World News Briefs -- March 31, 2015

The Guardian: Iran nuclear talks reportedly close to statement on partial agreement

Unclear whether statement would qualify as political framework, the goal that ministers from seven states set themselves to reach by Tuesday at midnight

Foreign ministers in Lausanne are reported to be close to a joint statement on a partial agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme that would leave some difficult areas to be negotiated in the coming months.

According to the Associated Press, a vague declaration would be accompanied by texts outlining what has been agreed and what has not. It is unclear whether those documents would qualify as a political framework, the goal that the ministers from seven states set themselves to reach by the Tuesday midnight deadline.

MIDDLE EAST

Iran, powers push for nuclear deal as clock ticks toward deadline.

Saudi-led forces pound Yemen Shiite rebels as Iran sends aid. Saudi Arabia says military push will last until Yemen stable. Iran denies sending arms to rebels in Yemen.

Iraq forces retake government HQ in Tikrit. Iraqi forces seize government headquarters in battle for Tikrit.

Syrian media: Islamic State attacks government-held village. Syrian military source alleges Turkish role in Idlib offensive.

Syria donor event opens with more than $1 billion in pledges.

Anonymous hacker group threatens Israel with ‘cyber-holocaust’.

Massive power cut causes chaos in Turkey.

Turkish President warns Iran about trying to dominate Middle East.

Turkish special forces enter Istanbul courthouse after prosecutor taken hostage. Turkish prosecutor taken hostage in Istanbul. Turkish prosecutor taken hostage in Istanbul.

ASIA

Pakistan to aid Saudi coalition in Yemen.

Thai leader moves to lift martial law, impose absolute power. Thai PM to lift martial law. Thailand PM 'to replace martial law' with new restrictions.

Philippine military ends campaign against Islamist rebel group. Philippines ends offensive against small Muslim rebel group.

Myanmar government, rebels sign draft peace deal. Myanmar army and rebels sign draft ceasefire agreement. Burmese government signs draft ceasefire deal with rebel groups.

India-Japan to focus on maritime security.

Indonesia launches military exercises to guard against security threats.

NGOs in China fear clampdown as Xi Jinping plans new security controls.

Vietnam hit by rare strike at major footwear factory.

AFRICA

Opposition leader Buhari ahead in tight Nigeria poll. Nigeria election: Muhammadu Buhari leads Goodluck Jonathan. Nigeria's Buhari builds unassailable lead in historic vote.

Chad army says 54 Islamist militants killed in Nigeria fighting.

Libyan government will request Arab League intervention: Libya PM.

South Sudan has become an aid-dependent entity.

Hardline Mali rebel demands stall hopes for peace.

Uganda prosecutor in al-Shabab bomb case shot dead.

Egypt court frees 68 activists in rare move.

Rise in illegal fishing threatens to revive Somali piracy.

S.Africa mining massacre report to be submitted.

EUROPE

US forces to hold exercises in Ukraine.

Former NATO Chief Clark predicts new offensive in Ukraine.

Forget Greece, Ukraine is now Europe's most economically unstable country.

Financing Crimea may cost Russia $6-7Bln annually - former Finance Minister.

Greece, lenders, fail to unlock aid so far - officials.

Euro bailout rebel quits senior German governing party job.

Unease about immigration at core of UK election campaign.

Germanwings co-pilot had 'suicidal tendencies' in the past.

AMERICAS

Peru's Prime Minister Ana Jara deposed over spy row. Peru's prime minister to resign after censure vote.

Canadian Parliament backs air strikes on Islamic State in Syria.

5mn Venezuelans sign petition against US aggression & interference.

Argentina complains to UN over UK’s 'militarization' of Falklands.

Americans cling to claims for property seized by Cuba.

US State dept official: Cuba aims to ramp up internet access.

Panama Canal sets sights on new $17 billion expansion project.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Commencing jihad: ISIS tweets photos of military 'graduation'.

Libya calls for global task force to create anti-terrorism charter.

Jabhat Al-Nusra's win in Idlib highlights Al Qaeda's strategy to defeat President Bashar Assad.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Jay Z promotes 'artist-owned' music streaming brand.

Russia's Gazprom: Profits plunge 70%.

Taiwan to join China-led regional bank, Japan says not now.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 31, 2015

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Al Arabiya: Your guide to ‘Operation Decisive Storm’

Allies with their fighter jets on Thursday joined Saudi Arabia in its “Decisive Storm” military operation, targeting Houthi rebels who had vowed to dislodge President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi.

