For review:
1. Lebanon Army conducts probe concerning Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit raid.
A Lebanese judicial official said that the probe had found that operatives from the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit entered Lebanese waters in a speedboat equipped with radar-jamming devices that evaded detection by Lebanon’s and UNIFIL’s naval radars during the raid in Batroun, south of Tripoli, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon.
2. Israel PM Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Gallant.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday evening, citing a lack of mutual trust during a time of war as his reason for doing so. He (PM Netanyahu) said that the two disagreed on the management of the war, and that Gallant had made statements and taken actions that contradicted cabinet decisions.
3. AP Report: N. Korean Troops in Combat with Ukraine Forces.
Ukrainian and North Korean troops engaged in “small-scale” fighting, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS in an interview.
4. France to field unmanned naval surface vessel.
The drone, dubbed Seaquest (needs better name) and measuring approximately 30 feet long and 10 feet wide, and can be equipped with payloads focusing on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting.
5. France to Send Loitering Munitions to Ukraine.
The OSKAR (Opportunity Strike Kinetics Aircraft Ruggedized) platform integrates a 2.3 kilogram (5 pound) warhead and can fly for up to 45 minutes. The system is back-packable and is designed to strike fixed targets, light vehicles and personnel.
6. Netherlands to procure 12 x H225M Caracal helicopters for Special Operations Forces.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence announced that a new unit, (300 Special Operations Squadron) based in the southern Netherlands, had been formally stood up to support the future rotary fleet.
7. Possible US Foreign Military Sale to S. Korea for 4 x Boeing E-7 Wedgetail surveillance and early warning aircraft.

For review:
1. IDF Strikes Hezbollah targets in Syria.
In a rare acknowledgment, the IDF confirmed launching airstrikes in Syria on Monday, targeting what it said were infrastructure and assets of Hezbollah’s intelligence division.
2. Hamas Rejects Egyptian Offer for Short-term Ceasefire.
The Egyptian proposal envisioned a 12-day ceasefire during which Hamas would agree to release four hostages and the sides would hold talks about a permanent ceasefire.
3. Update on Czech Republic Effort to Obtain Cannon Artillery Ammo for Ukraine.
Seven months into the Czech initiative, problems have surfaced, particularly regarding the concealment of shell imports and verifying their technical reliability.
4. USAF to send bomber task force to Europe.
Details about the deployment are scant. USAF declined to say what type of and how many bombers would make up the task force, when they would arrive in Europe, and where they would be stationed. The deployment has been “long-planned,” the USAF said.
5. Latest variant of the famous Exocet Missiles unveiled.
Named the SM40, submarine-launched missile is designed to strike heavily protected naval vessels and other strategic targets.
6. Pakistan to purchase 100 x MRAPs from Thailand.
Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thai government to procure 100 x First Win Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The First Win system is currently employed across the Malaysian Army, the Indonesian Army, and other UN peacekeeping missions in the Eastern Himalayas.
7. US Foreign Military Sale of 34 x F-16s to Argentina is Worth $941 Million.
The package also includes Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, general-purpose bombs, and components for laser-guided weapons.

For review:
1. US CENTCOM Release:
- US Forces assigned to CENTCOM strike ISIS camps in Syria resulting in 35 operatives killed.
- B-52 Stratofortress Bombers arrive in CENTCOM AOR from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota from the 5th Bomb Wing.
2. Israeli Commando Raid in Northern Lebanon.
According Al-Akhbar report, operatives from the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit captured suspected Hezbollah Naval Official, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon.
3. IDF captures Syrian man conducting surveillance for Iran.
Israeli commandos recently carried out a raid in southern Syria where they captured a Syrian man who was allegedly carrying surveillance operations on the border on behalf of Iran. The raid in Syria was carried by the Egoz commando unit, along with field interrogators of the Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504.
4. Iran President (Masoud Pezeshkian) says that a ceasefire between Israel and Iranian allies- "could affect the intensity" of retaliation.
5. On the border with Lebanon, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu: "with or without an agreement” with Lebanon, restoring security in the north and returning residents to their homes requires pushing Hezbollah north of the Litani River, preventing the terror group from rearming and responding to any activity against Israel.
6. Axios Report: US tells Iran (through Switzerland), "We won’t be able to hold Israel back, and we won’t be able to make sure that the next attack will be calibrated and targeted as the previous one.”
7. US Security Assistance Package to Ukraine Worth $425 Million - Includes 200 Stryker Combat Vehicles.
8. Lithuania provides new military assistance package to Ukraine- including electricity generators, ammunition, and mortar rounds. The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said that the equipment is expected to reach Kyiv this week. Lithuania has already donated 155 mm ammunition, M113 armored personnel carriers, anti-drone systems, and drones this year.
9. North Korea's Foreign Minister visits Moscow.
NK FM Choe Son Hui: “We will always stand firmly by our Russian comrades until victory day,” Choe declared in Moscow after talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
10. India Procures 31 x US-Built MQ-9B Drones in deal worth $3.8 billion.
11. India to develop attack submarine fleet.
India is now working on a new class of attack submarines (SSN) after the government approved US$4.8 billion for the construction of an initial two 6,000-ton boats, and that an eventual six SSNs in this class are planned for the Indian Navy.

