NewzIntel.com

Category: Military Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI: Exosens strengthens its position as a key supplier to Senop for night vision image intensifier tubes highlighting increasing demand for night vision goggles

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EXOSENS STRENGTHENS ITS POSITION AS A KEY SUPPLIER TO SENOP FOR NIGHT VISION IMAGE INTENSIFIER TUBES HIGHLIGHTING INCREASING DEMAND FOR NIGHT VISION GOGGLES

    PRESS RELEASE
    MÉRIGNAC, FRANCE – FEBRUARY, 24th 2025

    • Exosens announces that Senop, a Finnish provider of high-tech optronic solutions including night vision goggles, has placed several significant orders for its Photonis white phosphor 4G intensifier tubes, to be delivered over 2025.
    • Third contracts signed with Senop since 2021 confirming Exosens position as the strategic supplier of image intensifier tubes for Baltic and Nordic countries underscoring the potential for material new sales in this area.
    • Rising demand for Night Vision goggles driven by increased military budgets and demonstrated criticality of night vision.
    • Exosens continue to fully benefit from this increasing demand as the strategic supplier of image intensifier tubes to NATO member states and their allies.

    Exosens strengthens its position as a key supplier to Senop for night vision image intensifier tubes

    Exosens, announces the signature of new contract with Senop, a Finnish provider of high-tech optronic solutions including night vision goggles (NVGs). Several major orders for Photonis (Exosens’ brand) white phosphor 4G intensifier tubes, have been placed and will be delivered throughout 2025.

    This is the third contract with Senop since 2021, after Exosens supplied a first batch of Photonis 4G image intensifiers with white phosphor screens for Senop’s EVA NVGs. A large order followed in 2022, and now, a third contract for the new EVA M development for an undisclosed customer.

    The new Senop EVA M is a compact night vision device for dismounted soldiers that enables mobile low-light combat including last features and usability improvements based on findings from user experiences in recent conflicts.

    Rising night vision market driven by increased military budgets and demonstrated criticality of night vision in high-intensity warfare

    The increase of night vision capabilities has become a strategic priority for many nations due to recent geopolitical challenges, such as the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which emphasized night vision criticality on the battlefield. The night vision market is fully benefitting from increased defense budgets since 2022, with the European Union seeing an average 6% rise in military spending, and countries like Sweden boosting their budgets by over 30%.

    Baltic and Nordic regions are even more exposed to military spending increase given geopolitical context in the region. Many countries are modernizing their defense capabilities, with a specific focus on improving low-light operational capabilities.

    Senop as well as other night vision goggles OEM relies on Photonis products to meet this demand quickly and effectively, reinforcing the importance of Exosens fast delivery capabilities. With over 40 years of experience in image intensifier technology, Exosens has established itself as the strategic supplier to NATO member states and their allies.

    Exosens: Technology enhancing military performance

    With Senop’s high-quality casings and ergonomic designs combined with Exosens’ state-of-the-art night vision technology, the result provides a significant advantage on the battlefield Photonis’ 4G tubes provide exceptional visibility at very low light levels (to Night Level 5) and the compact, lightweight structure of the EVA M makes it ideal for the mobility of soldiers on operations.

    “Innovation is at the heart of our strategy,” said Exosens CEO, Jérôme Cerisier, “We are committed to providing armed forces with night vision technologies that not only meet but exceed current operational requirements, ensuring tactical superiority on the battlefield.”

    With a constant commitment to innovation and R&D, Exosens continues to anticipate the future needs of armed forces by developing reliable solutions that meet the most stringent MIL-SPEC standards.

    Exosens will publish its full-year 2024 results on 3 March 2025, before market opening.

    About Exosens

    Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 12 sites, in Europe and North America and with over 1,700 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is included in the MSCI France Small Cap, CAC Small, CAC Mid & Small and CAC All-Tradable indices, and is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment.

    For more information: exosens.com.

    About Photonis

    Photonis is a leading product brand of Exosens, a high-tech company with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacture and sale of high-end electro-optical technologies. Photonis offers its customers photo-detection and low light conditions imaging solutions for extremely demanding environments such as Defense & Security, Nuclear Safety, Life Science and Industrial & Non-Destructive testing. Photonis is internationally recognized as a leading brand.

    Media relation

    Brunswick Group – exosens@brunswickgroup.com
    Laetitia Quignon, + 33 6 83 17 89 13
    Nicolas Buffenoir, + 33 6 31 89 36 78

    Forward-looking statements

    Certain information included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Exosens operates, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements included in this press release. These risks include those described in chapter 3 of Exosens’ registration document approved by the French Autorité des marchés financiers under number I.24-0010 on 22 May 2024.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: China didn’t violate any rules with its live-fire naval exercises. So, why are Australia and NZ so worried?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University

    In recent days, the Chinese Navy conducted two live-fire military exercises in waters near Australia and New Zealand, sparking concern in both countries.

    The Albanese government lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing. China responded by saying it was “deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied” by Australia’s response.

    What exactly happened?

    The presence of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (or PLA Navy) ships was well known. Australia’s Department of Defence put out a media release on February 13 indicating it was “aware” of the three ships operating to the northeast of Australia.

    Over the next week, the ships gradually made their way along Australia’s east coast through its exclusive economic zone in the Tasman Sea, which extends 200 nautical miles (370km) from a country’s coastline.

    On February 21, the PLA Navy gave short notice of its intent to conduct a possible live-fire exercise in the high seas between Australia and New Zealand. The next day, the ships conducted a second live-fire exercise. A live fire exercise can take many forms, such as using live rounds against stationary sea targets or the testing of new weapons systems.“

    Once Australia and New Zealand received China’s notification of its exercises, a maritime and air exclusion zone was created in the vicinity of the Chinese ships, and trans-Tasman commercial flights were diverted.

    Both exercises took place in “international waters”, which means no country has sovereignty over them. Neither Canberra nor Wellington contested China’s right to conduct these exercises, as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea places no constraints on high-seas military operations.

    The United States, for example, has conducted such high-seas weapons tests in the past, causing Qantas flights across the Pacific to be occasionally diverted.

    If they were legal, why were Australia and NZ upset?

    Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles was critical of the short notice China gave both countries of its intention to use live rounds of ammunition.

    Typically, Marles said, standard protocol is to provide between 12 to 24 hours notice of such exercises. This allows enough time to warn other ships in the area and for airlines to divert their flights.

    However, because the exercises took place in the high seas, the protocol is more ambiguous. This became the key point of differentiation with China. Beijing could argue its warships are under no legal obligation to tell anyone what they are doing on the high seas. As Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said,

    China’s actions are in full compliance with international law and international practices, and will not affect aviation flight safety.

    This is also the first instance of China conducting Tasman Sea military exercises. As such, it poses a challenge for how Australia and New Zealand should respond to future Chinese conduct.

    The PLA Navy has been sailing more frequently around the Australian coast and has observed Australian military exercises conducted with defence partners, such as Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2023.

    Why did China conduct the exercises here?

    This is an important question since China could have just as easily conducted these exercises closer to its own shores.

    Part of the answer lies in China having the capacity and capability to project its military force far beyond its own shores.

    These types of activities are also important intelligence gathering exercises. Each Chinese Navy visit will give it more experience in waters where it does not frequently sail, while also gauging how Australia and New Zealand respond.

    Given the increasing cooperation between China and some Pacific Island nations, such as the Cook Islands and Solomon Islands, we should expect the Chinese Navy will become a more frequent visitor to the region.

    What can Australia and NZ do about it?

    As Australia and New Zealand are strong supporters of the rules-based international order on which the law of the sea is based, there is very little they can legally do to obstruct China. Nevertheless, three options are available.

    First, enhanced air and naval surveillance of China’s activities in these waters is legally permissible. Constantly shadowing the PLA Navy in the South Pacific, though, would be a drain on stretched defence resources.

    Both countries would also need to ensure their navies are not in the line of fire to avoid an accident that could spiral into a major conflict.

    Second, Australia and New Zealand could work though bodies such as the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization to settle on agreed practices on how much advance notification is required for high seas live-fire tests.

    Finally, both countries could push for negotiations on a regional “naval code of conduct”. Similar codes have been agreed upon by both China and the US in the past. Incidents like this could prove to be a catalyst for more.

    The South Pacific will increasingly be a strategically contested maritime space. Australia and New Zealand frequently deploy their navies for humanitarian operations in neighbouring Pacific states and engage in exercises with their military partners. The US Navy is also becoming more active in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea to counter China, as are the navies of other nations, such as the United Kingdom, France and Japan.

    With the potential for these various navies to be operating at the same time in the region, negotiating some basic “rules of the sea” would be a prudent and a helpful confidence-building measure to avoid a potential conflagration.

    Donald Rothwell receives funding from Australian Research Council.

