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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• U.S., UK Navies Respond to Merchant Vessel Distress Call in Strait of Hormuz CENTCOM 04 Jun 2023 -- United States and United Kingdom Royal Navy forces responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, June 4, as Iranian fast-attack boats harassed the commercial ship.
• U.S., UK Navies Respond to Merchant Vessel Distress Call in Strait of Hormuz US Navy 04 Jun 2023 -- United States and United Kingdom Royal Navy forces responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, June 4, as Iranian fast-attack boats harassed the commercial ship.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Keel Authenticated for Future USS Pittsburgh US Navy 04 Jun 2023 -- The keel for the future USS Pittsburgh (LPD 31), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, was ceremonially laid at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division, June 2.
• Exercise Baltic Operations 2023 kicks off in the Baltic Sea US Navy 04 Jun 2023 -- Nineteen NATO Allies, one NATO partner nation, 50 ships, more than 45 aircraft, and approximately 6,000 personnel kicked off the 52nd iteration of Baltic Operations 2023 (BALTOPS 23) today in Tallinn, Estonia, June 4, 2023.
• Healy testifies before defense subcommittee US Air Force 04 Jun 2023 -- Senior Department of Defense leaders from the Reserve and Guard testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense regarding the Reserve Component fiscal 2024 budget request at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, June 1.
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Meets With 'Five Eyes' Defense Policy Senior Officials DoD 04 Jun 2023 -- U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner; Australian Deputy Secretary of Defence Strategy, Policy, and Industry Group Hugh Jeffrey; Canadian Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) Peter Hammerschmidt, United Kingdom Director General for Security Policy Paul Wyatt; and New Zealand Ministry of Defence Deputy Secretary Policy & Planning Richard Schmidt convened a meeting of "Five Eyes" (FVEY) senior defense policy officials on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue, today in Singapore.
• Stoltenberg Says Sweden Fulfilled Its Obligations to Join NATO Sputnik 04 Jun 2023 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after negotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday that Sweden has fulfilled all its obligations to join the alliance.
• Secretary General congratulates President Erdogan on re-election, looks forward to finalising Sweden's NATO membership NATO 04 Jun 2023 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and members of his new government in Istanbul on Sunday (4 June 2023).
• China presents path to true, sustainable security for Asia-Pacific in contrast to US' bloc confrontation approach at Shangri-La Dialogue Global Times 04 Jun 2023 -- Fierce "crossfire" between China and the US over security issues continues at the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, as Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu elaborated on Sunday China's common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security vision and its pursuit of a new path to security featuring dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance and win-win over zero-sum.
• China warns US: NATO-like expansion in Asia-Pacific could lead to conflict Press TV 04 Jun 2023 -- Chinese defense minister has warned that "NATO-like" military alliances in the Asia-Pacific could undermine regional peace and stability and lead to conflict.
• Beijing seeks 'dialogue over confrontation', defense chief says Radio Free Asia 04 Jun 2023 -- China's defense minister said at a major regional security forum on Sunday that Beijing seeks dialogue over confrontation, hours after a Chinese warship was accused of nearly hitting a U.S. destroyer in the Taiwan Strait.
• Chinese scientists finish development of hypervelocity wind tunnel Global Times 04 Jun 2023 -- China's world-leading hypervelocity wind tunnel, which is expected to significantly contribute to the country's development of aerospace transport systems and hypersonic aircraft, recently passed an acceptance check, marking the success of the project.
• China's Defense Minister Addresses Asian Security Summit VOA 04 Jun 2023 -- China's national defense minister said Sunday it would be an "unbearable disaster for the world" if the United States and China were to clash.
• PLA handles US, Canadian warships in provocative Taiwan Straits transit amid Shangri-La Dialogue, forcing US vessel to alter course Global Times 04 Jun 2023 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) handled a provocative transit in the Taiwan Straits made by US and Canadian warships on Saturday, with a Chinese destroyer reportedly forcing the US vessel to alter course by cutting in front of it, showing determination and capability in countering the provocation, experts said on Sunday.
• China Defends Confronting US, Canadian Vessels in Taiwan Strait VOA 04 Jun 2023 -- China's defense minister on Sunday defended sailing a warship in front of a U.S. destroyer and a Canadian frigate as they sailed through the Taiwan Strait, contending that the passage of the allied Western vessels on "freedom of navigation patrols" was a provocation to China.
