Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• NATO refuses to commit to withdrawal from Afghanistan Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- NATO has dismissed US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement to pull out all of US forces from Afghanistan by the end of the year, saying that members of the military alliance will decide together on when to withdraw forces from the war-ravaged country.
• Joint Statement on Afghanistan – Turkmenistan – United States of America Trilateral Meeting US Dept. of State 09 Oct 2020 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan on the occasion of the inaugural Afghanistan – Turkmenistan – United States of America Trilateral Meeting.
• Tennessee Guard reaches another milestone in COVID-19 testing Army News 09 Oct 2020 -- Since March, the Tennessee National Guard has been working diligently alongside Tennessee's Department of Health, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and various other state and local agencies to administer COVID-19 tests to fellow Tennesseans successfully. By Oct. 8, Tennessee guardsmen have successfully tested over 400,000 of their fellow citizens.
• W.Va. Guard Assists with New COVID-19 Testing Innovation Army News 09 Oct 2020 -- Members of the West Virginia National Guard's Task Force Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Response Enterprise (CRE) (TF-CRE) are helping roll out a new innovative electronic record system to improve the COVID-19 testing process.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Operation Warp Speed Makes Swift Progress DoD News 09 Oct 2020 -- Unprecedented progress has been made recently on Operation Warp Speed – the effort by the Defense Department, Health and Human Services, other federal agencies and private industry to develop a coronavirus vaccine, an HHS official said today.
• DOD Uses International Contacts to Help Allies, Partners Combat COVID-19 DoD News 09 Oct 2020 -- In January, when the first inklings of a new, dangerous virus in China was on the horizon, Defense Department personnel alerted a well-established and internationally-connected departmental team to be prepared for a pandemic, said Stephanie Hammond, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for stability and humanitarian affairs.
• Nations of the African Outbreak Response Alliance conclude series of virtual symposiums on healthcare, COVID19 response AFRICOM 09 Oct 2020 -- The 9th annual African Partnership Outbreak Response Alliance (APORA) conference, designed to support efforts to collectively respond to infectious disease outbreaks in Africa, concluded at the end of the third and final virtual seminar Oct. 7.
• Western Hemisphere Allies Work Together to Ensure Stability DoD News 09 Oct 2020 -- A sign outside an office in the Pentagon summarizes the feelings of the people inside the office: "The Western Hemisphere Is the Best Hemisphere."
• DOD Kicks Off World's Largest Dual-Use 5G Testing Effort DoD News 09 Oct 2020 -- Defense Department officials announced yesterday the awarding of $600 million in contracts to 15 prime contractors to perform testing and evaluation of 5G technologies at five military installations across the United States, said the acting undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.
• Chinese-US military dialogue channels open amid tensions, but US shows unwillingness to talk: source Global Times 09 Oct 2020 -- Communication channels between the Chinese and US militaries remain open despite tensions, the Global Times learned from source, but some experts warned of the possibility of a collapse due to the US' refusal to talk.
• Amid tank accident, president highlights new tank purchases CNA 09 Oct 2020 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (???) said Friday the military is planning the purchase of the most advanced tanks to speed up the pace at which it replaces old models while remembering a soldier killed in a tank accident in Kinmen County.
• Taiwan's military drills 'a futile cover-up show' against PLA operations Global Times 09 Oct 2020 -- The military on the island of Taiwan reportedly started on Friday a set of exercises off the coast where the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the mainland have been frequently conducting drills and patrols since mid-September. While analysts on the island claim the exercises were designed to counter those of the PLA, many recent events indicate weaknesses of the Taiwan military and mainland experts say Taiwan drills shall yield no significant changes to the overwhelming advantage the PLA has over it.
