Af/Pak & Other News (3/23/2021)

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Delivery progress Afghan Air Force Super Tucanos

https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/delivery-progress-afghan-air-force-super-tucanos



Top U.S. General In Afghanistan Is Carrying A Heavily-Modified Glock With A Compensator Attached

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39894/top-u-s-general-in-afghanistan-is-carrying-a-heavily-modified-glock-with-a-compensator-attached



Tensions mount between Afghan government, powerful warlord

https://apnews.com/article/kabul-afghanistan-taliban-e8545f3c419a0a10a5df66b9cb9846f9



Rejecting U.S. peace plan, Afghan president to offer election in six months

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-peace-exclusive/exclusive-rejecting-u-s-peace-plan-afghan-president-to-offer-election-in-six-months-idUSKBN2BF1C7



Foes in Afghan War See a Common Threat of Islamic State’s Return

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/world/asia/islamic-state-afghanistan.html



Why veterans like me want to stay in Afghanistan a little longer

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/why-veterans-like-me-want-to-stay-in-afghanistan-a-little-longer/ar-BB1eQTiT









Mysterious Ship In Iranian Shipyard Is Likely IRGC’s New Flagship

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/03/mysterious-ship-in-iranian-shipyard-is-likely-irgcs-new-flagship/









Coalition Aircraft Batter ISIS with 133 Airstrikes in Iraq

https://www.airforcemag.com/coalition-aircraft-batter-isis-with-133-airstrikes-in-iraq/



Typhoon jets bomb 7 caves in Iraq

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/typhoon-jets-bomb-7-caves-in-iraq/



Iraq requests new round of talks with US over troop presence

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-iraq-baghdad-40902d7548ac504a497a8863fc09111f









Saudis Seek U.S. Help to Thwart Rising Attacks on Oil Sites

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/saudis-seek-us-help-to-thwart-rising-attacks-on-oil-sites/ar-BB1ePfPw



Top Saudi official issued death threat against UN's Khashoggi investigator

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/23/top-saudi-official-issued-death-threat-against-uns-khashoggi-investigator




Turkey arrests 150 in military probe over Gulen links: Anadolu

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-gulen/turkey-arrests-150-in-military-probe-over-gulen-links-anadolu-idUSKBN2BF0N2









UN official: Airstrikes on NW Syria border area worrying

https://apnews.com/article/world-news-turkey-strikes-syria-russia-a1deecc4d16c53d5e0774591f8a6164a



Turkey and Russia escalate standoff in Syria

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









IDF accidentally reveals location of secret bases online; The map was detailed enough to include boundaries and names of the bases.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/idf-accidentally-reveals-location-of-secret-bases-online-662933



Palestinians Funneled Hundreds of Millions to Terrorists, State Dept Report Reveals

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/palestinians-funneled-hundreds-millions-terrorists-state-dept-report-reveals/



Israel’s Seagull USV Gets New Vision and Analysis Capability

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29193/Israel___s_Seagull_USV_Gets_New_Vision_and_Analysis_Capability









ISIS in Sinai leader killed in clash with Egyptian forces - report

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/isis-in-sinai-leader-killed-in-clash-with-egyptian-forces-report-662927




Russian Air Force MiG-29s and the Libya connection

https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/russian-air-force-mig-29s-and-the-libya-connection




Ethiopia's PM Abiy admits Eritrean forces are in Tigray

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210323-ethiopia-s-pm-abiy-admits-eritrean-forces-are-in-tigray-1




Niger govt confirms 137 dead in village attacks near Mali

https://apnews.com/article/niger-government-confirms-137-dead-village-attacks-f7d9fcb137a2a90ec3dca5ddcd9600a3




Islamic State kills hundreds in massacres across the Sahel

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/03/islamic-state-kills-hundreds-in-massacres-across-the-sahel.php




German P-3C Orion MPRA exits Horn of Africa after 13 years of fighting pirates

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/03/german-p-3c-orion-mpra-exits-horn-of-africa-after-13-years-of-fighting-pirates









