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Border Incursion, Flashpoints, Military, Resources, Strategic Interests May 17, 2012

Energy Engagement: Turkish warplanes intercept Israeli jet violating Turkish Cyprus airspace

Energy Engagement: Turkish warplanes intercept Israeli jet violating Turkish Cyprus airspace

TURKEY accused Israel on Thursday of violating the airspace of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus in a controversial oil and gas exploration area.

The Israeli aircraft “violated” the northern Cyprus’s airspace five times in Monday’s incident which saw Turkish fighter jets chase out the intruder, the army command said in a statement.

The airspace violations reportedly occured between 11:05 a.m. and 12:49 p. m., and lasted a total of eigth minutes.

It gave no other details about the incident nor the type of Israeli plane involved in the alleged incursion over the breakaway statelet, which is recognized only by Ankara.

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Conflict, Development, Flashpoints, Military, Policy, Risks May 17, 2012

Plans to strike Iran “ready”, says U.S. Israel envoy

Plans to strike Iran “ready”, says U.S. Israel envoy

U.S. plans for a possible military strike on Iran are ready and the option is “fully available”, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said, days before Tehran resumes talks with world powers which suspect it of seeking to develop nuclear arms.

Like Israel, the United States has said it considers military force a last resort to prevent Iran using its uranium enrichment to make a bomb. Iran insists its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes.

“It would be preferable to resolve this diplomatically and through the use of pressure than to use military force,” Ambassador Dan Shapiro said in remarks about Iran aired by Israel’s Army Radio on Thursday.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, News May 16, 2012

Lebanese army deploys in Tripoli areas hit by fighting

Lebanese army deploys in Tripoli areas hit by fighting

The Lebanese army deployed Tuesday in sectors of Tripoli affected by clashes, calming the area after three days of sectarian fighting that killed nine people, an AFP correspondent said.

Troops entered Syria Street, the frontline of fighting between the districts of Bab el-Tebbaneh, and Jabal Mohsen, at around 6:00 am (0300 GMT).

Bab al-Tebbaneh sits opposite Jabal Mohsen, where the majority of residents are supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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CyberOps, Development, Military May 15, 2012

8,000 contractors said eligible for U.S. cyber guard

8,000 contractors said eligible for U.S. cyber guard

Up to 8,000 companies doing business with the Pentagon may be qualified to join a newly expanded U.S. effort to guard sensitive information on private networks, a senior Defense Department official said Monday.

The Pentagon on Friday invited all of its eligible contractors to join the voluntary pact aimed at fighting what U.S. officials have described as growing cyber threats that allegedly originate, above all, in Russia and China.

The Defense Department will provide intelligence-derived information on malicious Internet traffic to the companies; the firms are to share information on any cyber penetrations of their networks with the government.

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Military, News, Strategic Interests May 15, 2012

China military paper warns officers against ‘Western’ plotting

China military paper warns officers against ‘Western’ plotting

China’s top military newspaper warned officers on Tuesday to remain the ruling Communist Party’s “most loyal” defenders in the face of what it called Western plotting, describing recent cases of ill-discipline and corruption as a “profound warning”.

The commentary in the Liberation Army Daily did not specify what problems might have prompted the unusually blunt warning over laxity, waste and abuses in the Chinese military, but the Communist Party is wrestling with scandals ahead of a power succession later this year.

Its leaders appear determined to ensure that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) remains the ultimate shield of their authority.

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Conflict, Development, Military, Systemic Abuse, War Crimes May 14, 2012

U.S. Still Grappling with Human Trafficking by War Zone Contractors

U.S. Still Grappling with Human Trafficking by War Zone Contractors

Congressional hearings and recently-introduced legislation have put the spotlight on the issue of U.S. taxpayer-funded labor trafficking, and the abuse of third-country nationals overseas by U.S. military contractors. One of the leading associations of U.S. overseas contractors has devoted the latest issue of its journal to the topic of trafficking – a sign that the contractor community is well-acquainted with the topic.

“The U.S. Congress’s newfound interest in addressing the problem of labor trafficking is certainly welcome, given that the issue has long plagued U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq,” writes Doug Brooks, president of the International Stability Operations Association, in the May/June issue of its Journal of International Peace Operations.

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Development, Military, News May 13, 2012

Britain to deploy ‘sonic cannon’ at Olympics

Britain to deploy ‘sonic cannon’ at Olympics

Britain’s military will be armed with a sonic device that can be used as a high-volume loudspeaker or a non-lethal weapon to disperse crowds at this summer’s Olympic Games in London, the defense ministry said on Friday.

The equipment, which can project a piercing sound over hundreds of meters causing physical pain, has been used during protests at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh in 2009 and against pirates operating off the Somali coast.

The Ministry of Defense said it expected to use it primarily in loudspeaker mode to communicate with boats it wants to stop on the River Thames.

Defense chiefs have already caused controversy by announcing plans to put surface-to-air missiles on the top of residential buildings near the Olympics site in east London.

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Crisis, Development, Integration, Military May 12, 2012

Turkey: NATO Article 5 still at play in Syrian crisis

Turkey: NATO Article 5 still at play in Syrian crisis

The possibility of invoking the right to military protection of Turkish borders against threats from Syria under Article 5 of the NATO charter is still on Turkey’s agenda, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said, Today’s Zaman reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Selcuk Unal said during a press briefing on Thursday that Turkey’s expectation from Syria is that it halts the violence as soon as possible to prevent further instability. Unal said: “However, we have many options on the table if this instability deepens. We have to determine these options in accordance with the developments we face. As you know, Article 5 of NATO is related to self-defense. So, this issue was mentioned in the past due to some incidents that occurred [along the Turkish border]. This is, of course, a matter which will remain on the agenda and it will still be assessed.”

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Border Incursion, Drill, Flashpoints, Military May 9, 2012

Massive Show of Force: Over 15 nations to join US-led military drill near Syria border

Massive Show of Force: Over 15 nations to join US-led military drill near Syria border

12000 soldiers from 17 countries carry out a US-led joint military exercise in Jordan amid the ongoing the crisis in Syria. ‘It has nothing to do with Syria. [The timing] is just a coincidence,’ a top US official says
Wounded Syrian soldiers are taken to hospital after a bomb attack which targets their convoy as they escort UN peace observers, including the Norwegian general. AP photo

The United States military said yesterday that 12,000 soldiers from 17 countries would be taking part in this month’s military exercises in Jordan, designed to enhance their ability to meet “security challenges.”

Special action troops, naval and air force units from countries including Turkey, France and Saudi Arabia will carry out the joint training operations, according to the Voice of Russia.

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Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, GeoPolitics, Military, News May 9, 2012

Another Mutual Defense Treaty?: ‘What will America do if China attacks Filipino forces in Spratlys?’

Another Mutual Defense Treaty?: ‘What will America do if China attacks Filipino forces in Spratlys?’

The Philippines and the United States entered into a Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) on August 30, 1951, in Washington, D.C.

As stated in the MDT’s preamble, both the Philippines and the US desire to publicly declare, through the MDT, their sense of unity and common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack, so that no potential aggressor could be under the illusion that either of them stands alone in the Pacific Area. (Refer to the third paragraph of the MDT’s preamble.)

Article IV of the MDT states: “Each party recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes.”

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Diplomacy, Military May 9, 2012

East Africa: U.S. Army Africa Commander Engages Leaders in Djibouti, Ethiopia

East Africa: U.S. Army Africa Commander Engages Leaders in Djibouti, Ethiopia

During a whirlwind trip to East Africa, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, commander, U.S. Army Africa, and a small group of advisers visited U.S. Army troops at Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa in Djibouti and attended meetings with African Union mission leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 24-27.

Initially, Hogg traveled to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, where he, along with USARAF Command Sgt. Maj. Hu Rhodes, USARAF’s Political Adviser Alan Latimer and Security Cooperation Desk Officer Ron Stafford took part in a series of briefings with Air Force Brig. Gen. Eugene Haase, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Following the CJTF-HOA briefings, Hogg met with Texas Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve troops currently working in and around Camp Lemonnier.

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Development, Drill, Military, Sci/Tech May 9, 2012

Military deploys VR NeuroTracker game to train special ops forces (video)

Military deploys VR NeuroTracker game to train special ops forces (video)

We’ve seen virtual reality used to simulate the experience of being in space, to train engineers and even to help patients regain mobility, so it’s no surprise that the military is recognizing VR’s potential, too. The US Special Operations Command recently announced that it will employ NeuroTracker — a system currently used to train athletes in the NFL and NHL — to assess and improve commandos’ response times and perceptive capabilities.

