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369: During 26 October Strike - Israel Hit Undeclared Iranian Nuclear Site + German Chancellor & Russian President Speak by Phone + US Navy Sub Launched Nuclear Cruise Missile Effort + More Nov 16, 2024

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For review:
1. During 26 October Strike - Israel Hit Undeclared Iranian Nuclear Site.
The Israeli strike on Parchin, destroyed sophisticated equipment used to design the explosives that could surround uranium in a nuclear device, significantly damaging Iran’s efforts to resume its nuclear weapons research.
2. As IDF continues attacks in Beirut and Southern Lebanon, Iran signal support for ceasefire deal. Senior Advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader (Ari Larijani) said Friday- that it (Iran) would support any decision taken by the Lebanese government and Lebanon’s “resistance” in current talks on a ceasefire.
3. Ukrainian President Zelensky said that the war with Russia will “end sooner” than it otherwise would have done once Donald Trump becomes US president next year.
4. German Chancellor & Russian President Speak by Phone.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have spoken directly for the first time since 2022. The Kremlin said that despite differences of the two leaders, the dialogue was "extremely positive".
5. Turkey to (possibly) procure 40 x Eurofighter Typhoon Jets from Germany.
Turkey's Defense Minister (Yasar Guler) “We will acquire 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Germany had been reluctant for a long time, but with the constructive contributions of our NATO allies Italy, the UK, and Spain, they finally gave a positive response.” The German Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment (to Breaking Defense).
6. Croatia to procure 6 x Bayraktar TB2 UAVs (Turkey) in deal worth $95 million.
The six aircraft will be equipped with electro-optical cameras for reconnaissance, an initial set of weapons, and have double radio coverage of the entire territory of Croatia in the stationary and mobile version.
7. Taiwan receives ATACMS and HIMARS systems from US.
The systems have been delivered to the 58th Artillery Command of the 10th Army Corps in Taichung.
8. US Navy Sub Launched Nuclear Cruise Missile Effort.
The Sea-Launched Cruise Missile – Nuclear (SLCM-N) was first initiated by the Trump administration. The Biden administration attempted to cancel the program but was overruled by Congress. President-elect Trump’s return will likely fuel the effort.

368: International Atomic Energy Agency Chief in Iran + Russia Open to Peace Negotiations Under Pres-Elect Trump Initiation + US Navy & USMC Missile Contract with Kongsberg + US-Canada-Finland Icebreaker Effort + More Nov 14, 2024

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For review:
1. International Atomic Energy Agency Chief in Iran.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi traveled to Tehran on Wednesday, to negotiate with the country’s top nuclear and political officials, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
2. Israeli Official (unnamed) denies Washington Post report concerning efforts to secure ceasefire in Lebanon as a "gift" to the incoming Trump administration (in January 2025).
3. Russia Open to Peace Negotiations Under Pres-Elect Trump Initiation.
Russia is open to negotiations on an end to the Ukraine war if initiated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, but any talks need to be based on the realities of Russian advances, Moscow's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva (Gennady Gatilov), told reporters on Thursday.
4. US Navy & USMC Missile Contract with Kongsberg.
The company will provide its Naval Strike Missile, which is being installed on the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships and Constellation-class frigates, and for the USMC Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS).
5. Latvia selects the Ascod Infantry Fighting Vehicle (tracked).
Though the number of vehicles is not disclosed, the estimated worth is $265 million.
6. Australia down-selects to two vendors for a competition to build 11 x frigates to replace the aging ANZAC-class ships. The two vendors are Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).
7. US-Canada-Finland Icebreaker Effort.
American, Canadian and Finish officials committed to the joint development, construction and maintenance of polar icebreakers with the signing of the Icebreaker Collaborative Effort (ICE) Pact.
8. The USAF Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program continues progress.
Two vendors- Anduril and General Atomics have completed Critical Design Review for their respective offerings: Anduril Fury and General Atomics Gambit.
The CCA effort aims to initially field roughly 1,000 of the drone wingmen that are expected to fly and fight alongside USAF aircraft.

