Fdd's overnight brief

August 1, 2023

In The News

Iran

Thousands of Marines backed by advanced U.S. fighter jets and warships are slowly building up a presence in the Persian Gulf. It’s a sign that while America’s wars in the region may be finished, its conflict with Iran over its advancing nuclear program continues to worsen, with no solutions in sight. – Associated Press

An escalating dispute over a gas field in the Persian Gulf poses an early challenge to a Chinese-brokered agreement to reconcile regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. – Associated Press

Farhad Rezaei writes: The outlook for transboundary water cooperation between Iran and Iraq appears bleak, with water resource management complications potentially driving Iran to disregard Iraq’s interests entirely. If this scenario unfolds, a major conflict over water between the two countries may be imminent. Prospects for cross-border water collaboration between the Taliban-led Afghanistan and Iran are equally pessimistic, signaling potential future conflict. – Jerusalem Post

Seth J. Frantzman writes: Leveraging these diplomatic successes to try to harm Israel is key to Iran’s strategy today. That is why the regime is openly mentioning Israel’s Syria policy and potential Saudi-Israel normalization. Any moves by Riyadh to warm ties with Israel will be a setback for Iran, or at least this is what Tehran is saying to the region. – Jerusalem Post

Michael Mandelbaum writes: The disillusionment of the United States after the most recent wars, and the consequent desire to avoid repeating them, are powerful political sentiments. By seeking to avoid a comparable experience with Iran through disengagement similar to that employed after the First World War, however, the American government runs the risk of repeating the experience of the interwar period. – Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

Russia & Ukraine

In the moonlight outside, the soldiers loaded weapons, Mavic drones, and other supplies into a camouflaged pickup truck, then sped off through the ruins of several Ukrainian villages toward the front. – Washington Post

Russian missiles slammed into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s native city of Kryvyi Rih and the southern city of Kherson on Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring close to 100 — a barrage that came one day after three drones struck Moscow in the latest attack on the Russian capital. – Washington Post

When Tetiana Kucher heard the first explosion Monday morning, she stepped onto her balcony and snapped a photo of the smoke billowing up about a mile away—the type of scene she had grown used to after 17 months of war. – Wall Street Journal

Drones have exploded over the gilded domes of the Kremlin. They have hit strategic Russian air bases hundreds of miles from Ukraine. They have struck a Moscow tower that houses several government ministry offices, including the one responsible for the military-industrial complex. – New York Times

At least three different Ukrainian-made drones have been used in attacks inside Russia, including Moscow, according to an analysis by The New York Times, indicating a Ukrainian role in strikes that the government in Kyiv has long shrouded in mystery. – New York Times

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Anna, a Russian entrepreneur, made a snap decision to open a real estate agency, hoping to create a safety net from the economic fallout of the conflict. The career change has paid off. – New York Times

Extensive minefields laid by Russian forces are proving among the toughest obstacles facing Ukraine’s counteroffensive, and the tools that Kyiv’s military has for removing them are inadequate, according to experts. – New York Times

A social media account linked to Russia’s Wagner private military company has posted a recording purportedly of the mercenary group’s leader saying that it would pause recruiting new fighters and would focus on activities in Africa and in Russia’s neighbor, Belarus. – New York Times

Ukraine and Croatia have agreed on the possibility of using Croatian ports on the Danube and the Adriatic Sea for the export of Ukrainian grain, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after talks with his Croatian counterpart on Monday. – Reuters

Six people were killed in Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk city and a village in Zaporizhzhia region, Russian news agencies reported on Monday, citing local officials and emergency services. – Reuters

Ukrainian forces have recaptured nearly 15 square km (5.8 square miles) of land from Russian troops in the east and south over the past week during their counteroffensive, a senior defence official said on Monday. – Reuters

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a voice message published on Monday that his Wagner group was not currently recruiting fighters but was likely to do so in future. – Reuters

Officials in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, said on Tuesday that drones hit populated areas of the city and one drone destroyed two floors of a college dormitory. – Reuters

Britain on Monday sanctioned Russian judges and prosecutors for their roles in what it called a “politically motivated conviction” of Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, calling for the British dual national’s release. – Reuters

