• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations Press Briefing DoD 23 Aug 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations, J-35
• CENTCOM Statement on Exchange of Recent Gunfire Exchange at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Aug. 23, 2021 CENTCOM 23 Aug 2021
• Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, Commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Press Briefing DoD 23 Aug 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, Commander of U.S. Transportation Command
• Fast-Paced Airport Ground Ops Keeps Evacuees Moving DoD News 23 Aug 2021 -- In the last 24 hours, more than 10,000 evacuees have been moved out of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. It's an exhausting pace the U.S. military will sustain so that everyone eligible to leave the country can get out, the commander of U.S. Transportation Command said.
• New Jersey Military Base Available to Receive Afghan Evacuees DoD News 23 Aug 2021 -- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey is now ready to receive Afghan evacuees, the Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations said.
• NAS Sigonella Receives Afghan Evacuees US Navy 23 Aug 2021 -- A total of 662 qualified evacuees from Afghanistan landed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella on Aug. 22 as part of Operation Allies Refuge.
• NAS Sigonella Supports Operation Allies Refuge US Navy 23 Aug 2021 -- A total of 662 qualified evacuees from Afghanistan landed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella on Aug. 22 as part of Operation Allies Refuge.
• US Ramps Up Pace of Evacuations from Kabul VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- The United States is in daily contact with the Taliban as the race continues to complete the withdrawal from Afghanistan by President Joe Biden's August 31 deadline, White House officials said Monday.
• Taliban Warns Against Delaying Troop Withdrawal As West Worries About Completing Evacuation RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban has warned that it will not accept any extension to the August 31 withdrawal for international forces after the United States and other Western countries said the chaotic evacuation of thousands of people seeking to flee Afghanistan may require keeping troops on the ground past the deadline.
• Firefight Kills Afghan Security Officer Outside Kabul Airport VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. military confirmed Monday that its troops and those from Germany engaged in a firefight with an "unknown" assailant outside Kabul's airport, killing one Afghan security personnel and injuring several others.
• NATO's European Leaders Also Blamed for Kabul Debacle VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- U.S. officials are not alone in facing blame for miscalculating the speed of the Taliban offensive. European leaders and their security advisers are also coming under mounting criticism for misjudging how rapidly events would play out in Afghanistan once President Joe Biden had decided on withdrawing American forces from the central Asian country.
• UN Calls for Humanitarian Airbridge to Deliver Lifesaving Aid to Afghanistan VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- The World Health Organization and UNICEF are calling for the establishment of a humanitarian airbridge to deliver lifesaving assistance to millions of vulnerable people in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan: UN agencies sound alarm over emergency aid supply logjam UN News 23 Aug 2021 -- UN humanitarian agencies are warning that they are unable to bring urgently needed emergency supplies into Afghanistan, and are calling for a "humanitarian airbridge" to be set up immediately, to allow the unimpeded delivery of medicines and other aid supplies to the country.
• Second Plane With UN Staff Members Arrives In Kazakhstan From Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Aug 2021 -- A second plane with UN staff members aboard has arrived in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, from Afghanistan for temporary relocation amid instability in Kabul after Taliban militants took control of the city.
• Biden, Johnson Discuss Extension Of Troop Deadline In Afghanistan Before G7 Meeting RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Aug 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has held talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on coordinating plans for the evacuation of thousands of people in Afghanistan with just over a week left before the Taliban says it will stop allowing foreign troops to enable the exodus.
• UK Minister for Human Rights, South Asia and the Commonwealth to address UN Human Rights Council on Afghanistan UK FCDO 23 Aug 2021 -- Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon will address the UN Human Rights Council tomorrow on Afghanistan.
• Slovenia, Holding Rotating Presidency, Says EU Won't Accept Wave Of Afghan Migrants RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Aug 2021 -- Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said the EU will not allow a surge of Afghan migrants, as the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has stoked fears of a repeat of Europe's 2015 migration crisis, when more than 1 million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East arrived in the bloc.
