North Korea claims latest missile test was hypersonic glide vehicle

“In the test launch the Academy [of Defence Science] reconfirmed the flight control and stability of the missile in the active-flight stage and assessed the performance of the new lateral movement technique applied to the detached hypersonic gliding warhead,” according to a report in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper. “The test launch clearly demonstrated the control and stability of the hypersonic gliding warhead which combined the multi-stage gliding jump flight and the strong lateral movement.”

“Having been detached after its launch, the missile made a 120 km lateral movement in the flight distance of the hypersonic gliding warhead from the initial launch azimuth to the target azimuth and precisely hit a set target 700 km away.”

‘DESTABILIZING’: The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command acknowledged the missile test in a statement but did not confirm it represented new hypersonic technology.

“While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the ballistic missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s illicit weapons program,” the statement said. “The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad.”

At the Pentagon, spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. is still assessing what exactly North Korea tested.

“We actually don’t have a greater level of detail about this particular launch other than that we have every reason to believe it was a ballistic missile launch, which, of course, is a violation of various U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Kirby said.

US, JAPAN CONSULT: The latest North Korean test comes as the United States and Japan meet virtually today in their annual “2+2” U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee hosted by the State Department.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will consult with their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Affairs Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo. They will also be joined by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel.

In a call ahead of the meeting, Blinken spoke last night with Yoshimasa. “Secretary Blinken condemned the DPRK’s ballistic missile launch and stressed U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan remains ironclad,” said a State Department statement. “They also discussed cooperation to achieve the complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Austin has been working from home this week after testing positive for COVID-19. Spokesman Kirby said Austin “remains ill with COVID, but the symptoms continue to be mild … of an upper respiratory nature — congestion, that kind of thing, mild cough, but he’s in good spirits.”

“The secretary’s very much looking forward to participating, and it will be virtual, of course, and it was going to be virtual anyway, regardless of the secretary’s diagnosis,” Kirby said.

Opening remarks will be livestreamed on www.state.gov and https://www.youtube.com/statedept.

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HAPPENING TODAY: At 9 a.m., President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris deliver remarks to mark one year since the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol in the building’s National Statuary Hall.

“The President is going to speak to the truth of what happened, not the lies that some have spread since, and the peril it posed to the rule of law and our system of democratic governance. He will also speak to the work we still need to do to secure and strengthen our democracy and our institutions to reject the hatred and lies we saw on January 6th and to unite our country,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki in what she described as a preview of the speech.

Asked if Biden would call out former President Donald Trump by name, Psaki said, “We’ll see. We’re finalizing the speech. But I think people will know who he’s referring to.”

“I’d also note that President Biden has been clear-eyed about the threat the former president represents to our democracy and how the former president constantly works to undermine basic American values and rule of law,” Psaki said. “And President Biden has, of course, spoken repeatedly about how the former president abused his office, undermined the Constitution, and ignored his oath to the American people in an effort to amass more power for himself and his allies.”

GARLAND: ‘THE ACTIONS WE HAVE TAKEN THUS FAR WILL NOT BE OUR LAST’: In a speech delivered ahead of today’s anniversary, Attorney General Merrick Garland aimed a portion of his remarks at critics who think he has not been aggressive enough in going after the people who fomented the effort to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results.

“In complex cases, initial charges are often less severe than later charge offenses. This is purposeful, as investigators methodically collect and sift through more evidence,” Garland said. “The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last. The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators at any level accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy. We will follow the facts wherever they lead.”

“I understand that this may not be the answer some are looking for,” Garland said. “We understand that there are questions about how long the investigation will take and about what exactly we are doing. Our answer is and will continue to be the same answer we would give to — with respect to any ongoing investigation, as long as it takes, and whatever it takes for justice to be done, consistent with the facts and the law.”

WHERE CHARGES STAND: Of the 725 defendants who faced or are facing charges for the events of Jan. 6, 145 pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in the first months of the investigation, mostly defendants who did not cause injury or damage.

