The world

The US State Department has released a report highlighting how the US is engaging with its partners to implement its strategy of improving economics, governance and security in the Indo-Pacific. Interestingly, strengthening US relations with Taiwan, including by contributing to the country’s deterrence capabilities, takes a prominent position in the document. The Diplomat offers a brief overview of the report. War on the Rocks puts forward the idea of bolstering the US Coast Guard presence in the Indo-Pacific to reflect President Donald Trump’s prioritisation of the region. Curiously, there are currently no US Coast Guard vessels operating west of Guam. Dive into Shyam Saran’s article in The Tribune to see India’s growing place in the Indo-Pacific, even though it has no significant operational deployments in the region.

There’s plenty to absorb and dissect from the summits held in Bangkok this week; the most significant, of course, was the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the biggest free trade agreement in the Indo-Pacific. Peter Drysdale and Adam Triggs’s article in the Financial Review presents a convincing argument about the merits of RCEP and its benefits for Australia and the region. India’s decision not to join RCEP for now may be a blessing in disguise, as Jeffrey Wilson points out in The Interpreter.

Much has been written about why India chose to walk away from RCEP at the last minute. Indrani Bagchi explains it well in the Times of India. The Print describes India’s RCEP dilemma as that of being caught between a rock and a hard place. The Diplomat has an excellent article arguing how this ‘geoeconomic misstep’ could be the undoing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘act east’ policy.

The US president’s decision to skip the East Asia Summit sent a poor signal to the region. This article in The Diplomat fleshes out what might be achieved in the proposed US–ASEAN summit to be held in the US next year. On that note, check out Joshua White’s new article in India Review that looks at Washington’s approach to China and India, and whether it’s playing one off against the other in the Indo-Pacific.

It has been apparent for a few months (or centuries) that Japan and South Korea aren’t getting along; the brief meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the ASEAN+ summits didn’t achieve much. Read this great explainer in War on the Rocks for a detailed look at the ongoing dispute and what it means for the region.

News has broken of a new peace deal in Yemen between the internationally recognised government under President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and separatists in the south of the country. This is a small victory for Saudi Arabia as more of Yemen unifies against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Writing for Al Jazeera, Ali Younes is unconvinced the peace deal will bring an end to the conflict as the Saudi crown prince has claimed. The Carnegie Endowment notes that Trump has the power and the opportunity to end the war but has yet to do so.

Is a new Middle East emerging? Two great articles highlight the changes that are occurring throughout the region. First off, Mohammed Ayoob for The Strategist discusses whether the Middle East is entering a post-sectarian era as protests continue in several countries and sects join forces to challenge the established parties. And the International Policy Digest highlights the realignment of some regional powers that have historically been adversaries and the impacts this will have.

Quickly to Europe, where, according to The Guardian, the Brexit turmoil is symbolic of wider upheavals across the continent, and see Bloomberg for a piece echoing the call of the International Monetary Fund for Europe to brace itself for an economic slump.

Tech geek

The Drive has a fascinating article which sheds some light on the US Navy’s development of a little-known advanced electronic warfare program known as NEMESIS. According to the article, NEMESIS is a system designed to project an ‘ecosystem’ of phantom aircraft, ships and submarines to trick enemy sensors. Information about its development can be found in the US Navy program guide from 2017 (page 177).

The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence has released an interim report that argues the US military should adopt fully autonomous weapons systems. The report describes the adoption of AI for national security purposes as ‘an urgent national imperative’. US military commanders have so far been wary of using autonomous systems on the battlefield.

Airbus has unveiled its ‘Low Observable UAV Testbed’, or LOUT. A decade in the making, the LOUT has reportedly been developed to test stealth technologies that will be used on the Future Air Combat System. Fabrice Wolf has an interesting article which explains how the LOUT could be a game-changer for the defence industry and airpower in Europe. For a visualisation of the LOUT’s design and development, see here.

