“EDGE OF TOMORROW”. IN ISRAELE TRA DIFESA E TECNOLOGIA

FOCUS – May 19, 2022. By Seth J. Frantzman, Defense News. Israel is putting its soldiers through a series of simulations and live drills as part of a program called Edge of Tomorrow, the government announced this month. The program falls under the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development and is carried out with local defense company Elbit Systems. Israel launches Edge of Tomorrow program to improve lethality, bring in new tech

TODAY:

• AROUND THE WORLD
• DEFENSE – MILITARY – SPACE
• TECH & DIGITAL

AROUND THE WORLD

Africa

• May 19, 2022. By Hippolyte Fofack, Brookings. The devastating consequences of the Ukraine crisis continue to highlight the need to urgently deliver the African Union’s flagship project of “Silencing the Guns by 2020” in a region where conflicts and their fallout, while underreported in the international media, have been wide-ranging, severe, and increasing in intensity and cost. More than 20,000 Africans were killed in violent conflicts in 2020, an almost tenfold increase from a decade ago. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where several millions have been killed in violent conflicts over the past decades, more than 2,400 were victims of war in 2020 alone. Africa and the new Cold War: Africa’s development depends on regional ownership of its security

Canada

• May 19, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Westinghouse and the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a project to locate an eVinci microreactor in Saskatchewan, while an MoU between McMaster University, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and Global First Power (GFP) will further examine the feasibility of deploying USNC’s Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) at the university or an affiliated site. Canadian MoUs advance microreactor deployment : New Nuclear

Central Asia – Russia

• May 19, 2022. By Richard Pomfret, East Asia Forum. In 1991, the five Central Asian economies were republics of the Soviet Union, with trade and transport oriented towards Russia. Over three decades of independence, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have built railways, roads and pipelines to the east and south and diversified trade partners, distancing themselves from Russia. The war in Ukraine is accentuating these processes. Central Asian economies don’t need Russia

China – UN

• May 20, 2022. By HRW. The upcoming visit to China by the United Nations high commissioner for human rights should highlight the need for justice for victims of violations and accountability for those responsible, Human Rights Watch said today. High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet is scheduled to visit China during the last 10 days of May 2022, the first visit to China by a UN human rights commissioner since 2005. UN: Rights Chief’s Credibility at Stake in China Visit

Europe – Hungary

• May 20, 2022. By Kerstin McCourt, HRW. On Monday, EU ministers will discuss, for the fourth time, the systematic breakdown of the rule of law in Hungary. This scrutiny, under the process laid out in article 7(1) of the founding treaty of the EU, has been slow and lackluster. Meanwhile, fundamental rights continue to deteriorate in Hungary as its autocratic government entrenches power and jeopardizes the EU bloc’s unity. EU Needs to Hold Hungary to Account

France

• May 19, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The French nuclear power operator EDF says that the programme of inspections and repairs related to the stress corrosion issue means it has increased the hit it expects to take to its earnings by a further EUR4.5 billion (USD4.7 million) from the EUR14 billion estimated at the start of May. EDF revises up cost of nuclear power plant outages : Corporate

Hamas – Russia

• May 20, 2022. By Ahmad Melhem, Al-Monitor. Russia’s Foreign Ministry invited Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh to visit Moscow, Al-Mayadeen TV reported May 6, citing anonymous sources. In Moscow, Hamas sees opportunity to win international support

Iran

• May 20, 2022. By Al-Monitor. Deputy commander of Iran’s police Brig. Gen. Qasem Rezaee issued a severe warning against Iranian protesters infuriated by a sharp steep in prices of basic food products.  Iran vows harsh crackdown on economic protests
• May 20, 2022. By HRW. Iranian authorities have arrested several prominent activists on baseless accusations amid labor union strikes and ongoing protests against rising prices, since May 6, 2022, in dozens of small towns, Human Rights Watch said today. Those arrested include a prominent sociologist and four labor rights defenders. Iran: Arrests Amid Economic Protests

Libya

• May 19, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The Libyan Crimes Watch (LCW) has reported the injury of five civilians as a result of the clashes that took place in Tripoli on Tuesday. LCW: Five civilians injured in the recent Tripoli events

