Af/Pak & Other News (5/22/2021)

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EXPLAINER: Much about US pullout from Afghanistan is unclear

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-government-and-politics-57c2bfe709dc4b30ca3786a7c77c0e14



Managed Risks, Managed Expectations: How Far Will Targeted Killing Get the United States in Afghanistan?

https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/managed-risks-managed-expectations-how-far-will-targeted-killing-get-us-in-afghanistan/



The Taliban and Al-Qaeda Are Closing In on Afghanistan’s Provincial Capitals

https://vitalinterests.thedispatch.com/p/the-taliban-and-al-qaeda-are-closing



Allies leaving rapidly as NATO ends Afghanistan training mission

https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/allies-leaving-rapidly-as-nato-ends-afghanistan-training-mission-1.674183



Pakistan shows interest in Ukrainian Oplot tank and Skif missile system

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/pakistan-shows-interest-in-ukrainian-oplot-tank-and-skif-missile-system.html



Pakistan allows overflight to U.S. military to support presence in Afghanistan: Pentagon official

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-allows-overflight-to-us-military-to-support-presence-in-afghanistan-pentagon-official/article34619978.ece









40 years of delay! Why Indian air force still using MiG-21?

https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/2021/05/40-years-of-delay-why-indian-air-force-still-using-mig-21/









Iranian defense industry clones Belarus-made surveillance radar

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/iranian-defense-industry-clones-belarus-made-surveillance-radar.html









Return of Iraqis seen as easing threat from Syria camp

https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-iraq-middle-east-syria-government-and-politics-e9026b861bb8208a84e6bf2c7fc0f587










A Winged Oryx - Bayraktar TB2s Over Qatar

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/05/a-winged-oryx-bayraktar-tb2s-over-qatar.html




Saudi-led airstrikes hit Houthi positions in central Yemen: gov't source

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-05/23/c_139963942.htm



Military conflict looms in southern Yemen as tension rises between rivals: sources

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-05/22/c_139963776.htm




Turkish Air Force commander Abidin Ünal gave direct order to down Russian jet

https://nordicmonitor.com/2021/05/turkish-air-force-commander-abidin-unal-gave-direct-order-to-down-russian-jet-in-syria/










Turkey and Russia escalate standoff in Syria

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1829916/middle-east









Information Technology Drives Massive Growth in Israel’s Combat Capability

https://defense-update.com/20210521_ict.html



Hamas fighters parade in Gaza as Egyptian mediators try to firm up ceasefire

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210522-hamas-fighters-parade-in-gaza-as-egyptian-mediators-try-to-firm-up-ceasefire



Hamas warns Palestinians: Don’t talk about the sites targeted by Israel

https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/hamas-warns-palestinians-dont-talk-about-the-sites-targeted-by-israel-668839



Much of Gaza Lies in Ruins Yet Hamas Claims “Victory”

https://sofrep.com/news/much-of-gaza-lies-in-ruins-yet-hamas-claims-victory/



Hamas leader thanks Iran for supplying weapons to Gaza

https://www.foxnews.com/world/hamas-leader-thanks-iran-for-supplying-weapons-to-gaza



Gaza Conflict: Hamas’ North Korean Arms

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/05/gaza-conflict-hamas-north-korean-arms.html



Mow the Lawn: Israel’s Strategy For Perpetual War With the Palestinians

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/mow-lawn-israel%E2%80%99s-strategy-perpetual-war-palestinians-185775



Israel showed US ‘smoking gun’ on Hamas in AP office tower, officials say

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israel-showed-us-smoking-gun-on-hamas-in-ap-office-tower-officials-say-668303



Who will rebuild the Gaza Strip? And what obstacles stand in the way?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/who-will-rebuild-the-gaza-strip-and-what-obstacles-stand-in-the-way/ar-AAKhabm



The Real Impact of the War Between Hamas and Israel

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/real-impact-war-between-hamas-and-israel-185917