The VR setup tasks commandos with following the movements of four different balls projected on a 3D screen, the catch being that four “decoy” objects are also bouncing around. NeuroTracker assesses how well an individual can keep track of the designated targets, and also helps determine how he or she would be able to predict trajectories in the field.

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Crisis, Development, Flashpoints, Military, Risks May 8, 2012

Pentagon sending military trainers to Yemen

Pentagon sending military trainers to Yemen

The Pentagon said Tuesday it is sending military trainers back to Yemen for “routine” counterterrorism cooperation with Yemeni security forces amid an intensified battle against an offshoot of the al-Qaida terror network.

“We have begun to reintroduce small numbers of trainers into Yemen,” a Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. John Kirby, told reporters.

Another American official said the arriving troops are special operations forces, who work under more secretive arrangements than conventional U.S. troops and whose expertise includes training indigenous forces. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the subject publicly.

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Diplomacy, GeoPolitics, Military, Policy May 8, 2012

Sanctions if Nato supplies not restored: Defense Minister Mukhtar

Sanctions if Nato supplies not restored: Defense Minister Mukhtar

Federal Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar said on Sunday that Pakistan might face sanctions if it did not allow Nato supplies as it would be a violation of international conventions.

Pakistan suspended Nato supplies after a US attack on its Salala post along the Afghan border in November killed at least 24 soldiers.

“Pakistan has signed international conventions under which it will not be easy for it to keep Nato supplies suspended as it may lead to sanctions,” the defence minister said while talking to reporters at a luncheon hosted by PPP leader Munir Ahmed Khan.

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Crisis, Development, Military, Policy May 8, 2012

China’s ‘princeling’ generals hit by Bo purge

China’s ‘princeling’ generals hit by Bo purge

The purge of Bo Xilai as Chongqing Communist party boss has thwarted the prospects for some “princeling” generals to join China’s top military body while giving President Hu Jintao a chance to boost his influence over the armed forces.

China is preparing for a generational leadership transition this year that will see most top political and military roles filled with new people. Two generals close to Mr Bo who are also princelings – descendants of senior Communist party figures – are now less likely to be appointed to the powerful 12-member Central Military Commission (CMC), according to two senior officers in the People’s Liberation Army.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, News, Strategic Interests May 4, 2012

AMISOM: US steps up training for African force in Somalia

AMISOM: US steps up training for African force in Somalia

At a training camp in Uganda, a dozen soldiers crouch, weapons raised as they make their way down a dirt road between shipping containers set up to look like buildings in the Somali capital.

Standing by, observing the Ugandan troops at work, is a U.S. marine, Major Mark Haley.

“Here is where we are going to teach urban warfare, how to fight building to building,” Haley said as the Ugandans moved between containers scrawled with graffiti reading “City of Death” and “Hell Zone”.

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Crisis, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, Military, Stratagem, Strategic Interests May 3, 2012

Russia’s military brass threatens preemptive strike if NATO goes ahead with missile plan

Russia’s military brass threatens preemptive strike if NATO goes ahead with missile plan

Russia’s top military officer has threatened to carry out a pre-emptive strike on U.S.-led NATO missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe if Washington goes ahead with its controversial plan to build a missile shield.

President Dmitry Medvedev said last year that Russia will retaliate militarily if it does not reach an agreement with the United States and NATO on the missile defense system.

Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov went even further Thursday. “A decision to use destructive force pre-emptively will be taken if the situation worsens,” he said at an international conference attended by senior U.S. and NATO officials.

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Conflict, Crisis, Development, Military, News, Risks May 2, 2012

Rendon Group: Overnight News Summaries: 01 May 2012

Rendon Group: Overnight News Summaries: 01 May 2012

KEY STORYLINES

AFRICA: The military junta in Mali said it remained in control of key sites around the capital after an attempted counter-coup.
AMERICAS: President Chavez returned to Cuba for additional cancer treatment.
ASIA: Afghan protesters accused NATO soldiers of killing four children during clashes with insurgents yesterday.
EUROPE: The British Defense Ministry is considering placing surface to air missiles on civilian rooftops during the Olympics
MIDDLE EAST: Israeli Defense Minister Barak was skeptical that international sanctions would succeed in curbing Iran’s nuclear goals
TECHNOLOGY: Freedom House indicated press freedom globally held steady after eight years of decline.

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Border Incursion, Drill, Flashpoints, Military, News May 2, 2012

IDF Conducts ‘Lebanon Attack’ Drill

IDF Conducts ‘Lebanon Attack’ Drill

IDF forces carried out a series of contingency maneuvers along the Blue Line on Tuesday to prepare for a possible attack as it constructs a 6-meter high separation wall between Israel and Lebanon.

According to Lebanese sources, tens of Israeli soldiers were deployed in the defacto border region and were visible from the border town of Kfar Kila.

The troops – said to number in the “tens” – deployed using Hummers and asked the construction company to evacuate the area for practice.

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Conflict, Diplomacy, GeoPolitics, Military, Strategic Interests April 30, 2012

USARAF: U.S. Soldiers ‘train the trainer’ in Africa

USARAF: U.S. Soldiers ‘train the trainer’ in Africa

“The AMISON mission is a shift from peacekeeping operation to a more kinetic-oriented operation, and these changes require a different approach to training and preparation,” Buzzurro said. “Our mentoring team brings combat experience from both Iraq and Afghanistan which combined with the instruction of the ACOTA program enhances the capabilities of the unit to accomplish its mission.”

ACOTA is a State Department, Bureau of African Affairs Program that originated in 1997 to enhance the capacities and capabilities of its African Partner Countries, regional institutions, and the continent’s peacekeeping resources as a whole so they can plan for, train, deploy, and sustain sufficient quantities of professionally competent peacekeepers to meet conflict transformation requirements with minimal non-African assistance.

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Crisis, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, Military April 30, 2012

Increased U.S. military presence prompts unease in Philippines

Increased U.S. military presence prompts unease in Philippines

The squad from the U.S. Army’s 196th Infantry Brigade was moving quietly through the hills of Luzon Island when the staccato bursts of machine gun fire sent them into action.

About a dozen soldiers fired into the surrounding mountains, while a small contingent broke away to make a direct assault on the hidden gunmen. After a brief, intense gun battle, the squad cleared the area.

The firefight was part of joint military exercises in which the message, at least in part, appeared to be clear despite proclamations to the contrary.

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Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, News April 30, 2012

S. Korea, US to form nuke attack contingency plan

S. Korea, US to form nuke attack contingency plan

The South Korean and US militaries will develop operational scenarios for possible nuclear attacks by North Korea as part of their efforts to improve the ability to respond to weapons of mass destruction, the Ministry of National Defence said Friday.

The scenarios will be discussed at a bilateral table-top exercise later this year aimed at political and military preparations for the North’s nuclear attacks.

The two sides also agreed to cooperate in conducting research and to hold seminars for high-level decision makers in relation to the issue at the first Korea-US Integrated Defence Dialogue meeting that was concluded on Friday in Washington.

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Development, Flashpoints, Military, Stratagem April 27, 2012

New US Stealth Fighters Now at Iran’s Back Door

New US Stealth Fighters Now at Iran’s Back Door

America’s most sophisticated stealth jet fighters have been quietly deployed to an allied base less than 200 miles from Iran’s mainland, according to an industry report, but the Air Force adamantly denied the jets’ presence is a threat to the Middle East nation.

Multiple stealth F-22 Raptors, which have never been combat-tested, are in hangars at the United Arab Emirates’ Al Dafra Air Base, just a short hop over the Persian Gulf from Iran’s southern border, the trade publication Aviation Week reported.

Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. John Dorrian would not confirm the exact location of the F-22s, but told ABC News they had been deployed to a base in Southwest Asia — a region that includes the UAE. Dorrian also stressed that the F-22s were simply taking part in a scheduled deployment and are “not a threat to Iran.”

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Development, Flashpoints, Military, News, Powerplay April 27, 2012

China’s space know-how said threat to U.S., Taiwan

China’s space know-how said threat to U.S., Taiwan

China’s growing capabilities in space could undercut any U.S. military response if Beijing resorted to force to bring self-ruled Taiwan into its fold, a study released Friday by a congressionally mandated U.S. commission said.

