Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• AFRICOM cancels Exercise Phoenix Express AFRICOM 17 Mar 2020 -- After careful consideration with exercise participants and the host nation, Exercise Phoenix Express 2020 (OE20) has been cancelled for force protection considerations.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 8th COMM, USCYBERCOM conduct Cyber Fury 2020 USMC News 17 Mar 2020 -- U.S. Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, (II MIG), and Marine Forces Cyber Command participated in Exercise Cyber Fury 2020 at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 17-28, 2020.
• Nuclear Triad Will Continue to Deter, Stratcom Commander Tells Reporters DoD News 17 Mar 2020 -- U.S. Strategic Command is ensuring the U.S. nuclear deterrent is strong, even during the coronavirus pandemic, Stratcom's commander told reporters at the Pentagon in a telephone briefing from the command's headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
• Future USS Delbert D. Black Successfully Completes Acceptance Trials NNS 17 Mar 2020 -- The future guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) successfully completed acceptance trials on March 12, returning to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Ingalls Shipbuilding Division after spending two days at sea in the Gulf of Mexico.
• US military holding war drills in Europe amid COVID-19 pandemic Press TV 17 Mar 2020 -- US forces are holding massive military drills in Europe amid the COVID-19 pandemic across the continent, a report says.
• Chinese warplanes fly first nighttime mission near Taiwan: MND CNA 17 Mar 2020 -- Chinese warplanes were spotted flying near Taiwan's airspace at night for the first time Monday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Tuesday.
• Taiwan Fighter Jets Confront Chinese Military Aircraft VOA 17 Mar 2020 -- Taiwan says it scrambled its air force to drive away Chinese military planes that had flown into its airspace late Monday.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 17, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 17 March 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Mar 2020
• Yemeni forces size major military base in Ma'rib from Saudi-backed Hadi loyalists: Report Press TV 17 Mar 2020 -- Yemeni army soldiers, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have reportedly seized control of a strategic military base in the country's central province of Marib from Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
• The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception and Destruction of (2) Remote-Controlled Exploding Boats Launched by the Terrorist Iran-backed Houthi militia from (Hodeida) Governorate SPA 17 Mar 2020 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki
• US Treasury slaps sanctions against Syrian defense minister Press TV 17 Mar 2020 -- The United States has imposed sanctions against the Syrian defense minister as Washington intensifies measures to deprive the Damascus government of the resources it needs to combat Takfiri terrorists ever since the foreign-sponsored militancy erupted in the country in early 2011.
• The State Department Imposes Sanctions on Individual Responsible for the Violence in northern Syria US Dept. of State 17 Mar 2020 -- Today, the United States is designating a senior Assad regime official who is responsible for the violence and the disastrous humanitarian crisis in northern Syria.

News Reports

• U.S. Drops Criminal Case Against Russian Company Accused Of Election Interference RFE/RL 17 Mar 2020 -- The United States has dropped its criminal case against a company controlled by a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin that allegedly funded an infamous social-media campaign to meddle in the 2016 presidential elections.
• MI5 discloses existence of new national security centre Press TV 17 Mar 2020 -- The British Security Service, MI5, has been leading a new national security centre, focused on countering hostile activities by foreign powers, since June 2017, but information about its existence has only come to light today.
• European Leaders Videoconference Over Refugee Crisis, Coronavirus VOA 17 Mar 2020 -- Turkish, French, German and British leaders met by videoconference Tuesday to commit themselves to joint actions on the Syrian refugee crisis and coronavirus pandemic.
• U.S. Congress sends TAIPEI Act to Trump for signing into law CNA 17 Mar 2020 -- The U.S. Congress on Monday presented the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019 to President Donald Trump for signing into law, after it was passed unanimously by both chambers of Congress earlier this month.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on March 17, 2020 PRC MofA 17 Mar 2020
• Trust in Hong Kong's Press Freedom Falls to Lowest Point Since 2002 Radio Free Asia 17 Mar 2020 -- Public trust in Hong Kong's press freedom is at its lowest point since 2002, following months of anti-government protests and failing trust in the city government and the ruling Chinese Communist Party, a recent opinion poll has found.
• Beijing Hits Back After Trump Tweets About 'The Chinese Virus' Radio Free Asia 17 Mar 2020 -- Washington and Beijing escalated their war of words over the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday, with China voicing "strong anger" after repeated comments by U.S. President Donald Trump referring to the pathogen as "the Chinese virus."
• China Gives U.S. Journalists 10 Days to Hand in Press Credentials Radio Free Asia 17 Mar 2020 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party on Tuesday hit back at recent measures against its state-run media in the United States by revoking the press credentials of journalists based in China, including Hong Kong and Macau.
• Long March-3A rocket series send 58 Beidou satellites into orbits PLA Daily 17 Mar 2020 -- The 54th navigation satellite of the BeiDou system was successfully launched at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center a few days ago, which means that the completion of BeiDou global navigation network is only one step away. The series of Long March 3A(LM-3A) rockets are indispensable for each launch mission of the Beidou project and thus known as the "BeiDou Express". This time, the LM-3A rockets also set a new launch record again.
• Iranian National Extradited to the Western District of Texas for Illegally Exporting Military Sensitive Items from the U.S. to Iran US Dept. of Justice 17 Mar 2020 -- On Saturday, 38-year-old Merdad Ansari who is an Iranian citizen and a resident of the United Arab Emirates was extradited from Georgia and arrived Saturday evening in San Antonio to face federal charges in connection with a scheme to obtain military sensitive parts for Iran in violation of the Iranian Trade Embargo.
• Myanmar's Ruling NLD Votes Down Bill on Ethnic Chief Ministers Radio Free Asia 17 Mar 2020 -- Myanmar's ruling party lawmakers on Tuesday rejected an opposition party-sponsored bill to amend the constitution to allow chief ministers in ethnic minority regions to be elected, rather than appointed by the country's president, legislators said.
• Ethnic Kachin Parties Join Hands to Face Myanmar's Ruling NLD in 2020 Polls Radio Free Asia 17 Mar 2020 -- Local political parties in northern Myanmar's Kachin state have been working together to strengthen the prospects of their candidates beating those from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party in general elections later this year, politicians and activists said Tuesday.
• Cameroon Opposition Claims Assassination Attempt Against Leader VOA 17 Mar 2020 -- Cameroon's main opposition party says the government is plotting to assassinate its leader, Maurice Kamto. The Cameroon Resistance Movement reiterated its claim Monday, three days after the party says an armed man tried to shoot and kill Kamto during a visit to the city of Garoua. The government says there was no assassination attempt.
• Malaysian Government Change Casts Doubt on Initiative to Stop Graft VOA 17 Mar 2020 -- Malaysia's new prime minister installed a tableau of advisers this month, not long after his shock appointment to become the country's top leader. The new government marks a return of the party that ran Malaysia for five decades, which analysts say raises the specter it will abandon its drive against corruption, most notably through the 1MDB investigation.
• Iraqi president names Adnan al-Zurfi as new PM-designate, draws criticism Press TV 17 Mar 2020 -- In his latest bid to end Iraq's months-long political stalemate, President Barham Salih has designated Adnan al-Zurfi as prime minister, tasking him with forming a government within a month, a decision which has been met with opposition from several factions.
• Terrorist Designation of ISIS Leader Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla US Dept. of State 17 Mar 2020 -- The Department of State has announced its intent to designate Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, the new leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(a)(ii)(B) of Executive Order 13224, as amended by Executive Order 13886. Al-Mawla is also known as Hajji Abdallah, 'Abdul Amir Muhammad Sa'id Salbi, and Abu-'Umar al-Turkmani.