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Playing nice keeps us all safer: By working together, Russia, China and the U.S. could thwart hypersonic missile development globally, reducing risk of war

A new report issued by Santa Monica, California-based nonprofit global policy think tank RAND Corp. suggested that despite their differences, Russia, China, and the United States should band together to get rid of an impending security threat – the  emergence of hypersonic missiles  across the three powerful nations. Hypersonic missiles, which include both hypersonic cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles, are a new breed of danger, for they both have the ability to fly at speeds faster than 5,000 kilometers per hour, which is more than five times faster than traditional cruise missiles. The diffusion of hypersonic technology is getting a head start in Europe, Australia, India, and Japan, with many countries starting to take interest in such technology. Proliferation could traverse multiple borders if hypersonic technology is made available on world markets, marking less than enough time to prevent proliferation. “Hypersonic missile proliferation would increase the chan

IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS RECEIVED FOUR RUSSIAN LA-8 AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have received four AeroVolga LA-8 8-seat amphibious aircraft,  according to the Irainan news agency FARS . The IRGC will use the received LA-8 aircraft for patrol, reconnaissance and rescue operations.

SAUDI-LED COALITION DESTROYS HOUTHIS’ MISSILE WORKSHOPS, CLAIMS IT IDENTIFIED 250 IRANIAN EXPERTS IN YEMEN

The Saudi-led coalition announced on December 16, that its warplanes have destroyed several missile workshops of the Houthis in the  Saada province in northern Yemen over the last few days. According to the Saudi-led coalition, the workshops were run by “foreign” experts who worked there on making and modifying ballistic missiles for the Houthis. The Saudi-led coalition claimed that several Houthi fighters and “foreign” experts were killed in the airstrikes. In a related development, Brigadier General Abdo Majali spokesman for pro-Hadi forces claimed on December 15, that the Saudi-led coalition has identified over 250 Iranian experts, and military advisors in the provinces of Saada and al-Hudaydah. Pro-Hadi forces spokesman added that the supposed experts are developing missiles for the Houthis and providing them with military training. Brig. Gen. Majali stressed that pro-Hadi forces and the Saudi-led coalition are working on a plan to eliminate these supposed experts after be

CHINA TO ESTABLISH CONSTANT SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE OVER DISPUTED SOUTH CHINA SEA

China is going to launch 10 satellites into space over the next three years to maintain non-stop surveillance over the disputed South China Sea, according to the Hainan Daily, citing Li Xiaoming of the Sanya Institute of Remote Sensing. The first three optical satellites are set to go into space in 2019. Three more optical satellites, two hyperspectral satellites and three synthetic aperture radar will follow them later. Yang Tianliang, director of the Sanyan Institute of Remote Sensing, says that the satellite network will play a vital role in the Maritime Silk Road project. China is consistently increasing its military capabilities in the South China Siea aiming to turn it into its own foothold for further expansion in Asia Pacific.

IRAN TO JOIN EAEU – 45 YEARS OF FOREIGN POLICY DOWN THE DRAIN

Written by  Tom Luongo ; Originally appeared at  tomluongo.me Iran is joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). By early next year, February by  this account , Iran will join the five founding members of the Union and open the door for Turkey to do so later in 2018. Between this and the end of the war in Syria, it’s not hard to declare the Brzezinski Doctrine of U.S.-led Central Asian chaos as gasping its last breaths. Iran finally joining the EAEU is a response to a number of factors, the most important of which is the continued belligerence by the U.S. Expanded economic sanctions on Iran and the EAEU’s leader Russia has created the need for greater coordination of economic and foreign policy objectives between them. And it is creating the new realities in the region that will reshape the word for the next hundred years. The Nuclear Gambit In the dying days of the Obama administration it looked like the goal was to placate Iran to stop its pivot towards Russia and China

THE SAKER: DEBUNKING THE FLAGWAVING MYTHS ABOUT AN ATTACK ON NORTH KOREA

Written by  The Saker;  Originally appeared at  The Unz Review First, the bragging dummies Trump and Haley are still at it.  The want to force China to take action against the DPRK by threatening to take North Korea “into their hands” if China refuses to comply.   Haley said  “ But to be clear, China can do more, (…) and we’re putting as much pressure on them as we can. The last time they completely cut off the oil, North Korea came to the table. And so we’ve told China they’ve got to do more. If they don’t do more, we’re going to take it into our own hands and then we’ll start to deal with secondary sanctions .” First, let’s reset this scene in a kindergarten and replay it. Kid A has a fight with Kid B.  Kid A threatens to beat up Kid B.  Kid B then tells Kid A to go screw himself.  Kid A does nothing, but issues more threats.  Kid B keeps laughing.  And then Kid A comes up with a brilliant plan: he threatens Kid C (who is much much bigger than Kid B and much much stronger