Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US Will 'Reassess' Taliban Peace Deal Amid Continued Afghanistan Violence Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- James Anderson, the nominee to be the US deputy under secretary of defense for policy, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that if the Taliban continues its attacks on Afghan government forces, the US may have to reassess its scheduled withdrawal from the country, even though the militant group hasn't attacked US forces.
• Taliban Says It is Unaware of Missing US Contractor VOA 08 May 2020 -- The Taliban said Friday it has conveyed to the United States the insurgent group is not holding an American hostage missing in Afghanistan.
• Taliban Militants Kill Afghan Regional Police Chief In Latest Attack RFE/RL 08 May 2020 -- Taliban militants have killed a provincial police chief and two others in a roadside bomb attack in Khost Province in Afghanistan's southeast, officials said on May 8.
• Ex-Afghan Taliban chief's properties seized in Pakistan IRNA 08 May 2020 -- A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has seized five properties of former Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan in 2016, local media reported.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Senate fails to override Trump veto of Iran war powers resolution Press TV 08 May 2020 -- The US Senate has failed in its bid to override President Donald Trump's veto of a war powers resolution aimed at reining in his authority to use military action against Iran without congressional approval.
• U.S. and British Ships depart Barents Sea, Continue Arctic Operations NNS 08 May 2020 -- U.S. guided-missile destroyers and a British frigate departed the Barents Sea May 8, following seven days of Arctic operations.
• U.S. Pacific Fleet Reaffirms Confidence in USS Theodore Roosevelt NNS 08 May 2020 -- Two days after returning from Guam, the U.S. Pacific Fleet's senior leaders stressed their appreciation and confidence in the multi-service, multi-agency response to the Navy's COVID-stricken aircraft carrier.
• Northcom Has Stepped Up to Battle COVID-19 DoD News 08 May 2020 -- Some 14,000 Defense Department employees from the U.S. Northern Command are battling COVID-19 in the United States, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 08 May 2020
• U.S. keen for military presence in region despite COVID-19: expert CNA 08 May 2020 -- The United States is keen to demonstrate to China that, despite the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, it is still capable of maintaining a strong military presence in key strategic regions of the Asia-Pacific, according to a Chinese military expert.
• DOD, Private Sector Leaders See Danger to GPS Due to FCC Licensing Ruling DoD News 08 May 2020 -- The Federal Communications Commission's granting of a license to a private company threatens to undermine the Defense Department's Global Positioning System capabilities, as well as that of the civilian sector, which also relies on GPS, DOD officials told Congress.
• US pulling Patriot missiles from Saudi oil facilities: Report Press TV 08 May 2020 -- The United States is pulling its Patriot missile systems from Saudi soil as part of broader curbs on its military support for the Arab kingdom, a report says.
• US Reportedly Withdrawing Patriot Missiles From Middle East Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- In September 2019, the US deployed additional forces, including Patriot missile systems, in the Middle East to tackle what the Pentagon described as Iran's "hostile behaviour", allegations that came after Washington accused Tehran of attacking oil tankers in the Gulf earlier that year.
• Coronavirus response: NATO Allies, Partners, NGOs and local business work together to deliver medical assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina NATO 08 May 2020 -- On 7 May 2020, U.S. Embassy Sarajevo's Civil Military Support Element team and NATO provided critical supplies and disinfection equipment to the Armed Forces and Community Health Centers in eastern Mostar, western Mostar and Nevesinje. These Community Health Centers and their members are at the forefront of the Bosnia and Herzegovina's fight against COVID-19. The donation was made possible through support from the non-governmental organization Spirit of America and local BiH businesses.
• NATO Secretary General restresses NATO's continued cooperation with Iraq in phone call with new Iraq Prime Minister NATO 08 May 2020 -- Today (8 May 2020), NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a phone call with new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. The Secretary General congratulated him on his appointment and parliamentary confirmation.
• Russian Armed Forces May Get First Next-Generation S-500 Missile Systems in 2021 Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- Earlier this year, Pavel Sozinov, general designer at the Russian defence concern Almaz-Antey, touted the S-500 as a missile system that is capable of intercepting targets located hundreds of kilometres above the Earth.