367: Israel's New Submarine + Iran to Increase Defense Budget by 200% + President-Elect Trump Picks New Secretary of Defense + More Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Israel's New Submarine.
The Israeli Navy announced on Tuesday the name of its sixth submarines, dubbed “the Dragon”, in a ceremony in Germany with the naval vessel expected to be delivered to Israel later in 2025.
2. Israeli President Isaac Hertzog presents gift to US President Biden, on what is most likely, the last official visit by a Senior Israeli Official before his term ends in January 2025.
President Hertzog presented President Biden with a gift, an archaeological finding from the foot of the Temple Mount inscribed with the name “Joseph,” an apparent reference to the Biblical figure.
3. Iran to Increase Defense Budget by 200%.
The Iranian government plans to triple its military budget for the upcoming year amid an unprecedented escalation in attacks exchanged with Israel in recent months. Previously, Iran’s military budget was reportedly $10.3 billion, significantly lower than those of regional power such as Saudi Arabia, with approximately $70 billion.
4. President-Elect Trump Picks New Secretary of Defense and other key National Security Posts.
- Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth
- National Security Advisor: Mike Walz
- Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
- Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: John Ratcliffe
5. UK, Italy, and Japan continue forward in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) effort.
Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, RAF Chief of the Air Staff: “GCAP is very deliberately being designed to complement and enhance the capabilities of F-35, not replace it, but we also know that even a force of F-35 and GCAP will need to be augmented by what we call Autonomous Collaborative Platforms [ACPs] to defeat the threats that we see emerging.” (The acquisition of ACPs to sit alongside GCAP and F-35 jets as a way of increasing combat mass and allow crewed platforms to be less vulnerable to attack.)
6. Italian company Iveco joins Leonardo and Rheinmetall to develop combat vehicles (Infantry Fighting Vehicles and Main Battle Tanks).
Iveco said it would be looking to offer its capabilities in “advanced propulsion and drivetrain systems.

366: US Strikes Iranian-backed Groups in Syria + IDF Frontier Construction Along Alpha Line with Syria + US Army to Build Domestic TNT Plant + US SPACECOM HQ Back to Redstone in 2025? + More Nov 11, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. US & UK strike Houthi targets in in Yemen.
The Houthi-run Al Masirah television network reported three American and British raids that targeted the capital Sanaa’s southern Al Sabeen district.
2. US Strikes Iranian-backed Groups in Syria.
US CENTCOM forces attacked nine targets in two locations in Syria in response to several attacks on US personnel in Syria over the last 24 hours.
3. IDF Frontier Construction Along Alpha Line with Syria.
While Israel has not acknowledged the construction, it sent a 71-page letter in June to the UN outlining what it described as “Syrian violations of the Alpha Line and armed presence in the area of separation (that) occur daily.”
4. Washington Post reported (on Sunday), that President-elect Trump held a phone call with Russian President Putin (on Thursday).
A Kremlin spokesperson said the reports were "pure fiction", while Trump's team told the BBC that it would not comment on the president-elect's "private calls".
5. NATO's Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems (JCGMUS) will deliver and test an anti-submarine warfare barrier project demonstrator, at the September 2025 experiment in Portugal. The project involves 12 other countries, including Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the U.S., Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Australia.
6. Sweden selects Embraer C-390 (Brazil) transport aircraft to replace 6 x C-130Hs. Sweden joins Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands and Portugal as European operators of the C-390 Millennium.
7. US Army to Build Domestic TNT Plant in Graham, Kentucky.
“For the first time in decades, America will produce TNT on its own soil, manufacturing the explosive material our military uses for everything from hand grenades to 155mm artillery,” outgoing Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY).
8. US SPACECOM HQ Back to Redstone in 2025?
Space watchers say the odds are high that President-elect Donald Trump will redirect US Space Command headquarters to Huntsville, Ala., once he is in office — reversing the July 2023 decision by President Joe Biden to keep the command based in Colorado Springs, CO.
In January 2021, then President Trump decided on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL as US SPACECOM’s home just before he left the Oval Office.

