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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US: All Options on Table for Decision on Afghan Military Mission VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- The United States says no decision has been made about its military commitment to Afghanistan after May 1, a deadline for the remaining 2,500 U.S. troops to withdraw from the country in line with a year-old peace pact with the Taliban insurgency.
• All Options for US Troops in Afghanistan 'Remain on the Table', State Department Says Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- Last month, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin assured NATO allies that the US would not withdraw from Afghanistan in a hasty or disorderly manner.
• US says 'all options on table' for Afghanistan, no decision on troop withdrawal by May deadline Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- The US government has said "no decisions" have been made regarding the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan by a May 1 deadline it has negotiated with the Taliban, adding "all options are on the table."
• Blinken Reportedly Sets Out Plan To Revitalize Afghan Peace Talks RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has set out a series of steps to reinvigorate the stalled peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban, according to media reports.
• Opposition, Skepticism Cloud New U.S. Proposal For Afghan Peace RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Mar 2021 -- A new proposal by the United States for reinvigorating the fledgling peace process in Afghanistan faces strong opposition from the Afghan government as independent experts cast doubt over the prospects of its success.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Daniel Inouye US Navy Press Release 08 Mar 2021 -- The Navy accepted delivery of the guided-missile destroyer future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) from shipbuilder General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, March 8.
• Mannheim APS-2 site receives next-generation self-propelled artillery systems Army News 08 Mar 2021 -- The 405th Army Field Support Brigade's Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim received about three dozen next-generation M109A7 Paladin Artillery Systems and M992A3 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicles by railhead at Coleman Barracks, March 4.
• Pentagon Promises ARRW Hypersonic Missile Will Make First Flight Within 30 Days Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- As the US struggles to bring its first hypersonic missile online, Russia is preparing to test what may be its fourth such weapon, and China already has its own hypersonic missiles ready for deployment.
• Israeli fighter jets escort US B-52 bombers in new inroad in Mideast Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Israeli F-15 fighter jets have accompanied two US B-52 bombers as they passed over the occupied Palestinian territories in the latest flexing of military muscle in the Middle East.
• US, South Korea Taking 'Final Steps' on Troop Basing Deal VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- A deal to maintain U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula is closer to completion, easing tensions between the United States and South Korea, which rose after the previous deal expired in 2019.
• U.S., South Korea reach agreement on defense cost-sharing People's Daily 08 Mar 2021 -- The United States and South Korea reached an agreement on defense cost-sharing with increased contribution from South Korea, U.S. State Department said on Sunday.
• US, South Korea reach cost-sharing agreement on American troops Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- The United States and South Korea have reached a cost-sharing agreement for American troops stationed in the East Asian country, including an increase in Seoul's share of the expenses.
• Seoul Urges Pyongyang to Have 'Wise' Reaction to US-S. Korea Military Drill, Ministry Says Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- South Korea hopes that North Korea will demonstrate a wise and flexible attitude toward Seoul's joint military exercises with the United States, which begins on Monday in the format of computer-simulated combined command post-training, the country's unification ministry said.
• South Korea to Increase Contribution to Cost of US Troop Presence Under New Deal, State Dept Says Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- The talks about the costs had stopped during Trump's presidency due to the administration's demand that Seoul pay five times what it had previously paid. The new agreement will allow for a "meaningful increase" in South Korea's contribution and last until 2025.
• China's Month of Military Exercises Answers Growing Naval Pressure from West VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- China is holding a month of military exercises in a contested sea to show Western powers they can't control the sensitive waterway and that other Asian maritime claimants should avoid relying on U.S. help in the sovereignty dispute, analysts in the region say.
• Air-defense system ready for global sales People's Daily 08 Mar 2021 -- China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the country's top missile maker, has brought a new high-mobility air-defense missile system to the international market.
• China's annual defense budget in 2021 will increase by 6.8% PLA Daily 08 Mar 2021 -- In 2021, China's defense expenditure will continue to maintain a moderate and steady growth with an increase of 6.8% over the previous year, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Delegation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Chinese People's Armed Police (PAP) Force to the 4th session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), in an interview with the press today.
• Type 055 destroyer Lhasa makes public debut in Qingdao PLA Daily 08 Mar 2021 -- A 10,000-ton-class Type 055 guided-missile destroyer named after Lhasa, the capital of Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, recently made its debut at a military harbor in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province.
• 36th Chinese naval escort taskforce returns from missions PLA Daily 08 Mar 2021 -- The 36th escort taskforce of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy returned to Qingdao on March 5 after successfully completing the escort missions in the Gulf of Aden, multinational naval exercise "Peace-21" and China-Singapore joint naval drill. A welcome ceremony was held at a military harbor in Qingdao by the navy of the PLA Northern Theater Command.
