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

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European Allies Ask U.S. to Slow Afghan Withdrawal, Officials Say

https://www.wsj.com/articles/european-allies-ask-u-s-to-slow-afghan-withdrawal-officials-say-11620420804



US exit from Afghanistan leaves progress, anxiety in its wake: Reporter's Notebook

https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-exit-afghanistan-leaves-progress-anxiety-wake-reporters/story?id=77547718



The Taliban is targeting areas around key provincial capitals, looking for weak spots as foreign troops withdraw

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-taliban-is-targeting-areas-around-key-provincial-capitals-looking-for-weak-spots-as-foreign-troops-withdraw/ar-BB1gvHCJ



Treacherous Triangle: Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan After US Withdrawal

https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/treacherous-triangle-afghanistan-india-and-pakistan-after-us-withdrawal/









Fire breaks out onboard INS Vikramaditya, no major damage reported, inquiry being ordered

https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/2021/05/fire-breaks-out-onboard-ins-vikramaditya-no-major-damage-reported-inquiry-being-ordered/









Massive fire breaks out near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/massive-fire-breaks-out-near-irans-bushehr-nuclear-power-plant-report-667581









Iran-backed PMFs are destabilising Iraq’s disputed regions

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/5/8/iran-backed-pmfs-are-destabilising-iraqs-disputed-regions



Drone attacks Iraqi base hosting US troops, damaging hanger; no casualties

https://www.timesofisrael.com/armed-drone-attacks-iraqi-base-hosting-us-troops-no-casualties/



Is Iran increasing drone attacks against US in Iraq?

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/is-iran-increasing-drone-attacks-against-us-in-iraq-667591



Inside the Trump administration’s plan to kill Qassem Soleimani

https://news.yahoo.com/video/inside-trump-administration-plan-kill-090000383.html









Saudi Arabia re-evaluates policy towards Syria - analysis

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/saudi-arabia-re-evaluates-policy-towards-syria-analysis-667558




Turkey: This is how TB-3 UCAV will launch from ski jump ramp of TCG Anadolu

http://alert5.com/2021/05/08/this-is-how-tb-3-ucav-will-launch-from-ski-jump-ramp-of-tcg-anadolu/









Water Drop in Euphrates River Increases Tensions Between Syrian Kurds, Turkey

https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/water-drop-euphrates-river-increases-tensions-between-syrian-kurds-turkey



Undeclared chemical agent found in Syria, UN official says

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/undeclared-chemical-agent-found-in-syria-un-official-says/2233026









Hundreds injured as Israeli police, Palestinians clash at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210508-scores-injured-as-israeli-police-palestinians-clash-at-jerusalem-s-al-aqsa-mosque



Israel fears further escalation within days; Fatah warns of ‘all-out conflict’

https://www.timesofisrael.com/security-officials-said-to-fear-escalation-to-larger-conflict-within-days/









Egypt receives Thales Ground Master GM400 Radar, acquiring spy satellite and multi-role tanker transport aircraft

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/05/egypt-receives-thales-ground-master-gm400-radar-acquiring-spy-satellite-and-multi-role-tanker-transport-aircraft




Libyan coastguard opens fire on Italian fishermen — from patrol boat donated by Rome

https://www.yahoo.com/news/libyan-coastguard-opens-fire-italian-150721348.html



Libyan militias briefly take over Tripoli gov’t headquarters

https://apnews.com/article/tripoli-europe-africa-libya-middle-east-afee7cef514a21d4f58b02c0b25ba681




Tunisian Air Force eyes Kuwaiti F-18 Hornets procurement

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/05/tunisian-air-force-eyes-kuwaiti-f-18-hornets-procurement




Violent attack in Ethiopia targets healthcare access

https://medium.com/dfrlab/violent-attack-in-ethiopia-targets-healthcare-access-285d27706ce4




Nigeria to take delivery of 6 M346FAs before third quarter of this year

http://alert5.com/2021/05/08/nigeria-to-take-delivery-of-6-m346fas-before-third-quarter-of-this-year/









