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Defense Policy / Programs

• Plans for Marine Corps Reserve to Take on Expanded Role in Partnership with II MEF Underway USMC News 23 Dec 2021 -- The Marine Corps Reserve will have a larger role in worldwide crisis response, according to ongoing operational planning currently underway here and at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, between Marine Forces Reserve and II Marine Expeditionary Force.
• Advanced Weapons Elevators Completed Aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) US Navy 23 Dec 2021 -- On December 22, the 11th and final Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was turned over to the Ship's Crew. AWEs on this first-of-class aircraft carrier operate using several advanced technologies including electromagnetic motors vice more labor intensive, hydraulic systems. The advanced technology enables fewer sailors to safely move ordnance from weapons magazines to the flight deck with unparalleled speed and agility.
• Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group Ships Conducts Interoperability with the Tunisian Navy US Navy 23 Dec 2021 -- USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), ships from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8 and the Tunisian Navy vessels Hannon (612) and Tunis (502) conducted multiple tactical operations to enhance maritime security and increase interoperability between the two navies, December 20-21, 2021.
• Sustainment Solutions: ONR Global, Chilean Navy Hold AVANTE Challenge to Address Maritime Sustainment Issues US Navy 23 Dec 2021 -- In an effort to strengthen naval capabilities in the area of maritime sustainment—specifically, the rapid repair of ships in dry dock—the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global and the Chilean Naval Polytechnic Academy recently held the 2021 AVANTE Challenge.
• Stoltenberg Claims NATO Never Promised Not to Expand Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- As part of its security proposals, Russia demanded that NATO not expand eastwards or deploy any kind of offensive weapons in Eastern Europe.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg US Dept. of State 23 Dec 2021
• Work on shipyard in Shanghai for Chinese warships goes smoothly, to open in 2023 Global Times 23 Dec 2021 -- Since its start at the beginning of the year, the construction of a new shipyard for a key Chinese warship builder has been going smoothly, and dock basin construction kicked off on Wednesday.
• DRDO successfully conducts Flight-Test of Indigenous Aerial Target 'Abhyas' India PIB 23 Dec 2021 -- DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of Indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas today from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast, Odisha
• DRDO successfully conducts second flight-test of indigenously developed conventional Surface-to-Surface missile 'Pralay' India PIB 23 Dec 2021 -- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted second flight-test of indigenously developed conventional Surface-to-Surface missile 'Pralay' from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on December 23, 2021
• Indian Army To Deploy Suicide Drones to Boost Artillery in Forward Posts Along China Border Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- Recent satellite imagery shows that China is continuously building-up military assets in the friction areas along the Line of Actual Control — that border dividing it from China from Ladakh in the north to Arunachal Pradesh way to the east. The Indian Army is equipping its forces in forward posts with advanced weaponry.
• Combat, suicide drones new part of IRGC power IRNA 23 Dec 2021 -- Commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Hossein Salami has said that combat drones and suicide drones are the new elements of power of the IRGC Ground Force.
• Kamikaze, reconnaissance drones new features of IRGC's offensive power: Salami Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s chief says the Ground Force under his watch put on display a combination of the "major elements of its power" during the latest maneuvers, which featured kamikaze and reconnaissance drones as new components of the Force's offensive might.
• US satellite images show Saudi Arabia manufacturing ballistic missiles: Report Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- US satellite images show that Saudi Arabia is actively manufacturing its own ballistic missiles, according to an exclusive report published by the CNN website.
• US Intel Claims Saudi Arabia Is Building Its Own Ballistic Missiles With China - Report Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- The report comes in the light of already tense negotiations in Vienna regarding the revival of the JCPOA accord with Iran. Aside from restricting the Islamic republic's nuclear programme, it also envisages limiting missile technologies.
• New battlefield drone to enter combat testing in mid-2022: source CNA 23 Dec 2021 -- A combat drone developed by Taiwan's top military research unit is currently undergoing initial flight tests before it enters combat testing scheduled for June next year, a military source told CNA Thursday.