Russia – Circassians

• May 19, 2022. By Paul Globe, The Jamestown Foundation. Tensions between Moscow and the Circassians, both within Russia and abroad, have reached a boiling point. The driving factors are numerous and multi-varied. In part, they stem from long-time Circassian efforts to promote their national language and identity, to return Circassians living abroad back to their North Caucasus homeland, and to secure international recognition for what they argue was an act of Russian “genocide” against them in 1864 (Caucasus Times, April 25). More recently, frictions have erupted because of Circassian declarations of solidarity with Ukrainians in their resistance to Russian aggression. On the other side, the Circassians have been growing angrier over President Vladimir Putin’s apparent conviction that he is now in a position to suppress the identities of peoples inside the Russian Federation, just as he is seeking to do with Ukrainians abroad. Indeed, strains between the Circassians and Moscow are presently even higher than they were in 2014, when Putin and the Circassians clashed over the holding of the Winter Olympics on the site from which Russian forces deported that nation on May 21, 1864. Today, both two sides appear more committed to achieving their mutually exclusive goals than ever before. This situation could easily lead to an explosion—one that might begin in the North Caucasus but would quickly send shockwaves outward. Tensions Between Moscow and Circassians Reach Crisis Proportions

Russia – Ukraine (on the ground, impact, reactions, consequences)

• May 20, 2022. By Jia Deng, East Asia Forum. Since the beginning of the Russia–Ukraine war, China has been urged to give up its ‘chilling silence’ and help to stop Russian military aggression in Ukraine. Despite international pressure over its policy of expedient neutrality, China is patiently biding its time and waiting on the sidelines as the conflict unfolds. China’s sense of vulnerability is the key factor determining its reaction to the Russia–Ukraine war. China treads a fine line on the Russia–Ukraine war
• May 20, 2022. By Kyiv Post. Russia’s war against Ukraine: Day 86, May 20 – Update No. 1
• May 20, 2022. By Kyiv Post. The following is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s nightly address to the nation as it appears in English on the presidential website. Zelensky Says Ukraine Faces Growing $5 Billion Monthly Budget Deficit Over Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion (VIDEO)
• May 20, 2022. By Kyiv Post. A senior Pentagon official said Thursday that the Ukraine war could continue for a long time despite Kyiv’s forces recapturing the Kharkiv region and their use of substantial US artillery supplies. Pentagon Warns War will Stretch out Despite Ukraine Successes
• May 20, 2022. By Kyiv Post. A readout of a phone call between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky covered “military support” from London and “global food security,” a London statement said. British PM Johnson Holds Latest Call with Ukraine’s Zelensky on War Update, Food Security
• May 20, 2022. By Kyiv Post. The U.S. Congress on Thursday approved a gargantuan $40 billion aid package for Ukraine to help fight Russia’s invasion as President Joe Biden rallied behind the historic NATO membership bids of Sweden and Finland. US Approves $40 billion for Ukraine as Biden Rallies Behind NATO Bids
• May 19, 2022. By IAEA. Ukraine told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today that new wildfires in the area near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) did not pose a radioactive threat to people, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. Update 77 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
• May 19, 2022. By Kateryna Stepanenko, Karolina Hird, and Frederick W. Kagan, ISW. Ukrainian military officials reported that some Russian troops withdrawn from the Kharkiv City axis have redeployed to western Donetsk Oblast on May 19. The Ukrainian General Staff said that 260 servicemen withdrawn from the Kharkiv City axis arrived to replace the significant combat losses that the 107th Motorized Rifle Battalion has taken approximately 20 km southwest of Donetsk City. The Ukrainian Military Directorate (GUR) intercepted a Russian serviceman’s call suggesting that some of the 400 servicemen from the Kharkiv City axis who had arrived elsewhere in Donbas were shocked by the intensity of the fighting there compared with what they had experienced in Kharkiv Oblast.  Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 19
• May 19, 2022. By Joe Gould, Defense News. The U.S. is sending Ukraine another $100 million in military assistance, including heavy artillery and counter-artillery radars, the Biden administration announced Thursday. Ukraine getting battalion’s worth of artillery in new $100 million aid package
• May 19, 2022. By Bryant Harris, Defense News. The Senate on Thursday passed 86-11 a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine that will enable the Biden administration to transfer more advanced, high-end weapons systems to counter Russia.  Here are the high-end weapons Zelenskyy hopes the new Ukraine aid bill will provide
• May 19, 2022. By Defense News. Russian armed forces have used a laser weapon against a drone in Ukraine, the Kremlin’s deputy prime minister claimed Wednesday on a local television station. “Our physicists have developed and are now mass-producing laser systems,” Yuri Borisov said, adding this system used in Ukraine destroyed the drone “within five seconds.”. Russia claims its Zadira laser weapon destroyed a drone in Ukraine
• May 19, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has asked for international donors to help repair the damage left after Russian forces’ control of the Chernobyl area earlier this year. EBRD puts cost of Russian occupation of Chernobyl at EUR100 million : Regulation & Safety