The US Department of the Interior has grounded its entire fleet of drones used for firefighting and other emergency services due to concerns about Chinese spying. The drones are made by DJI, a Chinese company, which has pioneered the development of relatively cheap commercial drones.

This week in history

The October Revolution was launched on 6 November (yes, you read that correctly) 1917 by Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik party. At the end of the two-day coup Lenin had established a new government with himself at the helm and Russia became the world’s first Marxist state.

Multimedia

See The Atlantic for a documentary which follows English woman Nicola Benyahia, who describes how Islamic State radicalised her son who left England for Syria and would later be killed in a coalition air strike.

See this Al Jazeera photo series which illustrates the violent protests continuing across Iraq.

Podcasts

If you’re running behind on global events this week, check in with Pod Save the World for analysis of the death of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Paris climate agreement, Iran’s nuclear activity and more. [1:23.13]

The Center for Strategic and International Studies brings you The Asia Chess Board which this week discusses grey-zone operations. [30:40]

Events

Sydney, 11 November, 12.45–1.45 pm, Lowy Institute: ‘The EU and Ireland after Brexit: In conversation with former European Parliament president Pat Cox’. Register here.

Canberra, 12 November, 12.30 pm, Australian National University: ‘“Australia and the World” 2019 annual lecture’ with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Register here.

Sea state

Australia and South Korea have held their annual joint naval exercise. Code-named ‘Haedori-Wallaby’, the drills included joint manoeuvres and firing exercises, and involved six ships, six aircraft and a submarine on the Korean side and a Hobart-class destroyer and MH-60 helicopter on the Australian side. The drills were aimed at ‘improving cooperation in the implementation of joint naval operations’. The exercise comes as the Royal Australian Navy sent the frigate HMAS Parramatta to the region to help enforce sanctions on North Korea.

The Russian navy has launched its first missile-armed icebreaker, the Ivan Papanin, which is one of two ordered under a 2016 contract. The vessel will be part of a fleet dubbed Russia’s ‘trump card’ in the Arctic, and will escort vessels, deliver cargo and participate in rescue operations. The ship is scheduled for delivery in 2021, and is expected to be equipped with a helicopter, Kalibr-NK cruise missiles and 76.2-millimetre main gun.

BAE Systems has been awarded a US$120 million (A$174 million) contract to build 30 amphibious combat vehicles for the US Marine Corps, which will be used to transport marines from ship to shore. The vehicles’ design is based on that of the Italian Superav 8×8 amphibious armoured personnel carrier, and will replace the Marine Corps’ ageing amphibious assault vehicles. Production will take place mainly at BAE’s manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania.

Flight path

A US$34 billion deal for the next three lots of F-35 joint strike fighters has been reached. The contract for lots 12, 13 and 14 of the jet includes the delivery of 478 F-35s of all variants and could see the average price per aircraft drop by 12.8%. Under the US budget for 2019, Australia will receive 15 F-35As, costing US$82.4 million in lot 12 and US$79.2 million in lot 13, down from the lot 11 cost of US$89.2 million per unit. Lot 14 F-35As are expected to come in at a cost of US$77.9 million each.

Boeing has delivered the first Poseidon aircraft to the UK’s Royal Air Force. The ‘Pride of Moray’ will be used in maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare duties. The P-8A is stationed in Florida, where its crew are being trained, and will be transferred to its permanent base in Scotland next year. While the RAF is acquiring nine Poseidons, the Royal Australian Air Force is already operating 10 of the jets and its final two should be in Australia by January.

The US State Department has given its approval for Japan to upgrade 98 of its F-15J interceptors into a ‘Japanese super interceptor’ configuration, which will be the first fleet-wide upgrade since the 1980s. The US$4.5-billion deal is still awaiting congressional approval, but, if accepted, it will include advanced electronically scanned array radars, mission computers, electronic warfare equipment and new munitions.

