Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

• U. S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force Conduct First Cooperative Air-to-Air Refueling US Navy 23 Mar 2022 -- A U.S. Navy P-8A from Patrol Squadron 47 (VP-47) and one KC-30A from Royal Australian Air Force No. 33 Squadron (RAAF 33) conducted the first ever operational Air-To-Air Refueling (AAR) between a U.S. Navy P-8A and a RAAF KC-30A on March 20.
• U.S. and Ecuador Strengthen Ties on Land and at Sea US Navy 23 Mar 2022 -- The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) and the Ecuadorian Coast Guard conducted a bilateral maritime interdiction exercise off the coast of Manta, Ecuador, March 21, 2022.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen H. Hicks's Call with U.K. Permanent Under Secretary for the Ministry of Defence David Williams DoD 23 Mar 2022
• Pennsylvania Guard first Guard to field new SIGINT system Army News 23 Mar 2022 -- The Pennsylvania National Guard is the first National Guard in the country to field the new Tactical Dismounted Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence (TDEWS) system.
• NATO Summit: Growing Calls for Tougher Military Response to Russia VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- NATO leaders meet Thursday in Brussels for an extraordinary summit on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, amid growing calls for the West to take stronger military action to support Kyiv's forces.
• Stoltenberg Expects NATO Leaders to Strengthen Alliance Posture DoD News 23 Mar 2022 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects leaders will approve plans to strengthen the alliance's posture in all domains of warfare and to continue their unwavering support for the people of Ukraine.
• NATO leaders will decide on next steps to protect and defend all Allies NATO 23 Mar 2022 -- NATO leaders will meet in Brussels tomorrow, 24 March 2022. They will address the consequences of President Putin's invasion of Ukraine, discuss the role of China in this crisis, and decide on the next steps to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence.
• Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previewing the extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government NATO 23 Mar 2022
• NATO Enhanced Forward Presence receives first multinational ammunition warehouse NATO 23 Mar 2022 -- Today (23 March) the Chiefs of Defence of Belgium and Estonia formally opened the first Multinational Ammunition Warehousing Initiative (MAWI) location in Estonia.
• NATO Deputy Secretary General at Sciences Po: we face a new strategic reality in European and transatlantic security NATO 23 Mar 2022 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană participated in a public event hosted by the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po on Tuesday (22 March 2022), at the invitation of Dean Arancha González Laya, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain. The Deputy Secretary General was joined on the panel by Pascal Lamy, President of the Paris Peace Forum and former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Marie Mendras, Professor and Researcher in Russian and post-Soviet studies at Sciences Po, and Viktoriia Molnar, a Ukrainian PSIA student.
• NATO To Beef Up Eastern Flank With Four More Battle Groups -- Stoltenberg RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the Western alliance will deploy four new battle groups across Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia as part of its response to Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• US, NATO Allies Watching China Carefully VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Western leaders meeting in Brussels about Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine are expected to spend a significant amount of time talking about China.
• After Russia's Ukraine Invasion, Baltics Push for Permanent NATO Presence VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- The small Baltic countries, whose militaries have long been dwarfed by that of neighboring Russia, are renewing their push for NATO to establish a larger and more permanent presence on their territory following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Finnish Support of NATO Accession More Than Doubles Amid Russia's Special Op in Ukraine Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- In both Finland and Sweden, historically non-aligned, there has been a opinion shift toward NATO. However, the leadership remains pronouncedly more cautious.
• Biden, Stoltenberg Warn Of Threat Of Russia Using Chemical Weapons In Ukraine RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden says the threat of Russia using chemical weapons against Ukraine was "real" as NATO head Jens Stoltenberg warned of "far-reaching consequences" if Moscow were to use armaments.
• Biden: There's a 'real threat' that Putin could use chemical weapons against Ukraine Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- US President Joe Biden on Wednesday claimed there is a "real threat" that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use chemical weapons against Ukraine, days after Moscow revealed that the Pentagon financed a biological weapons research program in the former Soviet republic.