China’s military is rapidly boosting its space programs to advance Communist Party interests “and defend against perceived challenges to sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the 84-page report by the Project 2049 Institute, a research group on Asia-Pacific security issues.

China has claimed Taiwan as its own since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and has vowed to bring the island under mainland rule, by force if necessary.

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Crisis, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, Hard Power, Military April 27, 2012

Chinese Army vows to ‘safeguard’ territory in China Sea

Chinese Army vows to ‘safeguard’ territory in China Sea

The Chinese military has vowed to “fulfill their duty” to safeguard the South China Sea.
“China’s military forces will collaborate closely with related governing bodies, including fishery administration and maritime law enforcement, to jointly ensure the country’s maritime rights and interests,” the China Daily quoted Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng, as saying.

This was the first official remark from the armed forces of China following a standoff with a Philippine warship in waters off China’s Huangyan Island on April 10.

Analysts claimed that the comments were also in response to growing domestic demand to ensure sovereignty in the South China Sea.

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Diplomacy, History, Military, News April 27, 2012

The rise of Turkey as a superpower

The rise of Turkey as a superpower

Turkey’s rise has been engineered by its brilliant, proud, and often prickly prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A devout Muslim, Erdogan has revolutionized Turkish politics by challenging his country’s historic commitment to secularism and introducing a greater role for Islam in Turkish politics. Under his leadership, Turkey was, for a time, the only country that managed decent relations with all the regional powers, including Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

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Analysis, Black Market, Conflict, Flashpoints, GeoPolitics, Military, Military Buildup, Powerplay, Resources April 26, 2012

Sudan at the brink: Hidden hands behind the oil war

Sudan at the brink: Hidden hands behind the oil war

Sudan is caught in a multidimensional conflict involving weapons trade, internal instabilities, multiple civil wars and the reality of outside players with their own interests.

None of this is enough to excuse the readiness for war on behalf of Khartoum and Juba, but it certainly presents serious obstacles to any attempt aimed at rectifying the situation.

With a single act of aggression, a whole set of conflicts are prone to flaring up. It is the nature of proxy politics, as many armed groups seek opportunities for territorial advances and financial gains.

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Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military April 26, 2012

Syrian ‘transitional government’ set up in Paris: exile

Syrian ‘transitional government’ set up in Paris: exile

Exiled Syrian businessman Nofal Dawalibi announced in Paris on Thursday the setting up of a “transitional government to answer the needs of the Syrian opposition”, AFP reported.

“The situation in Syria is getting worse every day. Chaos is rising,” said Dawalibi, whose father Maarrouf was Syrian prime minister before President Bashar al-Assad’s Baath party took power in 1963.

“We have decided to replace existing structures with a purely executive structure which coordinates the operations of the divisions fighting for freedom and follows the will of the sovereign Syrian people,” he told reporters.

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Development, Diplomacy, Military, News April 25, 2012

West Africa bloc to send troops to coup-hit Bissau: sources

West Africa bloc to send troops to coup-hit Bissau: sources

West African regional bloc ECOWAS plans to send more than 600 troops to Guinea-Bissau in coming days to protect institutions and political figures after a military coup there, a senior ECOWAS source and another informed official said on Wednesday.

If ECOWAS follows through, the move risks triggering renewed conflict in the impoverished nation since the military junta that seized power on April 12 has warned it would treat any foreign troops dispatched to Guinea-Bissau as occupiers.

A regional security force in Guinea-Bissau could provide the country’s politicians cover to form a caretaker government and create a fresh roadmap to democratic elections.

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Conflict, CyberOps, Drill, Military April 25, 2012

Greece and 6 other NATO Countries To Join U.S. in Schriever CyberWargame

Greece and 6 other NATO Countries To Join U.S. in Schriever CyberWargame

“The Schriever Wargame, set in the year 2023, will explore critical space issues and investigate the integration activities of multiple agencies associated with space systems and services. Schriever Wargame 2012 will also include international partners from Australia, Canada and the U.K.,” said a press release from U.S. Air Force Space Command.

“This is a significant development in what was predominately a U.S. event and reflects the need to cooperate and share information to develop future capabilities that benefit NATO collectively,” a NATO official said.

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Conflict, Crisis, Development, Flashpoints, Military, News, Risks, Stratagem, Strategic Interests April 25, 2012

China newspaper warns of ‘small-scale war’ with Philippines

China newspaper warns of ‘small-scale war’ with Philippines

One of China’s most popular newspapers has warned of a potential “small-scale war” between Beijing and Manila as a result of their standoff at Panatag Shoal, or Scarborough Shoal as the area is known internationally.

The Global Times, in an editorial published in its Chinese and English editions, said over the weekend that “China should be prepared to engage in a small-scale war at sea with the Philippines”.

“Once the war erupts, China must take resolute action to deliver a clear message to the outside world that it does not want a war, but definitely has no fear of it,” the tabloid said.

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Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, Risks April 25, 2012

Azerbaijan & Armenia Locked in Conflict After Breach of Ceasefire

Azerbaijan & Armenia Locked in Conflict After Breach of Ceasefire

On April 25, Azeri troops shelled the village of Doveg, Armenia’s Tavush province.

As a village administration representative Manya Sarukhanyan, told PanARMENIAN.Net Azeri troops have been shelling the village from 11 am to 12 pm local time.

Local school and kindergarten students were immediately evacuated; the incident was reported to commanders of a regional regiment, who’ve already arrived at the site to take necessary measures.

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Development, Diplomacy, Military, News, Stratagem, Strategic Interests April 25, 2012

Tajikistan, Russia Inch Closer To Deal on Troop Presence

Tajikistan, Russia Inch Closer To Deal on Troop Presence

Russia and Tajikistan are getting closer to a deal that would extend the presence of Russian troops in the Central Asian nation beyond 2014, Russia’s foreign minister said Tuesday.

It is expected that the lease for the three Russian-controlled garrisons in the former Soviet republic neighboring Afghanistan will be extended by 49 years — a prospect first floated by outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in September.

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Conflict, Development, Flashpoints, Military, Sci/Tech, Stratagem April 24, 2012

Deniable War Crimes?: Robots fighting wars could be blamed for mistakes on the battlefield

Deniable War Crimes?: Robots fighting wars could be blamed for mistakes on the battlefield

As militaries develop autonomous robotic warriors to replace humans on the battlefield, new ethical questions emerge. If a robot in combat has a hardware malfunction or programming glitch that causes it to kill civilians, do we blame the robot, or the humans who created and deployed it?

Some argue that robots do not have free will and therefore cannot be held morally accountable for their actions. But psychologists at the University of Washington are finding that people don’t have such a clear-cut view of humanoid robots.

The researchers’ latest results show that humans apply a moderate amount of morality and other human characteristics to robots that are equipped with social capabilities and are capable of harming humans.

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Flashpoints, Military, News, Resources, Stratagem, Strategic Interests April 23, 2012

Russia creates special Arctic troops

Russia creates special Arctic troops

The Russian authorities have announced the formation of two dozen special border guard units in the Arctic. The strengthening of the Arctic borders will be implemented in the next eight years. The Defense Ministry promised to patch all the holes in the Arctic border formed in the post-Soviet years. The military presence will be strengthened by the ground troops.

Meanwhile, as noted by the Ministry of Defense, the unprotected border areas in the Arctic are frequented by foreign submarines belonging to the U.S. and the UK not particularly friendly towards Russia. Now these foreign visitors will be required to meet the eight new nuclear attack submarines of class “Severodvinsk”. These submarines are the first to join the Northern Fleet.

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Intelligensia, ISR, Military, Policy April 23, 2012

FOIA: FBI and police free to launch spies in sky over US cities

FOIA: FBI and police free to launch spies in sky over US cities

The American skies may soon be full of drones after it was disclosed that domestic law enforcement agencies, from the FBI to local police, have been granted permission to deploy the unmanned aircraft.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws show that more than 50 non-military organisations have asked to fly drone aircraft, many of which can carry cameras and surveillance equipment for spying, within the US.

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Crisis, Development, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, Military April 23, 2012

Philippines Deploys 2 More Warships to Scarborough Shoal, Urges Other Countries Against China

Philippines Deploys 2 More Warships to Scarborough Shoal, Urges Other Countries Against China

The Chinese-Filipino dispute over the islands in the South China Sea known internationally as Scarborough Shoal is entering its third week, and tensions between the two countries show no signs of dissipating.

