Af/Pak & Other News (4/17/2021)

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US likely to up Afghanistan force to ensure safe drawdown

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-afghanistan-john-kirby-da19403ff7c42a39f5df85cf744ae61d



The Bill for the Afghanistan War Is $2.26 Trillion, and Still Rising

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04/16/bill-afghanistan-war-226-trillion-and-still-rising.html



Debating Exit From Afghanistan, Biden Rejected Generals’ Views

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/17/us/politics/biden-afghanistan-withdrawal.html



After troops leave Afghanistan, U.S. will face challenges maintaining counterterrorism capability

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/after-troops-leave-afghanistan-u-s-will-face-challenges-maintaining-counterterrorism-capability/ar-BB1fL4JF



The US Exit: The View From Afghanistan

https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/the-us-exit-the-view-from-afghanistan/



Unconditional U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan A Major Victory For Taliban, Analysts Say

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/us-nato-troops-unconditional-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-a-victory-for-the-taliban/31207947.html



The Taliban Is Mean Tweeting About the American Withdrawal From Afghanistan … Again

https://coffeeordie.com/taliban-mean-tweets/



From Moral Responsibility to Magical Thinking: How Biden Changed His Mind on Afghanistan

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/16/from-moral-responsibility-to-magical-thinking-how-biden-changed-his-mind-on-afghanistan/



The Biden administration claims Afghan security forces will be just fine (They won’t)

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/afghan-security-forces-withdrawal-biden/



Britain’s top general is unhappy about US Afghanistan withdrawal plans

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/04/16/britains-top-general-is-unhappy-about-us-afghanistan-withdrawal-plans/



20 years in Afghanistan: Was it worth it?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56770570



Sanctuaries in Pakistan contributed immensely to the Taliban's success: US Senator

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/sanctuaries-in-pakistan-contributed-immensely-to-the-talibans-success-us-senator/articleshow/82098924.cms









Indian Army seeks active protection systems for its T-90S/SK MBTs

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/indian-army-seeks-active-protection-systems-for-its-t-90ssk-mbts



Six More Rafale Jets To Arrive From France In April, Will Raise Number Of Rafales Available With Indian Air Force To 20

https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/six-more-rafale-jets-to-arrive-from-france-in-april-will-raise-number-of-rafales-available-with-indian-air-force-to-20



Russia to deliver S-400 air defense missile systems to India for the end of 2021

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_april_2021_global_security_army_industry/russia_to_deliver_s-400_air_defense_missile_systems_to_india_for_the_end_of_2021.html









Iran names suspect in Natanz attack, says he fled country

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-dce8b4db16cfc6a019635ad9f6b0d3cf









Militants attack north Iraq oil wells, production unaffected - ministry

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/militants-attack-north-iraq-oil-wells-production-unaffected-ministry-2021-04-17/



ISIL Slaving Survives

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20210417.aspx



The New Drone Threat Facing Iraqi Kurdistan’s Erbil

https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2021/04/17/the-new-threat-of-drone-attacks-on-iraqi-kurdistans-erbil/









Yemen's Houthis say they have hit Saudi Arabia's King Khalid air base

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemens-houthis-say-they-have-hit-saudi-arabias-king-khalid-air-base-2021-04-17/









Watch Kalashnikov’s Zala Lancet combat action in Syria

http://alert5.com/2021/04/17/watch-kalashnikovs-zala-lancet-combat-action-in-syria/




With food and fuel, Hezbollah braces for the worst in Lebanon collapse

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/with-food-fuel-hezbollah-braces-worst-lebanon-collapse-2021-04-16/









Israeli air strikes target Gaza again after rocket attack

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/17/israel-strikes-gaza-targets-after-rocket-attack



Israeli general who helped destroy Iraq, Syria nuclear plants says stopping Iran's program is much harder

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israeli-general-who-helped-destroy-iraq-syria-nuclear-plants-says-stopping-iran-s-program-is-much-harder/ar-BB1fLh5C









Second ex-Italian FREMM frigate delivered to Egypt

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/sea/sea-sea/second-ex-italian-fremm-frigate-delivered-to-egypt/




Morocco orders 13 Bayraktar TB2 UAV

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/04/morocco-orders-13-bayraktar-tb2-uav





Somali government troops face off with forces loyal to sacked police boss

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/somali-government-troops-face-off-with-forces-loyal-sacked-police-boss-2021-04-17/









