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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

• Austin Travels to Middle East, Europe to Strengthen Ties With Allies DoD News 11 Apr 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is traveling to the Middle East and Europe to consult with some of America's closest allies, with an eye toward "revitalizing" America's relationships.
• NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Bahrain Provides Support to USS Makin Island in Duqm US Navy 11 Apr 2021 -- Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Bahrain provided the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) contracting and logistics support during a scheduled sustainment and logistics visit to Duqm, Oman, March 23 – 25.
• US, Philippines hope to resume joint war games in South China Sea Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- Defense chiefs from the Philippines and the United States have expressed hope to resume joint military exercises in the South China Sea, which were called off last year by President Rodrigo Duterte amid speculations that he wanted to avoid taking sides between Beijing and Washington.
• Russian fighter intercepts U.S. reconnaissance plane over Pacific Global Times 11 Apr 2021 -- A Russian MiG-31 fighter intercepted a U.S. reconnaissance plane above the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
• PLA carrier enters S.China Sea after American flattop exercise amid Taiwan tensions Global Times 11 Apr 2021 -- After holding exercises in waters east of the island of Taiwan for about a week, the Liaoning aircraft carrier task group of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly sailed south on Saturday into the South China Sea, where a US carrier strike group and an amphibious ready group held provocative exercises one day earlier, as tensions between China and the US continue to rise over the island of Taiwan, with the US loosening restrictions on government engagement with the island.
• US and South Korea Reportedly Believe Pyongyang Soon to Launch Its First Ballistic Missile Submarine Sputnik 11 Apr 2021 -- South Korean and US intelligence suspect that North Korea has completed the assembly of a 3,000-tonne submarine and is ready to launch it when the time is right, the state Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday.
• Austin Says U.S. Commitment to Israel Remains 'Ironclad' DoD News 11 Apr 2021 -- The United States' commitment to Israel's existence and security began moments after Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
• Pentagon Chief Austin Reaffirms US Alliance With Israel VOA 11 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Israeli counterpart Benny Gantz on Sunday during a two-day trip to the Middle Eastern country.
• April 11 Joint Press Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz DoD 11 Apr 2021
• Saudi Arabia executes 3 soldiers for collusion with unnamed enemy Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- Saudi Arabia has executed three members of its military forces for "high treason" over accusations of colluding with an unspecified enemy.
• Launch ceremony for Taiwan-built landing platform dock on tap CNA 11 Apr 2021 -- Taiwan's Navy will hold a launch ceremony for the country's first indigenous landing platform dock (LPD) Tuesday, with the new vessel expected to enter into service next year to support amphibious operations and transport missions.
• Turkey Reportedly Freezes $83Mln Helicopter Order From Italy After Draghi Calls Erdogan 'Dictator' Sputnik 11 Apr 2021 -- Turkey has frozen a deal to buy helicopters worth 70 million euros ($83 million) from Italian company Leonardo after Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi criticised President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, La Repubblica and Il Fatto Quotidiano newspapers reported on Sunday.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Yemeni forces launch retaliatory drone strike against Saudi airport, air base Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- Yemeni armed forces and fighters from allied Popular Committees have separately carried out fresh retaliatory airstrikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting military aircraft hangars at an airport in the kingdom's southern Jizan region and an air base in Asir.
• Greece Slams Turkey Over PKK Terror Claims VOA 11 Apr 2021 -- Greece has lashed out at Turkey for alleging that the government in Athens is aiding and abetting what Ankara sees as Kurdish terrorists. But the accusation, contained in a newly released video, comes after reports in Greece that Turkey has granted citizenship to Islamic State militants. The fresh accusations traded by the two NATO allies may threaten ongoing negotiations to ease long-standing differences that nearly sparked a war between them last year.
• U.S. Warns Of 'Consequences' If Russia 'Acts Recklessly' In Ukraine RFE/RL 11 Apr 2021 -- The United States has warned of "consequences" if Russia "acts recklessly or aggressively" toward Ukraine amid concerns over Moscow's troop buildup near Ukraine's borders.
• Turkey's Erdogan vows 'all forms of support' to Ukraine amid tensions with Russia Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country, a NATO member, is ready to provide "all forms of support" for Ukraine amid rising tensions between Moscow and Kiev over the long-running conflict in Donbass.
• Yemeni forces launch retaliatory drone strike against Saudi airport, air base Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- Yemeni armed forces and fighters from allied Popular Committees have separately carried out fresh retaliatory airstrikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting military aircraft hangars at an airport in the kingdom's southern Jizan region and an air base in Asir.
• Somalia: Seven killed, eight injured in two terrorist explosions Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- Two separate terrorist attacks have struck two cities in Somalia, killing at least seven people and injuring eight others.

