On Tuesday, Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D) proposed an amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act which would all the U.S Army to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defense system from Turkey. The proposal is an attempt to alleviate the deteriorating relationship between the U.S and Turkey, the latter of which was removed from the F-35 program after Ankara acquired the Russian system.
Also on Tuesday, Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers launched missiles during Russian drills in the Kamchatka Region of Russia's Far East. Pilots practiced employing missiles against ground targets, as well as performed mid-air refueling.
On Wednesday, the U.S Space Force further explained how the newest branch of the armed forces will be organized. The immediate plan sees the Space Force comprised of three field commands: Space Operations Command (SpOC), Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM), and Space Systems Command (SSC). Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of Space Force headquarters, stated the goal was to create a force "focused on mission effectiveness and agility".
Also on Wednesday, a fire and explosion struck a building above Iran's underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility early in the morning. Iran sought to downplay the incident, and officials did not identify what damaged the building. Speculation in the media, both in Iran and internationally, has focused on potential sabotage or an attack by another nation.
On Sunday, it was reported that the U.S had deployed a C-RAM system to Baghdad, where it intercepted a rocket aimed at the U.S Embassy in the Green Zone. Several Iraqi politicians criticized the deployment as a provocation and tensions continue to be high as Iraq's new Prime Minister grapples with a weak economy and pro-Iranian militias who seek to further destabilize the country.
Also on Sunday, the Israeli Defense Force reported its Iron Dome missile defenses intercepted at least one rocket fired towards southern Israel from Gaza. Two other rockets were also fired, both of which struck unpopulated areas. There were no injuries and no damage reported from any of the attacks.
On Monday, tensions continued to increase in the South China Sea, where two U.S Navy aircraft carriers were deployed over the weekend. China called the U.S carriers "nothing more than paper tigers on China's doorsteps", while the U.S Navy quickly responded on Twitter, "#USSNimitz & #USSRonaldReagan are not intimidated #AtOurDiscretion".
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