• Anti Radiation Missile (RUDRAM) India PIB 09 Oct 2020 -- New generation Anti Radiation Missile (RUDRAM) was successfully Flight tested today onto a radiation target located on Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile was launched from SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
• India Successfully Test-Fires Anti-Radiation Missiles to Target Enemy Radars Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- An Su-30 Mk1 fighter aircraft was used to test-fire a domestically developed new-generation anti-radiation missile (NGARM), RUDRAM, off the country's east coast. The missile has the ability to detect enemy radars on the ground and hit targets with pinpoint accuracy.
• Menendez, Reed on National Security Implications of Trump Administration's Rushed Sale of F-35 Jets to UAE Senate Foreign Relations Committee 09 Oct 2020 -- Senator Bob Menendez, (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today are calling on the Trump Administration to explain in detail how it will deal with specific national security risks inherent in the Administration's proposed sale of the F-35 aircraft to the United Arab Emirates.
• US Urges Turkey to 'Pull Back' S-400 Defence System Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- The United States calls on Turkey to pull back its S-400 air defence system and assist in the security of NATO's southern flank, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview on Friday.
• 'Out of Question': Turkey Denies Using Russian S-400 to Detect Greek Air Force F-16s Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- The allegation was made by American lawmakers, who used it to partially justify a call to introduce sanctions against Turkey over the acquisition of the air defence systems from Russia.
• Finland – F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft with Air-to-Air Missiles and Air-to-Ground Precision Guided Munitions DSCA 09 Oct 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft with air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground precision guided munitions and related equipment for an estimated cost of $12.5 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Finland – F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Aircraft and Weapons DSCA 09 Oct 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft and weapons and related equipment for an estimated cost of $14.7 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 9, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 9 October 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 09 Oct 2020
• UN World Food Programme wins 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, as hunger mounts UN News 09 Oct 2020 -- The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which provides lifesaving food assistance to millions across the world – often in extremely dangerous and hard-to-access conditions – has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
• World Food Program Wins Nobel Peace Prize for Efforts to Combat Hunger VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- The U.N. World Food Program has been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts in combating hunger and in recognition of its actions "to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict."
• PLA urges US to stop provocations after US ship's 'voyage hegemony' in South China Sea Global Times 09 Oct 2020 -- The USS John S. McCain entered waters of China's Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Friday without China's approval, and was warned and told to leave by the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, said Senior Colonel Zhang Nandong, a spokesperson for the command on Friday.
• China urges US military to stop provocations in South China Sea PLA Daily 09 Oct 2020 -- China urges the United States to immediately stop provocations, strictly manage and control its maritime and air military operations so as to avoid any eventuality, said Senior Colonel Zhang Nandong, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), in a written statement on Friday.
• Chinese Military Accuses US Destroyer of Approaching Paracel Islands Without Beijing's Consent Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- Beijing recently accused the US of being the main factor leading to the militarisation of the South China Sea – something that has also been condemned by Washington. Chinese authorities have argued that the US military's activities in the area undermine regional efforts to resolve territorial disputes.
• Armenia and Azerbaijan Agree to Cease-Fire in Nagorno-Karabakh VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to a cease-fire in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region beginning at noon Saturday.
• UN Rights Chief Calls for 'Urgent Cease-Fire' in Nagorno-Karabakh VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for an "urgent cease-fire" in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region Friday as nearly two weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan has taken a heavy toll on civilians.
• Nagorno-Karabakh: UN rights chief calls for urgent ceasefire as hostilities mount UN News 09 Oct 2020 -- Amid escalating hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights appealed on Friday for an urgent ceasefire and for greater protection to be given to those caught up in the violence.
• Russia hosts Armenia-Azerbaijan talks on Nagorno-Karabakh Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and his Azeri counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, have met in Russia's capital, Moscow, for the first time since the eruption of the deadliest fighting between Armenian and Azeri troops in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in more than two decades.
• Nagorno-Karabakh truce efforts bound to fail unless Armenia withdraws: Turkey Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- Turkey says efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh are bound to fail unless a withdrawal of Armenian forces from the territory is ensured.
• Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to attend peace talks on Karabakh: Russia Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- Russia says Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to attend peace talks in Moscow amid fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Drone Wars: In Nagorno-Karabakh, The Future Of Warfare Is Now RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Out of the sky, whirring its distinctively terrifying buzz, a drone zipped over the arid landscape as soldiers fired rifles at it and then slammed into a small bus, sending up a fiery plume.
• Azerbaijan's Aliyev Warns Moscow Talks 'Last Chance' For Armenia RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says he is giving Armenia a "last chance" to resolve a conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh as his country will reclaim the territory "either via peace or by war."
• Russian Prime Minister Mishustin Says Moscow Ready to Assist Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis Settlement Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- Both Armenia and Azerbaijan previously confirmed their readiness to engage in negotiations that are expected to take place in Moscow later on Friday.
• Serbian Officials Double Down On Ethnic Insult, Stoking Tensions With Albanians RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Serbia and its neighbors Kosovo and Albania have descended into a bitter diplomatic ruckus after officials in Belgrade invoked a slur against ethnic Albanians and spoke degradingly of efforts to find the remains of victims of internecine Balkan conflict two decades ago.
• Satellite Images Allegedly Depict New Chinese PLA Barracks Near India-Nepal-China Trijunction Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- As India's ties with Nepal deteriorate over the latter issuing a map claiming territories contested by New Delhi, the Indian and Chinese armies continue to face-off in Ladakh, the heart of the heightened tensions. China has reportedly been amassing troops and heavy artillery in the area since a mid-June clash that left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
• Attack on a UN World Food Program Convoy in South Sudan US Dept. of State 09 Oct 2020 -- The United States is deeply concerned by the attack on a United Nations World Food Program (WFP) humanitarian cargo convoy in South Sudan this week.
• More than 50,000 Flee New Armed Attacks in Eastern DR Congo VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- The U.N. refugee agency is racing to help tens of thousands of Congolese forced to flee a recent upsurge of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• In Cameroon's Anglophone Regions, Some Schools Reopen After 4-Year Closure VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- Civilians in Cameroon's restive English-speaking regions have braved separatists' threats and reopened close to 140 of about 475 schools closed by fighters in the last four years.
• COVID-19 Lockdown Protects Philippine Muslim Enclave Against Rebel Violence VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- A Philippine city hollowed out by civil war is under a COVID-19 lockdown through the end of this month, a move that has inadvertently added security in a region where new rebel violence can flare up anytime, observers say.

News Reports

• 13 charged in plots against Michigan Governor Whitmer, government Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation has thwarted a plot by militia members to kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, arresting thirteen people.
• Pelosi Introduces 25th Amendment Measure After Questioning Trump's Fitness to Serve VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin unveiled legislation Friday to create a commission that would be empowered by the Constitution's 25th Amendment to act in concert with the Vice President Mike Pence to strip the president of his duties.
• The Week In Russia: Tough Tests In The 'Near Abroad' RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- In 2016, President Vladimir Putin said that "Russia's borders don't end anywhere."
• Russia slams EU for 'acting as judge, jury' in Navalny case Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has slammed the European Union (EU) for "acting as judge and jury" in the case of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who is alleged to have been poisoned.
• Denmark Supports EU Sanctions Against Moscow Over Navalny Poisoning RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Denmark says it will join European Union (EU) sanctions to be imposed against Russia over the poisoning of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny with a chemical agent from the Soviet-style Novichok group.
• Singaporean National Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Acting in the United States As an Illegal Agent of Chinese Intelligence US Dept. of Justice 09 Oct 2020 -- Jun Wei Yeo, also known as Dickson Yeo, was sentenced today in federal court to 14 months in prison. Yeo pled guilty on July 24, 2020 to acting within the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign power without first notifying the Attorney General, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 951.
