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COMMENTARY What DOD can learn from TIC modernization By Patrick Perry Mar 31, 2020 For years, the Department of Defense has struggled with balancing security and operations throughout its networks, while maintaining optimal technology posture for both. The Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS) family’s internet access points (IAPs) and cloud access points (CAPs) were designed to be the next evolutionary step to maximize this balance. They centralize network flow through high-throughput security stacks to create economies of scale to secure the DOD Information Network (DoDIN). JRSS requirements, however, focus on network-centric security, rather than data-centric security. The challenge is that DOD is creating and managing exponentially higher levels of data as a result of internet-of-things technology, artificial intelligence, mobile users and more. Centralized security stacks can’t scale to meet the requirements of these emerging technologies. The need to continuously process

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn profile Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) new emir, Khalid Batarfi. They explain how Batarfi came to his leadership position, what’s ahead for the group’s local and global operations, and what AQAP can teach us about Al Qaeda’s larger structure and the ambitions of jihadist insurgencies the world over.  Powered by RedCircle Subscribe: Take a look around the globe today and you’ll see jihadists fighting everywhere from West Africa to Southeast Asia. They aren’t the dominant force in all of those areas, or even most of them. But jihadism has mushroomed into a worldwide movement, with al-Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS and other groups waging guerrilla warfare and launching terrorist attacks on a regular basis. Each week Generation Jihad brings you a new story focusing on jihadism around the globe. These stories will focus not only on Sunni jihadism, but also Shiite extremist groups. We will also host guests who can provide their own unique perspe

On March 19, Turkey’s defense ministry announced the death of two Turkish soldiers at the hands of “radical elements” in northwest Syria’s Idlib. The men were killed in a de-escalation zone that Turkey and Russia first delineated in 2018 and reaffirmed with a ceasefire deal on March 5. Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group , may have been responsible, although the group hasn’t claimed responsibility for the attack. The killings highlight Ankara’s challenges, as the deal with Moscow forces the Turkish government to either coopt, confront, or reach some other accommodation with the al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists living and operating in Idlib. The ambush targeted Turkish soldiers patrolling the M-4 motorway, a major road that runs from east to west through Idlib. It took place northwest of the town of Mahambel and came after a March 15 video by a joint operations room, which also includes Hurras al-Din, calling for embracing the fighting and rejecting “surrender solu

The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded a $1,554,398,639 modification (P000170) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-14-C-0067). This modification procures 18 Lot 11 P-8A maritime aircraft for the Navy (eight); the government of New Zealand (four); and the Republic of Korea (six). Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (97.45%); Huntington Beach, California (1.81%); Meza, Arizona (0.64%); El Segundo, California (0.05%); Huntsville, Alabama (0.04%), and Dallas, Texas (0.01%). The procurement also includes a segregable effort consisting of unknown obsolescence for Lot 11, Class 1 change assessment and obsolescence monitoring as well as non-recurring engineering for the Republic of Korea. Work is expected to be complete by October 2023. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $219,701,615; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $1,334,697,024 will be obligated at time of award, none of which

PARIS / TOULOUSE, France --- Europe’s Airbus is grappling with labour and supply chain shortages and may only be able to restore aircraft production to some 10-20% of normal levels for now because of partial shutdowns, industry and union sources said. Worst affected are wide-body jets, demand for which is expected to come under pressure as the coronavirus crisis hits airlines worldwide, especially in the long-haul Asia market. The European planemaker, whose factories are spread across Europe, restored output at French and Spanish plants a week ago after a four-day shutdown. On Monday it announced a new closure of Spanish plants that make tail sections of Airbus jets. Airbus said it would suspend most production in Spain until April 9 after the Madrid government tightened the coronavirus lockdown. It has also said British and German wings production and assembly would stop for three weeks. On Monday, union officials estimated 10-12% of Airbus staff were present at Airbus headquarters

In addition to existing serious problems, including the Remote Vision System used to monitor refueling operations, the US Air Force has now upgraded to Category I deficiency the fuel leaks it had previously found in the Boeing KC-46A tanker. (USAF photo) Boeing's seemingly perpetually troubled KC-46A Pegasus tanker has yet another major problem, its fuel system leaks excessively. This comes nearly a month after the U.S. Air Force made clear that it would not use its existing examples for aerial refueling, their core mission set, except in an absolute emergency. This was due to already serious existing issues, especially with the complex Remote Vision System that boom operators use to see what's going on at the back of the aircraft while linking up with receiving aircraft. [embedded content] The Air Force announced that it had defined the KC-46A's fuel system leaks as a so-called "Category I" deficiency on Mar. 30, 2020. Category I issues are problems that would