Now, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its 18th month, the Crimean Peninsula is again both a playground and a battleground, with drone attacks and bombs seeking to dislodge Moscow’s hold on the territory and bring it back under Kyiv’s authority, no matter how loudly the Kremlin proclaims its ownership. – Associated Press

The $3.9 billion humanitarian appeal for war-torn Ukraine is less than 30% funded as the country starts preparing for a second winter with more residential buildings damaged and destroyed and thousands of people homeless following the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, the country’s U.N. humanitarian coordinator said Monday. – Associated Press

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, the former defense minister of Ukraine, spoke with Fox News Digital about the Ukrainian counteroffensive, offering insight into how Russian mines have slowed the Ukrainian military and what to expect as the war continues. – Fox News

Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), a prominent Senate Republican defense hawk, warned Monday that a Russian nuclear attack against Ukraine would be viewed as an attack on NATO, even though Ukraine is not a member of the alliance. – The Hill

The four roads of Staromayorske appear almost ground to dust in the drone footage. It’s a tiny village, but as the latest gain of Ukraine’s renewed counteroffensive in the direction of Mariupol, Staromayorske’s symbolism far outweighs its size. – CNN

Russia may be forced to use a nuclear weapon if Ukraine’s counteroffensive succeeds, senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday – the latest in a series of nuclear threats made during Moscow’s invasion by the key ally of President Vladimir Putin. – CNN

The Biden administration is seeking to increase stretched supplies of crucial munitions for Ukraine to support the counteroffensive against Russian occupying forces. – Financial Times

Michael Miklaucic writes: To exploit this success, western countries should continue to ostracise Putin and mobilise their full information firepower to portray Putin as the criminal that he is. The enduring relevance of the grey zone should not be dismissed. On the contrary, it is there that victory will be won in Ukraine and in the wider conflict over the future global order. – Financial Times

Lera Burlakova writes: And the current Russian regime will fall regardless. The world can try to postpone that moment, but no one can cancel the future. In the intervening period, however, it may very well cancel the futures of those who die daily and will keep dying in this environment of “controlled” inhumanity. Where human rights exist, but don’t work. Where the ideas of peace and freedom are applauded by the leaders of the great democracies, but not enough is done to bring them closer. – Center for European Policy Analysis

Nico Lange writes: The country has significant resources that have not yet been used in the counteroffensive. Breakthroughs and a transition to movement warfare remain possible. Although the first weeks of the counteroffensive have been terribly slow, the pace now seems to be accelerating somewhat. The situation could change more rapidly if Ukraine brings either Russia’s sole rail line in the southern corridor and/or the approaches to Crimea within range of its precision weapons. Regardless, long-term, systematic, and industrially backed support is needed. – Center for European Policy Analysis

Paul Schwartz writes: Finally, not every Russian weapons category is equally important in terms of sustaining the war effort. In the case of Ukraine, Russian artillery is paramount since it plays a central role in Russian operations. Since the conflict has devolved into a war of attrition, artillery has become the center of gravity for Russian forces in Ukraine. Thus, suppressing Russian artillery fires (even if only locally), is of central importance for Ukraine, both for escaping the cycle of attrition and for providing opportunities to maneuver. – Center for Strategic and International Studies

Israel

Every morning Amir sets up a protest stand to warn passersby that Israeli democracy is in danger from hotly contested legislation to curb the courts. But he’s a very unusual protester – a former Mossad spy who never before questioned the state for which he once risked his life on foreign missions. – Reuters

Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday said all 15 judges in a historic first would take part in a hearing on arguments against a law that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition passed as part of an overhaul of the judiciary. – Reuters

When thousands of people hit Israel’s streets to protest against the passage of the first law in the government’s controversial judicial overhaul plan last week, a smaller group of Israelis was celebrating. – CNN

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused on Tuesday to commit to respecting Israel’s High Court ruling should it decide to strike down his government’s recent law that bars the court from blocking government decisions or appointments it deems unreasonable. It was the third such instance the prime minister has failed to do so. – Haaretz

As the US intensifies its efforts to bring about peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia, pressure on Jerusalem to make concessions to the Palestinians has also grown in recent days. – Jerusalem Post