News Reports

• Blinken Faults China for Slow Response on Coronavirus VOA 11 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. secretary of state assailed China Sunday for its early, slow response to the threat of the coronavirus more than a year ago, saying it led to "more egregious results" throughout the world than "might otherwise" have been the case.
• Reported water cut to Chinese embassy 'rumor' to sow discord between Beijing, Ankara Global Times 11 Apr 2021 -- It is not true that Turkey cut water supply to the Chinese Embassy in Ankara amid bickering over Xinjiang-related issues, the Global Times learned, in contrast to what British media The Daily Express has claimed.
• Iran Calls Natanz Blackout 'Nuclear Terrorism' VOA 11 Apr 2021 -- Iran's nuclear chief called a blackout at the country's Natanz facility Sunday an act of "nuclear terrorism."
• Iran Says Blackout At Atomic Site Act Of 'Nuclear Terrorism' RFE/RL 11 Apr 2021 -- Iran has described a blackout at its Natanz nuclear site as an act of "nuclear terrorism," without specifying what country or entity might be behind the alleged sabotage.
• Natanz Plant Incident Caused by 'Act of Nuclear Terrorism', Iran's Vice-President Says Sputnik 11 Apr 2021 -- Israeli media earlier alleged that the incident was not an "accident" but the result of a cyberattack, possibly carried out by Tel Aviv. The outlet did not reveal its sources, but Natanz in the past had already fallen victim to a hacker attack via the Stuxnet virus.
• Power Grid of Natanz Nuclear Facility in Iran Hit by 'Accident' Sputnik 11 Apr 2021 -- According to a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tehran had earlier started enriching uranium at the facility, using IR-4 centrifuges.
• Electrical problem reported at Iran's Natanz nuclear site Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has said an incident took place at the electricity distribution network of Shahid Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan nuclear facility n Natanz.
• Accident at Natanz enrichment facility leaves no pollution, human damages: Official IRNA 11 Apr 2021 -- An accident in part of a nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, Central Iran, has led to no pollution or human damages, according to the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi.
• Incident in "Natanz" causes no casualties or contamination: AEOI spokesman ISNA 11 Apr 2021 -- The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi confirmed that an incident took place on Sunday morning in the Natanz Enrichment Facility.
• Iran launches advanced IR-6 uranium enrichment centrifuges to mark Day of Nuclear Technology People's Daily 11 Apr 2021 -- Iran celebrated its National Day of Nuclear Technology on Saturday with an event held simultaneously in Tehran and in nuclear sites in different Iranian cities, in which advanced IR-6 centrifuges started operating, and more than 100 other nuclear industry innovations were unveiled.
• Biden should choose between sticking with Obama's deal or clinging to Trump's sanctions: Iran ISNA 11 Apr 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh pointed to his recent interview with CNN, stressing that US president should choose between sticking with Obama's deal or clinging to Trump's sanctions.
• S Korean premier: Seoul trying to release Iran's blocked assets IRNA 11 Apr 2021 -- South Korean prime minister here on Sunday expressed Seoul's support for the constructive JCPOA negotiations and said his country will cooperate with Iran and various other countries to solve the problem of releasing Iran's monetary assets.
• South Korea's prime minister in Iran for high-level talks Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun has arrived in Tehran for talks with senior Iranian officials.
• 'The Dictators Will Not Have Good Days Forever,' Says Veteran Myanmar Activist Radio Free Asia 11 Apr 2021 -- Democracy activist Min Ko Naing, who has has spent more than half of his 58 years opposing military dictatorship in Myanmar, has been on the run following the military coup on February 1 that overthrew the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
• India's Concerns Over Myanmar Drive Policy, Analysts Say VOA 11 Apr 2021 -- Analysts say India's concern that isolating Myanmar's military, which staged the country's February 1 coup, will drive it closer to China, and fears of instability in a country with a long common border are driving a desire by New Delhi to engage the regime to resolve the crisis there.
• IMF: Crisis-ridden Lebanon needs to form new govt., launch reforms Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Lebanon cannot pull itself out of its persisting economic crisis unless a new government is formed to transform the country and put into practice long-stalled reforms.
• Voting starts in Chad with veteran leader Deby set to secure sixth term Press TV 11 Apr 2021 -- Voting has started in Chad as people head to polls to take part in the presidential elections, in which Idriss Deby is widely expected to extend his three-decade rule.
• Can New Election Laws Pull Armenia Out Of Its Political Crisis? RFE/RL 11 Apr 2021 -- When Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian signed a Russian-brokered cease-fire in November to end the war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, it created a tumultuous postwar crisis that has eroded public confidence in Yerevan's political establishment.
• Kyrgyz Voters Approve Constitutional Changes To Strengthen Presidency RFE/RL 11 Apr 2021 -- Voters in Kyrgyzstan have approved a new constitution that expands the power of the president in a referendum, according to preliminary results.
• Jordan's King, Prince Hamzah Make First Joint Appearance Since Crisis Sputnik 11 Apr 2021 -- Prince Hamzah was first in line to the throne until King Abdullah II removed his title as crown prince in 2004 and granted it to his son Hussein five years later. The move led to a rift in the family that remained unresolved until recently.
• Somalia: 'Prioritize the national interest' international partners urge, as political stalemate continues UN News 11 Apr 2021 -- The UN and international partners working to support a lasting peace and democratic election process across Somalia, said on Sunday that they were highly concerned by the current situation there, calling on Somali leaders to "prioritize the national interest" and resolve their political impasse.
• Benin Holds Presidential Election After Week of Violence VOA 11 Apr 2021 -- Benin voters are casting their ballots Sunday in a presidential election after a week of deadly violence against President Patrice Talon, who is seeking reelection.
• Ecuador Holds Second Round of Presidential Election VOA 11 Apr 2021 -- Ecuadorians are voting Sunday in a runoff election to choose between a right-wing and a left-wing candidate to replace President Lenin Moreno, who is not seeking reelection.