    – ref. China didn’t violate any rules with its live-fire naval exercises. So, why are Australia and NZ so worried? – https://theconversation.com/china-didnt-violate-any-rules-with-its-live-fire-naval-exercises-so-why-are-australia-and-nz-so-worried-250618

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel launches new airstrike in Lebanon

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Israel’s military said on Sunday evening it launched a new wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah sites despite a ceasefire agreement.

    In a statement, the military said it struck infrastructure containing weapons, where “Hezbollah activity was identified.”

    It accused Hezbollah of conducting military operations in southern Lebanon in violation of agreements between Israel and Lebanon.

    Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that “the Israeli enemy launched two drone strikes on Wadi Zibqin in the western sector of southern Lebanon.”

    The agency added that the Israeli forces also dropped flares over the Al-Dar area, located in the central sector of the southern border region.

    Earlier in the day, according to the NNA, Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes in eastern and southern Lebanon.

    A Syrian girl was injured in the strikes and has been sent to the Lebanese-Italian Hospital for treatment, according to the NNA.

    Also on Sunday, Israel released photos and videos of the assassination of Hezbollah’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on Sept. 27, 2024. Aerial strike footage showed multiple bombs hitting an underground bunker in Beirut’s southern suburbs where Nasrallah was staying.

    The videos were released as thousands in Beirut attended Nasrallah’s funeral the same day.

    During the ceremony, Israeli warplanes patrolled the skies over Beirut, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

    “The Israeli Air Force jets currently flying over Beirut during Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral are sending a clear message: Whoever threatens to destroy Israel and attacks Israel — this will be their fate,” Katz said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Welcome to the Jungle

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

    @Marines rappel during a survival skills course at the Jungle Warfare Training Center, Okinawa, Japan, to increase their proficiency at fighting in a jungle environment.

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfBT1DHepxw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Stop Defence civilian job cuts if the Govt is serious about increasing spending – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The PSA is urging the Government to stop planned job cuts to the Defence Force civilian workforce in the wake of promises to increase defence spending.
    “We welcome the u-turn on Defence spending by the Government and urge it to start by stopping any further cuts to the civilian workforce,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, Assistant Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “The civilian workforce plays a vital role in ensuring NZDF can operate – such as maintaining IT systems, providing security at bases, and engineering support for military equipment. Defence can’t operate without a well-resourced civilian workforce.
    “It’s ironic that the backdown on Defence spending comes just a year after it ordered the agency to slash spending by 6.5%.”
    And last December NZDF told staff across its military and civilian workforce that it wants to cut $50m through its Workforce Savings Programme in the 2025/26 financial year as part of plans to tackle a $360m blowout in spending.
    “The civilian workforce is already cut to the bone, and more cuts are planned to be announced next month we understand. Some 200 roles in the civilian workforce of around 3000 have been disestablished last year. This includes 144 voluntary redundancies and other vacant roles not being filled.
    “It’s great that the Government belatedly realising that the unstable geopolitical environment, underlined by the activities of the Chinese navy off the coast of Australia currently, means we need to invest more in defence.
    “We urge the Government to stop with the reckless cuts and spending decisions like stopping flu vaccines to date. It must do the right thing by its critical civilian workforce if it is really serious about the capability of the Defence Force.”
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: GENERAL UPENDRA DWIVEDI, CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF EMBARKS ON A OFFICIAL VISIT TO FRANCE

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 23 FEB 2025 9:34AM by PIB Delhi

    General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), departed on an official visit to France from 24th to 27th February 2025, as part of efforts to bolster India-France defence cooperation.

    On 24th February 2025, the COAS will engage with senior military leadership of France at Les Invalides, Paris. The day will begin with a Guard of Honour followed by discussions with General Pierre Schill, CEMAT (Chef d’État-Major de l’Armée de Terre – the French Army Chief). The aim of the meeting will be to foster stronger military ties between the two nations. The itinerary also includes a visit to the École Militaire, the prestigious Military School and Institution Complex in Paris, where the COAS will be briefed on Future Combat Command (CCF). Additionally, General Dwivedi will be briefed at the Technical Section of the French Army (STAT) and visit the Battle Lab Terre at Versailles.

    On 25th February 2025, General Dwivedi will travel to Marseille, where he will visit the 3rd Division of the French Army and will be briefed on the mission and role of the 3rd Division, the bilateral exercise SHAKTI, India-France training cooperation, and the French Army modernisation programme (Scorpion). The following day, General Dwivedi will visit Carpiagne to witness a dynamic demonstration of the Scorpion Division with live firing exercises.

    On 27th February 2025, the COAS will visit the Neuve Chapelle Indian War Memorial to lay a solemn wreath in honour of the fallen Indian soldiers who participated in World War I. Later in the day, he will deliver a talk at the École de Guerre, the French Joint Staff College, highlighting the evolving nature of modern warfare and India’s strategic vision.

    General Dwivedi’s visit aims to strengthen the military collaboration between India and France, exploring new avenues of cooperation and enhancing strategic partnerships between the two nations’ armed forces.

    *****

    SC

    (Release ID: 2105610) Visitor Counter : 19

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Awards Planetary Defense Space Telescope Launch Services Contract

    Source: NASA

    NASA has selected SpaceX of Starbase, Texas, to provide launch services for the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission, which will detect and observe asteroids and comets that could potentially pose an impact threat to Earth.
    The firm fixed price launch service task order is being awarded under the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity NASA Launch Services II contract. The total cost to NASA for the launch service is approximately $100 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs. The NEO Surveyor mission is targeted to launch no earlier than September 2027 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida.
    The NEO Surveyor mission consists of a single scientific instrument: an almost 20-inch (50-centimeter) diameter telescope that will operate in two heat-sensing infrared wavelengths. It will be capable of detecting both bright and dark asteroids, the latter being the most difficult type to find with existing assets. The space telescope is designed to help advance NASA’s planetary defense efforts to discover and characterize most of the potentially hazardous asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit. These are collectively known as near-Earth objects, or NEOs.
    The mission will carry out a five-year baseline survey to find at least two-thirds of the unknown NEOs larger than 140 meters (460 feet). These are the objects large enough to cause major regional damage in the event of an Earth impact. By using two heat-sensitive infrared imaging channels, the telescope can also make more accurate measurements of the sizes of NEOs and gain information about their composition, shapes, rotational states, and orbits.
    The mission is tasked by NASA’s Planetary Science Division within the agency’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Program oversight is provided by NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which was established in 2016 to manage the agency’s ongoing efforts in planetary defense. NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, provides program management for NEO Surveyor. The project is being developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
    Multiple aerospace and engineering companies are contracted to build the spacecraft and its instrumentation, including BAE Systems SMS (Space & Mission Systems), Space Dynamics Laboratory, and Teledyne. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, will support operations, and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California, is responsible for processing survey data and producing the mission’s data products. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. Mission team leadership includes the University of California, Los Angeles. NASA’s Launch Services Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for managing the launch service.
    For more information about NEO Surveyor, visit:

    NEO Surveyor

    -end-
    Tiernan Doyle / Joshua FinchHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600 / 202-358-1100tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
    Patti BiellingKennedy Space Center, Florida321-501-7575patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR INDIA-JAPAN JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE-DHARMA GUARDIAN

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 FEB 2025 10:02AM by PIB Delhi

    The Indian Army contingent departed today, for 6th edition of India- Japan Joint Military Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted in East Fuji Manoeuvre Training area of Japan from 24th February to 9th March 2025. Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN is an annual event conducted alternatively in India and Japan. Last edition of the same exercise was conducted in Rajasthan in February- March 2024.

    The Indian contingent comprising 120 personnel will be represented mainly by troops from a battalion of the MADRAS Regiment along with troops from others arms and services.  The Japan Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) contingent, also comprising similar strength, will be represented by 34th Infantry Regiment.

    Aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability between the two forces while undertaking joint urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations under UN mandate. The exercise will focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.

    Aspects to be rehearsed will include tactical drills, joint exercises and disaster response strategies, designed to enhance operational capabilities, refine combat skills and strengthen interoperability for effective joint operations.

    Building on the momentum of Chief of the Army Staff’s successful visit to Japan from 14th to 17th October 2024, Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN will further strengthen the bilateral defence cooperation between India and Japan.

    The exercise underscores the shared commitment of India and Japan towards regional security, peace and stability, while advancing their common vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN reinforces the India-Japan relationship as a cornerstone of regional cooperation, fostering strong military-to-military ties and promoting cultural understanding.

    A testament to the enduring bond of friendship, trust and cultural linkages between India and Japan, the exercise sets the stage for meaningful professional engagement, highlighting the unwavering commitment of both nations to broader defence cooperation.

    ****

    SC

    (Release ID: 2105443) Visitor Counter : 19

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez emphasize on India’s role in sustainable shipping and seafarer welfare

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 9:44PM by PIB Delhi

    International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Secretary-General, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez emphasized on India’s role in sustainable shipping and seafarer welfare; reinforcing maritime cooperation.

