Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Readout of the Political Directors Small Group Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS US Dept. of State 09 Sep 2021

Defense Policy / Programs

• The 46th Expeditionary Attack Squadron takes flight with the MQ-9 Reaper CENTCOM 09 Sep 2021 -- The 46th Expeditionary Attack Squadron serves a multi-faceted operation that is responsible for reconnaissance, intelligence and surveillance throughout the area of responsibility.
• USS Tulsa operates with Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group in South China Sea US Navy 09 Sep 2021 -- Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16) joined Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (VINCSG) during presence operations in the South China Sea.
• NSW Wraps Up SOF Phase of MALABAR with Partner Nations US Navy 09 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Naval Special Warfare (NSW), Indian Navy Marine Commandos, and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Special Boarding Units completed the special operations forces (SOF) phase of MALABAR 21 in Santa Rita, Guam, Sept. 5.
• Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Conduct Bilateral Exercises US Navy 09 Sep 2021 -- The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (VINCSG) participated in two days of bilateral maritime exercises with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 31 to Sept. 1.
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Holds a Media Availability DoD 09 Sep 2021
• Austin Says Gulf State Responses Highlights Benefits of Allies, Partners DoD News 09 Sep 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III today recognized the vital contribution of Arabian Gulf allies, saying their aid enabled the evacuation of 124,000 people from Afghanistan.
• DARPA Looks to Microbes to Process Rare Earth Elements DoD News 09 Sep 2021 -- Rare earth elements — a group of 17 metals, including neodymium — are used in lasers, precision-guided weapons, magnets for motors and other devices that are at the heart of many critical technologies the Defense Department depends on.
• US Army Exercise Saber Junction 21 kicks off with a bang Army News 09 Sep 2021 -- Saber Junction 21 kicked off at the Grafenwoehr Training Area with a live-fire artillery exercise before transitioning via a tactical road march to the Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, where the exercise will continue until Sep. 24.
• AFCEC continues infrastructure construction to support F-35 US Air Force 09 Sep 2021 -- The Air Force Civil Engineer Center continues a massive, multi-year construction effort to deliver the infrastructure needed to support F-35A Lightning II fighter operations at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; Eielson AFB, Alaska; and RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom.
• U.S. 5th Fleet Launches New Task Force to Integrate Unmanned Systems US Navy 09 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) established a new task force, Sept. 9, to rapidly integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence with maritime operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations.
• Deputy Secretary General meets Colombian Vice President and Foreign Minister NATO 09 Sep 2021 -- On Thursday (9 September 2021), NATO's Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană met Vice President and Foreign Minister of Colombia Marta Lucía Ramírez de Rincón, and discussed the deepening of bilateral cooperation between Colombia and NATO.
• Joint Support and Enabling Command declares Full Operational Capability NATO 09 Sep 2021 -- On 8 September 2021, Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) declared Full Operational Capability (FOC) and marked the occasion with a ceremony presided over by its Commander, Lieutenant General Jürgen Knappe. Distinguished guests included the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Tod Wolters, the German State Secretary, Thomas Silberhorn, and the Director General of the NATO International Military Staff, Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Wiermann.
• Russia To Show Off Military Might, Grip On Belarus During Zapad-2021 Exercises RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- Russia and Belarus will be the site of what could be the biggest military exercises in Europe in decades, which comes as Alyaksandr Lukashenka moves to integrate Belarus even closer not only militarily but politically with Russia, triggering fears he is bargaining away the country's sovereignty to its much bigger neighbor.
• PLA warships sail in waters between Taiwan island, Japan Global Times 09 Sep 2021 -- A destroyer flotilla of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly sailed in the waters between the island of Taiwan and some islands of Japan in the past week. Chinese analysts said the move sent a warning to Japanese right-wing forces and Taiwan secessionists, at a time when the two have been colluding to sabotage peace and stability in the region.
• OPENING CEREMONY EXERCISE ZAPAD 2021 India PIB 09 Sep 2021 -- The Exercise ZAPAD 2021 commenced on 04th September 2021 at Nizhniy in Russia with an aim to train troops to undertake joint operations in conventional battlefield scenario. The exercise aims at strengthening long standing strategic partnership between India and Russia and also enhance better understanding, cooperation with all other participating Nations.
• DRDO hands over air defence missile (MRSAM) System to Indian Air Force in presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan India PIB 09 Sep 2021 -- In a significant boost to India's defence capabilities, the first deliverable Firing Unit (FU) of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System was handed over to Indian Air Force (IAF) in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Air Force Station, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on September 09, 2021. The MRSAM (IAF) is an advanced network centric combat Air Defence System developed jointly by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with the Indian industry comprising of private and public sectors including MSMEs.
