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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US worries coronavirus outbreak may threaten deal with Taliban Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- US officials have reportedly expressed concern about a possible failure of Washington's bid to end its war in Afghanistan if Taliban and government prisoners die of coronavirus infection before being swapped as outlined under a US-Taliban deal.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Navy Surface Forces and Army Helicopters Conduct Live Fire Exercise in North Arabian Gulf CENTCOM 21 Apr 2020 -- U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters assigned to U.S. Army Central Command's (USARCENT) Task Force Saber conducted a live fire exercise with ships assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) in the North Arabian Gulf April 16-19.
• Joint Press Statement for the 17th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) DoD 21 Apr 2020 -- The Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DoD) held the 17th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) on April 21, 2020.
• USS Gerald R. Ford Finds Center of Gravity With Rare Inclining Test NNS 21 Apr 2020 -- USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) pulled away from the pier for three hours into the Elizabeth River to conduct a rare weighted inclining experiment, April 16.
• SECDEF Appoints New Convening Authority for Military Commissions DoD 21 Apr 2020 -- Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper designated Col. Jeffrey D. Wood to serve as the Convening Authority for Military Commissions, April 17.
• US Northcom and ARNORTH Commanders Discuss Ongoing COVID-19 Efforts DoD 21 Apr 2020 -- Air Force General Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, Commander, U.S. Northern Command; Army Lieutenant General Laura J. Richardson, Commander, U.S. Army North
• Army seeks 10,000 low-cost ventilators to combat COVID-19 Army News 21 Apr 2020 -- Within six to eight weeks, the Army wants to deploy more than 10,000 affordable, low-maintenance ventilators to help COVID-19 patients, says a top Army researcher, based on designs from the Army's new virtual "Shark Tank-like" competition.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 21 Apr 2020 -- In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made:
• US Places Some Missile Defence Crews in Full Isolation Amid COVID-19 Pandemic - NORAD Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- The US military has placed some of its ballistic missile defence personnel in full isolation to ensure they do not contract the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and can perform their mission, Northern Command (NORTCOM) and North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) head Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy told reporters on Tuesday.
• Pentagon Report Advises US Navy to Cut Two Carriers, Adopt More Small Combat Ships Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- An internal assessment from the Office of the US Secretary of Defense reportedly recommends the US Navy remove two aircraft carriers from its fleet and enlist dozens of additional lightly manned or unmanned ships.
• DOD Providing Leave Leniency Due to COVID-19 Travel Restrictions DoD News 21 Apr 2020 -- Travel restrictions made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in the Defense Department providing leave leniency for service members who accrue too much leave and might otherwise lose it.
• Sharpening the "First to Fight" Force: 3rd MAW Delivers Pristine, Combat-Ready F-35Bs to 1st MAW USMC News 21 Apr 2020 -- In an effort to ensure fellow pilots are trained and equipped with the latest in 5th Generation stealth technology, 3rd MAW's Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 122 and VMFA-211 recently delivered eight F-35B Lightning IIs to 1st MAW's VMFA-121 in Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
• Navy Awards $99.8 Million to Rebuild Earthquake-Damaged China Lake Facilities NNS 21 Apr 2020 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest on April 14 awarded a $99.8 million task order for the design and construction of 25 new ordnance magazines and an inert storage facility at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, California.
• U.S. Air Force builds facility in Guam to accommodate Roosevelt sailors with COVID-19 People's Daily 21 Apr 2020 -- U.S. Air Force announced Monday it joined efforts to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 among sailors from aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which docked in Guam last month.
• Staying Connected, Staying TR Strong NNS 21 Apr 2020 -- If you were told you would be spending two weeks in Guam, images of the beach might come to mind. You'd probably picture yourself relaxing in the sand, soaking up the sun, and then eventually, heading back to your cozy beach-front hotel room to rest and recharge for another day of the same.
• Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training Creates Combat-Ready Warships, Battle-Minded Crews NNS 21 Apr 2020 -- Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) led U.S. Navy warships through Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise, March 30 through April 17, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
• Coronavirus response: NATO mobilises its scientific network NATO 21 Apr 2020 -- NATO has tapped into its pool of defence scientists – the largest such network in the world - to support the COVID-19 emergency response.