Scotland

• May 19, 2022. By World Nuclear News. EDF Energy has started removing the used fuel from the core of Hunterston B’s Reactor 3, an advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) that shut down in November 2021. Defuelling is the first stage of the nuclear decommissioning process. Hunterston B defuelling operations begin : Corporate

Somalia – USA 

• May 20, 2022. By HRW. The reported United States decision to redeploy several hundred US troops in Somalia, as part of a joint operation with the Somali government and African Union forces, should make civilian protection a priority. Previous US military operations in Somalia resulted in the loss of life and property to Somali civilians that the US neither recognized nor provided with redress. Somalia: US Redeployment Should Stress Civilian Protection | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)

Syria

• May 20, 2022. By Hebaa Shehada, Al-Monitor. Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, is no longer a time to rejoice in war-torn Syria. As the conflict entered its 12th year, the bombing and flow of displacement have not been the only reason why there is no more joy during the Eid al-Fitr holidays. The unusual storms and extremely heavy rains in May razed the tents in the camps for the internally displaced people in northwestern Syria, causing them more hardship. Climate change makes life harder for displaced Syrians
• May 20, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Mekdad affirmed Syria’s keenness to strengthen joint Arab action, according to SANA. Mekdad: Syria’s Stances are Principled, Enemies Resorted to War when They Failed to Undermine it
• May 20, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that the Syrian regime monopolizes the constitutional court in a dictatorial fashion, according to the Shaam Network. Syrian Network: Assad Embodies Dictatorship with Supreme Constitutional Court Appointment and Dismissal Powers
• May 20, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed his regime’s insistence on implementing a plan to transfer Syrian refugees to northern Syria, according to al-Watan. Erdogan Insists on Changing Northern Syria Demographics

Syria – Jordan

• May 20, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. King Abdullah II warned that Iran and its proxies may fill a vacuum left by Russia in southern Syria, according to North Press. Jordan Concerns Over Iran Filling Vacuum Left By Russians In Syria

Syria – Russia – Turkey

• May 20, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has announced contacts with Ankara to reopen Turkish airspace to Russian planes bound for Syria. Russia Makes Contacts with Turkey on Flights to Syria

USA – Asia

• May 19, 2022. By Jacqueline Feldscher, Tara Copp, Defense One. White House officials love saying the Biden administration can walk and chew gum at the same time. President Joe Biden’s trip to Asia, which begins Friday, is a chance for him to prove it.  Biden’s Asia Trip is ‘Proof’ That US Can Focus On Two Fronts At Once, Officials Argue