• British fighter jets and helicopters train to attack targets at sea, alongside NATO allies in Estonia UK MOD 04 Jun 2023 -- The UK has been conducting major multi-domain training activity in Estonia throughout May, exercising alongside more than 10,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries.
• Germany to Send Warships to Indo-Pacific in 2024 Amid Standoff With China Sputnik 04 Jun 2023 -- Germany will send two warships to the Indo-Pacific in 2024, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Sunday, citing the need to uphold "rules-based international order."
• Japanese, S. Korean Defense Ministers Agree to Strengthen Security Cooperation Sputnik 04 Jun 2023 -- The South Korean and Japanese defense ministers agreed during their first bilateral meeting since 2019 to develop security cooperation, including trilateral cooperation with the United States, to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the Japanese Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
• Japan, Australia Sign Memorandum on Cooperation in Defense Research Sputnik 04 Jun 2023 -- Japan and Australia on Sunday signed a memorandum to simplify the procedures for joint technical research in the defense sector, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• More than 300,000 grave violations against children in conflict verified worldwide in past 18 years UNICEF 04 Jun 2023 -- A staggering 315,000 grave violations against children in conflict were verified by the United Nations between 2005 and 2022, a stark illustration of the devastating impact of war and conflict on children.
• 315,000 grave violations against children in conflict over 18 years: UNICEF UN News 04 Jun 2023 -- A staggering 315,000 grave violations against children in conflict took place between 2005 and 2022, said UN Children's Fund UNICEF on Monday, describing it as a "stark illustration of the devastating impact of war" on the young.
• Saudi Arabia and the US Reaffirm Commitment to Sudanese People and Call on SAF and RSF to Agree on a New Ceasefire SPA 04 Jun 2023 -- Despite the formal pause in the Jeddah talks and the expiration on June 3 of the five-day ceasefire agreement, the delegations from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) remain in Jeddah, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, as facilitators, continue to facilitate talks between the two parties daily.
• Peace Talks in Myanmar Highlight China's Increasing Influence VOA 04 Jun 2023 -- Chinese-sponsored talks in Myanmar between the junta and three of Myanmar's ethnic armies, known as the Brotherhood Alliance, aimed at persuading the three to support the junta's election plan concluded without an agreement Friday.

News Reports

• Did The Bulgarian Mobster Gunned Down In South Africa Know Too Much? RFE/RL 04 Jun 2023 -- He was one of Bulgaria's most notorious mafia kingpins, who rose through the ranks in the chaotic 1990s, acquiring along the way an empire of businesses -- some legitimate, many not -- from fruit markets, parking lots, to a stake in a business at a key border crossing serving as a gateway to the European Union.
• Dozens Of Supporters Detained As Kremlin Foe Navalny Turns 47 In Prison RFE/RL 04 Jun 2023 -- Aleksei Navalny, the Kremlin's biggest foe and Russia's most prominent political prisoner, marks his 47th birthday on June 4 in solitary confinement in prison, as supporters held rallies and individual protests to highlight his plight, leading to dozens of arrests and detentions.
• The Limits Of China's Budding Relationship With Afghanistan's Taliban RFE/RL 04 Jun 2023 -- China has played a visible role in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in 2021.
• Honduras appoints first ambassador to China, 'a significant step to enhancing bilateral diplomatic ties' Global Times 04 Jun 2023 -- Appointing ambassadors is a significant step to further consolidating China-Honduras relations after the two countries had established diplomatic ties, and the two countries are expected to take actions in concrete and substantial cooperation, Chinese experts said on Sunday after Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced on Saturday to name Salvador Enrique Moncada as the first ambassador of Honduras to China.
• Shenzhou-15 'dream crew' safely returns to Earth Global Times 04 Jun 2023 -- Having spent six months living and working in the China Space Station, setting a new record for China's manned space program with four spacewalks by a single crew, the three Shenzhou-15 taikonauts, known as the "dream crew", safely returned to the Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sunday.