• China's modified trainer jet prototype ready for maiden flight Global Times 21 Apr 2020 -- The prototype of the newly modified version of the Naval Mountain Eagle trainer jet is now preparing for its maiden flight after its production was completed on Sunday, the aircraft's maker announced on Monday. This type of aircraft is expected to serve as an aircraft carrier-based trainer, which China is in desperate need to train more aircraft carrier-based fighter jet pilots, analysts said on Tuesday.
• German Gov't Split Over Move to Replace Tornado Jets With US Nuclear-Capable F-18s Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- The German Armed Forces have long been searching for a suitable replacement for the aging Tornado jets, which entered service with the country's Air Force back in 1983.
• Iran Army Introduces New Drones, Upgrades Older UAV Models Radio Farda 21 Apr 2020 -- A large number of new combat and reconnaissance drones were delivered to the Iranian army on Sunday April 19 and IRGC-linked news agency Tasnim has presented details about each model on April 21.
• Iran's dazzling power in region outcome of IRGC devotion IRNA 21 Apr 2020 -- General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said in a statement on Monday that today's dazzling power of Iran and the Islamic Revolution in the region is owing to devotion of the armed forces, especially the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.
• Iran Boasts of Powerful Naval Strike Missiles Following US Drills in Persian Gulf Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- With two US aircraft carriers close to its shores and rising tensions at sea, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) decided to remind the world of its potent naval strike capabilities, including the Zolfaghar anti-ship missile, which has a purported 700-kilometer (434-mile) range.
• US threatens Turkey with sanctions over purchase of Russian S-400 systems Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- The United States has once again threatened that Turkey could face sanctions if it proceeds with the installation of the S-400 missile systems that it has purchased from Russia, repeating the call for Ankara to cancel the deal with Moscow, which has been a major bone of contention between the two NATO allies.
• Taiwan confirms 3 new cases of COVID-19 in Navy cluster infection CNA 21 Apr 2020 -- Three new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease from a recent cluster infection aboard a Taiwan naval ship were confirmed in Taiwan on Tuesday, bringing the total of infections to 425 in the country since the pandemic began late last year, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• President asks military to get to bottom of COVID-19 cluster CNA 21 Apr 2020 -- The Presidential Office on Tuesday called on the nation's military to thoroughly investigate and find those responsible for a cluster COVID-19 infection on a Navy ship that has so far left 27 people infected with the deadly coronavirus.
• Two admirals removed from posts over COVID-19 infections on ship CNA 21 Apr 2020 -- Two Navy admirals have been removed from their posts pending further investigation into responsibility for a cluster COVID-19 coronavirus infection on a naval ship that has so far left 27 people infected with the virus, the nation's defense chief announced Tuesday.
• MND releases revised medical records for ship hit by COVID-19 CNA 21 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Monday released revised medical records for a Navy ship hit by a cluster infection of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), showing more visits, including 10 for upper respiratory symptoms.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 21, 2020
• General Atomics Announces Dry Combat Submersible with LiFT Batteries Accepted by USSOCOM General Atomics 21 Apr 2020 -- General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced that the first Dry Combat Submersible (DCS) featuring GA-EMS' Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant (LiFT™) battery system as an energy source was accepted by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

Other Conflicts

• 21 April 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Apr 2020
• As famines of 'biblical proportion' loom, Security Council urged to 'act fast' UN News 21 Apr 2020 -- The world is not only facing "a global health pandemic but also a global humanitarian catastrophe", the UN food relief agency chief told the Security Council on Tuesday via video link.
• US Sends Two Warships Into South China Sea as China Surveys Off Malaysia Radio Free Asia 21 Apr 2020 -- The United States has sent an amphibious assault ship and a guided missile cruiser to the site of an ongoing survey by a Chinese vessel in Malaysian waters, the U.S. military said Tuesday, signaling Washington's support for other countries in the region as China presses its advantage in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Attempts to deny China's sovereignty in South China Sea doomed to fail: Chinese FM Global Times 21 Apr 2020 -- Xisha Island and Nansha Island are parts of China, and any attempts to deny China's sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea are invalid and doomed to fail, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
• China slams Vietnam over South China Sea claims, defends sovereignty Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- China has lashed out at Vietnam for what it described as illegal claims in the South China Sea, warning that any attempt at rejecting Beijing's sovereignty in the disputed waters would be "doomed to fail."