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Monday warned it could cut off dialogue with the United States, but Washington's top diplomat said the US still looked forward to talks, even after the North called his insistence on sanctions "ludicrous". Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week told nations to "stay committed to applying diplomatic and economic pressure" over the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes while calling on it to return to talks. A string of weapons drills by Pyongyang has come during a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the US and despite overtures from Washington offering help against the coronavirus pandemic. "Listening to Pompeo's ludicrous language made us give up on any hopes for dialogue," an unnamed official in charge of negotiations with the US said in a statement released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. "We will walk our way," the official said. Analysts say the North co

The United States has deployed Patriot air defence batteries to Iraqi bases to protect American troops recently targeted by Iranian missiles, US and Iraqi military sources told AFP Monday. Washington and Baghdad had been negotiating the placement of the defence system since January, when Tehran fired ballistic missiles at the western Iraqi base of Ain al-Asad, which hosts American and other foreign troops. It was not immediately clear whether the US had ultimately received the Iraqi government's approval. One of the Patriot batteries was deployed to Ain al-Asad last week and was being assembled, according to a US defence official and an Iraqi military source. Another battery was deployed to a base in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, the US official said. Two further batteries destined for Iraq were still in Kuwait, the official added. The Patriot systems are composed of high performance radars and interceptor missiles capable of destroying incoming

A Japanese naval destroyer and a Chinese fishing boat have collided in the sea off Shanghai but there were no injuries, Japanese media reported early Tuesday. The destroyer Shimakaze, from Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force, received damage to its port side, Kyodo news agency said, citing the Ministry of Defence. Both the naval ship and the fishing boat, with a crew of 13, were still able to sail under their own power, Japan's military said, according to Kyodo. It said the Shimakaze was on patrol after departing from the port of Sasebo on Sunday. The defence ministry said it would cooperate with a Japanese coast guard investigation as well as launch a probe within the navy, Kyodo reported. According to public broadcaster NHK, the incident occurred about 650 kilometres (400 miles) west of Japan's Yakushima Island. This area is well north of disputed islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing labels the Diaoyu islands. Related Links Learn about the Superpowers

  Coronavirus - Getting the message across or not as the case may be :- 🇬🇧 I received 3 items of mail this morning all with the slogan postmark applied by Royal Mail  exhorting me and other recipients of similarly postmarked letters to, “STAY HOME/PROTECT THE NHS/SAVE LIVES/????? ?????”. This slogan postmark which comes from the Birmingham area is different from that featured in a post on Stamp Boards by Norvic (see Blog 1631) but unfortunately, on all three covers, it is barely legible. The bottom line of the slogan is indecipherable as are the parts of the slogan giving the location and date of posting.   It’s all very well, even laudable, including an important public health message as part of a postmark but if the message is illegible then the value of doing so is negated somewhat. This is NOT getting the message across.   It looks to me as though Royal Mail should use a little more ink in its cancelling machines if it wants people to understand what message it’s trying t

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has been in power now for just over half a decade.  He and his son Crown Prince Mohammed have been credited with carrying out a comprehensive reform agenda to modernize the kingdom’s economy and liberalize its society. Some outward signs of a more open country are certainly evident. The austere dress code has been relaxed. Women are permitted to drive and are increasingly found in different sectors of employment. Crucially though, have these visible signs of progress been reflected in education? Is the groundwork being laid by Saudi Arabia’s schools for a different future?  Following up on several recent studies of the Saudi curriculum by ADL, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Education in School Textbooks (IMPACT-se) just completed a longer, comprehensive review of Saudi textbooks since 2016, using standards for peace and tolerance outlined by UNESCO as a benchmark. The results are eye-opening, including the examination of textbooks for t

North Korea on Monday warned it could cut off dialogue with the United States and slammed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for urging the international community to maintain sanctions on its regime. Pompeo last week told nations to “stay committed to applying diplomatic and economic pressure” over the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes while calling on the nuclear-armed state to return to talks. A string of weapons drills by Pyongyang has come during a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the United States and despite recent overtures from Washington offering help to contain the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement released by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, an unnamed official in charge of negotiations with the US called Pompeo’s remarks “ludicrous”. “Listening to Pompeo’s ludicrous language made us give up on any hopes for dialogue,” the official said, adding: “We will walk our way.” The American diplomat had “unleashed insult at a country wit

Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully tested “super-large multiple rocket launchers”, state media said on Monday, but leader Kim Jong Un was not described as commanding the drill as analysts say Pyongyang seeks to normalise its launches. With the world focused on the coronavirus pandemic and North Korea insisting it has not had a single COVID-19 case, the isolated state has carried out four such firings this month. Unusually, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not say in its report that Kim had directed Sunday’s test. The leader is almost always shown overseeing the North’s launches but on this occasion KCNA said it was led by ruling party vice chairman Ri Pyong Chol and conducted by the Academy of National Defence Science. South Korea had said two projectiles — presumed to be ballistic missiles — were fired on Sunday from the North Korean port city of Wonsan into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. Images carried by the North’s official Rodong Sinmun n

