Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• USS Milwaukee Seizes $22 Million in Suspected Cocaine US Navy 19 Jan 2022 -- The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 402 seized an estimated $22 million in suspected cocaine, Jan. 7, 2022.
• Oregon National Guard surging to support hospitals again Army News 19 Jan 2022 -- Hundreds of Oregon National Guard members are increasing support of hospitals throughout the state in their second hospital relief mission during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by President Biden in Press Conference The White House 19 Jan 2022
• Biden Sums Up First Year; Ukraine Is Among Prime Topics VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- During his first press conference of the year, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke candidly at the White House on Wednesday about the possibility of a Russian invasion in Ukraine.
• Memorandum on Improving the Cybersecurity of National Security, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Community Systems The White House 19 Jan 2022
• Biden Signs Memo Improving Cybersecurity Across US Defense, Intelligence Communities Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a memorandum to bolster the cybersecurity of the US defense and intelligence communities' networks.
• NMCB-5 Concludes Indo-Pacific Deployment, NMCB-3 Assumes Authority of Naval Construction Force Tasking in the Indo-Pacific US Navy 19 Jan 2022 -- U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 transferred authority of Naval Construction Force tasking in the Indo-Pacific region to NMCB-3 during a relief in place/transfer of authority (RIP/TOA) ceremony onboard Camp Shields in Okinawa, Jan. 18.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE DoD 19 Jan 2022
• Joint Hypersonic Transition Office Hosts First Hypersonic Workforce Event DoD 19 Jan 2022 -- The Joint Hypersonic Transition Office (JHTO) University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH) hosted a student meet and greet at the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) SciTech Forum in San Diego, California, on January 5, 2022.
• Simplified Human/Machine Interfaces Top List of Critical DOD Technologies DoD News 19 Jan 2022 -- A modern-day cell phone packs quite a wallop when it comes to computing technology and capability. But most cell phones barely come with a "quick start guide," let alone an instruction manual that spells out how to use all the features.
• DOD Hopes for Legislative Action on Product, Services Pricing Policy DoD News 19 Jan 2022 -- Pricing of contracts for military materiel and services at a reasonable cost was the topic of a congressional hearing today.
• Aerial Networks Summit provides roadmaps for JADC2, ABMS US Air Force 19 Jan 2022 -- Senior leaders from around the Air Force recently traveled to Hanscom Air Force Base to discuss aligning the service's aerial networking efforts in support of Joint All-Domain Command and Control.
• USS Jackson Visits Brunei, Conducts Bilateral Exercise US Navy 19 Jan 2022 -- Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) arrived in Brunei Jan. 14 following a one-day exercise at sea with the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN).
• NATO Countries Urged to Supply More Weapons to Ukraine VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- Germany is under mounting pressure from European allies to drop its long-standing refusal to supply weapons to Ukraine to help the country to defend itself from a Russian attack.
• US confirms giving $200mn in military aid to Ukraine amid Russia row Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- The Biden administration has approved $200 million in additional military aid to Ukraine, a senior US State Department official has declared, amid heightening tensions with Russia over the issue.
• UK Supplies Ukraine With Thousands of Light Anti-Tank Missiles Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- The United Kingdom has supplied Ukraine with several thousands of light anti-tank missiles, UK Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey told the LBC radio broadcaster on Wednesday.
• Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia Waiting for US Approval to Send Weapons to Ukraine - Reports Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are waiting for US approval to send American-made lethal weapons to Ukraine in order to deter an alleged Russian invasion, Politico reported on Wednesday.
• Russia to West: Stop supplying weapons to Ukraine Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Wednesday called on the West to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons, amid boiling tensions between Moscow and the West.
• Danish Frigate to Join NATO Force in Baltic Sea Amid Russia-West Standoff Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- The mission of the HDMS Peter Willemoes, with a crew of 160, has been described as monitoring and deterring Russian activity in the Baltic Sea, which a military expert described as "Denmark's own backyard".
• France's Macron Calls For EU Security Pact To Put Forward To Russia RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- French President Emmanuel Macron says EU countries need to build a new "security and stability framework" that would require "strategic rearmament," as well as "frank and demanding" talks with Russia.
• China Fast Developing Space Capabilities Represent 'Pacing Challenge' for US, Pentagon Says Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- China and Russia are both developing space capabilities but the difference is the speed with which China is progressing and it represents a "pacing challenge" for the United States, US Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond said.
• Chinese engine-equipped J-20 fighter proves plateau ability Global Times 19 Jan 2022 -- Since China's J-20 stealth fighter jet switched to use domestically developed engines, the advanced warplane has proved its operability under extreme environments, including in regions at high altitude, under harsh cold weather and with high humidity and temperatures, a senior designer of the aircraft said on Wednesday.