Ukraine to License-Build US Helicopters for Its Armed Forces

https://jamestown.org/program/ukraine-to-license-build-us-helicopters-for-its-armed-forces/



Ejection Seats Activation During Preflight Operations On Russian Tu-22M3 Bomber Kills Three Crew Members

https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/23/ejection-seats-activation-during-preflight-operations-on-russian-tu-22m3-bomber-kills-three-crew-members/



All New Russian Aircraft to be presented at MAKS-2021

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29196/All_New_Russian_Aircraft_to_be_presented_at_MAKS_2021



Russian military integrates Orlan-10 and Takhion UAVs with Msta-B howitzers

https://airrecognition.com/index.php/news/defense-aviation-news/2021/march/7091-russian-military-integrates-orlan-10-and-takhion-uavs-with-msta-b-howitzers.html



Armata: Russia Most Powerful Tank Yet Will Soon Be on Display

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/armata-russia-most-powerful-tank-yet-will-soon-be-on-display/




Norwegian Officials: Russian Arctic Expansion Making Security Landscape ‘Difficult’

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/22/norwegian-officials-russian-arctic-expansion-making-security-landscape-difficult



Norway to buy four submarines from German Thyssenkrupp

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2021/march/9872-norway-to-buy-four-submarines-from-german-thyssenkrupp.html




Italians Are Trying to Figure Out Why a Tank Blew Up 50 Chickens

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjp7vv/italians-are-trying-to-figure-out-why-a-tank-blew-up-50-chickens




Germany shelves new anti-missile weapon and turns to drone defense

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/03/23/germany-shelves-new-anti-missile-weapon-and-turns-to-drone-defense/




The UK’s Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/the-uk-s-integrated-review-and-defence-command-paper



UK looking at ’60 and then maybe up to 80′ F-35B jets

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-looking-at-60-maybe-up-to-around-80-f-35b-jets/



New British plan looks to boost F-35 numbers, but is it still aiming for 138?

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/03/23/new-british-plan-looks-to-boost-f-35-numbers-but-is-it-still-aiming-for-138/



Marshall expects strong demand for surplus UK Hercules

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/marshall-expects-strong-demand-for-surplus-uk-hercules/143003.article



The future Multi Role Support Ships

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/the-future-multi-role-support-ships/



The Type 32 Frigate – What do we know?

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/the-type-32-frigate-what-do-we-know/



UK to develop new class of nuclear submarine

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-to-develop-new-class-of-nuclear-submarine/









China’s J-20 Stealth Fighter Has a Serious Problem

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/chinas-j-20-stealth-fighter-has-a-serious-problem/



Why the US should care about the China-India 'blackout war'

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/543835-why-the-us-should-care-about-the-china-india-blackout-war



China cracks down on online military posts

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/03/23/china-cracks-down-on-online-military-posts/



Did An RC-135 Spy Plane Really Make An Unprecedented Run At Chinese Airspace Near Taiwan?

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39890/did-an-rc-135-spy-plane-really-make-an-unprecedented-run-at-chinese-airspace-near-taiwan





Radio recording of Taiwan F-5 pilot calling ATC to activate search-and-rescue

http://alert5.com/2021/03/23/radio-recording-of-taiwan-f-5-pilot-calling-atc-to-activate-search-and-rescue/



Taiwan to fit Martin Baker Mk16 ejection seats on F-5

http://alert5.com/2021/03/23/taiwan-to-fit-martin-baker-mk16-ejection-seats-on-f-5/




Taiwan’ submarine project making progress following U.S. greenlight for key equipment supply

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/03/taiwan-submarine-project-making-progress-following-u-s-greenlight-for-key-equipment-supply/





Myanmar: This Is The Way

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/india/articles/20210323.aspx