365: From US Formal Request: Qatar Directs Hamas to Leave Doha + US to Allow American Contractors to Operate in Ukraine + Switzerland Selects RCH 155mm Mobile Artillery System + More Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Newly appointed Israeli Defense Minister (Israel Katz) conducts first phone call with American counterpart- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
2. From US Formal Request: Qatar Directs Hamas to Leave Doha.
Qatar told Hamas that it must close its diplomatic office in Doha roughly ten days ago following a request by the US, senior Biden administration officials tell The Times of Israel. Qatar has hosted Hamas officials in Doha since 2012, amid requests from successive US administrations who felt it was important to have a communication channel with the terror group.
3. US to Allow American Contractors to Operate in Ukraine.
The Biden administration has lifted a ban on American military contractors deploying to Ukraine to help the country’s military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems, particularly F16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems.
4. Saab (Sweden) develops "Autonomous Ocean Core" program.
Integration of this software enables surface and subsurface watercraft to function autonomously on various maritime missions, such as mine detection and clearance, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and rescue missions in remote locations.
5. Switzerland Selects RCH 155mm Mobile Artillery System.
The RCH 155 combines the firepower and the range of the operational PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer with an automated and remotely controlled gun module.
Increased automation also reduces the crew size to two (driver/operator, commander), which in turn enables a quick “shoot and scoot” capability.
6. US Navy extends life of 3 x Cruisers and 12 Destroyers.
- The Cruisers: USS Gettysburg (CG-64), USS Chosin (CG-65), and USS Cape St. George (CG-71) will now remain in service up until fiscal year 2029, rather than 2026.
- The Arleigh Burke Flight I Guided-Missile Destroyers:
One Year: USS Carney (DDG-64) and USS Stethem (DDG-63) will receive one-year extensions.
Three Years: USS Barry (DDG-52) USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) will each get extended three years.
Five Years: USS Gonzalez (DDG-66), USS Cole (DDG-67), USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54), USS Laboon (DDG-58), USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) and USS Stout (DDG-55) will each get extended for five years.

364: Squadron of F-15 Strike Eagles Arrive in US CENTCOM AOR + Israel to Procure 25 x F-15IA Warplanes from US + US Test Launches Minuteman III ICBM on Election Night + More Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. IDF conducts airstrikes north of the Litani River, targeting rocket launch sites.
2. Squadron of F-15 Strike Eagles Arrive in US CENTCOM AOR.
3. Israel to Procure 25 x F-15IA Warplanes from US.
The Israel Ministry of Defense has signed what it called a “landmark transaction” to acquire 25 more F-15 fighter aircraft in a deal worth $5.2 billion. The warplanes will be delivered beginning in 2031, and it will take around five years for them all to arrive.
4. Romania to purchase 44 x USMC Amphibious Assault Vehicles from US in deal worth $210 million.
5. Australian Officials are confident in secure AUKUS deal with new US President Elect Donald Trump. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles: "AUKUS is in the strategic benefit and interest of Australia, the United States and the UK. That’s the fundamental point here.”
6. US Test Launches Minuteman III ICBM on Election Night.
The ICBM was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at about 11 p.m. Pacific time. It then flew about 4,200 miles, at roughly 15,000 miles per hour, to a ballistic missile test site in the Marshall Islands’ Kwajalein Atoll. Airmen from the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron from Offutt Air Force Base in Nevada launched the missile using an airborne launch control system aboard a Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft. The U.S. has about 400 nuclear-armed Minuteman III missiles based in 450 silos across Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska.
7. US Army Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) fuselages to be built in Wichita, Kansas. Bell will use an existing facility near Textron Aviation Defense and plans to start work there “in the next several months,” according to a statement.
8. US Army has successful test (White Sands Missile Range, NM), integrating both the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) and the Raytheon-developed Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radar.
9. USMC Purchases Fire Control System for Crew Served Weapons.
The fire control system utilizes an integrated laser rangefinder and ballistic computer to provide enhanced accuracy, eliminating targeting errors such as range estimation and terrain angle.