• Will Afghanistan Create Another Migrant Crisis for Europe? VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- Six years ago, more than 1.2 million migrants from many parts of the world fled to Europe, traveling hundreds or thousands of kilometers to seek a new life in a crisis that has left deep political scars.
• Russia Casts a Pragmatic Eye on Afghanistan's Taliban VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- In the aftermath of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, Russia is looking south with a wary eye to see how it can benefit from a situation fraught with opportunity and risk.
• There no military solution to Afghanistan crisis: Iran ISNA 23 Aug 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed that the history has shown that there is no military solution to Afghanistan crisis and all groups and parties must resolve the issues through negotiation and dialogue.
• Taliban Targets Panjshir Valley as Resistance Leaders Remain Defiant VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban are dispatching hundreds of fighters to the Panjshir Valley, 150 kilometers north of the Afghan capital, Kabul, to try to stamp out an emerging resistance movement led by the son of a warlord who defied them the last time they ruled Afghanistan 20 years ago.
• Exiled Afghan Central Bank Chief Says Taliban-Led Government Faces Major Economic Shocks RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Aug 2021 -- Afghanistan's exiled central-bank governor expects the impoverished country to face a series of economic shocks under the Taliban.
• Marines and Sailors arrive aboard the USS Arlington in support of Haiti disaster relief USMC News 23 Aug 2021 -- Marines and Sailors of 2nd Marine Division aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) arrived in U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations off the coast of Haiti in support of Joint Task Force-Haiti, Aug. 21.
• USS Billings and USNS Burlington Support Haiti Relief US Navy 23 Aug 2021 -- The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15) and USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10), a spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship, operated by Military Sealift Command are supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations off the coast Haiti, Aug. 22.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by President Biden on the COVID-19 Response and the Vaccination Program The White House 23 Aug 2021
• Tennessee Guard increases COVID-19 support to area hospitals Army News 23 Aug 2021 -- Over the weekend, the Tennessee National Guard increased its support to area hospitals across Tennessee as they fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• DOD Awards $0.6 Million Contract to QIAGEN to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of COVID-19 Diagnostic Test Kits and Reagents DoD 23 Aug 2021 -- On August 23, 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $0.6 million contract to QIAGEN Beverly, Inc. to expand manufacturing capacity of enzymatic reagents and reagent kits used in COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests.
• DOD Intends to Mandate Pfizer Vaccine, Pentagon Official Says DoD News 23 Aug 2021 -- Since the Food and Drug Administration today granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, it's very likely the vaccine will soon become mandatory for Defense Department personnel, the Pentagon press secretary said.
• MARITIME PARTNERSHIP EXERCISE BETWEEN INDIAN NAVY AND THE PHILIPPINE NAVY – 23 AUGUST 2021 India PIB 23 Aug 2021 -- Two ships of the Indian Navy, namely INS Ranvijay (Guided Missile Destroyer, D55) and INS Kora (Guided Missile Corvette, P61), on deployment to the Western Pacific, carried out a Maritime Partnership Exercise with BRP Antonio Luna (Frigate, FF 151) of the Philippine Navy on 23 Aug 21 in the West Philippine Sea.
• Iran to unveil new edition of Bavar-373 at higher level than S400 ISNA 23 Aug 2021 -- Iranian deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi announced that new edition of home-grown Bavar-373 missile system is being designed and the system which is at the higher level than S400 will be unveiled soon.
• Defending Taiwan requires national unity: Tsai says on military anniversary CNA 23 Aug 2021 -- Defending Taiwan against potential enemy invasion cannot be accomplished by one party alone, it requires a joint effort, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Monday as she commemorated the 63rd anniversary of the Artillery Bombardment of Kinmen, also called the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis.
• Australia back for Indo-Pacific maritime Exercise MALABAR Australia DOD 23 Aug 2021 -- The Royal Australian Navy will join key regional partners India, Japan and the United States for Exercise MALABAR 2021.
