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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing DoD 24 Oct 2023
• F-16s Head to Middle East to Help Protect U.S. Troops DoD News 24 Oct 2023 -- The Pentagon announced that a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft has arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility today. The aircraft will work alongside an array of capabilities the Defense Department has sent to the region in recent days to further enhance the ability of U.S. forces to defend themselves.
• New F-16 squadron arrives, bolstering US defense posture in Middle East US Air Force 24 Oct 2023 -- The New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility with an additional F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron, bolstering U.S. posture to deter further aggression in the region.
• DOD Officials Detail Department's Goals in Middle East DoD News 24 Oct 2023 -- America's efforts in the Middle East are in support of Israel's right to defend itself from terrorism and to contain the violence, senior defense officials said today.
• US Forces in Iraq, Syria Targeted 13 Times in Past Week VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked with drones or rockets at least 13 times over the past week, Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said Tuesday, confirming earlier VOA reporting.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Exercise Combined Resolve 24-01 is underway Army News 24 Oct 2023 -- U.S. armed forces with militaries from 14 NATO allies and partner countries initiated the 19th iteration of the annual joint combat operation exercise, Combined Resolve, Oct. 10, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center near Hohenfels, Germany.
• Readout of Under Secretary of Defense Dr. William LaPlante's Engagements in Brussels, Belgium DoD 24 Oct 2023
• Defense Leader Discusses Progress of National Defense Strategy DoD News 24 Oct 2023 -- The National Defense Strategy is a living, breathing document that is the North Star to the Defense Department, and leaders in the department work every day to ensure it is implemented, Mara Karlin said during a Brookings Institution event today.
• U.S. Focuses on Deterrence as China Raises Stakes in Indo-Pacific DoD News 24 Oct 2023 -- The U.S. remains laser-focused on deterring conflict in the Indo-Pacific as China doubles down on its efforts to boost its military power and engage in increasingly provocative behavior, a senior Pentagon official said yesterday.
• USNMRTC Yokosuka, Government of Japan, Japanese Self Defense Force, US Army, and US Air Force hone interoperability at Big Rescue Kanagawa US Navy 24 Oct 2023 -- On October 15 United States Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (USNMRTC) Yokosuka, Government of Japan, Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF) Ground and Maritime branches, United States Army and United States Air Force tested interoperability while cementing partnership by participating in Big Rescue Kanagawa.
• Secretary General welcomes latest steps towards Sweden's NATO accession NATO 24 Oct 2023 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm on Tuesday (24 October 2023) to discuss finalising Sweden's NATO accession. The Secretary General welcomed the decision of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to submit the accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly.
• Pacific Fleet submarine chaser detachment performs torpedo live fires on Kamchatka Russia MoD 24 Oct 2023 -- The Pacific Fleet detachment including two submarine chasers Ust-Ilimsk and MPK-107 underwent anti-submarine drills and performed torpedo live fires in Avacha Bay waters.
• China fires defense minister Li Shangfu with no replacement Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- Ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday formally sacked his defense minister, who is reportedly under investigation by the party's disciplinary arm, and ousted former foreign minister Qin Gang from the State Council following his sacking from his ministerial post in July, state media reported.
• Chinese Defense Minister Ousted After Two-Month Absence VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- China has ousted its defense minister, the second high-level firing of a top official in months. No explanation was given for Li Shangfu's removal, and Beijing has yet to name a replacement for him.
• His Majesty's Canadian Ship Moncton departs for Operation CARIBBE Canada 24 Oct 2023 -- Today, His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Moncton departs its home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia for a six-week deployment on Operation CARIBBE in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
• Japan - Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) Block 2B Tactical Missiles DSCA 24 Oct 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan of Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) Block 2B Tactical Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $74.6 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Latvia - M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems DSCA 24 Oct 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Latvia of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $220 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Chad Installs Defense Minister Amidst Calls to End Military Impunity VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- Chad's transitional government installed a civilian defense minister Monday to prepare for a return to constitutional rule. The move comes amid fresh protests and accusations that the military junta is intimidating and silencing the opposition ahead of December's constitutional referendum and elections.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Transatlantic Quad Ministers US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2023
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby The White House 24 Oct 2023
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2023
• Readout of President Joe Biden's Call with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The White House 24 Oct 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 24, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Daily Recap: Hamas - Israel War October 24th, 2023 (19:30) - Day 18 Israel Defense Forces 24 Oct 2023
• PM Netanyahu Visits IDF Yahalom Unit Israel - Prime Minister 24 Oct 2023
• PM Netanyahu meets with French President Emmanuel Macron Israel - Prime Minister 24 Oct 2023
• Statement by the Prime Minister's Office-Coordinator for the Captives and Missing Israel - Prime Minister 24 Oct 2023
• PM Netanyahu Currently Meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron Israel - Prime Minister 24 Oct 2023
• Israel Launches New Strikes on Hamas Targets as Macron Visits Jerusalem VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- Israel launched massive new airstrikes on targets in Hamas-controlled Gaza overnight into Tuesday, with Palestinian officials saying that hundreds of people were killed, including at a seaside refugee camp.
• Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on the Middle East UN Secretary-General 24 Oct 2023
• Child casualties in Gaza "a growing stain on our collective conscience" UNICEF 24 Oct 2023 -- Over the past 18 days, the Gaza Strip has borne witness to a devastating toll on its children, with a reported 2,360 fatalities and a reported 5,364 injuries due to unrelenting attacks, or more than 400 children reportedly either killed or injured daily. Additionally, more than 30 Israeli children reportedly have lost their lives, and dozens remain in captivity within the Gaza Strip.
• UNRWA Situation Report #13 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (all information valid as of 23 October 2023 at 6 p.m) UNRWA 24 Oct 2023
• Israel-Palestine: Protection of civilians 'must be paramount' in war Guterres tells Security Council UN News 24 Oct 2023 -- The UN Security Council has been meeting at UN Headquarters in New York for a scheduled quarterly open debate on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, now given greater urgency by the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues. The UN chief said the situation "is growing more dire by the hour", repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Here are some of the main highlights of the day...
• Israel-Palestine: Gaza buckles under fuel shortage, healthcare in crisis UN News 24 Oct 2023 -- On day 17 of the Gaza-Israel crisis, UN humanitarians on Tuesday pleaded for desperately needed fuel deliveries and other relief items to prevent the already dire situation in the enclave from worsening further.
• Calls Grow at UN for Humanitarian Cease-Fire in Israel-Hamas War VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- Calls grew Tuesday at the United Nations for a humanitarian cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but the appeals were likely to go unheeded as Hamas fired more rockets at Israel and Israel stepped up its bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
• Biden Faces Tough Balancing Act in the Israel-Hamas War VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- With an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza looming, President Joe Biden is facing the challenges of balancing "unwavering" support for America's closest ally in the Middle East with international demands for more robust protection for civilians in Gaza. He must also try to avoid a broader war in the Middle East.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Foreign Ministers from the Middle East US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2023
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the UN Security Council Ministerial Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2023
• Increasingly Independent Gulf States Seek to Navigate Gaza Conflict VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- Hamas' murderous incursion into Israel and the Jewish state's crushing military response are putting fresh strains on long-standing U.S. relationships in the Persian Gulf, where regional leaders must navigate between the anger of their own people and fear of an emboldened Iran.
• Israel-Hamas Conflict Reality Check for India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- The ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas has underlined the challenges facing an ambitious initiative to build a new trade route from India through the Middle East to Europe, according to analysts.
• China, US Differ on Response to Widening Middle East Violence VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- China will continue to support "all efforts conducive to promoting dialogue" for the two-state solution amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
• The UK stands resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror: Minister for Security Tom Tugendhat statement at the UN Security Council UK FCDO 24 Oct 2023 -- Statement by Minister for Security Tom Tugendhat at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

Other Conflicts

• World News in Brief, Afghanistan rights abuses, Sudan crisis deepens, Australia votes no UN News 24 Oct 2023 -- Afghanistan is facing a deteriorating human rights situation due to the Taliban's repressive policies, a culture of impunity and an ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis, the UN's independent expert on the country said on Tuesday.
• Afghan Women's Rights Group Reveals Another Member Has Spent A Month In Detention RFE/RL 24 Oct 2023 -- A women's rights group in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, said on October 24 that one of its members has spent a month in detention on unknown charges, the latest sign of a severe crackdown by the ruling Taliban militants on activists fighting against official restrictions on almost every aspect of their lives.
• Pakistan Moves to Create Deportation Centers as Afghan Migrant Deadline Nears VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- The Pakistani government approved the creation of several deportation centers for hundreds of thousands of illegally residing Afghan nationals they plan to arrest and repatriate to Afghanistan starting next month, VOA learned Tuesday.
• U.S. Applauds the Kyrgyz Republic's Repatriation of its Nationals from Northeast Syria US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2023 -- The Kyrgyz Republic's repatriation of 83 women and children from the al-Hol displaced persons camp in northeast Syria is another important step to resolve the humanitarian and security challenges that have followed the territorial defeat of ISIS.
