1. After broken agreement & negotiations, Hamas to Release Three Hostages on Thursday- Gazans can begin moving north tomorrow. 
Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office says Israel reached an agreement with Hamas after “strong and determined negotiations,” and reiterates that it will “not tolerate any violation of the agreement.”
2. US President Trump to end delivery hold on 2,000 pound bombs to Israel.
President Trump said to reporters aboard Air Force One, “We released them (the bombs). We released them today. And they’ll have them. They paid for them and they’ve been waiting for them for a long time. They’ve been in storage.”
3. Syria Seizes Shipment of Weapons Bound for Hezbollah.
The shipment was heading to Hezbollah via smuggling routes on the Lebanon-Syria border, in the area of the border city of Sarghaya. Images showed several assault rifles, RPG launchers, and ammunition.
4.  Italy’s Leonardo and Turkish drone maker Baykar are discussing a team-up which could see Leonardo’s electronics and radar mounted on Baykar’s TB2 drones.
5. Trump Administration looking into future support for Ukraine war effort.
6.  President Trump Directs US Forces to Reinforce Southern Border.
There are already roughly 2,500 military personnel along the border supporting the US Customs and Border Protection mission- & today’s announcement brings the total up to around 4,000 troops deployed. Other assets, such as drones, are also under consideration to be sent to the border.

For review:.
1. Pete Hegseth Confirmed as US SECDEF.
2. Second Set of Israeli Hostages Released - Four Female IDF Soldiers Free After 477 Days in Captivity.
3. IDF to continue presence in S. Lebanon.
A ceasefire signed in late November, stipulated that Israeli forces should withdraw as Hezbollah's weapons and fighters are removed from the south and the Lebanese army deploys. The deal set a 60-day period which ends on Sunday. Israel said on Friday the terms had not been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, meaning Israeli troops would stay beyond Sunday.
4. Houthi Rebels release 153 conflict-related prisoners for humanitarian reasons.
5. Ukraine and Russia exchange bodies of Soldiers Killed in Action.
 Friday’s repatriation is at least the fifth involving 500 or more Ukrainian bodies since October.
6. Ukraine President Zelenskyy said any peace deal with Russia would require at least 200,000 European peacekeepers to oversee it.
7. UK Manufactured Boxer Combat Vehicle.
Variants on order from the UK include infantry carrier, specialist carrier, command post carrier and an ambulance type.
The local build of Boxer is the first time the UK has manufactured an armoured vehicle since the Terrier armoured engineering vehicle.

For review:
1. IDF Chief of Staff to Resign in March.
 Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and the head of the IDF Southern Command (Major General Yaron Finkelman) said they would both be resigning over their roles in the failures that led to the Hamas 07 October onslaught.
2. Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs (Mohammad Zarif) discusses conflict with Israel while at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
3. US President Donald Trump's first call with a foreign leader is  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
4. Houthi terrorist group finally releases the crew of the merchant vessel M/V Galaxy Leader. In an Executive Order, new US President Trump declares the Houthi group a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
5. During Russian Security Council videotaped meeting, Russian President Putin open to peace talks with US only if "root causes" of the conflict are addressed.
6. Sweden Deploys Mechanized Infantry Battalion to Latvia.
The six month deployment consists of 600 Soldiers, CV90 armored vehicles, and Leopard 2 main battle tanks. 
7. Latest Update on US Army IVAS Program.
IVAS = Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS).

For review:
1.  Israel Releases 90 Palestinian Prisoners As Part of Ceasefire Deal.
2. Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th American president at the US Capitol in Washington (2d Term).
3. Portrait of former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (General Mark Milley) taken down, hours after President Trump's swearing in. Whereabouts unknown.
4. UK and Ukraine Sign 100-Year Partnership Agreement.
Under the deal, the UK has committed to providing Ukraine with at least £3 billion ($3.7 billion) in military aid each year up until 2030-31, with a promise of additional support as needed.
5.  Ukraine To Reassign Air Force Personnel to Infantry Service.
However, there were no plans to transfer essential Air Force aviation [maintenance] personnel—those who service and repair aircraft—to infantry roles.
6. Polish General Officer removed from position after anti-tank mines were found in Ikea furniture warehouse.
7. Lithuania will increase defense spending 5 to 6 percent of GDP.
Lithuania’s State Defence Council, met and agreed on the new 2026-2030 spending plan today, according to public broadcaster Lithuanian Radio and Television.
8. Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth clears Senate Armed Service Committee vote. Hegseth’s nomination is set for the Senate floor later this week, where it is expected to pass along party lines. (Republicans hold the majority).