• Beijing Warns Any Attempt to Deny China's Sovereignty in S China Sea Will be Doomed to Fail Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- Apart from Beijing, disputed territories in the South China Sea are also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
• Syria seizes US-made missiles, ammunition in terrorist redoubts Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- Syrian government forces have seized United States-made weapons and ammunition, left behind by terrorists, in Syria's southwestern Dara'a and Sweida provinces.
• Pro-Iranian Fighters Reported Killed In Israeli Attack In Syria RFE/RL 21 Apr 2020 -- Nine pro-Iranian militiamen were killed when Israeli planes fired several missiles in central Syria, according to a group monitoring the Syrian conflict.
• Iraqi air force kills 14 Daesh terrorists in north-central province Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- Iraqi fighter jets have pounded the positions of the remnants of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in Iraq's north-central province of Salahuddin, killing more than a dozen extremists there.
• Assistance ramped up to DR Congo's South Kivu as floods kill dozens UN News 21 Apr 2020 -- Aid is being rushed to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where deadly flooding has swept away people and homes and affected tens of thousands more, including many displaced by violence, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday

News Reports

• Senate Intel Releases New Report on Intel Community Assessment of Russian Interference Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 21 Apr 2020 -- "Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) released a new report, titled “Review of the Intelligence Community Assessment,” the fourth and penultimate volume in the Committee’s bipartisan Russia investigation."
• Senate Committee: 'No Reason To Dispute' 2017 U.S. Intelligence Conclusion On Russian Meddling RFE/RL 21 Apr 2020 -- In a bipartisan report, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee has reaffirmed its support for the intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of helping Donald Trump get elected.
• A Negative Oil Price? What In The World Is Happening? RFE/RL 21 Apr 2020 -- The global economy has taken yet another unprecedented hit after coronavirus lockdowns around the world triggered a historic plunge in U.S. crude oil prices on April 20.
• Lenin At 150: Even Without COVID-19, Russia Was Set To Snub The Soviet Union's Founder RFE/RL 21 Apr 2020 -- When the 100th anniversary of Vladimir Lenin's birth rolled around in 1970, the Soviet Union pulled out all the stops to mark the occasion. Commemorative stamps were printed; coins were minted; medals were struck. A vast new wing was opened at the Lenin museum in Ulyanovsk, the Volga River city where he was born and raised. In Kurgan Oblast, a vast grove of trees was planted to spell out "Lenin 100," a living monument that can be seen from space 50 years later.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on April 21, 2020 PRC MofA 21 Apr 2020
• Press Group Warns of China's Coronavirus Misinformation War Radio Free Asia 21 Apr 2020 -- An international press freedom group has warned of a campaign of coronavirus misinformation by China, which it ranked 177th out of 180 countries in an annual global press freedom index on Tuesday.
• Central govt liaison office's authority to supervise implement of Basic Law in HK unshakable Global Times 21 Apr 2020 -- To rebut the Western media and Taiwan separatists, who are hyping groundless accusations about the Chinese central government's authority to supervise the implementation of the Basic Law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), multiple Chinese mainland departments in charge of relevant affairs and the chief executive of Hong Kong reaffirmed their stances on Tuesday.
• China Moves to Take Over Direct Political Control of Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 21 Apr 2020 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party has ushered in an era of more direct political control over Hong Kong, with a cabinet reshuffle and a slew of statements targeting pro-democracy figures in recent days.
• Taiwan, WHO again spar over controversial email to WHO CNA 21 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan and the World Health Organization (WHO) have again traded barbs over the email Taiwan sent to the WHO at the end of last year that it says alerted the world health body to possible human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus but was ignored.
• Skepticism, Scrutiny Urged After Dire Reports on North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Radio Free Asia 21 Apr 2020 -- After a flurry of speculative reports surrounding the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a top defector from the country and experts warned Tuesday against relying on thin sourcing for information on the opaque regime, while one former resident of the North said Kim had undergone a surgical procedure.
• South Korea, China say North Korea's Kim not gravely ill as CNN claimed Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- South Korea and China have both refuted a CNN report that said the life of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in "grave danger" following a cardiovascular procedure, saying that he is not seriously ill.