• China urged to expand nuclear arsenal to deter US warmongers Global Times 08 May 2020 -- Facing rising strategic threats from the US, China needs to increase its number of nuclear warheads and complete a technologically advanced nuclear triad by developing the H-20 strategic stealth bomber and JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles to deter potential impulsive military action by US warmongers, experts said on Friday.
• China needs to increase its nuclear warheads to 1,000 Global Times 08 May 2020 -- China needs to expand the number of its nuclear warheads to 1,000 in a relatively short time. It needs to have at least 100 Dongfeng-41 strategic missiles.
• Beijing Media Calls for Quadrupling China's Nuclear Weapons as US Continues Encirclement Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- In a Friday op-ed, Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin called for China to quadruple its nuclear weapons stockpile from 260 to 1,000 weapons amid unprecedented pressure by the United States. In recent years, Washington has declared reversing China's rise and undermining the Chinese Communist Party its primary geostrategic goals.
• Chinese airborne troops accelerate transformation PLA Daily 08 May 2020 -- A commissioning ceremony for a type of wheeled armored vehicle (WAV) independently developed by China was held in a combined arms brigade of the airborne troops under the PLA Air Force on May 6.
• DPRK lashes out at military drill by S. Korea, calling it "grave provocation" People's Daily 08 May 2020 -- A military spokesperson of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) lashed out at the recent military exercise carried out by Seoul, calling it a "reckless move" and "grave provocation," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday.
• Spokesperson for Ministry of People's Armed Forces of DPRK Blames S. Korean Military for Its Reckless Military Provocation KCNA 08 May 2020 -- A spokesperson for the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea made public the following statement on Thursday:
• North Korea slams South's 'provocative' drills, congratulates China for victory over pandemic Press TV 08 May 2020 -- North Korea has lashed out at the South over recent "provocative" military drills, while leader Kim Jong-un sends a message of congratulation to China's president for his success in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
• IAF MIG-29 (UPG) AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT India PIB 08 May 2020 -- On 08 May 20, at 1045h, one Mig-29 aircraft airborne on a training mission from an Air Force base near Jalandhar met with an accident.
• Indian Military Jet Crashes in Punjab Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- This is not the first aircraft incident in the district. Last month, an Apache helicopter had to make an emergency landing following a technical glitch.
• India Builds Strategic Route Connecting China Border for Better Accessibility to Security Forces Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- Devout believers take an annual holy pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar through Uttarakhand's Lipulekh Pass, connecting India to China. While the pilgrimage is now shrouded in uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new route will give easy access to troops in the region.
• U.S. reportedly asks S. Korea to pay US$ 1.3 bil in defense cost sharing ARIRANG 08 May 2020 -- U.S. Presient Donald Trump has once again stressed that South Korea has agreed to pay a significant amount in defense cost-sharing, as he continues to pressure Seoul to increase its share of the cost of stationing American troops on the Korean peninsula.
• S. Korea Tested New Ballistic Missile, One Misfired KBS World Radio 08 May 2020 -- South Korea reportedly conducted the first test of a new ballistic missile with a longer range and higher payload capability last month.
• Trump Pushes Seoul to Pay Nearly 50% More for American Troops KBS World Radio 08 May 2020 -- Seoul and Washington are failing to agree on how much they should each pay for the upkeep of American troops on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul proposed that it can raise its contribution by 13 percent, but the U.S. is asking for a nearly 50-percent hike. U.S. President Donald Trump and his officials on Thursday went all out to put Seoul in a corner.
• Hungary - Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER) DSCA 08 May 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Hungary of sixty (60) AIM-120C-7/C-8 AMRAAM­ER missiles, and two (2) spare AIM-120C-7/C-8 AMRAAM-ER guidance sections and related equipment for an estimated cost of $230 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• U.S. delivers specialized vehicles to Moroccan Special Operations Forces AFRICOM 08 May 2020 -- RABAT, Morocco -- The United States transferred ownership of 21 specialized vehicles to the Moroccan Forces Armées Royale Special Operations Company (MSOF) valued at over $1 million on May 6.