• China, Russia, Iran to hold joint maritime exercise: report Global Times 19 Jan 2022 -- China, Russia and Iran will hold a maritime joint exercise, media reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian navy's Pacific Fleet, without releasing a specific time for the drill.
• General Li Zuocheng holds video talks with New Zealand Secretary of Defense PLA Daily 19 Jan 2022 -- General Li Zuocheng, member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department under the CMC, had talks via video link with Andrew Bridgman, secretary of defense and chief executive of the Ministry of Defence of New Zealand on January 19. They had frank and in-depth exchange of views on regional security situation, bilateral state and military relations, as well as other issues of common concern.
• Taiwan military to buy mine delivery system from U.S.: source CNA 19 Jan 2022 -- Taiwan will soon send an official request to the United States to purchase a ground vehicle mine dispensing system that enables the quick delivery of land mines to large areas, an Army source told CNA Wednesday.
• Contract supports F-35A maintenance and supply Australia DOD 19 Jan 2022 -- Defence recently signed a five-year contract with BAE Systems Australia for the provision of support to Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II operations.
• Foreign and Defence Secretaries visit Australia for AUKMIN UK FCDO 19 Jan 2022 -- The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary are in Australia for meetings with Foreign Minister Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton.
• Analysis: Why North Korea's Hypersonic Missile Test Is Troubling VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- Experts say North Korea's hypersonic missile is hard to track and intercept because of its ability to maneuver, leaving South Korea vulnerable to North Korea's missile attacks.
• North Korea Hints at New Nuclear, ICBM Tests VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- North Korea is hinting it will resume long-range missile and nuclear tests in response to what it calls the "intensifying hostile moves" of the United States.
• Iran Marks Readiness to Share Advanced Military Tech With Friends and Neighbours Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- Subjected to decades of restrictions on the purchase of weaponry from abroad, the Islamic Republic has created a substantive domestic military-industrial complex at home - including advanced ballistic and cruise missile tech and defence electronics. Iran sees its conventional capabilities as a sufficient deterrent to any foreign aggression.
• Armenian Army Chief, Ex-Defense Minister Go On Trial Over 'Faulty' Weapons RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- The chief of the General Staff of the Armenian military, General Artak Davtian, former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, and several other officials went on trial on January 19 on fraud and embezzlement charges related to purchases of faulty weaponry and ammunition for the armed forces.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with Indian Foreign Secretary Shringla US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 19, 2022

Other Conflicts

• 19 January 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 19 Jan 2022
• Afghan Acting PM Urges World to Recognize Taliban Government VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- The Taliban's acting prime minister asked the global community Wednesday to grant legitimacy to Afghanistan's new government, insisting it has met all conditions required for the official recognition.
• SIGAR Warned Pentagon Afghan Air Forces Wouldn't Survive US Withdrawal, Declassified Report Reveals Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- The declassification on Tuesday of a report dating to January 2021 revealed that the Pentagon's watchdog on the Afghan war had attempted to warn military leaders that the Afghan Air Forces couldn't operate as an independent force nearly eight months before the US withdrawal that imploded the US-backed government.
• Afghanistan's Rulers Call For International Recognition As Crisis Causes Massive Job Losses RFE/RL Gandhara 19 Jan 2022 -- Afghanistan's acting prime minister has called on governments to officially recognize the Taliban-led administration that took over the war-torn country in August as the country is endures a major humanitarian crisis that has pushed millions of people into poverty.
• 'Virtual Prisoners:' Report Raises Alarm Over Taliban's Restrictions On Afghan Women RFE/RL Gandhara 19 Jan 2022 -- A new report says Taliban rule has had a "devastating impact" on Afghan women and girls, who have become "virtual prisoners" in their homes since the hard-line Islamist group took over the war-ravaged country in August.
• Acting Taliban PM calls for official recognition of government in Afghanistan Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- The Taliban's acting prime minister in Afghanistan has called on the international community, particularly Muslim nations, to officially recognize the Taliban government, amid a worsening economic crisis that has plagued the country.
• Afghanistan: 500,000 jobs lost since Taliban takeover UN News 19 Jan 2022 -- More than half a million people have lost or been pushed out of their jobs in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday.
• Yemeni Civilians Bear Brunt of Suffering in Escalating Conflict VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- As the fighting in Yemen heats up, the U.N. human rights office warns Yemen's warring parties that wanton attacks against civilians and civilian targets could amount to war crimes.
• Saudi-led warplanes intensify airstrikes against Yemeni capital Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- The Saudi-led war coalition has sharply intensified its airstrikes against residential areas across Sana'a following the Yemeni army's decisive retaliatory raids on the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s soil.
