Af/Pak & Other News (3/12/2021)

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Blinken Letter Lays Out Last-Ditch Effort for Peace in Afghanistan

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/11/afghanistan-blinken-letter-peace-effort-ghani/



Turkey plans to host Afghan peace talks in April

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-peaceplan-turkey/turkey-plans-to-host-afghan-peace-talks-in-april-idUSKBN2B40VK



Russia Backs Plans for Afghanistan Interim Rule With Taliban

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/03/12/russia-favors-afghanistan-coalition-taliban/



What Biden Can Learn from the Soviet Union’s Afghanistan Exit

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/what-biden-can-learn-from-the-soviet-unions-afghanistan-exit/



United States blocks deliveries of Turkish-made combat helicopters to Pakistan

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2021/03/us-blocks-deliveris-turkish-made-helicopters-pakistan.html









This Iranian was the highest-scoring F-14 Tomcat pilot ever

https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/highest-scoring-f-14-tomcat-pilot/



Leaked Iranian document reveals systematic effort to monitor and suppress Baha’is

https://news.yahoo.com/leaked-iranian-document-reveals-systematic-221500549.html









Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen ramp up drone, missile attacks on Saudi Arabia

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iranian-backed-houthi-rebels-in-yemen-ramp-up-drone-missile-attacks-on-saudi-arabia/ar-BB1ewfk2



Russian World War 2 T-34 tanks still fighting in Yemen war

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_march_2021_global_security_army_industry/russian_world_war_2_t-34_tanks_still_fighting_in_yemen_war.html




Turkey plans to deploy attack drones from its amphibious assault ship

https://www.defensenews.com/global/2021/03/11/turkey-plans-to-deploy-attack-drones-from-its-amphibious-assault-ship/









Timeline: Ten years of Syria conflict, from protest to war to economic decline

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-timeline/timeline-ten-years-of-syria-conflict-from-protest-to-war-to-economic-decline-idUSKBN2B40G7



Syria: Oil refinery attacks raise fears of ‘grave escalation’

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/11/oil-refineries-hit-in-across-syria-in-latest-strike




France says Lebanon 'running out of time before total collapse'

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210311-france-says-lebanon-running-out-of-time-before-total-collapse









Israel Has Been Launching Clandestine Attacks On Iranian Shipping: Report

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39734/israel-has-been-launching-clandestine-attacks-on-iranian-oil-tankers-and-other-ships-report



Naval Air: Israeli Upgrades

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20210312.aspx



Israeli drones used by Azerbaijan under spotlight in new TV report

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/israeli-drones-used-by-azerbaijan-under-spotlight-in-new-tv-report-661804



Israel Seeks US Help On Lasers

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/03/israel-seeks-us-help-on-lasers/



Israel, Greece, Cyprus hold naval drill as they deepen ties

https://apnews.com/article/turkey-israel-mediterranean-sea-greece-jerusalem-0ab68a1a3cf0b2c309bb9b4163b0f609









A fractured country: Libya, 10 years after Gaddafi

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/revisited/20210312-a-fractured-country-libya-10-years-after-gaddafi




CIA Activity Could Indicate a Reversal of Biden's Drone Policy

https://sofrep.com/news/cia-activity-could-indicate-a-reversal-of-bidens-drone-policy/




Gunmen abduct 30 students in northwest Nigeria as payoffs 'boomerang'

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security-kidnapping/gunmen-abduct-30-students-in-northwest-nigeria-as-payoffs-boomerang-idUSKBN2B40TT




Counter-Terrorism: The Islamic State In Africa

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htterr/articles/20210312.aspx




South African Seeker 400 UAV crash

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/03/south-african-seeker-400-uav-crash









Object 744: Ukraine’s Killer Tank That Russia Is Trying to Steal

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/object-744-ukraines-killer-tank-that-russia-is-trying-to-steal/



Ukrainian Air Force Mig-29 Damaged After Drunk Officer Rams Car into Jet

https://fighterjetsworld.com/latest-news/aircraft-crash/ukrainian-air-force-mig-29-damaged-after-drunk-officer-rams-car-into-jet/24659/



Ukraine nationalizing Motor Sich to prevent it from falling into China’s hands

http://alert5.com/2021/03/12/ukraine-nationalizing-motor-sich-to-prevent-it-from-falling-into-chinas-hands/



Russia Escalates Its Proxy War in Eastern Ukraine

https://jamestown.org/program/russia-escalates-its-proxy-war-in-eastern-ukraine/



Navy Lookout shared rendering of secret Russian submarine

https://defence-blog.com/news/navy-lookout-shared-rendering-of-secret-russian-submarine.html



Russian Government Websites Outage blamed on U.S. cyberattack

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29139/Russian_Government_Websites_Outage_blamed_on_U_S__cyberattack



Why Russia is tightening its grip on social media

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/12/russia-social-media-putin-opposition/



Former RT Reporter Says He Was Asked To 'Spy' On Navalny In German Hospital

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-rt-navalny-spy-germany-lange/31146983.html



Kremlin critic Navalny moved from jail, whereabouts unknown

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210312-kremlin-critic-navalny-moved-from-jail-whereabouts-unknown



Untraceable, by Sergei Lebedev — poisoned defectors

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/84f73131-3d86-3e4b-91ed-9b3dfda0b95b/untraceable-by-sergei.html




U.S. B-1B Lands On Snowy Runway In The Artic Circle. Russian Tu-160s Operate From Snowy Airfield At Engels.

https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/11/u-s-b-1b-lands-on-snowy-runway-in-the-artic-circle-russian-tu-160s-operate-from-snowy-airfield-at-engels/