Al Arabiya News Channel reported that Saudi Arabia deployed 150,000 soldiers, 100 fighter jets and navy units in Yemen after Hadi pleaded with its Gulf ally for help against the Houthi rebels, who were advancing toward the southern city of Aden - where Hadi is based - to remove him from power in an attempted coup.

The Royal Saudi Air Force took control of Yemen’s airspace early Thursday, and destroyed four Houthi jets and its surface-to-air (SAM) missiles.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 31, 2015

A look at those involved in Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen -- AP

US Backs Joint Arab Military Force, Ready to Cooperate -- Sputnik

Final test launch of Russia's new RS-26 Rubezh ballistic missile successful — designer -- ITAR-TASS

Russian strategic missile force drills involve over 3500 troops -- ITAR-TASS

Borey-Class Nuclear Submarines to Serve Russian Fleet Until 2050 -- Sputnik

Russian Troops Hold Counter-Terrorist Drills in Transnistria -- Sputnik

New transport aircraft to carry Armata tanks -- RBTH

Russia Deploys 96 Military Units in Crimea - Defense Minister -- Sputnik

Russia Announces Crimean Forces Up to Strength -- Moscow Times

Russia Sets Sights on High-Speed Development -- Defense News

DOE Advisers Warn US Might Lose Arctic Energy War With Russia, China -- Daily Caller

China's Military Carries First Offshore Drills in Western Pacific -- Sputnik

China orders military to keep barracks simple, guard against excess -- Reuters

Taiwan's Largest Missile Ship Goes Into Service -- Defense News/AFP

For Israeli teens, military is rite of passage -- AP

NATO Chief Seeks Closer Cooperation With the European Union -- AP

Poland Seeks Long-Range Recon Vehicles -- Defense News

‘Human rights law should not apply to the battlefield’ – UK think tank -- RT

Spy services in ‘tech arms race’ against ‘dark side of globalization’ – MI6 chief -- RT

Taiwan Seeks Stronger Cybersecurity Ties With US -- VOA

Exclusive: Pentagon chief sends military wish lists to Congress with reservations -- Reuters

Aircraft, Modernization Top Pentagon's Unfunded List -- Defense News

This Duck Drone Could Spy on Enemy Subs -- Defense One

U.S. military developing technology to launch drones from ocean floor -- Washington Times

Powerful 3D-printed rifle fires NATO rounds -- FOX News

Why Cybersecurity Dollars Do Not Add Up At the Pentagon -- NextGov

Pentagon Personnel Now Talking on 'NSA-Proof' Smartphones -- NextGov

US Military Faces High-Tech Recruiting Challenge -- VOA

Pentagon peril: Private sector jobs, unfit civilians threaten U.S. military recruiting -- Washington Times

Questions remain in officer-involved shooting at NSA -- AP

Pentagon: Thousands of Pieces of ‘Advanced Hardware’ Issued to U.S. Military Forces Lost, Listed For Sale on eBay -- The Blaze

Whispering Death: The Story of the M1 Abrams Tank -- Bill Wilson, Bold Ride

France Is Replacing the U.K. as America’s Top Ally in Europe -- Michael Shurkin and Peter A. Wilson, Newsweek

The Limits of U.S. Missile Defense -- Steven Pifer, National Interest

U.S. Nerve Gas Hit Our Own Troops in Iraq -- Barbara Koeppel, Newsweek

The Budget Trick That Made the Pentagon a Fiscal Functioning Alcoholic -- Mark Thompson, Time

Infantry overhaul: How DARPA’s new experiments could shake up ground warfare -- Washington Post

Commentary: Focus on Conventional Forces, Not Spec Ops -- Michael Tyson and Kenneth Lewton, Defense News

Military Photographer Of The Year Awards 2014

MILITARY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR, 1ST PLACE | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Josh Martin, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, Mi-17 aerial gunner, provides rear security on a Mi-17 helicopter, Kabul, Afghanistan, May 31, 2014. Martin, a Rapid City, S.D., native, is deployed from the 55th Rescue Squadron, Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. The 438th AEAS and Afghan Air Force have combined efforts to train with about 300 Afghan commandos with the 8th Commandos Kandak. The training will enable Afghan helicopter aircrews to work seamlessly in support of ground forces in combat. Vernon Young/U.S. Air Force

Brandon Griggs, CNN: The U.S. military's best photos of 2014

(CNN) A sergeant wipes away a tear while kneeling before a battlefield cross at a Memorial Day ceremony for fallen service members at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti.