Rapid fire

A factory that has been manufacturing small arms for Australian soldiers since World War I is building the world’s most modern rifle after a five-year research and development program conducted by Thales Australia. The ‘future soldier weapon system’ being built in Lithgow, New South Wales, is a networked and digital weapon that can use computerised sight and automated firing systems to increase a soldier’s accuracy by up to 400%. It can also identify targets like enemy fighters and drones.

The US and Germany have released a strategic vision statement outlining an unprecedented level of interoperability between the two countries’ ground forces by 2027. Operating at the ‘integrated level’, the aim is for both forces to work seamlessly together. For example, a German brigade or division could work under the operational command of the US Army as a ‘peer formation’ to American units, and vice versa.

The Indian Army has approached the country’s defence ministry in an attempt to keep the acts of homosexuality and adultery punishable offences despite their being separately decriminalised last year. The army wants to both to be categorised as offences under section 45 of India’s army act, which deals with ‘unbecoming’ behaviour. The army says allowing homosexuality and adultery to go ‘unnoticed or unpunished’ could ‘lead to severe discipline issues’.

Final frontier

NASA has provided funding to a Texas-based non-profit to study the feasibility of sending an orbiter mission to Pluto. The Southwest Research Institute will develop the spacecraft and payload design and conduct a preliminary assessment of the cost and risk of the mission. It’s one of 10 different studies being funded by the agency to inform the development of the next decadal plan for space programs.

China has launched a Gaofen-7 earth-observation satellite into orbit using a Long March 4B orbital carrier rocket. A grid fin (or lattice fin) system was attached to the rocket to guide the descent of its boosters to a designated area, reducing the risk of debris landing in populated areas. The addition of a such a system represents a step towards controlled descents and precision landings.

The US Air Force Space Command is set to hold an interagency exercise to come up with ideas for transforming the air force’s launch facilities into multi-use spaceports so they can better accommodate national security, civil and commercial launch demands. Major General Nina Armagno said there’s a need for launch ranges to function more like airports by providing space for both military and commercial uses.

Wired watchtower

Investigate Europe has published an article outlining journalist Katarzyna Pruszkiewicz’s experience working undercover in a Polish troll farm. Pruszkiewicz spent six months working at Cat@Net, a self-styled ‘ePR firm’ in Wroclaw, where she ran multiple fake social media accounts. Following a short trial period, Pruszkiewicz gained access to the company’s Slack channel, where employees shared and received ‘guidance and instructions on what issues to engage with, who to promote, and who to denigrate’.

Anonymous online forum 8chan is back online after being shut down in August due to its connection to three mass shooters and their manifestos. It has been relaunched as 8kun and features a new disclaimer about the content posted on it. Jim Watkins, the site’s owner and operator, told the US Congress in September that it would come back online once measures were in place to block illegal content. However, 8chan’s creator, Fredrick Brennan, has said that 8kun is a ‘bad faith rebrand’ and is no different from 8chan.

WhatsApp, a messaging service owned by Facebook, has filed a lawsuit against NSO Group, an Israeli technology firm. Malware was used to hack into the phones of WhatsApp users, including high-profile government, military and civil-society figures from US-allied states. WhatsApp is claiming that NSO knowingly built and sold a hacking tool that could exploit a flaw in WhatsApp’s servers. The cyber intrusions occurred between 29 April and 10 May 2019 and spread across at least 20 countries.

The beat

Victoria Police introduces ‘hostile vehicle’ policy

Victoria Police has provided officers with a set of guidelines outlining their powers and responsibilities in the event of a car attack. The new ‘hostile vehicle’ policy clarifies that officers are required to intervene and use all means necessary to protect pedestrians in situations where a car is being used as a weapon. The state’s Crimes Act will be updated to include the new rules.

Increased surveillance powers for Swedish police

Sweden’s Data Protection Authority has authorised police to use facial-recognition technology to assist with the identification of criminal suspects, noting that it’s more effective at identifying suspects than manual screening. Police will be able to compare facial images taken from surveillance footage with a national database of biometric images.