Spanish Navy new F110 frigates could be equipped with laser weapons

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2021/march/9815-spanish-navy-new-f110-frigates-could-be-equipped-with-laser-weapons.html



Disguised Narco Submarine Found In Europe

http://www.hisutton.com/Narco-Submarine-Found-In-Spain.html




France selects Airbus drone system to equip warships

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/france-selects-airbus-drone-system-to-equip-warships/




UK signs up for JAGM missile

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/uk-signs-up-for-jagm-missile



Strike underway at Faslane and Coulport

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/strike-underway-at-faslane-and-coulport/



Aircraft carrier ‘opens fire’ with heavy machine guns

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/aircraft-carrier-opens-fire-with-heavy-machine-guns/









PLA Chinese army deploys new vehicle-mounted antitank missile

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_march_2021_global_security_army_industry/pla_chinese_army_deploys_new_vehicle-mounted_antitank_missile.html



Video on the development of HQ-17AE

http://alert5.com/2021/03/12/video-on-the-development-of-hq-17ae/



China Is Scooping Up DNA Data to Target Foreign Spies — And You, the US Government Says

https://sofrep.com/news/china-is-scooping-up-dna-data-to-target-foreign-spies-and-you-the-us-government-says/



‘Warning Signs Are Flashing Red’ On Chinese Dominance Over Semiconductors, Shipbuilding

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/03/warning-signs-are-flashing-red-on-chinese-dominance-over-semiconductors-shipbuilding/



Newspaper: China to soon try 2 Canadians on spying charges

https://apnews.com/article/technology-beijing-newspapers-coronavirus-pandemic-crime-07aa688fc22738cbc6575a83d24aa899



Chinese analyst warns South Korea against joining Quad

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/03/12/SKorea-Quad-join-Chinese-warn-SKorea/6031615559653/





USS John Finn transits Taiwan Strait

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/03/11/USS-John-Finn-Taiwan-Strait-China/5021615487644/





Myanmar's first satellite held by Japan on space station after coup

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics-satellite-japan-excl/exclusive-myanmars-first-satellite-held-by-japan-on-space-station-after-coup-idUSKBN2B41O1



U.N. expert: Myanmar junta likely committing crimes against humanity

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/03/12/myanmar-United-Nations-Tom-Andrews-Myanmer-committing-crimes-against-humanity/9031615524078/





Weaponized Drones: The Next Terrorist Modus Operandi in Southeast Asia?

https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/weaponized-drones-the-next-terrorist-modus-operandi-in-southeast-asia/










Mysterious Insignias and Symbols from the Classified World

https://thedebrief.org/mysterious-insignias-and-symbols-from-the-classified-world/



Air Force Combines Wargames To Make The Mother Of All Airpower Testing Events

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39710/black-and-orange-flag-war-games-combine-making-the-mother-of-all-air-power-testing-events



Why troops love playing fantasy games while deployed

https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-gaming/why-troops-love-playing-dnd/



Metal detecting kids dig up cool find in Virginia — and then their parents call 911

https://www.yahoo.com/news/metal-detecting-kids-dig-cool-235037518.html



Behold The Air Force's Updated F-15 Eagle Family Portrait Including The New F-15EX

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39735/behold-the-air-forces-updated-f-15-eagle-family-portrait-including-the-new-f-15ex



At Air Force One base, intruder given up by ‘mouse ears’

https://apnews.com/article/air-force-one-base-intruder-mouse-ears-88821e8a8f19b940ad0ddcaf7778825e



New SWAT drone smashes windows, opens doors, and negotiates with suspects

https://dronedj.com/2021/03/10/new-swat-drone-has-whirling-blade/



Army Experimenting With RoboCop-Like Biohybrid Technology

https://sofrep.com/news/army-research-laboratory-adopts-biohybrid-technology/



Modular Solar Generators Could Be Key In Helping Power Remote Bases During A Major Conflict

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39668/modular-solar-generators-could-be-key-in-helping-power-remote-bases-during-a-major-conflict



Explained: The Army’s Strategic Long-Range Cannon Project is on Pause

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/explained-army%E2%80%99s-strategic-long-range-cannon-project-pause-179932



Raytheon fires Stinger missile from Javelin launcher

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/raytheon-fires-stinger-missile-from-javelin-launcher.html



U.S. Air Force’s E-4B “Doomsday Plane” Fleet to Receive Communication Modifications

https://defpost.com/u-s-air-forces-e-4b-doomsday-plane-fleet-to-receive-communication-modifications/



USAF receives second B-52 from boneyard

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/usaf-receives-second-b-52-from-boneyard



F-15EX's Future Role As A Hypersonic Missile Truck Touted Officially By The Air Force

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39718/f-15exs-future-role-as-hypersonic-missile-truck-touted-officially-by-the-air-force



The US military has put scores more ship-killer missiles under contract as Pacific tensions continue

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/03/11/the-us-military-has-put-scores-more-ship-killer-missiles-under-contract-as-pacific-tensions-continue/



T-45 to receive new oxygen system after hypoxia reports

https://www.aerotime.aero/27440-t-45-to-receive-new-oxygen-system-after-hypoxia-reports



The Pentagon Is Once Again Considering Early Retirement For One Of Its Aircraft Carriers

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39724/the-pentagon-is-once-again-considering-early-retirement-for-one-of-its-aircraft-carriers



First US sub to fire Tomahawk missile in combat retires after 34 years of service

https://defbrief.com/2021/03/12/first-us-sub-to-fire-tomahawk-missile-in-combat-retires-after-34-years-of-service/