Af/Pak & Other News (7/23/2021)

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Taliban in Strongest Position Since 2001 as Troops Leave Afghanistan, CIA Director Says

https://www.newsweek.com/taliban-strongest-position-since-2001-troops-leave-afghanistan-cia-director-says-1612532



To reach a peace deal, Taliban say Afghan president must go

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-only-on-ap-taliban-ffbce635cf19ce4874700fd2d81a0f39



Jack Keane warns of 'huge problem' in Afghanistan as US withdraws troops

https://www.foxnews.com/media/jack-keane-warns-of-huge-problem-in-afghanistan-as-us-withdraws-troops



In a city besieged by the Taliban, Afghan military advances disappear with forces stretched thin

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/afghanistan-kunduz-taliban/



Taliban Claim Of Controlling 90% Of Afghan Border Is ‘Absolute Lie’: Govt

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/23/taliban-claim-lie/



As Taliban advances, Afghan military overhauls war strategy

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-taliban-advances-afghan-military-overhauls-war-strategy-limit-losses-2021-07-22/



US strikes Taliban and captured equipment in support of Afghan forces

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/politics/us-taliban-airstrikes/index.html



House approves bill to boost number of visas for Afghan interpreters

https://warisboring.com/house-approves-bill-to-boost-number-of-visas-for-afghan-interpreters/



What Russia, China, Iran Want in Afghanistan When U.S. Troops Leave

https://www.newsweek.com/what-russia-china-iran-want-afghanistan-when-us-troops-leave-1612385









Pak drone with ‘almost ready to be used’ 5kg IED shot down near Jammu

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/jkpolice-shoot-down-drone-carrying-ied-near-jammu-101627012324719.html



Indian Navy holds drills with UK Carrier Strike Group

https://navalpost.com/indian-navy-holds-drills-with-uk-csg/



INS Tabar seen with new combat system upgrades

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/ins-tabar-seen-with-new-combat-system-upgrades



Russia Formally Offers 21 MiG-29 Aircraft to India

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/23/russia-india-mi29-fighters/









U.S., Iraqi officials to announce U.S. military shift to advisory role in Iraq by year’s end

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/22/us-iraq-military-shift-500564









Oil slick after tanker sinks off Yemen: port official

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210723-oil-slick-after-tanker-sinks-off-yemen-port-official




Turkey's Kargu Drone Bags First Export Customer

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30090/Turkey_s_Kargu_Drone_Bags_First_Export_Customer#.YPrR80BlBaQ









Syria: Old Rules Quietly Revived

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/syria/articles/20210723.aspx









First appearance of the Egyptian Navy's AW149 helicopters

http://navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/10240-naval-news-july-2021-navy-forces-maritime-defense-industry/10464-first-appearance-of-the-egyptian-navy-s-aw149-helicopters.html




‘Regular Russian troops stationed in Libya’

https://www.dailysabah.com/world/africa/regular-russian-troops-stationed-in-libya




Nigeria Receives its First Batch of A-29 Super Tucano Aircraft

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30088/Nigeria_Receives_its_First_Batch_of_A_29_Super_Tucano_Aircraft#.YPrR-0BlBaQ



Nigeria: Arab Made LSTs

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htamph/articles/20210723.aspx




US special operators and their allies say taking on Russia and China in Africa requires 'strange bedfellows'

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-special-operators-taking-on-russia-and-china-in-africa-2021-7









Russia moves equipment away from training ground near Ukrainian border

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/russia-moves-equipment-away-from-training-ground-near-ukrainian-border



Russia Replaces Dollars with Rubles, Local Currency in Defense Deals

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30087/Russia_Replaces_Dollars_with_Rubles__Local_Currency_in_Defense_Deals#.YPrSAUBlBaQ



Who’s Going To Pay for Russia’s Checkmate Stealth Fighter? Probably Not Russia.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/07/22/whos-going-to-pay-for-russias-checkmate-stealth-fighter-probably-not-russia/



(Much) more information on the new Sukhoi Su-75!

https://scramble.nl/military-news/much-more-information-on-the-new-sukhoi-su-75



Let’s Have A Look At All The Latest Claims About ‘Checkmate’, Russia’s New Light Tactical Fighter

https://theaviationist.com/2021/07/23/checkmate-latest-claims/



Podcast: Sizing Up Russia’s New Light Fighter

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/podcast-sizing-russias-new-light-fighter



MAKS debuts for latest versions of Russian attack helicopters

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/maks-debuts-for-latest-versions-of-russian-attack-helicopters/144729.article



New Russian Stealth Jet Could 'Checkmate' Chinese FC-31 in International Market: Chinese Media

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30086/New_Russian_Stealth_Jet_Could__Checkmate__Chinese_FC_31_in_International_Market__Chinese_Media#.YPrSC0BlBaQ



Russia to Conduct Mock Air Raids Near Afghanistan Border, Says No Real Strikes Planned

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-conduct-mock-air-raids-near-afghanistan-border-says-no-real-strikes-planned-1612400



Russia disconnected itself from the rest of the internet, a test of its new defense from cyber warfare, report says

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-cuts-self-off-from-global-internet-tests-defenses-rbc-2021-7





Dassault pitches Falcon 10X for future French maritime patrol need

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/dassault-pitches-falcon-10x-for-future-french-maritime-patrol-need/144734.article