• Harris Vows 'Enduring' U.S. Engagement In Asia Amid Concerns Sparked By Afghan Withdrawal RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Aug 2021 -- Vice President Kamala Harris has vowed that the United States will continue its "enduring engagement" in Southeast Asia amid concerns triggered by its hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic rush of thousands of civilians fleeing the war-wracked country.
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom The White House 23 Aug 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, August 23, 2021 The White House 23 Aug 2021
• Department Press Briefing – August 23, 2021 US Dept. of State 23 Aug 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 23, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 23 August 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Aug 2021
• No end to Yemen civil war on the horizon, senior UN official briefs Security Council UN News 23 Aug 2021 -- No progress has been made by parties in Yemen to reach a political agreement to settle the civil war, which is now in its seventh year, a senior UN official for the Middle East region told the Security Council on Monday.
• UN: Yemen No Closer to Peace, as Famine Conditions Spread VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- The United Nations warned Monday that Yemen is no closer to peacefully resolving its civil war, as the country spirals faster toward famine and other catastrophes.
• Desperate Rohingya Drown While Fleeing Remote Bangladesh Island VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- More than two dozen Rohingya are missing and feared drowned after their boat sank August 14 in the Bay of Bengal while they were fleeing a refugee settlement located on a remote Bangladeshi island.
• Zelenskiy Looks To International Forum To Return Russia-Annexed Crimea RFE/RL 23 Aug 2021 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has vowed to do "everything possible" to return Russia-annexed Crimea to Ukraine as an international forum on the issue looked to rally international support.
• Ukraine Opens International Summit on Crimea VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy opened the Crimean Platform summit in Kyiv Monday to build pressure on Russia over its annexation of the Crimea territory, which is viewed as illegal by most of the world.
• Work On Water Facility Stops As Kyrgyz-Tajik Border Tensions Rise RFE/RL 23 Aug 2021 -- Border officials for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have discussed the latest developments along the disputed segments of the frontier between the two Central Asian nations amid a fresh rise in tensions over the weekend.
• Sanctioning Eritrean Military Leader in Connection with Human Rights Abuse in Ethiopia US Dept. of State 23 Aug 2021 -- The United States is designating the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) Chief of Staff General Filipos Woldeyohannes (Filipos) for his connection with serious human rights abuse committed during the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia.
• Treasury Sanctions Eritrean Military Leader in Connection with Serious Human Rights Abuse in Tigray US Treasury 23 Aug 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned General Filipos Woldeyohannes (Filipos), the Chief of Staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), for being a leader or official of an entity that is engaged in serious human rights abuse committed during the ongoing conflict in Tigray.
• US Sanctions Eritrean Defense Official Over Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- The United States imposed sanctions Monday on a top Eritrean defense official, citing Eritrea's actions during the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region.
• Arakan Army Eclipsing Government in Administering Myanmar's Rakhine State Amid Cease-fire Radio Free Asia 23 Aug 2021 -- The ethnic Arakan Army (AA) has been beefing up its administrative and judiciary mechanisms in western Myanmar's Rakhine state during the past nine months of a cease-fire negotiated with the army before the military coup, but the junta is now reinforcing troop levels in the region in response, according to sources in the area.

News Reports

• United States and Singapore Expand Cooperation on Cybersecurity CISA 23 Aug 2021 -- The United States and Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand cooperation on cybersecurity. The MOU was signed by Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and David Koh, Chief Executive of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).
• The United States Department of the Treasury and the Monetary Authority of Singapore Finalize a Memorandum of Understanding on Cybersecurity Cooperation US Treasury 23 Aug 2021 -- On August 23, 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") and the Monetary Authority of Singapore ("MAS") announced the finalization of a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") on Cybersecurity Cooperation. This announcement was made during Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Singapore, where both the US and Singapore recognized the importance of deepening cooperation in new domains to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
• Brooklyn Federal Jury Convicts U.S. Citizen of Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS US Dept. of Justice 23 Aug 2021 -- Defendant Traveled from the United States to Tunisia in 2016 With the Goal of Crossing into Libya to Join the Islamic State
• Russia Accuses Ukrainian Of Espionage RFE/RL 23 Aug 2021 -- Russian authorities have detained a Ukrainian citizen on suspicion of espionage in the city of Tula, some 200 kilometers south of Moscow.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's video address to the participants in the conference The Frontiers of Russia: Geopolitics, Regional Studies and Historical Memory, August 23, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Aug 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, August 23, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Aug 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on August 23, 2021 PRC MofA 23 Aug 2021
• China's Mach 30 wind tunnel expected to be completed in 2022, help develop aerospace, hypersonic aircraft Global Times 23 Aug 2021 -- China's latest, world-leading hypervelocity wind tunnel that can simulate a speed of Mach 30 at high altitude is expected to finish construction in 2022, and will contribute to the country's hypersonic and aerospace aircraft programs. Hypersonic aircraft developed through the technology can reach anywhere in the world within one or two hours, and the technology could also help develop aerospace aircraft that reduces satellite and spacecraft launch costs by 90 percent.
• Candidate Withdraws From Hong Kong Law Society Elections, Citing Intimidation Radio Free Asia 23 Aug 2021 -- A lawyer standing for election to a Hong Kong professional body reported intimidation and withdrew his candidacy, as the ruling Chinese Communist Party stepped up pressure on civil society groups in the city.
• Thousands Leaving Hong Kong, Teachers Quit Amid Security Law and Pandemic VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- Hong Kong has seen an alarming reduction in its population over the last 12 months, as people leave in the wake of the pandemic and the city's political turmoil.
• Case of Hangzhou 'fallen tiger' sounds alert to officials in rich regions Global Times 23 Aug 2021 -- The anti-graft authority in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province announced on Monday that it has launched a special campaign to address problems in establishing a close but clear relationship between the government and the business sectors.
• Latest Figures Show China's Millennials Aren't The Marrying Kind Radio Free Asia 23 Aug 2021 -- Young people in China are increasingly ruling marriage out of their plans for the future, putting further pressure on the government's attempts to get them to have more children, according to recent official figures.
• Belarusian Opposition Warns Europe That No One Safe From Lukashenka RFE/RL 23 Aug 2021 -- Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for increased support against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, saying his autocratic regime threatens to spread chaos across Europe.
• Poland To Erect Fence On Belarus Border Amid Migrant Inflow RFE/RL 23 Aug 2021 -- Poland says it will build a fence on its border with its eastern neighbor Belarus to stem a flow of migrants that European officials say is being driven by Minsk in retaliation for sanctions against the regime of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
• Moldovan President Seeks 'Pragmatic Relationship' With Russia RFE/RL 23 Aug 2021 -- President Maia Sandu says Moldova wants its relations with Russia to be based on pragmatism and will work to prevent a destabilization of the situation with regard to the frozen conflict between Chisinau and its Moscow-backed breakaway region, Transdniester.
• Armenian Court Says Pro-Opposition Doctor Can Be Rearrested On Election Influence Charges RFE/RL 23 Aug 2021 -- A court in Yerevan has granted an appeal by Armenian prosecutors seeking the rearrest of a prominent surgeon charged with pressuring his subordinates to go vote in the June 20 parliamentary elections in which he ran on the ticket of an opposition alliance.
• UN migration agency launches $15 million appeal for Haiti UN News 23 Aug 2021 -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday launched a $15 million appeal to support some 137,000 families affected by the deadly earthquake that rocked southern Haiti just over a week ago.
• Somali Opposition Leaders Reject New Election Roadmap VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- A group of Somali opposition presidential candidates has rejected the government's plan for upcoming elections. The rejection could result in yet another delay for the Somali polls.