Af/Pak & Other News (3/17/2021)

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Afghan security forces still need US help to stand on their own, watchdog warns

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2021/03/16/afghan-security-forces-still-need-us-help-to-stand-on-their-own-watchdog-warns/



What Biden and Blinken don't want to tell Americans about Afghanistan

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/16/opinions/afghanistan-us-troop-withdrawal-andelman/index.html



EXPLAINER: Stakes high as Moscow opens 1st of 3 Afghan meets

https://apnews.com/article/moscow-opens-1st-of-3-afghanistan-meets-explained-a1e6dc2345bf900acf52ff8207e4f7f2



U.S. airstrikes hit Taliban targets in Afghanistan

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/03/17/afghanistan-taliban-airstrikes-biden/2261615996525/









IAF MiG-21 Bison Crashes During Takeoff Killing Group Captain A Gupta

https://fighterjetsworld.com/latest-news/aircraft-crash/iaf-mig-21-bison-crashes-during-takeoff-killing-group-captain-a-gupta/24781/



India Quietly Deploys Huge Spy Ship Designed To Track Nuclear Missiles

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2021/03/17/india-quietly-deploys-huge-spy-ship-designed-to-track-nuclear-missiles/









Iran's final report blames air defence operator error for Ukraine plane crash

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2B920C



Iranian Double Reverse SLV Tech

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htspace/articles/20210317.aspx



Iran enriching uranium with new advanced machine type at underground plant -IAEA

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2B82YP









EDGE Halcon presents SkyKnight missille first UAE-made C-RAM counter artillery ammunition

https://www.armyrecognition.com/idex_2021_news_official_online_show_daily_media_partner/idex_2021_edge_halcon_presents_skyknight_missille_first_uae-made_c-ram_counter_artillery_ammunition.html




Saudi Arabia wants to buy Turkey’s armed drones: Erdogan

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/16/saudi-arabia-willing-to-buy-turkeys-armed-drones-erdogan









Syria claims Israeli airstrikes target weapon shipments near Damascus

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/syrian-air-defenses-responding-to-israeli-aggression-report-662234









Niger attacks: More than 50 killed in attacks near Malian border

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56422301




Mali: Terrifying Trends

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/mali/articles/20210317.aspx



Dozens of soldiers killed in attack on northern Mali army base

https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210317-dozens-of-soldiers-killed-in-attack-on-northern-mali-army-base




Mozambique armed men beheading children, Save the Children says

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mozambique-insurgency/mozambique-armed-men-beheading-children-save-the-children-says-idUSKBN2B824X




Denmark to deploy Absalon class frigate to the Gulf of Guinea

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/03/piracy-denmark-to-deploy-absalon-class-frigate-to-the-gulf-of-guinea









Russian military helicopter violates Ukrainian airspace

https://defence-blog.com/news/russian-military-helicopter-violates-ukrainian-airspace.html



Ukraine’s Lviv Armored Plant Delivers T-64, T-72 Tanks to the MoD

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29154/Ukraine___s_Lviv_Armored_Plant_Delivers_T_64__T_72_Tanks_to_the_MoD



Ukraine should look to US for air defenses, improved air force, say experts

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/03/17/ukrainian-official-us-should-help-improve-air-defense-systems-air-assets/



Journalist Arrested On Espionage Charge In Russia-Controlled Crimea

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-crimea-russia-journalist-arrested-espionage/31154424.html



Air Force Killer: Russia Set to Test S-400 Air Defense System

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/air-force-killer-russia-set-to-test-s-400-air-defense-system/



Russian Scientists Build System to Capture High-Speed Military Drones

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/03/17/russia-system-capture-drones/



Parachute Snag Leaves Russian Soldier Dangling Perilously From Helicopter

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39813/parachute-snag-leaves-russian-soldier-dangling-perilously-from-helicopter



Russian army widens range of targets for Shturm-S SPATGM

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_march_2021_global_security_army_industry/russian_army_widens_range_of_targets_for_shturm-s_spatgm.html



Russia, Iran aimed to sway 2020 election through covert campaigns, US intelligence reports

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/03/16/us-intel-report-russia-iran-tried-sway-2020-presidential-election/4720051001/




EDA studying ‘Predator suit' adaptive camouflage systems

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/eda-studying-predator-suit-adaptive-camouflage-systems




