Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Message to the Congress on Emergency Funding Designations The White House 01 Oct 2020
• Message to the Congress on Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism Funding Designations The White House 01 Oct 2020
• At Least Nine Killed After Suicide Bomber Strikes Afghan Checkpoint RFE/RL 01 Oct 2020 -- An Afghan official says at least nine people were killed when a suicide car bomber attacked a military checkpoint in the southern province of Helmand.
• West Virginia Guard aircrew helps fight California fires Army News 01 Oct 2020 -- Four members of the West Virginia National Guard's Company C, 1-150th Assault Battalion, are flying aerial wildland firefighting missions to help combat massive northern California fires.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force lab surpasses 130K COVID-19 tests in 6 months US Air Force 01 Oct 2020 -- Since early March 2020, approximately 130,000 COVID-19 samples have been tested and processed at the Air Force's sole epidemiology reference laboratory housed in the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune DoD 01 Oct 2020
• Department of Defense Releases Second Annual Suicide Report DoD 01 Oct 2020 -- Today, the Department of Defense (DOD) released its second Annual Suicide Report (ASR). The Department is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of service members, veterans, and families – every death by suicide is a tragedy.
• Defense Suicide Prevention Officials Brief DOD Annual Suicide Report for CY 2019 DoD 01 Oct 2020 -- Dr. Karin Orvis, Director, Defense Suicide Prevention Office; Travis Bartholomew, Deputy Director, Defense Suicide Prevention Office
• Esper Discusses Expanding Military Cooperation With Algeria DoD News 01 Oct 2020 -- Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper discussed expanding military cooperation between the U.S. and Algeria with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune today in Algiers.
• U.S., Tunisia Sign Road Map for Defense Cooperation DoD News 01 Oct 2020 -- Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and Tunisian Defense Minister Ibrahim Bartagi agreed on a road map for defense cooperation during meetings in the capital city of Tunis.
• DOD Supports Small Businesses in Big Ways DoD News 01 Oct 2020 -- The Defense Department is directing billions of dollars in modernization funding to small businesses and is making it easier for these companies to work with the department, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment said.
• DOD Official Discusses Hypersonics Development DoD News 01 Oct 2020 -- The Defense Department is developing hypersonic strike systems because of their unique warfighting aspects of range, speed, maneuverability, survivability and lethality, said the assistant director of hypersonics, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
• Ukraine, U.S. Forces train for urban operations Army News 01 Oct 2020 -- Armed Forces Ukraine Soldiers honed their urban operations skills as Task Force Illini advisors lent their expertise at Combat Training Center- Yavoriv, Ukraine, Sept. 30.
• Marine Corps activates Camp Blaz in Guam USMC News 01 Oct 2020 -- Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz will be activated on October 1. The activation is an administrative action that officially marks the initial operational capability of the base. This will be the first new Marine Corps base activated since March 1, 1952, with the commissioning of what is presently Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Georgia. The Marine Corps plans to hold an activation ceremony for its newest base in spring 2021.
• Extending the range: Marines secure maritime terrain, deploy rocket system USMC News 01 Oct 2020 -- U.S. Marines refined their ability to rapidly deploy to remote regional islands in order to control key maritime terrain as 3rd Marine Division and 3rd Marine Logistics Group conducted operations September 23 - 25 centered on the Okinawan island of Ie Shima.
• MQ-9 Reaper takes flight with 8 Hellfire missiles US Air Force 01 Oct 2020 -- The 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted the first flight of the MQ-9A Reaper carrying eight live AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, Sept. 10, reinforcing the platform's "persistent attack" role.
• Virtual, Hybrid Joint Interagency Field Experimentation Continues Work on Warfighter Challenges US Navy 01 Oct 2020 -- NPS researchers modified the Joint Interagency Field Experimentation program to continue connecting innovators from the military, academia and industry as they explore how emerging technologies can help solve national security challenges.
• Military de-confliction mechanism between Greece and Turkey established at NATO NATO 01 Oct 2020 -- Following a series of technical meetings between the Military Representatives of Greece and Turkey at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, a bilateral military de-confliction mechanism was established on Thursday (1 October 2020). The mechanism is designed to reduce the risk of incidents and accidents in the Eastern Mediterranean. It includes the creation of a hotline between Greece and Turkey, to facilitate de-confliction at sea or in the air.
• Chinese military plane enters Taiwan's ADIZ on Moon Festival CNA 01 Oct 2020 -- A Chinese Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine patrol plane entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday, as the Chinese world celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival.
