435: US-Russia-Ukraine Talks Begin in Riyadh + Iran Deploys Missile Systems on Persian Gulf Islands + US Secretary of Defense to Visit Indo-Pacific + More
For review:1. Senior Hamas Political Official killed during IDF Gaza Strike. Ismail Barhoum, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau, was killed on Sunday evening in a targeted Israeli airstrike on a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement hailed the killing of Barhoum, saying he was “the new Hamas prime minister in Gaza, who replaced Issam Da'alis, the previous prime minister who was eliminated a few days ago.” 2. Iran Deploys Missile Systems on Persian Gulf Islands. The weapons were deployed on Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa near the Strait of Hormuz, a globally vital shipping lane.Naval Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: “We are capable of attacking enemy bases, vessels, and assets in the region. The new systems can completely destroy any target within 600 kilometers (370 miles).”3. US-Russia-Ukraine Talks Begin in Riyadh. The talks — with American representatives mediating — are expected to iron out details of a possible limited cease-fire in what could be a crucial step toward a full cessation of hostilities in the war.4. Turkish Defense Firm (Aselsan), claims successful test of mobile laser weapon system designed to track and kill (hard & soft) First Person View Drones. The firm distributed a video showing the system- composed of a laser system, and camera (Thermal)- mounted on a vehicle and eliminating multiple types of drones.5. Australia procures MK-48 heavy torpedoes in deal worth $125 million. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin and SAIC, the MK-48 is a joint program between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and United States Navy. The weapons can be used and maintained both by nations’ maritime services.6. US Secretary of Defense to Visit Indo-Pacific- first visiting the Philippines. Secretary Hegseth will be in Manila on March 28-29 to meet his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 7. The U.S. Army will not conduct a live-fire operation of its Mid-Range Capability missile system during exercises in the Philippines this spring. The Mid-Range Capability consists of a vertical launch system that uses the Navy’s Raytheon-built Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk missiles, and can strike targets in the 500- to 2,000-kilometer range. The complete system has a battery operations center, four launchers, prime movers and modified trailers.
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434: Boeing Wins USAF Next-Gen Air Dominance Fighter (F-47) Contract + US Sec Def Extends USN Carrier USS Harry Truman (CVN-75) in CENTCOM AOR; USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Enroute + IDF Strikes Airfields in Central Syria + More
For review:1. Boeing Wins USAF Next-Gen Air Dominance Fighter (F-47). Boeing has won the contract to develop the first ever sixth-generation fighter, dubbed the F-47, President Donald Trump announced today. The fighter will be expected to operate with the service’s forthcoming fleet of drone wingmen known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Anduril are in competition for the separate CCA contract. 2. US Sec Def Extends USN Carrier USS Harry Truman (CVN-75) in CENTCOM AOR; USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Enroute. The Truman will stay in CENTCOM AOR for another month, according to a U.S. official. The Carl Vinson, which was operating in the East China Sea this week, has been tasked to the Middle East region to make for an overlapping two-carrier presence as the Trump administration ramps up its aggression against the Yemen-based Houthis.3. IDF Strikes Airfields in Central Syria. The IDF confirms carrying out airstrikes on the Palmyra military airport and the nearby T-4 airbase in central Syria. The strikes targeted “remaining strategic military capabilities” at the two sites.4. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that Israel would annex areas of the Gaza Strip should the terror group Hamas refuse to release the remaining hostages it is still holding. It was unclear if Israel would follow through on its threat to annex parts of Gaza, a move that would likely draw a massive international backlash. 5. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Friday that the Houthis act on their own motivations, after US President Donald Trump said he would hold Tehran accountable for the group’s actions.6. EU releases joint statement on Ukraine- minus Hungary. "The European Council reaffirms its continued and unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders," leaders wrote in a statement signed off by 26 countries.7. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer comes off ground troops in Ukraine- stresses air and sea power instead. Speaking to journalists at Northwood UK Military HQ, Sir Keir insisted the priority had to be to support Ukraine in defending itself, “They’ve got the capability, they’ve got the numbers and they’ve got the frontline experience. So we’re not talking about something that replaces that capability — we’re talking about something that reinforces that and then put around it capabilities in relation to air, water and sea and land.”
