RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban's center-right minority government has been dismissed after losing a no-confidence vote brought by the leftist opposition.
• U.S. Says 'Sea Change' In Central Asian Cooperation Opens Up 'New Possibilities RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- The United States says new leadership in Central Asia and better interstate cooperation are opening up more opportunities for Washington to deepen ties with the resource-rich region.
• North Macedonia, Albania Welcome Proposed Changes To EU Accession Process RFE/RL 05 Feb 2020 -- North Macedonia and Albania have both reacted positively to a new proposed methodology for admitting new member states, expressing hope that it will clear the way for Skopje and Tirana to begin formal membership talks this year.
• Lesotho's Political Drama -- One Down, One to Go? VOA 05 Feb 2020 -- After a month on the run, Lesotho's First Lady Maesaiah Thabane is in police custody, and on Wednesday was served with charges over the killing of her predecessor, former First Lady Lipolelo Thabane.