Af/Pak & Other News (8/5/2021)

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Airstrikes pummel Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-33daa9c44b76090dca874f5d7b37bbf5



Russia says Afghan Taliban offensive running out of steam - report

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/russia-says-afghan-taliban-offensive-running-out-steam-report-2021-08-05/



A Near Press Blackout in Afghanistan

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-near-press-blackout-in-afghanistan









India’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Has Gone To Sea For The First Time

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41834/indias-indigenous-aircraft-carrier-has-gone-to-sea-for-the-first-time









Iranian Warships Appear To Try To Sneak Into North Sea

http://www.hisutton.com/Iranian-Warships-Seen-Leaving-Baltic.html



Britain's Top General Calls for Retaliation on Iran for Drone Strike

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/britains-top-general-calls-retaliation-iran-drone-strike



Israeli defense minister threatens Iran with military action

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-iran-middle-east-united-nations-16666e8d97ed6e4571ae6d01785c00fc



Iran’s attacks are finally shining a spotlight on its deadly drones

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/irans-attacks-are-finally-bringing-a-spotlight-on-its-deadly-drones-675919









US aircraft saw suspected Iranian gunmen take something from a hijacked tanker during 7-hour incident: official

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-aircraft-saw-suspected-iranian-gunmen-take-something-from-a-hijacked-tanker-during-7-hour-incident-official/ar-AAMWD6z




Yemen: Useful Things

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/yemen/articles/20210805.aspx









Russia and Israel may be on a collision course in Syria

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-and-israel-may-be-on-collision-course-in-syria-2021-8



Chemical watchdog demands more information from Syria

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-business-syria-united-nations-601496763257dc3092311abd55cdcc87









Israel in contact with most Arab countries, including Iraq — senior diplomat

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-in-contact-with-most-arab-countries-including-iraq-senior-diplomat/









New Egyptian Base Sends Messages of Support to Libya, Challenge To Turkey

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/new-egyptian-base-sends-messages-of-support-to-libya-challenge-to-turkey/



Egypt, Taiwan in talks on E-2D

http://alert5.com/2021/08/05/egypt-taiwan-in-talks-on-e-2d/




Tunisia is on the Brink of a Civil War that Could Be Disastrous for Europe

https://www.thedailybeast.com/tunisia-is-on-the-brink-of-a-civil-war-that-could-be-disastrous-for-europe




Tigrayan forces take control of Ethiopia's Lalibela, a UN World Heritage Site - eyewitnesses

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tigrayan-forces-take-control-of-ethiopia-s-lalibela-a-un-world-heritage-site-eyewitnesses/ar-AAMYMTv









Russia to Decommission Topol ICBMs in 2024, Convert to Satellite Launchers

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30164/Russia_to_Decommission_Topol_ICBMs_in_2024__Convert_to_Satellite_Launchers#.YQv7r0BlBaQ



Project 20380 corvettes may be armed with underwater drones

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/august/10535-project-20380-corvettes-may-be-armed-with-underwater-drones.html



Russia to Test-Fire Anti-Tank Missile From Orion Combat Drone: Report

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/08/05/russia-missile-orion-drone/



Russia’s Cold War laser tanks were meant to stop ICBMs

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/russia-once-actually-built-a-laser-tank/



Russia unveils production line of Okhotnik combat drone

https://defence-blog.com/russia-unveils-production-line-of-okhotnik-combat-drone/



Russia blocks more news sites critical of Kremlin

https://www.dw.com/en/russia-blocks-more-news-sites-critical-of-kremlin/a-58762215



Russia to deploy long-range bombers in drills near Afghan border - report

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-to-deploy-long-range-bombers-in-drills-near-afghan-border-report/ar-AAMXyRn



Russia, Belarus to Press Ahead With Military Drills Criticised by Ukraine

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-08-05/russia-belarus-to-press-ahead-with-military-drills-criticised-by-ukraine



Russian Nuclear Submarine Broke Down In Danish Waters

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41835/russian-nuclear-submarine-broke-down-in-danish-waters



2015 Fire Now Haunting Russian Submarine Orel?

https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/08/2015-fire-now-haunting-russian.html





Belarus dissident death in Ukraine fuels fears over Lukashenka death squads

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/belarus-dissident-death-in-ukraine-fuels-fears-over-lukashenka-death-squads/



Belarusian dissidents fear the regime will put them into detention camps. It may have already built one

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/04/europe/belarus-political-dissidents-camp-intl/index.html




RAF concludes 30 years of operations with Sentry fleet

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/raf-concludes-30-years-of-operations-with-sentry-fleet/144952.article



2 decommissioned British minehunters set to be transferred to Ukraine

https://navalpost.com/2-british-minehunters-set-to-be-go-to-ukraine/



US Navy buys UK AWACS for use as E-6B trainer

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/us-navy-buys-uk-awacs-for-use-as-e-6b-trainer/144955.article









China Says It's Closing in on Thorium Nuclear Reactor

https://spectrum.ieee.org/china-closing-in-on-thorium-nuclear-reactor



Intel agencies scour reams of genetic data from Wuhan lab in Covid origins hunt

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/05/politics/covid-origins-genetic-data-wuhan-lab/index.html