• China announces steady and appropriate growth of 2021 defense budget: spokesperson Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- China's defense budget growth for 2021 is steady and appropriate after last year's positive economic growth when China broke free from the burden of the COVID-19 outbreak, a Chinese military spokesperson said on Sunday.
• DEFENCE BUDGET India PIB 08 Mar 2021 -- Details of total projections and allocations made to Armed Forces {Army, Navy (including Jt. Staff), and Air Force} covering both Revenue (Net) and Capital Heads are as under:-
• GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON MILITARY MODERNISATION India PIB 08 Mar 2021 -- Modernisation of Armed Forces is a systematic process carried out as per the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)/ Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP).
• BEL pays Rs 174.43 crore interim dividend to Government India PIB 08 Mar 2021 -- Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has paid interim dividend of 140 per cent on its paid-up capital to the Government for financial year (FY) 2020-21.
• Navy chief vows 'crushing response' to any threat to Iran IRNA 08 Mar 2021 -- Iranian Army Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said on Monday that the powerful presence of Navy forces of both Army and the IRGC has deterred any aggression by the foes, as they know that any threat would receive a crushing response.
• First indigenous hovercraft to join Iran's Navy next year: Rear Admiral Khanzadi Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Iran's Navy commander says the first indigenous hovercraft is slated to join the country's naval fleet next year.
• Saudi Royal Air Force Participates in Desert Flag Exercises 2021 in Al Dhafra Air Base SPA 08 Mar 2021 -- The joint military exercise Desert Flag 2021 kicked off today at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the participation of the Saudi Royal Air Force and air forces of number of participating countries.
• Saudi 515-SA Fighters, US Strategic B52 Bombers Conduct Bilateral Exercise SPA 08 Mar 2021 -- The Royal Saudi Air Forces and the US Air Force have conducted a bilateral exercise on Sunday, as Saudi F15 SA fighters and US strategic B52 bombers have taken part in.
• Department Press Briefing – March 8, 2021 US Dept. of State 08 Mar 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Co-Chair of the Gender Policy Council and Chief of Staff to the First Lady Julissa Reynoso, and Co-Chair and Executive Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein, March 8, 2021 The White House 08 Mar 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 8, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 8 March 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Mar 2021
• Yemen: UN migration agency calls for urgent humanitarian access after 'horrific' fire UN News 08 Mar 2021 -- The UN migration agency (IOM) on Monday called for "urgent humanitarian access" to an overcrowded migrant detention centre in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, where a deadly fire reportedly led to multiple deaths at the facility at the weekend.
• Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes on rebel sites in Yemen's capital Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- The Saudi-led coalition on Sunday launched a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled military sites in Yemen's capital Sanaa, local residents said.
• Spokesman: Yemeni missile destroys military target in Saudi Arabia's Abha intl. airport with high precision Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- The spokesman for Yemen's army says a new missile fired by the country's armed forces and fighters from Popular Committees has hit a "sensitive" military target at Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport with high precision.
• Saudi Arabia confirms Yemeni drone, missile attacks on oil facilities Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Saudi Arabia has confirmed that a Yemeni drone attack targeted a petroleum tank farm at Ras Tanura port and a ballistic missile targeted Saudi Aramco's facilities in the city of Dhahran.
• Several people wounded in terrorist attack north of Baghdad Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- At least eight people sustained injuries after an explosion hit an area near the al-Aimmah bridge north of Baghdad, according to Iraqi sources.

News Reports

• Biden planning to launch 'clandestine' retaliatory cyberattacks against Russia: US report Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- The administration of US President Joe Biden is planning a series of cyberattacks against Russia in the wake of large-scale hacking of American government agencies and corporations discovered late last year, a US report said.
• Texas governor sends state troopers, National Guard to US border as refugee crisis deepens Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sent US troops and state police to the border with Mexico amid the refugee crisis as Joe Biden administration's policies "inspired a surge in illegal immigration."
• Myanmar: UN calls for safe release of trapped protesters in Yangon UN News 08 Mar 2021 -- The United Nations Secretary-General on Monday called for the safe release of hundreds of peaceful protesters trapped by security forces for several hours in residential buildings in the Yangon neighbourhood of Sanchaung.
• Protesters in Myanmar Demand Security Forces Release Trapped Youths VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- Thousands of protesters took to the streets Monday in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, in defiance of a nighttime curfew to demand that security forces stop their siege of hundreds of young anti-coup protesters.