‘It will not be the last war’: Palestinians and Israelis reflect on Gaza ceasefire

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/21/palestinians-and-israelis-reflect-gaza-ceasefire









UN envoy: Libya mercenaries a threat to entire North Africa

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/22/un-envoy-failure-to-get-rid-of-libya-mercenaries-a-threat




Nigeria’s Army Chief, 11 others dies in Beechcraft King Air B350 crash

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/05/nigerias-army-chief-11-others-dies-in-beechcraft-king-air-b350-crash




South Africa to Push for Military Action Against Mozambique Insurgents

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-05-21/exclusive-south-africa-to-push-for-military-action-against-mozambique-insurgents









Life on Ukraine’s front line: Trenches, abandoned homes and fear of conflict without end

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/life-on-ukraine-s-front-line-trenches-abandoned-homes-and-fear-of-conflict-without-end/ar-AAKgmKT



Back From the Dead: Ukraine’s Tor SAMs

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/05/back-from-dead-ukraines-tor-sams.html



Russia’s Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile to Start State Trials in June

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/05/russias-tsirkon-hypersonic-missile-to-start-state-trials-in-june/



In the Russian Arctic, the First Stirrings of a Very Cold War

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/22/world/russia-us-arctic-military.html



Two Russian SOF die in horrible fast-roping incident in Murmansk

https://defbrief.com/2021/05/22/two-russian-sof-die-in-horrible-fast-roping-incident-in-murmansk/



Baltic Sea Showdown: Russian Su-27 Fighters Just Intercepted a U.S. B-52 Bomber

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/baltic-sea-showdown-russian-su-27-fighters-just-intercepted-a-u-s-b-52-bomber/





NATO’s Steadfast Defender Exercise Highlights Allied Deterrence as Russian Aggression Grows

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/21/natos-steadfast-defender-exercise-highlights-allied-deterrence-as-russian-aggression-grows




Poland to become first NATO country to buy Turkish drones

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/poland-to-become-first-nato-country-to-buy-turkish-drones/ar-AAKgS5j




German Leopard 2A7A1 tanks with Trophy active protection system to be deployed with NATO

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_may_2021_global_security_army_industry/german_leopard_2a7a1_tanks_with_trophy_active_protection_system_to_be_deployed_with_nato.html




Pioneering Extra-Large UUV: The Royal Navy's Manta

http://www.hisutton.com/Royal-Navy-Manta-XLUUV.html



Challenger 3: Third time lucky for British armoured-vehicle programmes?

https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2021/05/challenger-3-armoured-vehicle-programme



‘The OSINT Bunker’ – Episode 7 released

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/the-osint-bunker-episode-7-released/



UK's Queen Elizabeth visits new aircraft carrier before Asia voyage

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-queen-elizabeth-visits-new-aircraft-carrier-before-asia-voyage-2021-05-22/



UK Carrier Srike Group on world tour (eg. Med & South China Sea)

http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/05/uk-carrier-srike-group-on-world-tour-eg.html









Su-30SM ejection accident in Crimea

http://alert5.com/2021/05/23/su-30sm-ejection-accident-in-crimea/



Martian rover Zhurong takes first drive on surface of Mars, China says

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/martian-rover-zhurong-takes-first-drive-surface-red-planet-china-n1268235





Taiwan: F-5 Outlives Rival MiG-21

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20210522.aspx


Risk of Nuclear War Over Taiwan in 1958 Said to Be Greater Than Publicly Known

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/risk-of-nuclear-war-over-taiwan-in-1958-said-to-be-greater-than-publicly-known/ar-AAKgfQM





Final nail in the coffin: “South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced a joint decision Friday with the United States to terminate guidelines that have long restricted Seoul's development of missiles.”

https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/1395897542362140676





Australian academic Yang Jun to face spying trial in China

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/australian-academic-yang-jun-spying-trial-china-14863472