• Egypt Maritime Domain Awareness System DSCA 01 Oct 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Egypt of a Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) system and related equipment for an estimated cost of $417 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Republic of Korea - AIM-9X Block II Tactical Sidewinder Missiles DSCA 01 Oct 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea of AIM-9X Block II Tactical Sidewinder Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $158.1 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Senior State Department Officials Briefing to Traveling Press US Dept. of State 01 Oct 2020
• Briefing with State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott W. Busby US Dept. of State 01 Oct 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo At the Mining, Agriculture, and Construction Protocol Signing Ceremony US Dept. of State 01 Oct 2020
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany The White House 01 Oct 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 1, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 1 October 2020 - nDaily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Oct 2020
• Deterring 'atrocious crimes' contributes to development: International Criminal Court President UN News 01 Oct 2020 -- Deterring genocides, armed conflicts and other atrocious crimes supports sustainable development says the President of the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) Chile Eboe-Osuji.
• Taiwan protests renaming of contested islands by Japanese locality CNA 01 Oct 2020 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Thursday protested the renaming, by a Japanese local government, of the administrative designation of a group of islands claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan.
• Moscow ready to provide platform for contacts to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts Global Times 01 Oct 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday confirmed Moscow's readiness to provide a platform for organizing contacts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts.
• France, U.S., Russia Issue Joint Call For Peace As Fighting Rages In Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 01 Oct 2020 -- Heavy shelling between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces persisted for a fifth day as the two sides continued to ignore repeated calls from international leaders to halt fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Iran Wants 'Urgent End' To Violence In Karabakh Radio Farda 01 Oct 2020 -- Rouhani was quoted by his office as telling Pashinian that the region "cannot withstand instability and a new war."
• Tehran Denies Sending Russian Arms To Armenia Via Iran Radio Farda 01 Oct 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's Chief of Staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, denied several reports on Wednesday, September 30, that Iran is assisting Armenia in its war with the neighboring Republic of Azerbaijan.
• Framework Agreement for Israel-Lebanon Maritime Discussions US Dept. of State 01 Oct 2020 -- The United States welcomes the decision by the Governments of Israel and Lebanon to begin discussions on the maritime boundary. This historic agreement between the two parties was brokered by the United States and is the result of nearly three years of intense diplomatic engagement by Ambassador David Satterfield and Assistant Secretary David Schenker.
• Briefing With Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker On the Framework Agreement for Israel-Lebanon Maritime Discussions US Dept. of State 01 Oct 2020
• China urges South Sudanese parties to expedite resolution of outstanding issues People's Daily 01 Oct 2020 -- JUBA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's former warring parties have been urged to hasten resolution of outstanding issues within the signed 2018 peace agreement to realize peace and stability after more than six years of conflict.
• China's 'Anti-Gang' Campaign Used to Crack Down on Tibetan Community Service Groups Radio Free Asia 01 Oct 2020 -- Ten Tibetan villagers given long prison terms by a Chinese court this year on charges of extortion were targeted in an anti-gang campaign used as a cover for cracking down on grass-roots community organizations deemed threats to Communist Party control, a Tibetan advocacy group said on Thursday.
• EU Sanctions Russian Entities, Individuals Responsible For Kerch Strait Rail Bridge RFE/RL 01 Oct 2020 -- The European Union on October 1 announced asset freezes on four companies and two individuals responsible for the construction of the Kerch Strait railway bridge.

News Reports

• The United States Has Repatriated 27 Americans from Syria and Iraq Including Ten Charged with Terrorism-Related Offenses for Their Support to ISIS US Dept. of Justice 01 Oct 2020 -- The International Community Is Urged To Follow Suit and Repatriate Its Citizens from Syria
• Treasury Department Issues Ransomware Advisories to Increase Awareness and Thwart Attacks US Treasury 01 Oct 2020 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence today issued a pair of advisories to assist U.S. individuals and businesses in efforts to combat ransomware scams and attacks, which continue to increase in size and scope.
• Navalny Says Putin Was Behind His Nearly Fatal Poisoning RFE/RL 01 Oct 2020 -- Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny blames President Vladimir Putin for the poisoning in August that nearly took his life and vows to return home to continue his anti-corruption campaign.
