Af/Pak & Other News (1/29/2021)

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Taliban creep closer to capturing former heartland as lack of pay undermines Afghan forces

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/taliban-afghanistan-kandahar-conflict-peace-talks-b1794717.html



Pentagon won't commit to Afghanistan troop withdrawal by May, says Taliban are not honoring commitments to US

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/politics/pentagon-afghanistan-taliban-commitments/index.html



Taliban PsyOps: Afghan Militants Weaponize Commercial Drones

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/taliban-commercial-drones-attacks-afghanistan/31075672.html



Ancient Treasure and a Modern Budget Battle in Afghanistan

https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/ancient-treasure-and-a-modern-budget-battle-in-afghanistan/



EXPLAINER: What’s next if Pakistan frees man in Pearl murder

https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-islamabad-daniel-pearl-acquittals-taliban-fe12b2b3f781c9f51a660a03991e5c87









India has sent more troops to disputed China border, President Ram Nath Kovind says

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3119720/china-india-border-dispute-delhi-minister-slams-beijing-over



Bomb explodes near Israeli Embassy in India, PM Narendra Modi

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/01/29/Bomb-explodes-near-Israeli-Embassy-in-India-PM-Narendra-Modi/8361611929838/



Boeing Can Now Offer The F-15EX To India, But Does Buying It Really Make Sense?

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38985/boeing-can-now-offer-the-f-15ex-to-india-but-does-buying-it-really-make-sense









How The Iran Hostage Rescue Was Supposed To Go Down If It Hadn't Ended Early In Disaster

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38664/what-if-the-iran-hostage-rescue-attempt-hadnt-ended-in-disaster-at-desert-one









Islamic State senior leader in Iraq killed in U.S.-led coalition airstrike

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/01/29/islamic-state-senior-leader-in-iraq-killed-in-us-led-coalition-airstrike/



Why Turkey is Shooting Ballistic Missiles at Northern Iraq

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why-turkey-shooting-ballistic-missiles-northern-iraq-177243









Biden Administration Suspends Arms Sales To UAE and Saudi Arabia Including F-35 Fighter Jets

https://fighterjetsworld.com/latest-news/defence-deals/biden-administration-suspends-arms-sales-to-uae-and-saudi-arabia-including-f-35-fighter-jets/24447/









French-led coalition touts military successes ahead of Sahel summit

https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210128-french-led-coalition-touts-military-successes-ahead-of-sahel-summit




Military Junta in Mali “Dissolved” Five Months After Coup

https://sofrep.com/news/malian-military-junta-dissolved-five-months-after-coup/




The Jihad in West Africa

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/01/ep-41-the-jihad-in-west-africa.php









Is Russia’s defense industry too busy to take on another fighter jet project?

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/01/29/is-russias-defense-industry-too-busy-to-take-on-another-fighter-jet-project/



Why Russia May Have Stepped Up Its Hacking Game

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/29/960810672/why-russia-may-have-stepped-up-its-hacking-game



‘The perfect target’: Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years – ex-KGB spy

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/29/trump-russia-asset-claims-former-kgb-spy-new-book



In Russia’s messaging battle, the opposition lights up social media. Putin’s allies plod along on state TV.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-navalny-putin-protests/2021/01/28/0f03973e-5fe9-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html




U.S. Navy Sends Third Ship Into Black Sea, Largest Presence In Three Years

https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-navy-sends-third-ship-into-black-sea-largest-presence-in-three-years/31075511.html




Greece Will Need To Upgrade Its Navy To Keep Up With Turkey’s

https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2021/01/29/greece-will-need-new-warships-for-its-navy-to-have-any-hope-of-keeping-up-with-turkey/




Germany buying Israeli Trophy active protection system for Leopard 2 tanks

https://defbrief.com/2021/01/28/germany-buying-israeli-trophy-active-protection-system-for-leopard-2-tanks/




France begins backfilling its Rafale fleet after selling some to Greece

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/01/29/france-begins-backfilling-its-rafale-fleet-after-selling-some-to-greece/




Rolls-Royce Delivers System To Support Laser Tech

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/1/28/rolls-royce-delivers-system-to-support-laser-tech



Huge cocaine shipment destined for streets of Britain is seized off the coast of Barbados

https://news.yahoo.com/huge-cocaine-shipment-destined-streets-110018771.html









Brazil to buy two Airbus A330 military transport aircraft

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2021/01/brazil-buy-a330-military-transport-aircraft.html