DEFENSE – MILITARY – SPACE

• May 20, 2022. By Benjamin Felton, Naval News. Kongsberg was showcasing its StrikeMaster coastal defense system during INDO PACIFIC 2022, the international maritime exposition held last week in Sydney, Australia. INDO PACIFIC 2022: Kongsberg Displays StrikeMaster Concept
• May 19, 2022. By Peter Ong, Naval News. A Naval News reader has tipped us off with the first artwork of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile on the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers. First Artwork of Hypersonic Missiles on Zumwalt-class Destroyers
• May 19, 2022. By Naval News. The Royal Navies of Britain and Denmark will work side-by-side to bring the UK’s next generation of warships into service. UK and Denmark Team-Up to for Type 31 Frigates
• May 19, 2022. By Eric S. Edelman, Franklin Miller, Defense One. Voltaire reportedly once remarked “Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies.” This thought immediately came to mind as we read a recent commentary in Defense One recommending dramatic increases to America’s military stocks for the next five years, and the cost of its nuclear weapons. Nuclear vs. Conventional Spending? We Don’t Have that Luxury
• May 19, 2022. By Jacqueline Feldscher, Defense One. “Sore loser syndrome” is preventing the nation’s space mission from “moving forward,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., wrote in a letter to the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, hoping to keep alive the controversial Trump administration decision to move U.S. Space Command headquarters to his state. Alabama’s Tuberville Calls on ‘Sore Loser’ Coloradoans to Give Up Space Command HQ
• May 19, 2022. By  Bryant Harris, Defense News. Congressional Republicans are pushing back against the president’s plan to retire an aging nuclear weapon, decrying the effort during a series of hearings this week dedicated to the administration’s fiscal 2023 budget request for nuclear forces and atomic energy. Republicans lay battle lines over Biden’s plan to retire B83 megaton bomb
• May 19, 2022. By Todd South, Defense News. One of the Pentagon’s top tech officials wants an “all in one” sensor for defense work. It is one of several critical technologies that Heidi Shyu, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, included in remarks Wednesday at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Florida. Pentagon tech chief wants an ‘all in one’ sensor
• May 19, 2022. By  Todd South, Defense News. The most advanced versions of the military’s long-running tanker-turned-death-dealer are expected to get even more toys under the direction of the special operations community. Lasers, water landings, crewless ops: Upgrades are coming for the C-130 family
• May 19, 2022. By  Megan Eckstein, Defense News. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps promised a “build a little, test a little, learn a lot” approach to unmanned vessels, and the lessons learned are already leading to some changes. What’s new in Navy and Marine Corps unmanned boats
• May 19, 2022. By Daniel Fata and Jerry McGinn, Defense News. During the past five years, Americans have heard a lot from two presidential administrations and Congress about the need to onshore manufacturing. In accordance with the slogans “Buy American” and “Made in America,” the noble concept seeks to bring production and jobs back to the U.S. and to reduce our economy’s dependence on foreign suppliers and supply chains. Why a ‘Buy Allied’ approach matters
• May 19, 2022. By Andrew Chuter, Defense News. A £1 billion (U.S. $1.25 billion) competition to acquire a new fleet of medium-size helicopters for the British military was officially triggered by the Ministry of Defence this week. British military feels out industry for helicopter buy worth over $1 billion
• May 19, 2022. By  José Higuera, Defense News. Colombia has selected Nexter’s Caesar howitzer as part of an effort to modernize its Army’s field artillery capabilities, with negotiations beginning for a first batch of four, worth about $35 million, military sources in Bogota told Defense News on condition of anonymity due to security reasons. Colombia to buy 12 French-made Caesar howitzers
• May 19, 2022. By Courtney Albon, Defense News. U.S. Space Force acquisition officials are meeting with companies this week to discuss capabilities that could help the service as it looks to take on a new mission: tracking ground targets with space sensors. Space Force ‘reverse industry day’ to address gaps in sensing, tracking

TECH AND DIGITAL

• May 19, 2022. By Daniel L. Byman, Heidi Beirich, Rashawn Ray, and Suzanne Maloney, Brookings. On March 31, in honor of the launch of his new book, “Spreading Hate, the Global Rise of White Supremacist Terrorism”, Brookings Senior Fellow Daniel Byman discussed the evolution of the white supremacy movement’s tactics with Brookings Senior Fellow Rashawn Ray and Global Project Against Hate and Extremism Co-Founder Heidi Beirich. The Twitter Spaces panel was moderated by vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program, Suzanne Maloney. Spreading hate: How the white supremacist movement continues to mutate in the digital age
• May 19, 2022. By Mark MacCarthy, Brookings. On March 17, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport of the United Kingdom submitted its revised Online Safety Bill to Parliament. It is a sweeping proposal to throw a regulatory net around social media companies and search engines while still preserving their role as public platforms for robust discussions of issues of public importance. What U.S. policymakers can learn from the U.K.’s Online Safety Bill
• May 19, 2022. By Frank Nagle, Brookings. While there is little debate that digital forces are playing an increasingly crucial role in the economy, there is limited understanding of the importance of the digital infrastructure that underlies this role. Much of the discussion around digital infrastructure has focused on broadband availability (which is certainly important), but the role of free and open source software (FOSS or OSS) has gone underappreciated. FOSS—software whose source code is public, is often created by decentralized volunteers, and can be freely used and modified by anyone—has come to play a vital role in the modern economy. It is baked into technology we use every day (cars, phones, websites, etc.), as well as into various aspects of critical infrastructure including our finance and energy systems. Strengthening digital infrastructure: A policy agenda for free and open source software