    On the third day of his three-day tour in the country, the courtesy visit of Mr. Dominguez to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) in Delhi is aimed at discussing the development of maritime sector and strengthening of bilateral ties.

    Mr. Arsenio Dominguez and Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Shri T.K. Ramachandran interacted with senior officials from various ministries, and departments of the Government of India.

    The discussions focused on enhancing efficiency and environmental responsibility in the maritime industry, with an emphasis on promoting green shipping, sustainable port development, and the adoption of cutting-edge technology.

    Mr. Dominguez acknowledged India’s initiatives in maritime sector and reaffirmed IMO’s commitment to seafarer welfare, sustainability, and innovation. He highlighted the importance of research and development in emerging maritime technologies and the need for international collaboration to accelerate decarbonization efforts. He also appreciated efforts of Indian Navy in ensuring maritime security in Indian Ocean Region.  The discussions underscored the Ministry’s dedication to maritime safety, skill development, eco-friendly port infrastructure, and fostering a resilient and future-ready maritime industry.

    The visit of Mr. Dominguez strengthens India-IMO collaboration for a cleaner, safer, and more efficient global shipping industry as the Ministry remains committed to driving innovation and sustainability while partnering with IMO to achieve shared maritime goals.

    ***

    G.D. Hallikeri / Henry

    (Release ID: 2105436) Visitor Counter : 26

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: DRC: Urgent Action Needed as Goma Crisis Deepens – Press Conference | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Briefing reporters at UN headquarters, MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita reaffirmed the mission’s commitment to protecting civilians under international humanitarian law. “Following the fall of Goma on 28 January, more than 1,400 high-risk individuals—have sought protection, including civilians, women, and children,” she said.

    However, Keita cautioned that the mission is facing significant challenges in sustaining this protection “due to the sheer number of individuals under our protection, managing with difficult living conditions and limited supplies for longer than anticipated,” she said.

    Keita said, “MONUSCO urgently calls—and I insist, MONUSCO urgently calls—for a safe, dignified, and internationally supported solution for the transfer of these individuals to an alternative secure location, in full respect of their rights and choices.”

    Keita also pointed to ongoing security threats posed by the M23 armed group, which has taken control of parts of North Kivu with backing from the Rwandan Defense Forces. “Freedom of movement restrictions, including roadblocks and 48-hour advance notification requirements, prevent the mission from protecting civilians and carrying out life-saving operations,” she said.

    The UN official warned that the group’s ambitions extend beyond North Kivu. “Very public declarations and statements by AFC/M23—clearly repeated over time, including last week—show that the intent is to go up Kinshasa,” she said. Keita added that M23 forces are continuing their push southward, toward South Kivu and Tanganyika.

    She further expressed concern over reports that AFC/M23 is attempting to consolidate political control in occupied areas. “What we see is the communication from AFC/M23… at the establishment of, the appointment of a governor for Goma or a mayor for Goma. And we understand that the same is happening for Bukavu,” she said.

    Regarding MONUSCO’s ongoing operations, Keita clarified that the mission remains engaged in North Kivu despite significant restrictions. “With the conditions and requirements, we are still moving around,” she said, adding that SAMI DRC, a regional force, is also stationed in Goma while MONUSCO continues to fulfill its civilian protection mandate across other bases.

    Keita also commented on an upcoming UN Security Council resolution on the crisis, that is scheduled today (Feb 21) saying her “expectation is that it’s going to be voted unanimously.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsdyKNr7qrg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Reinforcing the Border | CBP

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    U.S. Border Protection works with U.S. Marines to reinforce the southern border protective barrier near San Ysidro, Calif.U.S.

    Instagram ➤ https://instagram.com/CBPgov
    Facebook ➤ https://facebook.com/CBPgov
    Twitter ➤ https://twitter.com/CBP
    Official Website ➤ https://www.cbp.gov

    #cbp
    #borderpatrol
    #bordersecurity
    #usmc

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zodff4Z9K5I

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: SUNDAY SHOWS: Most Transparent Administration in History

    Source: The White House

    This morning, the Trump Administration was out in force across the TV networks to update Americans on the progress made in the historic first month of President Trump’s second term.

    Here’s what you missed:

    Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on State of the Union

    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on Sunday Morning Futures

    • On mortgage rates: “Interest rates are down five weeks in a row on the 10-year since President Trump took office — and mortgage rates are down.”
    • On reciprocal tariffs: “We’re just doing what they’re doing and then adding in these other factors. If they remediate those … the tariffs could drop. If they want to continue these unfair trade practices, then the tariff will go up until they are willing to negotiate.”
    • On negotiations around a minerals deal with Ukraine: “This deal is part of President Trump’s long-arc negotiating strategy for peace between Ukraine and Russia … A partnership between Ukraine and the U.S. … It is a win-win.”

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Fox News Sunday

    • On restoring the Pentagon’s mission: “President Trump has given another set of lawful orders, and they will be followed … If they’re not followed, then those officers will find the door … We feel really good about the direction the Pentagon is headed under President Trump.”
    • On ending the war in Ukraine: “America more than any other country in the world has invested in helping Ukraine defend itself. Now, it’s time for peace.”

    EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Sunday Morning Futures

    • On getting back to the agency’s core focus: “It’s time to go back to the basics to ensure we are delivering clean air, land, and water, and we are also unleashing energy dominance … That’s the priority at the EPA under President Trump.”

    Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Face the Nation

    National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Sunday Morning Futures

    • On President Trump’s first month: “What you’re seeing under President Trump’s leadership, in just under a month, is bringing multiple wars to an end. He is a president of peace.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CTF153 and USS Stout ‘Ready Together’ for Red Sea Maritime Security

    Source: United States Naval Central Command

    MANAMA, Bahrain —

    Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force 153 and the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) have remained ‘ready together’ as they safeguard maritime security in the Red Sea.

    The guided-missile destroyer and its crew provided direct support to the Australian-led multinational task force during January and February, keeping watch for illicit activities including piracy, smuggling and narcotics trafficking.

    While on patrol, crewmembers practiced skills needed to safely visit, board and search vessels, and to legally seize illicit materials being smuggled through the vital waterway.

    The training came as CTF153 refocused on its core maritime security mission after responsibility for Operation Prosperity Guardian—the international response to attacks  on merchant shipping by Houthi terrorists—was transferred from CMF to U.S. Navy Destroyer Squadron 50 (DESRON 50).

     

    Commander CTF 153, Royal Australian Navy Capt. Jorge McKee praised the Stout commanding officer and crew for the teamwork with his staff ashore.

    “While our task force team ashore closely monitor the Red Sea for any activity requiring closer investigation by ships at sea, the crew of Stout are keeping their skills sharp and ready,” Captain McKee said. “It is an honor to work with USS Stout, as it is named in honor of U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout, who served alongside Australians in the Second World War.”

    Established in 2022, CTF 153 is one of five task forces under CMF. Its mission is to deter and impede illicit non-state actors in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and Gulf of Aden.

    CTF153’s area of responsibility includes some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and the greater Middle East region.

    Combined Maritime Forces, a 46-nation naval partnership headquartered in Bahrain, is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership. It is committed to upholding the rules-based international order at sea, promoting security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, including crucial shipping lanes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: B-A-N-G! | U.S. Army

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    About the U.S. Army:
    The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.

    Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
    Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L

    Connect with the U.S. Army online:
    Web: https://www.army.mil
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
    X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
    #USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Shorts

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=undWXri5Nqo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI China: Spokesperson slams Australia for slandering China’s lawful military exercises

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense on Sunday condemned Australia’s unfounded claims regarding China’s lawful military exercises in waters near Australia.

    Spokesperson Wu Qian made the remarks in response to a media query about Australia’s accusation of three Chinese warships’ recent activities and live-fire drills on the high seas near Australia.

    “Australia’s claims are completely unfounded,” Wu said, stating that the Chinese naval exercise took place in high seas far from Australia’s coastline.

    Wu added that China’s live-fire training was conducted with repeated safety notices that had been issued in advance.

    The spokesperson emphasized that China’s actions were entirely in accordance with international law and established practices and would not impact aviation safety.

    “Despite being fully aware of the fact, Australia has unjustly criticized China and deliberately exaggerated the issue, and we are astonished and strongly dissatisfied with this,” Wu said.

    China hopes Australia will approach the relations between the two countries and their militaries with an objective and rational attitude, show more sincerity and professionalism, and make genuine efforts to contribute to the stable development of these ties, he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USINDOPACOM Commander Travels to the Philippines, Commemorates 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Manila

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    During the trip, he met with Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, National Security Advisor Eduardo Año, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay L. Carlson to discuss shared security concerns, including maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster response, and counterterrorism.  He also met Secretary and Presidential Assistant for Maritime Concerns Andres Centino, underscoring U.S. commitment to the AFP to enhance maritime domain awareness and capacity building in order to counter illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities.  

