Af/Pak & Other News (12/3/2020)

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Procedure Set, Intra-Afghan Talks to Move on to Setting an Agenda

https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/procedure-set-intra-afghan-talks-to-move-on-to-setting-an-agenda/



Two decades of blood, sweat, and tears in Afghanistan have yielded a ‘modicum of success,’ top US general says

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/afghanistan-milley-modicum-success/



U.S. military to keep two larger Afghan bases after drawdown to 2,500

https://www.reuters.com/article/instant-article/idUSKBN28C371



Impossible Allies

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/india/articles/20201203.aspx









India Planning Swarm Drone System to Counter China: Source

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/12/03/india-swarm-drone-system-counter-china/



Cochin Shipyard Cuts Steel for Indian Navy Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft

https://defpost.com/cochin-shipyard-cuts-steel-for-indian-navy-anti-submarine-warfare-shallow-water-craft/









Iran Moves to Increase Uranium Enrichment and Bar Nuclear Inspectors

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-enrichment-inspectors.html



Ep. 34 – An Assassination in Tehran

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2020/12/ep-34-an-assassination-in-tehran.php



Al-Qaeda: The Core Problem

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/12/03/al-qaeda_the_core_problem_651798.html









Iraqi SWAT Team Battles ISIS In Netflix’s “Mosul”: Here’s The Shocking Truth Behind The Film

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2020/12/03/iraqi-swat-team-battles-isis-in-netflixs-mosul-heres-the-shocking-truth-behind-the-film/



Kurd vs Kurd: Fears of full-scale war rise in northern Iraq

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/2/kurd-vs-kurd-fears-of-full-scale-war-rise-in-northern-iraq



US reduces diplomatic staff in Iraq amid security threats

https://news.yahoo.com/us-reduces-diplomatic-staff-iraq-125541836.html









Turkey in secret talks with Israel - report

https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-turkey-in-secret-talks-with-israel-report-1001351823#utm_source=RSS









Assad’s Syria Is Starting to Starve Like Saddam’s Iraq

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/02/bashars-assads-syria-is-starving-like-saddams-iraq/




Hezbollah's Nasrallah to move to Iran amid regional tensions - report

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/hezbollahs-nasrallah-to-move-to-iran-amid-regional-tensions-report-650992



U.S. Fears Syria’s Assad Meddling in Fragile Lebanon

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/02/us-assad-lebanon-trump-syria-hezbollah/



U.S. Approves Possible Sale of Up To 300 Humvees to Lebanon

https://defpost.com/u-s-approves-possible-sale-of-up-to-300-humvees-to-lebanon/









Kidon – Israel’s Shadowy Group of Elite Killers

https://www.thedebrief.org/the-assassination-of-irans-chief-nuclear-scientist-bears-all-the-hallmarks-of-israels-expert-assassins-kidon/









Is Africa overtaking the Middle East as the new jihadist battleground?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55147863




Morocco to get first G550 ISR aircraft next year

http://alert5.com/2020/12/03/morocco-to-get-first-g550-isr-aircraft-next-year/




CIA officer killed in Somali raid on suspected al-Shabaab bomb-maker

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/03/cia-officer-killed-in-somali-raid-on-suspected-al-shabaab-bomb-maker




ISWAP Jihadists Abduct Aid Worker and Local Officials in Nigeria

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/12/03/iswap-jihadists-abduct-officials-nigeria/









Russia’s Okhotnik Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle Tests Air-To-Air Missiles: Report

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37914/russias-okhotnik-unmanned-combat-air-vehicle-tests-air-to-air-missiles-report



Putin Urges AI Limits — But for Thee, Not Me?

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2020/12/putin-urges-ai-limits-thee-not-me/170458/




Marauder and Matador Vehicles hailed for excellent performance In Azerbaijan

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2020/12/marauder-and-matador-vehicles-hailed-for-excellent-performance-in-azerbaijan




U.S. Cyberforce Was Deployed to Estonia to Hunt for Russian Hackers

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/us/politics/cyber-command-elections-estonia.html




French Air and Space Force Receives Second ALSR Light Surveillance and Reconnaissance Aircraft

https://defpost.com/french-air-and-space-force-receives-second-alsr-light-surveillance-and-reconnaissance-aircraft/



Tethered unmanned aircraft from Elistair can provide 24-hour communications and surveillance capability

https://www.militaryaerospace.com/unmanned/article/14188281/unmanned-tethered-surveillance




'Entire crew' of nuke-carrying Trident submarine based in Scotland 'is replaced after Royal Navy officer tested positive for Covid-19'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9012553/Trident-submarine-crew-replaced-officer-tested-positive-Covid-19.html









Horde of Brazilian bank robbers attack another city, kill 1

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-media-robbery-8646a320b40f8c9b5e44a4ad4af3f1a4




Submarines for Rent – The Best Option for Traffickers in Colombia

https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/submarines-for-rent-colombia/




The search for the disappeared points to Mexico’s darkest secrets

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/mexico-losing-control/mexico-disappeared-drug-war/









China’s J-11 fighter jet spotted along LAC, how will it respond in dogfight with India’s Rafale?