Re-establishing Australia’s bomber fleet: the case for the B-21s

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/special-reports/reestablishing-australias-bomber-fleet-the-case-for-the-b21s/news-story/36b62d058ae436dfde51e36067c9a010










Harry Reid saw 'classified' things at Area 51 that 'fascinated me'

https://theweek.com/speedreads/983824/harry-reid-saw-classified-things-area-51-that-fascinated



The UAP Report — What to Expect

https://medium.com/on-the-trail-of-the-saucers/uap-report-2ac81083ad33



Hyper-Realistic Training Event Simulated The Crash Of A Fighter Jet Over Wisconsin

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40736/fighter-jets-collide-over-wisconsin-leading-to-crash-during-evening-training-sortie



US campuses become a growing front in Israeli-Palestinian conflict

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/21/us-campuses-sraeli-palestinian-conflict-universities



Border Patrol Helicopter Had Bizarre Encounter With Mysterious "Highly Modified" Drone

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40724/border-patrol-helicopter-had-bizarre-encounter-with-mysterious-highly-modified-drone



When will America protect itself against EMP, cyber and ransomware attacks?

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/554503-when-will-america-protect-itself-against-emp-cyber-and-ransomware



Watch Out, F-35: ‘Spray On’ Stealth Fighters Could Be the Future

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/watch-out-f-35-spray-on-stealth-fighters-could-be-the-future/



The New Air Force One’s Custom Hangar Facility Is Taking Shape

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40719/the-new-air-force-ones-250m-nest-is-taking-shape



Aerospace & Defense Roundup: May. 20

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/z/aerospace-defense-roundup-may-20-0



Virgin Galactic nails 3rd spaceflight, after 2-year hiatus

https://www.cnet.com/news/virgin-galactic-nails-3rd-spaceflight-after-2-year-hiatus/



Aevum announces all-in-one drone for satellite launches, cargo delivery and surveillance

https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2021/05/21/aevum-announces-all-in-one-drone-for-satellite-launches-cargo-delivery-and-surveillance/



US commander says more work needed to counter small drones

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-middle-east-government-and-politics-e39fb650c283cc6e3962752e1d9e339b



Army: Proposals For Cruise Missile Killer Due June 4

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/army-proposals-for-cruise-missile-killer-due-june-4/



U.S. Special Ops Forces Getting Lightweight, More Lethal .338 NM Ammunition

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29630/U_S__Special_Ops_Forces_Getting_Lightweight__More_Lethal__338_NM_Ammunition



Army wraps up industry demo for future electric light recon vehicle

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/05/21/army-wraps-up-industry-demo-for-future-electric-light-recon-vehicle/



US Talks With Israel About Buying More Iron Dome Systems

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/us-talks-with-israel-about-buying-more-iron-dome-systems/



Israeli-made mobile howitzer completes U.S. Army’s shoot-off evaluation

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/israeli-made-mobile-howitzer-completes-u-s-armys-shoot-off-evaluation.html



Land-Based Strike Version Of Navy's Long-Range Air Defense Blasting Missile Breaks Cover

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40733/land-based-strike-version-of-navys-long-range-air-defense-blasting-missile-breaks-cover



Marines' 24th MEU deploys with HIMARS rocket system

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/05/21/Marines-HIMARS-24th-MEU/6981621614761/



US Air Force’s newest refueling tanker to get gear allowing F-35 and F-22 to share data

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/05/21/the-air-forces-newest-refueling-tanker-to-get-gear-that-will-finally-allow-the-f-35-and-f-22-to-share-data/



Raytheon looks at integrating AMRAAM-ER in F-35A internal carriage

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/raytheon-looks-at-integrating-amraam-er-in-f-35a-internal-carriage/143866.article



DDG-51 Cut: Not The End, But Maybe The Beginning Of The End?

http://nextnavy.com/ddg-51-cut-not-the-end-but-maybe-the-beginning-of-the-end/