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383: In 48 Hours - IDF Destroys 70-80% of Assad Regime's Strategic Weapons + Poland PM: Russia - Ukraine Peace Talks This Winter + Dutch F-35s Intercept Russian Aircraft Near NATO Airspace + More Dec 11, 2024

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For review:
1. In 48 Hours - IDF Destroys 70-80% of Assad Regime's Strategic Weapons.
The airstrikes destroyed many long-range projectiles, Scud missiles, cruise missiles, coast-to-sea missiles, air defense missiles, fighter jets, helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars and more.
2. Poland PM: Russia - Ukraine Peace Talks This Winter.
Peace talks to end the war in Ukraine could begin this winter, Polish PM Donald Tusk said on Monday before holding talks with Volodymyr Zelensky in Warsaw.
3. Biden Administration pushes Ukraine to lower the Draft age to 18- to increase manpower for Ukraine's armed forces.
White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett in a statement said the administration will continue sending Ukraine weaponry but believes “manpower is the most vital need” Ukraine has at the moment.
4. Dutch F-35s Intercept Russian Aircraft Near NATO Airspace.
Amsterdam said the Russian systems involved in the first incident were an Antonov An-72 Coaler transport aircraft and a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer tactical bomber. The second report was received in the afternoon of the same day, this time with an Ilyushin Il-20M spy plane.
5. US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) reports successful intercept of ballistic missile during Guam test.
From MDA release: During the “experiment,” the Aegis air defense system used a new AN/TPY-6 radar to track the target and a Vertical Launching System to fire a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA at an incoming, air-launched medium-range ballistic missile flying over the ocean near Andersen Air Force Base (Guam).
6. Opinion Article from Defense Post (Mark Fulton) concerning artillery lessons- learned from Ukraine.
Summary:
As militaries around the world rethink their artillery strategies, the lessons from Ukraine make one thing clear: success lies not in having the most advanced equipment but in striking the right balance between simplicity, efficiency, and sustainability.

382: IDF Deploys into Buffer Zone with Syria & Controls Strategic Mount Hermon + IDF Strikes Syrian Military Hardware Following Collapse of Assad Regime + US Strikes ISIS Targets in Syria + More Dec 09, 2024

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For review:
1. IDF Deploys into Buffer Zone with Syria & Controls Strategic Mount Hermon.
On Sunday, the IDF captured the Syrian side of strategic Mount Hermon, along with a buffer zone that has existed between the countries since the 1970s. The 235-square-kilometer demilitarized buffer zone was established in the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria, which concluded the Yom Kippur War, and has been manned for decades by UN peacekeepers.
2. IDF Strikes Syrian Military Hardware Following Collapse of Assad Regime.
On Sunday, the IAF hit advanced missile storage sites, air defense systems, and planes, helicopters, and tanks that belonged to the Assad regime’s military.
On Monday, Israeli planes bombed at least three major Syrian army air bases that housed dozens of helicopters and jets.
3. US Strikes ISIS Targets in Syria.
US Central Command said that its warplanes conducted “dozens” of airstrikes on more than 75 sites, including known “ISIS leaders, operatives and camps.”
The attacks used B-52 bombers, F-15 fighters, and A-10 Warthogs.
4. Russia to provide warplanes to N. Korea in return for troop combat deployment.
US Indo-PACOM Commander (Admiral Samuel Paparo): Russia has reached an agreement with North Korea to send MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft to Pyongyang in return for that nation deploying soldiers to help with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
5. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes rare comment on troop causalities.
The Ukrainian President said that some 43,000 Ukrainian Soldiers have been killed and 370,000 injuries had been reported, since the war with Russia began in February 2022.
6. US Military pauses V-22 Osprey Fleet following near-accident at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.
The pause was recommended last week “out of an abundance of caution” by Vice Admiral Carl Chebi, the head of Naval Air Systems Command.