• Two killed in Croatian military airplane crash Global Times 08 May 2020 -- An airplane crashed on Thursday near the Croatian coastal city of Zadar, killing two members of the Croatian Air Force, the Ministry of Defense said.
• Croatia Defense Minister Resigns Over Military Plane Crash VOA 08 May 2020 -- Croatia's defense minister has resigned after an air force training plane crashed shortly after takeoff from a military airbase in the southwest of the country.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany The White House 08 May 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For May 8, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 8 May 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 May 2020
• U.S. Sends Another Littoral Combat Ship Near Survey Site in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- The commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet called on China to end its "bullying" behavior in the South China Sea, as the U.S. sent a warship near to where a Malaysian-contracted oil exploration ship is operating and in proximity to a recently deployed Chinese survey vessel.
• Marine Life Declines for Another Year in Contested, Overfished South China Sea VOA 08 May 2020 -- Marine life in the politically disputed South China Sea took another hit over the past year, researchers said, due to overfishing and lack of international efforts to protect species.
• Terrorists upping attacks on Syrian civilians during pandemic, situation deteriorating: UN Press TV 08 May 2020 -- The United Nations rights chief Michelle Bachelet has said that Syria's situation is a "ticking time-bomb" as terrorist groups such as the Daesh Takfiri outfit exploit the COVID-19 pandemic and heighten attacks on civilians.
• Syria violence 'a ticking time-bomb that must not be ignored': UN human rights chief UN News 08 May 2020 -- As civilian casualties mount across Syria and human rights violations continue unabated, the UN rights chief expressed serious concern on Friday that some parties to the conflict, including ISIL terrorist fighters, may be using the COVID-19 pandemic as "an opportunity to regroup and inflict violence on the population".
• U.S. Accuses Russia Of Inflaming Libya Conflict, Sending Syrian Fighters RFE/RL 08 May 2020 -- The United States has accused Russia of worsening the situation in war-torn Libya and funneling Syrian mercenaries to support Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in his battle to capture the capital, Tripoli.
• From Syria to Libya: Captured Mercenaries Recount Tales of Coercion, Deception Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- As violence returns to Libya, Syrian foreign mercenaries get caught in the crosshairs between Tobruk and Tripoli, but instead of hardened warriors, they cut out a sorry figure.s
• Chinese military Y-8 transporter expelled from Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 08 May 2020 -- A Chinese military Y-8 transport aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) while flying over waters southwest of the country Friday, shortly before being chased away by Taiwanese fighter jets, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.
• UN Security Council to address Israel's annexation plan later this month: Palestine UN envoy Press TV 08 May 2020 -- A high-ranking Palestinian official says the UN Security Council is scheduled to convene later this month to discuss Israel's controversial plan to annex much of the occupied West Bank, and to rally international pressure on the regime to abandon the decision.
• Six Pakistan army personnel killed in blast near Pak-Iran border IRNA 08 May 2020 -- One officer and five soldiers of Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC) were killed as their vehicle was targeted with remote controlled IED near Pak-Iran border in southwestern Balochistan province, a military statement said.
• Six Pakistani Security Personnel Killed In Roadside Bomb Attack RFE/RL 08 May 2020 -- Six Pakistani security personnel, including an officer, were killed in a roadside bomb attack near the South Asian nation's border with Iran.
• Bomb Blast Kills 6 Pakistani Troops Near Iranian Border VOA 08 May 2020 -- A bomb in southwestern Pakistan has killed at least six soldiers, including a major-rank officer, and has injured another, according to military officials.
• Traditional Cameroon Rulers Refuse to Return to Crisis Zone VOA 08 May 2020 -- Cameroon's government this week called on hundreds of traditional rulers who have fled separatist conflict areas to return, assuring them that the palaces, markets, schools and roads destroyed by separatists would be reconstructed. But the traditional rulers have refused, saying they are still threatened by fighting between government troops and anglophone rebels.