The Justice Department has charged another 325 defendants with felonies, many for assaulting officers and many for corruptly obstructing or attempting to obstruct an official proceeding. Twenty defendants charged with felonies have already pleaded guilty.

According to a new research brief from the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, of defendants with links to organized extremist groups, most were affiliated with the Proud Boys.

At least 105 defendants (14%) were or are associated with the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and Boogaloo Movement, while 77 expressed support for QAnon. In addition, 119 (16%) individuals have military backgrounds.

JIMMY CARTER WEIGHS IN: In a guest essay in the New York Times, former President Jimmy Carter says he fears for the future of American democracy, noting his Carter Center was established to promote free, fair, and orderly elections across the globe.

“I have also seen how new democratic systems — and sometimes even established ones — can fall to military juntas or power-hungry despots. Sudan and Myanmar are two recent examples,” he writes.

“While citizens can disagree on policies, people of all political stripes must agree on fundamental constitutional principles and norms of fairness, civility and respect for the rule of law … Claims of election irregularities should be submitted in good faith for adjudication by the courts, with all participants agreeing to accept the findings.”

“Our great nation now teeters on the brink of a widening abyss,” Carter concludes. “Without immediate action, we are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy. Americans must set aside differences and work together before it is too late.”

IS PUTIN SERIOUS? Ahead of tomorrow’s virtual meeting of NATO foreign ministers to discuss the Russian threat to Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is questioning whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in defusing the crisis.

“So, the real question is whether Russia is serious about diplomacy, serious about de-escalation,” Blinken said yesterday after meeting with his German counterpart at the State Department.

“It’s important that we begin these conversations. I think if they’re going to bear fruit, if they’re going to show real progress, that will require de-escalation. It’s very hard to make actual progress in any of these areas in an atmosphere of escalation and threat with a gun pointed to Ukraine’s head.”

KAZAKHSTAN STATE OF EMERGENCY: Meanwhile, Putin has another crisis on his southern border, where the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan is in danger of imploding as thousands of Kazaks take to the streets, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is cracking down on the protesters who he has labeled terrorists.

Russia has dispatched paratroopers to assist in “peacekeeping,” under terms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, to help crush the uprising.

Dozens of protesters have been killed in Almaty in attacks on government buildings, and at least a dozen police officers died, including one who was found beheaded, according to the Associated Press.

“The United States is closely following the situation in Kazakhstan, a valued partner. We condemn the acts of violence and destruction of property and call for restraint by both the authorities and protestors,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price in a statement.

“We ask for all Kazakhstanis to respect and defend constitutional institutions, human rights, and media freedom, including through the restoration of internet service. We urge all parties to find a peaceful resolution of the state of emergency.”

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The Rundown

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Washington Examiner: North Korea begins new year with ballistic missile test

Reuters: Taiwan Air Force Stages Drill To Intercept Chinese Planes Amid Tensions

National Defense Magazine: China Matching Pentagon Spending on AI

Military Times: Capitol Police Working More Closely With DoD Ahead Of Jan. 6 Anniversary

USNI News: Navy Separates 20 Sailors Over Refusal to Take COVID-19 Vaccine

Air Force Magazine: RAND to USAF: Don’t Take GBSD Support for Granted

Air Force Magazine: Cost of Rebuilding Offutt Will Top $1B, Congressman Says

AP: Afghan Taliban turn blind eye to Pakistani militants

Wall Street Journal: Military’s New Challenge: Fighting Cheap Hobby Drones

Washington Post: Pentagon Must Do More To Curb Extremism, Experts Say

The Hill: Marines Holding Disciplinary Hearings This Week In Sinking Of Amphibious Ship

DefenseWorldNet: First U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35C Squadron Deploys Abroad Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier

19fortyfive.com: Opinion: The January 6th Insurrection Was a National Wakeup Call We Ignored