381: Qatar Returns as Mediator Between Israel & Hamas + Amid Fighting in Syria - IDF Reinforces Golan Heights + US Sec of Defense Announces $1 Billion in Security Aid to Ukraine + More Dec 07, 2024

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For review:
1. Qatar Returns as Mediator Between Israel & Hamas.
Unnamed source confirmed to The Times of Israel that Doha had quietly resumed its role as a mediator at the behest of officials from US President-elect Trump’s transition team.
2. Syrian rebel forces are closing in on the capital Damascus from the north, east, and south. CNN reported Saturday that the US was increasingly believing that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime could collapse within days.
3. Amid Fighting in Syria - IDF Reinforces Golan Heights.
IDF Chief of Staff (Lieutenant General Halevi): “We are very closely following what is happening. The main emphasis is to see the Iranian exit [from Syria]… and the second thing is to see the local elements taking over the area, what they are doing, how they behave, how they are deterred, and [making sure they] don’t get confused and turn in our direction."
4. US Sec of Defense Announces $1 billion in Security Aid to Ukraine.
This $988 million package will come from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which the US buys new equipment for Ukraine rather than shipping kit directly from American stocks.
5. BAE wins contract worth $2.5 billion to build CV90 Fighting Vehicles for Denmark and Sweden. Denmark has ordered 115 new CV9035 MkIIICs, and Sweden is acquiring 50 new vehicles.
6. The US House and Senate today released their compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act, with a $895.2 billion topline.

380: Egypt Proposals Hostage Deal to Hamas - Israel Open to Discuss + Israel Cautiously Observes Fighting in Syria + Latest US Assistance Package to Ukraine worth $725 Million + More Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Egypt Proposals Hostage Deal to Hamas - Israel Open to Discuss.
Reportedly, the proposal is not for an end to the war, but an extended ceasefire that will allow the elderly, children, women, ill and badly wounded hostages to be released.
2. Israel Cautiously Observes Fighting in Syria.
Statement from IDF: “The IDF will not allow a threat near the Syrian-Israeli border and will act to thwart any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
3. Argentina and Israel sign accord to increase defense ties.
The agreement will involve a focus on joint projects “in cyber defense, unmanned aerial vehicles, border protection, satellite communications, and future government-to-government (G2G) contracts in light arms, light munitions, radios, and related equipment.”
4. Latest US Assistance Package to Ukraine worth $725 Million.
Package includes air defense capabilities; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons.
5. Despite recent prospect of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a news outlet in an interview published Wednesday that Russia sees "no grounds for negotiations yet."
6. Australia down-selects two companies for development of general-purpose frigates- in program worth A$10 billion.
- Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS)
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
7. Australian leaning toward development of sovereign produced maritime mobile strike platform based upon Bushmaster system- equipped with two Naval Strike Missiles (StrikeMaster). The StrikeMaster is similar to the USMC- Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), which pairs Naval Strike Missiles with a modified unmanned Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
8. President-elect Donald Trump selects Daniel Driscoll as the nominative Secretary of the Army. Mr. Driscoll served in the Army and deployed to Iraq with the 10th Mountain Division as a Cavalry Scout platoon leader.
9. USAF kicks the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) can (Program) down the road for the next administration to solve.
USAF Statement: “The Secretary of the Air Force will defer the Next Generation Air Dominance way ahead decision to the next administration, while the Department of the Air Force continues its analysis and executes the necessary actions to ensure decision space remains intact for the NGAD program.”

379: Israel Alert for Iranian Weapon Transfers to Hezbollah + NATO Sec General Talks Ukraine Negotiations + US Army Autonomous Precision Strike Missile Variant + GAO Reports Poor Condition of US Navy Amphibious Fleet + More Dec 03, 2024