3rd Type-075 Assault Carrier For Chinese Navy

http://www.hisutton.com/China-launches-3rd-Type-075-Carrier.html



China launches second advanced naval frigate for Pakistan

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china-launches-second-advanced-naval-frigate-for-pakistan/articleshow/80586955.cms?from=mdr



Chinese submariners patrolling South China Sea suffer 'serious' psych problems, study finds

https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/chinese-submariners-patrolling-south-china-sea-suffer-serious-psych-problems-study-finds-1.660234



Chinese H-6 Bombers Heard On Radio Confirming Orders For Simulated Attack On U.S. Aircraft Carrier Near Taiwan

https://theaviationist.com/2021/01/29/chinese-h-6-bombers-heard-on-radio-confirming-orders-for-simulated-attack-on-u-s-aircraft-carrier-near-taiwan/



Desperate To Avoid a Bloody Beach-Assault, Chinese Troops Could Try Sneaking Into Taiwan

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/01/29/desperate-to-avoid-a-bloody-beach-assault-chinese-troops-could-try-sneaking-into-taiwan/



U.S. Congressional Commission Hears China May Force Taiwan Crisis in 2021

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/01/29/us_congressional_commission_hears_china_may_force_taiwan_crisis_in_2021_658429.html





Singapore Navy Inaugurates Maritime Security & Response Flotilla

https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/01/singapore-navy-inaugurates-maritime.html










Algorithmic Warfare: Demand Outpacing Supply for Supercomputers

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/1/29/demand-outpacing-supply-for-supercomputers



Top Navy Intel Officer Hopes China Will Keep Dumping Money Into Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38988/top-navy-intel-officer-hopes-china-will-keep-dumping-money-into-anti-ship-ballistic-missiles



Calculations Show Humans Can't Contain Superintelligent Machines

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a35267508/humans-cant-contain-superintelligent-machines/



11 Fort Bliss soldiers injured after ingesting ‘unknown substance’ during training

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/fort-bliss-injured-unknown-substance-training/



First Contractor-Owned F-16 Aggressors Include MiG Killers, Veteran Of Iraqi Reactor Raid

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38991/first-contractor-operated-f-16-aggressors-include-mig-killers-veteran-of-iraqi-reactor-strike



World's biggest drone will send satellites into space on a rocket

https://www.cnet.com/news/worlds-biggest-drone-will-send-satellites-into-space-on-a-rocket/



Dickinson’s guidance to space troops: Prepare for ’competitive and dangerous’ environment

https://spacenews.com/dickinsons-guidance-to-space-troops-prepare-for-competitive-and-dangerous-environment/



Military Eyes AI, Cloud Computing in Space in a Decade

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/01/military-eyes-ai-cloud-computing-space-decade/171692/



US Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite constellation now operational

https://defbrief.com/2021/01/28/us-advanced-extremely-high-frequency-satellite-constellation-now-operational/



Armored Reality Check

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htcbtsp/articles/20210129.aspx



SPIKE SR Performs Live Firing in the USA

https://defense-update.com/20210129_spikesr.html



F-15 WSOs, F-16 pilots and AWACS battle manager gave their feedback on military utility of direct energy weapons

http://alert5.com/2021/01/29/f-15-wsos-f-16-pilots-and-awacs-battle-manager-gave-their-feedback-on-military-utility-of-direct-energy-weapons/



First U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus Tanker Aircraft Completes C-Check Milestone

https://defpost.com/first-u-s-air-force-kc-46a-pegasus-tanker-aircraft-completes-c-check-milestone/



U.S. Navy Procures Infrared Countermeasure Kits for C/KC-130J Planes

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28855/U_S__Navy_Procures_Infrared_Countermeasure_Kits_for_C_KC_130J_Planes



US Navy launches Future Vertical Lift effort

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-navy-launches-future-vertical-lift-effort



Too Useful To Replace

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htart/articles/20210129.aspx



Navy SM-3IIA ICBM-Killing Missile Bridges Gap to Next-Gen Interceptor

https://defensemaven.io/warriormaven/air/navy-sm-3iia-icbm-killing-missile-bridges-gap-to-next-gen-interceptor-M2Ek8ZtrokWDEnAatHk31w



Navy Taking Hard Look at Sustainment Costs, As New Projection Doubles Expected Long-Term Bill

https://news.usni.org/2021/01/28/navy-taking-hard-look-at-sustainment-costs-as-new-projection-doubles-expected-long-term-bill