• DPRK Leader Kim Jong-un in 'Grave Danger' Following Heart Surgery - Reports Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on 15 April, resulting in widespread speculation about his well-being.
• N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un had cardiovascular surgery: Daily NK Arirang 21 Apr 2020 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly undergone cardiovascular surgery
• News of Defector Envoy's Election Victory in South Shocks North Korean Officials Abroad Radio Free Asia 21 Apr 2020 -- President Moon Jae-in's ruling party swept South Korea's April 15 National Assembly elections, but it is the two newly elected lawmakers from the opposition who were once North Korean citizens that are creating a hopeful buzz among fellow exiles from the reclusive country.
• Iran's Judiciary dismisses UN rights report on prison furloughs amid virus outbreak Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- The Iranian Judiciary has dismissed as politically-motivated a United Nations human rights report that suggests Iranian prisoners face discrimination when it comes to receiving furloughs during a new coronavirus outbreak, saying Iran's performance in dealing with the issue – compared to that of the West – has been "exemplary."
• Iran's Judiciary Dismisses UN Experts' Demand To Furlough Political Prisoners Radio Farda 21 Apr 2020 -- The Islamic Republic's Judiciary spokesman has dismissed as "politically motivated" a United Nations human rights report that all political prisoners must be granted furloughs during the coronavirus outbreak.
• U.S. And Iran Trade Barbs, Memes On Social Media Over Deadly Coronavirus Pandemic RFE/RL 21 Apr 2020 -- In an image shared on Twitter recently by the U.S. State Department, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is seen sitting next to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while between them is a small table with a large pile of cash on it.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu, main rival Gantz ink emergency unity gov't deal People's Daily 21 Apr 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Benny Gantz, signed on Monday a deal to form an emergency unity government.
• Netanyahu remains Israeli PM in power-sharing deal with rival Gantz Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his election rival, opposition leader Benny Gantz, have agreed on the formation of an "emergency" coalition administration to end months of unprecedented political deadlock.
• Pakistan Opens Strategic China-Managed Gwadar Port to Transit Trade With Afghanistan Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- China financed more than 80 percent of the $248 million development cost of the port and it will bypass the long shipping route of Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca to receive energy.
• Turkish indictment gives details on how Saudi hit squad tried to hide traces of Khashoggi murder Press TV 21 Apr 2020 -- A Turkish indictment filed by the Istanbul prosecutor's office on the state-sponsored murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi gives more details on a cover-up operation by the Saudi regime's operatives to hide their tracks.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 21 Apr 2020 -- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired today a Cabinet's virtual session.
• Russia Starts Adapting RD-180 Engine Used in US for Super-Heavy Yenisei Rocket - Roscosmos Sputnik 21 Apr 2020 -- Russia's Energomash rocket engine manufacturer, which is part of state space corporation Roscosmos, has started to adapt RD-180 engines, which have been in use for US Atlas carrier rockets, and the medium-class Soyuz-6 and super-heavy Yenisei launch vehicles, Energomash Director General Igor Arbuzov has said.
• Truck Driver Jailed in Vietnam For Bombing Tied to 'Terrorist' Exile Group Radio Free Asia 21 Apr 2020 -- A court in Vietnam's Binh Duong province sentenced a man to more than a decade in prison Tuesday for committing an act of terror after he set off a bomb at the provincial tax office last year, according to state media.
• EU Members Cool On Eastern Partnership Aspirations, Concerned About Visa Liberalization RFE/RL 21 Apr 2020 -- EU states have yet to reach a full agreement on the membership aspirations of their eastern neighbors and are concerned about the consequences of the already implemented visa liberalization, according to a leaked document seen by RFE/RL.
• Former Opposition Official Held Incommunicado by Cambodia's Ministry of Interior Radio Free Asia 21 Apr 2020 -- A former official of Cambodia's banned opposition party arrested over what authorities claimed was a "debt to a microfinance institution" is being held incommunicado inside the Ministry of Interior in the capital Phnom Penh, his wife said Tuesday.
• Lesotho Coalition Government Calls for Prime Minister's Immediate Resignation VOA 21 Apr 2020 -- The southern African country of Lesotho's coalition government is calling for the immediate resignation of scandal-plagued Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.