With Putin’s Latest Crackdown, Russia Is Going Dark

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/06/russia-media-meduza-crackdown-opposition-protest-putin-navalny-foreign-agent-law/



U.S. and Russia Are on a Collision Course in the Black Sea

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-05-06/black-sea-is-the-next-battleground-for-russia-ukraine-and-the-u-s?srnd=opinion




Spy row revs up Czech-Russian tensions

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57008363




Sweden receives first components of Patriot air defense system

https://defbrief.com/2021/05/07/sweden-receives-first-components-of-patriot-air-defense-system/




A pilot recruit was blindfolded and strapped to a target as fighter jets fired on him in a brutal hazing ritual, says legal complaint

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-pilot-recruit-was-blindfolded-and-strapped-to-a-target-as-fighter-jets-fired-on-him-in-a-brutal-hazing-ritual-says-legal-complaint/ar-BB1gvkhi




The submarine sent to sink Stephen Lawrence's killers: How police used bugged golf carts, an undercover 'taxi driver' and even a Royal Navy sub to eavesdrop on the men they suspected had murdered him

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9555317/The-submarine-sent-sink-Stephen-Lawrences-killers.html



What upgrades will Britain’s ‘Challenger 3’ tanks get?

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/what-upgrades-will-britains-challenger-3-tanks-get/









U.S. donating two C-130Hs to Chile

http://alert5.com/2021/05/08/u-s-donating-two-c-130hs-to-chile/









Stratcom Leader Describes Growing Threat From Nuclear-Armed China and Russia

https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2600122/stratcom-leader-describes-growing-threat-from-nuclear-armed-china-and-russia/



South China Sea Scheduled Service

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htseamo/articles/20210508.aspx





Is North Korea’s ‘Monster Missile’ Designed to Release Multiple Nukes?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/north-korea%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98monster-missile%E2%80%99-designed-release-multiple-nukes-184688



Missile Deployments on the Korean Peninsula: An Accelerating Arms Race

https://www.38north.org/2021/05/missile-deployments-on-the-korean-peninsula-an-accelerating-arms-race/





He Balloon-Dropped 500,000 Anti-Kim Flyers on North Korea—Then Cops Knocked on His Door

https://www.thedailybeast.com/he-balloon-dropped-500000-anti-kim-flyers-on-north-koreathen-cops-knocked-on-his-door










Cyberattack on critical pipeline freezes deliveries to U.S. East Coast

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/08/colonial-pipeline-cyber-attack-485984



NSA Calls For Review Of Op Tech Security

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/nsa-advises-risk-based-review-of-op-tech-security/



Northrop Grumman to supply navigation payloads for DARPA’s Blackjack satellites

https://spacenews.com/northrop-grumman-to-supply-navigation-payloads-for-darpas-blackjack-satellites/



Like The Off-Road Pickup It’s Based On, GM Defense’s Infantry Squad Vehicle Is Light And Fast. It Could Be An Example For Army Acquisition.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2021/05/06/like-the-off-road-pickup-its-based-on-gm-defenses-infantry-squad-vehicle-is-light-and-fast-it-could-be-an-example-for-future-army-acquisition/



U.S. Army light tank prototype spotted at BAE facility in Michigan

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/u-s-army-light-tank-prototype-spotted-at-bae-facility-in-michigan.html



Kratos to deliver first XQ-58A Valkyrie production unit in a ‘couple of months’ to USAF

https://www.flightglobal.com/military-uavs/kratos-to-deliver-first-xq-58a-valkyrie-production-unit-in-a-couple-of-months-to-usaf/143660.article



Swiftships receives contract for five more Land Craft Utility 1700 Class for US Navy

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/may/10113-swiftships-receives-contract-for-five-more-land-craft-utility-1700-class-for-us-navy.html



Navy to Commission Expeditionary Mobile Base USS Miguel Keith

https://www.citizensjournal.us/navy-to-commission-expeditionary-mobile-base-uss-miguel-keith/