• Experts warn about Taiwan's dangerous intentions to develop nuclear weapons, stress preparation for worst Global Times 23 Dec 2021 -- Chinese experts warned about the dangerous intentions in the island of Taiwan to develop nuclear weapons, saying such an illusion is ridiculous and if the island really pushes forward with the plan, the Chinese mainland and even the US will impose countermeasures against the island.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with UK Foreign Secretary Truss US Dept. of State 23 Dec 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 23, 2021 The White House 23 Dec 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 23, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 23 December 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Dec 2021
• Officials From Turkey, Qatar To Present Plan To Run Kabul Airport To Taliban RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Dec 2021 -- Turkish and Qatari officials are traveling to Afghanistan to present plans to Taliban leaders for companies from their countries to run Kabul's international airport, as the global community looks for ways to get desperately needed humanitarian aid to the country.
• Taliban Reportedly Halted Evacuation Flights From Afghanistan for Past Two Weeks Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- The Taliban* have suspended US-chartered Qatar Airways evacuation flights out of Afghanistan for the past two weeks, NBC reported on Thursday, citing sources.
• Uzbek Border Restraints Leave Afghan Migrants in Limbo VOA 23 Dec 2021 -- On a cold but sunny day, Nadim, an Afghan migrant in his 30s, sells eggs and rice at the local farmers market in the Uzbek border city of Termez, administrative center of Surkhandarya region. He doesn't say how long he's been in Uzbekistan, but he does talk about his three young children, all of whom are being educated in Uzbekistan.
• Illegal Iranian Flow of Weapons to Yemen US Dept. of State 23 Dec 2021 -- On December 20, the United States Navy 5th Fleet seized upwards of 1,400 AK-47 assault rifles and 226,600 rounds of ammunition from a vessel originating from Iran.
• Iraq pays final installment on Kuwait war reparations Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- The Iraqi government has finished paying reparations to its neighbor Kuwait over an invasion that took place 30 years ago during the time of former dictator Saddam Hussein.
• Libyan elections postponed, new date expected within 30 days UN News 23 Dec 2021 -- During a visit to help implement intra-Libyan political, security and economic dialogues and support recently postponed presidential and parliamentary elections, the UN envoy to the country issued a statement on Thursday, detailing her work over the last 10 days.
• U.S. Says Kremlin Aggression Against Ukraine Will Lead To More NATO Forces Near Russia RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- The United States has sought to deter Russia from invading Ukraine, saying such an action would lead to punishing Western sanctions while forcing NATO to increase military aid to Kyiv and put more forces closer to Moscow.
• Putin: Reunification of Crimea With Russia Was Not on Agenda Before Coup in Ukraine Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- In 2013, protests broke out in Ukraine due to the authorities' decision to halt a policy aimed at integration with the European Union, leading to a coup and the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych.
• Russia: US Attempts to Use Security Guarantee Talks as Cover to Arm Ukraine Will Worsen Situation Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov revealed that the first round of Moscow-Washington talks on security guarantees is due to be held in early 2022.
• Welcoming the Ceasefire in Donbas US Dept. of State 23 Dec 2021 -- The United States welcomes yesterday's OSCE announcement regarding the "strong determination" of Ukrainian government forces and Russia-led forces in eastern Ukraine to fully adhere to the Measures to Strengthen the Ceasefire agreement of July 22, 2020.
• Ukraine border tensions: Foreign Secretary's statement UK FCDO 23 Dec 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has issued a statement on the current situation on the Ukraine border.
• Deal reached to restore truce between Ukraine forces, ethnic Russians: OSCE Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the intergovernmental organization have agreed on a deal to restore a full ceasefire between Ukrainian government troops and ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak of Ukraine The White House 23 Dec 2021
• Western Powers Assail Moscow For Aiding Vagner Mercenary Group In Mali RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- Western powers condemned Moscow for providing "material support" for the Russia-backed Vagner Group that has deployed mercenary fighters in the troubled West African nation of Mali.
• UK and international partners condemn Wagner Group's plan to deploy mercenaries in Mali UK FCDO 23 Dec 2021 -- The UK and international partners have issued a statement condemning the decision to deploy mercenary troops from the Wagner Group in Mali.
• Stalemate Sets in as Ethiopian Army Holds Positions in Liberated Amhara, Afar Towns Outside Tigray Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) will maintain their positions in Amhara and Afar states after pushing the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) out of them in a hard-fought counteroffensive, believing the rebel group to be severely weakened after the defeat.