• UN chief voices concern over Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes on Yemen's Sanaa People's Daily 19 Jan 2022 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday voiced concern over the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes in Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital of Yemen, said his spokesman.
• WSJ: Yemen defense forces can strike targets lying 1,600 kms away Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- The Yemeni attack on the United Arab Emirates on Monday showed off the military advances that Yemeni forces have made in recent years, with the retaliatory strike on Abu Dhabi amounting to the most visible display of their military progress in the face of ferocious Saudi-led war, says The Wall Street Journal in a report.
• Statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Russian Aggression Towards Ukraine The White House 19 Jan 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Myroslava Gongadze of Voice of America's Ukrainian Service US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2022
• Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden's Meeting with Bipartisan Senators on Ukraine The White House 19 Jan 2022
• Biden Waited Too Long to Act on Russian Buildup at Ukraine Border, US Senators Say VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- A group of Republican U.S. senators called on the Biden administration Wednesday to adopt a tougher response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats to invade Ukraine.
• Blinken: Diplomacy Continues In Bid To Deter Russian Aggression Against Ukraine RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a "diplomatic and peaceful path" and said Washington continues to pursue diplomacy with Moscow as long as it can to avoid aggression in Ukraine amid mounting fears that an invasion could be imminent.
• Readout of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Laura Cooper's Participation in a Multinational Roundtable on Ukraine DoD 19 Jan 2022
• VOA Interview: Blinken Warns Russia of Action Should It Invade Ukraine VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- The United States is warning Russia that the U.S. and its allies will respond "forcefully and resolutely" to further Russian military aggression against Ukraine but hopes Moscow will pursue a diplomatic path to resolve the crisis, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told VOA in Kyiv Wednesday.
• Biden Says Putin Has Never Seen Sanctions Like the Ones US Preparing Now Over Ukraine Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- On Wednesday, Biden is holding just the second comprehensive solo press conference of his nearly full first year in office. The press conference is taking place amid a rather difficult year for the administration, for both its domestic and foreign agendas.
• Russia says no new talks on Ukraine until West responds to demands Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- Russia has ruled out any further talks with the United States and NATO over the situation around Ukraine unless the West responds properly to its security demands.
• Moscow Urges US to Stop Speculations About Russia Allegedly Preparing to Invade Ukraine Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- Moscow urges the United States to stop spreading speculations about Russia's allegedly impending invasion of Ukraine, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
• Russian, German FMs discuss security guarantees, Ukraine's situation People's Daily 19 Jan 2022 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock met here Tuesday to discuss Moscow's proposal for security guarantees between Russia and the West, and the situation in Ukraine.
• Arakan Army, not military junta, run the show in Myanmar's Rakhine state Radio Free Asia 19 Jan 2022 -- An armed ethnic group in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine has wrested administrative and judicial control from the country's military junta, which has been in power for almost one year, residents of the state told RFA.
• China takes down Tibetan prayer flags, hoists China's flag instead Radio Free Asia 19 Jan 2022 -- Authorities in China's Qinghai province are forcing Tibetan nomads to replace the prayer flags they set up near their camps with China's national emblem in what critics see as an example of the government's effort to wipe away Tibetan cultural and religious practices.
• Accountability is vital to ending the cycle of violence in Darfur UK FCDO 19 Jan 2022 -- Statement by Chanaka Wickremasinghe, UK Minister-Counsellor and Legal Adviser at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the International Criminal Court Sudan
• Unilateral actions risk undermining engagement between Israeli Government and Palestinian leadership UK FCDO 19 Jan 2022 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on the Middle East Peace Process
• Palestine-Israel: UN envoy highlights urgent need for reform UN News 19 Jan 2022 -- Urgent action is required to prevent further deterioration of the economic, security and political situation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the UN's Middle East envoy, Tor Wennesland, told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• UN Appeals for $1.6 Billion to Aid Palestinian Refugees VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency is appealing for $1.6 billion to provide life-saving assistance for more than five million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and countries across the Middle East.
• UN chief lauds 'demonstrable effort to make peace' in Ethiopia UN News 19 Jan 2022 -- The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday said he was "delighted" to learn that "a demonstrable effort to make peace" in Ethiopia is finally underway, according to information relayed to him by the African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa.

News Reports

• Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Giuliani, other pro-Trump lawyers over Capitol riot Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- The US House Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has subpoenaed three lawyers who joined the unsuccessful attempt by former President Donald Trump to overturn his election defeat in 2020.
• Kazakh President Replaces Defense Minister, Parliament Removes Nazarbaev From Lifetime Posts RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- Kazakhstan's leaders have taken further steps to replace government officials and concentrate the powers of President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev by stripping former President Nursultan Nazarbaev of lifetime posts a week after deadly protests swept across the Central Asian country.
