... The Pentagon said Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N) was the prime contractor for the Patriot interceptors and equipment, which could be worth as much as $3.05 billion.

Separately the State Department approved the potential sale of 96 THAAD missile defense system interceptors and support equipment to the United Arab Emirates along with spares and technical support, the Pentagon said.

The Pentagon said Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) was the prime contractor for the THAAD interceptors and equipment, which could be worth $2.25 billion....

The ICRC maintains a confidential dialogue with the parties to the conflict on their obligations under international humanitarian law

... Russia has taken "painstaking" steps to observe the Geneva Convention on the treatment of POWs, among them holding more than 40 weekly meetings with representatives of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and establishing a medical commission on seriously ill and injured prisoners. So far, 18 such prisoners were sent back to Ukraine, General Fomin said.

There have also been 27 exchanges of POWs and the bodies of dead servicemen, while the ICRC has received more than 1,500 letters home from the Ukrainian prisoners. Detained Ukrainian soldiers can also make phone calls to their families, Fomin said, all in accordance with Article 71 of the convention
[...]
Fomin's press conference came after the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it was appalled by a video allegedly showing a Russian soldier castrating a bound and gagged Ukrainian captive. In a statement on Friday, the commission reminded everyone that "torture and summary executions of prisoners of war" are war crimes. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office [!] has launched an investigation into the video, to establish where and when it might have taken place.

China's ambassador to France is the dominant alpha of wolf warrior diplomats. His most recent performance revealed Beijing's plan to "re-educate" Taiwan's public after China brings the self-ruling democratic island back under its control.

Open-source intelligence analyst Oliver Alexander said that the footage of Seagal at the site appeared to be authentic, with BBC images matching his surroundings when he gave his statement.

Although the Defense Ministry denies that any "mobilization activities" are taking place, authorities seem to be pulling out all the stops to bolster enlistment. Billboards and public transit ads in various regions proclaim, "This is The Job," urging men to join the professional army. Authorities have set up mobile recruiting centers in some cities, including one at the site of a half marathon in Siberia in May. Regional administrations are forming "volunteer battalions" that are promoted on state television. The business daily Kommersant counted at least 40 such entities in 20 regions, with officials promising volunteers monthly salaries ranging from the equivalent of $2,150 to nearly $5,500, plus bonuses.

An internal Defense Department survey obtained by NBC News found that only 9% of those young Americans eligible to serve in the military had any inclination to do so, the lowest number since 2007. More than half of the young Americans who answered the survey -- about 57% -- think they would have emotional or psychological problems after serving in the military. Nearly half think they would have physical problems.

estimated USD 1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan that includes 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the package.
[...]
The package, which is still in an early stage, includes 60 AGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles for $355 million, 100 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder tactical air-to-air missiles for $85.6 million, and $655.4 million for a surveillance radar contract extension, the people said. [...]
Once the Biden administration formalizes the notification, the Democratic chair and ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee will need to sign off on the sale before it can be finalized. The lawmakers are likely to approve the sale, but the process could drag out given the ongoing congressional recess.

CSIS | The "Christmas Tree" Problem