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Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Publishes New Software Modernization Strategy DoD News 27 Mar 2022 -- The Defense Department Software Modernization Strategy was published Feb. 1.
• Biden: Defense of Ukraine Against Russian Invasion Vital to Democracy VOA 27 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden declared Saturday in Poland that the West's defense of Ukraine against Russia's invasion is vital to protect democracy worldwide for generations to come.
• Biden meets Ukraine's foreign, defense ministers in Poland People's Daily 27 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday met with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov during his visit to Poland, "for an update on Ukraine's military, diplomatic, and humanitarian situation," according to the White House.
• Address on National Guard Day President of Russia 27 Mar 2022 -- Established six years ago, the National Guard has become an inseparable and reliable link in the comprehensive state system of ensuring the rule of law and law enforcement, and protecting the rights and interests of our citizens.(...) I want to specially address the service personnel and staff of the National Guard units involved in the special military operation in Donbass and Ukraine.
• PLA Marine Corps holds amphibious landing drills with the world's largest hovercraft Global Times 27 Mar 2022 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Marine Corps recently conducted a series of round-the-clock joint amphibious landing drills with Navy surface vessels and the world's largest hovercraft, enhancing and displaying the PLA Navy's amphibious landing capabilities, analysts said on Sunday.
• Kim Jong Un: Pyongyang to Continue Developing Offensive Means - Reports Sputnik 27 Mar 2022 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says his country will continue to further develop offensive means, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reports.
• DRDO successfully flight tests Indian Army version of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile off Odisha coast India PIB 27 Mar 2022 -- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two successful flight tests of the Indian Army version of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on March 27, 2022. The flight tests were carried out as part of the live firing trials against high-speed aerial targets. The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them completely, registering direct hits at both the ranges. The first launch was to intercept a medium altitude long range target and second launch was for proving the capability of a low altitude short range target.
• Indian Army Successfully Test-Fires Surface-to-Air Defence Missile Sputnik 27 Mar 2022 -- The nation's medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) system provides air defence against aerial threats like fighter aircraft, UAVs, guided and unguided munitions, and cruise missiles. It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges of up to 70 kilometres.
• Iran hits back at US, says has right to display military hardware at Qatar show Press TV 27 Mar 2022 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has reacted to negative remarks by the US administration on presence of Iran and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) at Qatar's military show, saying the country and the IRGC have every right to participate at the event.
• Historian calls on Taiwan to build self-sufficient security plan CNA 27 Mar 2022 -- A Chinese-British history writer said Saturday Taiwan must learn from Ukraine and formulate a comprehensive and self-sufficient national security framework to defend against Chinese aggression.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 27 Mar 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Roundtable with Palestinian Civil Society US Dept. of State 27 Mar 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Middle East Partnership for Peace Act Event US Dept. of State 27 Mar 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 27 Mar 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 27 Mar 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Isaac Herzog Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 27 Mar 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid at a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 27 Mar 2022

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• Taliban Gender-Segregates Kabul Fun Parks, Compounding Cutoffs For Girls And Women RFE/RL Gandhara 27 Mar 2022 -- A part of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan tasked with enforcing adherence to strict Islamic fundamentalism has ordered all amusement parks in the capital to be segregated by gender.
• Taliban Ban VOA, BBC News Shows in Afghanistan VOA 27 Mar 2022 -- The Taliban have barred private television stations in Afghanistan from airing Voice of America (VOA) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news programs.
• US practices new war concepts with 100+ drills near China: think tank report Global Times 27 Mar 2022 -- The US held more than 100 large-scale military exercises near China last year, practicing and validating several new war concepts targeting the country, a Beijing-based think tank revealed on Sunday, shortly before the US and the Philippines are reportedly about to launch the "largest-ever" joint drills on Monday.
• UN chief condemns attacks on civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia and Yemen UN News 27 Mar 2022 -- Recent escalation of the conflict in Yemen drew strong condemnation from Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday.
• Yemen reaches UN-mediated prisoner exchange deal with ex-officials Press TV 27 Mar 2022 -- Yemen's National Salvation Government announces reaching a United Nations-mediated deal with the country's former officials for exchanging thousands of prisoners between the two sides.
• Yemen at risk of being 'forgotten' as Russia-Ukraine conflict grabs world attention: UN warns Press TV 27 Mar 2022 -- The United Nations has warned that Yemen is at risk of being "forgotten" as Russia-Ukraine conflict has grabbed the world's attention, predicting an "extremely troubling outlook" for the war-wracked Arab country.
• Saudi air strikes continue despite Yemeni Ansarullah's announcement of three-day truce Press TV 27 Mar 2022 -- Saudi military aircraft have bombarded residential areas in the Yemeni capital city of Sana'a and other regions, hours after the popular Ansarullah resistance movement unilaterally announced a three-day truce.
• China and India should put border issues at a proper position in bilateral ties: Chinese Foreign Minister Global Times 27 Mar 2022 -- China and India should stick to their own development paths and join hands to safeguard peace and stability both in the region and the world, putting their differences over the border issues at a proper position in the bilateral relations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Friday.
• Search Vessels on Duty After Sea Mine Neutralised in Bosphorus, Turkish Minister Says Sputnik 27 Mar 2022 -- There is no emergency situation in the Black Sea despite two naval mines being spotted the day before, as mine-search vessels continue to be on duty, Turkish Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar said on Sunday.
• China opposes any attempt to undermine Nepal's sovereignty and engage in geopolitical games in the country: FM Wang Yi Global Times 27 Mar 2022 -- China believes the affairs of Nepal should be decided by its people, and China opposes any attempt to undermine Nepal's sovereignty and independence, interfere in its internal affairs and engage in geopolitical games in the country, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday at a meeting with Nepali Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka in Kathmandu.
• Bennett to Approve Creation of 5 New Settlements in Negev Despite Protests From Bedouin Population Sputnik 27 Mar 2022 -- The Israeli government will approve the creation of five new settlements in the Negev desert despite protests from the Arab Bedouin population inhabiting the territory and the Palestinian side, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday.
• Al-Shabab Surge in Somalia's Suicide Attacks 'Change of Tactics,' Experts Say VOA 27 Mar 2022 -- Al-Shabab extremists in Somalia are getting "bolder" in their attacks and have increased using suicide bombers wearing homemade explosives in what security experts call a "change in tactics."
• Nigerian Citizens Worried After Armed Men Attacked Airport, Killed One Official In Kaduna VOA 27 Mar 2022 -- Many Nigerian citizens and security experts are raising concerns that the country may be overturn by terrorists after some 200 gunmen Saturday invaded an airport in Kaduna State and killed an official. The attack followed days of violent raids in the state with dozens of people killed.

