Af/Pak & Other News (6/25/2021)

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Biden To Meet Afghan Leaders As Concern Mounts Over Relocation Of Afghans Who Helped U.S.

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-biden-abdullah-ghani-/31325299.html



Afghans who worked as interpreters for US troops hold rally

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-travel-075741247c3f97248756f8a26456c198



White House, Pentagon Finalizing Plans to Get Thousands of Interpreters out of Afghanistan

https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2021/06/white-house-pentagon-finalizing-plans-get-thousands-interpreters-out-afghanistan/174957/



Even the Taliban are surprised at how fast they're advancing in Afghanistan

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/even-the-taliban-are-surprised-at-how-fast-they-re-advancing-in-afghanistan/ar-AALqt6P



Taliban gains drive Afghan government to recruit militias

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-taliban-business-race-and-ethnicity-99ce5fbb7b9a176b4662fbd04c7cb142



The Taliban’s offensive is prompting Afghans to join the fight: ‘We need to defend our lands’

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghanistan-militia-fighters/2021/06/24/9cf6e7a6-d50c-11eb-b39f-05a2d776b1f4_story.html



Mapping the Taliban’s Offensive

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/06/ep-52-mapping-the-talibans-offensive.php



Fighting Rages In Afghanistan As Army Tries To Retake Ground Lost To Taliban

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-fighting-taliban-offensives/31326107.html



On the Front Line: A Night With Afghan Commandos

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/world/asia/afghan-commandos-helmand.html



Gunship Crew Nets 5 Distinguished Flying Crosses for High-Risk Afghanistan Mission

https://www.airforcemag.com/gunship-crew-distinguised-flying-crosses-high-risk-afghan-mission/



Japan-based USS Ronald Reagan Now in the Middle East to Cover Afghanistan Withdrawal

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/25/japan-based-uss-ronald-reagan-now-in-the-middle-east-to-cover-afghanistan-withdrawal



US to keep about 650 troops in Afghanistan after withdrawal

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-us-troop-withdrawal-ac5f7fc24364ac46020cce8bee581815



Pakistan: The Choices We Make

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/india/articles/20210625.aspx









Indian Army to replace BMP-2 with FICV combat vehicles launching attack and surveillance drones

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_june_2021_global_security_army_industry/indian_army_to_replace_bmp-2_with_ficv_combat_vehicles_launching_attack_and_surveillance_drones.html









US fears new missile crisis over Iran-Venezuela shipment

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1882836



Canadian Report Blames Iranian 'Recklessness' For Downing Ukrainian Passenger Jet

https://www.rferl.org/a/31325461.html









Italian forces kicked out of Middle East base over UAE arms embargo, lawmaker says

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/06/25/italian-forces-kicked-out-of-middle-east-base-over-uae-arms-embargo-lawmaker-says/




Death Toll From Recent Capsizing off Yemen May Have Been 300-U.N. Official

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-06-24/300-migrants-may-have-died-in-recent-capsizing-of-ship-off-yemen-coast-un









Russian MiG-31s Armed With Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles Join Tu-22M3 Bombers In Syria

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41276/russian-mig-31s-armed-with-anti-ship-ballistic-missiles-join-tu-22m3-bombers-in-syria









Israel Is Sending Robots With Machine Guns to the Gaza Border

https://www.thedailybeast.com/israel-is-sending-robots-with-machine-guns-to-the-gaza-border









UN peacekeepers, some German, wounded in Mali car bomb attack

https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210625-more-than-a-dozen-un-peacekeepers-in-mali-wounded-in-car-bomb-attack









Water wars in east Ukraine

https://www.politico.eu/article/voda-donbasu-ukraine-donbas-war-water-wars/



Ukraine’s President Announces Total Defense Policy

https://www.overtdefense.com/2021/06/25/ukraines-president-announces-total-defense-policy/



Russia Has Big Plans To Test Its New RS-28 Sarmat ICBM

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/06/russia-has-big-plans-to-test-its-new-rs-28-sarmat-icbm/



Russia Unveils its Latest Shipborne Air Defense System

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29890/Russia_Unveils_its_Latest_Shipborne_Air_Defense_System#.YNYFkUxlBaQ



Rostec launches serial production of new ADS amphibious rifle

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_june_2021_global_security_army_industry/rostec_launches_serial_production_of_new_ads_amphibious_rifle.html



Russia launches Mediterranean drills amid rift with Britain

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-europe-russia-government-and-politics-bb56dbd5334210b8013fc998f6f108a3



Russian Video Proves Patrol Boat Was Far From British Destroyer When It Fired Warning Shots

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41269/russian-video-proves-patrol-boat-was-far-from-british-destroyer-when-it-fired-warning-shots





French DGA, Nexter Launch Upgrade Program of first 50 Leclerc Tanks

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29892/French_DGA__Nexter_Launch_Upgrade_Program_of_first_50_Leclerc_Tanks#.YNYFjExlBaQ