U.S. Approves Sale of Stryker Vehicles to North Macedonia

https://defpost.com/u-s-approves-sale-of-stryker-vehicles-to-north-macedonia/




French company MBDA to supply new Teseo Mk2/E anti-ship system to Italian Navy

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2021/march/9841-french-company-mbda-to-supply-new-teseo-mk2-e-anti-ship-system-to-italian-navy.html




Italy’s Extra Aircraft Carrier Could Become A Floating Space Base

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/03/17/italys-extra-aircraft-carrier-could-become-a-floating-space-base/




UK aims to become ‘meaningful player in space’

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-aims-to-become-meaningful-player-in-space/



The UK Says It Could Now Use Nuclear Weapons Against Threats From “Emerging Technologies”

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39802/the-uk-says-it-could-now-use-nuclear-weapons-against-threats-from-emerging-technologies



Royal Air Force Sentinel R1 Aircraft Conducts Last Operational Flight

https://defpost.com/royal-air-force-sentinel-r1-aircraft-conducts-last-operational-flight/



‘Global Britain’ to put more attention on China and Indo-Pacific

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3125858/global-britain-put-more-attention-china-and-indo-pacific



The Trouble With V/STOL

https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/the-trouble-with-v-stol/



UK emerges as Switchblade loitering missile customer

https://defbrief.com/2021/03/17/uk-emerges-as-switchblade-loitering-missile-customer/









Chinese Navy Holds Intensive Combat Drills in Three Surrounding Seas

https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-navy-holds-intensive-combat-drills-three-surrounding-seas-1576529



China’s Big Military Weakness: Only One Overseas Naval Base

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/chinas-big-military-weakness-only-one-overseas-naval-base/



SOUTHCOM’s Faller: China Used Pandemic to Expand ‘Corrosive, Insidious Influence’ in Central, South America, U.S. Influence ‘Eroding’

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/16/southcoms-faller-china-used-pandemic-to-expand-corrosive-insidious-influence-in-central-south-america-u-s-influence-eroding



Competition with China a tech marathon, not an arms race, says US Defence Innovation Unit director Michael Brown

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3125718/competition-china-tech-marathon-not-arms-race-says



Online crackdown bad news for China aerospace watchers

https://www.flightglobal.com/opinion/online-crackdown-bad-news-for-china-aerospace-watchers/142927.article



China-Backed Confucius Institute Rebrands to Avoid Scrutiny

https://freebeacon.com/campus/china-backed-confucius-institute-rebrands-to-avoid-scrutiny/



China didn't interfere in the 2020 election because it didn't think it could benefit from a Trump or Biden presidency, US report says

https://www.businessinsider.com/china-didnt-interfere-in-2020-election-us-intel-report-says-2021-3





Taiwan boosts South China Sea deployments, gets submarine nod

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/17/taiwan-boosts-south-china-sea-deployments-gets-submarine-nod





Japan’s Last Three F-4EJ Phantoms Have Just Flown For The Last Time

https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/17/japans-last-three-f-4ej-phantoms-have-just-flown-for-the-last-time/





How North Korea Once Tried to Destroy the Olympics—and Failed

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/how-north-korea-once-tried-to-destroy-the-olympics-and-failed/



North Korea Possibly Testing Improved Intercontinental Nuclear Missiles in 'Near Future'

https://www.newsweek.com/north-korea-possibly-testing-improved-intercontinental-nuclear-missiles-near-future-1576800





BAE Systems Australia has signed contract for next-gen Nulka

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2021/march/9844-bae-systems-australia-has-signed-contract-for-next-gen-nulka.html



Comments on Lack of Australian SSN Prospects

https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/03/ghalibkabir-comments-on-australian-ssn.html





'Ordered to kill': Myanmar soldiers and police flee to India in defiance of coup

https://www.france24.com/en/video/20210316-ordered-to-kill-myanmar-soldiers-and-police-flee-to-india-in-defiance-of-coup










CIA Releases Top Secret UFO-Related Documents, Available on “The Black Vault”

https://rare.us/rare-life/ufo-black-vault/



Biden Says Vladimir Putin Is a ‘Killer’ Who Is Devoid of a Human Soul

https://www.thedailybeast.com/biden-says-vladimir-putin-is-a-killer-who-is-devoid-of-a-human-soul



Constant mobilizations may be pushing the National Guard to the brink

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/constant-mobilizations-national-guard/