• RAF's next-generation Remotely Piloted Aircraft takes to UK skies UK MOD 09 Sep 2021 -- A pre-production example of the UK's new Protector aircraft has taken to the UK skies as part of preparations for the arrival of Protector to RAF Waddington.
• Taiwan Navy commissions new Tuo Chiang-class warship CNA 09 Sep 2021 -- Taiwan on Thursday commissioned a Tuo Chiang-class stealth multi-mission corvette, a new domestically built naval vessel equipped with modern weaponry and capable of making rapid strikes.
• Exercise hones maritime warfighting skills Australia DOD 09 Sep 2021 -- Ships deployed on Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021 (IPE21) took part in the biennial maritime Malaysia-Australia Exercise (MASTEX) while transiting through Southeast Asia.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Philippine Officials The White House 09 Sep 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, September 9, 2021 The White House 09 Sep 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Thani US Dept. of State 09 Sep 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Locsin US Dept. of State 09 Sep 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 09 Sep 2021
• Department Press Briefing – September 9, 2021 US Dept. of State 09 Sep 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 9, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 9 September 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 09 Sep 2021
• Austin: US ready to combat terrorist groups in Afghanistan Press TV 09 Sep 2021 -- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the United States is ready to prevent terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and Daesh-K from resuming activity in Afghanistan that would put his country at risk.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on Qatar Airways Charter Flight from Kabul The White House 09 Sep 2021
• Taliban Allow Flight With Americans, Other Westerners to Depart Kabul VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- Taliban authorities allowed a Qatari charter flight to leave for Doha from the Kabul airport Thursday, the first flight for evacuees to take off since the United States ended its military operation in Afghanistan on August 31.
• White House Praises Taliban As Dozens Of Foreigners Fly Out Of Kabul RFE/RL Gandhara 09 Sep 2021 -- The White House called the Taliban's cooperation on the first international passenger flight out of the Afghan capital since a U.S.-led evacuation ended "a positive first step," as more than 100 passengers, including dozens of Americans, arrived in Qatar.
• Departure of Qatar Airways Charter Flight from Kabul US Dept. of State 09 Sep 2021 -- "We have consistently said we would continue to help U.S. citizens and others to whom we have a special commitment depart Afghanistan if they choose to do so. Today offers another concrete demonstration of that commitment."
• Taliban interim govt. agrees to evacuation of remaining US, other foreign nationals: Official Press TV 09 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban's new interim government has agreed to allow the remaining foreign nationals to leave Afghanistan, less than a month after the militant group took over the war-ravaged country, a US official says.
• UN: New Crisis Looms for Afghanistan VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- The United Nations' top official in Afghanistan said Thursday that billions of dollars in assets and donor funds frozen by members of the international community present a "looming crisis" for the country, which is in a dire humanitarian and economic situation.
• Flight from Kabul carrying British nationals: Foreign Secretary's statement, 9 September 2021 UK FCDO 09 Sep 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab gave a statement on the departure of British nationals on a flight from Kabul.
• Global community can still shape 'new reality' in Afghanistan UN News 09 Sep 2021 -- While the choices available in Afghanistan are "not comfortable" ones, continued international engagement and unwavering commitment to the country's people can help steer the situation to its best possible outcome, the UN's senior official in Kabul told the Security Council on Thursday.
• Up To 200 Foreigners Expected To Fly From Kabul In First Airlift Since U.S. Withdrawal RFE/RL Gandhara 09 Sep 2021 -- U.S. and Qatari officials say as many as 200 Americans and other foreigners still in Afghanistan will fly out of the country from Kabul on September 9 in what would be some of the first international flights to take off from the capital since international troops completed their withdrawal at the end of last month.
• CIA Chief Discusses Afghanistan With Pakistani Military Leaders In Islamabad RFE/RL Gandhara 09 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns has discussed the security situation in Afghanistan with the heads of Pakistan's army and military intelligence in Islamabad, long seen as an ally of the Taliban.
• CIA Chief Visits Pakistan, India to Discuss Afghanistan VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director Willam Burns flew to India and Pakistan this week to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and the region as well as the way forward.
• BRICS Nations Say Afghan Territory Should Not Be Used by Terror Groups VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- Leaders of the BRICS nations discussed Afghanistan at a virtual summit Thursday, with participants underscoring the importance of preventing terrorists from using Afghan soil to stage attacks on other countries.
• Afghans Defy Taliban Protest Ban Amid Growing Fear Over Government's Direction RFE/RL Gandhara 09 Sep 2021 -- Protesters have returned to the streets in different parts of Afghanistan amid growing concern over the direction of the new government led by hard-line Taliban veterans after the militants outlawed protests "for the time being" and indicated women may be banned from participating in sports.