Seven Air Force recruits plunge into the deep end of a swimming pool, their hands and feet bound, in a training exercise meant to prepare them for stressful real-world operations.

An Air Force captain jumps rope in a Texas gym despite missing her left leg, which was amputated after being diagnosed with cancer.

These striking images are among the winning entries in the 2014 Military Photographer of the Year competition, open to photography by U.S. service members only. Winners of the annual contest, judged by the Stars and Stripes newspaper, were announced this month.

Poll: Majority Of Americans Support A Nuclear Deal With Iran

Washington Post: Poll: Clear majority supports nuclear deal with Iran

By a nearly 2 to 1 margin, Americans support the notion of striking a deal with Iran that restricts the nation’s nuclear program in exchange for loosening sanctions, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds.

But the survey — released hours before Tuesday’s negotiating deadline — also finds few Americans are hopeful that such an agreement will be effective. Nearly six in 10 say they are not confident that a deal will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, unchanged from 15 months ago, when the United States, France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia reached an interim agreement with Iran aimed at sealing a long-term deal.

Overall, the poll finds 59 percent support an agreement in which the United States and its negotiating partners lift major economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. Thirty-one percent oppose a deal.

WNU Editor: The key part of this poll is not that most Americans support a nuclear deal .... it is that few Americans believe that such an agreement will be effective.

Sneak Peek at Israel Navy's Secret Subs

Arutz Sheva: Take a Sneak Peak at Israel's Secret Submarine Fleet

Israel's nuclear-capable INS Tanin able to operate deep within enemy territory - to lethal effect.

New footage from the Israeli Navy showcases the most advanced submarine in the IDF's arsenal: the Dolphin-class INS Tanin (Crocodile).

The nuclear-capable submarine boasts an array of sophisticated weaponry, as well as the latest in intelligence-gathering technology.

It stands at a whopping 68 meters long, compared to 57.3 meters on average for other submarines.

"The submarine will receive more long-term missions, and for a greater amount of time, than submarines" the IDF possesses, one navy officer explained, adding that as a result the Navy had "extended by several days our ability to operate silently and secretly in enemy territory."

More News On Israel's Submarine Fleet

Sneak peek into top-of-the-line IDF submarine -- Ynet News
On Eve of Possible Deal, Israel Shows Off Latest Sub -- Washington Free Beacon
Israel’s fourth submarine, ISS Tanin, to start operations within weeks -- Haaretz
Israeli Navy’s New Submarine Poised to Begin Operations -- Algemenier
Powerful Submarines Join Israel’s Navy -- Marine Link

The Pentagon Wants To Buy Three Air Force Ones

CBS News: Why military wants to spend billions on new Air Force One

Boeing 747 planes become Air Force One when the commander in chief is aboard. The current planes are getting old, and the Pentagon wants to buy new ones. CBS News' Mark Albert reports from behind the scenes on how for the first time the military may buy three 747s to replace the current two.

Air Force One is the most recognizable aircraft in the world: six stories tall, two-thirds of a football field long and carrying immeasurable prestige.

More than "Hail to the Chief," more than the ubiquitous Secret Service agents, even more than the famous seal, there is no more identifiable symbol of the mobile presidency than Air Force One.

Update #1: Military planning to spend billions on new Air Force One -- FOX News
Update #2: Military wants to spend over THREE BILLION dollars on three new Air Force One planes to replace two current 747s in service since 1991 -- Daily Mail

WNU Editor: These planes will not be cheap .... but for the U.S. President to do his job .... essential.

U.S. Army Convoys Continue Their Tour Of Eastern Europe

Armored column: Row on row of American firepower rolled through Prague today as Stars and Stripes filled the air

Daily Mail: The Army puts on a heavy metal tour of Eastern Europe for Mr Putin: US armor mobbed by delighted citizens waving Stars and Stripes as it rolls across former Warsaw Pact countries

* Three American armored convoys today converged in Czech Republic's capital on tour of Eastern Europe
* Vehicles have traveled more than 1,000 miles through Poland and the Baltic States as warning to Putin
* Countries in the region are nervous after Russian annexation of Crimea and military unrest in the area
* U.S. Army said that Nato maneuvers are 'a highly-visible demonstration of U.S. commitment' to the region

Flag-waving supporters of the United States flooded the streets of Prague today to cheer on a highly visible display of U.S. military might rolling through Europe.

Dozens of Stars and Stripes flags, as well as symbols of the Nato military alliance, thronged the capital of the Czech Republic as American soldiers were given a warm welcome by the locals.