China reportedly converted civilian ferries for amphibious assault operations

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/08/04/china-reportedly-converted-civilian-ferries-for-amphibious-assault-operations/



To Surround Taiwan, Chinese Aircraft Carriers Would Have To Fight Through Stiff Japanese Defenses

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/08/05/to-surround-taiwan-chinese-aircraft-carriers-would-have-to-fight-through-stiff-japanese-defenses/





US approves Paladin howitzer sale to Taiwan

https://defbrief.com/2021/08/05/us-approves-paladin-howitzer-sale-to-taiwan/



Taiwan completes evaluation of new variant of TC-2 air-to-air missile

http://alert5.com/2021/08/05/taiwan-completes-evaluation-of-new-variant-of-tc-2-air-to-air-missile/





Japan buying more RIM-116C missiles

http://alert5.com/2021/08/05/japan-buying-more-rim-116c-missiles/










'Top Secret UFO Projects: Declassified': Tom DeLonge's Mind Was Blown by This Encounter

https://www.newsweek.com/tom-delonge-ufo-encounter-top-secrets-ufo-projects-declassified-netflix-1616219



Senate panel votes to scrap both Iraq war authorizations; The historic move, a first in 50 years, was bipartisan.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-panel-votes-scrap-iraq-war-authorizations/story



SOUTHCOM head nominee pledges to work with Argentina to acquire Western warplanes

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/southcom-head-nominee-pledges-to-work-with-argentina-to-acquire-western-warplanes



Search Warrant Gives New Details into Navy’s Case Against Bonhomme Richard Sailor Charged With Arson

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/04/search-warrant-gives-new-details-into-navys-case-against-bonhomme-richard-sailor-charged-with-arson



At Red Flag 21-3 F-35 Aggressor Pilots are making already daunting training scenarios more difficult to successfully overcome

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/at-red-flag-21-3-f-35-aggressor-pilots-are-making-already-daunting-training-scenarios-more-difficult-to-successfully-overcome/



F-35s Have Flown Their First "Red Air" Missions As Dedicated Stealth Aggressors

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41842/f-35s-have-flown-their-first-red-air-missions-as-dedicated-stealth-aggressors



NSA Advises Caution in Public Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Use for DoD, DIB

https://www.meritalk.com/articles/nsa-advises-caution-in-public-wi-fi-bluetooth-use-for-dod-dib/



US Naval Engineers Develop AI Aid for High-Energy Laser Fire Control

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/08/05/ai-high-energy-laser-fire-control/



A new Air Force weapon will wipe out drone swarms with the push of a button

https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/air-force-drone-swarm-defense-mjolnir/



Aerospace & Defense Roundup: August 04

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/z/aerospace-defense-roundup-august-04



US Air Force, Venture Firms Make $60 Million Bet on Hypersonic Aircraft Startup

https://www.defenseone.com/business/2021/08/us-air-force-venture-firms-make-60-million-bet-hypersonic-aircraft-startup/184306/



New Hypersonic Missile Production Timetable Hinges on Failure Review

https://www.airforcemag.com/agm-183-arrw-production-timetable-failure-review/



Ripsaw Unmanned Mini-Tank Sent To The Army's Shooting Range For The First Time

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41841/ripsaw-unmanned-mini-tank-sent-to-the-armys-shooting-range-for-the-first-time



Lifesaving Fatigue Remedies

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20210805.aspx



New Marine One Expected to Start Flying President Biden Soon

https://www.defenseone.com/business/2021/08/new-marine-one-expected-start-flying-president-biden-soon/184305/



Martin UAV, USMC working on UAV electric propulsion

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/navy-league-2021-martin-uav-usmc-working-on-uav-electric-propulsion



USMC to receive first MQ-9A Reapers in August, precursor to ‘MUX’ effort

https://www.flightglobal.com/military-uavs/usmc-to-receive-first-mq-9a-reapers-in-august-precursor-to-mux-effort/144937.article



US Coast Guard updates cyber plans to reflect rapid threat changes

https://www.c4isrnet.com/cyber/2021/08/04/us-coast-guard-updates-cyber-plans-to-reflect-rapid-threat-changes/



Drone Makes First Autonomous Aerial Delivery Between Two Military Vessels

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41838/drone-makes-first-autonomous-aerial-delivery-between-two-military-vessels



Navy Considering Drone Delivery for Essential Parts At Sea

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/04/navy-considering-drone-delivery-for-essential-parts-at-sea



Boeing conducts first manned-unmanned teaming event with MQ-25 tanker

https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/navy-league/2021/08/04/boeing-conducts-first-manned-unmanned-teaming-event-with-mq-25-tanker/



The US Navy's New Solar Aircraft Will Fly For 90 Days Without Landing

https://interestingengineering.com/the-us-navys-new-solar-aircraft-will-fly-for-90-days-without-landing



This Is What The Navy's New Shipboard Electronic Warfare System Can Actually Do

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41829/this-is-what-the-navys-new-shipboard-electronic-warfare-system-can-actually-do



U.S. Navy moving forward with large autonomous submarine development

https://defence-blog.com/u-s-navy-moving-forward-with-large-autonomous-submarine-development/



Navy willing to pay more for more maintainable ships

https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/navy-league/2021/08/04/navy-willing-to-pay-more-for-more-maintainable-ships/