Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Two roadside bomb attacks target US convoys in southern Iraq Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- Two roadside bomb attacks have hit convoys of logistic vehicles belonging to the so-called US military coalition in Iraq, which is purportedly fighting the Daesh terrorist group in the Arab country.
• Undermining The Taliban? Kabul Tries To Bolster Its Religious Credentials RFE/RL Gandhara 21 Jan 2021 -- Afghanistan's government has been fighting the Taliban militarily for many years, but Kabul is increasingly waging an ideological battle with the Islamist group.

Defense Policy / Programs

• ODNI Welcomes Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence Director of National Intelligence 21 Jan 2021 -- Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines today took the oath of office to serve as the seventh DNI in our nation's history. Haines is the first woman to lead the U.S. Intelligence Community.
• Statement by John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, on New START DoD 21 Jan 2021 -- "President Biden's decision to seek a five-year extension of New START advances the nation's defense. Russia's compliance with the treaty has served our national security interests well, and Americans are much safer with New START intact and extended."
• Biden seeks 5-year extension of New START arms treaty with Russia: Sources Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- US President Joe Biden plans to extend a key nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia for another five years, according to the White House.
• White House Confirms Biden Will Seek 5-Year Extension of New START Treaty With Russia Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- The only nuclear arms control regime in effect between the two countries expires on February 5, but can be prolonged for another half a decade.
• US to Offer Russia 5-year Extension on Nuclear Treaty VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- The new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is planning to offer Russia a five-year extension of a nuclear arms treaty that is set to expire February 5, U.S. officials said Thursday.
• Key Pieces of Biden's National Security Team Moving into Place VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- One critical piece of U.S. President Joe Biden's national security team came into place Thursday, while the White House and top lawmakers pushed for the swift confirmation of more key nominees to help take on growing international challenges.
• Pentagon Won't Force US Troops to Take COVID-19 Vaccine VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- The U.S. military has so far kept its coronavirus numbers relatively low, thanks in part to strict discipline and the ability to easily enforce social distancing rules. However, as the Pentagon rolls out COVID-19 vaccines at its bases around the world, it is dealing with the challenge of how to convince service members to voluntarily take the vaccine.
• DOD Responds to COVID-19 in Navajo Nation DoD News 21 Jan 2021 -- At the request of the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 12 Navy personnel deployed to the Navajo Nation reservation in New Mexico and Arizona to provide support to the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico. The medical personnel have been working side-by-side with civilian and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps health care providers to help treat COVID-19 patients.
• DOD Incorporating AI Ethics Into Systems Engineering, Official Says DoD News 21 Jan 2021 -- Artificial intelligence is one of the Defense Department's top technology modernization priorities.
• Marine-Naval integration continues: US Marines return from USNS Burlington deployment USMC News 21 Jan 2021 -- A team of U.S. Marines completed a three-month deployment at sea serving as an embarked security team aboard the Spearhead-class USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) and returned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia, December 28.
• USNS Trenton, Tunisian Navy Exercise Maritime Security Capabilities US Navy 21 Jan 2021 -- Military Sealift Command Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Trenton (T-EPF 5) and Tunisian Navy partners conducted joint maritime operations to enhance maritime security, critical lifesaving capabilities, and Tunisia's ability to protect its maritime borders, Jan. 18-21, 2021.
• Naval Aviation Expands Readiness Cell to Include MH6-60R/S Helicopters US Navy 21 Jan 2021 -- AIRPAC and AIRLANT expand scope of Aviation Maintenance Operation Center to include MH-60R/S Knighthawk helicopters.
• FC-31 stealth fighter, GJ-11 stealth drone star in poster for Chinese defense firm Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- China's FC-31 stealth fighter jet and GJ-11 stealth armed reconnaissance drone have again attracted enthusiasm among Chinese netizens after being featured in a new poster for a state-owned defense company.