An Israeli merchant ship that embarked from the Port of Ashdod Monday became the first vessel to openly defy Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea since they pulled out of a deal with Ukraine allowing the country to export grain from its ports in mid-July, Ukrainian news outlet Militarnyi reported on Monday. – Jerusalem Post

Following Sunday’s widespread demonstrations in the Gaza Strip in protest of the high cost of living and shortage in electricity and gas supplies, Palestinian activists announced that they will resume the protests on Friday. – Jerusalem Post

Vodu Ababaei, the 79-year-old Israeli who was kidnapped in Ethiopia, was released on Monday from his captors in the Gondar area by the local police, and was transferred to the city. He is expected to leave the country and return to Israel in the coming days. The Israeli embassy in Ethiopia was updated by the local police. – Jerusalem Post

Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said Monday that Israel is not necessarily averse to an agreement that would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium for research purposes. – Al Monitor

Yonah Jeremy Bob writes: In light of the above, Barnea’s latest visit to Washington fits into the larger picture of his role in the Mossad as being not just a “gadget-loving killing machine,” as one article dubbed him. Rather, it suggests he has also been highly effective in promoting a potential future historic three-way deal, which could then lead to normalizing Israel’s relations with much of the Sunni world. – Jerusalem Post

Neville Teller writes: History shows that the chasm between the two organizations goes back to the very founding of Hamas, and that not one of the innumerable attempts to bring them together has succeeded. PA-Hamas unity would become a reality on the day that the self-styled “State of Palestine” forfeits its standing in the UN by turning jihadist, or that Hamas decides to support the two-state solution and recognize that Israel has a legitimate place in the Middle East. – Jerusalem Post

Odeh Bisharat writes: Israel has always amazed me. How did a state with a diverse population, a significant portion of which came from nondemocratic countries, and despite the corrupting occupation and the discrimination against its Arab citizens, manage to establish a democracy with political parties, the transition of power after elections, as well as a free press? Was that an anomaly, and now we are returning to normal? […] There are those who want to fix it by infiltrating behind enemy lines, as if we haven’t already seen how that turns out. – Haaretz

Hezbollah

National Security Council (NSC) chief Tzachi Hanegbi on Monday said that the Hezbollah encampment set up in Israeli territory is “child’s play.” – Arutz Sheva

Middle East expert Dr. Dror Manor spoke with Israel National News about Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s threats, which he sees as part of his years-long campaign against Israel. – Arutz Sheva

Daniel Byman and Emma McCaleb write: This diversified IT strategy poses a challenge for all counterterrorist actors. Even if social media companies prioritize takedowns, they will limit resources for content that is generally more violent and threatening. Moreover, these actions will not affect Hamas’s and Hezbollah’s communication wings, as they generally rely on more traditional technologies that doubly support their roles in governance. – Center for Strategic and International Studies

Saudi Arabia

The Kremlin said on Monday it needed to learn more about the purpose of talks planned in Saudi Arabia about the war in Ukraine, but Ukraine made it plain Russia was not welcome at the meeting. – Reuters

Saudi Arabia is giving Yemen’s presidential council $1.2 billion to help the country’s struggling economy, a Saudi source told Reuters on Tuesday. – Reuters

Several prominent commentators in the Saudi press have reacted broadly positively in recent days to speculation about a possible peace deal with Israel, and to reports on Saturday that the United States may broker such a deal in return for “significant concessions” from Israel, including the dissolution of the current hardline coalition by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. – Times of Israel

Martin Oliner writes: “The Palestinians, who refuse to recognize Israel in any boundary, are only 2% of the Arab world,” Netanyahu said. “If we make peace with the other 98%, the Palestinians will stop believing that one day the broad mass of the Arab world will destroy or dissolve Israel, and that will bring them into a more realistic position.” If Biden had done the right thing and invited Netanyahu to the Oval Office instead of Friedman, he would know the truth. Instead, he is unfortunately doing everything to prove that he does not know how to make peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia. – Jerusalem Post

Middle East & North Africa

Add this to Lebanon’s self-inflicted woes: Six men were killed as fighting among armed factions erupted over the weekend inside an autonomous enclave recognized by the United Nations as a Palestinian refugee camp. – New York Sun

