ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Click to see full-size image China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is to station an elite special force in Zimbabwe,  according to a report by Spotlight Zimbabwe. This move is viewed as an attempt by Beijing to increase military cooperation with Harare. In addition, the Washington-led establishment is concerned with the on-going reports that China also received greenlight to build a secret underground airbase in Zimbabwe. Initial reports of the plans for the base began as early as  December 2014. The elite special force that is allegedly to be stationed would most likely be concerned with protecting the upcoming Chinese military base, as well as its diamond and gold mine claims across the country. According to another report by Spotlight Zimbabwe , China also placed surface-to-air missile in Zimbabwe. “This is a very serious and sensitive issue,” an anonymous Asian diplomat was cited back in August 2018. “They (China) are deploying HQ-9 missiles in your country at str

Lebanese President Michael Aoun reportedly received a US-Israeli document detailing plans for creating a civil war in Lebanon, during US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Beirut, Lebanon on March 22 nd . The document outlines covert false flag operations and a possible Israeli invasion,  Lebanese TV station, Al-Jadeed reported. According to the report, the source of the document is Israeli and it was created in partnership with the US, it is unclear who exactly presented it to President Aoun. Geopolitics Alert translated  the contents of the report. Click to see full-size image Click to see full-size image Click to see full-size image Click to see full-size image The document presents an alleged US plan to splinter the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF), a domestic institution separated from the Lebanese Army. This would be carried out by an $200 million investment in the ISF. The money would be “disguised” as a means to keep peace, but $2.5 millio

Clashes between the Taliban and pro-government forces continue in the Badghis area; At least 2 people were killed in an IED explosion in the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province; The Taliban attacked government forces checkpoints in the Ashtor Khan area of the provincial capital of Chaghcharan. The movement’s media wing claimed that at least 3 pro-government fighters were killed or injured. Click to see the full-size image

Click to see full-size image On April 1 st ,  the US officially stopped the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey  over the purchase of S-400 from Russia. “The United States has been clear that Turkey’s acquisition of the S-400 is unacceptable,” said acting Pentagon spokesman Charles Summers Jr. “Until they forgo delivery of the S-400, the United States has suspended deliveries and activities associated with the stand-up of Turkey’s F-35 operational capability. Should Turkey procure the S-400, their continued participation in the F-35 program is at risk.” Earlier, during a US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in February, US Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, European Command commander and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said that he would recommend that the US should not sell the F-35 to Turkey if it acquired the S-400. “My best military advice would be that we don’t then follow through with the F-35, flying it or working with an ally that’s working with Rus

Saudi Arabia is nearing completion on its first nuclear reactor, according to newly surfaced satellite imagery,  Bloomberg reported. Google Earth images show Saudi Arabia’s first nuclear reactor is almost ready to be commissioned. Click to see full-size image The top image shows just a bare patch of land in April 2017. The middle image is of April 2018, the site is lined with construction vehicles and the outlines of a foundation are already apparent. The most recent pictures show that work on Saudi Arabia’s first reactor is well advanced with the containment vessel already in place. The spotted reactor was sold to the Kingdom from Argentina’s state-owned INVAP SE. The Steel vessel is about 10 meters (33 feet) high with a 2.7-meter diameter which matches other similar sized reactors.  Rafael Mariano Grossi , Argentina’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reminded Saudi Arabia they need to sign onto the comprehensive safeguards agreement with subsidiary ar

The Trump administration has been  sharing sensitive nuclear technology and energy information with the Saudis  —  an issue that’s gained increased scrutiny since the Oct. 2 murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi by a Saudi hit team at the consulate in Istanbul. American lawmakers now want to get to bottom of it, and a group of senators have  notified Energy Secretary Rick Perry to demand answers  over how and why he allowed multiple US firms to provide Riyadh with potential nuclear secrets and information sharing typically only available to Washington’s closest western allies. The Senators are also seeking answers regarding the kingdom’s possible  development of atomic weapons  and the degree to which they’ve received any level of assistance from the United States. Rick Perry with Saudi officials, via AFP/Getty Starting a week ago various media reports revealed that Perry had authorized so-called Part 810 approvals, which gave US companies authorization to share otherwise closel

Overcoming the sound barrier Written by  Aleksandr Artamonov ; Originally appeared on  zvezdaweekly.ru ; Translated by  AlexD  exclusively for  SouthFront Russia is ready for a breakthrough in the transition to sixth-generation technology Presently, the development of traditional military aircraft construction has reached the natural plateau of the technologies used. It is difficult to image something fundamentally new, which does not fit into the hundreds of times worked out mainline trend of creating platforms for fighter jets and other combat aircraft. The announced transition from the fifth to the sixth generation of the Air Force should be marked by even more advanced avionics and weapons systems, as well as other levels of active/passive board protection… Of course, the use of artificial intelligence and new composite materials can bring the business of producing innovative initiatives to a previously inaccessible height. However, if we compare this type of engineerin