Singapore: Arrow: The World’s First Mach 2.1 Supersonic Unmanned Combat Drone

https://fighterjetsworld.com/air/arrow-the-worlds-first-mach-2-1-supersonic-unmanned-combat-drone/24890/





Philippines must protest over Beijing’s ‘little blue men’ or waive South China Sea claims, Rodrigo Duterte’s government told

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3126490/philippines-must-protest-over-beijings-little-blue-men-or-waive



Philippines mulls next move as Chinese 'fishing fleet' lingers in nearby waters

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/03/23/Philippines-China-fishing-fleet-dispute-Philippines/7751616513074/





The North Korean Grift

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20210323.aspx











Thanks to Trump-era covid relief bill, a UFO report may soon be public — and it’ll be big, ex-official says

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/03/23/ufo-report-covid-bill/



This Rare Area 51 Footage Was Recently Removed by the CIA

https://thedebrief.org/this-area-51-footage-released-by-the-cia-has-now-been-removed-by-the-agency/



The 'border-industrial complex' is bigger than Trump or Biden, and it thrives on crisis

https://www.businessinsider.com/border-industrial-complex-bigger-than-trump-biden-thrives-on-crisis-2021-3



HASC Lawmaker Endorses Aegis Ashore for Guam

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/3/22/just-in-lawmaker-endorses-aegis-ashore-for-guam



US Marine Corps fires another commander over the assault amphibious vehicle accident that killed 9 troops

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-marine-corps-fires-another-131554568.html



Portable nuclear reactor project moves forward at Pentagon

https://www.defensenews.com/smr/energy-and-environment/2021/03/23/portable-nuclear-reactor-project-moves-forward-at-pentagon/



Whether Cold Fusion or Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions, U.S. Navy Researchers Reopen Case

https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/energy/nuclear/cold-fusion-or-low-energy-nuclear-reactions-us-navy-researchers-reopen-case



GAO: DoD should better coordinate hypersonic weapons programs

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/03/22/gao-DoD-hypersonic-report/5091616442424/



AI-Controlled F-16s Are Now Working As A Team In DARPA's Virtual Dogfights

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39899/darpa-now-has-ai-controlled-f-16s-working-as-a-team-in-virtual-dogfights



F-16XL: The Super Fighter the U.S. Air Force Passed On

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/03/f-16xl-the-super-fighter-the-u-s-air-force-passed-on/



SEAKR eyes next phases of Blackjack space avionics project for communications and surveillance networking

https://www.intelligent-aerospace.com/satcom/article/14199582/seakr-blackjack-pit-boss-darpa



Lockheed Martin Unveils Land, Sea, and Air Launchable Counter-Drone System

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/03/23/lockheed-martin-morfius-c-drone-system/



Marines Test Javelin Missile Teams In Rubber Rafts "Like Somali Pirates, But Better Armed"

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39865/marines-test-javelin-missile-teams-in-rubber-rafts-like-somali-pirates-but-better-armed



L3Harris to supply Viper Shield for international F-16 customers

http://alert5.com/2021/03/23/l3harris-to-supply-viper-shield-for-international-f-16-customers/



F-35 Procurement Could Be Swayed by Robo-Jets

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/3/23/f-35-procurement-could-be-swayed-by-robo-jets



F-35 program moves too slowly in deploying software, says government watchdog

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/03/23/f-35-program-not-moving-quick-enough-to-get-software-out-on-time-congressional-watchdog-finds/



US Navy recovers helicopter from 5,8 km below surface, setting new record

https://defbrief.com/2021/03/23/us-navy-recovers-helicopter-from-58-km-below-surface-setting-new-record/



Carrier Woes: The Navy’s fighters can’t reach China

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/fighter-fuel-range-is-the-biggest-threat-to-americas-navy-in-the-21st-century/



Zumwalt Destroyer Will Control Unmanned Ships, Aircraft in Upcoming Fleet Battle Problem

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/22/zumwalt-destroyer-will-control-unmanned-ships-aircraft-in-upcoming-fleet-battle-problem