    Paparo also met with U.S. and Filipino World War II veterans and gave a speech at the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Manila at Manila American Cemetery. Attended by U.S. and Philippine dignitaries and guests, the event recognized the service and sacrifice of more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers and more than 100,000 civilians who lost their lives during the fight to liberate the Philippine capital. 

    “Our nations have stood together for decades, confronting common challenges and advancing shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region,” Paparo said during his remarks. “The liberation of Manila was a triumph for universal values of human dignity, self-determination, and the human spirit. As we honor the memory of those who gave their lives, let us rededicate ourselves to the cause of freedom and our enduring partnership. May the sacrifices of our forebears inspire us to stand firm in the face of challenges, and may our bonds of friendship and cooperation grow stronger in the years to come.”

    The United States has supported the Philippines’ democratic institutions, responded to natural disasters, and worked together to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States remains committed to the defense and security of the Philippines and will continue working together to deter aggression and uphold international law.  

    Since 1951, the U.S.-Philippines Alliance has upheld peace and security in the Indo-Pacific with a shared vision of transparency, the rule of law, respect for sovereignty, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. The modernization of the relationship through training and joint all-domain operation events such as upcoming exercise Balikatan continue to enhance U.S.-Philippine bilateral interoperability and lethality across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace domains.  

    USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, prevailing in conflict.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Army Reservist Sentenced for Conspiracy to Steal Government Funds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – CODY FRANCIS (“FRANCIS”), age 34, of New Orleans, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, by Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown.  FRANCIS previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, having stolen $11,378.27 from the United States Department of the Army by claiming reimbursement for the performance of military funeral honors ceremonies that never happened.

    The National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 authorizes military funeral honors for active-duty soldiers, retirees, and veterans.  At a family’s request, eligible persons can receive military funeral honors, including the folding and presenting of the United States flag and the playing of “Taps.”

    Chief Judge Brown sentenced FRANCIS to one year probation, 100 hours of unpaid community service, the payment of $11,378.27 in restitution to the Department of the Army, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command.  Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.                                                     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: Israel pushes new atrocity narrative just as ceasefire deadline approaches

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

    A new narrative is being aggressively pushed by Israel and its apologists to justify resuming the Gaza genocide, conveniently just as an important deadline for ceasefire negotiations draws near.

    The Israeli “Defence” Force (IDF) is now claiming that the Israeli children Kfir and Ariel Bibas “were both brutally murdered by terrorists while being held hostage in Gaza, no later than November 2023.”

    IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told the press on Friday that, “Contrary to Hamas’ lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by terrorists in cold blood.

    “The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys, they killed them with their bare hands. Afterward, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities.”

    Anyone who has been following the events in Gaza over the last year and a half will be unsurprised to learn that Israel provided no evidence to support these incendiary claims.

    Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement in his signature American English waving around an enlarged photograph of the children and talking about what savage monsters the Palestinians are.

    “Hamas murdered them in cold blood,” Netanyahu says, while the camera zooms in on the adorable little redheads. “As the prime minister of Israel, I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth.

    “Nothing will stop me. Nothing.”

    Sabotaging ceasefire negotiations
    This happens just as Netanyahu has been working to sabotage ceasefire negotiations by adding new non-starter demands that were not in the original agreement, just as sources in Israeli media predicted he would do upon his return from Washington earlier this month.

    The six-week-long first stage of the ceasefire deal with Hamas is set to expire at the beginning of March next weekend

    This is obvious babies-on-bayonets atrocity propaganda, being released at the most convenient of times. After Israel has been caught lying about beheaded babies and mass rapes and so much more, only an idiot would take any of these claims on faith.

    But it’s doing the job. Now everywhere you look you’ll see Israel supporters calling to end the ceasefire and reignite the Gaza holocaust to avenge these innocent children. I just saw an article from Tablet Magazine titled “Their Time Is Up,” subtitled “The murder of the Bibas children caps off an 18-month catalog of horrors that has told us exactly who our Palestinian neighbors are.

    “Backed by a friend in the White House, Israel must secure its future through strong unilateral action.”

    Most likely cause of death
    All this despite the fact that we know the most likely cause of the children’s death was the fact that their own government was raining military explosives on places where hostages were being held during that time.

    Hamas reported back in November 2023 that the Bibas children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike along with their mother. In December 2023 it was reported in the mainstream press that Hamas had offered to return their bodies to Israel but Israel had refused, telling the press that “Israel will not address propaganda-based reports coming from Hamas”.

    You don’t need to trust Hamas or anyone else to deduce that a woman and two children being killed by Israeli airstrikes in an area where many women and children were being killed by Israeli airstrikes every day is a much more likely scenario than Palestinian resistance fighters spontaneously deciding to murder children with their bare hands instead of using them as negotiating leverage as planned.

    As journalist Muhammad Shehada recently noted on Twitter, Israel already has an established track record of lying about Hamas killing hostages who were actually killed in Israeli airstrikes.

    In December 2023, Israel informed the families of three hostages that they had been murdered by Hamas. The mother of one of the hostages kept digging and eventually discovered that they had died of asphyxiation when IDF troops “gassed” the tunnel they were hiding in.

    Last September, the IDF admitted that they had killed the hostages in an airstrike and lied about it.

    Three weeks ago Shehada correctly predicted in an article with Zeteo that Israel was preparing to use the Bibas deaths as an excuse to terminate the ceasefire, long before any of this started.

    Shehada noticed the way pro-Israel narrative managers had been pushing the line that great vengeance must be exacted upon Gaza if it turns out the Bibas children have been harmed, despite Hamas having announced their deaths more than a year ago.

    They knew those children were dead, so after the ceasefire was announced in late January they began circulating the narrative that discovery of their demise would be a valid reason to end it.

    Israel forces shoot dead 2 Palestinian children
    Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian children in the West Bank just yesterday  —  both of them shot in the back. You could be forgiven for not knowing that this happened, because the Western political/media class has been too focused on the deaths of two little white kids to pay attention to such trivialities.

    Israel needs to keep “discovering” new Hamas atrocities from 2023 because otherwise it just looks like one-sided atrocities being committed by Israel this whole time. First it was beheaded babies, then later it was “We’ve discovered Hamas did mass rapes!”, and now it’s the Bibas kids.

    They need to do this because the Hamas attack was the last time anything happened where Israel could frame itself as the victim, so they’ve been milking it and milking it and milking it for as long as possible while committing orders of magnitude worse abuse in Gaza.

    It’s all designed to drum up outrage, and to draw sympathy toward Israel and away from the obvious victims who Israel has been abusing, displacing and mass murdering for a year and a half.

    As calls to rain vengeance upon Gaza grow louder, remember this: the Bibas kids aren’t the reason, they’re the excuse. The excuse to advance pre-planned agendas against the Palestinians that have been in place since long before those children were born.

    Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel strikes Lebanon-Syria border crossings, accuses Hezbollah of weapons smuggling

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Israeli military said on Saturday it conducted airstrikes targeting border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of using the routes to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.

    In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the crossings were exploited by Hezbollah “in attempts to illegally transfer arms,” calling such activities “a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon” effective since Nov. 27, 2024.

    The IDF vowed to “continue operating to neutralize threats to Israel” and prevent Hezbollah, which it labeled a “terrorist organization,” from “rebuilding its military capabilities.”

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the Israeli strikes hit locations in Syria’s rugged Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border. The monitor described the sites as historically significant for Hezbollah’s alleged arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon.

    No casualties or damage have been reported yet. There were no immediate official statements from Syrian or Lebanese authorities, or Hezbollah. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: National Guard, Border Patrol join forces in Rio Grande Valley

    Source: US National Guard (video statements)

    Nearly 100 National Guard members received training from the U.S. Border Patrol Feb. 18-20, 2025, in McAllen, Texas, in support of Operation Southern Resolve. The Guard members were granted Title 8 authority in order to prevent, deter, and interdict illegal activity at the southern border. (U.S. Air National Guard video by Master Sgt. Amber Monio, photos by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Derek Gutierrez)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1trb5W4myc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: LEFT! YOUR LEFT! LEFT, RIGHT YOUR LEFT!

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    About the U.S. Army:

    The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.

    Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
    Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L

    Connect with the U.S. Army online:
    Web: https://www.army.mil
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
    X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
    #USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Cadence

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwaMYGJrPAk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stormbreaker 25.1: 7th Communication Battalion Enhance Their Combat Effectiveness and Job Proficiency

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    “I will keep them on their feet, so I’ll pull one of them out from a crowd and have them help me demonstrate something I explained. By the way they do it, I’ll give corrections.” explains Cpl. Trevon Williams a supply chain and material management specialist with 7th Comm. Bn., III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group.

    During Stormbreaker 25.1, the 7th Comm. Bn. Marines not only worked on their transmission capabilities, but they also had the opportunity to be trained in close quarter combat tactics and room clearing by instructors and also by veterans who cleared buildings in the Middle East. This gave the Marines an opportunity to learn how to increase their lethality and survivability in a contested environment.