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IDF Starts Ground Operations in Gaza + President Trump and President Zelenskyy Phone Call Described as "Very Substantive" + Ukraine Receives Shipment of F-16 Warplanes + More
For review"1. IDF Starts Ground Operations in Gaza. The IDF said Wednesday it had launched “pinpoint” ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip. The IDF said its operations were aimed at expanding the security zone near the border and creating a partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza. 2. Captured documents from Gaza show that in the years leading up to 07 October attack, Hamas developed a concrete plan to destroy the Jewish state, in full coordination with Hezbollah and Iran.3. President Trump and President Zelenskyy Phone Call. President Donald Trump has held what he described as a "very good" hour-long phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. President Zelensky described his conversation with President Trump as "positive", "frank", and "very substantive". 4. Ukraine Receives Shipment of F-16 Warplanes. The Ukrainian President stated that several F-16s had arrived but did not reveal the exact number of jets delivered.5. The Ukrainian Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces claims fielding of a laser (direct energy) anti-aircraft system. Known as the Triton (English), the system was first publicly mentioned in mid-December 2024- and in February 2025, the Commander confirmed that the weapon was operationally deployed.
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432: IDF Aerial Offensive in Gaza + President Trump & Russian President Phone Call + F-35 Joint Program Office Assures Allies that the Warplane Has "No Kill Switch" + More
For review:1. The Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile at Israel from Yemen Tuesday evening, marking the first attack from the Iran-backed group since the ceasefire came into effect in the Gaza Strip two months ago. 2. IDF Aerial Offensive in Gaza. The Israeli PM- Benjamin Netanyahu- said that the military campaign was launched on the recommendation of Israel’s intelligence services and the IDF, and that it was a last resort after weeks of failed efforts to get Hamas to free more hostages. 3. President Trump & Russian President Putin Phone Call.4. Germany’s parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of amending the constitution to enable significantly increased defense spending. As a result, a new aid package to Ukraine worth €3 billion ($3.28 billion) could be released by Berlin by the end of this week.5. F-35 Joint Program Office Assures Allies that the Warplane Has "No Kill Switch".The Pentagon today attempted to reassure its international partners in the F-35 program that there is no “kill switch” on the stealth fighter jet that the US could use to render it ineffective — the latest signal that there are real concerns abroad about American stewardship of the program amid tensions with historical allies. 6. US “near peer” adversaries are “practicing dogfighting” in space to simulate orbital combat in yet another step up their wide-ranging effort to develop capabilities to deny, disrupt, degrade and/or destroy US space capabilities, the Space Force’s second in command warned today (General Michael Guetlein, Vice Chief of Space Operations). And while General Guetlein did not specify which countries five satellites were involved, a Space Force spokesperson later told reporters that the demonstration was Chinese.
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431: US CENTCOM Campaign Against Houthis + IDF Strikes Iranian Proxies in Gaza, S. Lebanon, & S. Syria + President Trump & Russian President to Speak Tuesday About Peace Negotiations + Canada Reconsidering Future F-35 Fighter Purchase + More
For review:1. US CENTCOM Campaign Against Houthis. More airstrikes are planned in the coming days. USAF LTG Alexus G. Grynkewich, director for operations for the Joint Staff: "US CENTCOM began precision strike operations against the Houthis to restore freedom of navigation and American deterrence. The initial wave of strikes hit over 30 targets at multiple locations, degrading a variety of Houthi capabilities. Included among those targets were terrorist training sites, unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure, weapons manufacturing capabilities and weapons storage facilities." 2. IDF Strikes Iranian Proxies in Gaza, S. Lebanon, & S. Syria.3. President Trump & Russian President to Speak Tuesday About Peace Negotiations.4. BBC Report: Ukranian Soldiers talk about combat actions in Kursk region. The BBC has received extensive accounts from Ukrainian troops, who recount a "catastrophic" withdrawal in the face of heavy fire, and columns of military equipment destroyed and constant attacks from swarms of Russian drones. 5. Sweden will donate 18 Archer artillery units and five Arthur counter-battery radar systems to Ukraine as part of its 18th aid package for Kyiv. The total value of the donations is 3 billion kronor ($296 million), with deliveries of Arthur systems planned to begin this year and Archer systems in 2026.6. Canada Reconsidering Future F-35 Fighter Purchase. The Canadian military said while it is committed to the first 16 F-35As it’s on contract to buy from American defense giant Lockheed Martin, it is actively re-evaluating the rest of the multi-billion-dollar order. Ottawa’s reconsideration of the deal could open a door for alternatives like the Saab Gripen Fighter- which was beat out by the F-35 for the competition to replace Canada’s legacy F-18 fleet.
South Africa