Officials from the United Arab Emirates have sought to entice Israeli doctors to move to the Gulf country, a Monday report said, as some medical professionals discuss moving abroad due to the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul. – Times of Israel

China and the UAE will conduct their first joint military drill next month, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Monday. – Yeni Safak

Korean Peninsula

Chinese battery materials firms are ramping up investment in South Korea, announcing projects worth at least $4.4 billion this year to try to meet U.S. electric vehicle (EV) tax credit rules aimed at lowering reliance on China’s supply chains. – Reuters

The US wants Japan and South Korea to agree that each nation has a duty to consult the others in the event of an attack, as Washington pushes for a historic joint statement when the leaders hold a trilateral summit at Camp David this month. – Financial Times

Christian Davies writes: Je describes how in recent years, Korean companies in sectors ranging from nuclear power to K-pop have been intensifying their efforts to break into markets in Europe, India, the Middle East, Latin America and south-east Asia. “Korea is a small country stuck between big countries,” she notes. “That feeds a perpetual sense of crisis, this negativity you can observe now. But it’s precisely this sense of crisis that drives the country to succeed.” – Financial Times

China

China on Monday announced export controls on some drones and drone-related equipment, saying it wanted to safeguard “national security and interests” amid escalating tension with the United States over access to technology. – Reuters

China said on Tuesday it has complained to the United States about a weapons aid package to Taiwan, urging Washington to refrain from going further down a “wrong and dangerous” path. – Reuters

China should be able to meet standards set out in a major trans-Pacific trade pact, trade experts say, forcing members to make a politically uncomfortable decision on whether to let Beijing join a deal created to counter its growing influence. – Reuters

China has invested $25.4 billion in Pakistan over the past decade for projects ranging from roads to power plants, China’s vice premier said Monday, as the two countries celebrated the 10th anniversary of the so-called Belt and Road Initiative. – Associated Press

In a new policy plan unveiled Monday, Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis took aim at China with a “Declaration of Economic Independence” that also targets taxes, regulations and “elites” he blames for the nation’s decline. – Associated Press

China’s leader Xi Jinping has replaced the two missing generals who had been in command of the country’s missile forces, in effect confirming the largest purge at the top levels of the military in a decade. – Financial Times

American foreign policy vis-a-vis Communist China is emerging as a key talking point on the Republican presidential campaign trail, with candidates calling for a major reassessment of relations with the Communist government at Beijing that would have profound effects on global supply chains and international trade as they now exist if some of the proposals were enacted. – New York Sun

Essa Nahari writes: For its part, there is little doubt that China will continue to show off in the region through investments. If there is a lesson to be learned from the Saudi-U.S. exploration of oil in the thirties, it is that economic interests invite more than investments. This trend shows little sign of slowing down—especially without increased U.S. economic engagement and competition. – Washington Institute

South Asia

When a suicide bombing rocked a political gathering in northwest Pakistan over the weekend, suspicion immediately fell upon the Pakistani Taliban group, whose growing footprint and mounting attacks have alarmed security officials in the country. – Washington Post

U.S. officials told Afghanistan’s Taliban that Washington was open to technical talks on economic stability and discussions on combating narcotics trafficking, the U.S. State Department said on Monday following two days of talks in Qatar. – Reuters

Security authorities in eastern Libya freed at least 385 Pakistani migrants who were held in trafficking warehouses in an overnight raid, a migrant rights group said Monday. – Associated Press

Walter Russell Mead writes: But government action alone won’t be enough. A generation of young Americans needs to study and live in India, learning local languages and cultures. Programs bringing young Americans to India to teach English while learning about Indian culture and history would help both countries. […] Deepening our relationship with India enhances American security and promotes American economic growth. Investing in that relationship should be one of our highest national priorities. – Wall Street Journal

Asia

Myanmar’s military-controlled government has extended the state of emergency it imposed when the army seized power from an elected government 2 1/2 years ago, state-run media said Monday, forcing a further delay in elections it promised when it took over. – Associated Press

Indonesia has bought 12 new drones from Turkish Aerospace worth $300 million, its defence ministry said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of purchases aimed at modernising the country’s ageing military equipment. – Reuters

A group of 10 Russian and Chinese warships patrolled near Japan and sailed through the La Perouse Strait from the Sea of Japan to the Sea of Okhotsk over the weekend, the Japan Defense Ministry announced on Saturday. – USNI News