The Filipino government is raising the stakes by sending more ships and a plane to the area it refers to as Panatag Shoal and which China calls Huangyan Island.

In China, China Youth Daily and other news outlets reported on Monday that the commander of the Philippine navy, Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, told the Philippines’ ABS-CBN news that his country would dispatch two more warships and an anti-submarine airplane to Scarborough Shoal.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, Regime Change April 23, 2012

ECOWAS moves against the endangered business of coup plotting

ECOWAS moves against the endangered business of coup plotting

From a community once dominated by military heads of state, majority of whom came to power through the usurpation of constitutional order, the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) is fast gaining a reputation of intolerance of undemocratic succession to power.

From mere rhetoric and handling of military and undemocratic usurpers with kid gloves, ECOWAS has indeed transformed into a community that is ready to go to war to restore constitutional order.

Barely weeks after sustained pressure, including threat of military intervention, caused a reversal of the forceful take over of government in Mali by elements of its military, the sub-regional body once again bared its fangs against the military junta in Guinea Bissau, which forced its way into power penultimate week.

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Crisis, Flashpoints, Intelligensia, Military, News, Strategic Interests April 23, 2012

Pentagon creates new espionage unit

Pentagon creates new espionage unit

The Pentagon is planning to ramp up its spying operations against high-priority targets such as Iran under an intelligence reorganization approved last week by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, a senior defense official said Monday.

The newly created Defense Clandestine Service would work closely with the CIA to expand espionage operations overseas at a time when the missions of the agency and the military increasingly converge.

The defense official said the plan was developed in response to a classified study completed last year by the director of national intelligence that concluded that the military’s espionage efforts needed to be more focused on major targets outside war zones.

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Analysis, Drill, Flashpoints, Military April 23, 2012

Expert: Azerbaijan preparing for war against Iran

Expert: Azerbaijan preparing for war against Iran

The exercises Azerbaijan conducted in the Caspian Sea in the period
from April 12 to 20 are preparations for a war against Iran, Nver
Davtyan, specialist in Iranian studies, told media on April 21.

The State Frontier Service of Armenia conducted tactical exercises
“Protection of the oil and gas recovery regions in the Azerbaijani
sector of the Caspian Sea, pipelines, organization of protection in
case of a threat to oil and gas platforms, rescue operations.”

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Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, News April 23, 2012

Over 400 killed in recent Sudan v Sudan oil battle

Over 400 killed in recent Sudan v Sudan oil battle

Sudanese forces killed hundreds of South Sudanese during a day-long battle for Sudan’s most important oil field Heglig, a senior official said on Sunday.

Nafie Ali Nafie, a top aide to President Omar al-Bashir, said the “death toll within the SPLA and mercenaries in [the] Heglig battle amounted to 400″, according to the Sudanese Media Centre which is close to the security apparatus.

It did not say how many Sudanese troops died and the army itself has released no casualty figures for either side.

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Flashpoints, Military, News April 22, 2012

NATO to deploy more troops to Kosovo amid tensions

NATO to deploy more troops to Kosovo amid tensions

Germany will deploy a quick reaction force of several hundred troops to Kosovo to strengthen the NATO mission there amid heightened tensions ahead of next month’s election in neighboring Serbia, an official said Saturday.

About 550 German soldiers and 130 Austrian troops will be deployed to the region by May 1 at NATO’s request in a bid to strengthen its KFOR peacekeepers mission, said German Central command spokesman Hauke Bunks.

Serbia will hold parliamentary and local elections May 6, which could re-ignite tensions between minority ethnic Albanians and majority Serbs in northern Kosovo.

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Drill, Military, News April 22, 2012

American troops deploy to Morocco

American troops deploy to Morocco

Troops from Texas, Utah, California and other states deployed to the northwest coast of Africa today to gather with a total of approximately 1,200 American troops in support of Task Force African Lion 2012, a U.S.-Moroccan military exercise.

These soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen will be conducting joint-combined training with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and providing humanitarian assistance aid in the form of medical and dental care.

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Conflict, Crisis, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, Military, News April 20, 2012

South Sudan leader’s Beijing trip goes on amid tensions

South Sudan leader’s Beijing trip goes on amid tensions

The visit by South Sudan’s president to China was not rescheduled despite escalating tension between Sudan and South Sudan.

South Sudan broke away from Sudan in July after decades of civil war, but the two states never agreed on a border, how much the landlocked South should pay to transport its oil through Sudan and the division of national debt, among other issues.

Beijing will offer to mediate and ease the tension during Salva Kiir Mayardit’s April 23-28 visit and will try to ensure the safety and interests of Chinese people and assets in the two African countries, experts said.

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Drill, Flashpoints, Military, News, Stratagem, Strategic Interests April 20, 2012

Taiwan tests ‘China invasion’ scenario

Taiwan tests ‘China invasion’ scenario

Taiwan Thursday tested its ability to defend one of it largest air bases against Chinese invasion, a scenario experts insisted remained relevant in an age of missile and cyber attacks.

About 1,500 soldiers took part in the drill, part of the island’s biggest annual war game “Han Kuang (Han Glory) No 28″, at Hsinchu Air Base in the north of the island, home to dozens of French-made Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets.

“Radars have detected enemy aircraft approaching from across the Taiwan Strait,” an officer told foreign and local journalists invited to report on the event.

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Flashpoints, FUBAR, Military, Powerplay April 20, 2012

Bo Xilai Purge Gathers Momentum with Military-Led ‘Inquisition’

Bo Xilai Purge Gathers Momentum with Military-Led ‘Inquisition’

In what may be a crucial development in the Bo Xilai affair, the Chinese military is conducting internal investigations into the size and nature of Bo’s military influence.

Bo didn’t have any troops officially under his command. But he did have close relationships with the army, including in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

The South China Morning Post reports that on April 15, the Party’s Military Committee sent out five teams to investigate Bo’s influence in the Chengdu Military Region, in Sichuan. The military unit in Yunnan, once led by Bo’s father, has also reportedly been placed under investigation.

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Conflict, Crisis, Diplomacy, Military, News April 20, 2012

China says considering sending observers to Syria

China says considering sending observers to Syria

China said on Thursday it was considering sending observers to monitor a week-old truce in Syria that has so far failed to put an end to a year of bloodshed.

China is “seriously studying” the idea, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a daily news briefing.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said an expanded UN monitoring mission for Syria would be composed of “an initial deployment” of up to 300 unarmed observers who would supervise a fragile week-old ceasefire between forces loyal to President Bashar Assad and opposition fighters seeking to oust him.

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Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, News April 20, 2012

Sarkozy calls for humanitarian corridors as Friends of Syria meet

Sarkozy calls for humanitarian corridors as Friends of Syria meet

Paris (dpa) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday renewed his calls for the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Syria as Western and Arab foreign ministers met in Paris to discuss continuing violations of a UN-brokered ceasefire.

Speaking to Europe 1 radio Sarkozy compared the plight of the opposition stronghold of Homs with the Libyan city of Benghazi, which world powers intervened to protect last year from a threatened massacre by dictator Moamer Gaddafi‘s forces.

“He (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) wants to wipe Homs off the map like Gaddafi wanted to wipe Benghazi off the map,” Sarkozy accused.

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Integration, Military, News April 18, 2012

“Montenegro must get rid of Russian domination to join NATO”

“Montenegro must get rid of Russian domination to join NATO”

The U.S. Atlantic Council delegation is visiting Montenegro in order to assess the country’s current results regarding fulfillment of conditions necessary to join NATO.

Montenegro is a part of the NATO membership action plan and Montenegrin officials expect NATO to confirm the country’s “membership perspective” at the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago.

Wilson stressed that the upcoming summit was not an enlargement summit and concluded that Montenegro “still has a lot of work to do” before it is invited to join NATO.

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Intelligensia, Military, News April 18, 2012

US military intelligence critic to lead spy agency

US military intelligence critic to lead spy agency

A US general who once blasted the work of military spies in Afghanistan as “only marginally relevant” has been nominated to take over the Pentagon’s intelligence agency, officials said.

The decision to name Lieutenant General Michael Flynn suggests a possible shake-up of the sprawling Defense Intelligence Agency as the general has earned a reputation for pushing for dramatic change in his work with special forces.