• What to Expect as China Sends Another Survey Ship Into a Disputed Asian Sea VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- A Chinese scientific research ship that set out Monday to explore parts of the South China Sea will flex Beijing's muscle in a six-way sovereignty dispute without getting other countries riled up enough to chase the vessel away, experts believe.
• China-developed intelligent deepwater drilling rig starts work in South China Sea Global Times 09 Sep 2021 -- The domestically developed intelligent deepwater drilling rig Deep Blue Exploration began operations in the South China Sea on Thursday, its developer China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) announced, marking a substantial advance for intelligent deepwater oil and gas equipment in China.
• Yemeni drones target southwestern Saudi Arabia in retaliation for war Press TV 09 Sep 2021 -- Yemeni Armed Forces have launched a new drone operation against Saudi targets in the kingdom's southwest in response to Saudi Arabia's ongoing military aggression on its southern neighbor.
• Saudi-led air raids on Yemen caused more than 18,000 civilian casualties since 2015: UN Press TV 09 Sep 2021 -- At least 18,000 Yemeni civilians have been killed or wounded by Saudi-led airstrikes since the kingdom launched the war on its impoverished Arab neighbor in 2015, a United Nations panel says.
• Israel Conducts Massive Manhunt After Prison Escape VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- A massive manhunt is under way after six Palestinians convicted of terrorism escaped from a prison in northern Israel earlier this week.

News Reports

• Remarks by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall on the Future of the U.S. Counterterrorism Mission: Aligning Strategy, Policy, and Resources The White House 09 Sep 2021
• Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Certain Terrorist Attacks The White House 09 Sep 2021
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Certain Terrorist Attacks The White House 09 Sep 2021
• 2015 Paris Terror Attack Trial Expected to Last Nine Months VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- The next nine months will determine the fate of 20 people on trial for the 2015 terror attacks in Paris. Of the ten-man team believed to have carried out the coordinated assault, just one is still alive. Salah Abdeslam was among the 14 suspects in court on Wednesday, the first day of the trial that could see him imprisoned for life. Six are still wanted.
• Ukrainian Extradited To U.S. To Face Hacking Charges RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- A Ukrainian national has been extradited to the United States, where he faces charges of hacking and stealing computer passwords, the U.S. Justice Department said on September 8.
• Reports: German Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Alleged Russian Cyberattacks RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- News reports say German prosecutors have opened a formal investigation into a series of cyberattacks that have targeted German politicians - attacks that the Foreign Ministry has blamed on Russia.
• Smoke Alarms Sound On International Space Station RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- Smoke alarms have sounded on a Russian module at the International Space Station, and some of the crew reported smelling something that resembled burnt plastic, officials say.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, September 9, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Sep 2021
• Russia Heading for 'Least Free Elections' in 20 Years, Say Opposition Leaders VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- Russia's parliamentary elections in less than two weeks' time are shaping up to be the least free since Vladimir Putin came to power 21 years ago, warn opposition leaders and independent election observers.
• Russia's E-Voting Getting Off The Ground, Literally RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- The countdown is under way for Russia's controversial e-voting platform, which will be debuted in the upcoming State Duma elections by some very remote voters, including a cosmonaut and a polar explorer.
• Three Of A Kind: Another Set Of Russian 'Clone' Candidates Makes Headlines RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- If you're following Russia's current political campaign, you've probably heard of the "clone" candidates competing for votes in a single district of St. Petersburg, provoking a lively discussion about Russian elections and the dirty tricks often deployed to bolster candidates backed by the state at the expense of politicians who oppose it.
• Leaked Recording Sheds Light On Widespread Russian Practice Of Party-Led Election Monitors RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- The buildup to Russia's legislative elections has been filled with intrigue and accompanied by some downright absurd headlines.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 9, 2021 PRC MofA 09 Sep 2021
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Call with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China The White House 09 Sep 2021
• New Study Says China Using Investments To Buy Political Influence In Central, Eastern Europe RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- A new report has found a correlation between the influx of Chinese capital into a country and a negative impact on its environment and the quality of governance.
• HK Alliance vice chairman and 11 others plead guilty over unlawful assembly Global Times 09 Sep 2021 -- Twelve people, including vice chairman of the radical group Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (Hong Kong Alliance) Albert Ho Chun-yan, on Thursday pleaded guilty for participating or inciting others to participate in unauthorized assemblies.
• China's HK, Macao affairs office supports HK police arresting anti-China group members People's Daily 09 Sep 2021 -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday said it resolutely supports Hong Kong police in enforcing the law.