    “Being at 7th Comm. Bn., we focus a lot on transmissions, networking and data systems.”, said Staff Sgt Lewis Molet-Clytus a transmissions chief with 7th Comm. Bn. “Being able to adapt to an environment and training that we don’t normally do in a communication battalion really sets the tone for other Marines to let them know that we too are able to adapt and have that skill set to have variable assets among us, not just using communications, but we can also strategically plan the clearing of rooms and hallways.”

    Stormbreaker 25.1 also included a live grenade range where Marines learned to become familiar and comfortable with the procedures of throwing an M67 fragmentation grenade.

    “When you think about holding something that has damage of a high capacity, you might expect that most people would panic, but with us as Marines, we learn to adapt in difficult challenges. That’s where I come in to facilitate that and let them understand that with good hands, there’s good measures and there’s a safe environment, which I put in place for those Marines to have the confidence to execute these exercises.” Said Staff Sgt. Molet-Clytus.

    7th Comm. Bn. strives to mold well-rounded Marines who embody the spirit of ‘Every Marine is a rifleman’ by creating field exercises that include fast-paced tactical courses in conjunction with technical training. Each training iteration allowed Marines to work through stressful environments while learning how to work together as a team. Stormbreaker 25.1 increased Marines’ skills as rifleman and communication operators.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The 18th Wing launches new airspace and range management facility

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The 18th Wing is expanding the critical command and control capabilities with the 18th Operations Support Squadron’s Airspace and Range Management Facility.

    These new capabilities, such as communications and radar common operating picture, are scheduled for phased investments throughout 2025, further augmenting the facility’s ability to ensure critical access to training and operational spaces supporting joint force readiness.

    The facility achieved initial operational capabilities in November of 2023, but these new changes further cement the increased regional airspace and range management capabilities the facility brings to bear.

    The facility will play a central role in regional security by integrating with U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Japan Self-Defense Force range controls. The joint management facility helps oversee the complex airspace structure surrounding Okinawa and is a designated touch point for coordination among airspace users and adjacent air navigation service providers.

    “The 18th Wing worked closely with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability office, or PMTEC,” said U.S Air Force Lt. Col. Danielle Michel, 18th Operations Support Squadron commander. “Allowing us to identify key operations toward bolstering our ability to achieve mission success in collaboration with our joint and host nation partners.”

    The U.S.-led Kadena Radar Approach Control was officially decommissioned March 30, 2010, with its arrival control functions transferred to the Government of Japan, which is responsible for air traffic services to both civilian and military aircraft within the Okinawa area.

    After a $52 million comprehensive redesign, the 18 OSS achieved targeted development milestones in 2024 via project alignment with U.S. Forces Japan, Pacific Air Forces, and the GOJ. Improvements include an increase in specialized personnel as well as critical infrastructure modernization to replace aging systems and networks.

    Regional alignment will posture the facility for further development hosting mission-critical operations and future support of live, virtual, and constructive training integration, reinforcing the 18th Wing’s role as a center of tactical innovation.

    Addressing Okinawa area’s increasing air traffic volume, the facility will contribute to a management continuum that ensures seamless access to airspace, increased flight safety, and real-time de-confliction with Japan air traffic and airspace authorities and others, including air traffic, meteorological, search and rescue, and aeronautical information service entities.

    The development of this facility displays the 18th Wing’s commitment to advancing airspace and range management capabilities, furthering the base’s operational importance within the Indo-Pacific region.

    As joint operations and collaboration across branches continue to evolve, the Airspace and Range Management Facility will remain a cornerstone of airspace management, range control, and contingency readiness for years to come.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Accuracy and Aloha: Pacific Marines compete in the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition Pacific

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The Marine Corps Shooting Team hosted the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition Pacific at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, from January 23 to January 31, 2025. 

     Throughout the competition Pacific Marines, Sailors and officers with the Honolulu Police Department trained and competed for a week for the opportunity to be invited to the Marine Corps Marksmanship Championship at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.  

    While the event is a competition, the true goal of MCMC-PAC is to advance the lethality of the Corps and build camaraderie across a multitude of experience and backgrounds. 

    “My favorite part is getting to see the shooters grow and develop as marksmen, as well as Marines,” said Sgt. Dylan Kelley, an instructor and competitor with the Marine Corps Shooting Team, “We’re giving the Marines an opportunity to come out here, compete against their peers, compete against fellow Marines and give them a chance to see where they are at.” 

    Kelley instructed approximately 72 shooters throughout the competition. Those shooters ranged from first time competitors to veteran shooters, all with various capabilities with their weapon system.  

    “It takes the ‘Every Marine a Rifleman’ and actually makes it a true statement,” says Master Gunnery Sgt. Derrick R. Stanfield, intelligence chief, G-2, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, and competitor since 2012. “It applies a lethality factor.” 

    Throughout the event, competitors participated in three training days, one individual pistol match, consisting of four stages, and two individual rifle matches, both consisting of two stages. Following the individual matches, the teams battled it out in a team pistol and rifle match. 

    Winners of each match not only get invited to compete in championships but were awarded both trophies and medals for their accomplishments.  

    “Two years ago, I was lucky enough to place bronze,” said Capt. Tyler Ashton, commander, Headquarters and Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, MARFORPAC, and team captain of MARFORPAC’s rifle team, “Getting a group of 22 Marines out of the office to come out and shoot is important for morale and skills, and I am happy to be a part of it.” 

    After all the rounds were scored and the aroma of gunpowder floated towards the horizon, the Marine Corps Shooting Team awarded the victors.  

    Staff Sgt. Christian Cachola, operations chief, Marine Corps Shooting team, won gold for rifle with an overall combined score of 188.24% 

    Maj. Tanner Grover, Oceana planner, G-2, MARFORPAC, won gold for pistol with an overall score of 100% 

    The first-place rifle team trophy was awarded to 1st Lt. Xavier Chido, aviation supply officer, Gunnery Sgt. Ger Lao, basic engineer equipment mechanic, Sgt. Isiah Crossguns, hygiene equipment operator, Sgt. Rodolfo Vergara, systems technician and Lance Cpl. Carlos Dowdney, systems technician, all with Marine Aircraft Group 24 with an overall score of 70.90%. 

     The first-place pistol team trophy was awarded to Maj. Tanner Grover, Capt. Tyler Ashton, Master Gunnery Sgt. Derrick Stanfield, Sgt. Ty Countryman, instrumentalist, and Cpl. Andrew Crume, Instrumentalist, all with MARFORPAC, with an overall score of 100%. 

    “Even though I didn’t medal, I feel like I have improved exponentially as shooter.” said Cpl. Matthew Benfield, combat graphic specialists, MARFORPAC, and first-time competitor, “This is an amazing opportunity that all Marines should take to not only improve their shooting but learn from the very best.” 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Colombia: Fleeing the thunder of violence in Catatumbo

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Beatriz Barral

    Peace and Security

    Around 80,000 people in northeastern Colombia are suffering the devastating consequences of an armed conflict that escalated on 15 January of this year. Caught in the crossfire between armed groups, thousands have been forced to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs while others remain trapped in their homes.

    Miguel Ángel López, the director of a funeral home in Tibú, used to recover bodies that appeared along the roads of one of Colombia’s most violent regions, Catatumbo. On 15 January, he was murdered along with his wife and their 10-month-old baby while driving a hearse toward Cúcuta, according to local media reports. Only their 10-year-old son survived.

    Less than 24 hours later, several former combatants who had signed the 2016 Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP armed group were killed.

    Since then, thousands have fled as a conflict between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the FARC group 33rd Front has claimed the lives of at least 80 people and displaced entire communities.

    Targeted killings

    Diego Andrés García, who works for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and coordinates the response of UN agencies and other organizations, said more than 53,000 people have moved to urban centres such as Cúcuta, Ocaña and Tibú

    “Human rights leaders had to leave the area due to threats from the armed groups,” he explained “During their departure, there were massacres, targeted killings of leaders and family members being murdered.”

    Videos circulating on social media captured the horror of the violence: gunfights, neighbours fleeing on foot, by motorcycle or in boats and teachers from remote areas abandoning their posts, leaving 46,000 children without access to education.

    “I lost everything,” said María*, one of the displaced people assisted by UNHCR. “I had to leave with nothing. There was no time.”

    UNHCR/Mónica Peñaranda

    Thousands of people have been forced to flee the violence in Catatumbo, seeking safety in Cúcuta.

    House of thunder under fire

    Catatumbo, which means house of thunder in the Barí Indigenous Peoples language, is a remote and impoverished region rich in biodiversity and natural resources, crisscrossed by rivers and streams in the country’s northeast along the Venezuelan border.

    It is also contested territory due to its importance in mining, coca production and illicit trafficking coupled with the State’s weak presence. In recent months, the region has shifted from a tense co-existence between armed groups to an open war for control of the drug trade.