• The Ministry of National Defense issues a press release explaining that "US and Canadian vessels were deliberately provoked by CCP warships at close range during their voyage through the Taiwan Strait yesterday" ROC MND 04 Jun 2023
• If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, Chinese military will not hesitate for a second: Chinese Defense Minister Global Times 04 Jun 2023 -- If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu said at the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, whilst reiterating that China must be and will be reunified. He also urged the US to act with sincerity, match its words with deeds and take concrete actions to work with China in the same direction to stabilize the relationship between two armies.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Jun. 4, 2023 ROC MND 04 Jun 2023
• North Korea May Stop Informing IMO of Upcoming Missile Launches Sputnik 04 Jun 2023 -- North Korea will no longer tip off the International Maritime Organization (IMO) about its missile launches after the UN agency adopted a resolution condemning them, a commentary by international affairs analyst Kim Myong Chol published in the state-run news agency said.
• US Special Representative for North Korea Urges China to 'Influence' Pyongyang Sputnik 04 Jun 2023 -- The United States is calling on Beijing to use its influence on North Korea to encourage Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table, US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said on Sunday, adding that North Korea's actions in the region would have "consequences."
• Press Statement of Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of C.C., WPK KCNA 04 Jun 2023 -- Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), issued the following press statement on Saturday:
• IMO Reduced into Tool for White House KCNA 04 Jun 2023 -- Kim Myong Chol, an international affairs analyst of the DPRK, issued the following article "The International Maritime Organization reduced into a tool moving under the control of the White House" on June 4:
• N Korea: UN Security Council turned into US 'political appendage' by accepting its 'robbery demands' Press TV 04 Jun 2023 -- North Korea has bitterly criticized the United Nations Security Council for its meeting on Pyongyang's recent satellite launch at the request of the United States, vowing to take further self-defensive steps.
• 'Hybrid warfare against Iran will fail with jihad of enlightenment' IRNA 04 Jun 2023 -- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced that the jihad of enlightenment and explanation of realities can foil enemies' plots to manipulate Iranian youths' minds by the use of their hybrid warfare.
• BRICS, SCO can play major roles as unilateralism coming to end: Tehran Press TV 04 Jun 2023 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the era of unilateralism is coming to an end, and that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group of countries will play major roles in the future as a new world order is emerging.
• Imran Khan accuses Pakistan's military of seeking to destroy his party, imprison him Press TV 04 Jun 2023 -- Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has accused the military and its intelligence branch, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), of openly attempting to crush his political party and throw him in jail to stop him from winning the upcoming elections.
• Saudi Arabia to slash oil output to 9 mln bpd from July Press TV 04 Jun 2023 -- Saudi Arabia has decided to expand voluntary cuts to its crude oil output from July in a bid to help efforts to reinforce global oil prices.
• Ministry of Energy: Saudi Arabia will implement an additional voluntary cut in its production of crude oil, amounting to one million barrels per day, starting in July for a month that can be extended SPA 04 Jun 2023 -- An official source in the Ministry of Energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that, in addition to what was agreed upon in the OPEC+ meeting today, June 4, 2023, for the required production level for each country for the year 2024, and what the OPEC+ countries that previously announced in April voluntary cuts until the end of 2023 and extended their voluntary cuts until the end of 2024, the Kingdom will implement an additional voluntary cut in its production of crude oil, amounting to one million barrels per day, starting in July for a month that can be extended, so that the Kingdom's production becomes 9 million barrel per day, and the Kingdom's total voluntary cut will be 1.5 million barrels per day.
• Syria, Iraq stand together in face of all joint challenges: Syrian FM Press TV 04 Jun 2023 -- Syria has reaffirmed its commitment to developing further cooperation with Iraq in various fields, saying Damascus and Baghdad stand united in facing common challenges.
• Iran FM: Tehran seeks close cooperation, further development of relations with Ankara Press TV 04 Jun 2023 -- Iran's foreign minister has congratulated his Turkish counterpart on his appointment as Turkey's new top diplomat, calling for the development of the two countries' relations.
• Opening Remarks - Bilateral Meeting with Prime Minister of Vietnam Prime Minister of Australia 04 Jun 2023
• Doorstop Interview - Hanoi, Vietnam Prime Minister of Australia 04 Jun 2023
• Press Statements - Vietnam Prime Minister of Australia 04 Jun 2023
• Opening Remarks - Meeting with the President of the National Assembly of Vietnam Prime Minister of Australia 04 Jun 2023