• Despite 'rampant' poverty, 'existential' lack of funding impedes UNRWA's work UN News 23 Dec 2021 -- A long-term lack of funding for the UN's relief agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, now represents an "existential" threat, its top official warned on Thursday.

News Reports

• Vladimir Putin's annual news conference President of Russia 23 Dec 2021 -- The President's annual news conference was broadcast live by Rossiya 1, Channel One, NTV and Rossiya 24 television channels, as well as Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii radio stations.
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on Russia The White House 23 Dec 2021
• White House Vows Diplomacy as Russia's Putin Ratchets Up Rhetoric VOA 23 Dec 2021 -- The White House said Thursday that Washington is keeping a keen eye on Moscow and remains committed to diplomacy during upcoming high-level talks. This comes amid increasingly heated rhetoric from Russia's leader, who on Thursday accused U.S. and NATO allies of undermining his country as he continues to mass troops near Russia's border with Ukraine.
• Putin: Russia wants to avoid conflict with West over Ukraine, but demands immediate security guarantees Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country wants to avoid conflict with the West, but it needs an "immediate" response from the US and its allies to the Kremlin's demands for security guarantees.
• Russian Envoy To EU Says Russia Not Planning Attack As Groundwork Is Laid For Talks In January RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- Russia is not preparing a military invasion of Ukraine, its ambassador to the European Union was quoted as saying on December 23 as Russia's top diplomat said talks will be held early next year on Moscow's security proposals.
• Tough Talk And Tough Talks: At Annual News Conference, Putin Sends Signals On Ukraine And NATO RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's message to the United States, NATO, and Kyiv at his annual press conference could arguably be summed up like this:
• Putin Demands That West Provide Russia With Security Guarantees 'Immediately' RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the West provide Russia with security guarantees "immediately" amid spiraling tensions involving a massive deployment of Russian troops toward Ukraine.
• Putin Warns NATO Expansion Eastward is Unacceptable: 'US Has Come to Our Doorstep With Its Missiles' Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- The Russian president stressed that national security is Moscow's number one priority, and that Western countries misled Russia by expanding NATO in Eastern Europe despite previous promises.
• Russia, China Jointly Developing High-Tech Weapons, Putin Says Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- Speaking at an annual press conference on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin touted the strategic relationship between Russia and China as "a stabilising factor on the global stage".
• China Rare Earth Group Co is set up, to increase pricing power Global Times 23 Dec 2021 -- China on Thursday officially set up the China Rare Earth Group Co, an industrial conglomerate through merging several key producers of the important mineral resources, China's national assets regulator said.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on December 23, 2021 PRC MofA 23 Dec 2021
• China Expected to Fail Its US Trade Commitments by Year's End VOA 23 Dec 2021 -- Sino-U.S. trade tensions could flare up again as it appears China will miss its obligations under a nearly expired agreement that emerged from a dispute during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, analysts said.
• The Signing of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act US Dept. of State 23 Dec 2021 -- President Biden today signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, underscoring the United States' commitment to combatting forced labor, including in the context of the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang.
• Biden Signs Bill to Ban Goods Made by Uyghur Slave Labor VOA 23 Dec 2021 -- The White House says President Joe Biden signed into law Thursday a bill that bans the import of good produced by Uyghur slave labor.
• Biden signs bill punishing China for alleged human rights abuses Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- US President Joe Biden has approved a congressional measure that imposes sanctions on China for alleged human rights abuses against people in the Xinjiang region.
• Biden, signing Uyghur forced labor law, vows to 'use every tool' to stop abuses Radio Free Asia 23 Dec 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law a bill banning imports from the Xinjiang region of China that lack proof they were not made with forced labor, vowing to "use every tool at our disposal" to keep products made under coercion out of supply chains.
• Biden Signs Into Law An Import Ban From China's Xinjiang Region Over Treatment Of Uyghurs RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation on December 23 that will ban imports from China's Xinjiang region in the latest measure to punish Beijing over its treatment of China's Muslim Uyghur minority and other groups.
• Biden Signs Bill to Ban Imports from China's Xinjiang Into Law Sputnik 23 Dec 2021 -- President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act that prohibits imports into the United States of goods made with forced labour in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the White House said on Thursday.