Chinese police ban unregistered mahjong parlours

Police in Yushan, a small county in southeast China, announced that they were banning mahjong parlours in an effort to curtail illegal gambling and ‘purify social conduct’. Police were met with panic and outrage after they issued a statement that said all mahjong parlours would be closed by 22 October and were quick to clarify that the ban only applied to unlicensed parlours. Several other counties in southeast China have also banned the parlours.

Checkpoint

Syria–Turkey border clash

Syrian and Turkish forces have clashed for the first time since Turkey launched its anti-Kurdish offensive, trading fire near the border town of Ras al-Ain that has killed six Syrian soldiers. Meanwhile, Russia’s defence minister has said that Kurdish fighters have finished pulling out from the Turkey–Syria border, in accordance to a deal between Ankara and Moscow. Turkey had previously vowed to cleanse northeast Syria of Kurdish forces if Russia didn’t fulfil its obligations under the deal, and said it will verify the pullout itself through joint patrols.

US border agents discover migrants in semi-trailer

US Border Patrol agents have found 30 illegal migrants hidden in a truck at an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 19 in Arizona. The incident is the second case of attempted people-smuggling in two weeks after 32 migrants were discovered in a truck on the same highway the week before. This comes as Customs and Border Protection officials released statistics on southwest border migration in 2019, and as construction begins on a new border wall in Texas.

Civilians killed at Pakistan–Afghan border

Afghanistan and Pakistan have engaged in clashes along their disputed border. According to Afghan officials, the fighting broke out when Pakistani forces tried to establish a military installation along the border district of Nari. Three Afghan women were killed and at least three other people were injured in the exchange of fire. Pakistan’s military has said that five civilians and six soldiers in the Chitral district were wounded after Afghan forces fired ‘mortars and heavy machine guns from Nari District’. The hostilities stopped after military-level engagements between the two states.

CT scan

India and Saudi Arabia strengthen bilateral cooperation

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud met in Riyadh this week. In a joint statement, the two leaders condemned all forms of terrorism and attacks on state sovereignty. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation on combating terrorist operations, sharing information, and building capacity within their existing bilateral security framework.

Chemical weapons a priority for anti-terror efforts in Morocco

Seven people have been arrested and harmful chemical agents hidden in a cache of weapons have been seized during raids on a terrorist cell likely aligned with Islamic State in Morocco. A Moroccan security spokesperson said that the country’s focus now goes beyond car bombs and suicide vests, after the threat of chemical weapons became a priority in the new anti-terror plan implemented earlier this year.

Trump’s ‘unique response’ to al-Bagdhadi’s death

In a ‘bizarre’ 48-minute address, US President Donald Trump said Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was ‘a coward’ and ‘died like a dog’ during a US military operation. A White House official explained that it was important for Trump to ‘mock this guy’ in order to break the spell that Bagdahdi held over his followers. Later that day, Trump, the commander-in-chief, used al-Baghdadi’s death in a fundraising pitch, saying the operation was a great day for America.

First responder

Extreme weather warning sparks renewed fears in South California

The US National Weather Service has issued an ‘extreme red-flag warning’ in response to historically strong winds, reaching close to 130 kilometres per hour, and dry conditions. Since the warning was issued, multiple new wildfires have erupted across Southern California and fire crews are struggling to contain them. As the wildfires spread across the south of the state, Californians have been offered respite in the north, with firefighters finally gaining control and evacuation orders lifted.

Wild poliovirus type 3 has been eradicated

On World Polio Day, wild poliovirus type 3 was declared globally eradicated by the independent Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication. The disease hasn’t been detected anywhere in the world since 2012. Of the three stereotypes of wild poliovirus, type 2 was declared eradicated in 2015, with the last case found in India in 1999. Last month, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 was confirmed in environmental samples in the Philippines, which has recorded consistently low immunisation coverage.