Hugh de Santis writes: A NATO-Asia nexus would reinforce President Xi Jinping’s argument that the U.S. and Europe are intent on impeding China’s rise. It would alienate the public in the global south that shares China’s view that the rules-based order is imposing a Western value system on the rest of the world and does not want to choose between the West and China. Finally, it would derail Washington’s resuscitated dialogue with Beijing and preclude China’s help in getting Russia and Ukraine to the peace table. – The Hill

Europe

The world’s largest grouping of Muslim nations demanded that Sweden and Denmark ban desecrations of the Quran, the latest stage in what is turning out to be a clash between the Scandinavian countries’ free-speech principles and the West’s ability to build a broader coalition to counter Russian aggression following the invasion of Ukraine. – Wall Street Journal

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions against four top Bosnian Serb officials, including the Serb member of the country’s presidency, for undermining a U.S.-sponsored peace deal that ended the Balkan country’s war in the 1990s. – Reuters

More Koran burnings took place in Sweden and Denmark on Monday as the governments of the two Nordic countries said they were examining ways to legally limit such acts in a bid to de-escalate growing tensions with several Muslim countries. – Reuters

A cargo ship carrying thousands of cars that has been burning on the North Sea for nearly a week was towed Monday to a new location further from the Dutch coast to wait for salvage crews to decide their next steps, the government said. – Associated Press

Greece’s prime minister said Monday that his government wants to take full advantage of an improving political climate with neighboring Turkey in order to improve bilateral relations despite a string of decades-old disputes. – Associated Press

Kosovo’s journalists on Monday protested against the government’s decision to suspend a private television station’s operations. – Associated Press

The EU has imposed sanctions on a Kremlin-controlled disinformation network intended to undermine Western support for Ukraine. The sanctions, announced Friday, target seven Russian individuals and five entities involved in an operation called Recent Reliable News (RRN). – The Record

France and Italy will see major mid-life upgrades to their Horizon-class frigates after co-contractors Eurosam and Naviris were awarded a €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) deal earlier this month. – Defense News

Lucy Fisher writes: A sticking plaster approach to complicated policies and floundering organisations, such as the newly revamped Elizabeth Tower, may appear to mitigate economic and political costs but are in fact a false economy. In the long term, the UK’s most difficult policy challenges face the same prognosis as parliament’s renovation: the bigger the delay, the more tricky and expensive reform becomes. Even physical decay cannot shake politicians out of their inertia. – Financial Times

Tony Barber writes: The EU, anxious to reward Ukraine for its courageous resistance to Russian aggression, can and must press on with enlargement. Ukraine and others should be given benefits, such as some access to EU funds and a voice in policymaking, even before gaining full membership. Even so, enlargement promises to be the most difficult task in the EU’s almost 70-year history. – Financial Times

Federico Borsari writes: As for China, Italy shares the same US concerns about the challenges posed by Beijing. The current government finds itself in an uncomfortable position due to a looming choice regarding the renewal or cessation of the infamous Memorandum of Understanding for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) signed with China in 2019 by the then-anti-establishment government of Giuseppe Conte. […] China relations, along with issues like the dysfunctionalities of the globalized economic model will be key topics of discussion in the G7, which Italy will chair in 2024. However, according to Meloni, “any debate regarding these issues should also include China, rather than being against it.” Against this backdrop, the coordination and cooperation between Italy and the US becomes more important than ever. – Center for European Policy Analysis

Africa

A group of West African nations has threatened military intervention in Niger if ousted President Mohamed Bazoum is not returned to power by Aug. 6, ramping up pressure on the coterie of generals who deposed the elected leader and seized power there last week. – Washington Post

Coup leaders in Niger on Monday arrested several ministers and senior members of the party of detained President Mohamed Bazoum, dealing a blow to efforts by African nations to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis that has shaken one of the U.S.’s main counterterrorism allies as Russia’s African allies declared their support for the junta. – Wall Street Journal

Islamist militants have beheaded at least 10 farmers in Nigeria’s northern state of Borno after attacking their farms, residents said on Monday. – Reuters