19fortyfive.com: NMESIS: The US Marine Corps Has Big Plans to Sink China’s Navy

19fortyfive.com: Opinion: F-35: 2021 Was the Year Lockheed Martin Proved The Critics Wrong

19fortyfive.com: Opinion: North Korea’s Ballistic Missile Test: A 6 Step Strategy To Respond

Washington Times: Opinion: U.S. adversaries are becoming South American conquistadores

Calendar

THURSDAY | JANUARY 6

10 a.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: “The January 6 Insurrection: One Year Later,” with Quinta Jurecic, senior editor at Lawfare; Roger Parloff, senior editor at Lawfare; Seamus Hughes, deputy director of George Washington University’s Program on Extremism; Katie Benner, Justice Department reporter at the New York Times; and Benjamin Wittes, editor-in chief of Lawfare https://www.brookings.edu/events

11 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “What is Russia’s endgame in Ukraine,” with retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander Europe; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center; former Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Danyliuk; former Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Evelyn Farkas; and Melinda Haring, deputy director and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/what-is-russias-endgame

11 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “The Future of Maritime Security in the Gulf and the Red Sea,” with Cinzia Bianco, research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations; Saskia M. van Genugten, research fellow at the Netherlands Defense Academy; retired Navy Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, senior fellow on national security at MEI; Mirette Mabrouk, senior fellow at MEI; and Bilal Saab, director of the MEI Defense and Security Program https://www.mei.edu/events/future-maritime-security-gulf-and-red-sea

8 p.m. Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol — CNN discussion: “Live from the Capitol: January 6th, One Year Later,” with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.; Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.; Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas; Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.; Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich.; Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa.; Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.; Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.; U.S. Capitol Police Officer Pfc. Harry Dunn; U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell; and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officers Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges Livestream at https://go.cnn.com/

FRIDAY | JANUARY 7

10:15 am EST/4:15 p.m. CET Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefs reporters after an “extraordinary virtual meeting” of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to discuss Russia’s military build-up in and around Ukraine and broader European security issues. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news

11 a.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on “the escalating needs of refugees in Afghanistan. https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live

1 p.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies policy paper release and virtual discussion: “The Backbone of JADC2: Satellite Communications for Information Age Warfare,” with Stephen Forbes, Blackjack program manager, DARPA, and David Voss, director, Spectrum Warfare Center of Excellence, Space Warfighting Analysis Center. https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/

TUESDAY | JANUARY 11

10 a.m. — Joint closed hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committee on “U.S. Policy on Afghanistan,” with secret testimony from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin  CLOSED, no webcast.

10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hearing: “Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility: The Current Crisis, the Response, and the Way Forward,” with testimony from Vice Adm. Yancy Lindsey, commander, Navy Installations Command; Rear Adm. Blake Converse, deputy commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Rear Adm. John Korka, commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command; Rear Adm. Peter Stamatopoulos, commander, Naval Supply Systems Command; and Capt. Michael McGinnis, Pacific fleet surgeon, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 12

2 a.m. EST/8:30 a.m. CET — NATO’s Military Committee, its highest military authority, meets for two days in Brussels, Belgium, with opening remarks by Adm. Rob Bauer, of the Royal Netherlands Navy, chair of the Military Committee. The meeting includes all the military chefs from the 30 NATO nations, as well as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Gen. Tod Wolters. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news

7:30 a.m. EST/1:30 p.m. CET Brussels, Belgium — Press conference at NATO headquarters by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council https://www.nato.int

THURSDAY | JANUARY 13

5:30 p.m. — National Security Institute NatSec Nightcap event: “Maintaining U.S. Global Leadership and Confronting Tomorrow’s Threats,” with former U.S. Central Commander retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel; and Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director, National Security Institute https://nationalsecurity.gmu.edu/natsec-nightcap

FRIDAY | JANUARY 14

10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and U.S. Naval Institute event: “Maritime Security Dialogue: 5th Fleet Mission and Operations Update,” with Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. naval forces, Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces; and retired Vice Adm. Peter Daly, chief executive officer and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/maritime-security-dialogue