    Responding to the crisis, President Gustavo Petro declared a state of emergency in Catatumbo and deployed rapid reaction military units to Ocaña, Norte de Santander. On 17 January, the Colombian president also decided to break peace negotiations with the ELN.

    Emergency aid response

    UN agencies are now assisting displaced people by providing water, food, hygiene kits, blankets and mattresses to serve more than 46,000 displaced people who sought safety in Cúcuta, Ocaña and Tibú.

    In the initial phase of the emergency, agencies responded with local funds allocated for Norte de Santander, however, with more than 80,000 people affected, “the situation surpasses the capacities of local partners, institutions and even the national government,” UNHCR’s Mr. García said.

    The UN’s humanitarian coordinator, Tom Fletcher, approved the allocation of $3.8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to Colombia, allowing for an expanded response to support protection efforts and provisions of shelter, water, sanitation, education, health, food security and nutrition.

    Thousands remain trapped

    The emergency funds also aim to reach thousands trapped in their homes in the mountain region.

    Nearly 8,500 people remain in remote hamlets they cannot leave and where aid cannot reach them, while another 19,000 are facing movement restrictions preventing them from reaching urban centres.

    “We are waiting for humanitarian access guarantees so we can deploy responses with our partners,” Mr. García explained.

    Courtesy of Norte de Santander Government

    Aerial image of the Catatumbo region, Colombia.

    Cocaine wars

    Six decades of conflict in Colombia have claimed 450,000 lives and displaced eight million people, ending eight years ago, when the government and FARC-EP signed a peace agreement that has achieved notable progress.

    However, the FARC’s withdrawal from regions like Catatumbo had created a power vacuum quickly filled by other armed groups, including the ELN and dissident factions of the FARC.

    This shift reignited territorial disputes in Catatumbo, one of the most complex areas of the conflict due to its remote location along the Venezuelan border. The region is rich in oil and is the country’s largest coca-growing enclave, with multiple armed groups operating within it.

    Tibú, a municipality near the Venezuelan border, has the highest number of coca plantations in Colombia, with 23,030 hectares, according to a study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Catatumbo region ranks third nationwide, with 43,867 hectares, following the Pacific region (107,078 hectares) and Putumayo-Caquetá (56,933 hectares).

    ‘Worst humanitarian crisis’

    Violence abruptly erupted in mid-January between the ELN and the 33rd Front in the region, forcing thousands to flee the fighting.

    “We left in fear,” said Sebastián*. “I left my little land behind. My family and I are now separated.”

    Diego Tovar, a former guerrilla and signatory of the peace treaty, told the UN Security Council at an emergency meeting on 22 January that “this is the worst humanitarian crisis we have faced in Colombia since we signed the agreement.”

    At the same meeting, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, head of the UN mission  responsible for verifying the peace accord, said Catatumbo, like many regions in Colombia, is still waiting for the dividends of the 2016 Peace Agreement, such as a comprehensive State presence that brings public services, legal economies, development opportunities and security.

    “It is in the absence of the State that illegal armed groups fight for territorial and social control,” he said.

    UNHCR/Mónica Peñaranda

    UNHCR staff at the General Santander Stadium, Cúcuta, where thousands of displaced people from Catatumbo have arrived.

    From books to shelter

    For now, UN agencies and partners are striving to deliver essential goods and services to those in need, including educational kits and mental health support for thousands of displaced children forced out of school and shelter for those who fled the violence.

    “We need to understand that this could be a prolonged emergency,” UNHCR’s Mr. García warned.

    Echoing the wishes of many of the displaced people around him, Santiago* said he simply wants to go home.

    “All we want is to return,” he said, “but we can’t.”

    *Names have been changed to protect identities

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: UDPATE: U.S. Navy EA-18G Crash NAS North Island

    Source: United States Navy

    Navy Divers, Sailors, and partners have made significant progress on the salvage efforts including recovering over 16,000 lbs. of wreckage across the 13,000 square-foot debris field. Previous estimates suggesting the recovery operation may take approximately two weeks from the Feb. 16 start date remain accurate and on plan.

    “Our top priority is a careful and thorough recovery that safeguards the well-being of all involved – residents, servicemembers, and our valued partners,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet. “I could not be prouder of the tireless efforts of our Navy Divers and the greater team supporting the salvage. The Navy calls San Diego home, and we appreciate the community’s patience as we work diligently to recover the wreckage, mitigate environmental effects, and restore normal operations in the channel as swiftly and safely as possible.”

    Civilian vessels will not be permitted to transit in and out of the Shelter Island basin through the southwestern portion of the channel until the conclusion of salvage operations. Please reference the below chart, which provides a visual display of the impacted area.

    The Coast Guard has established a temporary safety zone for navigable waters in the vicinity of Naval Base Point Loma and Shelter Island in San Diego Bay. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with the crash. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector San Diego.

    The public may notice heavy equipment near the Shelter Island harbor entrance as recovery operations continue. Individuals are asked to stay clear of floating cranes, barges, and other recovery vessels in the area and avoid interfering with ongoing recovery efforts.

    During the recovery effort, some debris may float and wash ashore in areas away from the crash site. The public is strongly advised not to approach, touch, or collect any debris that may wash ashore. Naval Base Coronado has established a reporting option for debris sightings. The public should report debris to: nbc_debris@us.navy.mil.

    Additional Navy commands assisting in the recovery effort include Navy Region Southwest, Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base Point Loma, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, and Electronic Attack Wing Pacific. These teams are working together to ensure a safe and efficient recovery operation.

     Throughout the recovery, Commander, Naval Air Forces will continue to lead the investigation into the cause of the crash. That investigation is ongoing.

    Additional updates will be provided as available.

    Photo galleries from the recovery efforts can be found at the following links:

    1. www.dvidshub.net/image/8881417/us-3rd-fleet-commander-visits-salvage-site
    2. www.dvidshub.net/image/8879473/ea-18g-growler-salvage-operations
    3. www.dvidshub.net/image/8879188/ea-18g-growler-salvage-operations
    4. www.dvidshub.net/image/8873610/ea-18g-growler-salvage-operations
    5. www.dvidshub.net/image/8873594/ea-18g-growler-salvage-operations

    Additional imagery will be released on the Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet DVIDS page when available: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/COM-US3rdFleet

    The U.S. Navy fact file on the EA-18G Growler can be found at the following link:

    https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2166036/ea-18g-growler-airborne-electronic-attack-aircraft/

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Statement on General Officer Nominations

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    This evening the President announced that he intends to nominate Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine, USAF, for the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.

    General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment. I look forward to working with him.

    The outgoing Chairman, Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Jr., USAF, has served with distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service. I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country.

    I am also requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. The incumbents in these important roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers. We thank them for their service and dedication to our country.

    We are also requesting nominations for the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

    Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars.

    – Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: America First Investment Policy

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
             THE SECRETARY OF STATE
             THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
             THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
             THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
             THE SECRETARY OF LABOR
             THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY
             THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
             THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
             THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
             THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
             THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
             THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS
             THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
             THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
             THE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

    SUBJECT:       America First Investment Policy
     
     
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:
     
             Section 1.  Principles and Objectives.  America’s investment policy is critical to our national and economic security.  Welcoming foreign investment and strengthening the United States’ world-leading private and public capital markets will be a key part of America’s Golden Age.  The United States has the world’s most attractive assets, in technology and across our economy, and we will make it easier for our overseas allies to support United States jobs, United States innovators, and United States economic growth with their capital.
     
             Investment by United States allies and partners can create hundreds of thousands of jobs and significant wealth for the United States.  Our Nation is committed to maintaining the strong, open investment environment that benefits our economy and our people, while enhancing our ability to protect the United States from new and evolving threats that can accompany foreign investment.
     
             Investment at all costs is not always in the national interest, however.  Certain foreign adversaries, including the People’s Republic of China (PRC), systematically direct and facilitate investment in United States companies and assets to obtain cutting-edge technologies, intellectual property, and leverage in strategic industries.  The PRC pursues these strategies in diverse ways, both visible and concealed, and often through partner companies or investment funds in third countries. 
     
             Economic security is national security.  The PRC does not allow United States companies to take over their critical infrastructure, and the United States should not allow the PRC to take over United States critical infrastructure.  PRC-affiliated investors are targeting the crown jewels of United States technology, food supplies, farmland, minerals, natural resources, ports, and shipping terminals.
     
             The PRC is also increasingly exploiting United States capital to develop and modernize its military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses, which poses significant risk to the United States homeland and Armed Forces of the United States around the world.  Related actions include the development and deployment of dual-use technologies, weapons of mass destruction, advanced conventional weapons, and malicious cyber‑enabled actions against the United States and its people.  Through its national Military-Civil Fusion strategy, the PRC increases the size of its military-industrial complex by compelling civilian Chinese companies and research institutions to support its military and intelligence activities.
     
