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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

• Ships of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Enter the Black Sea US Navy 20 Mar 2021 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) entered the Black Sea on March 20, 2021 and was joined today by the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) on a routine patrol to maintain maritime security alongside other NATO Allies and partners.
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Press Conference in New Delhi DoD 20 Mar 2021
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Joint Remarks With Indian Defense Minister Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi DoD 20 Mar 2021
• India, U.S. Look at Ways to Grow Partnership to Protect Indo-Pacific DoD News 20 Mar 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III came away from his meetings with Indian officials in New Delhi encouraged by the response from "an increasingly important partner amid today's rapidly shifting international dynamics."
• Statement by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh after bilateral talks with US Defence Secretary Mr Lloyd J Austin India PIB 20 Mar 2021
• Pentagon chief urges India to 'move away from Russian equipment' Press TV 20 Mar 2021 -- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has warned India against its planned purchase of an advanced Russian S400 missile system.
• U.S. Defense Secretary Urges India To Avoid Buying Russian Military Equipment RFE/RL 20 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reiterated that U.S. allies should steer clear of purchasing Russian military equipment to avoid sanctions after a meeting on March 20 with his Indian counterpart.
• Pentagon Chief Says India Should Forgo Buying Russia's S-400s to Avoid US Sanctions Sputnik 20 Mar 2021 -- During his first two day stay in New Delhi, Lloyd J. Austin, the US Secretary of Defence, met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and his counterpart Rajnath Singh.
• With Eye on China, India and US Pledge Deeper Strategic Partnership VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- India and the United States have pledged to work together to deepen their strategic partnership during a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to New Delhi.
• US Pushes Sub-Hunting Plane Contract on Germany, Berlin Says it Can't Afford $1.8 Bln Price Tag Sputnik 20 Mar 2021 -- The Biden administration has dispensed with its predecessor's aggressive diplomatic campaign to get US allies to spend more on defence, but has not dropped the "2 percent target" requiring NATO members to increase defence spending to 2 percent of their GDP by 2024. NATO spent over $1 trillion in 2020, more than the rest of the world combined.
• Russian Navy Tracking Two US Warships in Black Sea Sputnik 20 Mar 2021 -- The deployment of American naval assets in the Black Sea is limited by the Montreux Convention of 1936, which restricts the stay of warships from non-Black Sea-adjacent states to 21 days. Additionally, no more than nine foreign warships weighing a total of 30,000 tonnes are allowed be present in the body of water at any one time.
• Ankara Not Seeking US Permit for Use of Russia's S-400 Systems, Turkish Official Says Sputnik 20 Mar 2021 -- Ankara's stance on the use of the Russian S-400 air defense systems remains unchanged: Turkey does not need the US permit for that, a spokesman for the parliamentary defense committee told Sputnik.
• UK to set up new 'vanguard' Special Forces Regiment to conduct global missions Press TV 20 Mar 2021 -- Barely four days after the release of the Integrated Review of Security, Defense and Foreign Policy, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) has unveiled its plan for the establishment of a new Special Forces regiment.
• UK Sets Up New Military Unit to Take On 'High Threat' Missions Overseas Sputnik 20 Mar 2021 -- The battalions of 250 highly-skilled soldiers will be modelled on US"Green Berets" special forces and embed within foreign militaries and rebel troops around the world.

Defense Industry

• Ukrainian Court Seizes Aerospace Company Motor Sich From Chinese Investors RFE/RL 20 Mar 2021 -- A Ukrainian court has seized the assets and all shares of aerospace company Motor Sich, one of the world's largest producers of engines for helicopters and planes.

Other Conflicts

• Abha airport in Saudi Arabia is hit again by Yemeni drone Press TV 20 Mar 2021 -- Yemen's army and popular committees have carried out a drone strike on a military position at Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia's southwestern province of Asir.
• Saudi Coalition Retaliates Against Iran-backed Houthi Forces in Yemen VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- Saudi coalition warplanes Saturday attacked Houthi forces trying to advance around the government-controlled city of Marib. west of Sanaa, Yemen. Saudi warplanes also launched multiple airstrikes overnight on Houthi targets.
• Armenian PM Advocates 'Mutually Beneficial' Infrastructure Projects For Both Yerevan, Baku RFE/RL 20 Mar 2021 -- Building railroads and roads will be "mutually beneficial" for Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on March 20 during a visit to the country's western Aragatsotn Province, as he attempted to ease concerns about the development of such infrastructure projects.
• UN Agency Says It May Have to Cut Food Rations to Somalia VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- The World Food Program is warning it may be forced to cut food rations in June for more than a million vulnerable Somalis because it does not have enough money to maintain the operation.

News Reports

• U.S. Sentences Cybercriminals From Russia, North Macedonia To Stiff Prison Terms RFE/RL 20 Mar 2021 -- The United States has sentenced nationals from Russia and North Macedonia to prison for their roles in a transnational cybercrime operation that was responsible for the theft of $568 million worldwide, the U.S. Justice Department said on March 19.
• Myanmar Security Forces Again Crack Down on Protesters VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- Myanmar Security forces cracked down again Saturday on anti-government protesters across the country in the face of mounting global criticism over their increasingly aggressive campaign to end the demonstrations triggered by the February 1 coup.
• In Myanmar, protesters on streets again, 3 shot dead Press TV 20 Mar 2021 -- Myanmar's security forces have shot and killed three more protesters in a country that has been witnessing a vivid public display of anger against the military since it took power in a coup early February.
• Bulgaria Preparing to Declare Russian Diplomats Personae Non Gratae in Espionage Case Sputnik 20 Mar 2021 -- Bulgaria is ready to declare Russian diplomats suspected of links to an espionage case personae non-gratae, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Saturday.
• Technical Problems Delay Launch Of Soyuz Rocket Carrying 38 Satellites RFE/RL 20 Mar 2021 -- Technical problems forced the launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket with 38 satellites on board to be postponed until March 22, the Russian space agency Roskosmos said.
• US Concludes 'Tough' Talks With China in Alaska VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States shared "significant concerns" with China during the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries under the Biden administration, concluding two days of contentious talks.
• China, U.S. hold timely, helpful high-level strategic dialogue Xinhua 20 Mar 2021 -- Senior Chinese and U.S. officials concluded Friday a high-level strategic dialogue that both sides believe was timely and helpful and deepened mutual understanding.
• China, US to Form Climate Change Working Group, China Says VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- After two days of tense talks with his Chinese counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that despite their differences, there are places where the interests of the two nations intersect. On Saturday, China acknowledged as much, a sign of possible progress.
• Update: China-US talks candid and helpful, but major divergences on key issues remain Global Times 20 Mar 2021 -- The first talks between top Chinese and US diplomats concluded in Alaska on Friday local time after a sharp and confrontational opening. The talks were beneficial and helped boost mutual understanding, despite major differences on key issues, the Chinese side said on early Saturday after the two-day talks.
• What did China and US learn about each other from Alaska talks?: Global Times editorial Global Times 20 Mar 2021 -- After a fierce, tit-for-tat opening, the close-door strategic dialogue afterward between China and the US in Alaska went smoothly and the result was far better than people's expectations. Both sides completed three rounds of talks. Both admitted in their press conferences that the talks were "candid" and each sought to work with the other side in some fields.
• China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue candid, constructive, helpful, says Yang Jiechi People's Daily 20 Mar 2021 -- The China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue was candid, constructive and helpful, though there are still some important differences between the two sides, said Yang Jiechi, a senior Chinese official, here on Friday.
• China, U.S. conclude high-level strategic dialogue People's Daily 20 Mar 2021 -- Senior officials from China and the United States on Friday concluded a high-level strategic dialogue in Anchorage, the U.S. state of Alaska.
• China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue kicks off with contentious opening People's Daily 20 Mar 2021 -- The icy Alaskan city of Anchorage on Thursday witnessed a highly-charged opening of a high-level strategic dialogue between China and the United States.
• Hong Kong embraces more opportunities from national five-year plan, say HKSAR chief executive, experts People's Daily 20 Mar 2021 -- As China adopted a new five-year development plan last week, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and experts believe the national strategies will provide major support for the global financial hub, helping it break growth bottleneck and achieve greater development.
• HKSAR's LegCo sets up subcommittee to handle issues on improvement of HKSAR's electoral system People's Daily 20 Mar 2021 -- The House Committee of the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Friday voted to establish a subcommittee to handle issues related to the improvement of the electoral system of the HKSAR.
• Xi leads China's grand reform of new era PLA Daily 20 Mar 2021 -- Holding a report in his hand summarizing China's reform progress in the past seven years, President Xi Jinping said that the document was rather "heavy."
• MAC call for 'constructive ambiguity' renews debate over '92 consensus CNA 20 Mar 2021 -- Debate in Taiwan over a decades-old cross-Taiwan Strait political understanding was revived this week after the government's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) called on Beijing to join it in seeking pragmatic solutions while avoiding issues that are likely to generate controversy.
• EU's Borrell vows to do everything possible to preserve JCPOA as stepping-stone toward other shared concerns Press TV 20 Mar 2021 -- The European Union foreign policy chief says he will do "everything possible" to preserve a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major world powers despite the deal facing "great pressure on multiple fronts," stressing that the accord's full implementation can become a "stepping-stone" toward addressing other shared concerns, including regional security.
• Iran's Supreme Leader Sees Chance For 'Removal Of Barriers' In Speech Ushering In Norouz RFE/RL 20 Mar 2021 -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei welcomed the Persian New Year, predicting in a live televised speech on March 20 that it will be one of "production, support, and removal of barriers."
• Malaysia says "deeply regrets" DPRK's decision to sever diplomatic ties People's Daily 20 Mar 2021 -- Malaysia "deeply regrets" the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to sever their diplomatic ties, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday in a statement.
• Ukraine Slaps Sanctions On Ex-President Yanukovych, Ex-PM Azarov, And Others RFE/RL 20 Mar 2021 -- Ukrainian security and defense officials have imposed sanctions against exiled former President Viktor Yanukovych, ex-Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, and nearly two dozen other individuals active under the administration that fell when Yanukovych fled to Russia under pressure from street protests in 2014.
• Cameroon Election of Octogenarians to Top Posts Draws Mixed Reactions VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- There have been mixed reactions in Cameroon to 88-year-old President Paul Biya's orders that his party-dominated upper and lower houses of Parliament reelect officials who are over 80 years old to top positions. According to the central African state's constitution, Marcel Niat Njifenji, the 87-year-old president of the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, would take over and organize elections if Biya were to die.
• Jailed Bolivian Ex-President Anez Denied Transfer to Hospital VOA 20 Mar 2021 -- A Bolivian judge retracted his decision to allow for former president Jeanine Anez to be transferred from jail to a hospital so she could receive medical attention for alleged high blood pressure. The judge argued that hospital doctors can enter the jail facility to examine and treat her.