Af/Pak & Other News (12/10/2020)

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Mystery as Afghanistan rocked by wave of targeted magnetic bomb assassinations

https://news.yahoo.com/mystery-afghanistan-rocked-wave-targeted-102703024.html



Afghan gov’t, Taliban agree Islamic law to guide peace talks

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-qatar-taliban-doha-8e9a9b798916c2760b8b5994e530fd41









Iran, Afghanistan open first rail link with eye on trade

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-global-trade-iran-middle-east-hassan-rouhani-487973cecdb3ce0759548d28ddbee8dd



Iran Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Assassination of Top Nuclear Scientist

https://www.thedailybeast.com/iran-cant-get-its-story-straight-on-assassination-of-top-nuclear-scientist-mohsen-fakhrizadeh



Iran Goes AGI

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htintel/articles/20201210.aspx









Russia and Iraq Deepen Energy, Military Ties

https://jamestown.org/program/russia-and-iraq-deepen-energy-military-ties/









Turkey to abandon more military positions in Syria's Idlib to 'eliminate risks'

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-syria-idlib-withdraw-more-military-positions



IS Kills Nine Iran-Trained Fighters in Syria: Monitor

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/12/10/is-kills-iran-trained-fighters-syria/



Syrians in Golan Heights wounded and arrested in clashes with Israeli forces

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syria-israel-golan-heights-wounded-arrested-clashes



Rise in Israeli strikes in Syria has led to decrease of Iranian activity

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/rise-in-israeli-strikes-in-syria-has-led-to-decrease-of-iranian-activity-651716









Israeli space chief says aliens may well exist, but they haven’t met humans

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-space-chief-says-aliens-may-well-exist-but-they-havent-met-humans/



Israel: Where Does The ‘Galactic Federation’ Fall On The Kardashev Scale?

https://thedebrief.org/where-does-the-galactic-federation-fall-on-the-kardashev-scale/



Netline unveils its new DroneNet RD Jammer

https://www.edrmagazine.eu/netline-unveils-its-new-dronenet-rd-jammer









Libya’s east-based forces release Turkish vessel

https://apnews.com/article/turkey-africa-libya-jamaica-tripoli-c8fc2a7343bbdba8e4e06fa399c035b4




Nigeria’s MiG-21 Fighter Jet Force Is Up For Sale

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38059/nigerias-mig-21-fighter-jet-force-is-up-for-sale









Russia: The Wars Come Closer To Home

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/russia/articles/20201210.aspx



Microsoft HoloLens helping Russian engineers build Su-57 fighter jet

https://defence-blog.com/news/microsoft-hololens-helping-russian-engineers-build-su-57-fighter-jet.html



'Putin's People': Exploring the Russian president's inner circle

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20201210-putin-s-people-exploring-the-russian-president-s-inner-circle



Russian Navy to Join Drills With NATO States for First Time in Decade

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/12/10/russia-joins-drills-nato/




Azerbaijan Holds Military Parade To Mark Declared Victory In Nagorno-Karabakh War

https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-victory-parade-nagorno-karabakh/30994108.html



The Syrian mercenaries used as 'cannon fodder' in Nagorno-Karabakh

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-55238803




Sci-fi surveillance: Europe's secretive push into biometric technology

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/10/sci-fi-surveillance-europes-secretive-push-into-biometric-technology



Hackers break into Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine data in Europe

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20201209-hackers-break-into-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-data-in-europe




Switzerland Will Soon Select A New Fighter To Replace Its F-18s. The F-35 Would Be A Peculiar Choice.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2020/12/10/switzerland-will-soon-select-a-new-fighter-to-replace-its-f-18s-the-f-35-would-be-a-peculiar-choice/




Dutch intelligence says it’s uncovered 2 Russian spies

https://apnews.com/article/technology-netherlands-russia-security-services-f7920f81784e6a4b323d42ee15682fc6




Italy has requested the purchase of four Type U212 NFS submarines

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2020/december/9395-italy-has-requested-the-purchase-of-four-type-u212-nfs-submarines.html




France Conducts First Firing of Renovated ASMPA Nuclear Air-Launched Cruise Missile

https://defpost.com/france-conducts-first-firing-of-renovated-asmpa-nuclear-air-launched-cruise-missile/



Airbus in conversation with potential A400M buyers, as low-level tests advance

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/airbus-in-conversation-with-potential-a400m-buyers-as-low-level-tests-advance/141560.article




New Images Of The Tempest Sixth-Generation Aircraft Revealed During UK Industry Engagement Event

https://theaviationist.com/2020/12/09/new-images-of-the-tempest-sixth-generation-aircraft-revealed-during-uk-industry-engagement-event/









China says two Canadians held for two years on 'spying' accusations have been indicted and tried

https://news.yahoo.com/china-says-two-canadians-held-112158873.html





The Pratas Islands: A New Flashpoint in the South China Sea

https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/the-pratas-islands-a-new-flashpoint-in-the-south-china-sea/