News Reports

• US Justice Dept. drops case against Trump's ex-adviser Flynn Press TV 08 May 2020 -- The US Justice Department has dropped its criminal case against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn after mounting pressure from Trump and his political allies on the right.
• Captured American Says Venezuelan President Was Target of Foiled Attack VOA 08 May 2020 -- Venezuela has aired a video in which captured American ex-serviceman Airon Berry said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was a target of a foiled raid.
• Trump 'personally ordered' marine incursion into Venezuela: Maduro Press TV 08 May 2020 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says there is evidence his American counterpart Donald Trump "personally ordered" the recent military raid on the Latin American country, arguing that Washington swiftly cut remaining ties with Caracas thereafter.
• Maduro Accuses US Chargé d'Affaires Story of Being Behind Boat Incursion From Colombia Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday that the US Chargé d' Affaires, for the Venezuela Affairs Unit, James Story, played a part in Sunday's boat incursion from Colombia.
• Second 'US Mercenary' Shows Alleged Contract With Goudreau, Guaido, Reveals Mission Details Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- Following Sunday's failed seaborne invasion of Venezuela, thirteen people were captured by the country's security forces, two of whom were described by President Nicolas Maduro as ex-US Special Forces - Luke Denman and Airan Berry.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, May 8, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 May 2020
• The Week In Russia: Up In The Air -- The Future's Uncertain And So Is The Past RFE/RL 08 May 2020 -- As Russia prepared for scaled-down Victory Day ceremonies, coronavirus infections rose fast and Moscow's mayor suggested the real numbers may be much higher than the official case count. Opinion polls and grim economic forecasts clouded President Vladimir Putin's prospects for choreographing his own political future and reshaping the country's past.
• Cybersecurity Firm Links Chinese Group to Cyber Espionage in Southeast Asia Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- A China-based group has quietly carried out cyber espionage against Southeast Asian governments during the past few years, collecting "specific documents," among other data, from infected computers, a cybersecurity company said in a report.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on May 8, 2020 PRC MofA 08 May 2020
• EU Allows China to Edit Op-Ed Article, Removing Mention of Virus Origins Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- The European Union ambassador to Beijing has allowed the Chinese foreign ministry to censor a joint opinion piece penned by EU ambassadors to remove a reference to the coronavirus originating in China.
• Media Advocates Urge West to Resist China's Censorship After EU Letter Controversy VOA 08 May 2020 -- Press freedom advocates say China's censorship of a letter co-authored by 27 European Union ambassadors that contained a reference to the origins of the coronavirus is another example of how the lack of press freedom in the country has caused problems for the world.
• US diplomat warns Arab allies against ties with China Press TV 08 May 2020 -- A top US diplomat has called on Washington's Arab allies in the Persian Gulf to perform "due diligence" in their relationship with the United States, while dealing with its rival, China.
• China's Recovery May Boost Carbon Emissions Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- This year's record drop in carbon emissions due to the COVID-19 crisis has renewed questions about China's continued push for coal-fired power as the government pursues economic recovery.
• Guards Drag Pro-Democracy Lawmakers From Hong Kong Legislature Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- Pro-democracy lawmakers were dragged out of Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) on Friday at the behest of a pro-Beijing lawmaker whose legal powers to have them removed were immediately questioned.
• Lawmakers brawl at Hong Kong parliament Press TV 08 May 2020 -- Lawmakers get into scuffles at Hong Kong's parliament amid efforts by some of them to interfere with the legislature's routine procedures.
• Rival Lawmakers Scuffle in Hong Kong's Legislative Council VOA 08 May 2020 -- A fight broke out in Hong Kong's legislature Friday as pro-democracy and pro-China lawmakers sparred over selecting the chairperson of a key committee.
• US Senate to 'Soon' Vote on Bill Targeting Chinese Officials Over Rights Violations in Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- The U.S. Senate is likely to soon vote to approve the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which would allow for sanctions against officials deemed responsible for rights violations in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), according to media reports.
• 'Don't Forget Chen Qiushi,' Friend of Chinese Journalist Says VOA 08 May 2020 -- A friend of Chen Qiushi, who reported on Hong Kong democracy protests and COVID-19 before going missing February 6, has urged the world to not forget the citizen journalist's plight.