• PLA builds renewable power grids for border defense outposts in plateau, islands Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has built newly developed micro-power grid systems for more than 80 border defense outposts in remote plateau regions and islands, and troops stationed at these posts are using stable, reliable and renewable solar and wind energy sources in addition to diesel oil and battery storage, ensuring their combat capabilities, analysts said on Thursday.
• Training for Joint Operation in Andaman Sea: Exercise Kavach India PIB 21 Jan 2021 -- A large scale Joint Militaryexercise 'Exercise Kavach' involving assets ofIndian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard is being conducted in the coming week under the aegis of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the only Joint Forces Command of the country.
• Indian Army Signs MoU with SIDM on Indigenisation and Innovation Partnership India PIB 21 Jan 2021 -- An MoU between the Indian Army & Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) was signed on 21 January 2021 to provide further impetus to indigenisation under the Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and to achieve strategic independence by reducing dependence on foreign origin equipment.
• India Successfully Test-Fires 125 Kg Glide Bombs From Domestic Combat Jet Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- India's Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) is a long-range stand-off precision air-to-surface munition which can also engage ground targets in adverse weather conditions. Currently, the Indian Armed Forces are importing such equipment from Israel and Russia.
• £102-million investment in detect and destroy system for British Army UK MOD 21 Jan 2021 -- The British Army has invested £102-million in a high-end surveillance system which allows frontline soldiers to detect and engage enemy targets in seconds.
• UAE signs deal with US to buy fighter jets, drones just before Biden's inauguration Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed an agreement with the United States to purchase a sizable number of fighter jets and armed drones, with reports saying the deal was inked just before the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, who has said he will review pacts finalized during his predecessor's tenure.
• UAE Signed Deal to Buy US F-35s Just One Hour Before Biden Was Sworn In as POTUS - Report Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- US President Joe Biden has pledged to end US support for the war in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition that includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whose Western-bought weapons have been spotted in the hands of Yemeni militias, including Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
• Submarine escape, rescue and abandonment system contract termination Australia DOD 21 Jan 2021 -- In April 2018, following an open tender process, Phoenix International Australia was selected to deliver a deployable submarine rescue system for use with both the Collins and Attack class submarine fleets.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, January 21, 2021 The White House 21 Jan 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 21, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 21 January 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Jan 2021
• China Reclaims Land, Fortifies Coast of South China Sea Island Base to Prevent Erosion Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- China has reclaimed more land on Woody Island, its main outpost in the northern part of the South China Sea, and is fortifying the island's coast against erosion, according to new satellite imagery and Chinese government documents seen by Radio Free Asia.
• Ansarulllah designation as terrorist org. indicates US opposition to peace in Yemen: Officials Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- A number of high-ranking officials in Yemen's National Salvation Government have censured the administration of former US President Donald Trump over designating the Houthi Ansarullah movement as a foreign terrorist organization, saying the move clearly shows that Washington is not after establishment of peace and stability in the war-torn country.
• US military transfers hundreds of troops from Iraq to Syria's Hasakah: Report Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- As part of Washington's attempts to wrest further control over oil reserves in Syria and plunder natural resources there, the US military has reportedly transferred hundreds of troops from Iraq to Syria's energy-rich northeastern province of Hasakah.
• Senior panel probing violations in Syria, examining new measures to safeguard humanitarians UN News 21 Jan 2021 -- The UN chief announced on Thursday that he has set up an independent Senior Advisory Panel on strengthening the mechanism whereby humanitarian workers and sites are better protected from attack in Syria, according to a statement released by his spokesperson.
• Islamic State Claims Suicide Attack on Iraqi Capital VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Islamic State has claimed responsibility for two suicide bombers who attacked a market in Iraq's capital Thursday, killing at least 32 people and wounding 110 others.
• Dozens Killed, Wounded in Twin Baghdad Suicide Bombings VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Iraqi authorities say two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a used clothing market in Baghdad's Air Force Square, killing at least 35 people and wounding over 100. Jihadists are being accused of having been behind the bombings, the first major such incidents in the Iraqi capital in the past 18 months.