Fires kill hundreds of koalas in northern New South Wales

Hundreds of koalas are thought to have died in a bushfire in northern New South Wales, which burned through more than two-thirds of koala habitat in the region. The Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie fears the worst, saying that the expected mortality rate is likely 60%, meaning at least 350 koalas have died in the blaze. The hospital’s president said that koalas are ‘terrible’ at coping with fires and tend to climb to the top of a tree and curl into a ball to attempt to try the flames.

The world

US President Donald Trump has lifted sanctions on Turkey following a promise that it would cease fighting in northern Syria. Vox argues that Trump’s stance on Syria is the clearest articulation of his foreign policy so far—only fight wars in which the US has an interest or a clear path to victory. Meanwhile, War on the Rocks suggests that, while Trump made the right decision to withdraw US forces from Syria, it demonstrates his belief that alliances are a means not an end. Over at The Atlantic, Kathy Gilsinan says that Trump’s ‘sloppy’ success in Syria is unlikely to last.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest foreign policy speech at the Heritage Foundation has caused quite a stir, mainly for his remark that the purpose of the Quad is to keep China in its ‘proper place’. Iain Henry writes in The Interpreter that Pompeo’s airing of views presents an opportunity for some plain speaking on the purpose of the Quad to ensure all nations are on the same page. Also, read this Foreign Policy piece on the takeaways from US Vice President Mike Pence’s most recent speech on China.

Victorian Premiere Daniel Andrews’s renewed endorsement of the Belt and Road Initiative is a cause for some concern. Read this piece in The Strategist by ASPI’s Michael Shoebridge to gain a clearer understanding of the strategic implications of Victoria’s latest move.

Speculation about China’s leasing of the island of Tulagi from Solomon Islands has been circulating for over a week now. See the original New York Times article that broke the story late last week. This article in The Interpreter raises doubts over whether the Chinese company could actually lease an entire island and highlights the perils of China’s attempting to do so. On a related note, the Lowy Institute has published a report that uses a data-driven approach to assess Beijing’s ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ in the South Pacific.

Indian foreign policy wonks are in for a treat this weekend. The Center for a New American Security published a great report looking at India’s asymmetric power differential with China. Dhruva Jaishankar’s latest Brookings paper provides a 360-degree overview of India’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific. Listen to this insightful conversation between Jeff Smith, Tanvi Madan and Nitin Gokhale on current US–China–India dynamics. And while we’re on the topic, don’t forget to check out this stellar article in Foreign Affairs urging the US to continue with its policy of ‘strategic altruism’ vis-á-vis India.

The ABC’s ‘Australia Talks’ quiz has produced a pair of shocking results: 68% of men who responded to the survey don’t call themselves feminists, and 42% of men believe that men and women are treated equally in Australia. Those numbers brought to mind last year’s Gender equality at work report, which points out that there are more men named Andrew at the helm of ASX 200 companies than women CEOs. So it’s not clear why the ABC statistics weren’t lower and higher, respectively. This great long read in National Geographic is a timely reminder of the struggles of obtaining gender equality and the barriers that are yet to be overcome.

Speaking of equality, the necessity of women’s participation in peacekeeping was highlighted in a speech given by the UN deputy secretary-general in Addis Ababa earlier this week. Amina Mohamed presented the evidence that female participation produces more inclusive, effective and durable peace. Those observations are echoed in this Financial Times piece on the importance of increasing the number of female peacekeepers and placing them in leadership roles, which, according to the UN, makes local populations feel safer and has been shown to reduce conflict. And see this article in IOL which follows the experiences of the only female commander on the African continent, Lieutenant Colonel Tiisetso Sekgobela.