For review:
1. US Sends B-52s to CENTCOM AOR.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending additional bomber aircraft and Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster presence in the region, as an aircraft carrier and its warships are preparing to leave.
2. US and Israeli Officials continue discussions on ceasefire plans in Lebanon.
A US official told The Times of Israel that US special envoy Amos Hochstein and White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk’s meetings with top Israeli officials in Jerusalem on Thursday were “substantive and constructive."
3. Iran Supreme Leader Orders Retaliation Attack on Israel.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ordered plans be drawn up by his Supreme National Security Council, after being briefed on the extent of the damage from the Israeli strikes.
4. Ukraine President: "Zero Reaction" Concerning N. Korean Troops in Kursk.
Regarding the reaction to the deployment of North Korean troops, Zelensky said, "Putin is checking the reaction of the West ... And I believe that after all these reactions, Putin will decide and increase the contingent ... The reaction that is there today is nothing, it is zero."
5. Turkey and Indonesia collaborate on Armored Personnel Carrier.
Manufacturing is set to begin in 2025. Deliveries are expected by the end of 2026, with the timing dictated by the Indonesian Army’s specific needs.
6. Japan launches amphibious warship planned for Maritime Unit.
The JS Nihonbare (LCU-4151) is an amphibious vessel that can transport a dozen vehicles or containers at speeds of 15.5 knots.
7. Taiwan to procure loitering munitions from the US in deal worth $360 million.
The US State Department approved the sale of 291 x Altius 600M-V and 720 x Switchblade 300 loitering munitions

For review:
1. Iran Threatens "Painful" Response to Israel.
Unnamed Source to CNN: Iran will deliver a “definitive and painful” response to Israel’s recent attack on its territory, likely before the US presidential election on 05 November.
2. IDF Chief Warns Iran "Not to Pursue Further Attacks."
Speaking to aircrews at the Ramon Air Base in southern Israel, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said that if Iran “makes the mistake and launches another barrage of missiles at Israel, we will once again know how to reach Iran.”
3. New Hezbollah Chief (Naim Qassem) threatens Israeli PM.
“Netanyahu survived this time, but perhaps his time has not yet come,” Qassem said. The pre-recorded speech, delivered from an undisclosed location, was his first address as the terror group’s leader. His appointment was announced on Monday.
4. Lebanon's PM Najib Mikati hopeful for ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We are doing our best… to have a ceasefire within the coming hours or days,” Mikati said adding that he was “cautiously optimistic.”
5. US Secretary of Defense (Lloyd Austin) expects N. Korean troops to join combat against Ukraine. Secretary Austin said the administration is working with allies on how to respond to the deployment, though he wouldn’t specify how.
6. Ukraine to Mobilize 160,000 citizens. On Tuesday, the Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security told Parliament that the army planned to recruit another 160,000 people. An AFP source said the recruitment would take place over three months.
7. Armor Not Dead: Croatia to Procure Leopard Tanks.
The government of Croatia has signed a letter of intent with Germany to acquire up to 50 new Leopard 2A8s tanks for the country’s armed forces.
8. Armor Not Dead: German Leopards Receive Trophy Active Protection System.
The Trophy system has been integrated on the IDF’s Namer armored personnel carriers, on US M1 Abrams Tanks, and also on the UK's Challenger 3 tanks.