• United States Obtains Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction Against Edward Snowden US Dept. of Justice 01 Oct 2020 -- On Sept. 29, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered a final judgment and permanent injunction against Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
• Hong Kong official confident in handling threats, no fear of sanctions: Carrie Lam Global Times 01 Oct 2020 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that, Hong Kong officials are not afraid of sanctions and the regional government is confident to recover economy and handle threats after COVID-19 epidemic and anti-extradition bill riots.
• Hong Kong raises flags, holds reception to celebrate National Day People's Daily 01 Oct 2020 -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government held a flag-raising ceremony and a grand reception Thursday to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
• Hong Kong Police Arrest Dozens as Crowds Defy National Day Protest Ban Radio Free Asia 01 Oct 2020 -- Hong Kong police arrested at least 60 people on Thursday, including two district councilors, after crowds of people took to the streets on China's National Day in defiance of a protest ban.
• China opens second expressway linking Laos People's Daily 01 Oct 2020 -- Yunnan Province in southwest China on Wednesday opened the country's second expressway linking Laos to traffic.
• U.S. Congress task force suggests name change for Taiwan office CNA 01 Oct 2020 -- A report published by a U.S. Congress task force on Wednesday said that the U.S. should allow Taiwan to change the name of its office in the country to the "Taiwan Representative Office" or a similar title, in reflection of the "broad, substantial relations" it shares with Taiwan.
• Gangster receives 18 months for attempted espionage CNA 01 Oct 2020 -- A known member of the Tian Tao Meng gang who fled to China after being involved in an unlawful death case in Taiwan, and was recruited to spy for Beijing while there, was sentenced to 18 months in jail for attempting to acquire military intelligence by the Taiwan High Court Wednesday.
• Phase 14 of SPGF to become operational by mid-2021 IRNA 01 Oct 2020 -- Phase 14 of the South Pars Gas Field will be opened by the end of the next summer, the gas field's project manager said.
• Iran Oil Exports on the Rise, Despite Sanctions Radio Farda 01 Oct 2020 -- According to data collected from TankerTrackers, Iran has managed to increase its oil exports significantly in September despite U.S. sanctions, Reuters reports.
• Household Costs Soared To 60% In Iran Radio Farda 01 Oct 2020 -- Faramarz Tofiqi, the chairman of Iran's Wage Committee of the Supreme Labor Council, says that the minimum rate of the "subsistence basket" in Iran increased from seventy-five million rials (about $1,780) in August to nearly eighty million rials (roughly $1900) in September.
• 'Three Years For A Scratch': Belarusians Sentenced To Maximum Security For Resisting Police RFE/RL 01 Oct 2020 -- When a small group of Belarusians took to the streets in late spring during an opposition solidarity rally, they got an early taste of the police violence that would follow the country's contentious August election.
• EU Leaders To Discuss Eastern Mediterranean Dispute, Belarus And Karabakh Crises RFE/RL 01 Oct 2020 -- European Union leaders are gathering in Brussels on October 1 amid internal disputes that threaten the bloc's coronavirus recovery package and weaken its ability to respond to crises involving neighboring Turkey and Belarus.
• From COVID-19 To China: Mapping The Changing Face Of Dissent In Central Asia RFE/RL 01 Oct 2020 -- From people demanding better welfare protections to demonstrators calling for lockdown measures, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the main source of recent protest in Central Asia, according to a new study.
• Central African Republic: elections are 'unique opportunity' for peace - Guterres UN News 01 Oct 2020 -- The UN Secretary-General has called for parties in the Central African Republic (CAR) to prioritize national dialogue and consensus-building ahead of elections scheduled to begin in December.
• Arrest of Obscure Party Chief as Wanted Fugitive Adds Intrigue to Myanmar Elections Radio Free Asia 01 Oct 2020 -- The arrest of an alleged fugitive with a shadowy past who leads an obscure Myanmar political party running the second-largest slate of candidates has sparked intrigue as well as criticism of lax election standards just five weeks before the Southeast Asian nation goes to the polls.
• Bangladesh: Rights Group Claims Rohingya Beaten on Bhashan Char Radio Free Asia 01 Oct 2020 -- Rohingya refugees living on Bhashan Char said Bangladesh Navy personnel beat them with rubber clubs and tree branches last month when they protested their detention on the island, according to a Human Rights Watch statement on Thursday, drawing denials from government officials.
• EU launches infringement procedure against UK over alleged breach of Brexit deal People's Daily 01 Oct 2020 -- The European Union (EU) launched an infringement procedure against the United Kingdom (UK) on Thursday over a contentious bill that allegedly breaches the Brexit deal reached by the two sides in January 2020.