• Bomb attacks leave many casualties in Iraqi capital Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- At least 28 people have been killed and many others wounded in two terrorist attacks in a crowded market in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, police and medical sources say.
• Terrorist Attacks in Baghdad US Dept. of State 21 Jan 2021
• Iraq: UN chief condemns 'horrific' double suicide bombing at Baghdad market UN News 21 Jan 2021 -- Perpetrators behind twin deadly suicide bombings at a busy market in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Thursday must be prosecuted, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement strongly condemning the attacks.
• Joint Statement on the Situation in Libya US Dept. of State 21 Jan 2021 -- The following joint statement was issued by the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
• UK joint statement on progress made by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum UK FCDO 21 Jan 2021 -- The Governments of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States respond to recent progress made by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.
• Myanmar Demands Bangladesh Repatriate Hundreds of Hindu Rohingya Refugees Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- Myanmar has called on Bangladesh to repatriate more than 400 Hindu refugees who were among the 2017 exodus of 740,000 Rohingya fleeing a brutal army campaign in Rakhine state, a spokesman of Naypyidaw's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told RFA.
• Indonesia Urges Myanmar to Create Safe Conditions for Rohingya Repatriation Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- Indonesia on Thursday emphasized the need for Myanmar to create safe conditions in Rakhine state for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as Southeast Asian foreign ministers met and expressed support for the repatriation plan.
• Four Pakistani Soldiers Killed In Bomb Blast, Officials Say RFE/RL Gandhara 21 Jan 2021 -- At least four members of Pakistan's paramilitary corps have been killed and five wounded in a bomb blast in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, officials say.
• France pressed to investigate its massacre in Mali Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- Human Rights Watch urges France to fully and impartially investigate reported loss of 19 civilian lives after its airstrikes targeted, what locals have identified as, a wedding ceremony in east-central Mali in early January.
• European Court Says Russia Committed Rights Violations After War With Georgia RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has concluded that Russia committed rights violations -- including torture and preventing people from returning to their homes -- after a five-day war with Georgia in 2008, a ruling the Caucasus nation immediately hailed as a victory.
• UN Calls Attention to Sexual Violence in Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- The United Nations is urging a "zero tolerance" policy for crimes of sexual violence in Ethiopia's troubled Tigray region.
• The need for all actors to engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue in the Central African Republic UK FCDO 21 Jan 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen at Security Council briefing on the Central African Republic
• Central African Republic: UN mission chief appeals for more peacekeepers UN News 21 Jan 2021 -- The top UN official in the Central African Republic (CAR) appealed to the Security Council on Thursday for more peacekeepers and equipment amid escalating violence surrounding elections last month.
• UN: More Peacekeepers Needed in Central African Republic VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- The United Nations' top diplomat in the Central African Republic said Thursday that significantly more peacekeepers are needed to quell election-related violence that has caused nearly 60,000 people to flee the country.

News Reports

• Kissinger Center at Johns Hopkins SAIS announces Janne Nolan Prize winners for Best Article on National Security/International Affairs SAIS - JHU 21 Jan 2021 -- The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is proud to announce, in conjunction with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Texas National Security Review, the 2020 Janne Nolan Prize winners for the best article on national security/international affairs.
• World Leaders Congratulate Biden, Praise Shared Policy Agenda VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- World leaders have congratulated Joe Biden following his inauguration Wednesday as the 46th U.S. president. Many allies also offered warm words for Kamala Harris as she became the first woman to serve as vice president.
• Tightly Controlled Turkmen Media Don't Mention Biden Inauguration RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- The inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington was watched and followed in countries around the world. But not in Turkmenistan.
• Biden Instructs Intelligence Agencies to Study Reports of 'Russian Hackers', US Soldier Bounties Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden took place on January 20 and marks the start of the four-year term of Biden as the 46th president of the United States and Kamala Harris as vice president. Since being inaugurated, Biden has already signed a series of executive orders to undo US President Donald Trump's legacy.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, January 21, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 21 Jan 2021
• Russia Cracks Down On Navalny Allies Ahead Of Protests RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- Russian officials have stepped up their campaign against jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, rounding up his associates and warning social media and news networks against spreading information about nationwide protest this weekend.
