Af/Pak & Other News (1/22/2021)

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Highway to Hell: A Trip Down Afghanistan’s Deadliest Road

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/afghanistan-war-taliban-kabul-kandahar-road-1112819/



Deadly U.S. Air Force E-11A Crash in Afghanistan Last Year Caused by Pilot Error Leading To Dual Engine Shutdown

https://theaviationist.com/2021/01/21/u-s-air-force-e-11a-crash-in-afghanistan-last-year-caused-by-pilot-error-leading-to-dual-engine-shutdown/









HAL test fires smart anti-airfield weapon from Hawk-i

https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/hal-anti-airfield-weapon-hawk-i/









Iran Becomes The Usual Suspect

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htterr/articles/20210122.aspx









Islamic State group claims responsibility for deadly twin bombing in Baghdad

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210122-islamic-state-group-claims-responsibility-for-deadly-twin-bombing-in-baghdad



American-made Avenger AN/TWQ-1 air defense vehicle in service with Iraqi army

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_january_2021_global_security_army_industry/american-made_avenger_an/twq-1_air_defense_vehicle_in_service_with_iraqi_army.html









Saudi-led forces say thwart two attacks by Yemen's Houthis

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/saudi-led-forces-say-thwart-two-attacks-by-yemens-houthis-idUSKBN29R153



An alleged Saudi troll campaign is targeting a movie about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/21/an-alleged-saudi-troll-campaign-appears-be-targeting-dissident/









US military convoy enters northeast Syria: report

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/1611293792-us-military-convoy-enters-northeast-syria-report



Syrian media reports Israeli airstrikes near western city of Hama

https://www.timesofisrael.com/syrian-media-reports-israeli-airstrikes-near-western-city-of-hama/









Israeli Army Says Downed Drone From Lebanon

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/01/22/israeli-army-says-downed-drone-lebanon/









Foreign fighters were meant to leave Libya this week. A huge trench being dug by Russian-backed mercenaries indicates they plan to stay

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/africa/libya-trench-russia-intl/index.html




French Troops Kill Over 20 Jihadists in Burkina Faso

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/01/22/france-kills-20-jihadists-burkina-faso/









Navalny, anticipating arrest, planned protests to force Kremlin to release him, ally says

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-navalny/navalny-anticipating-arrest-planned-protests-to-force-kremlin-to-release-him-ally-says-idUSKBN29R0RX



Russia detains Navalny aides as protests go viral

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55765895



EXPLAINER: Why Navalny is a thorn in the Kremlin’s side

https://apnews.com/article/black-sea-moscow-coronavirus-pandemic-vladimir-putin-berlin-88c97b51172dbc0cff13f4d9e17b1f2a



How Russia uses right-wing extremism as a cheap, deniable way to undermine Western countries

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-russia-stokes-right-wing-extremism-in-the-west-2021-1



‘The US is falling apart’: How Russian media is portraying the US Capitol siege

https://theconversation.com/the-us-is-falling-apart-how-russian-media-is-portraying-the-us-capitol-siege-153158



Drone footage purports to show Vladimir Putin's secret $1.4 billion palace on Russia's Black Sea

https://www.insider.com/vladimir-putins-secret-palace-black-sea-russia-video-2021-1




The Investigation and Kim Wall's legacy: Police and divers spent months working to convict the 'submarine killer' - his story is not the one worth telling

https://news.sky.com/story/the-investigation-why-the-story-of-kim-walls-submarine-murder-ignores-her-killer-12192298




Germany left with no maritime patrol capability as last operational Orion breaks down

https://defbrief.com/2021/01/22/germany-left-with-no-maritime-patrol-capability-as-last-operational-orion-breaks-down/



MBDA uses micro-drone as a spotter for its anti-tank missile

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/01/21/mbda-uses-micro-drone-as-a-spotter-for-its-anti-tank-missile/



New “BZM evo” AIP PEM fuel cells to be on 212CD submarines?

https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-new-bzm-evo-aip-pem-fuel-cell-to-be.html




Upgrades in sight for French MQ-9 Reaper UAVs

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/upgrades-in-sight-for-french-mq-9-reaper-uavs




UK Orders Three Autonomous Minesweepers for Royal Navy

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/01/22/uk-navy-autonomous-minesweepers/




First-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons enters into force

https://apnews.com/article/international-news-nuclear-weapons-international-law-united-nations-gun-politics-7d4f3e3339a735919f9299b0414f9d0a









China authorises coast guard to fire on foreign vessels if needed

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-coastguard-law/china-authorises-coast-guard-to-fire-on-foreign-vessels-if-needed-idUSKBN29R1ER



How China Does It

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htwin/articles/20210122.aspx



How China’s Special Forces Stack Up Against the US’s Special Operators

https://sofrep.com/news/how-chinas-special-forces-stack-up-against-the-uss-special-operators/



China boosting naval footprint at its southern tip, new satellite images suggest

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/01/21/china-boosting-naval-footprint-at-its-southern-tip-new-satellite-images-suggest/