Ukraine was convinced to disarm itself of nuclear weapons in 1994, now Russia postures to invade

https://warisboring.com/ukraine-was-convinced-to-disarm-itself-of-nuclear-weapons-in-1994-now-russia-postures-to-invade/



Ukraine's Troops 'Ready' for Russian Assault As Tensions Rise Amid Envoy Arrest

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-russia-troops-diplomat-1584394



Russia, Ukraine expel diplomats over classified information

https://apnews.com/article/classified-information-ukraine-st-petersburg-russia-3101a327996c873ed24ca28a7980fcb6



Tank units of the Russian Black Sea fleet hold military drills in Crimea

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tank-units-of-the-russian-black-sea-fleet-hold-military-drills-in-crimea/vi-BB1fKRAM



Russia beefs up warship presence in Black Sea as Ukraine tensions simmer

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-beefs-up-warship-presence-black-sea-ukraine-tensions-simmer-2021-04-17/



Russia to expel 10 US diplomats in response to Biden actions

https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-sanctions-sergey-lavrov-biden-4a935cd62c5db333ed082df447feddb8



Russia's plan to restrict foreign warships near Crimea will keep Kerch Strait open - RIA

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-plan-restrict-foreign-warships-near-crimea-will-keep-kerch-strait-open-2021-04-16/



Would Russia Attack the U.S. Navy in the Black Sea?

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/would-russia-attack-the-u-s-navy-in-the-black-sea/



Hundreds of military helicopters scare Russians

https://defence-blog.com/news/hundreds-of-military-helicopters-scare-russians.html



In Russia, a Military Buildup That Can’t Be Missed

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/world/europe/russia-ukraine-troops.html



New Russian Factory to Make ‘Inokhodet’ Attack Drone, Seen as Competitor to U.S.’ Predator

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29374/New_Russian_Factory_to_Make____Inokhodet____Attack_Drone__Seen_as_Competitor_to_U_S_____Predator



Watch A Russian Navy Il-38N “Dolphin” Load A Superlarge Sea Bottom Mine For Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise

https://theaviationist.com/2021/04/16/watch-a-russian-navy-il-38n-dolphin-load-a-superlarge-sea-bottom-mine-for-anti-submarine-warfare-exercise/



Putin residence has cryo chamber and stables, Navalny team alleges

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/16/putin-residence-cryo-chamber-navalny-team-alleges



Russia’s surveillance state still doesn’t match China. But Putin is racing to catch up.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-facial-recognition-surveillance-navalny/2021/04/16/4b97dc80-8c0a-11eb-a33e-da28941cb9ac_story.html



Navalny’s doctor: Putin critic ‘could die at any moment’

https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-russia-hunger-strikes-0d7665af30e5ef1c146108809bbcc6c8




Kazakhstan’s Su-30 fighter crashes over Balkhash

https://defence-blog.com/news/kazakhstans-su-30-fighter-crashes-over-balkhash.html




A B-1B Bomber Suffered Significant Engine Damage While Deployed To Norway

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40209/a-b-1b-bomber-suffered-significant-engine-damage-while-deployed-to-norway




Dutch Marines evaluate “Iron Man” jet pack suit for boarding ops

https://defbrief.com/2021/04/17/dutch-marines-evaluate-iron-man-jet-pack-suit-for-boarding-ops/




Czechs expel 18 Russians over huge depot explosion in 2014

https://apnews.com/article/czech-republic-russia-andrej-babis-c593f724a16622eb6d0a19bae3d710be




German defense minister vows to keep fighting for armed drones

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/04/16/german-defense-secretary-vows-to-keep-fighting-for-armed-drones/




Secret data leak hits French submarine maker

https://www.arabnews.com/node/974861/world?page=41



Video: French Navy Submarine Émeraude Deployed to the Indo-Pacific and South China Sea

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/04/video-french-navy-submarine-emeraude-deployed-to-the-indo-pacific-and-south-china-sea/



Paris orders eight H225Ms, one additional VSR700

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/paris-orders-eight-h225ms-one-additional-vsr700/143318.article



Naval Group delivers French frigate with bolstered capabilities

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/04/16/naval-group-delivers-french-frigate-with-bolstered-capabilities/