For review:
1. Hostage Deal Begins - Three Hostages Released After 471 Days of Captivity in Gaza.
The first three hostages freed under the deal were civilians Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. Romi Gonen was abducted from the Supernova music festival, while Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher were taken from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
2. Syrian leader (Ahmed Al-Sharaa) pushes for Israel to leave buffer zone between the two countries.
“Israel’s advance in the region was due to the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah. After the liberation of Damascus, I believe that they have no presence at all. There are pretexts that Israel is using today to advance into the Syrian regions, into the buffer zone,” said Sharaa.
3. Iran State TV Shows Secret Underground Naval Missile Base.
State television said the base was built at a depth of 500 meters, somewhere in the Gulf, showed tunnels with long rows of what it said were a new version of Taregh-class radar-evading speedboats which can launch cruise missiles, and said that some of the vessels were “capable of destroying US warships and destroyers.”
4. One and a half mile-long airstrip being built on Yemen's Abd al-Kuri island.
Abd al-Kuri is part of the Socotra Archipelago, separated from Africa by only 60 miles and from Yemen by some 250 miles.
5. Norway and France to increase defense cooperation.
Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram Gram welcomed his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu for talks in Oslo on Thursday, followed by meetings with the French and Norwegian defense industries, the government said in a statement.
6. First US Navy Destroyer Fitted with Hypersonic Missile Tubes.
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is back in the water after the installation of four missile tubes that will eventually carry the Conventional Prompt Strike weapon. 
The tubes that will field three missiles a piece- for a total of up to 12 hypersonic missiles.

For review:
1.  Israel Cabinet to Vote on Hostage & Ceasefire Deal - Set to Begin on Sunday.
The deal is currently scheduled to take effect on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. Unconfirmed reports in Hebrew media said the release of the first three female hostages was expected at 4 p.m. that day. 
2. Palestinian Authority President (Mahmoud Abbas) said on Friday that the PA is ready to assume “full responsibility” in post-war Gaza, in his first statement since the Gaza ceasefire deal was announced.
3.  Russia & Iran Sign Strategic Partnership Treaty.
The agreement- “covers all spheres, including defense, counter-terrorism, energy, finance, transport, industry, agriculture, culture, science and engineering,” according to Russian news agency TASS.
4. Armor Not Dead: Slovakia Ready to Procure New Battle Tanks.
Two Options listed (CV-90120 & Leopard 2):
The CV-90120 would compete against new Leopard 2A8 tanks from German manufacturer KNDS or used 2A4s, an older Leopard variant that would be modernized. 
5. India's Prime Minister Modi launches new Submarine, Frigate, and Destroyer from State-run shipyard in Mumbai.
6. US Navy's Senior Requirements Officer for Surface Warfare (Rear Admiral Willian Daly)- skeptical about developing the Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV).
“The Large USV has a great purpose, but it has it has walked that path towards exquisite, expensive [and] unpalatable,” Rear Admiral Daly said. “I’m skeptical about that landing in the fleet.”
7. President-elect Donald Trump nominates Troy Meink as the next Secretary of the Air Force. 
Mr. Meink began his career as a KC-135 tanker navigator in 1988. He went on to hold a variety of roles across the Air Force’s space enterprise, serving as a chief technical advisor to the Air Force Research Laboratory and later the deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space. If confirmed, Meink will lead both the Air Force and the Space Force 

For review:
1. Israel - Hamas Ceasefire & Hostage Talks Continue.
Key mediator Qatar it had presented both parties with a “final” draft of the agreement. Israel’s Channel 12 news reported Monday that Jerusalem considered it broadly acceptable. CNN cited an Egyptian official as saying the mediating countries — Qatar, Egypt, and the United States — had not yet received a response from Hamas.
2. NATO Secretary General (Mark Rutte) Wants Commitment for Increased Spending by Alliance Members.
Reuters reported on Monday that Secretary Rutte is of the view that new military capability targets could require members to commit to “as much as” 3.7 percent GDP.
3. Greece Adds Rafale Fighters to Warplane Arsenal.
The latest Rafale delivery supports Greece's goal to operate 200 x aircraft from the 4.5 and 5th generations comprising the F-16 Viper, F-35s, and the Rafales by 2030.
Greece now operates 24 x Rafale fighters.
4. USMC awards contract to integrate the Forterra autonomy package on JLTVs in support of the ROGUE Fires Vehicle & NMESIS program. 
NMESIS = Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System.
5. US Navy Vice Chief of Naval Operations (Admiral Jim Kilby) makes a statement at the annual Surface Navy Association symposium regarding the downing of the F/A-18 by friendly fire, in December 2024.
6. Secretary of Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth appears before the Senate Armed Service Committee for confirmation hearing. 