• Hong Kong Police Raid Tiananmen Museum, Charge Founders With 'Subversion' Radio Free Asia 09 Sep 2021 -- Hong Kong's national security police on Thursday charged the organizers of a now-banned candlelight vigil commemorating the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen massacre with "subversion," following a raid on a museum they founded to preserve historical records of the bloodshed.
• Mainland Chinese Dissidents Hit Out at Police Raid on Hong Kong Alliance Radio Free Asia 09 Sep 2021 -- Mainland Chinese democracy activists and relatives of victims of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre have paid tribute to the organizers of a now-banned candlelight vigil marking the June 4, 1989 crackdown, as Hong Kong national security police charged three of them with "subversion."
• China Slams Second Session of Uyghur Tribunal Investigating Xinjiang Human Rights Abuses Radio Free Asia 09 Sep 2021 -- China has denounced the second round of a Uyghur Tribunal scheduled to begin Friday in London to investigate whether the government's alleged rights abuses targeting ethnic Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in its far-western Xinjiang region constitute genocide.
• 'Uygur Tribunal' is a lie-maker, another political farce aimed at discrediting Xinjiang: Chinese FM Global Times 09 Sep 2021 -- The so-called Uygur Tribunal is a lie-maker that has nothing to do with the law or the truth, it's another farce aimed at discrediting Xinjiang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday. His comments come as the organization plans yet another round of smearing campaigns against China's Xinjiang policy in what it terms as a second hearing.
• China's Population Enters 'Deep Aging' in Many Major Cities Radio Free Asia 09 Sep 2021 -- China is facing a population crisis of increasing urgency, with 149 cities shown in recent census figures to have 14 percent of their residents over the age of 65.
• China Hauls in Tech Giants Over Underage Gaming Rules, Shares Tumble Radio Free Asia 09 Sep 2021 -- China's propaganda ministry and media regulators on Thursday hauled in representatives of Tencent, NetEase, and other technology giants, ordering them to fully implement recent restrictions on online gaming for underage players.
• Taiwan's regional economic cooperation depends on one-China principle: spokesperson People's Daily 09 Sep 2021 -- The precondition for Taiwan's participation in regional economic cooperation is the one-China principle, said a mainland spokesperson Wednesday.
• North Korean Restaurants Abandon Price Controls Amid Food Shortages Radio Free Asia 09 Sep 2021 -- With food prices on the rise in North Korea, a Pyongyang restaurant serving the city's signature dish has had to abandon price controls, causing a more than twentyfold increase and making a casual meal outside the house an expensive luxury that ordinary residents of the capital can no longer afford, sources told RFA.
• Kamalvandi: IAEA's inspections in Iran limited to Safeguards Agreement, nothing beyond that allowed Press TV 09 Sep 2021 -- The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says since the Iranian Parliament passed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s inspections in Iran have remained limited to what is allowed under the Safeguards Agreement between Tehran and the agency.
• Lukashenka Heads To Moscow For 'Union State' Integration Talks With Putin RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- Authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka travels to Moscow on September 9 for his fifth face-to-face meeting this year with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid speculation that the two leaders could sign a deal that could radically undercut Belarus's sovereignty.
• Putin Offers Lukashenka More Loans, Unified Gas Market, But 'Union State' Status Unclear RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would give hundreds of millions of dollars in additional loans to Minsk, and that he and his visiting Belarusian counterpart had agreed on a new unified natural-gas market.
• Hungary Blasts EU's 'Arrogance' After Poland Threatened With Fine Over Judges' Chamber RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- Hungary's Justice Minister has called European Union authorities "arrogant" after its executive arm asked the EU's top court to impose financial penalties on Poland in a long-running dispute over judicial reforms that has helped strain relations between the bloc and Warsaw over the rule of law.
• Uzbek President Accepts Nomination To Run For Second Term In October Vote RFE/RL 09 Sep 2021 -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has accepted the nomination from the pro-government Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan to be its candidate and seek a second term in office in next month's election.
• Hunger spikes in Haiti following deadly earthquake UN News 09 Sep 2021 -- Around 980,000 Haitians in the four districts most affected by the August 14 earthquake are now living with acute food insecurity, according to new UN food security data released on Thursday.
• West African Regional Bloc Suspends Guinea Over Coup VOA 09 Sep 2021 -- The West African bloc ECOWAS has suspended Guinea's membership after a military coup that removed President Alpha Conde. ECOWAS leaders on Wednesday urged Guinea's coup leaders to release Conde and return to constitutional order. The West African bloc plans to send a high-level mission to Guinea to try to mediate the situation.
• Cambodian Court Sentences Seven Opposition Activists to Prison in Absentia For 'Incitement' Radio Free Asia 09 Sep 2021 -- A court in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh sentenced seven opposition activists to 18 months in prison Thursday for "incitement" after they used social media to criticize the government for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.