• Myanmar Junta Occupies Schools, Hospitals And Shutters 5 Media Outlets in Fresh Clampdown Radio Free Asia 08 Mar 2021 -- Myanmar's junta tightened its stranglehold on the country Monday, occupying hospitals and schools and shutting down five independent news outlets amid ongoing violence against peaceful protesters across the country that killed at least four people and injured many others, witnesses said.
• Myanmar Military Strips Five Media Companies of Licenses VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- Myanmar's Military Council announced it has revoked the licenses of five independent media companies in the nation amid reports of armed men ransacking the offices of one of the outlets and the arrest of an editor covering anti-coup protests.
• Latest Anti-Coup Demonstrations in Myanmar Turn Deadly VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- At least two protesters are dead in Myanmar Monday amid another day of public demonstrations against last month's military overthrow of the civilian government.
• UN 'concerned' over cordoning of anti-coup protesters in Myanmar's largest city Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- The United Nations has expressed concern over safety of some 200 protesters who were cornered by the country's security forces in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, to quell ongoing protests.
• Myanmar unrest: Deadly crackdown in response to protests, general strike Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Two protesters have been killed as anti-coup rallies continue across Myanmar amid calls for a general strike and as the military junta ramps up night raids to arrest rally organizers.
• With Myanmar's Most Famous Woman in Custody, Many Others Step up to Take on Junta Radio Free Asia 08 Mar 2021 -- As Aung San Suu Kyi marked her fifth week under house arrest on Monday, women across Myanmar mounted a "Sarong Revolution" on International Women's Day to oppose the military regime that ousted the country's most famous female.
• Two People Killed in Myanmar Protests as Post-Coup Violence Continues, Reports Suggest Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- Two protesters were killed on Monday in the Burmese city of Myitkyina, as the nationwide demonstrations against the 1 February military power grab continue to rock the country, the CNA broadcaster reported.
• Germany's Spy Chiefs Urge Court to Agree on Monitoring of Far-Right AfD VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- Germany's domestic intelligence agency says there's sufficient evidence to warrant labeling the country's main opposition party, the populist far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD, as "anti-constitutional" and an organization hostile to democracy.
• China's 5-year plan to lead global recovery Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- China is aiming to lift its economic, technological and national strength to a new, higher stage in the next five years, under a sweeping blueprint that has put heavy emphasis on improving domestic economic conditions, boosting technological innovation and national security, while leaving sufficient room to cope with mounting risks and challenges, officials said on Monday.
• China's 14th Five-Year Plan draft outline sets special section for safe development for first time, NDRC official says Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- China has set a special section for safe development in its draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for the first time in history, detailing arrangements on grain, energy and finance security as the country's economy roars amid a complicated global environment, especially with threats and obstructions from the US government.
• China to further reduce negative list of market access and expand foreign investment areas: NDRC Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- China will further reduce the negative list for market access, continue to encourage foreign investment in more areas and fully implement national treatment for foreign investment after market entry, said China's top economic planner on Monday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on March 8, 2021 PRC MofA 08 Mar 2021
• Quad alliance countering China doomed to fail due to member's 'all-for-self' attitudes Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- Senior US officials have filled their mid-March calendars with a slew of visits and discussions with their Asian allies, including the US defense secretary's visit to India, and President Joe Biden's virtual meeting with leaders of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).
• Hong Kong Leader Says Electoral Reforms Could Delay Elections Further VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam says the city's postponed legislative elections could be delayed even further due to changes to its electoral system planned by China.
• China: No country, org., individual has right to interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Beijing has once again denounced any interference in the internal affairs of Hong Kong, emphasizing the "one country, two systems" principle.
• Hong Kong Leader Welcomes Electoral Changes Meaning More Control For Beijing Radio Free Asia 08 Mar 2021 -- Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday welcomed plans by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to require election candidates to be vetted by a pro-Beijing committee, as a new pro-China party looks set to replace many familiar political figures with a new breed of CCP loyalist.
• HK govt to revise election laws, fully cooperate with central govt-led electoral reform: Lam Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- The Hong Kong government will make a full interpretation of the electoral reform to the public and begin overhauling local election laws while listening to opinions from various sectors on the reform, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Monday.
• Carrie Lam Says Hong Kong Government 'Fully Welcomes' Electoral Reforms Proposed by China Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- The development comes as several western countries criticised China for what they described as human rights violations in Hong Kong. The remarks follow 47 "pro-democracy" activists being charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in Hong Kong last week.
• Global Lawmakers Call Out China For Abuses Against Minority Women in Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 08 Mar 2021 -- A group of global parliamentarians marked International Women's Day Monday by calling on governments to hold China to account for abuses against minority women in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), amid reports of systematic sexual abuse in detention and violations of reproductive rights.