UK warships to sail for Black Sea in May as Ukraine-Russia tensions rise- Sunday Times

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uk-warships-sail-black-sea-may-ukraine-russia-tensions-rise-sunday-times-2021-04-18/



The Secret Way 100 Royal Marines Smashed 1,500 U.S. Soldiers

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/the-secret-way-100-royal-marines-smashed-1500-u-s-soldiers/



Interview: Commander Air, HMS Queen Elizabeth (Studio)

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/interview-commander-air-hms-queen-elizabeth/



Britain’s New Strategic Outlook: The View from Washington

https://warontherocks.com/2021/04/britains-new-strategic-outlook-the-view-from-washington/










CIA planned to assassinate Raul Castro in 1960: Declassified documents

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/cia-plan-assassinate-raul-castro-1960-declassified-pilot-14639816









Was China’s military modernisation driven by its ‘humiliation’ in 1996?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3129951/was-chinas-military-modernisation-driven-its-humiliation-1996



Beijing air power turns up the heat on Taiwan

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/beijing-air-power-turns-up-the-heat-on-taiwan/143327.article





First Flight of Japan’s RQ-4B Global Hawk

https://theaviationist.com/2021/04/17/first-flight-of-japans-rq-4b-global-hawk/










The U.S. military takes UFOs seriously. Why doesn't Silicon Valley or academia?

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/u-s-military-takes-ufos-seriously-why-doesn-t-silicon-ncna1264107



Fire Ravaged USS Bonhomme Richard Starts Its Death March To The Scrapper

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40215/fire-ravaged-uss-bonhomme-richard-starts-its-death-march-to-the-scrapper



WATCH: World War II-Era TBM Avenger Ditches Off Cocoa Beach During Airshow ‘Warbird Parade’

https://spacecoastdaily.com/2021/04/watch-world-war-ii-era-tbm-avenger-ditches-off-cocoa-beach-during-airshow-warbird-parade/



Trump-era Efforts to Boost Military Readiness Produced Mixed Results, GAO Finds

https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2021/04/trump-era-efforts-boost-military-readiness-produced-mixed-results-gao-finds/173411/



The FBI Takes a Drastic Step to Fight China’s Hacking Spree

https://www.wired.com/story/fbi-takes-drastic-step-to-fight-china-hacking-spree/



FBI Opens a Case on Chinese Activity ‘Every 10 Hours,’ Intel Chiefs Say

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/04/fbi-opens-case-chinese-activity-every-10-hours-intel-chiefs-say/173376/



Senators seek to boost military spending on quantum computing

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/04/16/Defense-budget-quantum-computing-security/9991618593215/



New Army Training Doc Outlines Ways To Give Soldiers Superhuman-Like Sensory Perception

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40202/new-army-training-doc-outlines-ways-to-give-soldiers-superhuman-like-sensory-perception



XTEND delivers counter-drone interceptors to U.S. military

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/xtend-delivers-counter-drone-interceptors-to-u-s-military.html



SOCOM Keeps Pushing for New ‘Armed Overwatch’ Aircraft

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/4/16/socom-keeps-pushing-for-new-armed-overwatch-aircraft



U.S. Marine Corps to Release Updated Force Design 2030 Report

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/04/exclusive-u-s-marine-corps-to-release-updated-force-design-2030-report/



The U.S. Marines Just Gave Us a Preview of How They Would Fight China

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/04/the-u-s-marines-just-gave-us-a-preview-of-how-it-would-fight-china/



It Took Four Aerial Tankers To Drag Four U.S. Air Force F-16s To The South China Sea—And That’s A Problem

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/04/16/it-took-four-aerial-tankers-to-drag-four-us-air-force-f-16s-to-the-south-china-sea-and-thats-a-problem/



Project FoX Brings Tablet-Based Apps To F-35 Stealth Fighter Cockpits

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40224/project-fox-brings-tablet-based-apps-to-f-35-stealth-fighter-cockpits



USN flew Group 2 UAV for 24 hours using solar and hydrogen energy

http://alert5.com/2021/04/18/usn-flew-group-2-uav-for-24-hours-using-solar-and-hydrogen-energy/



'Super Corvette:' Former Navy Secretary Reveals He Pushed to Rename Littoral Combat Ship

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04/17/super-corvette-former-navy-secretary-reveals-he-pushed-rename-littoral-combat-ship.html