363: Israel PM Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Gallant + AP Report: N. Korean Troops in Combat with Ukraine Forces + France to Send Loitering Munitions to Ukraine + More Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Lebanon Army conducts probe concerning Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit raid.
A Lebanese judicial official said that the probe had found that operatives from the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit entered Lebanese waters in a speedboat equipped with radar-jamming devices that evaded detection by Lebanon’s and UNIFIL’s naval radars during the raid in Batroun, south of Tripoli, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon.
2. Israel PM Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Gallant.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday evening, citing a lack of mutual trust during a time of war as his reason for doing so. He (PM Netanyahu) said that the two disagreed on the management of the war, and that Gallant had made statements and taken actions that contradicted cabinet decisions.
3. AP Report: N. Korean Troops in Combat with Ukraine Forces.
Ukrainian and North Korean troops engaged in “small-scale” fighting, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS in an interview.
4. France to field unmanned naval surface vessel.
The drone, dubbed Seaquest (needs better name) and measuring approximately 30 feet long and 10 feet wide, and can be equipped with payloads focusing on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting.
5. France to Send Loitering Munitions to Ukraine.
The OSKAR (Opportunity Strike Kinetics Aircraft Ruggedized) platform integrates a 2.3 kilogram (5 pound) warhead and can fly for up to 45 minutes. The system is back-packable and is designed to strike fixed targets, light vehicles and personnel.
6. Netherlands to procure 12 x H225M Caracal helicopters for Special Operations Forces.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence announced that a new unit, (300 Special Operations Squadron) based in the southern Netherlands, had been formally stood up to support the future rotary fleet.
7. Possible US Foreign Military Sale to S. Korea for 4 x Boeing E-7 Wedgetail surveillance and early warning aircraft.

362: Hamas Rejects Egyptian Offer for Short-term Ceasefire + Update on Czech Republic Effort to Obtain Cannon Artillery Ammo for Ukraine + US Foreign Military Sale of F-16s to Argentina Worth $941 Million + More Nov 04, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. IDF Strikes Hezbollah targets in Syria.
In a rare acknowledgment, the IDF confirmed launching airstrikes in Syria on Monday, targeting what it said were infrastructure and assets of Hezbollah’s intelligence division.
2. Hamas Rejects Egyptian Offer for Short-term Ceasefire.
The Egyptian proposal envisioned a 12-day ceasefire during which Hamas would agree to release four hostages and the sides would hold talks about a permanent ceasefire.
3. Update on Czech Republic Effort to Obtain Cannon Artillery Ammo for Ukraine.
Seven months into the Czech initiative, problems have surfaced, particularly regarding the concealment of shell imports and verifying their technical reliability.
4. USAF to send bomber task force to Europe.
Details about the deployment are scant. USAF declined to say what type of and how many bombers would make up the task force, when they would arrive in Europe, and where they would be stationed. The deployment has been “long-planned,” the USAF said.
5. Latest variant of the famous Exocet Missiles unveiled.
Named the SM40, submarine-launched missile is designed to strike heavily protected naval vessels and other strategic targets.
6. Pakistan to purchase 100 x MRAPs from Thailand.
Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thai government to procure 100 x First Win Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The First Win system is currently employed across the Malaysian Army, the Indonesian Army, and other UN peacekeeping missions in the Eastern Himalayas.
7. US Foreign Military Sale of 34 x F-16s to Argentina is Worth $941 Million.
The package also includes Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, general-purpose bombs, and components for laser-guided weapons.