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For review:
1. Israel Alert for Iranian Weapon Transfers to Hezbollah.
The IDF on Monday said it would ensure Iran does not smuggle weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon as the Islamic Republic sends reinforcements to its ally Syrian President Bashar Assad to counter an ongoing rebel assault.
2. NATO Sec General Talks Ukraine Negotiations.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte: "The front is not moving eastwards. It is slowly moving westwards,” Rutte said. “So we have to make sure that Ukraine gets into a position of strength, and then it should be for the Ukrainian government to decide on the next steps, in terms of opening peace talks and how to conduct them.”
3. French-German defense form KNDS to get new CEO.
Formed in 2015, KNDS is a joint venture between France’s Nexter and Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMV), two of Europe’s largest land system manufacturers. The company makes the Leopard 2 main battle tank, Puma infantry fighting vehicle, and PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer (155mm).
4. US Army Autonomous Precision Strike Missile Variant.
The US Army is developing a fifth Precision Strike Missile (variant), that it could potentially launch from an autonomous launcher to hit targets beyond 1,000 km.
5. USMC 3d Marine Littoral Regiment (Hawaii) receives over an unspecified amount of Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems (NMESIS).
In 2021, the Marine Corps identified the procurement of 14 NMESIS batteries, composed of 18 launchers each. These unmanned launchers are equipped with two low-observable Naval Strike Missiles capable of reaching targets 185 kilometers away.
6. GAO Reports Poor Condition of US Navy Amphibious Fleet.
Half of the Navy ships the Marine Corps would use to make amphibious assaults are in “poor condition,” and some of the vessels have been unavailable for operational or training use for years at a time, according to a pointed new watchdog report.
7. Indo-PACOM Combatant Commander (US Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo) concerned of strategic, long-range weapon transfers outside of US arsenal.
“Inherently, it imposes costs on the readiness of America to respond in the Indo-Pacific region, which is the most stressing theater … because [China] is the most capable potential adversary in the world,” he stated.

378: Israel Plans for Northern Border Communities Return + Ukraine President Pushes for NATO Membership of Kyiv-controlled Territory before Peace Negotiations + Lithuania & Poland Invest in 155mm Munition Production + More Dec 01, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Israel Plans for Northern Border Communities Return.
Northern border residents will not be asked to return to their homes until February 1, 2025, despite the ceasefire. At that point, assuming the truce has been held, those who return immediately will receive a grant based on the size of their household.
2. Over Syria and Iraq, Israeli Air Force forces Iranian aircraft, with suspected arms for Hezbollah, to turnaround.
3. Ukraine President Pushes for NATO Membership of Kyiv-controlled Territory before Peace Negotiations.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country needed security guarantees from NATO and more weapons to defend itself before any talks with Russia.
4. From Associated Press: Ukrainian Army faces desertion problems, particularly in front-line combat Brigades.
5. Lithuania & Poland Invest in 155mm Munition Production.
- German defense giant Rheinmetall and Lithuania on Friday signed deals to begin construction of a $190-million ammunition plant to make artillery shells.
- Polish lawmakers have voted to allocate $740 million for investments in ramping up the country’s ammunition production capacities, with a particular focus on much-needed 155mm artillery shells.

377: US General to Beirut for Ceasefire Implementation + IDF Continues to Strike Hezbollah Targets in Syria + Hamas Ready for Negotiations with Israel + Russia & China Conduct Joint Bomber Flights Over Sea of Japan + More Nov 30, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. US General to Beirut for Ceasefire Implementation.
US CENTCOM announced that Major General Jasper Jeffers, Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), would oversee the implementation and monitoring mechanism of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, alongside his co-chair, US Mideast envoy Amos Hochstein.
2. IDF Continues to Strike Hezbollah Targets in Syria.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck military infrastructure in Syria near border crossings with Lebanon on Saturday, which the IDF said were being “actively” used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons.
3. Hamas Ready for Negotiations with Israel.
Hamas is displaying increased flexibility in long-stalled talks for an elusive ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip, and may agree to the IDF temporarily remaining on the Philadelphi Corridor.
4. Hezbollah will cooperate with Lebanese Armed Forces during Ceasefire Agreement with Israel.'
5. Russia strikes anti-government forces in Syria in response to attack on Aleppo.
“The Russian air force is carrying out rocket-bomb attacks on the equipment and manpower of illegal armed groups, control points, warehouses and artillery positions of terrorists,” news agencies reported a spokesperson for the defense ministry’s Reconciliation Centre for Syria as saying.
6. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss military cooperation.
7. Russia & China Conduct Joint Bomber Flights Over Sea of Japan.
Statement from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense:
“According to the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries, on Nov. 29, the two sides organized and implemented the ninth joint air strategic cruise in the relevant airspace of the Sea of Japan.”