Flynn was a scathing public critic of military intelligence in Afghanistan, where he served as a top intelligence officer in 2010, saying it failed to provide decision makers with a clear picture of conditions on the ground.

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Diplomacy, GeoPolitics, Military, Strategic Interests April 18, 2012

Viet Nam, China army brass urge stronger defence ties

Viet Nam, China army brass urge stronger defence ties

High-ranking army officers of Viet Nam and China have affirmed the importance of defence ties in the comprehensive co-operative strategic partnership between the two Parties and States.

The statement was made by Senior Lieutenant-General Do Ba Ty, chief of the General Staff of the Viet Nam People’s Army, and his Chinese counterpart Chen Bingde during talks in Beijing on Monday.

They expressed their pleasure at the development of the two countries’ defence ties, saying that the two sides had effectively implemented the protocol signed between the two defence ministries in 2003, along with other co-operative agreements.

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Crisis, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, GeoPolitics, Military, Resources, Strategic Interests April 18, 2012

New Cold War for Resources Looms in Arctic

New Cold War for Resources Looms in Arctic

To the world’s military leaders, the debate over climate change is long over. They are preparing for a new kind of Cold War in the Arctic, anticipating that rising temperatures there will open up a treasure trove of resources, long-dreamed-of sea-lanes and a slew of potential conflicts.

By Arctic standards, the region is already buzzing with military activity, and experts believe that will increase significantly in the years ahead.

Last month, Norway wrapped up one of the largest Arctic maneuvers ever — Exercise Cold Response — with 16,300 troops from 14 countries training on the ice for everything from high intensity warfare to terror threats.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, Powerplay, Regime Change April 17, 2012

‘Attempted military coup against Qatari regime fails’

‘Attempted military coup against Qatari regime fails’

A military coup was staged against the regime of US-backed Qatari King Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani with no success, a Saudi TV channel reports.

According to Al Arabiya TV, a number of high-ranking military officers rose against the Qatari Emir, triggering fierce clashes between some 30 military officers and US-backed royal guards outside the Emir’s palace, the report said on Tuesday.

The coup was foiled following the arrest of the officers involved in the effort.

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Drill, GeoPolitics, Military, Strategic Interests April 17, 2012

China, Russia plan naval exercises in Yellow Sea

China, Russia plan naval exercises in Yellow Sea

State media say China and Russia will conduct a joint maritime drill next week in the Yellow Sea off China’s eastern coast.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday that the April 22-27 drill will focus on maritime defense and protection of navigation. It said it will involve 16 vessels, including destroyers, frigates, support and hospital ships and two submarines.

Xinhua said four warships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet have left Vladivostok for the exercise.

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Development, Diplomacy, Integration, Military, Strategic Interests April 16, 2012

US Army Africa(USARAF) conducts first AT/FP Level II training in Africa to U.S. personnel

US Army Africa(USARAF) conducts first AT/FP Level II training in Africa to U.S. personnel

Mike Miller, an AT/FP instructor with Department of the Air Force, said it is important to build relationships with the country team and regional security officers due to the unique situation in Africa. To conduct current and future operations, the country team and RSOs are utilized to help conduct joint exercises and other operations.

“Inside AFRICOM (Africa Command), both U.S. Army Africa and U.S. Air Force Africa’s unique mission faces security challenges, and force protection has to be in the forefront, and to do that successfully, you have to have a good relationship with both DoD in-country and DoS. It was an excellent opportunity to get some training for all those organizations,” Miller, a Chicago, Ill. native, said.

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Intelligensia, Military, News April 16, 2012

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Mapping Africa One Country at a Time

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Mapping Africa One Country at a Time

When the U.S. military wants to head into un-chartered, or minimally chartered territory, they call on the experts of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or the NGA. By compiling the most current satellite imagery, existing maps, and layers of data like roads, rivers, and towns they are able to create custom maps and imagery for specific locations or events.

Currently, two Geospatial Analysts from Stuttgart, Germany are mapping out the terrain for African Lion 2012 in southern Morocco. AL-12 is a bi-lateral exercise between U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Africa, the Utah National Guard, and the Kingdom of Morocco. It’s the 8th annual African Lion exercise in the country.

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Analysis, Development, Diplomacy, Integration, Military, Strategic Interests April 16, 2012

Is NATO’s “Smart Defense” Program a Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Is NATO’s “Smart Defense” Program a Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

The NATO juggernaut is rolling forward to next month’s summit in Chicago. A key theme of the summit will be improvements to the Alliance’s capability to defend its members and meet evolving threats. NATO has promised concrete deliverables in Chicago including a long-term capability strategy for the so-called “Smart Defense” initiative which focuses on greater prioritization, specialization and cooperation among the NATO members so as to improve actual military capabilities. NATO has already announced that this strategy will consist of three parts: what is called a tangible package of multinational projects to address critical capability shortfalls; a set of longer-term multinational projects that include missile defense, Alliance ground surveillance and air policing; and, strategic projects for 2020 covering areas such as joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and air-to-air refueling.

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Drill, Flashpoints, Military April 16, 2012

Russian Bombers Exercise Near Japan Border

Russian Bombers Exercise Near Japan Border

Russia on Monday began a five-day aerial exercise in the country’s maritime territory near the Japanese border in which some 40 strategic bombers are taking part, the Defense Ministry said.

The long-range aviation exercise includes aerial bombings and launching of airborne cruise missiles from the Litovka test range, Russian state media quoted Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik as saying.

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Drill, Flashpoints, Military, Risks April 16, 2012

Taiwan stages anti-China military exercise

Taiwan stages anti-China military exercise

Taiwan has begun its annual military exercise to simulate fending off air attacks and troop landings by communist China.

The Defence Ministry said the five-day Han Kuang, or Chinese Glory, exercise began Monday at air bases and along the island’s coasts. It said thousands of troops will participate in the drills but there will be no live firing.

Instead, officials say, soldiers will use computers to simulate shooting down Chinese drones and aircraft targeting Taiwanese military bases. Chinese drone use is increasing as the country seeks to economize on troop use.

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Flashpoints, Military, Powerplay April 12, 2012

China puts on show of might over Bo Xilai’s military allies

China puts on show of might over Bo Xilai’s military allies

The People’s Liberation Army, which played a central role in helping the Communist Party win control of China in a long civil war before 1949, does not have a history of meddling in domestic politics.

But the fact that rumors of a military coup to rescue Bo circulated shortly after his downfall on March 15 was a reminder that the ambitious politician has long had good friends among the country’s top brass.

His father, Bo Yibo, was not only one of the “Eight Immortals,” the most senior first-generation Communist leaders, but also a veteran military leader in charge of military affairs in northern China as early as in the 1920s.

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Border Incursion, Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, Stratagem, Strategic Interests April 12, 2012

PM: Turkey may invoke NATO’s Article 5 over Syrian border fire

PM: Turkey may invoke NATO’s Article 5 over Syrian border fire

In a statement that may be interpreted as the harshest response yet to the escalating 13-month-old Syrian crisis, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the first time on Wednesday raised the possibility of calling on the NATO military alliance to protect Turkey’s border against incursions by Syrian forces.
Speaking to reporters travelling with him during his official visit to China, Erdoğan said Turkey may consider invoking NATO’s fifth article to protect Turkish national security in the face of increasing tension along the Syrian border. His comments came after four Syrians who fled to Turkey from the violence in Syria were killed by Syrian forces targeting refugees on the Turkish side of the border on Monday.

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Analysis, GeoPolitics, Military, News April 12, 2012

“Some Western forces try to include Azerbaijan in anti Iranian affairs”

“Some Western forces try to include Azerbaijan in anti Iranian affairs”

“Some Western forces try to includeAzerbaijan in anti Iranian affairs. At the same time Azerbaijan is unable to act against Iran obviously”. Expert on Azerbaijan Sargis Asatryan announced about this during the press conference at “Armat” press-club today.

The speaker underlined the fact Azerbaijanhave got a great amount of weapon during the last time and added that the events in Caucasian countries make an image as if the countries are getting for the way.

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Analysis, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, Policy, Risks April 11, 2012

Is Turkey preparing for an intervention in Syria?

Is Turkey preparing for an intervention in Syria?