Taiwan’s new hybrid VTOL drone is unveiled

http://alert5.com/2021/01/22/taiwans-new-hybrid-vtol-drone-is-unveiled/





North Korea’s New Sub Missile Is First Step Toward a New ICBM

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/21/north-korea-new-submarine-missile-icbm/





Australian navy's unmanned MCM development picks up pace

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/australian-navys-unmanned-mcm-development-picks-up-pace





Japan Tests Raytheon’s Radar & Targeting Systems on SeaGuardian Drone

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28813/Japan_Tests_Raytheon___s_Radar___Targeting_Systems_on_SeaGuardian_Drone










Skinwalker Ranch, UFOs, and life after death discussed in exclusive interview with Robert Bigelow

https://www.krqe.com/new-mexico-cw-my50tv/mystery-wire/skinwalker-ranch-ufos-and-life-after-death-discussed-in-exclusive-interview-with-robert-bigelow/



Biden orders Pentagon to stop paying for Trump’s border wall

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/biden-orders-pentagon-stop-paying-border-wall/



Executive Order Takes Aim At Foreign-Made Drones And Incursions Over Sensitive Sites

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38848/executive-order-takes-aim-at-threat-from-foreign-made-drones-and-incursions-over-sensitive-sites



Nearly 1 in 5 of the rioters charged in Capitol insurrection are military veterans, study shows

https://www.businessinsider.com/1-in-5-charged-in-capitol-riot-veterans-active-duty-2021-1



Far-right groups move to messaging apps as tech companies crack down on extremist social media

https://theconversation.com/far-right-groups-move-to-messaging-apps-as-tech-companies-crack-down-on-extremist-social-media-153181



Senate confirms retired Gen. Lloyd Austin as defense secretary

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/01/22/Senate-confirms-retired-Gen-Lloyd-Austin-as-defense-secretary/4811611334057/



Joe Biden Could Rescue The Last Nuclear Treaty—But Don’t Expect Him To Negotiate A New One

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/01/21/joe-biden-russia-start-nuclear-treaty/



US Army hosting ‘low collateral' C-sUAS demo

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-army-hosting-low-collateral-c-suas-demo



The Truth About Going From Flying Airplanes To Helicopters

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38695/the-cold-hard-truth-about-going-from-flying-fixed-wing-airplanes-to-helicopters



US Army Researchers Working on Adding Muscle to Robots

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/01/22/us-army-muscle-robots/



US Army seeks ‘Predator-like’ radar-proof camo

https://asiatimes.com/2021/01/us-army-seeks-predator-like-radar-proof-camo/



Marines Look to Suppressors for a New Lethal Edge

https://sofrep.com/news/marines-look-to-suppressors-for-a-new-lethal-edge/



Bell tests modified design of its APT logistics drone in Canada

https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/videos/bell-tests-modified-design-of-its-apt-logistics-drone-in-canada.html



Northrop Grumman Tests New Motor for U.S. Space Force’s Vulcan Centaur Rocket

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28812/Northrop_Grumman_Tests_New_Motor_for_U_S__Space_Force___s_Vulcan_Centaur_Rocket



Rocket Report: Starship going offshore, Blue Origin may launch humans in April

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/01/rocket-report-starship-going-offshore-blue-origin-may-launch-humans-in-april/



The Air Force’s New Report On Ballistic And Cruise Missiles Misses Its Target

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38816/the-air-forces-new-report-on-ballistic-and-cruise-missiles-misses-its-target



Boeing nabs $2.1B deal for 15 KC-46A tankers

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/01/21/Boeing-nabs-21B-deal-for-15-KC-46A-tankers/8041611258862/



U.S. Air Force Talks New F-16 Orders In Latest Acquisition Shake-up

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/us-air-force-talks-new-f-16-orders-latest-acquisition-shake



DARPA’s air-recoverable Gremlins drone completes third test

https://defence-blog.com/news/darpas-air-recoverable-gremlins-drone-completes-third-test.html



US Coast Guard awards Sikorsky up to $850M for new MH-60T helicopters

https://defbrief.com/2021/01/22/us-coast-guard-awards-sikorsky-up-to-850m-for-new-mh-60t-helicopters/



New Navy "Blue Arctic" Strategy Cites Russia & China, Preps for Massive Ice War

https://defensemaven.io/warriormaven/sea/new-navy-blue-arctic-strategy-cites-russia-china-preps-for-massive-ice-war-pgYF0CedU0OBTSo325PJKQ



How Navy SEALs outsmarted the hunter-killer dolphins trained to protect Navy ships

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-go-against-navy-hunter-killer-dolphins-2021-1



New Pods Will Allow Reaper Drones To Hunt Submarines And Launch Small Weapons And Drones

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38843/new-pods-will-allow-reaper-drones-to-hunt-submarines-and-launch-small-weapons-and-drones



This is what this year’s US/UK carrier strike group will look like

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/this-is-what-this-years-us-uk-carrier-strike-group-will-look-like/



Ingalls Eyeing LPD Cost Reductions, Capability Increases As Future Fleet Design Evolves

https://news.usni.org/2021/01/21/ingalls-eyeing-lpd-cost-reductions-capability-increases-as-future-fleet-design-evolves