https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/2020/12/chinas-j-11-fighter-jet-spotted-along-lac-how-will-it-respond-in-dogfight-with-indias-rafale/



Chang'e-5 Lunar Grab-and-Go Mission Is Already Flying Back to Earth

https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7m7vm/change-5-lunar-grab-and-go-mission-is-already-flying-back-to-earth



China Does A Commercial Solid

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htspace/articles/20201203.aspx



China’s Y-20 Transport Appears To Be Finally Flying With Indigenous Jet Engines

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37939/chinas-y-20-transport-appears-to-be-finally-flying-with-indigenous-jet-engines



First Fight for China’s Ship-borne Helicopter Drone

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28459/First_Fight_for_China___s_Ship_borne_Helicopter_Drone



U.S. Commander Alarmed as China Makes Inroads in Americas

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/12/2/commander-alarmed-as-china-makes-inroads-in-americas



Chinese researchers quit U.S.; agents target Biden team - U.S. officials

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-researchers/chinese-researchers-quit-u-s-agents-target-biden-team-u-s-officials-idUSKBN28C3E8





Taiwan foreign minister calls on Australia to help defend against China's 'expansionism'

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-01/taiwan-australia-worsening-relationship-china/12938540





The Untold Story Of How Indonesian And Australian Jets Nearly Came To Blows Over East Timor

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37904/the-untold-story-of-how-indonesian-and-australian-jets-nearly-came-to-blows-over-east-timor





South Korean Military Orders Suicide, Attack & Surveillance Drones

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28458/South_Korean_Military_Orders_Suicide__Attack___Surveillance_Drones





Australia Hosted French Nuclear Sub: NEW INFORMATION

https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2020/11/australia-currently-hosting-french.html





Philippines postpones purchase of BrahMos missiles

http://alert5.com/2020/12/03/philippines-postpones-purchase-of-brahmos-missiles/





Japan’s Mega-Size Missile-Defense Destroyers Could Be Some Of The Toughest Warships In Asia

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/12/03/japans-mega-size-missile-defense-destroyers-could-be-some-of-the-toughest-warships-in-asia/










Fast Movers’ and Transmedium Vehicles – The Pentagon’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force

https://www.thedebrief.org/fast-movers-and-transmedium-vehicles-the-pentagons-uap-task-force



Hackers try to penetrate the vital ‘cold chain’ for coronavirus vaccines, security team reports

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-vaccine-hackers-phish-ibm-cold-chain/2020/12/03/27a5b0b2-355d-11eb-9699-00d311f13d2d_story.html



5G helping to increase security at Tyndall as Air Force rebuilds ‘smart base’

https://www.fedscoop.com/5g-security-tyndall-base-smart/



‘I bet it never smells like farts in there’ — How a C-17 pilot flies Secret Service agents around the world

https://taskandpurpose.com/opinion/air-force-flies-secret-service-limo/



Crazy Video Footage Shows The Exact Moment The Arecibo Radio Telescope Collapsed

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37945/crazy-video-footage-shows-the-exact-moment-the-arecibo-radio-telescope-collapsed



SECNAV Announces the Return of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Focus Will be on Russian Threat

https://news.usni.org/2020/12/02/secnav-announces-the-return-of-the-u-s-atlantic-fleet-focus-will-be-on-russian-threat



DARPA’s Dream of a Tiny Robot Army Is Close To Becoming a Reality

https://www.thedebrief.org/darpa-dream-of-a-tiny-robot-army-is-close-to-becoming-a-reality/



Stratollites Show Promise For Southern Command

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/sensors-electronic-warfare/stratollites-show-promise-southern-command



Meet Ravn X—a fully autonomous, air-launched rocket for small satellites

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/meet-ravn-x-a-fully-autonomous-air-launched-rocket-for-small-satellites/



The Space Force’s next missile warning satellite is ready for a 2021 launch

https://www.defensenews.com/space/2020/12/02/the-space-forces-next-missile-warning-satellite-ready-for-2021-launch/



The Army Is Training Specialized Companies Of Green Berets To Crack "Hard Targets"

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37923/the-army-is-training-specialized-companies-of-green-berets-to-crack-hard-targets



Army taps industry for Gray Eagle payloads for joint ops against high-end threats

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/12/02/army-taps-industry-for-gray-eagle-payloads-for-joint-ops-against-high-end-threats/



Airbus Zephyr Solar HAPS Concludes New Flight Test Campaign in Arizona

https://defpost.com/airbus-zephyr-solar-haps-concludes-new-flight-test-campaign-in-arizona/



Flying the CH-53K: Visiting Marine Corps Air Station New River

https://sldinfo.com/2020/12/flying-the-ch-53k-visiting-marine-corps-air-station-new-river/



First Marine Corps Carrier-Capable F-35C Squadron Now Ready to Deploy

https://news.usni.org/2020/12/02/first-marine-corps-carrier-capable-f-35c-squadron-now-ready-to-deploy



Navy Littoral Combat Ship is Now Armed for Attack With HELLFIRE Missiles

https://defensemaven.io/warriormaven/sea/navy-littoral-combat-ship-is-now-armed-for-attack-with-hellfire-missiles-cFDQeOpeaUqGs4Gq4polvQ