US general says NORAD responded to more Russian military flights near Alaska last year than any year since the Cold War

https://www.businessinsider.com/general-russian-military-flights-near-alaska-since-cold-war-2021-3



Sailor dies from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound aboard submarine in Pearl Harbor

https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/sailor-dies-from-apparent-self-inflicted-gunshot-wound-aboard-submarine-in-pearl-harbor-1.666067



Why Did the USS Thresher Sink? New Declassified Documents Reveal the Truth

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a35854139/why-did-uss-thresher-submarine-sink-declassified-documents/



Cars Have Your Location. This Spy Firm Wants to Sell It to the U.S. Military

https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7adn9/car-location-data-telematics-us-military-ulysses-group



This Cockpit View Of A C-17's Wild Ride Through Star Wars Canyon Is Bonkers

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39815/this-cockpit-view-of-a-c-17s-wild-ride-through-star-wars-canyon-is-bonkers



Senators show support for increasing US Southern Command intelligence assets

https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2021/03/17/senators-show-support-for-increasing-us-southern-command-intelligence-assets/



Why the Military Is So Desperate for Hypersonic Weapons

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/why-the-military-is-so-desperate-for-hypersonic-weapons/



Army Releases New Arctic Strategy

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/3/16/breaking-army-releases-new-arctic-strategy



Navy, Marines Unveil How They Will Buy and Operate Future Pilotless Aircraft and Crewless Ships

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/16/navy-marines-unveil-how-they-will-buy-and-operate-future-pilotless-aircraft-and-crewless-ships



Navy, Marine Corps Unmanned Framework Calls For ‘Capabilities’ Over Platforms

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/3/16/navy-marine-corps-unmanned-system-roadmap-calls-for-capabilities-over-platforms



Could AI Kill Russian or Chinese Drone Swarms? Should It?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/could-ai-kill-russian-or-chinese-drone-swarms-should-it-180428



Air Force experts search for ways to protect critical infrastructure from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack

https://www.militaryaerospace.com/power/article/14199404/electromagnetic-pulse-emp-critical-infrastructure-protect



Why Indo-Pacom Wants To Beef Up Guam’s Defenses

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/missile-defense-weapons/weekly-debrief-why-indo-pacom-wants-beef-guams-defenses



Army Aims to Develop Light Electric Vehicle By 2025

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/3/16/army-aims-to-develop-light-electric-vehicle-by-2025



Pentagon Unveils Details On Effort To Equip Its Services With Massive Swarms Of Deadly Drones

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39814/pentagon-unveils-details-on-effort-to-equip-its-services-with-massive-swarms-of-deadly-drones



I flew the most secret MiG fighter in the world for the US Air Force: Red Eagle pilot gives the low-down on America’s MiG-21 ‘Fishbed’

https://hushkit.net/2021/03/16/i-flew-the-most-secret-mig-fighter-in-the-world-for-the-us-air-force-red-eagle-pilot-gives-the-low-down-on-americas-mig-21-fishbed/



AeroViroment gets $45M contract modification for deadly swarming drones

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/aeroviroment-gets-45m-contract-modification-for-deadly-swarming-drones.html



Air Force Wants To Give Its F-15s Game-Changing Cognitive Electronic Warfare Capabilities

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39797/air-force-wants-to-give-its-f-15s-game-changing-cognitive-electronic-warfare-capabilities



The F-36 Kingsnake: the ‘fifth-generation-minus’ fighter USAF wants

https://hushkit.net/2021/03/17/the-f-36-kingsnake-the-fifth-generation-minus-fighter-usaf-wants/



Document: Department of the Navy Unmanned Campaign Framework

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/16/document-department-of-the-navy-unmanned-campaign-framework



Navy’s New Unmanned Plan Short on Specifics, But Big On Ambition

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/03/navys-new-unmanned-plan-short-on-specifics-but-big-on-ambition/



Fire Scout Tested for Potential Anti-Sub Mission

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/3/17/fire-scout-tested-for-potential-anti-sub-mission



US Navy set to receive latest version of the Tomahawk missile

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/03/17/us-navy-set-to-take-delivery-of-the-latest-version-of-its-tomahawk-missile/



Navy Still Considering Bringing Back US 1st Fleet

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/15/navy-still-considering-bringing-back-us-1st-fleet.html



US Navy reports progress on key carrier Ford systems

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-navy-reports-progress-on-key-carrier-ford-systems