• Lithuanian FM Calls For Further Russia Sanctions Over Navalny 'Mock Trial' RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has reiterated his call for the European Union to impose further sanctions on Russia following the arrest of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and said the bloc should scrap consideration of a trip by foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to Moscow next month.
• Russian Prosecutors Send Another Request to Germany Regarding Navalny Hospitalisation Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- The office of Russia's prosecutor general said on Thursday it had sent a new request to Germany for legal assistance concerning the hospitalisation of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, and accused Berlin of concealing the true circumstances.
• Russia Urges Social Networks To Stop Promotion Of 'Illegal' Protests To Youth RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- Russia's telecommunications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has urged social-media networks, including the video-sharing app TikTok, to stop the spreading of posts by users that call on Russia's youth to take part in "illegal" public gatherings, such as one planned for this weekend to support Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
• EU Lawmakers Demand Halt To Nord Stream 2 Over Navalny Arrest RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling on the European Union to "immediately" stop completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to take Russian natural gas to Germany in response to the weekend arrest of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on January 21, 2021 PRC MofA 21 Jan 2021
• Biden Administration Criticizes China Sanctions on Former Trump Officials VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- The Biden administration has criticized China's decision to impose sanctions on Trump administration officials Wednesday just minutes after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.
• Taiwan affairs office supports sanction on US politicians; Xinjiang conference 'hammers last nail' into coffin of 'poisonous legacy' of Pompeo Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- The Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council and the government of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions lammed former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over bad behavior on the Taiwan question and his smear against Xinjiang, as China announced sanctions on 28 anti-China US politicians on Wednesday night, including Pompeo.
• Beijing sanctions Pompeo, other anti-China hawks, sets 'bottom line' on bilateral ties Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Minutes after Wednesday noon in Washington as Joe Biden was being sworn in as 46th US president, China's Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on 28 anti-China politicians under the former president including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo in a move that was characterized by Chinese experts as a well-timed and vigorous demonstration of Beijing's bottom line in the fightback against anti-China forces.
• Update: China, US deserve a better future, must fix bilateral ties: Chinese FM Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Over the past few years, there had been too many obstacles put up in the China-US relationship, with many bridges burned down and roads damaged, while US President Joe Biden has called for unity and healing which are greatly needed for China-US ties, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a routine press conference on Thursday.
• China, US should have courage to fix bilateral ties: Chinese FM spokesperson on Biden inauguration Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Good angels in China-US relations can defeat evil forces, Chinese FM spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Biden Inauguration. China and US had experienced a very difficult time in the past, and the two sides indeed deserve a better future, so we wish Biden a successful presidency, Hua noted.
• China slaps sanctions on 28 Trump administration officials, including Pompeo Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- China has slapped sanctions on 28 Americans who worked in the administration of former president Donald Trump, including ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, for violating Chinese sovereignty and interfering in the country's internal affairs.
• China Calls For Better Ties With US as Biden Begins Presidency Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- China on Thursday called for improved ties with the United States as it congratulated President Joe Biden on his inauguration and welcomed his decision to rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Turkey-based Relatives of Uyghur Detainees Pause Protests After Chinese Consulate Accepts Demands Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- A group of Turkey-based Uyghurs have suspended daily protests in front of China's consulate in Istanbul after consular officials agreed to accept documentation of their family members held in internment camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) at the behest of the mayor, group members said.
• China Includes State Journalists' Social Media Posts in Vetting Process Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- As part of an annual vetting and review process targeting journalists in state-owned and approved media organizations, Chinese journalists will have their social media posts included in their press card renewal process.