361: Israeli Commando Raid in Northern Lebanon + US Security Assistance Package to Ukraine Worth $425 Million - Includes 200 Stryker Combat Vehicles + India Procures US-Built MQ-9B Drones + More Nov 03, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. US CENTCOM Release:
- US Forces assigned to CENTCOM strike ISIS camps in Syria resulting in 35 operatives killed.
- B-52 Stratofortress Bombers arrive in CENTCOM AOR from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota from the 5th Bomb Wing.
2. Israeli Commando Raid in Northern Lebanon.
According Al-Akhbar report, operatives from the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit captured suspected Hezbollah Naval Official, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon.
3. IDF captures Syrian man conducting surveillance for Iran.
Israeli commandos recently carried out a raid in southern Syria where they captured a Syrian man who was allegedly carrying surveillance operations on the border on behalf of Iran. The raid in Syria was carried by the Egoz commando unit, along with field interrogators of the Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504.
4. Iran President (Masoud Pezeshkian) says that a ceasefire between Israel and Iranian allies- "could affect the intensity" of retaliation.
5. On the border with Lebanon, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu: "with or without an agreement” with Lebanon, restoring security in the north and returning residents to their homes requires pushing Hezbollah north of the Litani River, preventing the terror group from rearming and responding to any activity against Israel.
6. Axios Report: US tells Iran (through Switzerland), "We won’t be able to hold Israel back, and we won’t be able to make sure that the next attack will be calibrated and targeted as the previous one.”
7. US Security Assistance Package to Ukraine Worth $425 Million - Includes 200 Stryker Combat Vehicles.
8. Lithuania provides new military assistance package to Ukraine- including electricity generators, ammunition, and mortar rounds. The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said that the equipment is expected to reach Kyiv this week. Lithuania has already donated 155 mm ammunition, M113 armored personnel carriers, anti-drone systems, and drones this year.
9. North Korea's Foreign Minister visits Moscow.
NK FM Choe Son Hui: “We will always stand firmly by our Russian comrades until victory day,” Choe declared in Moscow after talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
10. India Procures 31 x US-Built MQ-9B Drones in deal worth $3.8 billion.
11. India to develop attack submarine fleet.
India is now working on a new class of attack submarines (SSN) after the government approved US$4.8 billion for the construction of an initial two 6,000-ton boats, and that an eventual six SSNs in this class are planned for the Indian Navy.

360: US Sends B-52s to CENTCOM AOR + Iran Supreme Leader Orders Retaliation Attack on Israel + Ukraine President: "Zero Reaction" Concerning N. Korean Troops in Kursk + More Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. US Sends B-52s to CENTCOM AOR.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending additional bomber aircraft and Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster presence in the region, as an aircraft carrier and its warships are preparing to leave.
2. US and Israeli Officials continue discussions on ceasefire plans in Lebanon.
A US official told The Times of Israel that US special envoy Amos Hochstein and White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk’s meetings with top Israeli officials in Jerusalem on Thursday were “substantive and constructive."
3. Iran Supreme Leader Orders Retaliation Attack on Israel.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ordered plans be drawn up by his Supreme National Security Council, after being briefed on the extent of the damage from the Israeli strikes.
4. Ukraine President: "Zero Reaction" Concerning N. Korean Troops in Kursk.
Regarding the reaction to the deployment of North Korean troops, Zelensky said, "Putin is checking the reaction of the West ... And I believe that after all these reactions, Putin will decide and increase the contingent ... The reaction that is there today is nothing, it is zero."
5. Turkey and Indonesia collaborate on Armored Personnel Carrier.
Manufacturing is set to begin in 2025. Deliveries are expected by the end of 2026, with the timing dictated by the Indonesian Army’s specific needs.
6. Japan launches amphibious warship planned for Maritime Unit.
The JS Nihonbare (LCU-4151) is an amphibious vessel that can transport a dozen vehicles or containers at speeds of 15.5 knots.
7. Taiwan to procure loitering munitions from the US in deal worth $360 million.
The US State Department approved the sale of 291 x Altius 600M-V and 720 x Switchblade 300 loitering munitions

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