Tech geek

Naval Group has announced that Jeumont Electric will design the main electric propulsion equipment for Australia’s Attack-class submarines, and a subsidiary will be established in Australia. The first sheet of the French navy’s new defence and intervention frigate was cut at Naval Group’s site in Lorient. Delivery of the first ship is expected in 2023. France’s defence minister, Florence Parly, said the new frigates will incorporate a four-panel, 360-degree radar system; Aster missiles; and towed sonar, and will be able to deploy both a helicopter and a drone at the same time.

The UK Ministry of Defence announced that the operational handover of HMS Audacious to the Royal Navy will be delayed due to ‘emergent technical issues’. It’s not the first time the Astute-class nuclear submarine program has been delayed. In 2012, The Guardian revealed that the program had been plagued by design and construction flaws.

Airbus has confirmed that there have been compatibility issues affecting mid-air refuelling between the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and F-15 fighter aircraft. Changes have been made to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom because of the F-15’s receptacle design. As Australia was the first country to operate the MRTT, it’s likely that it will seek to update the software on its aircraft so that it can refuel US and Singaporean F-15s.

In other news, Taiwan is reportedly building a fleet of kamikaze drones to defend itself against China, which has released wind tunnel imagery of a two-stage-to-orbit space launch system. The US is working towards integrating US Marines into British carrier operations, and a US$35 microcomputer is reported to have achieved a higher level of performance than a professional fighter pilot.

This week in history

This week in 2011, Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s dictator of 42 years, was found hiding in a culvert and killed shortly after by forces of the National Transitional Council. Now, eight years on, Libya is still in the midst of a horrible civil war. The ABC takes a look at what went wrong.

Multimedia

Al Jazeera’s The Bottom Line investigates what Trump’s impeachment is actually about and where it’s heading. [26.29]

The Atlantic has published a photo series of the often violent demonstrations that have been erupting across Chile.

Podcasts

Always worth a listen is the Kings College podcast, which this week focuses on feminism in international relations and security. [44:50]

CSIS interviews Steve Hadley, US President George W. Bush’s assistant for national security affairs, who discusses his journey to the White House as well as the contemporary challenges between Washington and Beijing. [27.58]

Events

Melbourne, 28 October, 6–7.30 pm, Australian Institute of International Affairs: ‘Dilemmas in counter-terrorism decision making’. Tickets here ($30).

Canberra, 31 October, 5.30–7.30pm, ASPI: Launch: Sticking to our guns by Chris Masters. Register here.

Sea state

The Japanese government says it won’t join the US-led coalition in the Strait of Hormuz, though it will send its own forces to the area. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Japan plans to deploy warships used for information-gathering purposes to the region to ensure the safe shipment of oil to Japan. This comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to defuse tensions between Iran and the US, with Japan’s longstanding ties with Iran reportedly a key factor in its reluctance to join the US-led initiative.

The Defence Department has opened the Underwater Collision Research Facility at the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania. The facility is a joint initiative under a collaborative research agreement between Defence Science and Technology and the University of Tasmania, and will support Australia’s shipbuilding capability. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the facility will allow for ‘better understanding of the impact of underwater collisions’ and help to keep navy personnel safe.

The second edition of the India–Myanmar Naval Exercise (IMNEX) began last week. The exercise is divided into harbour and sea phases, and encompasses a variety of activities including anti-air and surface firing drills, helicopter exercises and seamanship training. This year’s iteration is broader in scope and complexity than last year’s IMNEX, highlighting the growing cooperation between the two navies.

Flight path

Full-rate production of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter plane could be delayed until 2021, due to issues in integrating the jet into its simulation environment, the US defence department says. Acquisition chief Ellen Lord said a ‘late start to initiation of intensive simulator testing’ is responsible for the delay. Production of the plane has been slowed in the past by supply-chain problems and other issues.

The US has bombed its own headquarters in northern Syria in an attempt to prevent it from falling into the hands of Turkish-backed fighters. Two US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles also conducted an air strike on an ammunition cache so that it couldn’t be seized by the Free Syrian Army. The bombing followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that troops would withdraw from northern Syria and the subsequent Turkish military offensive against Syrian Kurds, who Turkey views as terrorists.