The International Monetary Fund on Monday said it is continuing to closely monitor political developments in Niger after a military junta seized power, but has not yet disbursed under normal procedures a $131.5 million loan to the west African country that was approved on July 5. – Reuters

Niger’s regional and Western partners have announced a series of sanctions against the country following last week’s coup. Niger is the world’s seventh-biggest producer of uranium, the radioactive metal widely used for nuclear energy and treating cancer. It is also one of the world’s poorest countries, receiving close to $2 billion a year in development assistance. – Reuters

The United States’ top general spoke with the chief of Niger’s military and discussed the safety of American citizens and the developing situation in the country, the U.S. military said on Monday. – Reuters

There is a narrow opportunity to reverse last week’s military takeover in Niger and U.S. diplomatic and military posture there will depend on whether the democratically elected government is reinstated in the coming days and week, a senior U.S. official said on Monday. – Reuters

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday welcomed Kenya’s readiness to lead an international force to help Haiti’s police combat gang violence and encouraged other countries – particularly from Haiti’s region – to join the effort. – Reuters

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Monday announced economic measures to ease growing hardship in Africa’s most populous country as labor unions threatened protests to demand more action. – Associated Press

Senegal’s government Monday dissolved a major opposition party hours after the party’s popular president and opposition leader said a judge ordered his arrest. – Associated Press

The Biden administration is refusing to call the military-backed ouster of Niger’s president a “coup,” knowing that doing so could trigger an end to U.S. security aid to a country that’s key to battling terrorism and curbing Russian influence in Africa. – Politico

The Americas

At least 20 people were killed as Colombian military personnel clashed with FARC dissidents and the Clan del Golfo crime gang in different parts of the country, authorities said on Monday. – Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made massive changes to his cabinet last week in a move political analysts say is more theater than substance, but the Liberal leader’s close advisers say it shows his determination to seek a fourth election victory. – Reuters

Bolivian President Luis Arce will attend next month’s BRICS summit in South Africa as the South American country looks for stronger partnerships and investments to help boost commodities exports and develop its emerging lithium industry, the foreign minister said on Monday. – Reuters

Cybersecurity

Facing pressure in Washington to explain how hackers based in China infiltrated its systems in order to pilfer U.S. officials’ emails, Microsoft continues to dispute evidence that the breach may have been larger than initially described. – CyberScoop

The Biden administration’s strategy for building the U.S. cybersecurity workforce calls for government, industry and civil-society groups to collaborate in increasing the number of cybersecurity workers and also urges an overhaul of the U.S. immigration system. – CyberScoop

Aboard of presidential advisers recommend the White House supports a series of changes to improve compliance with the use of a controversial surveillance program, yet overwhelmingly backs reauthorization of the intelligence gathering tool, according to a report released Monday. – CyberScoop

As the military explores how it can best use artificial intelligence to enhance operations on the battlefield, the Army is testing how one specific AI-enabled social media tool can help commanders make better informed decisions. – Breaking Defense

Gregory C. Allen writes: The AI sector has seen breakthrough after breakthrough since General Shanahan’s 2017 speech. In May 2023, a group of AI industry and academic leaders issued a statement warning that the risks of advanced AI should be viewed in the same way as pandemics and nuclear war. None of those risks will be any easier to manage if China achieves its vision of becoming an AI-enabled authoritarian superpower. In blocking China’s access to advanced AI chips, the Biden administration is advancing U.S. national security. Center for Strategic and International Studies

Defense

It’s been nearly three years since Raytheon and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced plans to team up to manufacture Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptor inside the United States. So far, they have not officially picked a production site but in an unusual move the US Marine Corps is publicly touting a recent visit to potential site in Arkansas. – Breaking Defense

Adding a new layer to their already extensive intelligence cooperation, Australia and the United States will create a new Combined Intelligence Center–Australia within Australia’s Defense Intelligence Organization by 2024. – Breaking Defense

The United States will expand its military industrial base by helping Australia manufacture guided missiles and rockets for both countries within two years, the allies announced on Saturday as they ramped up defense cooperation to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. – Defense News

The U.S. Army kicked off a program to quickly provide soldiers a portable, tank-busting drone, amid ballooning use of similar equipment in the Russia-Ukraine war. – Defense News