• NATO Fears Russia's Failures in Ukraine Making Putin More Dangerous VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Senior Western officials are increasingly alarmed that Russia's losses in Ukraine are making President Vladimir Putin more dangerous, some going as far as to compare him to a caged animal ready to lash out.
• Russia would only use nuclear weapons if existence threatened: Kremlin Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- The Kremlin says Russia will only use nuclear weapons if its very existence were threatened, as concerns continue to grow in the West that Moscow's military operation in Ukraine could escalate into a full-scale nuclear war.
• UAE's bin Zayed refused to meet US top commander amid growing distrust: Report Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- A report says the United Arab Emirates' de facto ruler refused to meet with the head of the United States' Central Command earlier this year amid the UAE's growing distrust of Washington's continued commitment to Abu Dhabi's security.
• Saudi, U.S. Air Forces Conclude Joint Exercise SPA 23 Mar 2022 -- The Saudi-US Air Forces of Strategic Combat Readiness (ACE) and Friendly Nations Integration (PNI) concluded the activities of their joint exercise today.
• AACC Signs Technical Partnership with Derco to Grow, Enhance C-130 Hercules Aircraft MRO Capabilities SPA 23 Mar 2022 -- Aircraft Accessories and Components Company (AACC), a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), today announced the signing of a Preferred Supplier Agreement with Derco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.
• Defence soars into space Australia DOD 23 Mar 2022 -- As Defence enters into a new space era with the establishment of Defence Space Command, the release of the Defence Space Strategy sets a vector to assure Australia's access to space for civilian and military uses.
• Australia sets up space command against China, a 'political show risks arms race' Global Times 23 Mar 2022 -- Following the lead of the US' Space Force and claiming to counter China and Russia, Australia announced the establishment of its Space Command, in a move analysts said is a political show that reaffirms Australia's subordinate role to the US in an attempt to contain China militarily despite the fact that Australia lacks the ability to do so.
• Military to present report this year on extending military service CNA 23 Mar 2022 -- Taiwan's defense ministry will present an evaluation report within this year on whether or not to extend the existing four-month mandatory military training for conscripts, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said on Wednesday.
• Taiwan's Army Considers Extending Conscription Time, Adding Asymmetric Warfare Training Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- The de facto defense ministry of Taiwan is considering extending the duration of mandatory military service in the self-governing island's defense force after having shortened it several years ago.
• US, Philippines to hold 'largest-ever' war games amid China tensions Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- The Philippines and the United States are planning to hold their largest-ever joint military drills near the South China Sea next week, amid rising tensions with China over the strategic waterway.
• Remarks by President Biden Before Marine One Departure The White House 23 Mar 2022
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan En Route Brussels, Belgium The White House 23 Mar 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Estonian Foreign Ministry Secretary General Vseviov US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with New Zealand Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Seed US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022
• Department Press Briefing – March 23, 2022 US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 23, 2022

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• War Crimes by Russia's Forces in Ukraine US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022 -- "Since launching his unprovoked and unjust war of choice, Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed unrelenting violence that has caused death and destruction across Ukraine. We've seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities."
• U.S. Government Declares That Members Of Russian Forces Have Committed 'War Crimes' In Ukraine RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- The U.S. government has determined that members of Russia's forces have committed war crimes during the country's invasion of Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on March 23.
• Blinken Formalizes Accusations of Russian War Crimes in Ukraine VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine and that the U.S. will work to hold Russia accountable.
• 23 March 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Mar 2022
• Taliban Renege on Promise to Allow All Afghan Girls Back in School VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- The Taliban reopened schools in Afghanistan after the winter break Wednesday but continued a ban on grade seven to 12 girls, saying they still need time to draw up a plan for them in line with Islamic law or Sharia.