Despite ongoing delays, Taiwan’s defence minister has said his country’s program to upgrade its F-16 fighter jets is expected to finish on time in 2022. The multimillion-dollar program involves bringing its fleet of 142 F-16s up to ‘Viper’ standard and is part of Taiwan’s effort to bolster its defensive capability in the face of growing uncertainty. Taiwan is also seeking new reconnaissance pods for its F-16s to give the jets the technology to monitor the coastline of mainland China without leaving Taiwanese airspace.

Rapid fire

The ABC reports a newly obtained study by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission has led the Department of Defence to admit that an Australian soldier fired at protestors outside an Australian base in Uruzgan province in 2010. At the time, NATO claimed one protestor was killed, though the new report claims five civilians were killed and six wounded. An investigation into the incident found that Australian soldiers acted in accordance with their rules of engagement.

South Korean company Hanwha Defence unveiled a prototype of its contender for the Australian Army’s new infantry fighting vehicle at the 2019 Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition. The AS21 Redback  is based on the South Korean Army’s K21 IFV, and will be fitted with a new active protection system to protect it against guided anti-tank missiles. The Redback has made the shortlist for phase three of the LAND 400 program, which will replace the Vietnam War–era M113 armoured personnel carrier, and provide the Australian Army with up to 450 modern IFVs.

The US Army has dropped the joint Rheinmetall–Raytheon bid to replace the M2 Bradley IFV, leaving only General Dynamic Land Systems in the race. The proposed delivery date for the KF-41 Lynx of 1 October and transport and certification within Germany were cited as issues with the withdrawn bid.

Final frontier

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir completed the agency’s first all-female spacewalk while carrying out repairs on the International Space Station. The astronauts spent seven hours and 17 minutes outside the ISS and replaced a faulty battery charger that connects the station’s solar panels to its power supply. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters that it won’t be long before the first woman walks on the moon, and that the first person to walk on Mars could be a woman.

German company Bosch has developed a new AI-based sensor for the International Space Station’s Astrobee robot. Known as the SoundSee module, the sensor has been designed to function as an ‘ear’ for the Astrobee and will hopefully enable the robot to ‘hear’ mechanical issues before they arise. The sensor will use microphones and machine-learning algorithms to develop a sound baseline aboard the station and then continually compare new audio data to the baseline to detect potential mechanical issues.

NASA has released a report of findings and recommendations following a review of the agency’s policies on planetary protection. The independent review found that NASA’s policies no longer reflect the latest knowledge and need to be brought up to date to prevent the contamination of earth and other planets as a result of space research, noting that for many missions the policies are ‘anachronistic and sometimes unrealistic’.

Wired watchtower

A joint UK and US investigation has uncovered a sophisticated operation run by a Russian cyberespionage unit in which a group of Iranian-government-linked hackers were infiltrated. The Iranian group, known as Oilrig, was hijacked and then used by the Russians as a proxy to launch cyberattacks in more than 35 countries, mainly in the Middle East. Security officials involved in the investigation say it’s unlikely that the Iranians knew they had been co-opted.

The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab has been keeping tabs on a social media disinformation campaign that appears to be accompanying Turkey’s military campaign in the Kurdish-held regions of northern Syria. DFRLab found thousands of bot-like Twitter accounts sharing political propaganda that is aimed at deflecting the international scrutiny directed at Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike published a new report outlining China’s efforts to fill key technology and intelligence gaps by stealing intellectual property from foreign companies. The report claims that the Comac C919 jetliner is the product of Chinese state-sponsored IP theft. According to the report, between 2010 and 2015, Chinese hackers targeted several overseas suppliers, such as Honeywell, General Electric and Liebherr, and stole information on a number of different components, which Comac then used to build its own model.