The short answer is yes. Although it won’t happen tomorrow or without assistance especially from the United States, which is evidently first going to allow Kofi Annan to try his luck getting Iran to broker a peace deal. But Abdullah Bozkurt, a columnist at Turkey’s Today Zaman newspaper, outlines the legal case for intervention that wouldn’t require UN Security Council authorisation (read: the say-so of Russia and China). This strikes me as the most likely set of events to unfold:

What will happen if the UN cannot get its act together, and Russia and China end up using their veto powers for the third time? Ankara will probably invoke the 1998 Adana agreement with Syria to justify the military interference while calling on NATO members for the application of the Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which says that an attack on any member shall be considered to be an attack on all.

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Development, Drill, Military April 11, 2012

Iranian Army, IRGC planning joint wargames

Iranian Army, IRGC planning joint wargames

The Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) plan to stage joint military drills to boost their defense and combat capabilities in the current Iranian year (started on March 20), a senior Army commander announced on Wednesday, April 11.

According to Fars News Agency, speaking to reporters Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced that his forces plan to hold 8 wargames in different fields, among them specialized airborne exercises and joint drills with the IRGC.

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Analysis, Development, Flashpoints, Hard Power, History, Military, Powerplay April 11, 2012

Inside Russia: Putin’s Private National Guard

Inside Russia: Putin’s Private National Guard

Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported that President-elect Vladimir Putin is poised to undertake the most significant reform Russia has seen in recent years by creating a National Guard from scratch. These special forces, numbering up to 400,000 men, would answer directly to the president and would be charged with protecting the country from internal threats.

As a result, Russia would resemble a classic South American or Middle Eastern dictatorship. Take, for example, Syria, where for decades men from the lower classes have had only two career options — a dead-end job with a state company or joining the troops that guard the president. Ironically, Putin is considering adopting such a system even after the entire world witnessed how the Libyan version of this model failed miserably, while the Syrian version of this model is headed toward a similar demise.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, Powerplay April 9, 2012

Special IDF units preparing for mass Lebanon incursion if war breaks out with Hezbollah

Special IDF units preparing for mass Lebanon incursion if war breaks out with Hezbollah

Almost six years after the Second Lebanon War, special Israeli units are preparing to take part in mass incursions into Lebanon if another round of fighting with Hezbollah breaks out. Just as important, they are being trained to heed the legal implications.

Officers say the Israel Air Force would destroy targets like training bases and rocket-launching pads within a few days, based on the intelligence gathered by the Israel Defense Forces. But this would not be enough, so a ground offensive would be necessary.

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Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, Regime Change April 9, 2012

Belgium Raises Possibility of ‘Military-Aid’ Move in Syria

Belgium Raises Possibility of ‘Military-Aid’ Move in Syria

Belgium said Sunday that humanitarian intervention in Syria under the protection of military forces would be needed if the regime of Bashar Assad pursues the “path of barbarism”.

“The regime has taken the path of barbarism and I trust President Bashar Assad less and less,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders on TV5 television.

“There is a plan on the table with a deadline, April 10,” he added, referring to a formal U.N. Security Council endorsement of April 10 as the deadline for the Syrian army to withdraw from cities, with a complete halt to violence by all sides 48 hours later.

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Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, Paramilitary April 8, 2012

Mali: Ecowas Ready to Send Troops to Mali Against Breakaway Tuareg State

Mali: Ecowas Ready to Send Troops to Mali Against Breakaway Tuareg State

Mali’s west African neighbours are threatening to send a military force to the north of the country after the military junta in Bamako agreed to return the country to civilian rule Friday.

An Ecowas communiqué warned armed groups in the north that Mali is “one and indivisible” and that it “shall take all necessary measures, including the use of force, to ensure the territorial integrity of the country”.

The regional grouping “will never recognise” any breakaway state, the statement said.

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CyberOps, Development, Military April 7, 2012

Yuma hosts first flight for new aerial electronic warfare system

Yuma hosts first flight for new aerial electronic warfare system

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma witnessed another milestone recently in Corps aviation history when Marine Attack Squadron 214 flew a new electronic warfare system.

Intrepid Tiger II, a government-built system whose ground work began in 2008, is meant to expand the circumference of electronic warfare capabilities.

The pod will provide AV-8B Harriers with an electronic attack capability, expanding their utility on the modern battlefield and paving the way for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force electronic warfare concept that will replace the Prowlers.

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Military, Risks, Systemic Abuse April 7, 2012

Motley Crew: Using Force to Maintain a Standing Army in Tajikistan

Motley Crew: Using Force to Maintain a Standing Army in Tajikistan

Hunger, unheated barracks, beatings and regular outbreaks of disease: it could be life in a penal colony. But in this case, it describes the existence of a fresh military conscript in Tajikistan.

The brutal conditions are the reason many young Tajik men go to great lengths to evade country’s biannual military drafts.

“Many draftees emigrate, while those that have the means enter university because students are exempt until the end of their studies,” said Khursheda Rahimova, a lawyer for Amparo, a legal- support non-governmental organisation based in Khujand that monitors the draft.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, Risks April 7, 2012

S.Korea, U.S. Practice Invasion of North Korea During Civil War

S.Korea, U.S. Practice Invasion of North Korea During Civil War

The annual joint South Korean and U.S. exercises dubbed “Key Resolve” last month for the first time practiced deploying more than 100,000 South Korean troops in North Korea to stabilize the country in case of regime collapse.

The two countries “practiced deploying a large contingent of troops to bring stability in the North in case of civil war in the wake of sudden change there,” a government source said on Thursday. “Seoul and Washington practiced preparing for sudden change in the North for the first time during last year’s Key Resolve drill, but this was the first time we went on the assumption that South Korean troops would be deployed in the North.”

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Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, Risks April 6, 2012

The Russian Military Has an Action Plan Involving Georgia if Iran Is Attacked

The Russian Military Has an Action Plan Involving Georgia if Iran Is Attacked

Russian Defense Ministry sources told the semiofficial news agency Interfax that action plans are being finalized to react to an armed conflict involving Iran and its nuclear program. The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces “calculates” that military action against Iran will commence “in the summer” of 2012. Since Israel does not have sufficient assets to defeat Iranian defenses, the Russian military considers US military involvement inevitable (Interfax, March 30). Bits of information have been appearing, indicating the essence of Russian military action. Last December it was disclosed that families of servicemen from the Russian base in Armenia have been evacuated to Russia, while the troops have been moved from the capital, Yerevan, north to Gumri – closer to the borders of Georgia and Turkey.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, News April 6, 2012

AU Somalia force in first deployment outside Mogadishu

AU Somalia force in first deployment outside Mogadishu

African Union troops deployed in the Somali city of Baidoa Thursday, the first time the force has dispatched troops outside Mogadishu since it was set up five years ago.

The AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) sent 100 Burundian and Ugandan soldiers to the southern town of Baidoa, which Ethiopian troops captured from the Al Qaeda-allied Shebab militia in February.

“These 100 soldiers are the advance team for 2,500 AMISOM troops that will be deployed in phases. This team will be stationed alongside Ethiopian troops in Baidoa,” mission spokesman Paddy Ankunda said in a statement.

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Military, MISO/PSYOP, Public Relations April 5, 2012

PSYOP team prepares for expanded mission in Africa

PSYOP team prepares for expanded mission in Africa

More than 20 soldiers of the 345th Psychological Operations Company started pre-deployment training, March 26, 2012 at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Lewisville, Texas. The training is in preparation for their upcoming deployment to the Horn of Africa. The unit will go to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., early this summer for ten days of additional theater-required training and PSYOP collective exercises, then will deploy to the Horn of Africa for roughly nine months.

“Our team is triple the size of the PSYOP team we are replacing,” said Maj. Matt Perritte, the detachment’s commander and an Austin, Texas police officer who deployed with the 344th PSYOP Company to Afghanistan in 2011. “Our mission will expand and morph once we get there, but we’ll conduct atmospherics, analysis of local attitudes – pulse of the people, so to speak – and assist in communicating as appropriate with the local population.”

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Analysis, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, GeoPolitics, Military April 4, 2012

The Iran-Israel military sandwich

The Iran-Israel military sandwich

News often means the opposite of what it appears to say in the Middle East, as demonstrated by the “news bombing” over recent days regarding the Israel-Iran tensions. Reporting about the possible military attack on Iran and the story that Azerbaijan has given an air base to Israel has led to the Caucasus region, particularly Azerbaijan, becoming sandwiched by the rising Iran-Israel antagonism. New information anonymously leaked to the media, allegedly from former senior US diplomats and military intelligence officers, claims that Azerbaijan is allowing Israel to locate a military air base on its territory.