• 'Shattered' Dreams As Taliban Reneges On Promise To Open Schools For Girls RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Mar 2022 -- The Taliban has ordered secondary girls schools in Afghanistan to shut just hours after they reopened, sending many home disappointed while angering an international community already upset about restrictions on women's freedoms since the militants took over the country last August.
• Taliban's backtracking on girls' education, 'deeply damaging' UN News 23 Mar 2022 -- Following a U-turn over re-opening girls' secondary schools in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the UN human rights chief shared her "profound frustration and disappointment" that six months after the Taliban seized power, high school girls have yet to return to the classroom.
• Japan nudges ASEAN chair Cambodia on South China Sea Radio Free Asia 23 Mar 2022 -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Cambodia at the weekend to lobby for regional solutions to the South China Sea disputes, potentially diluting Beijing's influence in Phnom Penh.
• Saudi coalition seizes another Yemen-bound fuel ship Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- The Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) says the Saudi-led coalition has banned another ship carrying fuel from docking at Hudaydah port, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis.
• The US has declared a Rohingya genocide. Does it matter? Radio Free Asia 23 Mar 2022 -- On 21 March 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made a formal determination that Myanmar's military committed genocide against the Rohingya population in 2017. He described the attacks as "widespread and systematic", "with a clear and premeditated intention to destroy the Rohingya population." This went beyond the U.S. government's previous findings that the military had committed ethnic cleansing in the process of driving over 740,000 Rohingya across the border into neighboring Bangladesh.
• China blocks use of Tibetan language on learning apps, streaming services Radio Free Asia 23 Mar 2022 -- Chinese government restrictions on use of the Tibetan language have now spread to video services and other online platforms, as Beijing continues to push the assimilation of China's ethnic minorities into the dominant Han Chinese culture, according to Tibetan sources.
• Joint Statement on Kosovo US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022 -- The following is the text of a joint statement by the Governments of the United States of America and France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
• Kosovo Serb voting within Kosovo in Serbia's elections: joint statement UK FCDO 23 Mar 2022 -- The governments of France, Germany, Italy, UK and USA regret the lack of agreement to enable Kosovo Serb voting within Kosovo in Serbia's forthcoming elections.
• Recent Increase in Violence in Darfur and the Two Areas US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022 -- The United States strongly condemns the recent marked increase in violence in Sudan, particularly in Darfur and the Two Areas, and calls for an immediate end to killings, sexual violence, forced displacements, and other human rights abuses.
• At Least 7 Dead in Somalia After Al-Shabab Attacks VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- At least seven people were killed in two attacks Wednesday, with the militant group al-Shabab claiming responsibility for both, police in Somalia said.

News Reports

• Statement on the Passing of Madeleine K. Albright US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022
• First Female U.S. Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright Dies At Age 84 RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- Madeleine Albright, a native of Czechoslovakia who fled Nazi and communist persecution in Europe to become the first female U.S. secretary of state, has died at age 84.
• Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials The White House 23 Mar 2022
• Russia To Expel U.S. Diplomats In Tit-For-Tat Retaliation For Earlier Move By Washington RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- The Kremlin says it is expelling a number of U.S. diplomats in reaction to Washington's move earlier this month to expel 12 Russian representatives to the United Nations based in the United States.
• Poland Orders Expulsion Of 45 Russian Embassy, Trade Mission Staff As Threat To Country, NATO RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- Poland has ordered the expulsion of 45 Russian Embassy and trade mission staff members, accusing them of working for Moscow's secret services and describing them as a danger to the country's and NATO's security.
• Moscow Vows Response to Poland's Decision to Expel 45 Russian Diplomats Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Earlier, the Polish Onet news portal reported, citing government sources, that Poland was expelling about 40 Russian diplomats, accusing them of espionage.
• Poland Says 45 Russian Diplomats Are Suspected Spies VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Poland's interior ministry says 45 Russian diplomats have been identified as working in Poland as spies and they have been expelled.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at a meeting with students and faculty of the MGIMO University, Moscow, March 23, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Mar 2022
• Putin to attend G-20 summit amid moves to oust Russia from group Radio Free Asia 23 Mar 2022 -- President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the G-20 summit in Bali in October, Russia's ambassador to Indonesia said Wednesday, amid reports of attempts by Western governments to oust Moscow from the group over its invasion of Ukraine.