Rafale F4 fighter jet pilots to wear augmented reality helmets

https://www.aerotime.aero/28440-rafale-f4-fighter-pilots-to-wear-augmented-reality-helmets




Most of the Royal Navy’s destroyers are unavailable for deployment

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/07/21/most-of-the-royal-navys-destroyers-are-unavailable-for-deployment/



Manufacturer of ‘Troubled’ UK Tank Aware of Issues Back in 2010

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/23/manufacturer-uk-tanks-issues/



Royal Marines test new MRZR-D4 lightweight off-roaders for raiding missions

https://defbrief.com/2021/07/23/royal-marines-test-new-mrzr-d4-lightweight-off-roaders-for-raiding-missions/









U.S. Weighs Deploying Balloons To Provide Internet Access To Cubans During Crackdown

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41639/the-u-s-weighs-deploying-balloons-to-provide-internet-access-to-cuba-during-crackdown




Bolsonaro once said he’d stage a military takeover. Now Brazilians fear he could be laying the ground for one.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/23/brazil-bolsonaro/




Dignitaries rush to cover as protests flare at Haiti president's funeral

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haiti-presidents-hometown-prepares-funeral-tension-simmers-2021-07-23/









What China’s Vast New Cybersecurity Center Tells Us About Beijing’s Ambitions

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/07/what-chinas-vast-new-cybersecurity-center-tells-us-about-beijings-ambitions/183933/



China's new software policy weaponizes cybersecurity research

https://thehill.com/opinion/cybersecurity/564318-chinas-new-software-policy-weaponizes-cybersecurity-research



China orders the military to forge stronger ties with the public

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3142249/china-orders-military-forge-stronger-ties-public





Target: Taichung. This Port In Taiwan Could Be China’s Main Target.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/07/23/target-taichung-this-one-port-in-taiwan-could-be-chinas-main-target/





North Korean defectors forced to pay more in bribes, research says

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/07/23/nkorea-north-korean-defectors-human-rights-defections/3441627046234/





Vietnamese Naval Ships arrive in Vladivostok for Russian Navy Day

https://navalpost.com/vietnamese-navy-ships-vladivostok/










UAP Task Force Initiated Contact with NASA To Brief Them on UFOs; But They Won’t Say Why

https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/uap-task-force-initiated-contact-with-nasa-to-brief-them-on-ufos-but-they-wont-say-why/



Pentagon has clear '23-minute footage of UFOs moving in formation', ex-insider claims

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1466493/ufo-footage-pentagon-definitive-footage-Lue-Elizondo-23-minute-floating-ont



Ex-airman: Guilt over drone strikes prompted to leak secrets

https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-nashville-sentencing-espionage-715ab7ef56ea4a386386cb26142f247b



Proposed ‘Hack-Back’ Bill Tells DHS To Study Allowing Companies To Retaliate

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/07/proposed-hack-back-bill-tells-dhs-to-study-allowing-companies-to-retaliate/



Lawmakers want Pentagon to map supply chain risks, cut China products

https://www.c4isrnet.com/congress/2021/07/22/lawmakers-want-pentagon-to-map-supply-chain-risks-cut-china-products/



SOCOM Members Got an All-Star Crash Course in AI

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/07/socom-members-got-all-star-crash-course-ai/183984/



Watch This C-17 Make A Bonkers "Tactical Departure" From Portland International Airport

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41658/watch-this-c-17-make-a-bonkers-tactical-departure-from-portland-international-airport



US Playing Long Game To Pressure China On Cyber Ops: Experts

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/07/us-playing-long-game-to-pressure-china-on-cyber-ops-experts/



First Upgraded W88/Mk5 Nuclear Warheads Completed After 18 Month Delay

https://www.overtdefense.com/2021/07/23/alteration-370-w88-mk5-warheads-rolls-out-after-18-months-delay/



Sierra Nevada Demos MC-145B Coyote STOL Aircraft at Eglin AFB

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30085/Sierra_Nevada_Demos_MC_145B_Coyote_STOL_Aircraft_at_Eglin_AFB#.YPrSE0BlBaQ



SB>1 Defiant Flexes Its Muscles by lifting a 5,300-pound Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System training load

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/sb1-defiant-flexes-its-muscle-by-lifting-a-5300-pound-guided-multiple-launch-rocket-system-training-load/



SOCOM Wants Four ‘Armed Overwatch’ Squadrons, With One Always Deployed

https://www.airforcemag.com/socom-armed-overwatch-squadrons/



US Army National Guard to get first UH-60Vs this month

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/07/22/us-army-national-guard-to-get-first-uh-60vs-this-month/



U.S.A.F. Orders Puma 3 AE Drones from AeroVironment

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30089/U_S_A_F__Orders_Puma_3_AE_Drones_from_AeroVironment#.YPrR90BlBaQ



Prepare Now for War in the Pacific

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/july/prepare-now-war-pacific



Navy wants to see big uptick in Zumwalt-class destroyer operations over the next year

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/07/22/navy-wants-to-see-big-uptick-in-zumwalt-class-destroyer-operations-over-the-next-year/



Navy's Newest Ships Finding Work as Testbeds

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/7/22/just-in-navy-surface-fleet-testing-high-tech-systems



Fielding LCS Minehunting Mission Package Now A ‘Key Priority’

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/07/fielding-lcs-minehunting-mission-package-now-a-key-priority/



Is the U.S. Navy’s Railgun Dream Really Dead?

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/is-the-u-s-navys-railgun-dream-really-dead/