Philippine Air Force inducts first six S-70i Black Hawk helicopters

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/philippine-air-force-inducts-first-six-s-70i-black-hawk-helicopters





South Korea to criminalize sending leaflets into North Korea, bowing to regime

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/north-korea-leaflets-defectors-kim/2020/12/10/9c6d7328-3a92-11eb-aad9-8959227280c4_story.html



South Korea: Could an ‘Artificial Skin’ lead to Invisible Soldiers?

https://thedebrief.org/could-an-artificial-skin-lead-to-invisible-soldiers/










Panel Details Global Artificial Intelligence Arms Race

https://news.usni.org/2020/12/09/panel-details-global-artificial-intelligence-arms-race



Expect SOCOM to be at the spearhead of AI testing in DOD

https://www.fedscoop.com/socom-ai-artificial-intelligence-testing/



Pentagon plans to cut most of its support to CIA's counterterrorism missions

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pentagon-plans-cut-support-cias-counterterrorism-missions/story?id=74641591



U.S. flew two bombers from Louisiana over the Persian Gulf to deter Iran, says military

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/u-s-flew-two-bombers-louisiana-over-persian-gulf-deter-n1250682



USFK apologizes for 'poor judgement' after troops attended dance party

https://www.businessinsider.com/military-south-korea-dance-party-coronavirus-2020-12



Baltimore Police Lied About Almost Every Aspect of Its Spy Plane Program

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjpjqd/baltimore-police-lied-about-almost-every-aspect-of-its-spy-plane-program



US Senators Fail to Block Trump Sale of F-35 Jets, Drones to UAE

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/12/10/senators-sale-f35-uae/



Top US military leaders getting their COVID-19 vaccines publicly

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-leaders-covid-19-vaccines-2020-12



Watch Elon Musk's Starship Rocket Go Out With A Boom Wile E. Coyote Style

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38070/watch-elon-musks-starship-rocket-go-out-with-a-boom-wile-e-coyote-style



One Of The Navy's First Female Submarine Officers May Be Headed To The Moon

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38069/one-of-the-navys-first-female-submarine-officers-may-be-headed-to-the-moon



DARPA's Hypersonic Interceptor Could Be a Game Changer

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/darpas-hypersonic-interceptor-could-be-game-changer-174119



General Atomics’ New Compact, High-Powered Lasers

https://breakingdefense.com/2020/12/general-atomics-new-compact-high-powered-lasers/



US Army launches design phase for Bradley replacement

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/12/09/us-army-launches-design-phase-for-bradley-replacement/



Marine Corps F-35Cs Make First Arrested Landings At An Expeditionary Airfield

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38068/marine-corps-f-35cs-make-first-arrested-landings-at-an-expeditionary-airfield



The US Marine Corps wants grunts packing deadly swarming drones

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/12/09/the-us-marine-corps-wants-grunts-packing-deadly-swarming-drones/



The Steward Of America’s Nukes Is Sending Mixed Messages About B-1 Bombers—And That’s Dangerous

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/12/10/the-steward-of-americas-nukes-is-sending-mixed-messages-and-thats-dangerous/



The B-1B just launched a cruise missile externally. Hypersonic missiles could be next.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/12/09/the-b-1b-just-launched-a-cruise-missile-externally-hypersonic-missiles-could-be-next/



Lawmakers just saved dozens of A-10 Warthogs from the boneyard

https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/a-10-warthog-ndaa-funding/



U.S. Preps New Allied F-35 Pilots for War as Global Demand for Stealth Jet Grows

https://defensemaven.io/warriormaven/air/u-s-preps-new-allied-f-35-pilots-for-war-as-global-demand-for-stealth-jet-grows-EDwWlvcbAESj7M8XgVua2g



Navy creates program for specialists to operate MQ-25 Stingray drone

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2020/12/09/Navy-creates-program-for-specialists-to-operate-MQ-25-Stingray-drone/5131607544859/



Boeing’s MQ-25 Carrier-Based Tanker Drone Test Asset Completes First Test Flight with Aerial Refueling Store

https://theaviationist.com/2020/12/10/boeings-mq-25-carrier-based-tanker-drone-test-asset-completes-first-test-flight-with-aerial-refueling-store/



US Navy’s next generation jammer – low band enters engineering phase

https://defbrief.com/2020/12/09/us-navys-next-generation-jammer-low-band-enters-engineering-phase/



White House Shipbuilding Plan Would Shrink Ford Carrier Class Over Navy Objections

https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2020/12/white-house-shipbuilding-plan-would-shrink-ford-carrier-class-over-navy-objections/170650/



‘Awesome’ New Submarine-Launched Drone Guides Torpedo Attacks From Unprecedented Range

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2020/12/10/us-navys-new-submarine-launched-drone-guides-torpedo-attacks-from-unprecedented-range/