Associated Press via Politico
Iran will start injecting uranium gas into over a thousand centrifuges at a fortified nuclear facility built inside a mountain, the country’s president announced Nov. 5, in Tehran’s latest step away from its atomic accord with world powers since President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal over a year ago.
Associated Press
North Korea said Nov. 5 the US redesignation of Pyongyang as a sponsor of terrorism is dimming prospects for nuclear diplomacy between the countries. The North’s statement comes as the country is escalating its pressures on the United States over a stalemate in nuclear negotiations. Last week, North Korea test-fired projectiles from what it called a newly developed “super-large” multiple rocket launcher in the country’s first weapons test in about a month.
Breaking Defense
The Air Force and MIT are kicking off 10 joint research projects aimed at finding Artificial Intelligence solutions fast for some of the service’s key operational problems, such as building a simulated co-pilot (dubbed R2D2) and navigating without GPS.
National Defense Magazine
Across the government and military, agencies are working to harness artificial intelligence for a variety of applications. A new product created by Booz Allen Hamilton aims to streamline the adoption of AI platforms through an easy-to-use “app store.”
Defense One
“As the House and Senate work to complete the DoOD Appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act, they need to prioritize resilience efforts not only at military installations, but the communities that surround them,” writes John Conger, director of the Center for Climate and Security and former principal deputy defense undersecretary (comptroller).
USAF release
Acoustics researchers in the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing are collecting and delivering acoustics data from hardened aircraft shelters, or HAS, around the world—data that customers can then use to certify that F-35 Lightning II airframes and the personnel working inside are safe.
Military Times
Exactly 40 years ago today, a group of Iranian militants seized 98 people at the US Embassy in Tehran—marking the start of what is known as the Iran hostage crisis. While the hostages were released from captivity 444 days later, an unsuccessful, covert mission known as Eagle Claw to try to rescue the hostages months afterwards is what served as a catalyst for changing special operations forces.
Military.com
A New Jersey Democrat is urging the Pentagon to expedite service medals for the military K9 unit responsible for taking down notorious Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Sen. Bob Menendez, the lawmaker responsible for introducing legislation to create the Defense Department's first official award for military working dogs, sent a letter last week to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, advocating for speedy commendations for the handlers and dogs involved in the Oct. 26 raid.
Associated Press
Turkey captured the elder sister of the slain leader of the Islamic State group in northwestern Syria on Nov. 4, according to a senior Turkish official, who called the arrest an intelligence “gold mine.”
USAF release
Civilian researchers completed a two-week field demonstration here Sept. 25 using an innovative plasma technology to degrade and destroy perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOS and PFOA, in groundwater.
One More Thing
Military Times
Despite a national security review over the increasingly popular social media app TikTok, Defense Department officials are not yet issuing any specific guidance regarding the Chinese-owned platform, used by service members in both a personal and official capacity.