             Those Chinese companies also raise capital by:  selling to American investors securities that trade on American and foreign public exchanges; lobbying United States index providers and funds to include these securities in market offerings; and engaging in other acts to ensure access to United States capital and accompanying intangible benefits.  In this way, the PRC exploits United States investors to finance and advance the development and modernization of its military.
     
             Sec. 2.  Policy.  (a)  It is the policy of the United States to preserve an open investment environment to help ensure that artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies of the future are built, created, and grown right here in the United States.  Investment in our economy from our allies and partners, some of whom have tremendous sovereign wealth funds, supports the national interest.  My Administration will make the United States the world’s greatest destination for investment dollars, to the benefit of all of us. 
     
             (b)  Yet for investment in United States businesses involved in critical technology, critical infrastructure, personal data, and other sensitive areas, restrictions on foreign investors’ access to United States assets will ease in proportion to their verifiable distance and independence from the predatory investment and technology-acquisition practices of the PRC and other foreign adversaries or threat actors.
     
             (c)  The United States will create an expedited “fast-track” process, based on objective standards, to facilitate greater investment from specified allied and partner sources in United States businesses involved with United States advanced technology and other important areas.  This process will allow for increased foreign investment subject to appropriate security provisions, including requirements that the specified foreign investors avoid partnering with United States foreign adversaries.  
     
             (d)  My Administration will also expedite environmental reviews for any investment over $1 billion in the United States.
     
             (e)  The United States will reduce the exploitation of public and private sector capital, technology, and technical knowledge by foreign adversaries such as the PRC.  The United States will establish new rules to stop United States companies and investors from investing in industries that advance the PRC’s national Military-Civil Fusion strategy and stop PRC-affiliated persons from buying up critical American businesses and assets, allowing only those investments that serve American interests.
     
             (f)  The United States will use all necessary legal instruments, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), to restrict PRC-affiliated persons from investing in United States technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials, or other strategic sectors.  My Administration will protect United States farmland and real estate near sensitive facilities.  It will also seek, including in consultation with the Congress, to strengthen CFIUS authority over “greenfield” investments, to restrict foreign adversary access to United States talent and operations in sensitive technologies (especially artificial intelligence), and to expand the remit of “emerging and foundational” technologies addressable by CFIUS.
     
             (g)  To reduce uncertainty for investors, reduce administrative burden, and increase Government efficiency, my Administration will cease the use of overly bureaucratic, complex, and open-ended “mitigation” agreements for United States investments from foreign adversary countries.  In general, mitigation agreements should consist of concrete actions that companies can complete within a specific time, rather than perpetual and expensive compliance obligations.  More administrative resources, in turn, will be directed toward facilitating investments from key partner countries.
     
             (h)  The United States will continue to welcome and encourage passive investments from all foreign persons.  These include non-controlling stakes and shares with no voting, board, or other governance rights and that do not confer any managerial influence, substantive decisionmaking, or non-public access to technologies or technical information, products, or services.  This will allow our cutting-edge businesses to continue to benefit from foreign investment capital, while ensuring protection of our national security.
     
             (i)  The United States will also use all necessary legal instruments to further deter United States persons from investing in the PRC’s military-industrial sector.  These may include the imposition of sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) through the blocking of assets or through other actions, including actions pursuant to Executive Order 13959 of November 12, 2020 (Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies), as amended by Executive Order 13974 of January 13, 2021 (Amending Executive Order 13959 — Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies) and Executive Order 14032 of June 3, 2021 (Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Certain Companies of the People’s Republic of China), and actions pursuant to Executive Order 14105 of August 9, 2023 (Addressing United States Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern).  Executive Order 14105 is under review by my Administration, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (America First Trade Policy), to examine whether it includes sufficient controls to address national security threats.
     
             (j)  This review will build on measures taken under my authority in 2020 and 2021 and consider new or expanded restrictions on United States outbound investment in the PRC in sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, hypersonics, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, directed energy, and other areas implicated by the PRC’s national Military-Civil Fusion strategy.  Covered sectors should be reviewed and updated regularly, including by the Office of Science and Technology Policy.  As part of the review, my Administration will consider applying restrictions on investment types including private equity, venture capital, greenfield investments, corporate expansions, and investments in publicly traded securities, from sources including pension funds, university endowments, and other limited-partner investors.  It is past time for American universities to stop supporting foreign adversaries with their investment decisions, much as they should stop granting university access to supporters of terrorism.
     
             (k)  To further reduce incentives for United States persons to invest in our foreign adversaries, we will review whether to suspend or terminate the 1984 United States-The People’s Republic of China Income Tax Convention.  That tax treaty, along with the PRC’s admission to the World Trade Organization and the related undertaking by the United States to accord unconditional Most Favored Nation treatment to goods and services of the PRC, led to the deindustrialization of the United States and the technological modernization of the PRC military.  We will seek to reverse both those trends.  United States investors will invest in the future of America, not the future of the PRC.
     
             (l)  To protect the savings of United States investors and channel them into American growth and prosperity, my Administration will also:
     
             (i)    determine if adequate financial auditing standards are upheld for companies covered by the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act;
     
             (ii)   review the variable interest entity and subsidiary structures used by foreign-adversary companies to trade on United States exchanges, which limit the ownership rights and protections for United States investors, as well as allegations of fraudulent behavior by these companies; and
     
             (iii)  restore the highest fiduciary standards as required by the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, seeking to ensure that foreign adversary companies are ineligible for pension plan contributions.
     
             Sec. 3.  Implementation.  The policy set forth in section 2 of this memorandum shall be implemented, to the extent permitted by law and available appropriations, and subject to internal programmatic and budgetary processes, as follows:
     
             (a)  With respect to sections 2(a) through 2(k) of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, and the heads of other executive departments and agencies (agencies) as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of the Treasury, and with respect to the authorities of CFIUS in coordination with the members thereof, shall take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, to support all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, and other statutes to carry out the purposes of this memorandum.
     
             (b)  With respect to section 2(d) of this memorandum, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the heads of other agencies as appropriate, shall carry out the purposes of this memorandum.
     
             (c)  With respect to section 2(l)(i) of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Treasury shall engage as appropriate with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; with respect to section 2(l)(ii) of this memorandum, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall provide a written recommendation on the risk posed to United States investors based on the auditability, corporate oversight, and evidence of criminal or civil fraudulent behavior for all foreign adversary companies currently listed on domestic exchanges; and with respect to section 2(l)(iii) of this memorandum, the Secretary of Labor shall publish updated fiduciary standards under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 for investments in public market securities of foreign adversary companies.
     
             Sec. 4.  Definition.  For purposes of this memorandum, the term “foreign adversaries” includes the PRC, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region; the Republic of Cuba; the Islamic Republic of Iran; the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; the Russian Federation; and the regime of Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro.
     
             Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

                      (i.) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

                      (ii.) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

             (b)  This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
     
             (c)  This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Encourages Foreign Investment While Protecting National Security

    Source: The White House

    MAKING AMERICA THE WORLD’S GREATEST DESTINATION FOR INVESTMENT: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) aimed at promoting foreign investment while protecting America’s national security interests, particularly from threats posed by foreign adversaries like the People’s Republic of China.

    • The NSPM establishes that welcoming foreign investment is crucial for economic growth, job creation, and innovation, ensuring that the United States leverages its world-leading financial markets to support American jobs and innovators.
    • The United States will create a “fast-track” process to facilitate greater investment from specified allies and partners, with conditions that prevent investors from partnering with our foreign adversaries in corresponding areas. The United States will also expedite environmental reviews for any investment over $1 billion.
    • The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will be used to restrict Chinese investments in strategic U.S. sectors like technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials, and others.
    • The United States will protect our farmland and real estate near sensitive facilities, strengthen CFIUS authority over “greenfield” investments, and restrict foreign adversary access to U.S. talent and operations in sensitive technologies.
    • Rather than use overly bureaucratic, complex, and open-ended “mitigation” agreements for U.S. investments from foreign adversaries, more administrative resources will be directed toward facilitating investments from key partner countries.
    • The United States will establish new rules to curb the exploitation of its capital, technology, and knowledge by foreign adversaries such as China to ensure that only those investments that serve American interests are allowed.
    • The Trump Administration will consider new or expanded restrictions on U.S. outbound investment to China in sensitive technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, aerospace, and more, to stop American funds from supporting China’s Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) strategy.
    • The United States will continue to encourage passive investments from all foreign persons – this will allow our cutting-edge businesses to continue to benefit from foreign capital while safeguarding our national security.
    • The Trump Administration will protect U.S. investors’ savings and boost American prosperity by auditing foreign companies on U.S. exchanges, reviewing their ownership structures and any alleged fraud, and ensuring foreign adversary companies are ineligible for pension plan contributions.

    ENSURING AMERICA’S PROSPERITY AND SECURITY: President Trump is committed to making the United States a premier destination for investment while balancing national security interests.