• A Tibetan experiment in democracy struggles Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- As the fight over a speaker for the U.S. House of Representatives shows, even established democratic institutions have struggled to find consensus recently.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Oct 2023
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Democratic Republic of the Congo The White House 24 Oct 2023
• Message to the Congress, on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Democratic Republic of the Congo The White House 24 Oct 2023
• Haitian Gang Leader Charged with Hostage Taking Offenses that Resulted in the Death of a U.S. Citizen in Haiti in October 2022 US Dept. of Justice 24 Oct 2023 -- An indictment, filed in the District of Columbia, was unsealed today charging Vitel'homme Innocent, a Haitian national and leader of the Kraze Barye gang, for his alleged role in the October 2022 armed hostage taking, in Haiti, of two U.S. citizens, one of whom was killed during the event.

News Reports

• All eyes on spies as US and China trade espionage accusations Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- China's top espionage agency says a Chinese citizen has been accused of spying for the United States and is being tried in the southwestern city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
• Third Trump Lawyer Pleads Guilty in Georgia Election Interference Case VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who supported former U.S. President Donald Trump's baseless claims that he was cheated out of winning reelection in 2020, tearfully pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally working to overturn his loss in the southern state of Georgia and agreed to testify against him and others in upcoming trials.
• Opening Remarks by Under Secretary Brian Nelson at Executive Committee Meeting of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center US Treasury 24 Oct 2023
• Telephone conversation with President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan President of Russia 24 Oct 2023 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov President of Russia 24 Oct 2023 -- The discussion focused on industrial sector's performance in the first six months of the year.
• Navalny Says He's Again Been Placed In Punitive Confinement, Deprived of Writing Materials RFE/RL 24 Oct 2023 -- Jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has been placed in punitive solitary confinement, a day after his allies said he was stripped of writing materials -- his only means of communicating with the outside world.
• Joint Communique of the Second Meeting of the 3+3 Regional Platform Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Oct 2023
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on October 24, 2023 PRC MofA 24 Oct 2023
• China's Wang Yi to visit US ahead of possible Xi-Biden meeting Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to pay an official visit to Washington D.C. later this week, the U.S. State Department announced late Monday.
• IMF Warns Africa of Economic Vulnerabilities as China's Economy Slows VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- The International Monetary Fund is cautioning African nations about the possibility of a regional economic downturn and the ripple effects that China's slowing economy could bring.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Oct. 24, 2023 ROC MND 24 Oct 2023
• S Korea detains boat carrying suspected N Korean escapees Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- South Korean authorities said Tuesday it detained a North Korean boat carrying four people believed to be seeking to defect, to assess the legitimacy of their intentions.
• N Korean leader pushes for anti-US front expansion, courts China Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- North Korea made further overtures to China, highlighting their mutual history of opposition to the United States. The move underscores its leader Kim Jong Un's strategic push to solidify his anti-American united front as Washington grapples with resource allocation in Asia amidst challenges from Ukraine and the Middle East.
• Iranian Official Says Lagging Oil Revenues Causing Budget Gap RFE/RL 24 Oct 2023 -- The head of Iran's Budget and Planning Organization says the government achieved only "around" 70 percent of its projected revenues for the first seven months of the current Persian calendar year, a rare admission of a significant state budget deficit.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Oct 2023
• Pilot opposition suggests no meaningful census for Myanmar poll Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- Public opposition to a pilot census program conducted by Myanmar's junta this month has been so strong that the likelihood of a meaningful survey ahead of planned elections is extremely slim, according to experts.
• Myanmar junta gives 6 men life sentences under martial law Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- Myanmar's junta gave life sentences to six men, lawyers told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday.
• Court Extends Bail For Former Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif RFE/RL 24 Oct 2023 -- A Pakistani court on October 24 extended protection from arrest to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in graft cases following his return to Islamabad after four years of self-imposed exile in London.
• US Formally Concludes that a Military Coup Has taken Place in Gabon VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- The United States has suspended most financial assistance to the central African country of Gabon in response to August's military takeover.
• Reports: Vietnam's rights situation has worsened since last review Radio Free Asia 24 Oct 2023 -- With just six months remaining until the next round of an important human rights review of Vietnam, rights organizations reported that Hanoi actually increased suppression since the last round four years ago - and the situation continues to worsen.
• Nigerians Praise Court Ruling in Multibillion-Dollar Gas Deal VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- Nigerian authorities are praising a London high court ruling Monday that overturned $11 billion in damages stemming from a collapsed gas project between Africa's largest economy and a private company.
• Malawi Makes First Large-Scale Wheat Harvest VOA 24 Oct 2023 -- Malawi has made its first successful large-scale harvest of wheat after years of attempts to find a variety of grain suitable for its soil. Wheat farming is seen as a solution to mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on grain imports to the African continent.