ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Poseidon A first Russian submarine carrying Poseidon nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) will be launched on April 23, the country’s state-run news agency  TASS reported on April 12  citing a source in the military industrial complex. According to the report, Project 09852 submarine Belgorod will be launched in Severodvinsk. The submarine is reportedly capable of carrying six Poseidon UUVs. The same report saysthat the Belgorod will enter service with the Russian Navy in the end of 2020. Project 09852 is a class of special purpose research and rescue submarines. It’s based on Project 949 cruise missile submarines.

Click to see full-size image On the morning of April 11 th , Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir stepped down and consultations are under way to form a transitional council to control the country,  Reuters reported citing anonymous government sources  and a provincial minister. The minister of production and economic resources in North Darfur, Adel Mahjoub Hussein, told the Dubai-based al-Hadath TV that “there are consultations to form a military council to take over power after President Bashir stepped down.” In the early hours of the day, a state media said that the Sudanese army was to make “an important announcement.” “The Sudanese army will issue an important statement soon. Wait for it,” a television anchor said,  without giving further details. Protesters, who for the past 6 days have been taking part in a sit-in in front of the Army Headquarters in Khartoum began celebrating in the streets expecting the news that Bashir had stepped down. Al Jazeera Englis

 growing activity of the US and NATO in the Black Sea   NATO is preparing a package of measures to counter Russia in the Black Sea region. This package includes the deployment of NATO warships to the Black Sea to guarantee ‘passage’ of Ukrainian ships via the Kerch Strait, U.S. ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison stressed during a press briefing on April 2. Hutchison said that the prepared package “beefs up the surveillance, both air surveillance as well as more of the NATO country ships going into the Black Sea to assure that there is safe passage from Ukrainian vessels through the Kerch Straits, the Sea of Azov”. Earlier the US State Department announced that the Black Sea package is a response to the challenges the US and NATO face in the region, “not merely because of the Kerch Strait incident,” but because “Russia is threatening the alliance all along the eastern flank, not just in the north. The public ann

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