• Trial version of China's new-generation spaceship safely returns to Earth Global Times 08 May 2020 -- The trial version of China's new-generation manned spaceship, which was launched by the Long March-5B in its maiden flight on Tuesday, has successfully made its re-entry to Earth and returned to its designated landing site at 1:49 pm Friday, China's Manned Space Agency announced.
• Chang Zheng-5B, China's Response to the US Lunar Project Sputnik 08 May 2020 -- China is able to compete with the United States in the exploitation of moon resources. Successful testing of the Chang Zheng-5B heavy-lift rocket is an important step in this direction, Sergei Filipenkov, a Russian aviation and cosmonautics expert, said, commenting on the US Artemis Accords lunar project.
• Tsai asks Su to remain premier for second presidential term CNA 08 May 2020 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) announced Friday that incumbent Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) will continue to lead the Cabinet after the inaugural ceremony for her second term on May 20.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Sends 'Strategic' Praises to Xi Jinping Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un sent a "verbal message" to Chinese President Xi Jinping, praising China's effectiveness in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, according to state media, in what analysts said was a strategic move to shore up Pyongyang's relations with Beijing.
• This Week in Iran Policy US Dept. of State 08 May 2020
• Swiss humanitarian channel yet to process a single deal for Iran: Report Press TV 08 May 2020 -- A new report published in the American media shows a Swiss trade channel much publicized by Washington as a secure way of delivering humanitarian assistance to Iran at a time of sanctions has failed to process any single deal on Iranian medicine imports.
• Documentary Reveals Attempts To Groom Raeesi As Next Iranian Leader Radio Farda 08 May 2020 -- A new Radio Farda video documentary released this week, suggests that Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeesi is most certainly being groomed as the Islamic Republic's next Supreme Leader.
• Family Claims Cambodian Detainee Was Tortured to Death in Prison, Despite Suicide Ruling Radio Free Asia 08 May 2020 -- A Cambodian man suffering from mental illness who died in detention in Battambang province last month was tortured and murdered by prison guards, his aunt said Friday, as a local rights group demanded a probe into his death.
• Hundreds Protest in Belgrade Against President's Grip on Power VOA 08 May 2020 -- In Serbia, hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital, Belgrade, late Thursday to demonstrate against the country's president, Aleksandar Vucic.
• Saudi tribe hit by bloody forceful eviction measures for bin Salman's ambitious NEOM project Press TV 08 May 2020 -- A Saudi tribe has been hit by bloody forced eviction measures employed to make way for the construction of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)'s visionary utopian city.
• Belarus To Hold Presidential Election In August Despite Pandemic RFE/RL 08 May 2020 -- Belarus has announced that the next presidential election will be held on August 9 as the country's authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka sought to play down the risks of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Lesotho Prime Minister Agrees to Process for Resignation VOA 08 May 2020 -- The timetable for Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's departure from office is in the hands of the government and his political party, despite his intentions to retire by the end of July.
• Kenyans Riot in Nairobi After Demolition of Homes VOA 08 May 2020 -- Police in Nairobi on Friday reportedly used water cannons, tear gas and live ammunition on demonstrators after they took to the streets to protest the demolition of houses and shops earlier this week that left thousands homeless.
• Burundi Opposition Leader Says Party Members Attacked in Run-up to Elections VOA 08 May 2020 -- Burundi's main opposition leader and presidential candidate Agathon Rwasa says supporters of his CNL party are being arrested, attacked and in some cases killed ahead of the country's May 20 elections.
• Ethiopian Opposition, Prime Minister Accuse Each Other of Power Grab VOA 08 May 2020 -- Ethiopian opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of using the coronavirus pandemic to delay elections and stay in power beyond his constitutional mandate.
• Coronavirus Poses Threat to Somalia's Planned Parliamentary Elections VOA 08 May 2020 -- The International Crisis Group said the coronavirus poses the threat of a political crisis to Somalia as the country heads toward its scheduled November election.