• Russia-Led Military Alliance Completes Withdrawal From Kazakhstan RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- Troops of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have completed their withdrawal from Kazakhstan, where they were invited by the Central Asian nation's government in the wake of deadly protests in the country's largest city, Almaty, in early January.
• Russia Dumps $900 Million More in US Treasuries as Total Investment Hits Historic Low Sputnik 19 Jan 2022 -- Once one of the largest holders of US debt, Moscow has gradually whittled away at its T-Bill stocks and dollar holdings after 2014 over the crisis in Ukraine, switching to euros, yuans, gold and other alternative investments and stores of value.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on January 19, 2022 PRC MofA 19 Jan 2022
• Hong Kong independence activist Edward Leung released from jail, told to stay silent Radio Free Asia 19 Jan 2022 -- Edward Leung, a prominent Hong Kong politician who advocated "separation" between the former British colony and mainland China, has been released at the end of a six-year jail term for "rioting" during 2016 unrest in Mong Kok.
• Hong Kong Independence Activist Released from Prison VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- Prominent Hong Kong independence activist Edward Leung was released from jail Wednesday after serving a four year sentence for taking part in a 2016 protest.
• How China's National Security Law for Hong Kong Could Extend to Taiwan and Beyond VOA 19 Jan 2022 -- Analysts increasingly fear that Beijing's national security law, initially aimed at quelling dissent in Hong Kong, may be used to target people of any nationality or ethnicity who offend Chinese leaders.
• Top anti-corruption group meeting stresses zero tolerance for graft Global Times 19 Jan 2022 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Tuesday called for rigorous and unswerving efforts in further promoting full and strict Party governance and vowed zero tolerance on corruption at the 6th plenary session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which opened in Beijing on Tuesday.
• Taiwan denies residency to Hong Kong applicants born in mainland China Radio Free Asia 19 Jan 2022 -- Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents have been emigrating to the democratic island of Taiwan since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imposed a draconian national security law on the city in July 2020, ushering in a crackdown on public dissent and political opposition.
• China 'deeply shocked' as Slovenia's 'Trump' Janez Jansa plays Taiwan card for 'political gain' Global Times 19 Jan 2022 -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said it is "deeply shocked" and "strongly opposes" Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa's move to challenge the one-China principle, including dangerous rhetoric in support of Taiwan secessionism and his plan to establish a representative office on the island of Taiwan.
• Keywords mirror CPC's overall policy for resolving Taiwan question in new era People's Daily 19 Jan 2022 -- It has been 73 years since Taiwan and the Chinese mainland were separated in 1949, due to the civil war in China and the interference of foreign forces.
• Mainland spokesperson refutes DPP authority's separatist propaganda People's Daily 19 Jan 2022 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday refuted the separatist propaganda relentlessly pushed by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority.
• UN Security Council has no plan on discussions of sanctions against N.Korea: Chinese FM Global Times 19 Jan 2022 -- The UN Security Council has no plans to discuss a draft resolution on sanctions against North Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday, calling on members of the Security Council to focus on advancing the political settlement process of the Peninsula issue.
• No hindrance in way of improvement of Iran-Russia ties: Pres. Raeisi tells Putin in Moscow Press TV 19 Jan 2022 -- Meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow during his first visit to Russia as Iranian president, Ebrahim Raeisi says there is no hindrance lying in the way of improvement of relations between the Islamic Republic and the Russian Federation.
• Russian, Iranian Presidents Meet Amid Talks On Iran Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has met his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, in Moscow amid international negotiations aimed at reviving a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
• Ukrainian Court Rejects Detention Request For Ex-President Accused Of Treason RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- A Ukrainian court has rejected a prosecutor's request to arrest Petro Poroshenko in a treason case that the former president rejects as politically motivated.
• Kem Sokha goes on trial in Cambodia Radio Free Asia 19 Jan 2022 -- The trial on treason charges of Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha went ahead as scheduled on Wednesday, with the court allowing opening statements before postponing the proceedings for another week.
• Montenegrin Cabinet Faces Vote Of No Confidence RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- Montenegrin opposition parties have joined forces with a faction in the ruling coalition to file a no-confidence motion in Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic's cabinet.
• Radev Sworn In For Second Term As Bulgarian President, Pledges To Tackle Corruption RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has pledged to restore democracy and stamp out rampant corruption at a ceremony swearing him in for a second term.
• Bulgaria, North Macedonia Agree To Work On Issues Preventing EU Talks RFE/RL 19 Jan 2022 -- The new prime ministers of North Macedonia and Bulgaria agreed on January 18 to intensify efforts to improve relations between the Balkan neighbors.