• China Sets Economic Strategy for Next Five Years Radio Free Asia 09 Oct 2020 -- While analysts puzzle over the meaning of China's latest economic slogan, the government appears poised to adopt President Xi Jinping's "dual circulation" strategy as its guiding principle for the next five years.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on October 9, 2020 PRC MofA 09 Oct 2020
• US Mulls Curbs on China's WeChat Pay, Alipay Platforms: Report Radio Free Asia 09 Oct 2020 -- The United States is looking at possible restrictions on two Chinese-owned digital payment platforms, amid national security concerns, according to recent media reports.
• Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon join in reconstruction efforts of Beirut Port PLA Daily 09 Oct 2020 -- After a week of continuous work, peacekeepers from China, France, Italy, Spain and Cambodia have completed the demolition of all damaged buildings and the recovery of usable materials in the Beirut Port. At the same time, tasks of cleaning up and searching for collapsed historical monuments and cultural relics in downtown Beirut City have also been completed.
• Chinese military planes enter Taiwan's ADIZ on eve of national day CNA 09 Oct 2020 -- Two Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday, a day before the country marks its Double Ten National Day.
• Taiwan Pulls Out of Tourism Trade Event Over Name Change Radio Free Asia 09 Oct 2020 -- Taiwan's Tourism Bureau has withdrawn from an international trade trade show after the host organization changed its name on the official website without prior notification.
• WPK Defending Destiny of People KCNA 09 Oct 2020 -- New houses have been built in disaster areas of the DPRK.
• North Korea Might Unveil October Surprise During Parade for Party's 75th Anniversary Radio Free Asia 09 Oct 2020 -- As North Korea finishes preparations for a massive military parade to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Oct. 10, 1945 founding of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, experts expect the reclusive country will showcase vaunted "new strategic weapons" in what could be a signal to the United States ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election.
• Iran, Russia discuss JCPOA IRNA 09 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali and the Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov late on Friday reviewed the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Envoy: Extra sanctions on Iran, great disgrace for US IRNA 09 Oct 2020 -- Iranian Ambassador to France Bahram Qasemi in a message described sanctioning 18 Iranian banks by the US as a kind of sadism, saying this crime will bring more disgrace for US prestige and foreign policy.
• US policy of sanctions will fail again: Spox IRNA 09 Oct 2020 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh in a tweet late on Thursday slammed the US new sanctions on 18 other Iranian banks and financial institutes, stressing that they will fail once again.
• CBI chief condemns US imposition of sanctions on Iranian banks IRNA 09 Oct 2020 -- Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnasser Hemmati blasted imposing sanctions on the Iranian banks, and said that some of the sanctioned banks were handling imports of food and medicine and worked with foreign banks which still hold all the necessary waivers from the US government.
• New US sanctions on Iran 'terrorist, cruel' effort to prevent medicine, food purchases amid COVID-19: Rouhani Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says new sanctions imposed by the United States on the Iranian banking sector amount to an effort of a 'terrorist, cruel and inhumane' nature aimed at putting major obstacles to fund transfers for the purchase of medicine and food amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• US pressure campaign against Iran 'example of state terrorism': Envoy to UN Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- The Iranian envoy to the United Nations (UN) has lambasted the so-called US maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic as an "example of state terrorism" aimed at creating suffering and social unrest in the country.
• U.S. imposes sweeping sanctions on Iran's financial sector People's Daily 09 Oct 2020 -- The United States on Thursday announced sweeping sanctions on 18 Iranian banks, redoubling its maximum pressure campaign by crushing the financial sector of Iran's economy.
• Kyrgyzstan declares state of emergency in capital amid political chaos Press TV 09 Oct 2020 -- Kyrgyzstan's President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bishkek, and ordered the deployment of troops to the streets amid clashes between the supporters of rival political groups.