• Response by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to a media query regarding the recent remarks by the chief EU diplomat Josep Borrell Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Mar 2022
• Medvedev: Russia Wants to See US as Strong, Smart Country Rather Than Last Resort for Seniles Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Ever since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on 24 February, aimed at demilitarising the country and ridding it of the influence of neo-Nazi elements in the government and armed forces, the US and its allies have been funnelling military assistance to Ukraine, while unleashing a massive sanctions campaign targeting Moscow.
• Russia ceases to be a Party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022 Council of Europe 23 Mar 2022 -- Following its expulsion from the Council of Europe on 16 March 2022, the Russian Federation will cease to be a High Contracting Party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022. This was confirmed today in a Resolution by the Committee of Ministers.
• Meeting with Government members President of Russia 23 Mar 2022 -- Vladimir Putin held a meeting, via videoconference, with Government members.
• Putin Orders Ruble Payments for Energy, Says West's Freeze on Russian Reserves Undermined Currencies Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Last week, Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov confirmed that about $300 billion of Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserve cushion had been frozen as a result of Western sanctions. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the move "theft."
• Russia Says 'Unfriendly' Countries Will Have To Pay In Rubles For Gas Supplies RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will start forcing "unfriendly countries" -- including all European Union states -- to pay for their natural gas supplies in rubles.
• West ban on Russia oil, gas would hammer global markets: Moscow Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- Moscow warns that the world's oil and gas markets would collapse if Russian crude was banned by the West over the conflict in Ukraine.
• Noted Post-Soviet Reformer Chubais Quits Post As Putin's Envoy, Reportedly Leaves Russia RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- Well-known post-Soviet reformer Anatoly Chubais has left his post as Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy for stable development, a move that could signal the highest-profile protest inside the Kremlin against Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• Anatoly Chubais Resigned Himself, Was Not Fired, Kremlin Says Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Anatoly Chubais has resigned from the post of Russian President Vladimir Putin's special presidential representative for relations with international organisations himself and was not fired, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
• 'A Very Big Secret': Boat Crews Link Alleged Putin Superyacht To Russian Tycoons' Other Vessels RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- A superyacht that Kremlin opponents claim secretly belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin shared the same construction manager and European crew members as several other yachts owned by Russian tycoons that Western governments have either seized or targeted with sanctions, an investigation by RFE/RL has found.
• Worried Russians Stockpile Medicine As Supplies Run Thin And Prices Rise RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- After undergoing heart surgery not long ago, Yelena Dmitriyeva was put on a rotation of four different medications. All of them are imported. All of them are now in short supply in her southern Russian city, Rostov-on-Don.
• Russia urges Washington to quit escalating tensions People's Daily 23 Mar 2022 -- Washington must stop escalating tensions if it wishes to normalize ties with Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday.
• Putin, Macron discuss Ukraine issue over phone People's Daily 23 Mar 2022 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held a phone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during which they discussed the situation in Ukraine.
• Arrival of Oligarch Yachts Raises Questions About Turkey's Stance on Russia VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- A small protest group of Ukrainians greeted the arrival of a large yacht belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. The billion-dollar vessel was joined a day later by a second owned by Abramovich at the Turkish Aegean resort of Bodrum, a popular playground for the world's super-rich.
• Ukraine war: Middle East food prices soaring, as donor fatigue kicks in, Security Council hears UN News 23 Mar 2022 -- Amid growing donor fatigue and a brutal war in Ukraine that has diverted the world's attention, the world must not forget millions of people in need across the Middle East and North Africa, the UN chief told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• Millions in East Africa Face Hunger if Rainy Season Fails Again VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Aid agencies working in East Africa warn of a massive humanitarian crisis if the coming rainy season falls short of expectations. The aid groups say persistent drought has left 44 million people in urgent need of assistance across Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan.