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Crisis, Development, Flashpoints, Military, News April 3, 2012

France rules out military intervention in Mali

France rules out military intervention in Mali

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has ruled out the possibility of military intervention in Mali following a coup there, and called on French nationals to leave the African country.

Mali’s President Amadou Toumani Toures was overthrown March 22 in a coup by disgruntled soldiers who accused the government of failing to provide means for the military to curb Tuareg rebels in the north, just a month before the presidential elections scheduled April 29, Xinhua reported.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, GeoPolitics, Military, Resources, Strategic Interests April 3, 2012

Flashpoint Falklands: The British destroyer Dauntless goes on alert to the Falklands

Flashpoint Falklands: The British destroyer Dauntless goes on alert to the Falklands

The HMS Dauntless, a powerful Type 45 destroyer, will leave its base in Portsmouth on Wednesday for a six-month deployment in the South Atlantic, a ministry spokesman told AFP.

“It’s going to the South Atlantic, not specifically to the Falklands,” the spokesman stressed, as both Britain and Argentina held events to mark 30 years since the beginning of their brief but bloody conflict over the archipelago.

The spokesman said the warship will reach the islands, which have been controlled by Britain since 1833 but are claimed by Argentina, via western and southern Africa.

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Drill, Flashpoints, Military, Stratagem April 2, 2012

Saakashvili Links Russia’s Planned Military Drills with Elections in Georgia

Saakashvili Links Russia’s Planned Military Drills with Elections in Georgia

Russia’s planned military exercises this fall was timed deliberately to coincide with Georgia’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for October, President Saakashvili said on March 31.

“It is not a coincidence that our neighbor scheduled its large-scale military exercises for second half of September, just several days before elections [in Georgia]. This timing is really not a coincidence,” Saakashvili said, apparently referring to Kavkaz-2012 military drills.

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Conflict, History, Military April 1, 2012

Secret Australian war efforts in Uruzgan revealed by US adviser

Secret Australian war efforts in Uruzgan revealed by US adviser

For hours, a battle raged against a force of about 50 Taliban until the convoy, backed by Australian special forces, had to withdraw, leaving the village to the insurgents.

Just another day in the often secret war Australians have been fighting in Uruzgan province, as detailed in a new book on Afghanistan, The Valley’s Edge, by a former US State Department adviser and scholar, Dan Green.
The navy reservist spent a period in 2005 and 2006 working in Uruzgan as a political adviser for a US provincial reconstruction team, some of the time alongside Australian troops whose early operations involving special forces and the 1st Reconstruction Task Force have mostly been shrouded in secrecy.

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Drill, Flashpoints, Military, Resources March 30, 2012

Greece Joins Israel-USA Military Exercise in Southern Mediterranean

Greece Joins Israel-USA Military Exercise in Southern Mediterranean

At the same time the tripartite energy agreement will be signed between Greece, Israel and Cyprus on Thursday at Kavouri of Vouliagmeni, Athens, in the presence of Richard Morningstar, the special envoy of the US Foreign Affairs Ministry, a large-scale aeronautical military exercise will be taking place in the Southern Mediterranean.

According to defencenet.gr, Greece, Israel and USA will launch their joint military exercise from Crete to Haifa against “virtual enemy forces” that bear great resemblance to the Turkish aeronautical forces in this particular military operation scenario.

“Noble Dina” was initially planned to take place in April just like in 2011. However, it was decided that the military exercise should coincide with the date of the energy agreement signing between the three countries of the Southeastern Mediterranean. Thus, it would underline that the cooperation between Israel, Greece and the US does not only concern energy but military affairs as well.

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Development, Military, News March 30, 2012

Lithuania protests airspace violation by Russian fighter

Lithuania protests airspace violation by Russian fighter

Lithuania’s foreign ministry said a Russian Su-27 jet fighter had flown 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) into its airspace on Tuesday evening, before returning to the neighbouring Baltic territory of Kaliningrad that belongs to Russia.

The Russian ambassador to Lithuania “received a protest note over the Lithuanian airspace violation”, the ministry said in a statement.

Lithuania and fellow Baltic states Estonia and Latvia, which won independence in 1991 after five decades of Soviet rule, have strained relations with Moscow and are sensitive to any military moves by Russia.

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Conflict, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military March 30, 2012

Arab Spring Brings Steep Rise In US Attacks In Yemen

Arab Spring Brings Steep Rise In US Attacks In Yemen

Covert US strikes against alleged militants in Yemen have risen steeply during the Arab spring, and are currently at the same level as the CIA’s controversial drone campaign in Pakistan, a new study by the Bureau reveals.

At least 26 US military and CIA strikes involving cruise missiles, aircraft, drones or naval bombardments have taken place in the volatile Gulf nation to date, killing hundreds of alleged militants linked to the regional al Qaeda franchise. But at least 54 civilians have died too, the study found.

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Conflict, Flashpoints, Military, News March 28, 2012

Drone strikes in Yemen soar as U.S. stokes ‘secret war’

Drone strikes in Yemen soar as U.S. stokes ‘secret war’

America has dramatically stepped up its “secret war” in Yemen with the U.S. ordering dozens of drone attacks on al-Qaida hotspots, which have also killed scores of civilians.

With the backing of Yemen’s fragile government, President Barack Obama has authorized a rapid increase in attacks since last May, with 26 incidents recorded.

The pace appears to be accelerating, with nine attacks so far this year and at least five this month, including a strike last week near the terrorist hotbed of Zinjibar. Up to 30 militants were killed in three separate missile strikes on the town, witnesses said.

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Analysis, Conflict, Military, News March 28, 2012

NATO Could Not Handle Intervention in Syria

NATO Could Not Handle Intervention in Syria

Calls are intensifying for the United States, NATO and the Arab League to intervene to halt the bloodbath being perpetrated in Syria. Commentators on both the Left and Right are castigating the Obama Administration for its seeming hypocrisy in refusing to act in Syria having done so in Libya. The same arguments that were made to justify intervention in Libya apply in spades to the situation in Syria.

The White House’s reluctance to intervene in Syria is based on two simple facts. The first of these is that Syria is not Libya. As Pentagon leaders have pointed out, Syria deploys four times the air defenses that were available to Libya. Syria has a real Army. Access to Syrian airspace would pose a greater challenge than was the case in Libya, particularly if Turkey isn’t involved.

The second reason is that NATO would be only a limited player in such an operation.

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Intelligensia, Military, News March 28, 2012

Spy agency cash used for Saudi arms plant: report

Spy agency cash used for Saudi arms plant: report

The company, Swedish Security Technology and Innovation (SSTI), was reportedly set up by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut – FOI) in order to oversee the construction of a factory for the maintenance and upgrade of anti-tank missile systems.

In order to keep the company secret, FOI needed cash in order to set it up, according to Svergies Radio (SR), which first reported on the secret plans for the Saudi weapons plant earlier this month.

However, FOI was unable to procure the necessary cash on its own, but instead had to rely on help from the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service (Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten – MUST).

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Drill, Military, News March 27, 2012

Sweden, Finland to Take Part in NATO’s Baltic Airspace Exercise

Sweden, Finland to Take Part in NATO’s Baltic Airspace Exercise

NATO forces will hold its 11th airspace policing exercise in Baltic skies on March 27 and 28 in conjunction with Finnish and Swedish air forces.

The units will practice establishing contact with airplanes that appear to lack communications and escorting such aircraft from sovereign airspace into NATO’s area of responsibility, midair transfer of escort procedures and coordination between air traffic control centers.

On the first day, a plane will be escorted from Swedish airspace to Lithuania and the next day the same scenario will be repeated in Finnish airspace.

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Crisis, Flashpoints, History, Military, Risks March 26, 2012

Turkey edges nearer to buffer zone for Syrians

Turkey edges nearer to buffer zone for Syrians

Events are pushing Turkey ever closer to setting up a buffer zone in Syria to protect civilians.

Turkish officials have long been hesitant about the idea, even while the U.N. reported that thousands of Syrians were being killed as President Bashar Assad’s forces crush dissent.

But on Monday, a Turkish official indicated that a surge of refugees from Syria might compel Turkey, preferably with international backing, to establish a buffer zone on Syrian soil to guarantee the security of its own southern border as well as the welfare of civilians fleeing violence.