News Reports

• Nations should work together to chip away at dollar's dominance Global Times 27 Mar 2022 -- Russia has moved to seek payment in its own currency, instead of US dollars or euros, for energy trade with "unfriendly countries" in the West, a justified action to fight back the sweeping financial sanctions imposed on the country by the US and its allies. Following the announcement of the news, the ruble appreciated significantly in value.
• China calls for restraint regarding nuclear issue on Korean Peninsula People's Daily 27 Mar 2022 -- China on Friday called for restraint on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue after the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile was conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) the previous day.
• At Israeli Talks, Blinken Says U.S., Allies 'See Eye To Eye' On Iran Nuclear Issue RFE/RL 27 Mar 2022 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has joined his counterparts from Israel and four Persian Gulf countries for talks in Jerusalem expected to center on continuing Iranian nuclear negotiations after assuring U.S. allies that they and Washington "see eye to eye."
• Iran FM: Lack of US decision to remove sanctions hindering final agreement on JCPOA revival Press TV 27 Mar 2022 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says inability of the US to make a political decision is the main obstacle in the way of Iran and the P4+1 group of countries to reach a final agreement in the Austrian capital of Vienna over the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions and a revival of the landmark 2015 deal.
• Iran urges definite delisting of IRGC; US says many sanctions to remain Press TV 27 Mar 2022 -- An Iranian official says the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) should definitely be removed from the US list of so-called foreign "terrorist" organizations, but the US envoy for Iran says the force will remain sanctioned even if a deal is reached in Vienna on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
• U.S., Iranian Officials Differ Starkly Over Whether Nuclear Deal 'Imminent' RFE/RL 27 Mar 2022 -- Officials in Iran and the United States have issued differing assessments of progress on a new deal to exchange sanctions relief for curbs on Iran's nuclear program, with Tehran suggesting a nuclear deal is "imminent" but Washington expressly challenging that view.
• Iran reacts to declared Saudi-Kuwait agreement on shared gas field IRNA 27 Mar 2022 -- Iranian Foreign ministry spokesman while reacting to recently declared Saudi-Kuwait agreement on Arash shared gas field said here on Saturday: The Arash-Al Darreh gas field is shared by Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and some parts of it in Iran-Kuwait waters without defined border.
• Thousands Rally to Support Embattled Pakistan PM Khan VOA 27 Mar 2022 -- Tens of thousands of supporters of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan gathered in the capital, Islamabad, Sunday to rally behind the embattled leader who faces a no-confidence vote in parliament, which is likely to take place by April 4.
• Could The War In Ukraine Trigger A Global Food Crisis? RFE/RL 27 Mar 2022 -- The effects of the war in Ukraine are already being felt across the world, from rocking world energy markets to spurring a growing refugee crisis in Europe.
• WFP Says Food Becoming Harder to Find in Ukraine VOA 27 Mar 2022 -- The World Food Program warns food is getting harder to find in Ukraine as the war grinds on, forcing people to resort to extreme measures.