• Pompeo makes himself 'doomsday clown' lying about Xinjiang Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- "A joke of the century," "a doomsday clown," "Mr. Liar," and "Secretary of Crimes" … all these words have been given to the "worst-ever Secretary of State" Mike Pompeo by Chinese and overseas officials, scholars and netizens, and on his last day, Pompeo made the final crazy move by groundlessly accusing China and the Communist Party of China of carrying out "genocide" in its Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
• New Hong Kong Bar Chair Vows to 'Protect the Independence of the Judiciary' Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- Hong Kong's Bar Association elected veteran human rights barrister Paul Harris as its new chairman Thursday to replace Phillip Dykes, who had been in the position since 2018.
• HK electoral reform inevitable, with policymakers suggesting a political scrutiny mechanism for candidacy Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Though the ongoing session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee has not included Hong Kong-related issues on its agenda, reform of the city's electoral process has been widely discussed among Hong Kong delegates to the NPC, policy advisors and experts on Hong Kong affairs, and some suggest the need to set up a political scrutiny mechanism to make sure 'those who rule Hong Kong are patriotic.'
• China releases regulations on management of Chang'e-5 lunar samples People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- The China National Space Administration (CNSA) rolled out on Monday regulations on the management of lunar samples brought back to Earth by the country's Chang'e-5 moon probe, which is an important manifestation of China's efforts to carry out practical international cooperation and exchanges on studying the samples.
• President congratulates Biden on inauguration, reaffirms partnership CNA 21 Jan 2021 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Thursday congratulated the newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their election victories and reaffirmed Taiwan's willingness to work with the new U.S. administration.
• Taiwan Officially Represented at US Presidential Inauguration for First Time Since 1979 Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- Taiwanese envoy to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim was present during President Joe Biden's Wednesday inauguration ceremony, marking Taiwan's first formal representation in Washington since the US severed diplomatic ties with Taipei over 40 years ago.
• Israeli regime signals snubbing US if it rejoins Iran deal: TV report Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- A new report cites a "very senior Israeli official" as saying that the occupying regime would start snubbing the US if it reentered a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that was ditched by the previous American administration.
• Iran's Zarif: Unlawful US sanctions dealt blow to multilateralism Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has once again slammed the US for turning its back on its obligations under the 2015 nuclear agreement, saying Washington has profoundly undermined multilateralism by imposing unlawful sanctions on others.
• Europe Rights Court Finds Numerous Abuses During Ukraine's Maidan Protests RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has concluded that Ukrainian authorities committed a series of human rights violations during the pro-European Maidan protests in late 2013 and early 2014 that ousted Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych.
• Victims Demand Tougher Punishment For Cambodian Police Convicted of Torture, Murder in Detention Radio Free Asia 21 Jan 2021 -- Four villagers who were tortured by police in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province and the widow of a fifth man who died of his injuries have demanded tougher punishments for two military police officers who were sentenced to between four and seven years in prison for torture and murder in detention.
• North Macedonia Lawmakers Vote To Hold First Census In Nearly 20 Years RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- North Macedonia's lawmakers have passed a bill that could pave the way for the Balkan country to hold this spring its first census in almost 20 years.
• Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan Finally Reach Deal On Lucrative Caspian Sea Energy Field RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have reached a preliminary agreement on the joint exploration of a once-disputed section of an undersea hydrocarbons field in the Caspian Sea believed to hold lucrative energy reserves.
• Ugandan Authorities: Wine Detention Is for His Protection; Lawyer Argues Otherwise VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Lawyers representing Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, have asked a court to order his release from a weeklong de facto house arrest.
• Burkina Faso's National Reconciliation No Easy Path VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Burkina Faso's reelected President Roch Kabore has appointed a minister for national reconciliation as part of a vow to end the country's ethnic and political conflicts that are fueling terrorism. However, resolving deep-rooted tensions over land and power between the ruling ethnic Mossi and the ethnic Fulani, who are often labeled as terrorists, will not be easy.
• Thailand Charges Opposition Figure with Defaming King VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Billionaire Thai pro-democracy champion Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit on Wednesday evening defended his questioning of a vaccine company owned by the king after he was hit Wednesday with a wave of charges for royal defamation.