• Hong Kong university dismantles 'Pillar of Shame' massacre memorial after 24 years Radio Free Asia 23 Dec 2021 -- Security guards at the University of Hong Kong placed the area around the Pillar of Shame statue on lockdown on Thursday, blocking the view of the monument to the 1989 Tiananmen massacre victims and preventing anyone from approaching the area, as its creator said it had been demolished.
• More Hong Kong Universities Remove Tiananmen Square Protest Artwork VOA 23 Dec 2021 -- Another two Hong Kong universities removed public artwork Friday commemorating China's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
• Record Low Turnout in Hong Kong Poll 'Telling Blow' to City's Democracy VOA 23 Dec 2021 -- The record low turnout rate of Sunday's Hong Kong legislative election is a "telling blow" to surviving democracy in the city, an expert told VOA Wednesday, as others contacted also criticized the poll.
• Election for 7th-term LegCo of HKSAR concludes People's Daily 23 Dec 2021 -- The election for the 7th-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) concluded on Dec. 20.
• Premier Li meets with HKSAR chief executive People's Daily 23 Dec 2021 -- Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
• Xi meets with HKSAR chief executive People's Daily 23 Dec 2021 -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
• Premier Li meets with Macao SAR chief executive People's Daily 23 Dec 2021 -- Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday met with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Ho Iat Seng, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
• Xi meets with Macao SAR chief executive People's Daily 23 Dec 2021 -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Ho Iat Seng, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
• FM defends losing diplomat allies, says unofficial relations equally important CNA 23 Dec 2021 -- Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Thursday said deepening unofficial ties with like-minded countries was just as important as maintaining diplomatic relations, amid calls for his resignation after the loss of a record number of formal allies.
• JCPOA Joint Commission to convene in Vienna on Monday to define way ahead: EU's Mora Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- The European Union's deputy foreign policy chief, Enrique Mora, says Iran and the five remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement will resume anti-Iran sanctions removal talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Monday to discuss and define the way ahead.
• Iran says will continue sanctions removal talks with seriousness, rejects granting many concessions to P4+1 Press TV 23 Dec 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Islamic Republic will continue negotiations for the removal of sanctions imposed on the country in the Austrian capital with seriousness, emphasizing that Tehran will never give excessive concessions to the opposite side.
• Iranians Express Skepticism, Frustration Over Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- Frustration and skepticism are growing among Iranians as indirect talks between Tehran and the United States aimed at reviving a landmark nuclear deal remain mired in delays and disputes.
• Iran Agrees To Take Tea From Sri Lanka To Settle $251 Million Oil Debt RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- Iran has agreed to accept Ceylon tea in exchange for some $251 million in oil debt from the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka, Iranian media report.
• Killings in Myanmar grow as militias target alleged informers Radio Free Asia 23 Dec 2021 -- More than two dozen Myanmar civilians died at the hands of militias supporting and opposing the country's military rulers by mid-December, the highest number recorded in a single month since the junta took control of the government in a Feb. 1 coup, observers and rights activists said.
• Cambodia's Hun Sen rejects criticism over Myanmar trip Radio Free Asia 23 Dec 2021 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday affirmed his intention to visit Myanmar in January, rejecting widespread criticism that his trip will strengthen the military junta now ruling the country and confer legitimacy on leader Min Aung Hlaing.
• South Korea's Moon Pardons Disgraced Former President Park VOA 23 Dec 2021 -- Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and jailed in a far-reaching corruption scandal that rocked the country in 2016 and 2017, has been pardoned by her successor.
• China to offer Solomon Islands anti-riot gear, send police advisory team Global Times 23 Dec 2021 -- China will offer police anti-riot equipment and send an ad-hoc police advisory group to the Solomon Islands at the request of the Solomon Islands government, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.
• North Macedonia's PM Zaev Steps Down RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev formally resigned on December 23, weeks after he announced plans to step down following his party's defeat in municipal elections.
• Hungary Postpones $2.3 Billion In Investments To Cut Budget Deficit RFE/RL 23 Dec 2021 -- The Hungarian cabinet has deferred investments worth 755 billion forints ($2.3 billion) next year to reduce the budget deficit and bolster its finances amid warnings from the central bank about its fiscal discipline.
• Authorities urged to protect women and children following violence and protests in Sudan UN News 23 Dec 2021 -- Authorities in Sudan must protect boys and girls from violence, a senior official with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday, following recent deadly inter-communal clashes in West Darfur and protests in the capital, Khartoum.