376: IDF Strikes Hezbollah in S. Lebanon after Ceasefire Violation + President-elect Trump selects Retired Army General as Ukraine-Russia Envoy + Russian SU-27 Warplanes Intercept B-52H Bombers near Baltic Sea + More Nov 28, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. IDF Strikes Hezbollah in S. Lebanon after Ceasefire Violation.
IDF Fighter jets struck a Hezbollah facility, which was used to hold medium-range rockets, after identifying activity there.
2. Israel warns Syria of allowing weapons transfers from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces has said that amid the truce it would continue to act to prevent all weapon deliveries to the Lebanese terror group, including by striking shipments anywhere in Lebanon or Syria.
3. President-elect Trump selects Retired Army General as Ukraine-Russia Envoy.
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Keith Kellogg, a former national security adviser and retired lieutenant general in the US military, to be special envoy to Ukraine and Russia in his second administration.
4. Russian SU-27 Warplanes Intercept B-52H Bombers near Baltic Sea.
The B-52s were conducting a training flight when the Russian Su-27 fighters intercepted them near Kaliningrad. A US defense official said the interception was safe and professional, and the B-52s continued with their planned flight.
5. President-elect Trump selects businessman John Phelan as Nominative Secretary of the Navy.
If confirmed, Phelan would replace current Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who is expected to step down ahead of Trump’s inauguration.

375: Israel and Hezbollah Ceasefire to Begin at 0400 Local Time + Le Monde Report: France & UK Discuss Support for Ukraine + More Nov 26, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Israel and Hezbollah Ceasefire to Begin at 0400 Local Time.
Israeli PM Netanyahu said there were three reasons for accepting the ceasefire now. “The first is to focus on the Iranian threat, and I won’t elaborate,” he said.
The second was to allow troops to rest and to replenish weapon stores.
The third reason, he said, is to delink the northern and southern fronts and isolate Hamas."
2. Le Monde Report: France & UK Discuss Support for Ukraine.
3. Top defense leaders from Germany, France, the U.K, Poland, and Italy met in Berlin on Monday to discuss continuing support of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

374: Israel Agrees to US-backed Ceasefire in Lebanon (In Principle) + Russian President: Oreshnik Missile in Production + Finland Hosts Largest Ever NATO Artillery Exercise + US to Sign Basing Agreement with Fiji + More Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Israel Agrees to US-backed Ceasefire in Lebanon (In Principle).
2. Russian President (Vladimir Putin): Oreshnik Missile in Production.
The Russian President said that Moscow would carry out more tests of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile in “combat conditions- and the missile will be put into serial production.
3. Russia equips quad-copter drone with flamethrower payload to counter Ukrainian First Person View (FPV) drones.
4. US and Allies discuss cooperation between Russia, China, N. Korea, and Iran at the Halifax International Security Forum (Canada).
5. Finland Hosts NATO Artillery Exercise.
The 12-day military exercise (Exercise Dynamic Front 25) is considered the alliance’s largest-ever artillery exercise held in Europe, located in the Finnish Northern Lapland. The inaugural exercise in the series involved about 5,000 soldiers from 28 countries.
6. US to Sign Basing Agreement with Fiji.
The US is negotiating two separate deals:
- A status of forces agreement- allowing the stationing of US troops- either permanently or temporarily.
- an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA- that would allow the US to leave stores of military equipment on the island.
7. Pentagon and Boeing contracts for KC-46A Pegasus & P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
The Pentagon this week awarded Boeing a pair of separate contracts for 15 x KC-46A Pegasus tankers and 7 x P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, deals that are collectively worth more than $4 billion.

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