Af/Pak & Other News (12/14/2020)

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Scores of Taliban Militants Killed as Fighting Rocks Insurgent Bastion

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/12/14/taliban-militants-killed-kandahar/



As the US exits two decades after invading Afghanistan, the Taliban surges

https://warisboring.com/as-the-us-exits-two-decades-after-invading-afghanistan-the-taliban-surges/



Afghan president calls for peace talks to be moved home

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201214-afghan-president-calls-for-peace-talks-to-be-moved-home



The story of Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who supplied cargo aircraft to Ariana Afghan Airlines, the airline hijacked by Taliban and used to move drugs, terrorists and weapons

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-of-viktor-bout-the-russian-arms-dealer-who-supplied-cargo-aircraft-to-ariana-afghan-airlines-the-airline-hijacked-by-taliban-and-used-to-move-drugs-terrorists-and-weapons/









India: Armed forces to stock weapons, ammunition for 15-day intense war: Report

https://www.mid-day.com/articles/armed-forces-to-stock-weapons-ammunition-for-15-day-intense-war-report/23142212?from=home-news









US identifies and sanctions two Iranian intelligence officers for abduction and 'probable death' of Bob Levinson

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/14/politics/bob-levinson-iran-sanctions/index.html



Fuel ship attacked by explosive-laden boat in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah - ministry

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-jeddah-port-attack/fuel-ship-attacked-by-explosive-laden-boat-in-saudi-arabias-jeddah-ministry-idUSKBN28O1TS



Iran Strikes At Sea

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/yemen/articles/20201214.aspx



Iran uses disguised tanker to export Venezuelan oil

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-uses-disguised-tanker-to-export-venezuelan-oil-documents-652088









Turkey detains 11 over abduction of Iranian dissident - police

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-security-arrest-turkey/turkey-detains-11-over-abduction-of-iranian-dissident-police-idUSKBN28O1HF



Turkey to export Anka Combat Drones to Tunisia

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28530/Turkey_to_export_Anka_Combat_Drones_to_Tunisia









Trump push $1 billion MQ-9B drone, precision munition sale to Morocco

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2020/12/trump-push-1-billion-mq-9b-drone-precision-munition-sale-to-morocco









Freezing rain could cause big problems for Ukrainian Air Force

https://defence-blog.com/news/freezing-rain-could-cause-big-problems-for-ukrainian-air-force.html



Russia test-launches Angara A5 heavy lift space rocket

https://apnews.com/article/business-vladimir-putin-dmitry-rogozin-russia-8009db27b7e07f9ee41212d252763bc4



Leaked photo of Russian high-powered laser weapon hit the Internet

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/leaked-photo-of-russian-high-powered-laser-weapon-hit-the-internet.html



This Navigator Aboard A Russian Il-76 Looks Like A TIE Fighter Pilot From Star Wars

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38140/this-navigator-aboard-a-russian-il-76-looks-like-a-tie-fighter-pilot-from-star-wars



Russian report claims Putin is secretly working at a duplicate office in seaside resort

https://news.yahoo.com/russian-report-claims-putin-secretly-112420994.html



Suspected Russian hackers infiltrated US agencies, spy on emails

https://www.businessinsider.com/suspected-russian-hackers-infiltrated-us-agencies-spy-on-emails-2020-12



Solar Winds, Probably Hacked by Russia, Serves White House, Pentagon, NASA

https://www.newsweek.com/solar-winds-probably-hacked-russia-serves-white-house-pentagon-nasa-1554447



FSB Team of Chemical Weapon Experts Implicated in Alexey Navalny Novichok Poisoning

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2020/12/14/fsb-team-of-chemical-weapon-experts-implicated-in-alexey-navalny-novichok-poisoning/



Hunting the Hunters: How We Identified Navalny's FSB Stalkers

https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2020/12/14/navalny-fsb-methodology/




Missile drill momentarily triggers false ‘air attack’ alarm at Ramstein Air Base

https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/missile-drill-momentarily-triggers-false-air-attack-alarm-at-ramstein-air-base-1.655241




MBDA Conducts First Firing of MMP Missile from Arquus Sabre Special Forces Vehicle

https://defpost.com/mbda-conducts-first-firing-of-mmp-missile-from-arquus-sabre-special-forces-vehicle/



Schiebel delivers additional four S-100 UAS to French Navy

https://defbrief.com/2020/12/14/schiebel-delivers-additional-four-s-100-uas-to-french-navy/









China’s Combative Nationalists See a World Turning Their Way

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/14/world/asia/china-nationalists-covid.html



China Inducts Black Hawk Comparable Chopper, Z-20 into Tibet Military Command

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28536/China_Inducts_Black_Hawk_Comparable_Chopper__Z_20_into_Tibet_Military_Command



Report estimates Chinese nuclear stockpile at 350 warheads

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2020/12/14/report-estimates-chinese-nuclear-stockpile-at-350-warheads/





S. Korea bans flying of leaflets toward N. Korea by balloon

https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-korea-legislation-moon-jae-in-23e329d4e25a8711be1a06859613a317










Murphy's Law: Kills The Rich And Powerfu

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20201214.aspx



U.S. cybersecurity agency issues rare advisory to 'power down' all servers compromised in massive hack

https://news.yahoo.com/u-cybersecurity-agency-issues-rare-085430695.html



As China Leads Quantum Computing Race, U.S. Spies Plan for a World with Fewer Secrets

https://www.newsweek.com/2020/12/25/china-leads-quantum-computing-race-us-spies-plan-world-fewer-secrets-1554439.html



Flight tests on TCTS II blended LVC air combat training system begin

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/flight-tests-on-tcts-ii-blended-lvc-air-combat-training-system-begin



Advances in supercomputing make DARPA confident about CRANE active flow control effort

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/advances-in-supercomputing-make-darpa-confident-about-crane-active-flow-control-effort



U.S. Navy Finally Includes Smaller, Cheaper Aircraft Carriers In Possible Fleet Mix

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/12/14/us-navy-finally-includes-smaller-cheaper-aircraft-carriers-in-possible-fleet-mix/