For review:
1. Israel: Escalation Dominance Against Iran.
Israel’s attacks on Saturday crippled Iran’s ability to produce long-range ballistic missiles and rendered crucial energy facilities vulnerable to future attacks by destroying air defense batteries protecting them.
2. Israeli PM: Stop the Iran Nuclear Program.
Israel is determined to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the Prime Minister said Monday at the opening plenum of the Knesset’s winter session.
3. Head of Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps: Israel had “failed to achieve its ominous goals” with its Saturday strikes on Iranian military sites. The attack was a sign of “miscalculation and helplessness.”
4. US security Council meets to discuss Israeli strikes on Iran.
The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East following Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran. Council president Switzerland said Iran requested the meeting with the support of Algeria, China and Russia.
5. Israel to field the Iron Bean air defense system.
Iron Beam systems will be integrated into the network of Israeli air defense weapons within a year, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said on Monday. Rafael is the main developer of the Iron Beam system, and Elbit supplies the laser cannon for it.
6. NATO Secretary General: N. Korean Troops Deployed to Kursk.
“I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk Region,” Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a press briefing.
7. French & German collaboration on Future Combat Air System (6th Generation Fighter) and Main Combat Ground System (Main Battle Tank) experience delays.
8. USAF likely to award Northrup Grumman a second, Low Rate Initial Production contract for B-21 Raider Bomber.

For review:
1. Israel Strikes Military Targets in Iran.
After reports of explosions near Tehran began to emerge around 2:15 a.m. local time, the Israel Defense Forces released a statement confirming that it was attacking Iran in response to “months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel.”
2. Israeli & Egyptian Spy Chiefs Meet to Re-start Hostage Talks.
Mossad chief David Barnea met in Cairo, with newly appointed Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, ahead of the resumption of hostage deal negotiations in Qatar next week.
3. Latest group of Ukrainian Pilots complete Elementary Flying Training in UK.
Training in the UK is Phase I out of three, where the pilots flew for about 80 hours on a GROB-115 general aviation aircraft.
Phase II is advanced flight training from the French Air Force using the Alpha Jet.
Phase III occurs at the European F-16 Training Center in Romania, where pilots will fly over 80 hours in the F-16 (& another 60 hours in simulator).
4. Russian President Putin comments on use of N. Korean troops in Russia: "This is our business." President Putin said on Thursday it is up to Moscow how to run its mutual defense clause with Pyongyang. Ukraine's military intelligence service said that the first North Korean units trained in Russia had been deployed in the Kursk region.
5. Poland's President Andrzej Duda visits S. Korea- rejects sending any new military hardware to Ukraine. "There is no scenario under consideration in which we transfer the weapons that we have acquired … with taxpayers’ money, to anyone.”
6. Australia Donates 49 x M1A1 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine (17 October).
This came just weeks after a first batch of new M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams replacements arrived in Australia from the U.S.

For review:
1. IDF Confirms Death of Hezbollah Chief from 04 October Strike.
Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s executive council, was presumed to be the successor of Hassan Nasrallah following his assassination in late September.
2. Israeli Air Force prepares for combat over Iran.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday told pilots and air crews at Hatzerim base that “after we strike in Iran, everyone will understand what you did in the preparation and training process.”
3. US Sec Defense: 3000 N. Korean Troops Training in Russia.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other U.S. officials announced for the first time Wednesday that North Korean soldiers were in Russia.
4. US Security Assistance Package to Ukraine is Worth $400 million.
Package includes: munitions for rocket systems and artillery; mortar systems and rounds; armored vehicles; and anti-tank weapons.
5. Estonia tests defensive bunker prototypes.
One of the bunker prototypes was “made from smaller elements that the military can install themselves,” while the other two were both “one piece” type constructs.
6. Australia to Produce 155mm Munitions.
Australian Defense Acquisition Minster Pat Conroy confirmed that the NIOA-Rheinmetall team pitched on the deal, with French firm Thales also competing. However, the minister indicated that there is a third, currently unidentified, competitor as well. Currently, Australia imports its 155mm shells from a South African subsidiary of Rheinmetall.
7. Australia to procure Raytheon SM-2 & SM-6 missiles, in a deal with the US worth $4.7 Billion. No reported delivery timeline or amount.
8. USMC F-35B lands on the Japanese Destroyer JS Kaga (DDH-184).
The Kaga underwent several changes to allow for F-35B, the US Marine Corps’ short-take-off-and-vertical-landing variant, to land on the ship, including painting the flight deck with a heat-resistant material, installing lights for nighttime operations and reshaping the flight deck’s bow from a trapezoid to a rectangle.
9. US Navy announces the future Virginia-Class Submarine (SSN-813) will be named after the city of Atlanta, Georgia.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro: "Today, it is my honor and privilege to name the next Virginia-class submarine, SSN-813, USS Atlanta.”