Armored carriers, including Stryker multi-purpose fighting vehicles, rolled down the highways before coming to a temporary stop in the city's historic streets as part of an overt show of strength to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

WNU Editor: Not everyone is happy with this convoy .... A U.S. Military Convoy Divides the Czechs (WSJ).

A Look At Russia's Newest Tank

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Business Insider: These are the plans for Russia's new third-generation tank

Russia is just about to unveil its latest armored platform, the T-14 tank.

The tank, called the Armata, has largely been kept under wraps although technical details about the platform have steadily been emerging. The Armata is planned to feature considerable upgrades to the armor, engine, and armaments of the vehicle over previous Russian and Soviet tank models.

Until the tank is actually seen in action, any claims as to the Armata's capabilities could be nothing more than propaganda, an overstatement reminiscent of Russia's improbable claims that it's working on a supersonic transport jet.

More News On Russia's Newest Tank

The T-14 Is a New Russian Tank —And a Whole Lot More -- Paul Huard, War Is Boring
Russia's newest armored vehicle swims and picks its own shots -- Endgadget
Russia: Top secret T-14 Armata tank revealed on film -- IBTimes
Russia's Unseen New Armata Battle Tank Captured on Camera -- Moscow Times
Innovations from Three Russian Prototype Tanks and T95 were merged into the Armata Tank Design -- Next Big Future

Russia Scales Back Orders For It's Next-Gen Fighter

Fred Weir, CSM: Grounded? Russia's answer to US next-gen fighter hits the skids.

The Kremlin is cutting its initial production of the Sukhoi T-50 fighter by 75 percent amid cost overruns and rumored technical concerns – the same kind of issues that have plagued US development of the F-35.

Moscow — Russia's ambitious T-50 fighter plane project was meant to develop a rival to two futuristic US jetfighters, the F-22 Raptor and the planned F-35 Lightning-II.

But now, the T-50 appears to be rivaling the F-35 another way: in development troubles. The Kremlin is slamming the brakes on its "fifth generation" fighter program and cutting its initial rollout to a quarter of those originally planned.

The decision seems a setback for Vladimir Putin's sweeping $800 billion rearmament program, a vital component of the wider effort to restore Russia to its Soviet-era status as a major global superpower. However, the sharp slowdown in plans to procure the sophisticated new jet may represent an outbreak of wisdom on the part of Russian military chiefs, who will remember how the USSR was driven into bankruptcy by engaging in an all-out arms race with the US.

Update #1: Mass production of T-50 fighters to start in 2016 -- RBTH
Update #2: With the U.S. F-35 Grounded, Putin’s New Jet Beats Us Hands-Down -- Rob Garver, The Fiscal Times

WNU Editor: These new weapons programs are not cheap .... and the T-50 is the most expensive item on Russia's current procurement list.

The Growing Importance Of Kaliningrad For The Russian Military

Elisabeth Braw, Newsweek: Weapons Flood Into Putin's European Arms Depot

While the world watched Russia’s North Fleet with trepidation as it launched surprise exercises near the Arctic Circle last week, Vladimir Putin has quietly been arming another area inside Europe’s borders: Kaliningrad, the Russian seaport city in a region sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, with convenient access to the Baltic Sea. Vessels from Russia’s Baltic Fleet have delivered fighter jets and Iskander missile launchers to the former German city, from where missiles could reach not just to Warsaw and Vilnius but Germany as well.

Sources say that, with sea transport neither quick nor easy to organise, it’s clear the Russian armed forces had planned the recent delivery for some time. Indeed, the Russian army has spent the past several years equipping its Baltic territory with state-of-the-art weaponry. Regional security officials now call Kaliningrad a veritable arms depot. “The Russian armed forces have, for example, installed new S-400 [anti-aircraft missiles] there, which have an incredibly long range,” says Johan Wiktorin, a Swedish former military intelligence officer and author of the 2013 book Korridoren till Kaliningrad (The Corridor to Kaliningrad). The arming of Kaliningrad forms part of a 19-trillion-rouble (€296bn) plan to increase the share of modern weapons in the Russian armed forces’ arsenal from 10% to 70%.

Update #1: Russia is putting state-of-the-art missiles in its westernmost Baltic enclave -- AP
Update #2: Russia controls this vital strategic enclave in the heart of NATO-allied eastern Europe -- Business Insider

WNU Editor: The economy in Kaliningard is also booming. Russia made Kaliningrad a free-trade zone a number of years ago .... and no surprise, it's economy has been growing ever since.