• Kyrgyz Lawmakers Plan Vote On New Prime Minister Under State Of Emergency RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan have told RFE/RL that members of parliament will gather on October 10 at the Kyrgyz presidential residence outside of Bishkek to discuss embattled President Sooronbai Jeenbekov's call for a state of emergency and to vote on a new prime minister.
• Four Kyrgyz Opposition Political Parties Propose Single Candidate for Prime Minister Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- Four Kyrgyz opposition political parties — Respublika (Republic), Ata Meken (Fatherland), Bir Bol (Unity), and Reforma (Reform) — have jointly nominated one more candidate for the country's prime minister, Omurbek Babanov, according to opposition politician Tilek Toktogaziev, a member of Ata Meken.
• Kyrgyz President Jeenbekov Says Ready to Step Down After Law, Order Restored in Country Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov has expressed readiness to leave his post after the appointment of new heads of executive bodies and the country's return to the legal order.
• Rapid Change in Kyrgyzstan May Escalate Belarusian Protest Tactics VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- The effort to unseat autocratic Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko may be heading for a new phase.
• Belarus Postpones Launch Of Nuclear Plant Near Lithuania To 2022 RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Belarus says it has postponed the full launch of the first reactor at its Astravets nuclear power plant by two years to 2022.
• Suburban Chicago Businessman Charged with Illegally Exporting Arms to Ukraine US Dept. of Justice 09 Oct 2020 -- A suburban Chicago businessman has been indicted on federal criminal charges for allegedly illegally exporting gun parts and other defense articles from the United States to a company in Ukraine.
• Poll Shows Strong Trust in Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar Heartland Radio Free Asia 09 Oct 2020 -- As Myanmar's general election campaign enters its final month, a survey released this week shows a year-on-year nine-point increase in public trust in leader Aung San Suu Kyi, while in war-torn ethnic minority regions not captured in the poll, experts say support has dropped over her fruitless peace process.
• Protests More Effective in Cambodia Than Politically Influenced Trials: Rights Group, Lawyers Radio Free Asia 09 Oct 2020 -- Cambodians take to the streets in protest because their country's justice system lacks independence from the government, according a rights group and defense lawyers, despite claims by officials that the demonstrations are illegal attempts at "putting pressure on the courts."
• In Unprecedented Lawsuits, Former Uzbek Political Prisoners Seek Compensation From Tashkent RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Two former political prisoners in Uzbekistan are demanding financial compensation from the government over "unjust convictions" and the suffering they endured in the country's notorious Jaslyk Prison.
• Turkmen President Replaces Several Officials, Regional Judges, Prosecutors RFE/RL 09 Oct 2020 -- Turkmenistan's authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has replaced several officials, regional judges, and prosecutors.
• The United States Sanctions the Chief Prosecutor, Another Member of Ortega's Inner Circle, and Another Entity US Dept. of State 09 Oct 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Government imposed sanctions on Ana Julia Guido Ochoa (Guido), Paul Oquist Kelley (Oquist), and Caja Rural Nacional (Caruna), pursuant to Executive Order 13851 ("Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Nicaragua").
• Treasury Sanctions Nicaraguan Financial Institution and Officials Supporting Ortega Regime US Treasury 09 Oct 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Nicaraguan financial institution Cooperativa De Ahorro Y Credito Caja Rural Nacional RL, as well as Attorney General Ana Julia Guido De Romero and Secretary of the Presidency Paul Herbert Oquist Kelley, in an effort to target key financial operations and government officials that continue to undermine Nicaragua's democracy.
• Venezuela's Assembly OKs Law Giving Maduro Authority to Skirt US Sanctions VOA 09 Oct 2020 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is a step closer to wielding new authority that will enable him to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
• Ex-Lebanese PM Hariri Accuses Hezbollah of Disrupting Formation of New Government Sputnik 09 Oct 2020 -- Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has accused the Shia Islamist political parties, Hezbollah and Amal Movement, of frustrating the French initiative to get the country out of the political and economic crisis by forming a new government.