• China Expands Tracking of Online Comments to Include Citizens Overseas VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- Wang Jingyu didn't think he would become an enemy of China for his online comments.
• Improving electoral system of HKSAR ensures steady development of "one country, two systems": HKSAR gov't officials Global Times 08 Mar 2021 -- Officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government have said the National People's Congress (NPC) improving the electoral system of the HKSAR at the constitutional level will ensure the steady development of "one country, two systems" and long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.
• White House: US Stance on Taiwan Remains the Same VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- The administration of President Joe Biden is brushing off a fresh warning from China that is calling for a change of policy toward Taiwan.
• No force can stop China from achieving reunification: Spokesperson PLA Daily 08 Mar 2021 -- The complete reunification and national rejuvenation of China will surely be achieved, it is a historical trend that cannot be stopped by anyone or any force, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Armed Police (PAP) delegation to the 4th session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), in a media interview on Sunday. "
• International Women's Day Causes North Korean Women to Question Society Radio Free Asia 08 Mar 2021 -- Yearly celebrations of International Women's Day in North Korea are awakening women to the concept of women's rights, some to the point where they question the legitimacy of North Korean society itself, sources told RFA.
• IAEA says Iran starts enriching uranium with third cascade of advanced IR-2m machines at Natanz Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Iran has started enriching uranium with a third cascade, or cluster, of advanced IR-2m centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) tells its members.
• Iran Enriching Uranium With 'More Advanced Centrifuges' At Natanz RFE/RL 08 Mar 2021 -- In a further move away from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran has started enriching uranium with a third cascade, or cluster, of advanced IR-2m centrifuges at its underground plant at Natanz, Reuters reported on March 8, citing a report by the UN nuclear watchdog.
• Enemy devises sanctions to break Iran in couple of months: President Rouhani IRNA 08 Mar 2021 -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the enemy has devised the maximum-pressure sanctions to bring Iran to its knees in a few months, but the maximum resistance of Iranians during the all-out economic war brought on another honor for Iran.
• Iran has no contact with US about JCPOA or any other issues: Khatibzadeh ISNA 08 Mar 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed that Iran has had no direct or indirect contact with the US about the issues related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or any other issues.
• Nuclear deal standoff: Iran says US driving on wrong side of road Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Iran has touched on the unilateral US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, saying Washington has been driving on the wrong side of the road and therefore it needs to make a U-turn to "a complete commitment, an effective implementation and then a return" to the deal.
• Rouhani Says Europe Should Not Resort to 'Threats or Pressure' in Any JCPOA Talks Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- Following Joe Biden's victory in November's presidential election, the US has stated that it may return to the nuclear deal, from which Washington withdrew unilaterally under the Trump administration, although no further steps have been taken. In its turn, Iran has refused to negotiate until the newly imposed sanctions are lifted.
• Belarus Opposition Leader Calls for Global Action, Not Words VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is in Switzerland this week to drum up international pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko to resign and negotiate a peaceful transfer of power. Lukashenko was reelected for a sixth term in office on August 9 in an election that was widely seen as fraudulent.
• Brazilian Supreme Court Annuls All Sentences Against Former President Lula VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- A Brazilian Supreme Court justice annulled all sentences against former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday, paving the way for him to run in the country's 2022 presidential election.
• Syrian President Assad, wife test positive for COVID-19, both in good health and stable condition Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement by his office, but they are both in good health.
• From Kyiv To Almaty, Marches For Rights On International Women's Day RFE/RL 08 Mar 2021 -- Women have marched across Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, and Central Asia demanding governments do more to respect their rights as the world marks International Women's Day.
• Revocation of License Granted for Dan Gertler US Dept. of State 08 Mar 2021 -- "Today, the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the Department of State, revoked the license that was issued to Specially Designated National Dan Gertler on January 15, 2021."
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on Venezuela The White House 08 Mar 2021
• US to Increase Pressure on Venezuela's Maduro 'Multilaterally' - Official Sputnik 08 Mar 2021 -- The United States plans to multilaterally increase pressure on Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, by working with global partners to bring about an electoral solution to the ongoing political crisis in the country, a senior US administration official told reporters.
• Senegal's President, Opposition Leader Urge Calm as Protests Continue VOA 08 Mar 2021 -- Both Senegalese President Macky Sall and opposition leader Ousmane Sonko urged calm Monday, after days of violent protests over Sonko's arrest left five people dead.
• Algerian arrested in Italy on suspicion of assisting Paris terrorist attackers Press TV 08 Mar 2021 -- Italian police have arrested a 36-year-old Algerian man on suspicion of belonging to the Daesh terrorist group and aiding the operators of the November 2015 Paris attacks.