Af/Pak & Other News (4/27/2021)

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Leaving Afghanistan Will Be More Expensive Than Anyone Expects

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/26/leaving-afghanistan-will-be-more-expensive-than-anyone-expects/



What Tajik Gold Smuggling Bust Tells Us About Afghanistan

https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/what-tajik-gold-smuggling-bust-tells-us-about-afghanistan/



Islamic State degraded in Afghanistan but still poses threat

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-asia-kabul-central-asia-447b4473a535f8fda65be1704bf92c6f



U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan May Give ISIS 'Space to Operate,' Expert Says

https://www.newsweek.com/us-withdrawal-afghanistan-may-give-isis-space-operate-expert-says-1586854



10 years after his death, Bin Laden still haunts Pakistan

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210427-10-years-after-his-death-bin-laden-still-haunts-pakistan



Ex CIA chief Brennan on getting Bin Laden: high doubts, high risk

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210427-ex-cia-chief-brennan-on-getting-bin-laden-high-doubts-high-risk










India: Pandemic Rules

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/india/articles/20210427.aspx



Navy to get aircraft carrier Vikrant, missile destroyer Visakhapatnam in 2021

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/navy-to-get-aircraft-carrier-vikrant-missile-destroyer-visakhapatnam-in-2021-101619498533809.html









Iran’s Growing Drone Threat

https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/04/irans-growing-drone-threat/#slide-1



Iran's Used Its Wacky Catamaran To Cut Off U.S. Coast Guard Ships In The Persian Gulf

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40348/irans-used-its-wacky-catamaran-to-cut-off-u-s-coast-guard-ships-in-the-persian-gulf



John Kerry denies ever having discussed Israeli strikes in Syria with Iran’s foreign minister.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/us/john-kerry-iran-israel-syria.html



Iran Aims to Expand WMD Program, German Intel Agency Concludes

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-aims-to-expand-wmd-program-german-intel-agency-concludes/



Missile multinational: Iran’s new approach to missile proliferation

https://www.iiss.org/blogs/research-paper/2021/04/iran-missile-proliferation-strategy



New Photo Of Shahid Soleimani Class Catamaran

http://www.hisutton.com/Iran-IRGC-Catamaran-Update.html









CIA denies US media report of Iraq meeting between agency director, Iranian officials

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/04/27/CIA-denies-US-media-report-of-Iraq-meeting-between-agency-director-Iranian-officials









Successful precision-airdrop GPS-guided pallets test in Kuwait

https://airrecognition.com/index.php/news/defense-aviation-news/2021/april/7245-successful-precision-airdrop-gps-guided-pallets-test-in-kuwait.html




Explosive-laden ‘drone’ boat targets Saudi port of Yanbu

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-persian-gulf-tensions-b1486a6e3d0b48f52eac5d76904999d2



'Massive' Huthi attack on Marib thwarted: military sources

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210427-massive-huthi-attack-on-marib-thwarted-military-sources




Turkey Set to Export 12 Hürkus-C Armed Turbo-prop Aircraft

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29448/Turkey_Set_to_Export_12_H__rkus_C_Armed_Turbo_prop_Aircraft









Israeli military says it downed Hezbollah drone

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-middle-east-israel-0b9c6caf0d597ce60218c1675eba101b









As Somalia's unrest continues, US says it's 'prepared to consider all available tools'

https://abcnews.go.com/International/somalias-unrest-continues-us-prepared-tools/story?id=77336749




EXPLAINER: The potential risks of political crisis in Chad

https://apnews.com/article/world-news-chad-europe-africa-62182746f4d229702eccc02e496d2c20



Chad’s new military rulers name prime minister, opposition cries foul

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/chad-military-council-names-former-pm-padacke-prime-minister-2021-04-26/




Nigeria: Jihadist captures two Isotrex armored vehicles

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/04/nigeria-jihadist-captures-two-isotrex-armored-vehicles




South Sudan at risk of ‘large scale conflict’: UN report

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/27/south-sudan-at-risk-of-large-scale-conflict-un-report









US Keeping Wary Eye on Russian Troops Near Ukraine

https://www.voanews.com/europe/us-keeping-wary-eye-russian-troops-near-ukraine



Foreign fighters backing Russia, Ukraine in conflict

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/foreign-fighters-backing-russia-ukraine-in-conflict/vi-BB1g6FQo




NATO tees up negotiations on artificial intelligence in weapons

https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2021/04/27/nato-tees-up-negotiations-on-artificial-intelligence-in-weapons/




Germany contracts Top Aces to deliver advanced airborne training

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/germany-contracts-top-aces-to-deliver-advanced-airborne-training