    • The United States is the leading innovator of next-generation technologies, and this action makes it easier for our friends to support U.S. innovators and economic growth.
    • Certain foreign countries, including China, systematically direct investment in American companies to gain access to cutting-edge technology, intellectual property, and leverage in strategic industries, which must be countered.
      • Foreign entities and individuals hold roughly 43 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, which is nearly 2% of all land in the U.S.
      • China owns more than 350,000 acres of farmland across 27 states.
    • China is exploiting our capital and ingenuity to fund and modernize their military, intelligence, and security operations, posing direct threats to United States security with weapons of mass destruction, cyber warfare, and more.
    • Chinese hackers have repeatedly targeted U.S. entities, including recently breaching the Treasury Department’s CFIUS office, the entity responsible for reviewing foreign investments for national security risks.

    SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN INNOVATION: President Trump is keeping his promise to prevent foreign adversaries from taking advantage of the United States.

    • President Trump: “We will also adopt new rules to stop U.S. companies from pouring investments into China, and to stop China from buying up America, allowing all of those investments that clearly serve American interests.”
      • President Trump also promised to “stop Chinese-owned” firms from “stealing our intellectual property, our workers’ knowledge and then sending it back to Communist China. We’re not going to let that happen.”
      • President Trump: “We have powers that haven’t really been used in terms of environmental. If you invest over $1 billion in the United States, we’re going to give expedited reviews.”
    • This NSPM builds on numerous actions President Trump took in his first term to protect American innovation, including:
      • Initiating a Section 301 investigation into China’s practices related to forced technology transfer, unfair licensing, and intellectual property policies.
      • Announcing a Department of Justice China Initiative to identify and prosecute trade secrets theft, hacking, and economic espionage – a program which the Biden Administration ended.
      • Prioritizing research and development of America’s artificial intelligence capabilities.
      • Taking action to prevent foreign malign actors from gaining access to United States information networks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Strongly Condemns Ongoing Offensives by M23 Rebel Movement in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2772 (2025)

    Source: United Nations 4

    The Security Council today strongly condemned ongoing offensives by the 23 March Movement, or M23, in the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, deciding that M23 shall immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from areas it controls and fully reverse the establishment of illegitimate parallel administrations in that country’s territory.

    Unanimously adopting resolution 2773 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2773(2025)), the Council — acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations — also called on the Rwanda Defence Force to cease support to M23 and immediately withdraw from the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo without preconditions.  Further, it strongly urged Kinshasa and Kigali to return to diplomatic talks, supported all initiatives and contributions to this end and reaffirmed the critical role of both the Luanda and Nairobi processes.

    Through the resolution, the Council additionally called for the cessation of support provided by Kinshasa’s military forces to specific armed groups — particularly the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda, or FDLR — as well as urgent implementation of commitments to neutralize that group.  The organ also demanded that all parties facilitate the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to populations in need.  To that end, it called on all parties to urgently open temporary humanitarian corridors in North and South Kivu.

    By other terms, the Council reaffirmed its full support to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and emphasized that any attempts to undermine the Mission’s ability to implement its mandate will not be tolerated.  As well, the Council condemned the systematic illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and reaffirmed its strong commitment to that country’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.

    Text Sends Clear Message There Is No Military Solution to Conflict 

    Speaking after the adoption, the representative of France, the text’s author, said that it delivers a clear message:  “There is no military solution to the conflict in the east of the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]; the offensive carried out by M23 — supported by Rwanda — must be put to an end.”  Further, Rwandan forces must withdraw from Congolese territory without delay, and MONUSCO must be able to carry out its mandate without obstruction.  Stating that the Council must speak clearly alongside regional initiatives, he welcomed that the organ “has risen to its responsibility”.

    Delegates Stress African-Led Initiatives Must Be Supported 

    On those initiatives, Algeria’s representative recalled a recent statement by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, which clearly emphasized that political settlement is the only way to end the conflict.  “As Africans who hold their continent dear”, he stressed the need to support regional mediation efforts.  Further, he said that all external actors must end their negative interventions, also noting the legacy of the bygone colonial era — as well as current “looting and plundering”.

    “The illegal exploitation of natural resources remains a key driver of instability in the region,” added the representative of Sierra Leone, urging greater adherence to relevant international frameworks to prevent the financing of armed groups.  He also joined others in underscoring that dialogue is the only sustainable path to lasting stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  On that, he observed:  “Talking to adversaries is hard — perhaps a taboo for some — but we do not make peace with friends.”

    Also underlining the importance of dialogue, Somalia’s representative pointed out that “experience has taught us that silencing the guns in Africa does not begin with finger-pointing”.  A sustainable solution must emerge through inclusive dialogue and regional cooperation, “rather than through measures that might inadvertently complicate existing peace initiatives”, he said.  Adding that the recent proposed convergence of the Luanda and Nairobi processes “represents a significant step forward in regional cooperation”, he called on the Council to ensure that international engagement “aligns with and reinforces existing African-led initiatives”.

    In that vein, the representative of China, Council President for February, spoke in his national capacity to express support for “solving African issues the African way”.  Further, he said that Council resolutions should be “designed to support regional processes” and “build synergy with mediation efforts at the regional level”.  He added: “The Great Lakes region is at a critical juncture, and to stand on the side of peace is our shared responsibility.”

    “We must not let everything unravel before our eyes,” urged Pakistan’s representative, also emphasizing that today’s text — “most importantly” — welcomes and supports regional efforts and processes to bring peace to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Welcoming the consensus achieved, he said that the resolution reaffirms the Council’s commitment to that country’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity and “upholds the fundamental principles of the UN Charter”.

    Resolution Supports UN Charter

    “This is a resolution in support of the Charter of the United Nations,” said the representative of the Russian Federation, stressing:  “This needs to be fulfilled by the parties without delay.”  The hostilities must end, lives must be saved, ordinary people must be able to return to their homes and Kigali and Kinshasa must, once again, sit at the negotiating table.  Adding that the parties must implement, in good faith, measures “agreed upon by Africans at the highest level”, he warned:  “Otherwise, the region will be faced with yet another brutal war, with colossal human casualties.”

    “The entire DRC is now at stake, and the situation literally stands on the brink of a full-scale regional war,” warned the representative of the Republic of Korea.  He, too, stressed that there can be no military solution to this conflict and urged both Kinshasa and Kigali to urgently return to meaningful diplomatic dialogue.  Both countries, stressed Guyana’s representative, must implement their commitments under the Luanda and Nairobi processes and abide by the decisions of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.

    For his part, Panama’s representative underlined his country’s “unwavering commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo”.  Urging M23 to immediately cease its hostilities there, the representative of the United Kingdom stressed:  “No Member States should impede this.”  He also underscored that, if the parties do not fully abide by today’s resolution, “this Council will need to consider further action”.

    On accountability, the representative of the United States reported that her Government has imposed sanctions on James Kabarebe, Rwandan Minister of State for Regional Integration, and M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, as well as two of the latter’s companies.  She added that, while it is necessary to support African solutions for African problems — and regional countries have a high stake in preventing an all-out war in the Great Lakes region — African-led responses must not preclude swift action from the Council.

    Kinshasa’s Delegate Says Council’s Paralysis for Three Weeks Gave Rwandan Defence Force ‘Free Rein’ to Illegally Occupy Democratic Republic of the Congo

    However, the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pointed out that “three weeks had to elapse for the Council to speak unanimously about this subject”.  “In this particular case,” he added, “the Council’s paralysis gave free rein to the illegal occupation of DRC territory by the [Rwandan Defence Force] and their supporters.”  Nevertheless, the Council has now acted, and he thanked the organ’s members on behalf of his Government and “all of the boys and girls of the DRC”.  He urged that today’s resolution be implemented immediately to offer respite to those in occupied areas — “they are paying the highest price and bearing the brunt of this military adventure”.

    Kigali’s Speaker Concerned by ‘Unprecedented Intimidation of African Voices’ in Council

    Meanwhile, Rwanda’s delegate expressed concern about “the unprecedented intimidation of African voices” in the Council, stating: “This speaks volumes about the [Democratic Republic of the Congo] and its belief that the solution to their inter-Congolese conflict will come from actors from outside the continent — most of whom are at the historical root cause of this conflict.”  He also urged the Council to reflect on the question: “How did we end up here?”  Any outcome that does not consider Rwanda’s security challenges and ignores the legitimate grievances of the Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese — the root of M23’s existence — will not help resolve the conflict, he stressed.

    For his part, Angola’s representative called for an immediate ceasefire and resumed dialogue, adding that there is no military solution to the dire security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  “We need to uphold and consolidate the deliverables of the Luanda process,” he stressed, welcoming the draft resolution “as a significant step in the right direction”.  The Council has a responsibility to assist the people and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to prevent further escalation of the conflict.  “We need to save lives and stop the bloodshed of innocent civilians,” he added, emphasizing the need to “promote African solutions to African problems”.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –