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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Human Rights Watch Accuses Taliban of Targeting, Killing Journalists VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- The Afghan Taliban are deliberately targeting, intimidating and killing journalists, particularly women, according to a new report issued Thursday by an international rights group as well as VOA's own research.
• 'Wave' Of Taliban Violence Against Journalists Raises Concerns Over Press Freedom In Peace Settlement RFE/RL Gandhara 01 Apr 2021 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses the Taliban of having engaged in "a pattern of threats, intimidation, and violence" against media workers in Afghanistan, which the watchdog says heightens concerns about preserving freedom of expression and the media in any peace settlement between the militant group and the Afghan government.
• Taliban claim shooting down helicopter in southern Afghanistan Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Taliban militants have claimed responsibility for the reported downing of a military helicopter which resulted in the death of at least three Afghan security personnel in the southern province of Helmand.
• Pakistan Seen As Repeating 'Pyrrhic Victory' In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 01 Apr 2021 -- Pakistani leaders have spent decades touting their role in shaping the various phases of war in Afghanistan that saw Islamabad gain influence in Afghan politics despite its often-acrimonious relationship with Kabul.
• Wisconsin National Guard troops support COVID vaccinations Army News 01 Apr 2021 -- Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard have helped local health departments administer more than 60,000 vaccines across Wisconsin since establishing the first mobile vaccination teams in late January.
• Michigan Guard vaccinates more than 323,000 in 90 days Army News 01 Apr 2021 -- During the first 90 days of 2021, the Michigan National Guard (MING) has supported communities throughout the state and administered more than 323,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in the fight against the virus.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Australian, U.S. Navies conduct Group Sail in Eastern Pacific US Navy 01 Apr 2021 -- USS John Finn (DDG 113) and HMAS Sydney (DDG 42) operated together in waters off Southern California.
• Naval Supply Systems Command helps RQ-21A reach Milestone US Navy 01 Apr 2021 -- In April 2021, the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Integrated Weapon System Team (IWST) was able to support the achievement of both 100% Mission Capable (MC) and 100% Fully Mission Capable (FMC) rate for the UAS RQ-21A "Blackjack" platform; a feat rarely, if ever, seen by any Type Model Series.
• Biden Orders Pentagon to Remove Patriots, Forces Out of Persian Gulf Region, Reports Suggest Sputnik 01 Apr 2021 -- President Joe Biden has ordered the Pentagon to start removing Patriot anti-missile systems, other military hardware and forces from the Persian Gulf region and could deploy them elsewhere to counter Russia and China, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing officials.
• Pentagon Press Secretary Holds Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 01 Apr 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos DoD 01 Apr 2021
• Defense Secretary Highlights Commitment to Allies, Partners, Kirby Says DoD News 01 Apr 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said the efforts of the countries known as the "Quad" — the U.S., Japan, Australia and India — are important in countering the malign influence of China in the region, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said at today's press briefing.
• Exercise Reveals Advantages Artificial Intelligence Gives in All-Domain Ops DoD News 01 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Northern Command hosted a global information dominance exercise and the results point to the tremendous advantages the Defense Department would receive by applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to all-domain information, Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck said yesterday.
• The 355th Wing flies toward the future US Air Force 01 Apr 2021 -- The needs of tomorrow's Air Force must be met today, and the 355th Wing remains on the leading edge of this effort to ensure its continued ability to wield lethal, ready combat airpower anywhere, anytime.
• USS Wichita Interdicts $17 Million in Drugs US Navy 01 Apr 2021 -- The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 402 seized 400 kilograms of suspected cocaine, March 13.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Ukrainian Minister of Defence Andrii Taran DoD 01 Apr 2021
• Vandenberg AFB chosen as preferred location for GBSD FTU US Air Force 01 Apr 2021 -- Acting Secretary of the Air Force John Roth selected Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, as the preferred location for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, a new intercontinental ballistic missile, Formal Training Unit.
• PLA launches drills in S.China Sea on 20th anniversary of fatal mid-air collision Global Times 01 Apr 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) started a series of exercises in the South China Sea on Thursday, as Chinese netizens commemorated the death of a heroic PLA pilot whose plane collided with a US spy aircraft conducting close-in reconnaissance on China 20 years ago.
• CDS General Bipin Rawat operationalises Joint Logistics Node in Mumbai India PIB 01 Apr 2021 -- All future wars will be conducted by Tri-Service in an integrated manner. To enable our Armed Forces to conduct successful operations, it is essential that they be provided with sound logistics support during all stages of the war. Keeping these in mind, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat operationalised and dedicated to the Services 3rd Joint Logistics Node (JLN) in Mumbai through video conferencing from New Delhi on April 01, 2021.
• DRDO lab develops light weight Bullet Proof Jacket India PIB 01 Apr 2021 -- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur has developed light weight Bullet Proof Jacket (BPJ) weighing 9.0 kilogrammes, meeting the qualitative requirements of Indian Army.
• CURTAIN RAISER: INDIAN ARMY TO PARTICIPATE IN MULTINATIONAL EXERCISE IN BANGLADESH : EXERCISE SHANTIR OGROSHENA-2021 India PIB 01 Apr 2021 -- Multinational Military Exercise SHANTIR OGROSHENA 2021 (Front Runner of the Peace) will be held at Bangladesh to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh 'Father of the Nation' Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and mark glorious 50 years of liberation.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar DoD 01 Apr 2021
• Pentagon Urges Turkish Defense Chief Not to Retain Russian S-400 Systems Sputnik 01 Apr 2021 -- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in his phone conversation with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar called on Ankara not to retain the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems, the Defense Department announced in a release on Thursday.
• UK and Qatar expand defence partnership UK MOD 01 Apr 2021 -- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and his Qatari counterpart, HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, have announced an expansion of the relationship between each nation's air force.
• Department Press Briefing – April 1, 2021 US Dept. of State 01 Apr 2021
• Background Press Call on the Upcoming Trilateral Meeting with Japan and the Republic of Korea The White House 01 Apr 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, April 1, 2021 The White House 01 Apr 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 1, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 1 April 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Apr 2021
• US, Philippines discuss Chinese activities in South China Sea Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Officials from the United States and the Philippines have discussed China's recent activities around islands in the South China Sea, where Manila has designated an economic zone.
• US, Philippines Alarmed Over China's Maritime Militia Massing at Disputed Reef, Washington Says Sputnik 01 Apr 2021 -- The United States and the Philippines have raised concerns over the presence of Chinese maritime militia vessels near the disputed Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea, the White House said following phone talks between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Philippine counterpart, Hermogenes Esperon.
• Chinese drones spotted recently over Taiwan's Dongsha Islands CNA 01 Apr 2021 -- The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Thursday said China was likely conducting reconnaissance missions over the Dongsha Islands, as its drones were recently spotted near the Taiwan-held territory in the South China Sea.
• Yemen air force conducts retaliatory attacks against Saudi airbase Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Yemen's air force carries out a set of counterattacks against an airbase in Saudi Arabia's southwest as the impoverished country persists in its defensive measures in the face of a years-long Saudi-led war.
• Yemeni forces target 'sensitive targets' in Saudi capital with four drones Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Yemeni military units have used a squadron of domestically-manufactured unmanned aerial vehicles to launch an attack against a number of important targets deep in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, in retaliation for the Riyadh-led devastating war on Yemen.
• More Arrests Made in Ongoing Crackdown on IS at al-Hol Camp VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- U.S.-backed forces in northeastern Syria have arrested more than 70 people in their sweep of the al-Hol displaced-persons camp, which has emerged in recent months as a new hub for the Islamic State terror group.
• Donor Nations' Envoys to Make First Visit to Rohingya Island in Bangladesh Radio Free Asia 01 Apr 2021 -- Envoys from several countries contributing to the Rohingya response will for the first time visit a remote island this weekend where Bangladesh has moved thousands of refugees, they said Thursday, amid widespread international concern about its safety and on-site facilities.
• Top U.S. general speaks with Ukrainian, Russian counterparts amid tensions People's Daily 01 Apr 2021 -- Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts on Wednesday amid escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine.
• New Russia Threat Amid Rising Tensions With Ukraine RFE/RL 01 Apr 2021 -- Amid allegations from Ukraine that Russia has been massing troops at their shared border, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that any attempts at a "new war" in eastern Ukraine would end up destroying that country.
• EU Accuses Russia Of Launching 'Conscription Campaign' In Crimea RFE/RL 01 Apr 2021 -- The European Union has accused Moscow of launching a "conscription campaign" in the Russia-controlled Ukrainian region of Crimea, in a move that the bloc said violated international law.
• UN says militias in South Sudan responsible for 78 pct of killings in 2020 People's Daily 01 Apr 2021 -- The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has blamed 78 percent of killings and injuries to civilians in 2020 on community-based militias in a report released in Juba on Wednesday.
• Lao Government Troops Launch New Assault Against Hmong at Phou Bia Mountain Radio Free Asia 01 Apr 2021 -- Lao government troops have launched a new campaign of attacks against groups of ethnic Hmong living in forests near Phou Bia Mountain in an effort to remove them from areas targeted for development and foreign investment schemes, rights group and Hmong sources say.
• France Rejects UN Report of Airstrike on Wedding Party VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- France is rejecting a U.N. report that said a French air strike in central Mali in January killed 19 civilians as part of anti-terrorist operations in the Sahel.
• UNHCR urges greater protection for Sahel communities after deadly attack UN News 01 Apr 2021 -- Ten days after armed groups carried out a deadly attack on three villages near the western Niger town of Tillia, UN humanitarians have repeated their call for greater protection of civilians and all those displaced by violence in the Sahel.
• Report on France's Role in Rwanda's Genocide Fails to Lay to Rest a Dark Past VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- French President Emmanuel Macron will reportedly visit Kigali in coming weeks, following a report he commissioned which sheds a harsh light on France's alleged role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
• Letter to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Somalia The White House 01 Apr 2021
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Somalia The White House 01 Apr 2021

News Reports

• Man and Woman Charged with Attempting and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS US Dept. of Justice 01 Apr 2021 -- James Bradley, aka Abdullah, and His Wife, Arwa Muthana, Were Arrested at a Seaport in New Jersey While Allegedly Attempting to Travel Overseas to Join and Fight for ISIS
• Russian Spies Augment Effort to Grab NATO Secrets, Say Western Officials VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- Russia's espionage agencies are redoubling efforts to penetrate NATO, Western intelligence officials say, and are focusing on recruiting moles in the defense ministries of the pact's member states.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, April 1, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 01 Apr 2021
• Russian parliament greenlights bill allowing Putin to run for two more terms People's Daily 01 Apr 2021 -- Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, passed a bill on Wednesday enabling incumbent President Vladimir Putin to run for two more terms starting 2024.
• Lavrov: Russia's response to EU hostile measures not necessarily symmetrical Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Russia's foreign minister says his country will respond to any hostile actions from member states of the European Union (EU) in a manner similar to that of China.
• Russian Prison Service Denies That Navalny Is Being Mistreated RFE/RL 01 Apr 2021 -- Russia's prison authority on April 1 rejected accusations of mistreatment of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, one day after the anti-corruption campaigner and frequent Kremlin critic announced a hunger strike to protest alleged abuses in custody.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on April 1, 2021 PRC MofA 01 Apr 2021
• Veteran Democrat Martin Lee Among Seven Found Guilty of 'Illegal Assembly' Radio Free Asia 01 Apr 2021 -- A court in Hong Kong on Thursday found seven veteran pro-democracy activists -- including 82-year-old Democratic Party founder Martin Lee -- guilty of charges related to "illegal assembly" in connection with a mass march of around 1.7 million people in 2019.
• 7 Hong Kong Democracy Activists Convicted Over 2019 Protest VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- Seven of Hong Kong's prominent pro-democracy activists were found guilty Thursday of organizing and participating in an unlawful assembly during the 2019 anti-government demonstrations.
• Biden administration upholds policy of refusing Hong Kong special treatment Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Hong Kong should not be given preferential treatment by the United States over claims that China has undermined the autonomy of the city.
• Taiwan condemns convictions of Hong Kong democracy activists CNA 01 Apr 2021 -- Taiwan on Thursday condemned Beijing for infringing on Hong Kong people's freedom of peaceful assembly after seven prominent pro-democracy campaigners in the special administrative region were convicted of unlawful assembly relating to a series of anti-government protests in 2019.
• Jimmy Lai, 6 ex-lawmakers found guilty of illegal assembly, 'ruling proves judicial independence not bowing to foreign pressure' Global Times 01 Apr 2021 -- Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Hong Kong's media tycoon and a notorious anti-government figure, together with six former lawmakers were found guilty of organizing and attending an unauthorized assembly in 2019.
• Hong Kong's new electoral system: What's next? People's Daily 01 Apr 2021 -- As the legislative changes adopted by the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on improving Hong Kong's electoral system went into effect on Wednesday, the global financial hub officially embarked on the local legislation.
• China refutes human rights accusation from U.S. People's Daily 01 Apr 2021 -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday refuted a U.S. annual report on human rights, saying the so-called "genocide" in Xinjiang is purely smearing China's ethnic policy and Xinjiang's achievements in development.
• Move to Curb Searches of Company Records Sparks Concern in Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 01 Apr 2021 -- Plans by the Hong Kong government to relax public disclosure requirements for companies operating in the city have sparked concerns over transparency and money-laundering, as well as dwindling press freedom.
• Scholars Rally to Defend Colleagues Sanctioned by Beijing VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- Hundreds of academics and intellectuals around the world are signing onto a joint statement in support of European colleagues who have been banned by Beijing from visiting China and hit with other sanctions because of their work.
• China's FAST telescope opens to global scientists People's Daily 01 Apr 2021 -- China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest filled-aperture and most sensitive radio telescope, has officially opened to the world starting Wednesday.
• North Korea Tops Agenda for US-Japan-South Korea Meeting VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- "Every aspect of North Korea policy" will be discussed when national security advisers from the United States, South Korea and Japan meet on Friday, according to a senior administration official in Washington.
• US Approach Toward North Korea Must Be in Lockstep With Allies, State Dept Says Sputnik 01 Apr 2021 -- The United States' approach on North Korea must be done in coordination with its allies, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday ahead of the high-level trilateral meeting with Japan and South Korea.
• Iran, World Powers To Hold Talks Over Possible Return Of U.S. To Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 01 Apr 2021 -- The European Union says Iran and a group of world powers will hold virtual talks on April 2 about the possible return of the United States to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
• IAEA: Iran begins uranium enrichment with fourth cascade of advanced IR-2m machines at Natanz Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Iran has begun enriching uranium with the fourth cascade of advanced IR-2m machines at its Natanz plant, a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says.
• Rouhani: US failing to seize golden chance for win-win bargain on Iran deal Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- President Hassan Rouhani has criticized the new US administration's foot-dragging on a return to compliance with the multilateral nuclear deal with Iran that it abandoned in 2018, saying Washington has so far failed to seize the "golden chance" for a "win-win bargain."
• Iran's Foreign Minister Uses New 'Clubhouse' App To Defend China Deal RFE/RL 01 Apr 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to the new Clubhouse social media app on March 31 to defend Tehran's controversial recent strategic cooperation pact with China -- a deal criticized for lacking transparency and "selling out to China" amid crushing U.S. sanctions.
• Zarif: Iran-China deal based on win-win approach in pursuit of shared interests Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has shed light on the 25-year cooperation roadmap recently signed by Iran and China, saying the historic document has been drafted based on "mutual respect" and a "win-win" approach in pursuit of common interests.
• End police brutality and impunity in Belarus, rights experts urge UN News 01 Apr 2021 -- The continued pattern of police brutality and impunity in Belarus must end, UN rights experts said on Thursday, expressing alarm over excessive use of force against protesters and repression of journalists in the country.
• Brazilian lawmakers file for impeachment against President Bolsonaro Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- Opposition lawmakers in Brazil have called for President Jair Bolsonaro's removal from office to prevent his "coup-mongering" and "authoritarian delusions" from becoming reality.
• New Civilian Government Formed in Myanmar to Counter Military Regime VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar symbolically burned copies of the country's constitution Thursday as a group of deposed lawmakers announced a new civilian government to run counter to the ruling military junta.
• Aung San Suu Kyi Faces New Charge as Fires Burn Buildings in Myanmar's Two Biggest Cities Radio Free Asia 01 Apr 2021 -- Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was hit with a new legal charge Thursday, her first on-line arraignment in cases brought by the military regime that overthrew her elected government on Feb. 1, said her lawyers, one of whom quoted her as saying she had "prayed for the health of the people."
• UK announces further sanctions on Myanmar military-linked companies UK FCDO 01 Apr 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced further measures targeting the Myanmar regime today and a boost to funding for evidence gathering of violations.
• Protect all those fleeing Myanmar, UN offices urge countries in the region UN News 01 Apr 2021 -- The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) have called on Myanmar's neighbouring countries to offer refuge and protection to all those fleeing violence and persecution, as the crisis in Myanmar enters its third month.
• UN envoy urges Security Council action to prevent civil war in Myanmar Press TV 01 Apr 2021 -- The United Nations (UN) special envoy for Myanmar has urged the UN Security Council to take immediate action to prevent the further escalation of the crisis in the Southeast Asian country, warning of the risk of civil war as the military junta continues its brutal crackdown on protesters.
• Pakistan 'Defers' Plans to Resume Trade with India VOA 01 Apr 2021 -- Pakistan's Cabinet postponed plans Thursday to resume trade links with archrival India, apparently after strong domestic backlash against such a move.
• Armenian Parliament Approves Changes To Electoral System RFE/RL 01 Apr 2021 -- The Armenian parliament has adopted changes to the country's Electoral Code that the opposition says are aimed at helping Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian win snap elections expected in June.
• Hungary's Orban Welcomes Polish, Italian Right-Wing Leaders For Talks On New European Political Group RFE/RL 01 Apr 2021 -- Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban met his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki and Italian right-wing Lega party chief Matteo Salvini on April 1 to try to lay the groundwork for a new European political grouping.