For review:
1. Israel Strikes Targets Amid Hezbollah Threat.
Israel says that before the strikes, it made the threats known to an international mechanism set up as part of the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, but “the threats weren’t addressed.”
Israel struck several Hezbollah targets, including a rocket launcher, an unspecified military site, and “routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah.”
2. Governance row between two main Palestinian groups- Hamas and Fatah- plays out in West Bank.
3. Russia Transferring Materiel from Syria to Libya.
On December 18- the Wall Street Journal, citing Libyan and American officials, said there had been a transfer of Russian radars and defense systems from Syria to Libya, including S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft batteries.
4. Russia claims advances in the Donetsk and Kharkiv Regions.
5. Ukraine claims that it has captured two wounded N. Korean Soldiers in Russia's Kursk Region.
6. After GAO Protest Ruling - US Army Restarts Work on Fixed-Wing ISR Program.
7. US Army Launched Effects (LE) program.
Launched Effects is the Army's term of art for an unmanned segment among its aerial platforms, capable of delivering a wide range of capabilities such as targeting, reconnaissance, surveillance, network extension or kinetic strike. 

For review:
1. Israel Responds to Houthi Drone & Missile Attacks - IDF Strikes Houthi Coastal Ports and Sanaa Powerplant. The Israel Defense Forces said over 20 IAF aircraft — including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes — participated in the Israeli strikes.
2. Iranian Media: Military to Field 1000 Strategic Drones.
Reportedly the unmanned aerial vehicles to be delivered include Ababil-4 and Ababil 5, which serve multipurpose missions from reconnaissance, patrolling and combat operations. 
3. UK Defense Ministry Release: The Ukraine Defense Contact Group - Drone Capability Coalition (led by UK & Latvia), will deliver 30,000 drones to Ukraine.
These state-of-the-art, first-person view drones will help Ukraine fight against Russian aggression, allowing Ukraine’s Armed Forces to manoeuvre past Russian air defences to target enemy positions and armoured vehicles.
4. Serbia looks to countries other than Russia- for defense materiel (France, Israel, & China).
Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces: "When it comes to weapon deliveries from the Russian Federation, they are currently practically impossible."
5. France's Defense Exports are Second Largest in the World. In the 2019-2023 period- France was the second-largest arms shipper, after the United States, accounting for 11% of global arms exports, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
6. Indo-Pacific countries are taking steps to improve their amphibious capabilities (Japan; Philippines; Australia; & India).
7. An Amphibious Warship Industrial Base Coalition survey says that US Navy multi-ship buys lead to immediate benefits.
Under multi-ship buys, the Navy and defense shipbuilding industry agree on the prices of multiple ships years in advance and within the same contractual agreement. 

For review:
1. Lebanon's Lawmakers Elect New President. 
Lebanon’s lawmakers elected on Thursday army chief Joseph Aoun as president on Thursday. Under multi-confessional Lebanon’s power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, as do military chiefs.
2. Iran's former top General Officer in Syria conducts Q & A session at Tehran mosque.
Brigadier General Behrouz Esbati provided information and answered questions about operations in Syria and attacks against the US and Israel. 
3.  Latest US Security Package to Ukraine Worth $500 Million.
The package includes missiles for air defense; air-to-ground munitions; and equipment to support Ukraine's use of F-16s.
4. In Germany, Ukraine's allies meet at the 25th Ukraine Defense Contact Group- notable as this is the last meeting with US Secretary of Defense (Lloyd Austin) under the Biden Administration.
5.  Armor Not Dead: Sweden Procures New Leopard Tanks & Upgrades CV90 Combat Vehicles.
The armor deal covers 44 new Leopards and upgrades for 66 older Leopard 2 tanks. The new tanks are set to begin delivery in 2028, with all units expected to be in service by 2031.  In addition, Sweden has approved the renovation of 90 existing CV90 combat vehicles, set to be completed by 2030.
6. Australia procures 40 x Bushmaster Combat Vehicles for the 2d Long Range Fires Regiment. The new Bushmasters will provide C2 capabilities for the Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) or Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile Increment 2 contract, to be awarded by the end of this year. 
7. US President-elect Trump's nominee for the Secretary of Defense (Pete Hegseth)- goes to Capitol Hill next Tuesday to begin the confirmation hearing process before the Senate Armed Service Committee.