French generals cause backlash with 'civil war' warning

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210427-french-generals-cause-backlash-with-civil-war-warning









Venezuela's Socialist-Held Congress to Ratify 'Anti-Blockade' Law, Official Says

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-04-26/venezuelas-socialist-held-congress-to-ratify-anti-blockade-law-official-says









China targets foreign spies and 'hostile forces' with new anti-espionage rules

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/26/china/china-anti-espionage-security-intl-hnk/index.html



China Raises Scrutiny on Companies With New Anti-Spying Rules

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-27/china-raises-scrutiny-on-companies-with-new-anti-spying-rules



Chinese Navy May Have 4 New Type 09IV Nuclear Attack Submarines

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29442/Chinese_Navy_Many_Have_4_New_Type_09IV_Nuclear_Attack_Submarines



Why two heads would be better than one for China’s ‘Mighty Dragon’ fighter jet

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3131295/why-two-heads-would-be-better-one-chinas-mighty-dragon



China snags suspected US maritime intelligence drone

https://dronedj.com/2021/04/27/china-snags-suspected-us-maritime-intelligence-drone/



How Many Nuclear Weapons Does China Really Have?

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/how-many-nuclear-weapons-does-china-really-have/



China nixed meeting on biowarfare concerns as coronavirus queries increased

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/apr/25/china-nixed-biowarfare-meeting-coronavirus-queries/





Report: U.S. naval destroyer tracking China's Liaoning aircraft carrier

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/04/27/China-Liaoning-carrier-track-US-destroyer/4991619527310/



Taiwan looks to reduce aircraft losses through F-16 Auto-GCAS

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/taiwan-looks-to-reduce-aircraft-losses-through-f-16-auto-gcas



Chinese Spy Plane Enters Taiwan to ‘Test Radar, Gather Intel’

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/04/27/chinese-spy-plane-enters-taiwan/





Myanmar guerrillas capture gov’t base; airstrikes follow

https://apnews.com/article/myanmar-f64d4364ba64cd8ed074fd6620447ebf





Japan: Cold War Magic Revisited

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/articles/20210427.aspx





Philippine Air Force MD520MG Helicopter Crash Off Bohol Coast

https://fighterjetsworld.com/air/philippine-air-force-md520mg-helicopter-crash-off-bohol-coast/25762/





South Korea to develop indigenous attack helicopter for RoKMC

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/south-korea-to-develop-indigenous-attack-helicopter-for-rokmc





Australian Official Warns Country to Brace for 'Curse of War' as Tension Grows With China

https://www.newsweek.com/australian-official-warns-country-brace-curse-war-tension-grows-china-1586732










Spy chiefs look to declassify intel after rare plea from 4-star commanders

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/26/spy-chiefs-information-war-russia-china-484723



The Pentagon's elite 'SWAT team of nerds' are the reason a Florida company took over a huge chunk of government internet space

https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-company-pentagon-internet-space-swat-nerds-defense-digital-service-2021-4



Startup Awarded Contract for AI-Based Counter-Drone System

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/4/27/startup-awarded-contract-for-ai-based-counter-drone-system



Update: U.S. Special Operations Command Central’s Twitter Account Was NOT Hacked

https://thedebrief.org/update-u-s-special-operations-command-centrals-twitter-account-was-not-hacked/



The Ease of Tracking Mobile Phones of U.S. Soldiers in Hot Spots

https://www.realcleardefense.com/2021/04/27/the_ease_of_tracking_mobile_phones_of_us_soldiers_in_hot_spots_774575.html



Future U.S. Army Robots will Work even after Communication Losses

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29449/Future_U_S__Army_Robots_will_Work_even_after_Communication_Losses



TACK Program Could Change the Way Warfighters ‘See’ on the Battlefield

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/04/27/us-army-tack-program/



The view through the Army’s new night vision goggle looks ripped right out of ‘Halo’

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-night-vision-goggles-halo-odst/



Why the Entire B-1B Bomber Fleet Can’t Fly

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/why-the-entire-b-1b-bomber-fleet-cant-fly/



What artist renderings tell us about the NGAD fighter

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/what-artist-renderings-tell-us-about-the-ngad-fighter/



For War With Iran And China, The F-35 Stealth Fighter Needs More Gas

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/04/27/for-war-with-iran-and-china-the-f-35-stealth-fighter-needs-more-gas/



Navy SM-6 Missile Successfully Hit A Target Barge During Big Manned-Unmanned Teaming Test

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40341/navy-sm-6-missile-successfully-hit-a-target-barge-during-big-manned-unmanned-team-test