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Flashpoints, History, Military, News, Strategic Interests March 26, 2012

RAF trained to bomb airfields in Argentina

RAF trained to bomb airfields in Argentina

RAF bomber crews trained to attack airfields in Argentina in retaliation for any attempt to retake the Falkland Islands, it can be disclosed for the first time.

Vulcan bombers, designed for nuclear raids on Russia, trained night and day in Scotland, Wales and Canada for a low-level attack hundreds of miles deep into Argentine sovereign territory, a new book has shown.

The news is likely to strain further the poor relations between Britain and Argentina, which have been at their lowest since the Falklands conflict 30 years ago next month.

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CyberOps, Flashpoints, Military, Sci/Tech March 25, 2012

DOD Develops Cyberspace Rules of Engagement

DOD Develops Cyberspace Rules of Engagement

Whether by land, sea or air, Defense Department leaders have long crafted rules of engagement to determine how, where and when forces can attack the enemy. They expect soon to complete the same for their newest domain: cyberspace, the assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs said today.

“We are working closely with the Joint Staff on the implementation of a transitional command-and-control model for cyberspace operations” while reviewing existing rules of engagement,Madelyn R. Creedon told the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities.

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Analysis, GeoPolitics, History, Military, Powerplay March 25, 2012

How India created Bangladesh & lessons for Sri Lanka

How India created Bangladesh & lessons for Sri Lanka

With a population of 1.2billion living across a landmass of 2973190 square kilometers, there is no denying India’s power. Yet, if not for its inferiority we cannot comprehend why India would desire to adopt a consistent policy and go to great lengths to destabilize each of its neighbors whilst pretending to be their friend.

The example of Bangladesh is perfect to describe the birth of Indian intelligence agency RAW tasked to partition Pakistan and create Bangladesh in 1971. It was in 1947 that 2 different countries were created – Pakistan and India. Muslims were divided into 2 countries bearing 2 different nationalities. West Pakistan was dominated by Punjabi’s while East Pakistan was the home to Sindhis, Pathans, Balochis and Mohajirs.

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Commentary, CyberOps, Intelligensia, Military, SiGiNT March 22, 2012

Trapped In The Grid: How Net-Centric Devices And Appliances Provide Voluminous Information To Intelligence Agencies And Their Business Partners

Trapped In The Grid: How Net-Centric Devices And Appliances Provide Voluminous Information To Intelligence Agencies And Their Business Partners

The Internet has revolutionized our world. It has shaped the way most people live and think. The Internet can be used to bring families together or it can be used to organize riots around the world. At this point in time it is not enough to be able to access websites, music and games at home, we need devices that can do this as well as any desktop computer. Today we have tablets and smart phones and they have been built so that you can connect to the web from wherever you are. The massive appetites of Internet users have created fortunes for those who were quick to act on it.

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Military, Stratagem, Strategic Interests March 21, 2012

Chinese spies target Taiwan’s US-made defenses

Chinese spies target Taiwan’s US-made defenses

When Taiwanese security personnel detained a suspected spy for China at a top secret military base last month, they may have had a sense of deja vu.

Air force Capt. Chiang — he was identified only by his surname — was the fourth Taiwanese in only 14 months known to have been picked up on charges of spying for China, from which the island split amid civil war 63 years ago. While Taiwan’s Defense Ministry did not disclose details of his alleged offense, his base in the northern part of the island hosts the air force’s highly classified radar system and U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles, both vital to the island’s aerial defense.

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Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, Regime Change March 21, 2012

Mali seals presidency as gunfire heard in capital

Mali seals presidency as gunfire heard in capital

Mali surrounded its presidential palace with armoured vehicles on Wednesday as heavy gunfire rang out across the capital Bamako and in a nearby barracks, Reuters correspondents said.

Correspondents heard 10 minutes of automatic gunfire coming from close to the state broadcaster, whose programmes went off air. Soldiers blocked the path towards its premises.

The incidents came amid growing anger in the army at the government’s handling of a Tuareg-led rebellion in the north of the country that has claimed dozens of casualties and forced nearly 200,000 civilians to flee their homes.

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Analysis, Crisis, Flashpoints, Military, News March 20, 2012

Pentagon war game forecasts U.S. would be pulled into a new war if Israel strikes Iran

Pentagon war game forecasts U.S. would be pulled into a new war if Israel strikes Iran

A classified Pentagon war game this month forecast that an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities would likely draw the United States into a wider regional war in which hundreds of American forces could be killed, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

The war games’ results have “raised fears among top American planners that it may be impossible to preclude American involvement in any escalating confrontation with Iran,” the Times Mark Mazzetti and Thom Shanker wrote.

Defense experts said the reported war games results are another attempted warning signal to Israel not to go it alone or risk harming relations with the United States.

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Crisis, Flashpoints, GeoPolitics, Military, News March 19, 2012

Russia Is Reportedly Sending 20,000 To 25,000 Troops To Its Southern Regions

Russia Is Reportedly Sending 20,000 To 25,000 Troops To Its Southern Regions

Multiple unconfirmed reports have suggested that Russia is sending between 20,000 and 25,000 federal troops to its southern region of Dagestan.

The reports come from Moscow-based analyst group Caucasian Knot and Dagestan-based news group Chernovik, who cited local police officials and reports of a large convoy seen en-route.

Official sources are confirming a smaller movement of troops.

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Crisis, Flashpoints, GeoPolitics, Military, News March 19, 2012

Russian Anti-Terror Troops Arrive in Syria

Russian Anti-Terror Troops Arrive in Syria

A Russian military unit has arrived in Syria, according to Russian news reports, a development that a United Nations Security Council source told ABC News was “a bomb” certain to have serious repercussions.

Russia, one of President Bashar al-Assad’s strongest allies despite international condemnation of the government’s violent crackdown on the country’s uprising, has repeatedly blocked the United Nations Security Council’s attempts to halt the violence, accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to start another war.

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Analysis, Conflict, Military, News, Think Tanks March 19, 2012

Think tank: US intervention in Syria could require 300K troops, cost $300 billion

Think tank: US intervention in Syria could require 300K troops, cost $300 billion

A think tank report says that U.S. intervention in Syria involving on-the-ground forces could require between 200,000 and 300,000 troops and cost up to $300 billion per year to be executed properly.

While no one is advocating a strategy involving an invasion, the report from the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy highlights the difficulties of accomplishing the Obama administration’s goal of removing Syrian President Bashar Assad from power.

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Conflict, Diplomacy, Flashpoints, Military, News March 19, 2012

US navy to position three aircraft carriers near Iran

US navy to position three aircraft carriers near Iran

The US navy will have three aircraft carriers positioned near Iran in the coming days, and is doubling the number of minesweeping ships and helicopters based in the Gulf.

Israel, meanwhile, is keeping up rhetoric that makes many think the Jewish state — the Middle East’s sole if undeclared nuclear power, which is not involved in the talks — is serious about possibly attacking Iran, with or without US support.

A majority of Israel’s 14-member security cabinet now supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in launching a pre-emptive strike on Iran in a bid to end its nuclear programme, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on Thursday, citing political sources it did not identify.

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Development, Economy, Military, Policy March 18, 2012

Canada bails out of NATO airborne surveillance programs

Canada bails out of NATO airborne surveillance programs

The Canadian Forces hope to save $90 million a year by pulling out of NATO programs operating unmanned aerial vehicles as well as airborne early warning planes, according to documents obtained by the Citizen.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay gave U.S. officials a heads-up last year about the withdrawal, pointing out that it will free up 142 Canadians assigned to NATO for new jobs, the documents show.

The shutdown of Canada’s contribution to NATO’s airborne warning aircraft, known as AWACS, will save about $50 million a year, according to the records obtained under the Access to Information law.

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Military, News March 18, 2012

Iran claims to have domestically produced drone

Iran claims to have domestically produced drone

Less than four months after confiscating a US drone that went down in its territory, Iran has domestically produced a new unmanned aerial vehicle called the Shaparak (Moth), Iranian state-owned news agency Press TV reported on Saturday.

The drone has an operational radius of 50 kilometers and a flight ceiling of 4,572 meters, Press TV quoted Reza Danandeh Hakamabad, the aeronautics engineer in charge of the project, as saying on Friday.

He added that the aircraft has the capability to fly non-stop for three and a half hours and can carry an 8 kilogram payload.

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