Watch This: Antonov An-225 Mriya, World’s Heaviest Aircraft, Breaks Perimeter Fence At RAF Brize Norton

https://theaviationist.com/2021/06/24/antonov-an-225-brize-norton/









China’s troop amassing, bids to alter status quo behind standoff: India

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chinas-troop-amassing-bids-to-alter-status-quo-behind-standoff-india-7374667/



China's Rapid Military Evolution 'Shocking,' Says Senior NATO Officer

https://www.newsweek.com/china-rapid-military-evolution-shocking-nato-1604080



The New Mystery Submarine Seen in China: What We Know

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/06/new-mystery-submarine-seen-in-china-what-we-know/





North Korea expanding air base, according to satellite imagery

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/06/25/nkorea-North-Korea-expands-Sunchon-Airbase-fighter-planes/6761624608643/





Japan completes development of UH-2 multirole helicopter for JGSDF

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/japan-completes-development-of-uh-2-multirole-helicopter-for-jgsdf





State Department OKs F-16 Sale to the Philippines

https://www.airforcemag.com/state-department-f-16-sale-philippines/





Maintenance and safety issues leading to extended grounding of Australia's MRH-90 helo fleet

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/maintenance-and-safety-issues-leading-to-extended-grounding-of-australias-mrh-90-helo-fleet





Guam's New Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System Could Go Underground And Mobile

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41258/aegis-ashore-on-guam-could-feature-underground-missile-launchers-and-mobile-command-centers










The Pentagon UFO report lands in Congress any minute now: What to know

https://www.cnet.com/news/the-pentagon-ufo-report-lands-in-congress-any-minute-now-what-to-know/



Why You Can’t Always Believe What The Pentagon Says About UFOs

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2021/06/25/why-you-cant-always-believe-what-the-pentagon-says-about-ufos/



The Truth Has Not Always Been Out There

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/us/politics/ufo-report-us-pentagon.html



'Normalizing' UFOs - retired U.S. Navy pilot recalls Tic Tac encounter

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/normalizing-ufos-retired-us-navy-pilot-recalls-tic-tac-encounter-2021-06-25/



How the Pentagon's UFO Report Could Pressure China and Russia

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/how-the-pentagons-ufo-report-could-pressure-china-and-russia/3124576/



Devices of Unknown Origin Part III: “Mr. Secretary, We Don’t Know”

https://thedebrief.org/devices-of-unknown-origin-part-iii-mr-secretary-we-dont-know/



Pandemic Proof Arms Race

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20210625.aspx



Pentagon Launches New Initiative Towards Achieving “AI Superiority”

https://thedebrief.org/pentagon-launches-new-initiative-towards-achieving-ai-superiority/



Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Jun. 24

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aerospace-defense-roundup-jun-24



Virgin Galactic receives FAA approval to take passengers into space

https://www.engadget.com/virgin-galactic-faa-approval-space-113844343.html



Space Force Wants Its Operations To Extend To The Expanse Between Traditional Orbits And The Moon

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41262/space-force-wants-operations-to-extend-to-vast-expanse-between-traditional-orbits-and-moon



SNC secures work on DARPA’s DRACO nuclear propulsion program

https://defbrief.com/2021/06/24/snc-secures-work-on-darpas-draco-nuclear-propulsion-program/



HH-60G Pilot Gives Incredibly Detailed Walkaround Tour Of The Pave Hawk

https://theaviationist.com/2021/06/25/hh-60g-walkaround/



Air Force Finds New Need For Low-Cost Engine Tech Used On Nazi Buzz Bombs

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41263/air-force-finds-new-need-for-low-cost-engine-tech-used-on-nazi-buzz-bombs



First ABMS Buy: KC-46 Pods To Link F-22, F-35

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/06/first-abms-buy-kc-46-pods-to-link-f-22-f-35/



US Air Force tests new Heimdall tactical data link system

https://defbrief.com/2021/06/25/us-air-force-tests-new-tactical-data-sharing-techniques/



Five Ways The Air Force’s F-35A Fighter Is Becoming More Affordable To Operate

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2021/06/25/five-ways-the-air-forces-f-35a-fighter-is-becoming-more-affordable-to-operate/



Tactical Air Support Inc to provide US Navy F-5N Tiger II with upgrade kits

https://www.airrecognition.com/index.php/news/defense-aviation-news/2021/june-2021/7410-tactical-air-support-inc-to-provide-us-navy-f-5n-tiger-ii-with-upgrade-kits.html



Navy defends call for 1 destroyer in 2022 budget, tells Congress new contract coming

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/06/24/navy-one-destroyer-2022-budget-multi-year-contract/9381624556066/



Report to Congress on Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/25/report-to-congress-on-columbia-class-ballistic-missile-submarine-program-2



Raytheon Missiles to upgrade MK15 Phalanx CIWS Close-In Weapon Systems for US and South Korea

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/june/10374-raytheon-missiles-to-upgrade-mk15-phalanx-ciws-close-in-weapon-systems-for-us-and-south-korea.html



US Navy sees better LCS maintenance from sailors in ongoing Tulsa, Charleston deployments

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/06/25/us-navy-seeing-better-lcs-maintenance-from-sailors-in-ongoing-tulsa-charleston-deployments/