• Ukraine War Pushing Food Prices Even Higher VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- The world is feeling the effects of the war in Ukraine from the gas pump all the way to the dinner table.
• Ukraine Crisis Threatens Food Security in Haiti VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- The World Food Program warns hunger is likely to increase in Haiti as the war in Ukraine causes the price of imported wheat to rise.
• Chinese Government Employee Convicted of Participating in Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Fraudulently Obtain U.S. Visas US Dept. of Justice 23 Mar 2022 -- A federal jury convicted a New Jersey man for his involvement in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain U.S. visas for Chinese government employees.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on March 23, 2022 PRC MofA 23 Mar 2022
• China recruits, trains monitors for online religious content Radio Free Asia 23 Mar 2022 -- Authorities in China have launched a mass training program for censors to erase non-government religious content from China's tightly controlled internet.
• Space-craft tracking ship Yuanwang-5 sets sail on new missions PLA Daily 23 Mar 2022 -- China's homegrown third-generation space-craft tracking ship Yuanwang-5 set sail for the Pacific Ocean and other sea areas for maritime tracking and measuring missions on the morning of March 22.
• China specifies energy targets for 2021-2025 People's Daily 23 Mar 2022 -- Chinese authorities have released a plan for developing a modern energy system during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), setting targets for securing energy supplies and boosting energy efficiency.
• Iran says US must act realistically to finalize Vienna deal in near future Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- Iran's foreign minister says it is up to the Americans to decide whether they want to act realistically so as to help finalize an agreement on the restoration of a US-abandoned agreement in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Says Nuclear Deal Closer 'Than Ever Before' RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- Iran's foreign minister says an agreement to revive the 2015 nuclear accord that Tehran signed with world powers is closer "than ever before."
• Iranian Foreign Minister: Nuclear Deal 'Closer Than Ever Before' at Vienna Talks Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Earlier this week, US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that while a nuclear deal with Iran was "not imminent", the Biden administration was prepared to make "difficult decisions" to resurrect the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
• Iran's Revolutionary Guard Threatens New Missile Strikes Unless Israel Stops Targeting Troops Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- The Revolutionary Guard launched a dozen Fateh missiles at a suspected "Mossad base" in Erbil, Iraq this month after warning that Israel would be made to "pay the price" for killing two of its members in an airstrike in Syria on 7 March. Israel did not comment on the Erbil attack.
• Belarus Shuts Ukrainian Consulate In Brest, Expels Several Ukrainian Diplomats From Minsk RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- The Belarusian government has shut down Ukraine's Consulate General in the western city of Brest and ordered an unspecified number of Ukrainian diplomats to leave the Ukrainian Embassy in Minsk as Belarus continues to assist Russian armed forces in their attacks against Ukraine.
• MISSION GAGANYAAN India PIB 23 Mar 2022 -- The current status of Gaganyaan programme is as follows:
• PROTECTING INDIA'S INTEREST IN SPACE India PIB 23 Mar 2022 -- Government of India through Department of Space has been proactive in protecting and augmenting India's interests in space by developing all-round capabilities in the domains of space transportation, infrastructure and applications.
• Finland Aims to Terminate Its Dependence on Russian Energy Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Finland's aspiration to put an end to its reliance on Russian fossil fuels is clearly at odds with its ambitious climate goals, that include complete carbon neutrality by 2035.
• ASEAN envoy denied meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi by Myanmar's junta Radio Free Asia 23 Mar 2022 -- Myanmar's junta denied a request by ASEAN envoy Prak Sokhonn to meet with deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his three-day visit despite its pledge to grant him access to all political stakeholders, he said Wednesday.
• Mali Attaches Conditions to Handing Over Late PM's Body, Says Family VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Relatives of the late former prime minister of Mali say the country's military government has refused to turn over his body unless they agree not to request an autopsy.