Yesterday, (Sunday), the “Enduring Lightning” exercise in southern Israel – joint training between Israeli “Adir” (F-35I) aircraft from the IAF’s 140 squadron (“Golden Eagle”), alongside F-35 aircraft operated by the USAF’s (United States Air Force) 34th Fighter Squadron, has come to an end. The IAF’s 122 squadron (“Nahshon”), which operates the “Nahshon” (Gulfstream G-500) Control Aircraft, also participated in the exercise, during which the teams faced various aerial and ground threats in advanced 5th generation aircraft. Number One Partner This is the third time “Adir” aircraft train alongside foreign F-35’s. In June of 2019, the IAF, USAF, and RAF (Royal Air Force), joint training exercise “Tri-Lightning” took place. Additionally, in November of 2019, the international “Blue Flag” exercise hosted Italian F-35’s, and as stated, this week, the IAF’s “Adir” aircraft trained alongside its American counterpart. What’s unique about the current exercise is its location – for the first

RIYADH --- The Saudi Air Defence intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Iran-backed Houthi militia against cities of Riyadh and Jazan. The interception of the missiles resulted in debris scattering on some residential areas with "no casualties", Colonel Turki Al Malki, the spokesman for the Coalition Forces for the Support of Legitimacy in Yemen, in a statement, which was carried by the Saudi Press Agency, SPA. "The launch of ballistic missiles by the terrorist Houthi militia and the IRGC at this time reflects the real threat of this terrorist militia and the Iranian regime sponsoring it," according to Al Malki. #PHOTOS : Col. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Arab coalition in #Yemen 's legitimate government, at a press conference after Saudi forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles over #Riyadh https://t.co/6sA2xA1YZ9 pic.twitter.com/Z1CL3Fh3w5 — Arab News (@arabnews) March 29, 2020 "This villa

LONDON --- OneWeb, the global communications company with a mission to bring connectivity to everyone everywhere, announced today that the Company and certain of its controlled affiliates have voluntarily filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The Company intends to use these proceedings to pursue a sale of its business in order to maximize the value of the company. To date, the Company has successfully launched 74 satellites as part of its constellation, secured valuable global spectrum, begun development on a range of user terminals for a variety of customer markets, has half of its 44 ground stations completed or in development, and performed successful demonstrations of its system with broadband speeds in excess of 400 Mbps and latency of 32 ms. In addition, OneWeb's commercial team has seen significant early global demand for OneWeb's high-speed, low-latency connectivity services from g

(Source: NATO; issued Mar. 27, 2020) BRUSSELS --- Today (27 March 2020), North Macedonia became NATO’s newest member, upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the US State Department in Washington DC. NATO Allies signed North Macedonia’s Accession Protocol in February 2019, after which all 29 national parliaments voted to ratify the country’s membership. Speaking in Brussels on Friday NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, “North Macedonia is now part of the NATO family, a family of thirty nations and almost one billion people. A family based on the certainty that, no matter what challenges we face, we are all stronger and safer together.” North Macedonia is a long-standing contributor to our Euro-Atlantic security, including by participating in NATO-led missions in Afghanistan and in Kosovo. A flag-raising ceremony for North Macedonia will take place at NATO Headquarters on 30 March 2020, in the presence of the NATO Secretary General Jens

  🇮🇲 Isle Of Man Post Office will issue an excellent set of 6 stamps on 22 April 2020 to commemorate the Quatercentenary of the voyage of the Mayflower which conveyed the Pilgrim Fathers to North America. It can be claimed that this set is a relevant subject for the island to commemorate as among the settlers was a Manxman, Myles Standish. The issue was designed by Glazier Design and lithographed by Lowe Martin and perforated 13. Rating:- *****.   The Isle Of Man Post Office commemorated Captain Miles Standish in an issue released in 1986 which was tied to the Chicago International Philatelic Exhibition of that year.    It appears that Royal Mail is not intending to issue any stamps this year to commemorate this highly significant anniversary in British and American history, preferring instead to try to squeeze money out of collectors and Star Trek  enthusiasts by issuing a set of stamps featuring the American television series. Perhaps Royal Mail believes that the tw

Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully tested "super-large multiple rocket launchers", state media said on Monday, but leader Kim Jong Un was not described as commanding the drill as analysts say Pyongyang seeks to normalise its launches. With the world focused on the coronavirus pandemic and North Korea insisting it has not had a single COVID-19 case, the isolated state has carried out four such firings this month. Unusually, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not say in its report that Kim had directed Sunday's test. The leader is almost always shown overseeing the North's launches but on this occasion KCNA said it was led by ruling party vice chairman Ri Pyong Chol and conducted by the Academy of National Defence Science. South Korea had said two projectiles -- presumed to be ballistic missiles -- were fired on Sunday from the North Korean port city of Wonsan into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. Images carried by the North's o